Chen Mo paused mid-step and turned.
The voice belonged to a woman—sharp blue hair cut shoulder-length, crisp blazer, the air of someone who could walk into a boardroom and make the CEO sweat. She was confident, composed... and a total stranger.
Except… not quite.
Where have I seen her before? he wondered. His memory was sharp—freakishly good, in fact—yet her face only tugged at vague familiarity. Maybe she'd been in the crowd during some lecture or event?
"You calling me?" he asked, just to be sure.
"You," the woman confirmed, walking up with a self-assured stride. "You're the guy who saved that baby on the shopping street a few weeks ago, right?"
Chen Mo blinked. "Yeah? Wasn't expecting to be recognized."
Back then, the incident had blown up online for a bit—mystery hero saves baby, vanishes into the night. But low lighting and camera angles meant his face was never clearly seen. Just as well. A celebrity life wasn't his style.
"I was there," she said, her tone cooling slightly. "That thief took my bag."
Ah. So she was involved.
"Thank you for what you did. I owe you," she continued. "At least let me buy you lunch. Consider it a small thank-you."
"It's not like I caught the guy," Chen Mo shrugged.
"You risked yourself for someone else's child. That's enough."
Her eyes had a sparkle of curiosity now—not the kind that faded in a minute. This woman didn't do things halfway.
"…Alright," Chen Mo said. "Can't say no to free food."
Free was his favorite flavor, after all. Bonus points when the one offering had cheekbones sharp enough to slice tofu.
On the way to the restaurant, she kept looking at him—studying, assessing. Not in a flirty way, either. More like a recruiter sniffing out a hidden talent.
"I'm Zhao Min," she finally said. "Like Zhang Wuji's Zhao Min. And you are, mysterious hero?"
"Chen Mo," he said. "And please, no 'hero' stuff. I just moved fast."
"So, Chen Mo… do you work somewhere?"
"Nope."
"You don't look unemployed."
"I'm not unemployed—I'm pre-employed," he said. "Starting my own company."
That piqued her interest.
"Oh? Entrepreneurship? What kind of business?"
"Tech. High-end R&D, software development."
Zhao Min raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed.
They entered a street-side bistro and sat by the window. Chen Mo took the menu, casually ordered a few dishes, and handed it off to the waiter.
"You know," Zhao Min said as she sipped water, "tech startups aren't for the faint of heart. You need capital, products, talent, patience… You've got all that figured out?"
"Two out of four," Chen Mo said, smirking. "Got capital. Got product. Still hunting for talent. Patience? I'll let you know in a month."
Zhao Min gave him a curious look. "Mind if I ask how much capital we're talking?"
"A few tens of millions," Chen Mo said offhandedly.
She choked on her water.
He handed her a tissue, totally unfazed.
"Bragging this early in our relationship? That's bold."
"Not bragging." He pulled up a screenshot of his bank account and passed the phone across the table.
Zhao Min looked. Then looked again.
"…Where'd you get this?"
"Legal. Post-tax. No gambling, no shady business, no rich parents."
"Okay, I'm listening," she said, leaning in slightly now.
Chen Mo smiled. Time to fire his shot.
"I need a capable COO. Someone who can handle operations while I work on research and product dev. You've got the right resume, the right energy. Wanna work together?"
Zhao Min blinked, then leaned back with a laugh. "Wow. Straight to the pitch, huh? Most guys would try dinner and drinks first."
"I just gave you free lunch," Chen Mo pointed out.
"True. I guess I am on the clock now."
She sipped her water again, then regarded him over the rim.
"You know I was the VP of Wanbao Group's Greater China division until two months ago?"
Chen Mo nodded. "I looked you up the moment you said your name. Master's in Business Admin, sharp track record, bailed after a corporate power shift. Noticed you've been off the radar since."
"Stalker."
"Researcher."
Zhao Min smiled despite herself. "You want me to jump into a fresh startup, zero staff, zero track record, with some unknown tech you haven't even shown me yet?"
Chen Mo reached into his bag and placed the Huawei phone on the table.
"Marching Ant OS," he said. "I built it. Not Android, not iOS. From scratch."
"Sure it's not just a skinned ROM?"
"Check it."
She picked up the phone, flipped through the UI. It was sleek—too clean, too responsive to be a re-skin. Her brow furrowed.
"I don't know code," she said, "but I've switched phones enough to know this ain't stock Android."
"Bet you a job offer it's not."
Zhao Min tilted her head. "What do I get if you're bluffing?"
"My dignity. And a phone."
She grinned. "Tempting."
"Come on board," Chen Mo said. "If I'm legit, we build this into something massive. You get equity. Maybe even co-founder status. You in?"
Zhao Min tapped the phone lightly on her palm.
She could smell ambition on this kid. And something else—clarity. He wasn't just dreaming. He knew what he was building.
She stood up, phone still in hand.
"I'll run this by a couple of tech friends. If they say it's clean, you'll get a call."
She paused, smiled.
"If you're lucky, I might just make you rich."
"Too late," Chen Mo said, standing too. "I'm already rich. I'm offering you a piece."
She laughed, turned, and walked out the door.
Chen Mo watched her go, the sunlight catching the blue streaks in her hair.
Marching Ant just found its queen.