Recaps

Chen Mo announced that three seismometers had detected a possible super earthquake in the West Pacific, while Japanese and American warships moved to salvage them. As the predicted hour ended, a major undersea earthquake began.

• Shi Tengchuan Ying's fleet detected signals from three seismometers and headed toward one of them to salvage it.
• Mo Nv told Chen Mo that three seismometers had issued warnings and that Japanese and American warships were approaching them.
• After Zhao Min approved, Chen Mo posted an announcement warning of earthquakes and a possible super earthquake in the West Pacific one hour later.
• People debated the warning, while residents in the Island Nation fled coastal areas and Yihe Haoer spotted signs of an impending earthquake.
• Shi Tengchuan Ying received a warning from headquarters and ordered his fleet to slow down.
• After an hour passed, the Pacific seabed shook and massive cracks appeared as the disaster began.

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck offshore from Sendai, and authorities issued a tsunami warning as residents fled for high ground and ships raced out to sea. The tsunami surged inland, swallowing homes, vehicles, and people while Akashi watched from a mountain.

• Takagi Akiko escaped her shaking home barefoot and reached an open area, where she saw the district reduced to rubble.
• Kato Masa ordered the Island Country Meteorological Agency to release earthquake information and a tsunami warning after monitoring confirmed the magnitude 8.9 quake.
• Kishimoto turned his fishing vessel away from the harbor and headed for open water, while other ships also fled the coast.
• Yasui abandoned his trapped car and ran toward the mountains as traffic clogged the roads in Miyagi Prefecture.
• Akashi watched from a mountain as the tsunami surged inland, carrying ships and vehicles and swallowing homes and people.

After the Island Nation’s earthquake, Ant Army Company faced international demands to disclose its seismograph technology but declined. Chen Mo and Zhao Min agreed to help build China’s earthquake early warning network, while Zhao set a steep export price for the seismographs.

• News outlets reported the earthquake’s devastation and noted that Ant Army Company had warned of the disaster an hour before it struck.
• Online voices and international media demanded that Ant Army Company disclose its seismograph technology, and the company responded that its equipment had not been close enough to the epicenter to identify the earthquake’s center or magnitude.
• Yao Yi invited Ant Army Company to participate in Bin Hai City’s Smart City project and reported that the seismograph production license had been approved.
• Cheng Guo said the country planned to buy two hundred seismographs for an earthquake early warning network, and Chen Mo offered them at roughly three million per unit.
• Li Chengzhi offered help with production equipment and asked Ant Army Company to prioritize the domestic network; Zhao Min quoted an export price of fifty million US dollars per unit.

Chen Mo refused the Island Nation’s request to buy seismographs until it returned the salvaged device and compensated Ant Army Company. After the Island Nation embassy realized the refusal stemmed from the earlier dispute, its government agreed to return the damaged seismograph, leaving the purchase negotiations unresolved.

• Xiao Yu told Chen Mo that the Island Nation Embassy wanted to discuss buying seismographs, and Chen Mo refused until the country returned the salvaged device and compensated Ant Army Company.
• Chen Mo learned that New Zealand and several other countries were interested in buying seismographs, while he focused on purifying room-temperature superconducting material for chip production.
• Inada Jinan complained that Ant Army Company had rejected his request, and Yokoi Go suggested the refusal was due to the Island Nation’s failure to return the salvaged seismograph.
• Inada Jinan contacted the government, which agreed to return the damaged seismograph because it had already extracted what it could from the device.

Chen Mo and Zhao Min turned the Island Nation’s private return of the damaged seismograph into a public ceremony at Ant Army Company. Chen Mo then revealed that two nearby seismographs had been salvaged, leaving the Island Nation’s representatives facing reporters as he suggested someone had taken the second one too.

• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that the Island Nation planned to return the seismograph privately, and they agreed to publicize the handover.
• Inada Jinan arrived at Binhai Port and brought the seismograph to Ant Army Company with Yokoi Go and an interpreter.
• Inada Jinan discovered reporters and a return-ceremony banner at Ant Army Company, then apologized publicly while Chen Mo posed with him beside the seismograph.
• Chen Mo announced that Ant Army Company would donate the seismograph to a museum in Bin Hai City and said he regretted that it could not provide the earthquake’s precise location warning.
• Chen Mo showed a map of six seismographs and revealed that the salvaged instrument and a second one had both been taken from the waters near the earthquake’s epicenter.

