Morning sunlight filtered through the windows as Chen Mo slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the warmth beside him, he gently turned over and wrapped his arm around Xiao Yu's waist.
Sensing the motion, Xiao Yu stirred, her body nestling deeper into his arms like a lazy kitten seeking comfort.
Watching her peaceful face, Chen Mo's lips curled into a soft smile. This woman... always so pampered.
Moments later, Xiao Yu's eyelashes fluttered as she woke up. A sleepy charm lingered in her gaze. When she noticed Chen Mo watching her, she shyly buried her head into his chest.
"How long have you been awake?" she mumbled.
"Not long," Chen Mo replied, gently stroking her hair. "Do you want to sleep a little more?"
Xiao Yu blushed slightly, likely recalling last night's passionate entanglement. "No, I'll go make breakfast. You take a shower first."
Just as she was about to get up, Chen Mo pulled her back into his embrace. His expression playful, he grinned. "Let's shower together, then make breakfast together."
"You bad egg!" Xiao Yu's face turned red as he scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom.
—
After breakfast, the two headed to the company. Just as Chen Mo arrived at his office, Zhao Min came in with a folder in hand.
"The Binhai City Special Police Detachment is preparing to move their headquarters to our Science and Technology Park."
"Oh?" Chen Mo raised his eyebrows, then nodded in understanding.
Just yesterday, they'd discussed cooperation. Today, the special police were moving in. Clearly, this wasn't a coincidence. It was a strategic move—both protection and a show of confidence in the Marching Ant Company's growing influence.
With the company's status rising, security was becoming a matter of national concern. Any force daring to interfere with them would now have to think twice—with a detachment of armed officers just next door.
Since both understood the intent, they didn't dwell on the topic.
"Regarding Binhai City's smart city development project," Zhao Min continued, "our company's participating in two segments—smart traffic systems and unmanned public transportation. The smart traffic system is being handled by the Chinese programming division, and the driverless bus project is under the autonomous vehicle team."
She handed Chen Mo a folder. "These are the cooperation terms from the city government. Take a look."
"Alright." Chen Mo nodded and took the folder.
"Let me know if anything's unclear. I've got some other matters to handle."
Zhao Min turned and left the office, and Chen Mo flipped through the documents. Once he confirmed the terms were acceptable, he set the folder aside and headed for Building 1.
The Marching Ant Company had once again entered a quiet period. Media reports had died down, with the occasional mention of minor robot incidents or earthquake warnings from the seismograph. But those were just ripples—nothing that concerned them anymore.
—
Huaxia Engineering Institute – Institute of Biological Sciences
A group of eight researchers stood silently around three iron cages. Each cage contained a monkey restrained with gentle restraints. Two of them appeared to be asleep, sensors and electrodes attached across their bodies. The third was active and alert—the control specimen.
These were the test subjects for a major experiment.
After Li Chengzhi returned with Chen Mo's agent, the institute had secured approval to begin monkey trials. Primates, with their close physiological resemblance to humans, were the logical next step. Success here would bring them one step closer to verifying human viability.
The agent had already been administered to the two monkeys. Now, the team waited anxiously for results.
"There's a change!"
A researcher suddenly called out. Everyone turned toward the monitors. Sure enough, the readings for the two treated monkeys were climbing steadily.
Cheers and excited murmurs erupted around the lab.
"It's working!"
"This is a historic breakthrough!"
"This project might actually succeed!"
Excitement rippled through the group, but the celebration was cut short.
"Quiet!" Wu Bing snapped.
The room fell silent again. Her calm, commanding presence quickly reestablished order. Eyes returned to the screens.
"The readings have stabilized," the researcher monitoring the data announced.
"Proceed with a full physical examination of the subjects," Wu Bing instructed.
"Got it."
Medical personnel moved in, running detailed diagnostics on all three monkeys.
"Heart and lung functions: normal."
"Subjects 2 and 3 show slight height increases—2 cm and 2.3 cm respectively. Minor weight loss recorded."
"Bone density has increased in both."
"Platelet counts are elevated but remain within safe parameters."
"Fat content in subject 1 is unchanged. Subjects 2 and 3 show decreased fat percentage and increased muscle mass. Muscle-fat ratios increased by 3% and 3.3% respectively."
"Blood lipids are normal."
"ECG readings are normal."
"No abnormal tumors or growths detected."
The steady stream of positive results lifted everyone's spirits again. Every metric pointed to minor but measurable enhancements—all within safe biological thresholds.
It was undeniable: the drug had a real, positive effect on primate physiology.
Even so, Wu Bing kept her composure. She knew that excitement could cloud judgment. Before any talk of clinical application, human-specific testing was required—and that carried major risks.
"Secure the monkeys in the observation cages," she ordered. "Follow the protocol and monitor their condition closely."
Under her direction, the team moved efficiently, transferring the animals into specialized containment units for longer-term monitoring.
Though Ding Jianwen was officially the project lead, Wu Bing—holder of dual PhDs—was one of the most crucial minds on the team. With Ding currently away, she was acting in his stead.
As the lab settled back into routine, Wu Bing prepared to leave.
"Dr. Wu," one of the younger researchers asked hesitantly, "now that we've tested on monkeys, does that mean we're moving on to human trials?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," she replied sternly. "You know better. Human trials aren't something you just decide to do. There's a rigorous process for that."
The researcher shrank back, embarrassed.
Wu Bing didn't blame him—it was an exciting moment—but discipline and caution were essential.
"Keep your focus on the monkeys for now. If anything unusual happens, notify me immediately."
With that, Wu Bing left the lab and met Li Chengzhi outside.
"The results?" he asked as she approached.
"Preliminary results are in," Wu Bing said, handing him a report. "The drug is effective on primates. Full intelligence and strength testing is still underway."
Li Chengzhi flipped through the report, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Incredible. That's excellent news."
"Don't celebrate just yet," Wu Bing warned. "Humans and primates aren't identical. Positive results here don't guarantee human safety."
"Understood. But once you believe it's safe enough to proceed, the higher-ups will fast-track the approvals. They're treating this with top-level priority."
"I believe it," Wu Bing said with a nod. Then she hesitated. "That said… I want to make a request."
"Oh?"
"Can you arrange for me to meet the person who developed this drug? The one who discovered the 'silence factor'? I want to see them for myself."