Chen Mo entered the lab and glanced around. Cutting-edge experimental equipment filled the space—everything here represented the pinnacle of modern technology.
As he stepped into the lab, it gave him the feeling of walking into the future, a dazzling display of sci-fi ambiance.
The lab was mainly outfitted for research on bio-batteries, as Black Domain Technology's next major product was precisely that. However, Chen Mo had also purchased specialized equipment for developing a super intelligent mechanical arm. Apart from overseeing the company, this was his other major goal for coming to the headquarters.
Donning a lab coat, Chen Mo first replaced his phone's battery with a bio-battery. The battery was a glowing dark green, indistinguishable in shape from a regular lithium battery. But who could have guessed that this small bio-battery had several—or even over ten—times the endurance of a lithium battery?
"Chen Mo, how do you feel about the bio-battery our lab developed?" Tian Tian followed him like a little assistant.
"The manufacturing looks decent. But its real performance can only be judged through use. If what you said is true—that it offers a massive leap in battery life and capacity, several times that of ordinary batteries—then this tech is absolutely revolutionary," Chen Mo replied calmly. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly looked at Tian Tian and asked, "Where are the experimental tools I had ordered?"
"In the innermost lab. I'll take you there now. Don't worry, I didn't touch any of your things. Everything's stored in your personal lab."
"My personal lab?"
"Yep! You're our behind-the-scenes boss. Even if you rarely come by, we've made sure to reserve an office and lab for you. Everything's ready," Tian Tian said with a proud smile as she led the way.
"Appreciated," Chen Mo smiled.
"My pleasure," she replied, and then, as if thinking of something, added, "But you're a computer science major, and our next product is bio-batteries. Why did you buy so much mechanical equipment? Are you planning to build a mech suit or something?"
A mech suit?
Chen Mo smirked, lowering his gaze to the glowing blue circle on his chest.
I already have a nano battle suit. What would I need a mech for?
"I'm just building an intelligent mechanical arm," Chen Mo said mysteriously. He then began assembling the tools and started up the CNC machines and welding devices, initiating the mechanical arm project.
"You're making a mechanical arm?" Tian Tian asked in surprise.
"Yep," Chen Mo nodded.
"You're a computer science student, and you're building mechanical arms?"
"I know a bit about it," he replied with a smile, as the lab roared to life. Seeing that Tian Tian was still standing there stunned, he frowned slightly:
"What are you standing there for? Come help me. Be my lab assistant."
"Okay," Tian Tian's expression shifted a bit, but she nodded slightly.
Just like that, a week passed in the blink of an eye.
During that week, Chen Mo remained in the lab 24/7—eating, drinking, even sleeping there. For anything he couldn't solve himself, he called on Tian Tian, who had basically become his personal assistant.
Despite being confined to the lab, the super AI Red Queen was monitoring everything, giving Chen Mo real-time updates on the outside world.
The Tian family in the capital was furious over Tian Tian's situation and was secretly brewing a series of moves against Black Domain.
Meanwhile, the lab had successfully developed a production line for mass-producing bio-batteries. Some initial batches had already entered secret production—highly confidential, known only to core personnel.
Aside from that, not much else had happened.
At noon that day, Chen Mo finally assembled the final component of the super intelligent mechanical arm. His heart surged with excitement.
After a full week of labor, the prototype of the arm was complete.
Although it was just a lab model, it was enough to capture the military's attention.
Unlike conventional mechanical arms—which are entirely mechanical and rely on manual input—this super intelligent version featured a neural signal capture system, allowing far more intuitive control.
Users could operate it like a natural extension of their own body.
Its appearance resembled an exoskeletal armor piece, albeit limited to the arm. Once worn, a user could unleash several—or even dozens—of times their natural strength.
"Not bad at all," Chen Mo said, clapping the dust off his hands and smiling.
Just then, the Red Queen's voice chimed in from a nearby speaker. The screen on the computer lit up, and her red-dressed, loli avatar appeared.
"Congratulations, Master, on completing the super intelligent mechanical arm. Although there are still some minor flaws, all the core functions are operational," Red Queen smiled.
"It's only a prototype. For what it is, this is already more than satisfactory."
Chen Mo didn't mind the imperfections. Then he suddenly turned to the screen and said, "Red Queen, record a video of the test and upload it online. Especially send it to a few military leaders—use pop-up messages to ensure they see it."
"Ah, I get it. Time to go fishing again?" Red Queen giggled, her little hands clasped behind her back.
"Exactly. Make sure it looks like they stumbled upon it by accident," Chen Mo nodded.
"No problem," she replied. "Mission accepted!"
With that, the Red Queen's avatar disappeared, the screen went dark, and all the lab's cameras lit up—recording in full.
Half an hour later…
After finishing the video, Chen Mo and Tian Tian finally left the Black Domain building.
They were practically rotting from staying indoors, so of course they needed a break.
At the same time…
In the military zone's armaments research institute, Chief Scientist and Academician Li Aiguo was leading a human-machine interface project.
Li Aiguo was a titan in the field of intelligent machinery. Raised under the red flag, he had witnessed the rise of China's first nuclear tests, led the development of fifth-gen fighter jets, and played key roles in numerous strategic programs. Though not a soldier, his pen had straightened the spine of a nation—his contributions were equivalent to armies.
"Academician Li!"
"We've found progress on that super intelligent mechanical arm you told us to track. A video of a prototype just appeared online."
What?
A prototype of the super intelligent mechanical arm?
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo's lips twitched, and his eyes gleamed.
Ever since the national black-tech recruitment campaign launched, he'd been paying close attention to that tech. The principles behind it were very similar to exoskeleton armor. If applied to military robotics or suits, it could completely revolutionize combat methods.