"Mo Nu, what's the current temperature?"
"Temperature is 1408 Kelvin."
"Alright, raise the pressure to 1468.25 kPa. Don't rush—keep the temperature stable while increasing the pressure."
Inside the lab, Chen Mo stared calmly at the instrument in front of him. It had been ten days since Li Chengzhi's last visit, and Chen Mo had been immersed in relentless experimentation ever since—each one a step forward, a step closer.
Today, he stood at a critical threshold.
All the tweaks, failures, and adjustments had finally led him to this precise formula: a temperature increase of 5 degrees Celsius, pressure raised by 152 kPa, and a 3-second pressurization window. This data was the fruit of over a hundred failed attempts across ten grueling days.
As the countdown ticked on the computer screen beside him, Chen Mo's heartbeat subtly quickened.
The lab was quiet—only the low hum of machines filled the room. Though just three and a half minutes remained, it felt like an eternity.
When the preset time concluded, the equipment came to a halt. Chen Mo exhaled slowly and opened the reaction chamber.
Inside, carbon crystals—about the size and shape of small wafers—gleamed under the soft lights. Each wafer was about a millimeter thick, resembling dark, rigid paper. They weren't fragile like glass or powdery like chalk. They were sturdy—dense, yet almost elegant.
When he held one under the light, its shimmering specks looked like a night sky dotted with stars. Beautiful.
Visually, they weren't different from previous attempts. But the true test lay in their purity—something no eye could gauge.
Chen Mo placed the wafer into the testing machine and waited. The machine beeped soon after.
"Purity: 82%."
The moment he saw the number, Chen Mo grinned.
A breakthrough.
He'd leaped from 79% to 82%—a milestone. This level of purity finally made the material suitable for use in battery production.
He lifted a wafer the size of a biscuit and studied it under the light again. A new battery material. A new future.
Of course, the process wasn't complete yet. Next came the lithium-ion embedding step—a simpler process compared to carbon crystal synthesis. Lithium ions naturally embed in graphite, and this embedding was fast, efficient, and reversible.
The real work—the hard part—was now done.
"Mo Nu, record all synthesis conditions for the carbon crystal," Chen Mo said, still focused.
"Understood, Brother Mo," she replied. A moment passed. "Data logged."
"Now organize the technical documentation for carbon crystal materials and archive it in the database."
"On it."
With the data stored and Mo Nu handling the rest, Chen Mo began tidying the workspace. Once everything was clean and in place, he exited the lab and returned to his office.
Now came another important task: acquiring new technology.
Exactly one month had passed since his last random tech selection. As a trainee-level user of the Science and Technology Library, he was entitled to one random draw per month. Despite its unpredictable nature, it was still worth using.
Back in his office, Chen Mo lay back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and entered the Library.
The same familiar space greeted him—the boundless halls, the dark red desk, the quiet, surreal air.
As he approached the central table and opened the red book, Shu Lao materialized with a nod.
"You're back. Ready for your monthly draw?"
"Yeah, let's do it."
Chen Mo rubbed his temples. He prayed for better luck this time. After all, his previous "rewards" hadn't exactly been useful.
Shu Lao snapped his fingers, and hundreds of glowing books appeared and began spinning in the air, one by one disappearing until only one remained.
Shu Lao caught it and handed it to Chen Mo, who squinted at the title:
"Pregnancy Detection Technology."
...
Chen Mo nearly faceplanted onto the ground.
Of all things.
"Seriously?! I feel like this draw is cursed. I'm starting to develop trauma," Chen Mo groaned.
"There are plenty of good technologies in the rotation," Shu Lao chuckled. "You just haven't been lucky. But look on the bright side—this is still better than those... aphrodisiac formulas, no?"
"Barely," Chen Mo muttered.
With a grin, Shu Lao pressed the book to Chen Mo's forehead, transferring the knowledge into his mind.
"You've still got over 430 books to read before unlocking Level 2. Once you hit that threshold, you'll start getting better options."
"What kind of access will I have then?" Chen Mo asked.
"You'll find out when the time comes," Shu Lao replied with a smile.
Chen Mo sighed as he exited the Library. This draw was practically useless—again. But that was just how it worked. Besides, he had plenty of tech he hadn't even deployed yet, especially in medical fields. No need to rush everything.
He picked up a book from the office shelf and started reading. Finally, a quiet moment to enjoy.
Until Mo Nu's voice broke his focus:
"Brother Mo, Zhao Min and Xiao Yu just entered the building with a man."
A few moments later, Zhao Min stepped into the office with the man in question.
"Chairman, this is Wang Hai. He's one of the best candidates recommended by Mr. Li. A retired special forces officer. From today on, he'll be your personal driver and bodyguard."
"Chairman." Wang Hai gave a professional nod.
He wasn't tall—maybe five foot nine—and looked unremarkable at first glance. Short hair, tanned skin, unassuming demeanor. But Chen Mo knew better than to judge by appearances.
"Hello," Chen Mo greeted him with a nod.
There was no visible air of a soldier on him, but that wasn't a bad thing—it meant he blended in well. A good quality for someone in his role.
"You two step out for a bit," Zhao Min said. "I need to speak with the chairman privately."
After Xiao Yu and Wang Hai exited, Zhao Min turned to Chen Mo.
"Chairman, the city's decision just came in. The company's taxes will be waived for one year, and we'll get a 50% exemption in the second year."
"Not bad," Chen Mo replied. He'd expected resistance to the two-year tax break. This was already a generous compromise.
"Let's talk about the new material. Is the equipment I ordered good to go? We need to prepare for mass production."
Chen Mo's tone turned serious.
The carbon crystal material was ready. It was time to move from the lab to the production line. Otherwise, the technology would remain theoretical—useless in practice.
"All set," Zhao Min said. "The machines are already installed at the factory. Wait—does that mean the lab tests succeeded?"
"They did. Just today. Get the raw materials ready. We'll begin the mass production trial in three days."
"Got it."