Chapter Summaries

Chen Mo visited the Seventh District’s Future Battlefield base and agreed to help develop an intelligent Mechanical Exoskeleton. He then gave Li Chengzhi simulated controlled nuclear fusion data to take to the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Plasma Physics.

• Murakami Shisui and his team successfully embedded Chinese Character Programming code into their Artificial Intelligence and began machine learning.
• Li Chengzhi brought Chen Mo to the Seventh District, where Cao Qinghua and Yang Qun showed him the Mechanical Exoskeleton project and asked for help with its intelligent core.
• Chen Mo offered to create a rough intelligent core and lend his company’s Artificial Intelligence team to refine it, while insisting the team be paid.
• After returning to the original base, Chen Mo handed Li Chengzhi a hard drive containing simulated controlled nuclear fusion experiment data for the Institute of Plasma Physics.

Li Chengzhi brought Chen Mo’s Nuclear Fusion materials to the Institute of Plasma Physics for verification, where Li Jian, Wan Yuanxi, and Wang Nian recognized new formulas and theories. While the researchers began examining the complete data, Chen Mo waited in the capital and headed to Financial Street Shopping Center.

• Li Jian reviewed the challenges facing the Tokamak experiment before Wang Nian urgently summoned him and Wan Yuanxi.
• Li Chengzhi arrived from the capital and asked Li Jian, Wan Yuanxi, and Wang Nian to verify confidential Nuclear Fusion materials.
• Wan Yuanxi and Wang Nian feared the materials had leaked from their institute, but Li Chengzhi said they came from elsewhere.
• Li Jian noticed unfamiliar formulas and theories, and the three researchers agreed they would need to recalculate and derive the results.
• Li Chengzhi handed over the hard drive containing the complete data for examination.
• Chen Mo, Lan Xi, Wang Hai, and the others left their hotel, and Chen Mo told Wang Hai to drive to Financial Street Shopping Center.

Chen Mo went shopping with Lan Xi and bought clothes, intimate apparel, skincare, and cosmetics as gifts for Xiao Yu and Xiao Man. He left the shopping center with Wang Hai, Black Hawk, and Lan Xi to continue shopping for skincare and cosmetics.

• Chen Mo disguised himself with a mask and glasses and entered Financial Street Shopping Center with Lan Xi, Wang Hai, and Black Hawk.
• Chen Mo told Lan Xi that Xiao Yu was the Goddess of Luck who had changed his life after they met at school.
• Chen Mo bought a black dress and a dark gray sleeveless turtleneck set for Xiao Yu, while Lan Xi chose one item for herself.
• Chen Mo awkwardly visited an upscale lingerie store alone and bought three sets of intimate clothing for Xiao Yu.
• Chen Mo returned to the clothing store, where Lan Xi teased him about the lingerie purchase, and he suggested buying skincare and cosmetics for Xiao Yu and Xiao Man.

Li Jian and Wan Yuanxi confirmed that Chen Mo’s data showed a path to commercially viable Controlled Nuclear Fusion. Chen Mo told Li Chengzhi he wanted to cooperate rather than handle the technology alone, then prepared to leave the capital for Bin Hai City.

• Li Jian and Wan Yuanxi verified the simulation results, which showed tritium self-sustaining and net energy output, and Li Chengzhi warned them to keep the findings secret.
• Li Chengzhi took the testing report and hard drive from the Research Institute and called Chen Mo to ask what he intended to do with the technology.
• Chen Mo bought two pairs of earrings for Xiao Yu while Lan Xi waited with him at a boutique.
• Chen Mo told Li Chengzhi that the Nuclear Fusion project was too large to manage alone and that he wanted to pursue cooperation.
• Chen Mo asked Lan Xi to book a flight that night so they could return to the company in Bin Hai City.

Chen Mo returned to Bin Hai City and reunited with Xiao Yu, then discussed the successful nuclear fusion simulation and a potential government partnership with Zhao Min. He set a 49 percent ownership share as the company’s bottom line while preparing for future research and his wedding.

• Chen Mo returned home, surprised Xiao Yu in the shower, and gave her the gifts he had brought back.
• Chen Mo dried Xiao Yu’s hair as she opened her gifts, including one that embarrassed him when he bought it.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that Musk had requested a license for Little Ant’s intelligent code, which she had refused.
• Chen Mo revealed that his nuclear fusion simulation had succeeded and said an experimental device was still needed to verify the technology.
• Chen Mo and Zhao Min agreed to seek the greatest benefits in government negotiations while holding to a 49 percent ownership share.
• Zhao Min left to prepare for cooperation talks and reminded Chen Mo to design her wedding dress.

