Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 353 Three Advances in Magic
The dinner was very pleasant; it was a typical business meeting where the topics of discussion weren't particularly specific.

For example, Cao Guowei didn't directly discuss "targeted traffic" at the dinner table; he just focused on building rapport. Meanwhile, Li Tiantian, who was supposed to be the main hostess, wandered around the table pouring drinks.

If some minor celebrities saw how obedient Weibo's marketing director was, they would probably have their perceptions completely changed.

There are different levels of deities.
Cao Guowei would occasionally give Li Tiantian an approving look, clearly indicating that Li Tiantian had once again gained the boss's approval by chance.

In every sense, Zhai Da unintentionally became Li Tiantian's lucky charm.

During the toasting and drinking, Zhai Da only took a small sip, and then steered the conversation back to the topic of "Hongtu OS" at the middle of the night.

As a brand-new intelligent system that is being vigorously promoted by both major telecom operators and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it is still worthy of Xinglang's serious attention, even excluding all other related factors.

Integrating their own product line into the system to acquire users and improve the experience is a win-win situation that anyone with a discerning eye can see.

Finding someone to endorse you only solves the "trust" problem.

Especially after Zhai Da let Cao Guowei and Li Tiantian try it out.

This prototype is still based on the Meizu M8.

Cao Guowei held his phone and pondered for a moment. He had studied abroad and paid close attention to various technologies overseas, but after searching his mind over and over again, he still couldn't find a similar benchmark.

When people see something advanced in China, their first reaction is to look for the "original" version abroad. This is the first reaction of many people in this era.

But even "Android," which he had previously learned about, was far less advanced than "Hongtu OS." As for Apple, it was difficult to compare, as it was a closed system.

After a brief pause, the head of Xinglang gave a definite answer: Xinglang's product line would try to integrate with Hongtu OS, including Weibo and news clients.

As for blogs, they are old platforms that have been abandoned.

They will soon send technical personnel to Harbin to connect with the research institute.

As for the online live broadcast of the press conference, that falls under Li Tiantian's business scope. Putting down the wine dispenser, she also demonstrated some professionalism.

"If a company wants to generate buzz for its press conference, in addition to continuous pre-event promotion, it probably needs to have celebrities appear, and not just one or two, but many."

Zhai Da shook his head: "There might be one or two, but not many, and it's even less likely that I'll spend money to hire celebrities."

That's so low-class. It's a technology launch event; there's no such thing as a product spokesperson.

Of course, controlling the budget is also an option. If there are freebies, it's not unacceptable to have one or two.

"The press conference will mainly be attended by media, developers, and industry professionals, and the content will focus on technology demonstrations. If Star News and Star Weibo are willing to cooperate in the publicity, the focus should be on science and technology breakthroughs."

Li Tiantian said thoughtfully, "I understand. Then we need to lay more groundwork. After all, the sense of technology and technological breakthroughs are created in the public eye, rather than being shown."

Zhai Da raised an eyebrow. With just these few words, Li Tiantian was quite capable.

A successful career isn't solely dependent on the boss's favor.

The two agreed to discuss the specific amount of effort Xinglang could provide and the promotional methods they would use at Xinglang headquarters the next day. They had already reached a sufficient conclusion by today's steps, and pushing too hard would not be good.

In theory, developing a plan should be the responsibility of Zhai Da's "marketing department," or perhaps an advertising agency should be commissioned. But clearly, it's unnecessary, both structurally and in terms of budget.

Li Tiantian played a crucial role.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After dinner, the nanny van took Zhai Da to Ziyan Garden.

Zhai Da packed his things, sat down at the coffee table in front of the French windows, and made himself a glass of cola.

Although I only drank two ounces, there was still alcohol residue in my nasal cavity, and I wanted to suppress it.

Against the backdrop of the magnificent night view of northern Beijing, Zhai Da took out his phone and sent a message asking Xiao Mutou what he was doing.

The answer was still the same: "non-convex function". It had been three days since the final exam. Xiao Mutou had devoted all his spare time to it, at least six or seven hours a day, and it seemed like it would never end, regardless of the cost.

Zhai Da couldn't help but sigh, perhaps only those who are still willing to devote their spare time to their studies and enjoy it can be called talented and able to realize their talent.

Just like Cheng Mo thinks about code when he has nothing to do, and Wu Yue studies crime investigation books in his spare time.

If a person only works hard when they have no choice but to, they will probably find it difficult to reach their own limits.

It was probably Xiao Mutou's efforts that inspired Zhai Da, and he also decided to do something meaningful.

Zhai Da downed his cola in one gulp, got up and went to the dining table, raising one hand in front of him.

"take out".

With a slight hiss, a vintage toolbox with a brown-red leather cover appeared before me.

He currently has three equipment slots, containing a complete set of "Mystic Codes", a [Retro Workbench], and a [Spellbook]. This means that in most situations, he can be considered "fully equipped".

