Unknown, Future

Lu Chenyuan stepped out of Yuanlong Lab and settled into his car.

He secured Lu Shi'an in the rear child seat, then drove off, watching the streets blur past the window.

Yet his mind was a tempest of thoughts.

Lu Ruoxi's breakthrough had arrived faster and more profound than he'd ever anticipated.

He had initially believed quantum AI would be Expedition Technology's trump card for conquering deep space.

Now he realized this card carried far greater weight than imagined.

It wouldn't merely empower unmanned probes with superior autonomous decision-making—

It could fundamentally alter humanity's approach to exploring the cosmos.

When detectors gained the ability to "think," they ceased being simple tool extensions.

They became true emissaries of human civilization, dispatched into the cosmic depths.

Lu Chenyuan closed his eyes.

He needed to reconsider everything—Expedition's future, Yuanlong Tech's trajectory,

even humanity's destiny...

The commercial empire he'd built now seemed almost trivial against Lu Ruoxi's purely theoretical breakthrough, devoid of any profit motive.

Just then, the car's terminal pinged with a message from Ren Qian:

A single image and one line of text.

The photo showed a chip encased in transparent housing, stamped with Qiankun's logo and the number "9."

Beneath it read:

"Old Lu, starting today, not a single American chip remains in any core member's servers within the Xia Nation Technology Health Alliance."

This moment belonged in Xia's tech history archives.

It meant liberation from foreign constraints at the most fundamental hardware level.

Lu Chenyuan glanced at it calmly before closing the message.

Soon, Ren Qian followed up:

"Old Lu, one more thing."

"Several humanoid robotics startups have emerged in Jingzhou these past six months. All founded by obscure young talents."

"Not cutting-edge tech, but wildly ambitious. One called 'Kaiwu' already secured Qin Ya's angel investment."

"The whole circle's buzzing about whether we've entered the 'post-AI era.'"

Her words carried a faint undercurrent of concern.

Yuanlong Tech reigned supreme in artificial intelligence.

Yet these humanoid robotics companies resembled agile, predatory tiger sharks suddenly circling the leviathan.

Small but representing an entirely new evolutionary direction.

Lu Chenyuan smiled at the message and replied:

"Isn't this ideal?"

"A single flower doesn't make spring; a hundred blossoms bring the garden to life."

"Enrich the soil, and diverse flowers will grow naturally."

"Tell our robotics team: No rush. Observe. Learn."

This was precisely the landscape he'd envisioned.

He never sought to be a monopolistic overlord—

but a godfather ushering in an era, a sower cultivating Xia's thriving tech ecosystem.

Now seeds were sprouting, and spring's riot of blooms approached.

Perhaps he could truly retire soon.

Returning to Cloud Peak Residence #1,

he found Mo Qingli had just arrived home.

Slipping off her heels into comfortable house slippers, the sharp edge of Mo Group's leader softened instantly.

She took the sleeping Lu Shi'an from Lu Chenyuan's arms, nestling him gently into the crib.

"Visited Ruoxi?" she asked casually while tucking in their son.

"Yeah."

"Breakthrough?"

"Yeah."

Mo Qingli didn't press for details.

Instead, she poured two glasses of red wine, handing one to Lu Chenyuan.

They stood side by side before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at Jingzhou's neon-lit nightscape.

"Stella's been unusually quiet lately," Mo Qingli swirled her wine.

"Quiet is what's most dangerous," Lu Chenyuan took a sip.

"With the 'Smaug' engine tested successfully, they could place an actual rocket on the launchpad anytime."

"They're waiting for us to misstep."

Mo Qingli studied her husband's profile—the sharp angles and fathomless eyes still captivating after years of marriage.

"Expedition's two team proposals are finalized," she said.

"Lin Yuan briefed me," Lu Chenyuan nodded.

"Both are excellent."

"So how will you choose?" Mo Qingli asked.

A dilemma—selecting one meant rejecting the other, potentially reigniting tensions.

Lu Chenyuan chuckled.

"Why choose?"

He turned with a fox-like glint in his eyes.

"Children pick options."

"Adults take..."

Mo Qingli was amused by him, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Of course what?"

"Of course, integration."

Lu Chenyuan's tone grew serious.

"Professor Zhou's proposal is the 'bones'—stable and reliable. Li Mo's plan is the 'flesh'—representing efficiency and the future."

"What I want is a dragon with both flesh and blood, not just one part of it."

Mo Qingli understood immediately.

"You want them to merge, to turn from rivals into allies."

Lu Chenyuan nodded, his gaze filled with approval.

"Conflict only leads to internal strife. Integration is what creates greatness."

He set down his wine glass and gently wrapped his arms around Mo Qingli's waist from behind.

Resting his chin on the curve of her shoulder, he breathed in the faint fragrance of her hair.

"Qingli."

"Hmm?"

"The rocket for the expedition will be ready soon."

"I know."

"But completing it is just the first step."

Lu Chenyuan's voice carried a distant note.

"We’ve built the road, but who will travel on it? If it’s just us, how many vehicles will ever run on it?"

Mo Qingli listened quietly.

She knew his thoughts had already drifted far beyond the present.

"A highway with only one car running on it is the most expensive ornament in the world."

"It only holds real value when thousands of vehicles race across it."

"Yuanlong, the expedition—we’re just the ones who built the road."

"What we still need are more people to build the cars, drive them, and ride in them."

Mo Qingli’s heart stirred faintly.

She seemed to grasp something.

"So, you’re going to gather the old friends again?"

Lu Chenyuan smiled.

"Yes, it’s time to bring the old comrades from the alliance back together—to talk about what lies beyond the stars."

His voice was soft, yet it felt like a stone cast into the future.

Mo Qingli turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him.

Her eyes reflected the city lights outside the window, and within them, an even more dazzling future.

"Chenyuan."

"Hmm?"

"No matter what you decide, I’ll support you."

Lu Chenyuan lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Outside, the night deepened.

Inside, warmth grew.