Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 535 High-End Game
Amidst much anticipation, Liu Shishi and Xiao Ai engaged in a smooth and fun interaction.

From checking the weather and playing music to performing simple arithmetic and answering knowledge questions, Xiao Ai can accurately understand and respond quickly.

They could even throw in a couple of witty, pre-planned replies, eliciting bursts of laughter and even more enthusiastic gasps from the audience.

Reporters' fingers flew across their laptop keyboards as they busied themselves writing press releases and documenting this landmark moment.

In stark contrast to the excitement of ordinary viewers and the media, the representatives of the competing companies wore extremely solemn expressions.

Experts will know if there is one as soon as they take action.

Based on the semantic understanding, response speed, and natural fluency of the dialogue that Xiao Ai is currently demonstrating, its artificial intelligence level has clearly surpassed that of Siri, the voice assistant launched on Apple's iPhone 4S last year.

This feature instantly elevates the "smart" sophistication and technological feel of the Xiaomi Mi 3 to a whole new level.

It sets it apart from other Android phones on the market that are still competing on benchmark scores and camera pixels, creating a generational gap.

In the middle of the audience, a portly man wearing black-rimmed glasses stood with a furrowed brow, deep in thought. He was Luo Yonghao, the founder of Smartisan Technology.

Beside him, the technical partner who had come with him leaned over, lowered his voice, and said with barely concealed tremor: "Old Luo, did you see that?"

With just this "Xiao Ai" assistant, the Xiaomi Mi 3 can secure its place in the mid-range market and even attract a segment of high-end users. The user experience is incredibly compelling.

Luo Yonghao gazed thoughtfully at Lei Jun, who was speaking eloquently on stage, and Liu Shishi, who was giving an elegant presentation, and boldly speculated:
"Xiaomi itself certainly doesn't have the technological foundation to develop such a mature AI voice assistant in such a short time."

This is definitely the work of Tenda Technology!
We may have focused too much on hardware integration and industrial design before. It seems that software ecosystem and AI interaction are also crucial factors for success.

Squinting, a shrewd calculation flashed through his mind: "If Smartisan Technology could also obtain authorization from Tenda Technology regarding artificial intelligence technology for its products!"

Even if it's just a partial license, our product competitiveness and company valuation will be fully guaranteed!

Upon hearing this, the partner secretly clicked his tongue in astonishment.

Smartisan Technology was founded in May 2012. Thanks to Luo Yonghao's personal influence and unique ideas, its angel round valuation reached an astonishing 50 million.

By the time Luo Yonghao had initially integrated the supply chain and completed the Series A financing last month, the valuation had soared to 4.7 million.

It's been less than a month, and judging from what Luo Yonghao is saying, if they can get on board Tengda's technology express train, the valuation could skyrocket again? The capital games in this internet technology circle are truly insane.

Of course, Luo Yonghao is not the only clever person who could think of this.

Not far away, representatives from several domestic mobile phone manufacturers, including Lenovo, Gionee, OPPO, and vivo, exchanged glances, all seeing the same shock and understanding on each other's faces.

Almost unanimously, they realized a crucial point: the creation of Xiao Ai (Xiaomi's AI assistant) was by no means due to Xiaomi's independence.

Its core technologies and algorithm support must come from Tengda Technology, a behemoth in the gaming and social networking industries.

It seems that establishing or deepening a cooperative relationship with Tenda must be put on the agenda immediately.

On stage, Lei Jun keenly noticed the enthusiastic response from the audience and the heavy atmosphere in the competitor's area, and his heart was filled with excitement.

He knew that the first trump card had worked.

So, striking while the iron was hot, they used an enthusiastic tone to steer the conversation to another innovation that could change user habits:

"Thank you, Shishi, for demonstrating the intelligence of 'Xiao Ai' to us! But the innovation of the Xiaomi 3 goes far beyond that!"

He paused briefly, looked around the room, and successfully captured everyone's attention again.

"As everyone knows, there are only two ways to unlock a mobile phone on the market: password unlocking and pattern unlocking."