Zhai Da unfolded it, creating a separate workspace.

Thanks to the special mechanism of the [Retro Workbench], it was filled with ordinary non-equipment items.

It contained all sorts of odds and ends, and surprisingly, there was even a handgun.

Or rather, a prop shaped like a pistol.

Since collecting all the "magic costumes", Zhai Da has been conceiving his own magic designs. Although he didn't have the chance to actually perform due to the double joy of "Hongtu OS" and "final exams", his preparations never stopped.

The progress is at least much greater than that of a "new book" with only a title.

Occasionally, when I want to refresh my mind while studying, I will gradually accumulate my own magic props, design magic routines, or perform a simple magic trick for Lu Wei as the audience.

No magic trick can exist without props, and no magic trick can exist without visual deception; this is an ironclad rule.

He initially set three goals for "close-up magic": telekinesis, super brain, and predicting the future.

The selection process involves designing and verifying the best candidates, who are then filled into a fill-in-the-blank question where men only have one chance in their lifetime.

Currently, the close-up magic trick, which involves controlling objects remotely, has the highest level of completion.

He had already prepared all the props and designed the magic trick, and the "pistol" was for that purpose.

First and foremost, it should be emphasized that as someone who already has the [Equipment System] as an add-on, he doesn't have a high need for the "special abilities" in the basic version.

Because you never know when you might be able to get a similar effect through equipment.

Therefore, he needs someone even more powerful.

For example, if you choose remote object control as an option, then there must be significant differences in precision and strength.

He wasn't satisfied with merely gaining the ability to spin Coke.

This magic trick needs to make him appear to have precise control over matter at the micrometer level, which would aid him in his technological research, while also being strong enough to withstand bullets, thus providing a life-saving effect.

His design gradually demonstrates this ability through a series of telekinetic manipulations, from simply controlling cola to controlling tiny substances under a microscope, and finally blocking a non-existent bullet (nothing was fired, it just seemed to be suspended in front of him).

In particular, regarding the bullet-blocking ability, he even designed a play within a play, pretending that his assistant accidentally pulled the trigger, and that he himself, without any preparation, still had an invisible protective shield that blocked the bullet.

This allows them to deceive the audience and gain the ability to passively survive.

As for why the precision is set to "micrometers" instead of the more abstract "nanometers," it's probably because the latter is more intellectually challenging. He can acquire this ability first and then continue to change everyone's perception of its limits through performance.

There's no need to attempt the highest difficulty level when exploring new areas.

This magic series is now complete; if you had a notebook, you could check it off. All that's missing is a performance venue and an audience.

He abandoned the traditional approach of performing close-up magic on the street, and instead chose a fixed location with audiences able to get up close and observe. This still falls under the category of close-up magic, just like what Liu Qian does every year on the Spring Festival Gala.

Option 2: Close-up Magic - Super Brain: Completion rate approximately 70%.

The main reason for the low completion rate is the lack of expressiveness. It basically falls into the level of "rapid mathematical calculation + super memory", which is completed by memorizing in advance and having an assistant (stooge). The props are simple, such as a computer that executes a specific program, making it seem as if he calculates faster than the computer.

However, calculation speed is not the same as intelligence, which is what Zhai Da is most dissatisfied with about this magic trick, and the actual effect will be somewhat compromised.

It's impossible to demonstrate complete super intelligence through magic. This is determined by the audience's way of thinking, or rather, no one can clearly define what "super intelligence" is. That kind of thing can only be reflected in years of academic achievements, not in a magic show that lasts for ten minutes or so.

The last one: Close-up magic - predicting the future, difficult to produce, 40% complete.

No matter how it's designed, it seems to only be able to "predict specific events within five minutes," anything beyond that goes beyond the realm of magic. The props include a tampered lottery machine, the "Pure Gold Secret Wand," and many NPCs who are essentially shills.

This is a limitation imposed by the expressive power of magic; even if one can design something at will, it doesn't mean that one can clearly express anything.

The latter two, in particular, are not particularly impressive in the world of magic performances because they lack visual impact and have too long a prelude.

To be honest, Zhai Da felt that as a spectator, he would get bored and want to leave.
Unless all the assistants are long-legged and wearing black stockings!

The "magic costume" makes his performance virtually foolproof, but it doesn't enhance the show's appeal. This is a crucial factor in testing his magician skills, and he still needs to improve in this area.

In the quiet living room, Zhai Da meticulously perfected the prop pistol in his hand.

Material, center of gravity, texture.
Realism is the lifeblood of magic.

While making the product, Zhai Da suddenly had a whimsical idea: Should I show off a few skills at the press conference?
No, no, no. That's too abstract.
Perhaps this is also a good opportunity.

A great opportunity to be completely labeled as a magician
(End of this chapter)