Chen Mo revealed that a salvaged seismometer had prevented Ant Army Company from accurately locating the super earthquake, fueling anger at the Island Nation government. After admitting to Zhao Min that the United States had salvaged the second seismometer, he left its identity undisclosed for lack of evidence.

• Chen Mo said the salvaged seismometer had left Ant Army Company unable to accurately locate the super earthquake, and his remarks spread across Island Nation’s social media.
• Island Nation’s death toll and missing-person count rose, and opposition parties and protesters blamed the government for salvaging the seismometer.
• Inada Jinan learned that Ant Army Company would discuss the damaged seismometer only after receiving double compensation of 100 million US Dollars.
• Chen Mo told Zhao Min that he had announced the earthquake warning to keep the seismometer experiment from being wasted if it was salvaged again.
• Chen Mo told Zhao Min that the United States had salvaged the second seismometer, but he had withheld the accusation because he lacked evidence.

An Yuanxin arranged to leak photographs of the Americans salvaging the seismometer, while Chen Mo spent a quiet evening with Xiao Yu before learning the leak had triggered a public feud between the United States and the Island Nation. The Island Nation government gained relief from public anger, and Chen Mo watched the fallout from the sidelines.

• An Yuanxin ordered Shi Tengchuan Ying to keep the seismometer photographs secret, then gave them to a man to post online as pictures taken by fishermen.
• Chen Mo and Xiao Yu walked by the sea in the rain, where Xiao Yu shared memories of her father and showed him the conch shell she used to make wishes.
• Mo Nv told Chen Mo that the Island Nation had released photographs of the Americans salvaging the seismometer the previous night.
• The photographs fueled anger in the Island Nation and sparked an online insult war between Island Nation and American netizens.
• Chen Mo observed that the leak redirected public resentment away from the Island Nation government and toward the United States.

Chen Mo confirmed that his synthesized material had reached 92% purity and continued pursuing superconducting chips while inspecting expanded Seismograph production. He asked Zhao Min to obtain the best lithography machine available for a special chip design, despite export restrictions.

• Chen Mo tested the synthesized crystalline powder and found it had 92% purity, enough for superconducting circuits but not yet his ultimate goal of making a superconducting chip.
• Xiao Yu told Chen Mo that Seismograph production equipment had arrived, and he went with her to inspect it at the parts-processing factory.
• Zhao Min introduced the new precision machines and senior fitters, and Chen Mo told the workers that Seismograph components had to meet extremely high quality standards.
• Chen Mo asked Zhao Min about Seismograph orders, and she said countries were watching and waiting because of the high price and the need to establish a domestic network first.
• Chen Mo asked Zhao Min to import a lithography machine for experiments, and she warned that export restrictions could prevent them from obtaining high-end equipment.
• Chen Mo said he needed the machine for a special chip design and would accept the highest-precision model they could obtain.

Chen Mo entered the Sci-Tech Library and chose to study computer technology, but the flood of information overwhelmed him and left him ill. After Xiao Yu cared for him and he recovered, Chen Mo prepared to examine the technology he had received.

• Zhao Min accepted Chen Mo's request to find him a lithography machine, while Chen Mo returned to his office to plan his confidential superconducting chip experiments.
• Chen Mo entered the Sci-Tech Library and chose the computer technology book from among the seven remaining fields.
• The computer technology information overwhelmed Chen Mo, and he collapsed in the library, suffering severe dizziness and nausea.
• Xiao Yu responded to Mo Nv's alert, comforted Chen Mo after he woke and vomited, and arranged for him to visit a hospital after work.
• Chen Mo slept until evening, woke feeling recovered, and began checking what technology he had received.

After recovering, Chen Mo returned to the company and began planning robot and supercomputer chip designs, while learning that advanced lithography equipment was unavailable. Terry visited to discuss the damaged seismograph and request exports, and Zhao Min hinted she had a way to help him.

• Chen Mo returned to work after several peaceful days with Xiao Yu and asked Mo Nv to design robot chips and high-efficiency supercomputer chips.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that ASML would not sell EUV equipment and would only offer outdated lithography machines, so he declined the offer.
• Zhao Min reported that the company could assemble three seismographs a day using its available equipment.
• Terry told Chen Mo that the United States had found and damaged one of Ant Army Company's seismographs and said it would return the instrument.
• Terry asked to buy two seismographs, and Zhao Min said she had a solution.

