Zhao Min truly had a knack for making money. She knew how to leverage the existing resources of the Marching Ant Company to generate even more wealth.
Even Chen Mo had to admit that without Zhao Min, the company wouldn't be where it was today. Her sharp insight and decisive methods had allowed Marching Ants to expand at an incredible pace.
"A very good idea," Chen Mo said. "According to your plan, what's the budget?"
"Fifteen billion," Zhao Min replied. "Aside from the holographic theme park on the island, there will also be other attractions and a bridge connecting to the mainland. Fifteen billion is enough to do it properly."
She handed the proposal from Lanxi over to Chen Mo.
He flipped through the document, carefully reviewing the theme park's planning and inspection details. The evaluations were thorough. As soon as the land reclamation application was approved, construction could begin.
Thanks to Chen Mo's ties with Binhai City officials, the approval wouldn't be hard to secure.
Clearly, everything was ready. Zhao Min had come to him only at the final stage. After a moment's thought, Chen Mo picked up a pen and signed the document.
"Go ahead and proceed according to your vision."
"Lanxi, get started on the preparations," Zhao Min said, handing the paperwork to her.
Once Lanxi left, Zhao Min spoke again.
"When will the news about nuclear fusion be announced?"
"We'll wait and see—at least two months. The authorities asked me to prepare. The tech's a bit too ahead of its time. If it's rushed out, it might trigger economic instability," Chen Mo explained.
"True. Just like with the room-temperature superconductors… No one expected you to solve a problem that's baffled global physicists for decades—in under a year, no less. If they find out, they'll probably cough up blood," she joked.
Controlled nuclear fusion wasn't supposed to appear this early—not for another decade, at least. But now it had arrived ahead of schedule, much like holographic technology.
"That's not our concern," Chen Mo smiled. "Our job is to make money."
"So, now that the fusion project's done… what's next on your agenda?" Zhao Min asked curiously.
She knew him well. Every time he completed a major project, it marked the beginning of the next. She often wondered what his brain was made of.
"I plan to take a break for now," Chen Mo replied. "Otherwise, I'll get caught and sliced open."
Zhao Min laughed. "You should've been sliced already."
Chen Mo just shrugged. Although the fusion breakthrough hadn't come from the Technology Library this time, he had his own reasons—chief among them being Xiao Yu's pregnancy. He wanted to spend more time with her.
As a [Technology Apprentice], he now had four major development paths: medicine, ecology, machinery, and military. While researching fusion, he'd already laid the foundation for all four labs and acquired the necessary instruments. Moving forward with any of them wouldn't be too difficult.
But first, he planned to head abroad. The Nobel Prize awards were approaching.
"If you're not researching anything for now, what are you going to do?"
"The Nobel Prize," Chen Mo said casually.
Zhao Min instantly understood—he was preparing for the trip.
"Be careful when you travel," she warned.
Unlike her, Chen Mo couldn't move around freely. He'd already been targeted more than three times, with the last one being especially dangerous. All the attacks had originated outside of China.
Inside the country, he was under constant surveillance and protection. But abroad, it was a different story. Kidnappings and assassinations of scientists weren't unheard of.
"No helping it. As the first Chinese physicist in line for the prize, I've become something of a symbol," Chen Mo said calmly.
When he was younger, he'd been upset that no Chinese scientist had ever won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Now, he understood the deeper politics behind it. The Nobel was often just another tool of influence.
Still, winning it would fulfill a youthful dream—and the dream of China's entire physics community.
After Zhao Min left, Chen Mo turned his attention to the holographic map on his desk. It was the layout of Marina Square. Yao Yi had asked for his input on the planning.
The projectors for the "Holly City" initiative were all being supplied by Marching Ants. The profits would be enormous. Since Binhai officials wanted his opinion, he didn't refuse.
"Mo Nu, what do you think of Marina Square's layout?" Chen Mo asked.
"How tall is the holographic projection?" she replied, appearing beside him with wide, curious eyes.
Thanks to long-term machine learning and Chen Mo's personal guidance, Mo Nu's intelligence had become nearly indistinguishable from a human's—though she still lacked true emotions.
"Seventy meters above the square," Chen Mo answered.
That was roughly equivalent to a 20-story building—plenty high for a striking display.
"That'll require three large synchronized holographic projectors to create a big enough image," Mo Nu analyzed. "The best setup would be to build two rows of tall pillars on either side of the square and mount the projectors on them."
As she spoke, pillars appeared on the holographic map—neatly arranged like standing soldiers on both sides of the central plaza. Projectors were mounted along them, forming a dramatic stage.
With the projections active, a fairy-like figure danced in the air. The square became a vivid, colorful dreamscape. A holographic Mo Nu joined the scene, scaled to nearly 70 meters tall.
"Not bad," Chen Mo nodded, then pointed to the nearby office buildings. "Add two more projectors to the rooftops. And place some mid-sized ones around the flowerbeds in the square."
Following his instructions, Mo Nu began positioning the devices in the optimal spots.
"In the coastal area of Marina Square, build a tower similar to the Yangcheng Tower—300 meters tall should be enough. Install projectors on its exterior walls and use them to project the 'Beach Fishing Girl' hologram."
Chen Mo pointed to a location near the shore.
A small-scale version of the tower emerged from the sea on the holographic map. The giant hologram of a coastal fisherwoman wrapped around the structure, transforming the entire building into a flowing, elegant image.
It looked as though a girl of the sea had risen from the waves—her hair and clothes fluttering in the ocean breeze as she gazed down at the city.
Together with the fairy-like projections floating over Marina Square, and the shimmering lights along the ground, the whole scene became a living fantasy.
Though still a simulation, the prospect of real 300-meter projections would be mind-blowing. Once realized, the sky over Marina Square would surely become a global sensation.
There would be nothing else like it in the world.
Countless tourists would flock to see it, and Binhai would become one of the most famous tourist destinations on the planet. The landscape could even be changed daily using holographic presets.
Every day, a new spectacle.