"Cathode material: lithium cobaltate gel.
Anode material: carbon composite.
Voltage limit: 3.86V.
Charge limit: 4.5V.
Rated capacity: 8500mAh…"
Mo Nu's synthesized voice calmly reported the battery stats, while Chen Mo inspected the new battery in his hand with focused eyes.
Three days had passed since they began the full production cycle—pulping, coating, fitting. And now, the very first carbon crystal lithium-ion battery was successfully complete. Sized for the Butterfly Eye, it looked like any other battery from the outside.
Like conventional lithium-ion batteries, the carbon-based version also used cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes. But the difference—what made this battery exceptional—was in the material composition.
Carbon crystals could significantly boost both the charge/discharge capacity and the number of recharges. That made this carbon-based battery a major upgrade in terms of storage performance.
Granted, carbon crystals weren't perfect. Their atomic structure lacked rigidity, toughness, and ductility—unlike the wonder material graphene. They weren't versatile, nor could they replace stronger structural materials. But for one specific use—as the negative electrode in batteries—they were perfect.
This limited purpose also meant it was classified as a "low-tier technology." Still, until graphene battery tech matured, carbon-based batteries were the best available option, offering roughly double the capacity of today's market standard.
"Mo Nu, compile all the carbon crystal synthesis technology into a patent application draft. Print it out."
"Got it, Brother Mo."
A moment later, the lab printer started humming. With the printed patent data in hand, Chen Mo exited the lab.
Today was the day of the mass production experiment. Zhao Min was already waiting.
When he arrived at her office, Chen Mo handed over the patent application documents.
"Here. Carbon Crystal patent data."
"That fast?" Zhao Min blinked in surprise. She skimmed the technical document, though most of it was packed with specialized terminology well outside her expertise.
At this point, she had long given up trying to guess what kind of brain Chen Mo had. Every time she blinked, he had discovered a new material or developed a new application. His R&D speed was almost frightening. If someone told her Tesla had reincarnated in Chen Mo, she might've believed it.
"I organized the data while experimenting," Chen Mo said. "Now that the battery has been produced and tested, we can proceed to the mass production phase."
"How much capacity does it have?" she asked, visibly curious.
"You're still using the Butterfly Eye, right? With the new battery, it should last about 35 hours on a full charge."
Zhao Min gasped.
That was more than twice the battery life of current high-end smartphones. In a world where most devices could barely last 12–15 hours, this was game-changing.
"Let's go. Factory time."
Zhao Min stood and pulled Chen Mo out the door. Xiao Yu followed behind them, carrying some documents. The trio headed directly to the factory.
The facility they arrived at was the one Zhao Min had acquired earlier—conveniently close to the main office. After Chen Mo announced his intent to dive into hardware manufacturing, Zhao Min had immediately begun securing and converting the space into a pilot plant for testing and production.
The necessary equipment had already been installed. The graphite raw materials were in place, and the production line was waiting.
As they entered, the factory director—Wan Mingyi, a man in his early forties—rushed over to greet them.
This factory had a history. It used to belong to another company before it went bankrupt. The previous owner had skipped town with a mountain of unpaid debts and employee salaries. The court had auctioned off the site and equipment, and Zhao Min had acquired it all. Many of the original workers were still employed here—they already knew the machinery and workflows.
Now, with Marching Ants Company in the public spotlight, even locals in Binhai City knew the name.
"Where's the workshop?" Chen Mo asked.
"This way," Wan Mingyi gestured quickly.
"Bring in a few skilled techs. I'll walk them through the process and important details."
"Understood."
Soon, several technicians joined them inside the production area. High-pressure reactors and custom-built machines lined the floor.
Chen Mo went directly to the control panel and began configuring the parameters for carbon crystal synthesis. Precision was everything here. One mistake could ruin an entire batch.
"Start feeding the materials," he instructed. "I need two people to operate the reaction chamber."
"Ahua, Daqiang—go assist the boss," Wan Mingyi called out to two younger techs.
"Yes, Director."
The two stepped up beside Chen Mo, visibly cautious. Chen Mo looked even younger than them, but his position—and reputation—commanded respect.
"Your job's simple," Chen Mo explained. "You're just managing the feeding switch for the reaction chamber. Once raw materials are loaded and the temperature indicator goes green, you press the pressure button. That's all."
He walked them through every step. The exact data and parameters, however, were kept to himself. Those were trade secrets—too valuable to share.
"I'll run the first batch myself. Watch closely."
With raw materials loaded, Chen Mo initiated the reactor. Everyone's eyes were glued to the machine. Fifteen minutes later, the chamber powered down.
As the hatch opened, dark, wafer-like carbon crystals poured out onto the conveyor. Dozens of factory workers gathered around, their curiosity piqued. These black shards were what they'd been waiting to see.
Chen Mo picked up a sample and took it to the purity tester.
"Purity: 79%."
His brow furrowed. That was 3% lower than the lab result—below the 80% standard he'd set.
But it wasn't surprising. Lab equipment was far more precise than factory-grade machines. A small drop in quality was to be expected.
"Scrap this batch," he ordered. "Reload the materials."
He noted the parameters in his notebook, did some quick recalculations, and adjusted the equipment. While waiting for the next test, he continued explaining the process to the others.
"Director Wan, for every batch produced, randomly select 20 samples for testing. If even one falls below 80% purity, scrap the entire batch."
"Understood," Wan Mingyi nodded.
Two hours and four tweaks later, the next test finally delivered the result Chen Mo wanted.
"Purity: 82%."
He sighed in relief.
"From now on, follow this set of parameters. The reaction conditions must be strictly controlled."
"Got it."
With the mass production process now stable, everyone visibly relaxed. Chen Mo gave his final instructions and returned to the office with Zhao Min.
Once back, he gave her a new directive.
"Acquire more factories. Begin scaling up for battery production."
Then he called out:
"Mo Nu."
"Here, Brother Mo," the voice replied.
"Post an announcement on the company's official website. In my name, declare the discovery of the new material—carbon crystal. But don't publish the technical details."