Chapter 31: Unique Style
Chapter 31: Unique Style
The press conference ended smoothly. Zhao Min bid farewell to the journalists and left the venue. She walked down the stage, pulled out her phone, and dialed Chen Mo’s number.
“Happy with today’s conference?” Zhao Min asked as soon as the call connected.
“Very happy. When that last question came up, I really wanted to put ‘loyal, brave, ambitious, handsome, and alive’ on the big screen for those five brothers.”
“Putting you up there would’ve been better,” Zhao Min laughed. “I wonder how the public’s reacting to it.”
“It’s already trending on Weibo. The influence of a beautiful president? Girl, it’s no joke. You’re an internet star now,” Chen Mo teased.
“Already?” Zhao Min sounded shocked.
“That pretty reporter who asked you the final question—she livestreamed it. Shot the conference straight to the top of the trending charts,” Chen Mo explained.
“Next, I’ll focus on the phone sales. Wanna drop by the company?”
“Later. You handle your business first.”
Chen Mo hung up, gathered his things, and left the venue.
Shortly after the conference ended, Global Times posted an article titled “An Awakened Army Ant!” along with snippets of the event’s footage. Comments and reposts flooded in immediately, skyrocketing past ten thousand in minutes.
People’s Daily echoed the same headline not long after.
When these two major outlets shared the news, attention exploded.
\AnAwakenedArmyAnt climbed the trends at lightning speed.
The hilariously awkward twist? \FemalePresident hit the charts right behind it, almost stealing the spotlight. Third place was \MadeInChinaPhoneSystem, followed by \ButterflyEye in fourth.
The snowball kept rolling.
One press conference snagged four top trends—overshadowing even a celebrity’s scandal. With little other big news, Legion Ant Company’s reveal became the ultimate bombshell.
The Army Ant System was born, boasting superiority over both Android and Apple. But people’s screens lit up with pictures of the Butterfly Eye Phone. Countless women flooded social media, desperate for one—leaving men everywhere groaning in despair.
Legion Ant planned to release just thirty thousand units. Given the hype, grabbing one at midnight seemed impossible. And sales? Online only.
Tencent News, Squirrel Headlines, Sina, Phoenix—every major site covered it.
In the absence of big headlines, the Army Ant buzz monopolized homepages nationwide. A beautiful CEO. A China-developed system. A phone dubbed impossible to match aesthetically. Three magnetic hooks pulling everyone’s gaze.
…
Gan Yu pushed open his apartment door, tossed his briefcase onto the sofa, and collapsed onto the cushions like a corpse. After an exhausting shift, every bit of that overtime money felt hard-earned.
Then, a whiff of cooked food snapped him awake.
“A Qiu? That you?”
He called out, skeptical. His tomboyish girlfriend couldn’t cook. Who else would be here?
“Husband~”
A sugary voice floated from within—definitely her. A-Qiu stepped out of the kitchen wearing an apron, holding two plates of slightly burned dishes.
What’s going on?
Unease prickled Gan Yu’s scalp. This behavior screamed strange, completely off-script. “A-Qiu, are you feeling okay?”
“Husband~”
Placing the plates down, she tugged off the apron and bounced towards him, voice still dripping sweetness.
“A-Qiu, did you get a fever? Let me feel your forehead?”
That tone made his hair stand on end. Was his tough-as-nails girl actually sick? Brain fried?
“I’m not sick!”
I’m not sick? He replayed it twice mentally. No way she’d just sweet-talk him.
“Husband~ I cooked for you tonight.”
“A-Qiu, honey, where does it hurt?” Gan Yu’s nerves made him instinctively rush to feel her forehead.
“I’m fine! Husband~ ” she leaned in coquettishly, “I want to buy a new phone, please?”
Ahh, a phone request. Relief washed over him instantly. “Another one? Didn’t you get one last month? We’re saving up to get married—could we hold off?”
“Husband~ I’ll give you my old phone.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling close. “Buy me a new Butterfly Eye? I promise—I’ll cook dinner for you every day. Pleeease?”
The fluttery voice and clingy look melted Gan Yu. All work fatigue vanished in seconds.
“Okay, okay! Hubby’ll get it. Latest Apple model?”
“You’re the best!” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “Not Apple! This one’s half the price—called the Butterfly Eye, made by Legion Ant Company.” Quickly pulling out her phone, she flashed him photos on Weibo.
Scenes like this unfolded everywhere—each uniquely awkward.
Online, opinions raged over China’s new phone system. Yet these hilariously peculiar people congregated at Legion Ant’s social media feed.
“SHOOK! My girl cooked for me today AND acted adorable?! Heart literally melted. With that kinda charm? I’d buy her a jet. A phone’s nothing.”
“YIKES! My turn. Normally super sweet girlfriend? She met me at the door WIELDING A KITCHEN KNIFE demanding a Butterfly Eye! No discussion. I agreed.”
“MY GIRL SAID SHE’LL MARRY ME THE SECOND THE PHONE ARRIVES.”
“WIFE SAID SHE’LL HAVE OUR BABY IF I GET HER ONE. ?”
“DAUGHTER SAYS SHE’LL MOVE IN WITH HER BOYFRIEND IF I DON’T BUY IT.”
“BREAKING THE CHAIN (lol)! Hold up—Mom’s calling me…”
Among Legion Ant’s quirky comments stood mixed reviews elsewhere. Most applauded the birth of a homegrown system no matter its performance.
But sour notes emerged: complaints about low production numbers sparking criticisms of a scam scheme. Detractors jumped on the narrative.
Meanwhile, in her office, Zhao Min listened to Zhu Li’s updates.
The outcome far exceeded anyone’s predictions—even hers. What started with good buzz exploded into massive fame. Legion Ant rode the wave overnight.
“General Manager Zhao, some online voices call this a marketing ploy. Negative press is starting. Should we scale production?”
“With what funds? Scaling costs money.”
“Take loans! Investors! We have the Army Ant System, Ant Office suite, pending patents like the waterproof interface. These assets draw capital.”
“Borrow against our tech?” Zhao Min’s eyes narrowed. “What if payments fail? Big players see us as a tiny ant. Besides, the Chairman would never accept investment—he’d never cut the true creators out for vultures.”
Calm nerves mattered most now. Slip, and predators would bite deep—the Army Ant cake looked too sweet.
“Then what’s next?”
“Manage tomorrow’s online sale logistics. Prepare backup production capacity immediately. Quality checks? Tighten every step. Before, no one cared if we slipped. Today’s scrutiny is ruthless. Prioritize the batteries; keep security airtight. If anyone sabotages them and causes explosions… We end. Dead.”
“Understood.”
After Zhu Li left, Zhao Min thumbed her temples. The viral firestorm stunned her. The glare? People thirsting for their success.
From zero to fame in one afternoon—Legion Ant blazed onto screens nation-wide. But its name now glowed on radars far bigger. All eyes tracked the newcomer’s move.