Chen Mo showed Zhao Min the extravagant diamonds he had bought for Xiao Yu’s wedding jewelry, then learned that the authorities had agreed to discuss cooperation on nuclear fusion research. He and Zhao Min prepared for the delegation’s arrival, leaving the terms to be negotiated the next day.

• Chen Mo told Zhao Min that he had bought diamonds from Alexander to make wedding jewelry for Xiao Yu, and she admired the stones while teasing him about his wealth.
• Chen Mo spent two days refining the Stellar Ring design and preparing materials for its construction.
• Li Chengzhi told Chen Mo that the authorities had agreed to cooperate and would bring a delegation to the company the next day.
• Chen Mo told Zhao Min about the agreement, and she gave him her proposed cooperation terms.
• Chen Mo and Zhao Min agreed to present the terms and negotiate for the greatest possible benefit, while preparing for the possibility that talks might fail.

Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi began negotiations over cooperation on Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology, but their competing demands left the talks deadlocked. Zhao Min told Chen Mo that neither side had learned much and that the negotiations would take patience.

• Xiao ZhengYi arrived at Ant Army Company's headquarters, where Zhao Min greeted him and took the delegation on a tour while both tried to assess each other.
• Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi opened formal negotiations, with senior Ant Army Company staff and government experts present.
• Zhao Min proposed that Ant Army invest 30 billion, take 60% of the joint venture, and manage it, while the authorities supplied technical personnel.
• Xiao ZhengYi countered that Ant Army should invest 40 billion and cover 70% of future research costs in exchange for 15% of the shares.
• Zhao Min insisted on 60% ownership and management rights for Ant Army, offering instead to cover 60% of research funding; the first round ended without agreement.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that the two sides had made no progress and that Ant Army's control of the technology gave it leverage if it remained patient.

Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi negotiated over a controlled-fusion joint venture, eventually agreeing on Ant Army Company's 49% stake before deadlocking over management rights. Zhao Min refused to accept a deal that left her company without decision-making power and threatened to end cooperation.

• For several days, Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi held firm to their terms while their delegations studied each other's bottom lines.
• Xiao ZhengYi proposed that the joint venture be a state-owned enterprise, and Zhao Min accepted a 49.99% stake before bargaining over the share split continued.
• After two more days of talks, Zhao Min offered Ant Army Company 49% of the shares, 30 billion in initial capital, 60% of subsequent expenses, and joint ownership of the technology; Xiao ZhengYi agreed.
• Zhao Min demanded a role in senior decision-making and the right to hire the general manager, but Xiao ZhengYi insisted that the government manage the company.
• Zhao Min rejected the proposed restrictions, suggested a BOO model as an alternative, and warned that Ant Army Company would not cooperate if its interests were not protected.

Xiao ZhengYi and Zhao Min remained deadlocked over who would control the joint venture’s operations and management. After Chen Mo proposed a compromise, negotiations resumed and ended with both sides still pressing for better terms.

• Xiao ZhengYi reported to his superiors that Ant Army Company would not yield on management control, then spent several days trying unsuccessfully to persuade Zhao Min.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that she would not give up management rights, and Chen Mo suggested seeking thirty years of operating rights before handing control over.
• Xiao ZhengYi received instructions to offer at most forty years of operating rights.
• Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi resumed negotiations, arguing over operating terms and management control while gradually approaching each other’s requirements.
• After about half an hour, Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi paused their argument, drank tea, and continued weighing how much further each side might compromise.

Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi finalized a partnership for developing Nuclear Fusion Technology, securing thirty-seven years of operating rights and seventy percent of the profits for their company. Chen Mo approved the agreement, predicted the technology could be commercialized as early as next year, and selected an island near Bin Hai City for the experimental base as preparations moved toward building the Star Ring apparatus.

• Zhao Min held firm in negotiations with Xiao ZhengYi until he agreed to grant their company thirty-seven years of operating rights.
• Zhao Min and Xiao ZhengYi's teams settled the remaining partnership conditions, including a seventy-percent profit share for their company and shared development costs and resources.
• Zhao Min presented the agreement to Chen Mo, who approved the terms and said the technology could be commercialized as early as next year if the authorities provided the necessary materials.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that Huaxia Nuclear Energy Group Co., Ltd. would be established with registered capital of three hundred billion and hold a signing ceremony in five days.
• Chen Mo chose an undeveloped island near Bin Hai City for the fusion experimental base, then returned to work on the experiment and the Star Ring apparatus.

