Chapter 30: Trending

Fans in Xia Xue’s livestream room were multiplying crazily. The number had reached an astonishing 500,000, and it was still climbing fast.

Its popularity exploded like an avalanche, and the livestream had landed on the trending list.

According to Zhao Min’s description of its advantages, this meant the Legion Ant System’s performance surpassed other mobile systems.

If true, this was huge news.

Mobile systems had always been a weak spot for domestic phones. Right now, local phones mostly ran on Android, while YUN OS was barely surviving in the market.

The arrival of a new homegrown mobile system was truly exciting news.

Some reporters had their headlines ready:

“The Best Domestic Mobile System?”

“Shocking! These Are the Perks of This Homegrown Mobile System.”

A catchy title alone would lure in plenty of clicks.

Li Tiejun was drafting an article frantically. Legion Ant Company’s phone was too impressive. He regretted not preparing better earlier. This story would be massive.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, interrupting him. Putting on his earphones, Li Tiejun answered it. “Chief Editor? What is it?”

“Tiejun, are you currently at the Legion Ant Company launch?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Send your draft back right away. I’ll tell Wang Qi to send the video footage immediately.”

“What’s going on?” Li Tiejun covered his earphone and asked quietly.

“Haven’t you heard? Someone’s live-streaming the event on Weibo. It’s blowing up on the trending list! Send the draft now. Post first to grab the buzz.”

“It’s already trending?!” Li Tiejun’s heart jumped.

“Hurry up!”

After hanging up, Li Tiejun quickly finished his draft and sent it to his editor.

He pulled out his phone and opened Weibo immediately.

Indeed, the keywords “Domestic Mobile System” were on the trending list. Freshly risen, its heat was climbing fast.

“Who the hell was that smart? Livestreaming it on Weibo?” Li Tiejun lifted his head, scanning the room.

Not just Li Tiejun; other reporters and media folk were also getting hurried calls demanding urgent news updates.

Xia Xue glanced at her live stream page. The fan count made her jump. Viewers had hit nearly 800,000 and were still increasing.

The number of tips was rising too. Seeing the amount, Xia Xue almost cried. It probably covered her living expenses for half a year.

She’d never seen such an intense viewer surge before. This was her first visceral experience of it.

When she switched the camera back to herself, the bullet comments exploded – the screen filled with floods of “666.”

“Show us Yujie!”

“Give back my domineering female President!”

“I want that phone! When does it go on sale? I can’t wait!”

“Hot streamer, hurry up! Show us the long-legged President!”

…

Xia Xue watched the flying comments, torn between laughter and helplessness. Most disappeared before she could read them.

Zhao Min had no clue a little live stream had made her launch event a hot topic. The phone’s feature showcase was ending. Next came the crucial part: the price.

“The first batch will go on sale tomorrow at 10 AM, exclusively online. The exact price is posted on the Official Website.”

After announcing the price, Zhao Min paused, her gaze sweeping the room. “The product presentation concludes here. Next segment: questions. Please feel free to ask anything unclear.”

The moment Zhao Min finished, more than half the media personnel raised their hands.

“The gentleman with the black-rimmed glasses in the front row,” Zhao Min motioned to Li Tiejun below the stage.

Li Tiejun took the microphone and stood up, smiling at Zhao Min. “Hello, Ms. Zhao. I’m from the Global Times.”

He collected his thoughts and spoke.

“Could you disclose the R&D costs for your phone system? Will you license the Waterproof Interface to others? In China’s fiercely competitive phone market, where countless companies vie for attention, what do you consider Legion Ant Company’s edge?”

“Thank you. Those are sharp questions,” Zhao Min replied.

“The R&D budget is undisclosed for now. Regarding the Waterproof Interface: yes, we will license it. We welcome all interested companies to discuss collaboration. Our greatest advantage lies in our core technology and our hard-working team.”

As Zhao Min answered, reporters below feverishly wrote. This was firsthand news. No one dared slack off.

“Next question. The gentleman, second from the right in the third row.”

“Hello, I’m from IT Home. Based on the performance parameters you just laid out, are you suggesting the Army Ant System outperforms both Android and the Apple System?”

“That’s an… interesting question. It’s like placing three beautiful women before you. One is your girlfriend. Then I ask: who’s the most beautiful? What would you say?”

Zhao Min’s counter-question drew soft chuckles from the audience.

Questions flew one after another. Journalists pried for every scrap of knowable information, most landing satisfyingly within Zhao Min’s answers.

Xia Xue blinked at her livestream screen.

“If I get a chance to ask a question, what should I ask?”

Her words detonated the comment section.

“Her measurements!”

“Leg length!”

“Nonsense! Ask for her contact info!”

“All you wolves, scram! Ask her ideal boyfriend standards! Hold formation! 10,000 tip if she asks this!”

Big-spender!

Spender of legendary generosity!

Big-spender speaks boldly!

One fan’s comment spawned countless “Big-spender!” and “666”, drowning everything else on screen.

Faced with the overwhelming demand for “boyfriend standards,” Xia Xue hesitated. Asking that here would be too forward. But after wrestling with it briefly, she raised her hand high, waving it energetically several times.

“The last question goes to the lady waving her hand in the back row.” Xia Xue’s movement caught Zhao Min’s eye instantly.

“She really picked me!” Joy lit up Xia Xue’s face. “The boyfriend standard question… give me courage!”

Xia Xue’s declaration instantly flooded the stream with luxury yachts, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, flowers, and every gift imaginable. ‘Big-spender!’ dominated the screen utterly.

The mic reached Xia Xue swiftly. Taking it, she pointed her streaming phone camera squarely at Zhao Min and stood up.

All eyes shifted to Xia Xue. Seeing the phone in her hand, those in the know realized SHE was the Weibo livestreamer.

“Hello, General Manager Zhao. I’m an independent content creator, live-streaming this launch on Weibo. With all the experts here asking technical questions, the basics are covered. My viewers asked me to pass on one question… Do you currently have a boyfriend or someone special in mind? What are your standards for choosing one?”

After posing it, Xia Xue playfully stuck out her tongue and looked expectantly at Zhao Min. Others smiled, their attention also riveted on Zhao Min.

Many felt earlier questions lacked substance – what could be known already was, and hidden details remained out of reach.

This question instantly lightened the launch event’s atmosphere.

On stage, Zhao Min’s eyelid twitched slightly. She laughed, her glance fleetingly darting towards Chen Mo’s corner.

“That’s personal; beyond the launch scope. But I’ll answer. Everyone remembers that incident in Binhai City recently? Where a handsome guy saved a baby?”

“I was there that day. Later, I actually met him. Sadly, he already has a girlfriend. My ideal future partner? Someone like him – upright, brave, and driven.”

Chen Mo, seated in the corner, covered his face with a wry smile. She was clearly teasing him.

Her answer supercharged the livestream room.

“That’s me! I’m upright!”

“It’s me! I just helped an old lady cross the street! My goal? From brick-carrier to foreman! Total drive!”

“That’s my future wife! Back off my woman!”

“Remember the prerequisite: FIRST, you have to be handsome…”