Zhao Min stared at the information Chen Mo had just sent over, her expression growing serious.
Mobile Smart Assistant.
According to the documentation, the assistant could switch apps, browse, input via voice, search, chat, and even fully control the phone—all without physical contact.
The closest existing equivalent was Apple's Siri. But Siri couldn't browse or fully control apps. This assistant, however, could.
This wasn't just an upgrade—it was a leap. This was entering artificial intelligence territory.
Back then, Apple had acquired Siri for $200 million. And after years of development, it had only just reached its current level. Now, Chen Mo had suddenly dropped something even more advanced into her lap. The implications were massive.
After calming her thoughts, Zhao Min copied the source code for both the smart assistant and its integration with the Marching Ant OS onto a USB drive. She then deleted the email completely and left her office.
"Xiao Yu, come with me."
"Okay," Xiao Yu nodded, setting down the documents in her hand and following without question.
As Zhao Min entered the R&D department, a small commotion stirred. Her visits there were rare, and they knew something important was up. Soon after, Lao Luo and Wang Sijia arrived in lab coats.
"President, you called for us urgently?" Lao Luo asked, noticing Zhao Min's serious tone.
"Both of you, come with me to the lab. Check what's on this." She handed him the USB drive.
"Got it."
Lao Luo took it carefully, understanding that anything Zhao Min delivered personally had to be significant.
"Xiao Yu, come along."
"Zhao Jie… should I be here for this?" Xiao Yu asked cautiously. She could tell something sensitive was going on.
"It's fine. Just observe and learn."
They followed Lao Luo and Wang Sijia into the lab.
After loading the contents of the USB, Lao Luo and Wang Sijia immediately went silent, their eyes scanning the screen with intense focus.
Zhao Min had only glanced at the overview. She didn't fully grasp the technical details, but she knew the assistant's functions. These two, however, were experts—and their expressions turned more serious by the second.
"Hold on. I'll get a phone to test this." Wang Sijia hurried out and returned with a Butterfly Eye smartphone.
As the system was flashed onto the phone, Lao Luo and Wang Sijia exchanged glances, clearly wanting to ask something.
"Zhao Zong… this young lady?" Lao Luo asked cautiously.
"She's not an outsider. Say whatever you need to," Zhao Min replied.
"Are we doing AI research now?" Lao Luo asked, frowning. As head of R&D, this was news to him.
"No," Zhao Min shook her head.
"Then where did this come from?"
"The chairman," she said casually, then gave Xiao Yu a brief glance.
Xiao Yu blinked in confusion.
"The chairman developed this?" Lao Luo looked stunned. "That's not possible… This is advanced AI—how could he develop something like this so fast?"
Xiao Yu stood frozen. On her first day at work, she hadn't expected to be involved in something so core to the company.
Zhao Min shrugged. "He's capable. The Marching Ant OS was his creation. He leads two teams himself. How else do you think this company rose so fast?"
"There's a team behind him?" Lao Luo's voice dropped to a whisper. The shock in his heart only grew.
"We shouldn't dig into the chairman's personal matters," Zhao Min said sternly.
Realizing he'd overstepped, Lao Luo nodded. "You're right. I got carried away… I was just surprised by the assistant's design."
"Let's test it first."
Wang Sijia picked up the Butterfly Eye phone, which now had the new OS and smart assistant installed.
"Please perform voiceprint recognition," said a calm, synthesized female voice.
After completing the verification, Wang Sijia entered her preferred name.
"Jiajia, Butterfly Eye Smart Assistant 'Xiaodie' is happy to serve you."
After that, the interface disappeared, and the phone returned to its regular home screen. There was no visible trace of the assistant—until called upon.
"Call."
"No SIM card inserted. Only emergency calls are available," Xiaodie responded instantly.
"Connect to Wi-Fi."
"The wireless network interface has been opened. Wi-Fi enabled. Please select. Wi-Fi connected. Signal is strong."
"Open browser."
The phone immediately opened the browser. "Browser opened."
"Open the News & Tech Channel."
...
Wang Sijia continued giving commands—opening videos, pausing them, scrolling through articles—all without touching the phone.
Even so, Xiaodie did have a few limitations. It couldn't understand unrecognizable text on the screen, for example.
But when she finally stopped, Wang Sijia looked at the phone as if she'd just seen magic.
"This is cutting-edge," she said. "Excellent user interaction, top-tier voice recognition. It's stronger than Siri. Siri can't fully control apps or close them unless you're in the Siri interface."
"Xiaodie runs in the background and can control the system and apps directly. It's real contactless voice operation. This is a solid smart assistant," Lao Luo said, still clearly stunned.
"You understand the value now?" Zhao Min asked.
"Yes," Lao Luo nodded.
"Then based on the motherboard and designs I brought today, begin prototyping the second phone immediately. Also, bundle the smart assistant into a standalone app. Change the icon to the Butterfly Eye logo, and get the PPT for the assistant ready."
"PPT?" Wang Sijia asked.
"For the product launch."
"Got it," Lao Luo replied.
"Make sure all the data is securely backed up," Zhao Min added. She unplugged the USB and left with Xiao Yu.
As they exited the lab, she turned to her. "Xiao Yu, notify the marketing department. Have them prepare the promo plan for the second phone. Also, tell Minister Li to arrange the press conference ASAP."
"Understood," Xiao Yu nodded.
Back in her office, Zhao Min dialed Chen Mo's number. This guy had just blindsided her with a game-changing feature.
"Chairman, are you secretly researching artificial intelligence?" she asked the moment he picked up.
"Why do you ask?" Chen Mo replied, amused.
"That assistant you sent. You seriously don't see how big of a deal it is?"
"It's just a feature for the next phone. Its current capabilities are limited to mobile control. Though yeah, it could probably be optimized for computers too," Chen Mo said casually.
"I'm planning to release it as a standalone app first—to gain exposure and gather user feedback. Once the phone is out, I'll pull the app back," Zhao Min said.
"Sounds good. I'm handling the product; monetizing it is your department."
After the call, Chen Mo set down his phone and picked up a book.
The lab wasn't ready, and he didn't have a tech project at the moment. It was rare to have this kind of free time.
Still, he hadn't finished reading the 1,000 required books. With only half done, it was the perfect time to keep pushing forward.