Ant Army Group and the Academy of Sciences announced a joint High-Temperature Plasma research project aimed at developing controlled nuclear fusion, drawing worldwide attention. Chen Mo and the other guests took the stage as the signing ceremony began.

• Yang Dong and his assistant arrived at the Bin Hai Grand Theater and learned that the ceremony concerned High-Temperature Plasma research, or nuclear fusion.
• Reporters began livestreaming the announcement, and news of the collaboration spread to media and government officials around the world.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that major outlets were broadcasting the ceremony globally, and Chen Mo agreed to go onstage with Wang Nian and the others.
• Host Hao Wenbin introduced the guests and explained that the project would pursue the artificial sun through High-Temperature Plasma research.
• Hao Wenbin invited Wang Nian and Chen Mo to begin the signing ceremony.

Chen Mo announced Ant Army Company's partnership with the Academy of Sciences to research High-Temperature Plasma and explained the promise of controlled nuclear fusion. He left the reporters stunned by saying the initial budget was 60 billion and that losing a few tens of billions would be affordable.

• Chen Mo and Wang Nian signed the partnership agreements onstage, completing the ceremony between Ant Army Company and the Academy of Sciences.
• Chen Mo delivered a speech about the history of nuclear fusion research and humanity's need for clean energy.
• Chen Mo said he had chosen to pursue controlled nuclear fusion after succeeding in holographic technology and had received support from the authorities and the Academy of Sciences.
• A reporter asked how much Ant Army Company would invest, and Chen Mo said the initial budget was 60 billion, with further funding depending on progress.
• Chen Mo told a reporter that Ant Army Company could afford to lose a few tens of billions, provoking an uproar among reporters and viewers.

After Ant Army Company signed an agreement with the Huaxia Academy of Sciences to research Controlled Nuclear Fusion, Chen Mo restricted access to his technical theories to researchers who joined the new company's R&D team. The announcement drew widespread ridicule and scrutiny, while Chen Mo and his partners moved ahead with plans to build the research institute.

• Chen Mo’s claim that Ant Army Company had lost 60 billion during a flex stunned the internet as reporters continued questioning him and Wang Nian at the signing ceremony.
• Wang Nian asked to examine Chen Mo’s technical theories, but Chen Mo explained that the agreement allowed only researchers who joined the R&D team to view them.
• Zhao Min discussed building the research institute with representatives from the Nuclear Industry Group while Chen Mo’s team headed to a celebration banquet.
• News of the partnership spread worldwide, and online commentators mocked Ant Army Company’s attempt to develop Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology.
• Professor Tang and guests on a news program criticized Chen Mo’s decision, while some countries began paying attention to the company’s plans.

Linna and foreign intelligence agencies targeted Chen Mo’s High-Temperature Plasma research, while Chen Mo arranged construction of a research institute on an island and prepared to defend himself. After learning spies were heading to Bin Hai City, he searched the Sci-Tech Library for suitable protective technologies.

• Linna called an operative back to carry out a mission, while intelligence agencies in Britain, Russia, Israel, the Island Nation, South Korea, France, and other countries ordered spies to monitor or steal Chen Mo’s research.
• Zhao Min gave Chen Mo approval to use an island for High-Temperature Plasma research and reported that the Nuclear Industry Group was ready to build the institute once it received blueprints.
• Chen Mo gave Zhao Min Mo Nv’s construction blueprints and told her to have the Nuclear Industry Group begin building the institute on the island.
• Mo Nv warned Chen Mo that foreign agencies were sending spies to Bin Hai City, and Chen Mo ordered her to monitor foreign nationals and returned students for suspicious identities.
• Chen Mo entered the Sci-Tech Library to find self-defense technology and selected several items suited to his situation.

Chen Mo completed the simulated optimization of the Star Ring Device and arranged for its components to be manufactured while the research institute was under construction. He remained wary of infiltration in Bin Hai City and turned his attention to preparing materials and other research.

• The Bin Hai City Police Department announced it had arrested six people, prompting speculation that they had come to spy on the fusion project.
• Mo Nv told Chen Mo that the Star Ring Device could not be optimized further without real-world experimental data, so Chen Mo saved its final design.
• Chen Mo gave Zhao Min the component designs and asked her to order a batch from the Nuclear Industry Group for assembly once the research institute was complete.
• Chen Mo told Zhao Min that the Academy of Sciences would not send researchers until the institute was ready, citing a shortage of specialists and security concerns.
• Zhao Min asked what other research Chen Mo planned to do, and he said he needed to inspect the divertor materials and had a few toys to work on.