Zhao Min offered to exchange Ant Army Company's earthquake detectors for an EUV lithography machine, and the company later announced a three-for-one trade. Intel and Samsung considered the offer, with Li Jianxi deciding Samsung would contact Ant Army to demand four detectors.

• Zhao Min told Terry that Ant Army would trade its two available earthquake detectors for an EUV, while Terry asked to change the terms and inspect a model.
• After Terry left, Zhao Min explained that America wanted an intact detector for research, and she and Chen Mo discussed trading detectors for lithography technology.
• Ant Army announced that it would trade three earthquake detectors for one EUV, drawing international attention and raising concern that it planned to enter the semiconductor market.
• Intel executives debated whether to trade an EUV for a detector, while Samsung's Li Jianxi ordered someone to offer an EUV in exchange for four detectors.

Chen Mo and Zhao Min secured two Lithography Machines by trading seismometers to Intel and Samsung. The machines arrived at Ant Army Company's research institute, where Chen Mo confirmed they were ready to support his chip research.

• Intel and Samsung each agreed to trade four seismometers for a Lithography Machine, and Zhao Min arranged the exchanges.
• Two weeks later, the trades were completed, while Chishang Jiang asked Intel and Samsung to sell seismometers to the Island Nation and both companies declined to commit.
• Chen Mo and Zhao Min inspected Ant Army Company's nearly completed Ant Nest headquarters and research institute.
• Chen Mo saw the two Lithography Machines installed in the underground constant-temperature room and learned that technicians had found no problems with them.
• Chen Mo concluded that the machines would let his Superconducting Chip research proceed smoothly, though the work would wait until the company moved into its headquarters.

Lin Shu tested the antivirus software she had created for Ant Army Company's programming competition, but a coding error turned it into a semi-intelligent virus that spread across Jiangnan City. Chen Mo learned that nearly ten thousand computers had been infected and ordered Mo Nv to stop the spread and identify the creator.

• Lin Shu worked at an internet café while developing antivirus software, hoping to win prize money for her younger brother's treatment.
• Lin Shu ran the program, which erased software from every computer in the internet café and then spread to other computers across Jiangnan City.
• The attendant noticed the antivirus application on Lin Shu's desktop as the café's computers froze and lost their software.
• Mo Nv told Chen Mo that the Chinese Character Programming Language virus could not distinguish friend from foe and had infected nearly ten thousand computers in twenty minutes.
• Chen Mo ordered Mo Nv to stop the virus and find out who had created it.

Lin Shu was questioned by police after the virus she had accidentally created infected nearly ten thousand computers, while her grandfather and younger brother pleaded for her release. As the virus continued spreading and cybersecurity experts failed to stop it, they concluded they needed help from Ant Army Company.

• Wu Chao questioned Lin Shu about creating the virus, and she explained that she had been trying to make antivirus software to win prize money for Lin Changsheng’s surgery.
• Lin Shu told the police that the virus program was saved on a cloud drive and said she needed to find where her code had gone wrong to remove it.
• Lin Shu’s grandfather and Lin Changsheng begged the police to believe she had not meant to hurt anyone, and her grandfather explained their circumstances and Changsheng’s heart condition.
• The virus spread across the country, while cybersecurity companies remained unable to remove it or understand its Chinese Character Programming Language code.
• Wang Zhi told the director that the experts had not found a solution and recommended asking Ant Army Company for technical assistance.

Chen Mo went to Jiangnan City to investigate Lin Shu, a student whose attempted antivirus program had become a spreading virus. After Ant Army Company's lawyer explained that her actions appeared accidental, Chen Mo left to examine her code and prove her innocence.

• Lan Xin met Chen Mo and He Xiaoyu and told them the virus was still spreading, though its spread had slowed.
• Gan Cheng welcomed Chen Mo at the Public Security Bureau and led him to Lin Shu, the student suspected of creating the virus.
• Lin Shu explained that she had written an antivirus program in the Chinese Character Programming Language for a competition and had accidentally created the virus while hoping to win money for her sick little brother.
• Li Huai said Lin Shu's technical error and lack of criminal intent could mean she had committed no crime, but that her program would need to support her account.
• Chen Mo reassured Lin Shu, then asked Gan Cheng to show him the program she had written.

Chen Mo repaired the antivirus software that had caused the outbreak and helped Lin Shu leave the Public Security Bureau. He offered to buy her software and join Ant Army Company, while warnings about Chinese Character Programming Language viruses spread and he and Xiao Yu headed home joking together.

