Chen Mo's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing the news.
He had long been eager to obtain a military manufacturing license. Only with such a license could he openly produce weapons and establish a biochemical base.
This license would be the starting point for all his future operations.
But acquiring a military license and becoming an arms dealer in Jiuzhou was as hard as ascending to the heavens.
Now, the military had just issued a call for tech submissions—talk about someone handing you a pillow right when you were dozing off.
As long as he could seize this opportunity and get the military's attention—yet remain indispensable—they would eventually grant him the license through a prolonged tug of war.
"Is that for real?" Chen Mo asked instinctively.
"Of course it's real," Red Queen replied.
"So, what kind of tech is the military looking for?"
"Exoskeleton armor. I've already sent the detailed info to your phone. Take a look," Red Queen said, her voice carrying both a mechanical chill and a touch of humanity.
Chen Mo pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened the message.
[Call for Cutting-Edge Technology]
[Since the Great Industrial Survey, we've discovered a number of impressive civilian companies. They've made fishing rods stronger than aerospace materials, automotive paints undetectable by radar—usable as stealth coatings on fighter jets—and delivery drones with military-grade performance.]
[Clearly, civilian tech is no weaker than military tech.]
[As the saying goes: "You don't know what you don't know—until you take a deep dive and are completely shocked."]
[We firmly believe that even more advanced civilian tech companies exist. Currently, the Eastern Theater Command is facing difficulties in developing a "King of the Battlefield"—Exoskeleton Armor. But we've hit a technological wall and don't even know where to begin.]
[Therefore, we are now publicly seeking submissions from civilian high-tech companies. If you possess the ability to build exoskeleton armor—or even partial technologies—we'd like to hear from you.]
[If your company has relevant technologies, please contact: xxxxxx]
After reading the call, Chen Mo frowned. The military was really looking to develop exoskeleton armor!
But…
Black Domain Technologies didn't have any such technology.
Would he have to pull exoskeleton armor tech from a movie again?
Chen Mo lowered his head, brow furrowed into deep creases.
Red Queen, observing through the library's security cameras, noticed her master's expression. Her voice chimed in again, gently.
"Master, are you thinking about how to create an exoskeleton armor?"
"Yeah. Do you have any relevant data stored in your core?"
"Nope! I'm the AI core from Resident Evil. Most of my stored knowledge is related to biochemistry. If you want to talk gene editing, I've got that covered."
"Looks like I'll have to pull the tech from a film again," Chen Mo muttered with a sigh.
But that was the only way. Without exoskeleton armor technology, he couldn't establish ties with the military.
And without those ties, he couldn't get the military license, making all his future plans impossible.
It was a deadlock.
Fortunately, he already owned the nuclear power plant.
He could recharge at will.
He just had to wait a few more days, and then he'd be able to reach into a movie again.
"Master, although I don't have exoskeleton armor technology, I do have highly advanced robotic arm technology. It's not quite the same, but it's a related field—and it's decades ahead of anything currently on the market. It should be enough to get the military's attention. Want me to contact them now?" Red Queen offered.
"No need"
Chen Mo shook his head, a flicker of joy blooming in his heart. Then, as if something occurred to him, he added:
"We don't need to contact the military directly. Just leak some info that we've developed highly intelligent robotic arm technology—usable for prosthetics and smart limb replacements. Maybe even hint at future applications for mech suits or exoskeletons. Then, create a computer-generated demo video and post it online. Say we're looking for partners in development."
"The best hunters often appear as prey."
Exactly.
Chen Mo wanted the military to contact him.
Reaching out directly felt cheap—and even if they did get a response, the bureaucratic process would be long and tedious.
But if the military came to them, everything would be different.
"Master, is this what you humans call 'playing hard to get'?" Red Queen asked thoughtfully.
"Excuse me? That's a horrible metaphor. This is called Jiang Ziya fishing—only the willing take the bait." Chen Mo clicked his tongue, then added, "Red Queen, you really need to stop studying that romantic trash from next door. It's garbage."
"…" Red Queen went silent.
Just then, Chen Mo's tone changed slightly.
"Besides, I suspect this whole tech call from the military is just a stunt. I mean, we haven't even developed super-intelligent robotic arms on Earth yet—and now they want to build exoskeleton suits? Sounds like they're just tossing a bottle into the ocean."
"Master, you're sharp as ever. I just found a message on the military's internal network. They don't actually expect any serious submissions. They don't believe any civilian company can pull it off."
"So it is just for show," Chen Mo laughed.
"Well… not entirely. If someone does manage to create exoskeleton armor, the military will absolutely take it seriously. Getting a license should be no problem then."
"Good. Let's not overthink it. For now, post the announcement and say the robotic arm tech might be useful for exoskeleton development—but word it indirectly, understand?"
"Understood, Master. I'll step away now… by the way, your first love just showed up."
With that, Red Queen's voice vanished from the earpiece.
First love?
I've never even dated anyone!
Just as Chen Mo was about to retort, he noticed someone had quietly sat down next to him.
A girl in a white dress, bare-faced but startlingly beautiful in a soft, innocent way.
It was Su Qin.
"…"
He hadn't expected her to show up right after his conversation with Red Queen.
And now she was sitting right beside him.
Wait a minute…
Could Red Queen have been referring to Su Qin as his "first love"?
That dumb artificial idiot!
We barely even talk. At most, we just happen to study at the library together.