Dong Quan arrived in Bin Hai City to carry out a mission involving Ant Army Company while Chen Mo continued developing personal protective equipment amid lingering espionage risks. With fifteen days left before his wedding to Xiao Yu, Chen Mo began arranging time off and preparations for the celebration.

• Dong Quan arrived in Bin Hai City, heard the taxi driver praise Ant Army Company, and noted that his mission might be difficult.
• Reports about Army Ant's research institute and its cooperation with the Academy of Sciences continued as Chen Mo stayed out of public view and worked on personal protective equipment.
• Chen's Mother reminded Chen Mo that his wedding to Xiao Yu was fifteen days away and urged him to prepare invitations, photos, and a banquet venue.
• Chen Mo called Zhao Min to give Xiao Yu time off and request a list of company partners to invite to the wedding banquet.
• Zhao Min complained about being made to handle wedding arrangements, and Chen Mo teased her about bringing a cash gift.

Chen Mo and Xiao Yu began preparing for their wedding, discussing guests and choosing a wedding planning company with Xiao Man. They decided to visit Ten Miles Red Makeup in Bin Hai City, and Chen Mo took the sisters out after breakfast.

• At dinner, Chen Mo offered to fund Xiao Man if she decided to start a business after graduation, and told Xiao Yu she could take leave to prepare for their wedding.
• That night, Xiao Yu made a guest list with Chen Mo, and he playfully persuaded her to be intimate with him.
• The next morning, Xiao Yu made breakfast while Chen Mo asked Mo Nv to find information about wedding planning companies.
• Chen Mo invited Xiao Man to come along, and he and Xiao Yu chose Ten Miles Red Makeup from the list.
• After breakfast, Chen Mo waited for Xiao Yu and Xiao Man to change before taking them out.

Chen Mo and Xiao Yu visited Ten Miles Red Makeup to find a planner for their wedding, which was half a month away. Liang Jing took the requirements from Chen Mo’s USB drive and promised a proposal within two days before calling the head office.

• Sun Lili recognized Chen Mo when he arrived with Xiao Yu, Xiao Man, Wang Hai, and Black Hawk, and led them to the VIP room.
• An employee told Liang Jing that Chen Mo was at the company, and Liang Jing hurried to meet him.
• Chen Mo handed Liang Jing a USB drive containing the wedding requirements and said the company could handle the wedding if it produced a workable plan.
• Liang Jing promised to provide a proposal by the day after tomorrow and learned that Chen Mo and Xiao Yu already had their wedding clothes.
• After Chen Mo and Xiao Yu left, Liang Jing called the head office to discuss the opportunity.

Ten Miles Red Makeup struggled to devise a plan for Chen Mo and Xiao Yu’s unprecedented technology-filled wedding, so Li Zhiyong considered recruiting a famous director to help. Meanwhile, Chen Mo and Xiao Yu visited a photography studio while deciding how to take their wedding photos.

• Li Zhiyong told the Ten Miles Red Makeup planners that Chen Mo would choose a company to organize his wedding if its proposal met his requirements.
• The planners watched Chen Mo’s video featuring a large holographic projector and an extraordinary wedding dress, then admitted they could not manage the event alone.
• Zhong Xu suggested inviting a famous director experienced with large-scale ceremonies, and Li Zhiyong ordered the staff to develop other ideas by morning.
• Chen Mo visited three wedding planning companies and considered hiring a famous photographer to take wedding photos of him and Xiao Yu.
• Xiao Man spotted a photography studio on the pedestrian street and suggested they look inside, so Chen Mo took Xiao Yu there.

Chen Mo and Xiao Yu discovered that Liang Zhihang’s award-winning photo, “Night Light,” showed their first kiss, and Chen Mo obtained its copyright. The couple invited Liang Zhihang to photograph their wedding, while Xiao Man learned the story behind the picture.

• Chen Mo, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Man visited a photography shop and found a photo of a couple kissing beneath the Night Light, which they recognized as their first kiss.
• Chen Mo asked to buy the copyright, but photographer Liang Zhihang initially refused because he had taken the photo without the couple’s permission and would not sell it for profit.
• Chen Mo revealed his identity and explained that he and Xiao Yu were the subjects, so Liang Zhihang gave them the copyright for free.
• Chen Mo renamed the photo “Silent Fish” and asked Liang Zhihang to take their wedding photos; Liang agreed to photograph them the next day.
• Xiao Yu told Xiao Man that she and Chen Mo were in the photo and that it captured her first kiss.