"As for the business scope..."
Chen Mo paused for a moment before decisively declaring, "Let's cover everything related to technology! Register every possible business category we can apply for. Money is no object."
"Understood, Master. But I must remind you—we absolutely must restart T-virus research and develop bioweapons. In the field of biochemistry, we have to—"
"Stop!"
Chen Mo raised his hands in a halting gesture, cutting off Red Queen's enthusiastic rambling. True to her origins from Resident Evil, she was obsessed with biochemical research and reviving the T-virus. Did she have some kind of fixation on triggering a global bioweapon crisis?
Besides, biochemical research required massive funding. Darkzone Technologies had just been registered—survival was still uncertain. Where would the money come from?
"First, secure that 10 billion for me. Once the funds are in place and Darkzone starts generating profits, then we can talk about biochemical research."
"Fine..."
Red Queen's projection dimmed slightly, her digital lips pursing in a pout. The super AI could effortlessly simulate human-like expressions—adorable yet unsettling.
"Master, gathering 10 billion discreetly while staying undetected and maintaining legality restricts many of my methods. It will likely take about a week."
"That's already faster than I expected. Take your time—safety and secrecy come first." Chen Mo smiled. Once Red Queen siphoned off enough black-market funds, he'd have his seed capital. After that, she would stop—continuously stealing dirty money would inevitably draw attention.
"Don't worry, Master. With this world's level of technology, no one can detect my presence."
With that, the red-clad holographic girl dissolved into light, retreating back into the mainframe.
After a moment of silence, Chen Mo suddenly remembered—he still had class today. Dr. Tian Tian's computer science lecture. She was notoriously strict, taking attendance every session. Missing it would mean trouble.
He glanced at his phone.
8:20 AM.
Class started at 9:00.
If he left now, he'd make it just in time.
After testing his wireless earpiece to ensure seamless communication with Red Queen, Chen Mo hailed a ride back to campus. He arrived earlier than expected, with over ten minutes to spare.
Grabbing a quick breakfast—two ham sandwiches and a soy milk—he finished eating just as he reached the computer lab.
Dr. Tian hadn't arrived yet.
Scanning the room, Chen Mo was mildly surprised to see his roommate, who had pulled an all-nighter, already seated and alert.
Youthful resilience—everyone's built like special forces these days.
He took a seat next to his childhood friend, Zhang Dawei. They had grown up together, even shared clothes as kids, and by sheer coincidence, both ended up at Qingmu University's computer science program. Their bond was unshakable.
"Dawei, I thought after last night's all-nighter, you'd skip today."
"Are you kidding? Dr. Tian is terrifyingly cute... I mean, terrifying and cute. Honestly, I'm only here to see her."
Dawei adjusted his thick glasses. It was hard to believe such scandalous words came from this seemingly bookish nerd.
"So that's the truth? You horndog." Chen Mo smirked.
"No, the real truth is I had no choice. That tigress always takes attendance."
"..."
What kind of twisted logic is that?
Chen Mo gave up trying to follow his friend's mental gymnastics.
Turning to his workstation, he pressed the power button and waited for the system to boot.
Today's lesson was a hands-on software development class, conducted in the lab using cloud-based servers—fast enough to handle any student project.
Three minutes until class. The room buzzed with chatter, growing louder rather than settling down.
"Did you hear? Last night, the whole city blacked out—and the source was our campus! It sucked up all the power!"
"Some cultivator must've been absorbing electricity for their breakthrough."
"The police are investigating. Wonder if they'll find anything."
"Scary to think something could drain a whole city's power in seconds, even if just briefly."
"Feels like one of those unsolvable supernatural incidents."
Listening to his classmates discuss his handiwork, Chen Mo felt a flicker of pride.
Little do they know, this blackout didn't just alarm the police—it brought the Xuanwu Division knocking.
Still, the Xuanwu Division didn't worry him too much. As a government agency, they operated within legal boundaries.
The real concern was those three untraceable men in black—unaffiliated, unrestrained by rules.
"Class begins."
A crisp, authoritative voice cut through the noise, snapping Chen Mo out of his thoughts.
Dr. Tian Tian strode in.
She wore a knee-length pencil skirt and heels that clicked sharply against the floor.
Tall, poised, and undeniably striking, Dr. Tian was the youngest professor at Qingmu, a former international champion in computer science research.
For someone of her caliber to teach here—and end up as Chen Mo's homeroom professor—was nothing short of legendary.
There was no formal "stand and greet" like in high school. The lecture began immediately.
Though, if high school teachers had looked like Dr. Tian, every student would've grown up to be a shameless flirt.