Chapter Summaries

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.

Chen Mo visited Wei Zhe at an orphanage and learned why Wei Zhe founded and later left the Joker Organization. Chen Mo invited him to join Ant Army Company and left the orphanage after donating money for the children.

• Wei Zhe brought winter clothes to the orphanage, where he spent time with Tang Xueyin, a mute girl he loved.
• Chen Mo arrived with Wang Hai and White Pearl, recognized Wei Zhe as the Joker Organization's founder, and asked him why he had left.
• Wei Zhe explained that the Joker members had stolen the Jiangnan Virus code out of curiosity and wanted to use it for thrills and a sense of accomplishment, not money.
• Wei Zhe told Chen Mo that Tang Xueyin knew of his feelings but feared rejection; Chen Mo urged him to be more resolute.
• Chen Mo invited Wei Zhe to join Ant Army Company and donated one hundred thousand for the orphanage's winter supplies.
• Chen Mo left the orphanage, and his phone rang as he stepped outside.

Chen Mo accepted an invitation for himself and Zhao Min to attend the launch of the nationwide Earthquake Early Warning Network, seeing it as a chance to improve Ant Army Company’s reputation. He welcomed Wei Zhe, founder of the Joker Organization, into the company and returned to the laboratory to work on the supercomputer technology.

• Li Chengzhi invited Chen Mo and Zhao Min to the Earthquake Early Warning Network launch ceremony, which the Chief would attend in five days.
• Chen Mo told Zhao Min he had identified Joker Organization members but warned her that exposing them could make Ant Army look connected to the group.
• Xiao Yu brought Wei Zhe to meet Chen Mo, and Chen Mo explained to Zhao Min that Wei Zhe had founded the Joker Organization and was joining the company.
• Zhao Min appointed Wei Zhe to lead a new Chinese Programming Department, and Wei Zhe thanked Chen Mo for advice that helped him win a woman’s affection.
• Chen Mo returned to the laboratory to focus on digesting the supercomputer technology while Ant Army continued facing online smears.

Chen Mo publicly denied Ant Army’s alleged support for the Joker Organization and warned media outlets to stop spreading the claims. After the press conference, he reassured Xiao Yu that his sternness had been a deliberate warning, then learned that the Joker had posted a message.

• Aivy and Illy saw the Joker’s clown mask appear on their screens as the organization’s indiscriminate attacks reached the United States and Britain.
• At an emergency meeting, An Bei and Island Nation officials debated whether to pay the Joker’s ransom, and An Bei ordered someone to contact the organization.
• Chen Mo arranged a press conference and denied that Ant Army had supported the Joker, warning outlets that continued false claims would face legal action.
• Chen Mo told reporters that the Joker Virus had been written using his publicly released Chinese Character Programming Language and described the Termite System’s defenses.
• Xiao Yu comforted Chen Mo after the press conference, and Mo Nv then told him that the Joker had posted a message.

After the Joker Organization ended its extortion campaign, Chen Mo told Zhao Min that Microsoft had paid it to promote Ant Army Company. Chen Mo and his group traveled to the capital for the Earthquake Early Warning Network launch, where Li Chengzhi told him the Chief would meet him the next morning.

• The Joker Organization announced that its extortion campaign had ended, leaving Britain, the United States, and the Island Nation facing political turmoil over rumors of ransom payments.
• Zhao Min asked Chen Mo who paid three million US dollars for the Joker Organization’s statement, and Chen Mo answered that it was Microsoft.
• Zhao Min told Chen Mo that he and the others would fly to the capital for the Earthquake Early Warning Network launch ceremony.
• Chen Mo, Xiao Yu, Zhao Min, Wang Hai, and White Pearl arrived at Capital International Airport and met Li Chengzhi.
• Li Chengzhi gave Xiao Yu the ceremony schedule and told Chen Mo that the Chief would meet him before the launch ceremony the next morning.

Chen Mo and Zhao Min met with the Chief at Zhong Nan Hai, where Chen Mo discussed Ant Army’s contributions and his views on emerging technology. He warned that Chinese Character Programming could undermine network security while also producing stronger artificial intelligence, leaving the Chief with important guidance for future decisions.

• Xiao Yu helped Chen Mo prepare, and Chen Mo and Zhao Min traveled to Zhong Nan Hai with escort Xu Yuan.
• The Chief warmly welcomed Chen Mo and Zhao Min and praised Ant Army for helping establish the Earthquake Early Warning Network.
• Chen Mo told the Chief that artificial intelligence and robots would transform work, though advanced robots would remain expensive.
• Chen Mo warned that viruses written in Chinese Character Programming could evade current antivirus software and said the Termite System offered stronger protection.
• Chen Mo explained that Chinese Character Programming produced better artificial intelligence, and the Chief took the claim seriously.