Chen Mo spent the next five days at home, giving himself a short break. He treated it like a mini-vacation, though he still checked in with Science Island about the plasma experiments over the phone.
Five days later, he returned to Science Island.
By then, the island was buzzing with activity.
As Chen Mo stepped into the experimental command center, Wan Yuanqi and the others greeted him enthusiastically. Everyone's face was lit with excitement.
Wang Nian and his team hadn't left at all, remaining on-site to monitor the plasma that had achieved successful fusion.
The fuel used during the [Star Ring] experiment only had enough left to sustain three more days of operation. Because of this, Wang Nian submitted an emergency request for additional fuel, which arrived the following day.
Now, five days later, the newly delivered fuel had been continuously burning, and the plasma remained stable with no signs of extinguishing.
It was monumental news. The success of the [Star Ring]'s nuclear fusion was confirmed. As long as there was a steady fuel supply, the plasma could remain active indefinitely.
"How's the [Star Ring] running?" Chen Mo asked as he walked into the control center.
"The plasma is in a steady-state operation. The reactor's current power generation output is 760,000 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to a mid-sized hydropower station," Wan Yuanqi eagerly reported.
And that was just from an experimental reactor. If a full-scale nuclear fusion power plant were built, complete with turbine generators, output could easily exceed 20 million kilowatt-hours. With just two such plants—or even one large facility—an entire province's power needs could be met.
That would completely eliminate reliance on thermal power and solve the issue of nationwide electricity shortages.
Most importantly, the byproduct of nuclear fusion is helium, meaning there's no radioactive waste as with nuclear fission. It was clean, safe energy—true green power.
"Chen Mo, now that we've proven it works, how much would it cost to build a 20-million-kWh nuclear fusion power plant?"
"I'm not a professional evaluator, so I can't give an overall project cost," Chen Mo replied. "But I can tell you the construction cost for a single [Star Ring] reactor. It's about ten billion yuan. The rest of the evaluation would have to be done by your own team."
Wang Nian and the others nodded. The reactor's cost was within expectations. With that benchmark, other infrastructure expenses could now be properly assessed by experts.
"Now that the plasma is stable, we can safely conclude that the experiment was a success," Chen Mo continued. "The next step is to prepare for the construction of a full-scale nuclear fusion plant."
"We're on it," Wan Yuanqi responded.
The project had entered a new phase. With costs manageable, the time had come for large-scale implementation of fusion power across the country.
Soon, all the experts here would be busy again.
After reviewing the latest data at the [Star Ring] experimental center, Chen Mo gathered the reactor's performance logs from the past few days and headed back to the headquarters of the Marching Ant Company.
Since the fusion project was still under wraps, this gave him a rare moment of peace.
"You're back."
Zhao Min and Lan Xi entered his office as soon as he returned.
Over the past few weeks, Zhao Min had been working with Binhai City's officials on the 'Holographic City' project. Now that the nuclear fusion experiment had reached a stable stage, it was time for her to give Chen Mo an update.
"Do you have a moment?" she asked.
"I do," he nodded.
Zhao Min took a USB drive from Lan Xi and handed it to Chen Mo. "This contains the scope of the Holographic City plan. I've already had a team prepare a full 3D holographic map."
She'd had this prepared over ten days ago, but knowing how critical the nuclear fusion phase was, she'd waited until now to bring it up.
Chen Mo inserted the USB into his computer.
"Mo Nu, display the holographic map."
"Understood."
As soon as Mo Nu responded, a miniature holographic cityscape projected above the desk. The entire layout of Binhai's central district appeared, complete with scaled-down buildings rendered in detail.
"The plan is finalized," Zhao Min began. "The project covers Marina Square, Binhai Library, the Museum, the Art Center, the Children's Palace, and the Grand Theatre that faces the sea. The city is also planning to build a large water stage in this area."
She circled a region on the map between the Grand Theatre and Marina Square.
"Once construction starts, the city will encourage nearby buildings—like the Financial Center, CITIC Building, Dega Tower, hotels, and office complexes—to replace their traditional LCD displays with holographic projectors. Advertising will shift entirely to holography."
She pointed out various areas while explaining the city's official strategy.
This Holographic City was the centerpiece of Binhai's 'Technology City' initiative. It was a major priority for Yao Yi and would serve as the public face of the city.
"The underground malls and adjacent commercial centers will also switch to holographic billboards," Zhao Min continued. "The goal is to create the world's most advanced shopping experience. This area will blend retail, entertainment, culture, finance, and leisure—making it the flagship of the entire 'Technology City' concept."
Chen Mo nodded in approval.
Yao Yi was clearly planning to ride the Marching Ant Company's wave of innovation.
Being geographically close gave Binhai a major advantage.
Turning Marina Square into the world's only fully holographic city would attract global attention. It could easily become a tourism hotspot and a hallmark of futuristic urban design.
"There's one more thing," Zhao Min added.
"Go on."
"I secured that island," she said, pointing to a small island not far from the central bay. It was smaller than the one hosting the Grand Theatre but still sizable.
"What do you have in mind?" Chen Mo asked curiously.
"I'm establishing a new company—Red Fire Ant."
"Red Fire Ant?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
"It'll handle the Marching Ant Group's culture and entertainment division—investments in film, games, theme parks, animation, and more," Zhao Min explained. "This island will become the world's first fully holographic theme park: Jurassic World, Underwater Kingdom, Ice Realm, Fairyland, Halloween Town—you name it."
"With our holographic projection tech, we can transform the entire island into any theme, anytime. It's just across from Marina Center, so it complements the Holographic City perfectly. Once we get reclamation approval and expand the island, it'll be ideal for building the park."
Chen Mo developed the technology—Zhao Min made it profitable. Her job was to convert his inventions into cold, hard cash and fully unleash the Marching Ant Group's commercial power.
The group's scale was massive now.
In cutting-edge tech—robots, materials, AI—they were leading the world. They dominated electronics and had a strong presence in biotech. But in culture and media, they had room to grow.
With deep pockets and breakthrough technologies, Zhao Min aimed to transform that potential into influence across industries—expanding the company's voice and resources to build a true commercial empire.
That was her ambition.