• Chen Mo corrected the faulty antivirus program and tested it safely before the technicians released it for free.
• Chen Mo argued that Lin Shu had made a technical mistake rather than committed a crime, and left the Public Security Bureau with Xiao Yu.
• Ant Army Company warned that Chinese Character Programming Language viruses could threaten existing computer systems after the outbreak infected over ten thousand computers.
• Chen Mo offered Lin Shu five hundred thousand for her antivirus software and invited her to work for Ant Army Company, and she accepted the money gratefully.
• Xiao Yu scolded Chen Mo for joking that Lin Shu could sell herself to repay the debt, then teased him as they went home.

Chen Mo explained why he had come to Jiangnan City and promised Xiao Yu a sightseeing trip, while Wang Zhi studied programming after the virus incident. Hackers then infiltrated the Jiangnan City Bureau, stole the virus program code, and escaped, leaving a greater virus crisis brewing.

• Chen Mo told Xiao Yu he had come to help a talented girl and explain the unusual semi-intelligent virus, then promised to take Xiao Yu sightseeing.
• Wang Zhi studied the Chinese Character Programming Language after feeling shaken by his inability to stop the virus.
• Hackers took over the Jiangnan City Bureau's computers and displayed a half-black, half-white mask before restoring access.
• Wang Zhi and the other technicians discovered that the hackers had copied the virus program code, and Gan Cheng ordered precautions.
• The Jiangnan City Bureau announced the intrusion publicly, while an even greater virus crisis began brewing.

Wang Zhi learned that the Joker Organization had threatened a global cyberattack, then watched as the group crippled half of London with a virus. The Joker Organization claimed it had kidnapped the city and demanded 100 million pounds in Bitcoin, while the attack sent the world into panic.

• Wang Zhi saw the Joker Organization's warning that it would launch an unprecedented cyberattack on Friday and recognized its mask as the one that had invaded his station's computers.
• The Joker Organization posted a cryptic message referencing Chaplin shortly before its attack began.
• Alice and people across London saw their computer screens replaced by a clown mask as the virus paralyzed half the city within an hour.
• Britain's prime minister called on cyber experts to gather at the University of London, while countries around the world strengthened their network defenses.
• The Joker Organization claimed responsibility for London's paralysis and demanded 100 million pounds in Bitcoin within three days, causing Bitcoin's price to double.

Zhao Min and Chen Mo planned to use the Joker Virus crisis to promote the Chinese Character Programming Language and enter the Enterprise Office market. After Army Ant announced the virus’s programming language, journalist Li Tiejun suspected it was connected to the earlier Jiangnan City virus.

• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that their Chinese Character Programming Language project had been approved for the National Torch Program and school pilot programs in Bin Hai City.
• Chen Mo explained that the Joker Virus had been written in the Chinese Character Programming Language and likely built on code stolen after the Jiangnan City incident.
• Zhao Min proposed using the crisis to promote the language and prepare Army Ant’s entry into the Enterprise Office market rather than releasing antivirus software.
• Chen Mo returned to organizing Supercomputer technology, aiming to build a Superconducting Computer for Mo Nv.
• Army Ant publicly announced that the Joker Virus was written in the Chinese Character Programming Language.
• Li Tiejun connected the Joker Virus to the Jiangnan City virus and urged his colleague to publish his theory.

Ant Army Company’s revelation that the Joker Virus had been written in Chinese Character Programming Language drew global attention and prompted major Chinese companies to recruit programmers skilled in it. In London, Sadiq Khan refused to pay the Joker Organization’s ransom, and the hackers doubled their demand and announced New York as their next target.

• Ant Army Company’s announcement linked the Joker Virus to Chinese Character Programming Language, and news outlets worldwide reported the connection.
• Zhou Hongwei concluded that Chinese Character Programming Language might shape the coming cybersecurity shift and told Secretary Wu to recruit programmers proficient in it.
• Huawei Micro, Alibaba, Penguin, and Qiandu also began hiring programmers familiar with Chinese Character Programming Language.
• Tong Yu waited outside London City Hall to cover the city’s ongoing network crisis and Mayor Sadiq Khan’s response.
• Sadiq Khan rejected the Joker Organization’s ransom demand and offered two million pounds for information about the hackers.
• The Joker Organization raised its demand to two hundred million pounds and announced that New York, home of the Statue of Liberty, would be its next target.