Both of these methods require frequent finger movements or precise pressing of specific areas of the screen, which can be inconvenient and pose certain safety risks in some situations.

To address this, Xiaomi's R&D team, in collaboration with top technology suppliers, has developed a brand-new, more secure unlocking method!

Lei Jun paused deliberately again, whetting everyone's appetite. Looking at the expectant eyes of the audience, he then announced, with a broad smile, word by word:

"Next, please welcome Shishi to demonstrate this revolutionary technology: capacitive fingerprint recognition unlocking!"

All attention was once again focused on Liu Shishi.

She picked up the Xiaomi 3 prototype, and this time, instead of touching the screen, she gently pressed her right thumb on the slightly recessed circular Home button below the screen.

With a soft "beep," almost the instant her finger touched the screen, the close-up of the phone screen on the large screen behind her unlocked and entered the main interface!
The entire process was smooth and rapid, filled with a kind of indescribable technological beauty and a sense of certainty.

"Wow!" A louder exclamation erupted from the audience! This is so fast! So convenient!

Amidst gasps of surprise, Lei Jun spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice brimming with confidence: "What you're seeing is the world-leading capacitive fingerprint recognition technology featured on the Xiaomi 3!"
Its unlocking speed can be reduced to an astonishing 0.5 seconds or less! This greatly improves the smoothness and convenience of daily phone use!

He further explained, "And because everyone's fingerprints are unique, they are difficult to forge and copy."

Therefore, fingerprint unlocking possesses physiological uniqueness and powerful anti-counterfeiting and anti-leakage functions! It can effectively protect your personal privacy and data security.

To allay users' concerns, they added, "Please rest assured!"

All fingerprint data is encrypted with high strength and stored in a separate security chip inside the phone, completely isolated from the system, eliminating any risk of leakage!

"Thank you so much, Shishi, for giving us such a wonderful demonstration of these two groundbreaking features of the Xiaomi 3!"

Amid Lei Jun's gratitude and enthusiastic applause from the audience, Liu Shishi smiled and waved to the audience before stepping off the stage, perfectly fulfilling her role as the brand ambassador.

With the core demonstration session concluded, the press conference entered its climax.

Lei Jun paced back and forth on the stage, his eyes gleaming as he scanned every expectant face in the audience.

Finally, amidst much anticipation, the answer was revealed: "I believe what everyone is most curious about right now is the pricing of the Xiaomi 3!"

With a wave of his hand, two lines of eye-catching text appeared on the screen behind him:

"The 16GB version is priced at 2999 yuan!"

"The 64GB version is priced at 3499 yuan!"

"Wow!" Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience, lasting for a long time.

Although the price of the Xiaomi 3 is significantly higher than the Xiaomi 2's extreme cost-effectiveness of 1999 yuan, it still boasts a top-of-the-line dual-platform processor, a stunning Retina display, and two truly groundbreaking innovations: Xiao Ai voice assistant and fingerprint recognition.

This price is not only not unacceptable to most consumers and industry insiders, but it is also highly competitive, and can even be said to be excellent value for money.

"The Xiaomi Mi 3 is definitely going to be a bestseller!" Luo Yonghao's friend muttered, his tone complicated.

"However, this fingerprint recognition technology doesn't seem like a tough nut that Xiaomi can crack on its own."

Could this also be due to technical support from Tenda Technology?

Luo Yonghao didn't speak, but a knowing smile appeared on his lips, indicating that he was already certain of his decision.

Based on his understanding of Xiaomi and Lei Jun, these two groundbreaking technologies must have relied on powerful external forces. And the source of that external force is almost certainly Tengda Technology.

At this moment, in the audience, several representatives from other mobile phone manufacturers had faces so gloomy they were almost dripping with water.

As an industry insider, I am all too aware of the irresistible appeal of "Xiao Ai" – the AI ​​interaction and fingerprint recognition that bring security and convenience – to young consumers who pursue trends and value experience.

