This could truly be classified as a strategic-level individual combat weapon.
That's exactly why Li Aiguo had been paying such close attention to the super-intelligent mechanical arm. If it was real, it could offer an entirely new direction for developing exoskeleton armor.
"Is it true? The prototype has been built?" Li Aiguo asked, visibly excited.
"It has. The video's already been released."
The assistant handed over a laptop to Li Aiguo, placing it in front of him. A test video of the super-intelligent mechanical arm started playing on the screen.
Of course, this video…
…had been "accidentally" discovered by Li Aiguo's assistant, thanks to Red Queen's hacking tactics.
Li Aiguo immediately grabbed the tablet, his eyes gleaming as he focused on the video.
Chen Mo appeared in the test footage, though his face was obscured—Red Queen had covered it with technical masking. The screen showed only a mechanical arm, connected to a power source.
The super-intelligent mechanical arm looked like an oversized glove, slightly larger than a human arm. The joints and fingers were structured similarly to a human's.
Unlike existing mechanical arms on the market—which are purely mechanical and only respond to remote control inputs—this one was wearable like a glove and allowed for direct human interaction.
The video continued.
Suddenly, Chen Mo's pixelated face appeared on the screen, wearing a gentle smile.
"Based on the earlier test, where the arm easily lifted a 200-jin weight, you can already tell how powerful it is. But I want to tell you—that's not its limit. The only constraint is the human body itself. Our legs and spines can't handle more. But imagine—what if we extended this technology to the entire body? If we applied it to both arms and legs… could we build an exoskeleton armor like those in the movies?"
"That's a question worth exploring."
He smiled mysteriously, then waved his right hand and tapped a couple of buttons to detach the mechanical arm and fix it to a testing platform.
Then his calm voice came again:
"I've now mounted the mechanical arm onto a fixed platform. Without the constraints of a human body, we can now test its true limits."
With that, Chen Mo operated the arm. The hydraulic joints hummed.
The mechanical arm suddenly jerked to life, as if receiving a command, and immediately grabbed a nearby object weighing one ton.
Clunk!
A mechanical whir echoed.
The arm lifted the one-ton object effortlessly—then gently set it down again. It then turned slightly toward a nearby car weighing over two tons.
Wait a minute…
What was this arm planning to do now?
Was it seriously about to lift that car?
Li Aiguo and his assistant were glued to the screen, eyes gleaming with curiosity and tension.
Could it lift a two-ton car?
And then—
Their eyes widened to the size of light bulbs as they watched the mechanical arm effortlessly lift the two-ton car.
Effortlessly.
It showed no signs of strain.
This…
Li Aiguo stared at the screen, his whole body frozen. Time seemed to stand still. Moments later, he began to tremble, overwhelmed by the rush of emotion.
Damn.
His scalp tingled.
Not only did this super-intelligent mechanical arm mimic human dexterity, it was bionic—humans could wear it like a glove. And it just lifted a two-ton object with ease?
This was straight out of science fiction!
And now it existed in reality?
Sure, it was just one arm. But what if they built a leg? A torso? A helmet? Wouldn't that be a complete exoskeleton suit? Wouldn't that turn every soldier into a superhuman?
Li Aiguo was deeply shaken.
"Xiao Wang. Didn't I tell you to contact Black Domain Tech and invite them to submit this tech for the exoskeleton project? Why haven't we heard back?" Li Aiguo suddenly turned to his assistant, eyes blazing.
"Professor Li,"
"I've already sent them multiple emails, but Black Domain hasn't responded at all."
The assistant, surnamed Wang, broke into a cold sweat under Li Aiguo's intense gaze. This situation could go very badly for him.
"I think… maybe Black Domain didn't believe we were actually from the military. They might've thought it was spam. Should I go there in person?" he offered.
"Forget it."
"I'll go myself. If this mechanical arm is the real deal, no level of importance is too much." Li Aiguo waved him off.
"Professor Li… that might not be appropriate. Your safety—" The assistant was stunned. He couldn't believe someone like Li Aiguo, a national treasure, was planning to visit a private company over a robotic arm. Wasn't that a bit much?
After all…
Li Aiguo was the kind of figure whose influence rivaled armies.
If he left his post, ensuring his safety would be a nightmare.
"Don't give me that nonsense. Go notify Long Zhan. He'll accompany me. That's an order." Li Aiguo said firmly.
"Bring Long Zhan… Long—" the assistant stammered. Long Zhan was the commander of the Eastern Theater Command! Only someone like Li Aiguo had the clout to pull him into this.
"Understood."
The assistant nodded.
At this point, his opinions didn't matter. His only job was to follow orders.
Meanwhile…
Chen Mo was out shopping with Tian Tian, completely unaware that the Eastern Theater's top brass were already en route to Black Domain Tech.
The two walked through a shopping district.
The setting sun cast long shadows behind them. Chen Mo wore casual clothes, Tian Tian wore a business suit. Although their outfits clashed, their presence together didn't feel awkward. On the contrary, they looked like the perfect couple.
Though Tian Tian was five or six years older than Chen Mo…
She kept herself well-groomed and stylish. At this stage of life, she was in her prime—elegant and confident. To others, they looked no different in age and were often mistaken for a young couple in love.