As the Joker Virus spread to New York, Chen Mo chose not to intervene, seeing the foreign market turmoil as an opportunity while teaching Mo Nv about balancing strategy with emotion. Zhao Min then revealed Ant Army Company's new Termite computer system and prepared the company to enter enterprise office markets during the cybersecurity crisis.

• Mayer learned that the Joker Organization had named New York City as its next target and ordered his staff to disconnect from the internet.
• Chen Mo told Mo Nv not to stop the virus, explaining that Ant Army Company could benefit from the foreign market turmoil and should wait to reap the rewards.
• Chen Mo taught Mo Nv that decisions should consider human feelings as well as game theory and potential gains.
• Zhao Min convened Ant Army Company's senior executives, and Lao Luo presented the Termite System, its office ecosystem, and its security advantages.
• Li Danni reported that 200,000 tablets, laptops, and desktop computers were ready for launch.
• Zhao Min assigned branch leaders to promote the products, while Julie confirmed that the launch event was ready to take place in three days.

Ant Army Company launched its Termite System alongside three office products, claiming the system could block the Joker Virus and drawing strong interest from businesses. Zhao Min reviewed promising sales figures, but Li Lingfeng arrived with grave news, leaving the story on an impending problem.

• Xia Xue livestreamed Ant Army Company's launch as reporters and viewers speculated about its new product.
• Zhao Min revealed the intelligent whiteboard, laptop, office computer, and Termite System, which used voice control and supported mobile apps.
• Zhao Min said Termite System's Intelligent Firewall could block the Joker Virus, prompting excited coverage and questions about whether the crisis had been a conspiracy.
• Businesses and foreign companies showed interest in Termite System, while trial users praised its office assistant and security despite its limited software ecosystem.
• Zhao Min reviewed strong sales, then Li Lingfeng entered her office with a grave expression and new trouble to report.

Zhao Min rejected accusations that Ant Army Company created the Joker Virus and ordered a brief public denial while the company stayed calm under pressure. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Nadella went to meet Wes, who was waiting for Joker to contact him so they could discuss the crisis.

• Li Lingfeng showed Zhao Min online articles and foreign media reports accusing Ant Army Company of creating the Joker Virus to promote the Termite System.
• Zhao Min ordered Ant Army to deny involvement and request the removal of defamatory posts, then continued working without making further moves.
• Wes, a Microsoft black-hat hacker, received a message from someone claiming to be Joker and was told to have his boss come over.
• Nadella arrived at Wes's villa to discuss the Joker Virus, which had badly affected Windows and threatened Microsoft's Enterprise Office business.
• Wes told Nadella that Joker would contact him in an hour, and Nadella waited for the call.

Nadella paid Joker three million US dollars to post a sentence thanking Ant Army Company, hoping to link the organization to the company and protect its business. After Tokyo was attacked and the CIA began tracing Joker, Nadella waited to see whether Joker would honor the deal and post on Twitter.

• Nadella instructed Wes to offer Joker three million US dollars to post, “Thank Ant Army Company for its support,” and Joker accepted after bargaining for ten million.
• Joker announced attacks on London and New York if their ransom demands were not met, named Tokyo as the next target, and then the Joker Virus struck Tokyo government agencies and the stock market.
• Public suspicion focused on Ant Army Company, but the company suffered little damage, while the Termite System gained popularity again.
• Morrison found more than a hundred possible Joker addresses, and Pompe ordered CIA Operations to check them one by one.
• Wes sent Joker the three million dollars in Bitcoin, but Joker refused to sell the virus program and antivirus software and stopped replying.
• Nadella watched Joker’s Twitter for the promised post, and a new notification appeared around one thirty.

Chen Mo and Zhao Min faced a worldwide backlash after the Joker Organization publicly thanked Ant Army for its support, while Mo Nv traced the smear campaign to Microsoft. After reviewing profiles of the Joker Organization’s members, Chen Mo focused on Wei Zhe.

• Chen Mo and Xiao Yu saw reporters and headlines accusing Ant Army of colluding with the Joker Organization as they arrived at the company.
• Zhao Min explained that Joker’s tweet had damaged Ant Army’s credibility and recommended issuing only a simple response.
• Mo Nv revealed that someone had paid the Joker Organization three million US Dollars to post the message and identified the payer as a person linked to Microsoft.
• Chen Mo declined to expose Microsoft’s involvement without concrete evidence and asked Mo Nv for information on every Joker Organization member.
• Chen Mo reviewed the files Mo Nv provided and asked her for detailed information on Wei Zhe.