Chapter 43

“The ‘S-1’ press conference is about to start. I’m on my way into the press lobby right now. There are so many reporters and foreigners, and the most I’ve seen from these foreigners today is the surprise on their faces. Of course, every now and then, the word ‘uh-mei-zing’ slips out of their mouths! Sorry, I forgot how to spell the word. Anyway, they are baffled. You know what I mean… The elevator just stopped, we should be arriving at our destination soon. I’m so excited…”

With excitement in his eyes, this faithful user of Real-time Online Translator who was fortunate enough to be invited sent this message to a friend with a set of live pictures that had just been taken.

9:30am! The launch hall opened on time, and the reporters and invited guests who just stepped into the launch conference instantly exclaimed.

“Whoa! Awesome!”

“It’s like I’m in a futuristic world!”

“How much does this set-up cost?”

The reporters and guests who came to the venue were amazed at what they saw. Some reporters quickly grabbed their cameras and started filming. The floor, ceiling, and walls of the hall were all made of electronic screens. The controlled graphics and hardware arrangement gave the entire venue the futuristic and sci-fi-feel of the matrix. The most striking thing was the company logo displayed on the huge screen on the stage.

XlouS: Change the World!

“S-1” was absolutely able to bear the meaning of those three words.

Netizens who weren’t at the scene watched the live broadcast of the dome conference site. Major video sites that featured a bullet screen filled the stream with strings of ‘666’. [1. ‘666’ is a Chinese Internet slang that describes amazement in this context.] Viewers who didn’t appreciate the bullet screen feature could only helplessly turn it off to not disrupt their viewing experience.

[This press conference is simply… stunning! A matrix-constructed future world?]

[How much does the entire set-up cost?]

[Goddammit. Does XlouS need to be so good at this? The floor, ceiling, and walls are all made up of freaking high tech electronic displays? There are some other facilities that I haven’t come across, but for some reason they look so cool!]

While the netizens were in a hot discussion, the reporters and invited guests had entered the venue, and they were stunned by the scene. At the same time, they couldn’t help but sigh at the fact that Ren Hong was just too rich. The amount he spent was no less than a Middle East Saudi Arabian prince. The most important thing was that not only was he rich, but he also knew how to enjoy himself. This might be the most advanced technology launch conference they ever witnessed!

The news conference bewildered everyone before it officially started.

A number of alternative groups, such as Apple’s representative in Greater China, HTC, Samsung, and Xiaomi, all sent personnel to attend this launch. Perhaps the big bosses of these major mobile phone manufacturers were now sitting in front of their computers watching the live-stream!

Yes, at that moment, on the other side of the ocean, inside Apple’s headquarters, Cook was still in his office staring at the live-stream on his computer. It was almost midnight in the U.S. and all of the employees in Apple headquarters had already knocked off. However, Cook didn’t go to bed yet. Not only him, but the company’s executives and some of the directors also weren’t feeling sleepy. They were watching the livestream from the Eastern Hemisphere.

At 9:50am, the entire conference of more than 1,500 seated seats was packed, with hundreds of media newspaper correspondents reporting this event to the eyes of the world. The front rows and aisles of favorable shooting angles had long been occupied by the firstcomers. Many reporters stood and set up one camera after another, all aiming at the front stage.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe this event as highly anticipated.

At 10:00am, the press conference officially began. All the guests consciously turned their respective electronic devices to silent mode.

On the podium wing of the stage, the host’s voice rang out. “Good morning, distinguished guests and members of the media from all over the world! We are delighted that you were able to come to XlouS’s new product launch…”

Meanwhile backstage, all the staff were working hard.

“Chairman, do you need to touch up your makeup?” the stylist asked.

“It’s fine!” Ren Hong shook his head, turned around, and yelled, “Where’s my ‘S-1’?”

Shortly after, a staff member brought an exquisite silver-whitish box and handed it to Ren Hong. The latter opened the box and took out a rectangular strip that emanated a silver-whitish, metallic luster. He pulled both of its ends and the built-in hollow screen lit up to display a high-definition interface. He controlled the interface for a moment, before turning off the display and skillfully putting it on his left wrist!

“Please give a round of applause for Mr. Ren Hong—founder, chairman, and CTO of XlouS!”

“It’s your turn to shine!” Inside the backstage, Gao Yue said with a beautiful smile.

The backstage could hear the applause from the audience. Ren Hong looked at Gao Yue and without saying a word, gave a loving kiss to her lips, before calmly sauntering to the front of the stage.

Gao Yue was taken aback. After returning to her senses, Ren Hong had already walked away. Gao Yue’s assistant and the rest pretended as though they didn’t witness anything. Gao Yue chuckled and didn’t say a word, quietly watching Ren Hong as he went to the front stage.

This is his time!

The applause became even more enthusiastic the moment Ren Hong appeared in front of the stage. The huge company logo displayed on the screen in front of the stage disappeared and was replaced by a picture of Ren Hong. He wore his usual black, short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of gray jeans, and also an exquisite bracelet on his wrist. His black fringe was combed up, revealing his forehead. His young and determined face displayed a calm and relaxed smile. His powerful presence suddenly lit up the eyes of everyone in the audience.

Ren Hong smiled and waved his right hand. In an instant, the spotlights shone on him as he looked around at the crowd in attendance and greeted: “Good morning! Thank you for being there!” Enthusiastic applause erupted as he opened his first sentence, leaving only one voice in the venue.

“Technology changes life. Innovation changes the world!” Ren Hong walked back and forth on stage, his eyes staring at the floor, his five fingers spread out with his palms facing downward. He presented an animated body language. “Today, XlouS will launch an exciting and revolutionary product that will change the world.” He stopped and gazed into the audience “Till this day, I’m still impressed by something Mr. Steve Jobs said: ‘To live is to change the world’.”

He started pacing again. “Before I introduce our new product, allow me to present a few statistics first.”