With its two killer features, the Xiaomi Mi 3 will almost certainly gain a foothold in the mid-range smartphone market and even form a monopoly!
The market pie is only so big. Xiaomi has taken such a big bite, which means that other brands will inevitably go hungry.

A more brutal industry reshuffle seems to have quietly begun with the conclusion of this press conference.

Before the excitement of the Xiaomi 3 launch event had completely subsided, Liu Shishi, escorted by her assistant, hurriedly went to a nearby hotel to change into a hazy blue haute couture gown sent by the brand.

Without much time to rest, they set off again for another grand event, the 19th Magnolia Awards Ceremony.

Backstage, the venue was ablaze with lights and stars.

At these times, female celebrities showcase their talents and compete to outshine each other.

Of course, this lavish game of fame and fortune has its own threshold; those minor celebrities who don't have brand sponsorship or can't borrow high-end custom-made items are not qualified to participate.

Amidst pleasantries and laughter, Liu Shishi met Zhao Liying, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

Zhao Liying looked sweet and charming in a pretty pink short dress. Although she was also dressed in a custom-made outfit, compared with Liu Shishi's high-fashion look that exuded a powerful aura, the difference in "resources" was obvious.

"Senior Sister!" Zhao Liying greeted her with a smile, her words filled with intimacy, but her gaze involuntarily lingered on her outfit.

He then took out his phone, glanced down at the trending topics list on the screen, and exclaimed with a touch of exaggerated emotion:
"Sis, you attended a tech launch event this afternoon and almost overshadowed the Magnolia Awards tonight."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi also looked down at her phone screen.

As expected, the top trending topics were almost entirely dominated by terms like "Xiaomi 3 launch event's cutting-edge technology," "Xiao Ai smart voice assistant," and "Liu Shishi never plays low-level games."

Clicking on any trending Weibo post, several highly-rated comments immediately catch the eye:

"The Xiaomi Mi 3 features a dual-platform processor, Xiao Ai voice assistant, and fingerprint recognition—this configuration is arguably the king of phones this year! Liu Shishi's live demonstration was phenomenal, and her style was absolutely stunning!"

"A calm analysis reveals that Xiao Ai's language comprehension and response speed are definitely not something that Xiaomi Labs could develop in a short period of time."

After checking the patents and affiliated companies, the core algorithm and fingerprint recognition module all point to the same parent company: Tenda Technology! Xiaomi is a good assembler, but Tenda is the real powerhouse.

"The truth is out! Lei Jun: I'm just a technology porter. [doge emoji]"

"A bespoke Gucci suit, an Omega gold watch, a Cartier brooch! This woman is a tech queen! These three brands should be thrilled; this endorsement is unbeatable!"

"At the Xiaomi launch event, the biggest winner seems to be Tenda Technology, which was working behind the scenes. The unveiling of two core technologies directly established the flagship status of the Xiaomi 3."

Although President Song was not physically present, his influence was pervasive. And the appearance of the boss's wife, Liu Shishi, perfectly combined high-end, technology, and fashion. This was a brilliant move.

Looking at these comments, Liu Shishi smiled faintly, a slight curve to her lips.

Watching her composed demeanor, Zhao Liying suppressed the complex emotions in her heart that were hard to describe, a mixture of amazement, a little jealousy, and even more envy.

Trying to steer the conversation away from the topic: "Sis, speaking of which, have you heard? H&R Century Pictures recently made a big move, called the 'Big Production Plan'."

Liu Shishi's attention was indeed drawn, and she looked up from the screen with a hint of curiosity: "A big production plan? What exactly does that mean?"

"It's all part of Huanrui's strategy to increase revenue and prepare for the company's IPO," Zhao Liying explained.

"They signed cooperation agreements with eight celebrities, including Yang Mi, Tang Yan, and Lin Xinru, and licensed some of their accumulated IPs to these eight people, allowing them to lead the development of film and television projects as producers."

Liu Shishi thought for a moment, raised her eyebrows slightly, and shook her head: "That doesn't sound very reliable."

I can understand Huanrui's idea: to leverage the popularity and resources of celebrities to revitalize projects, sharing resources and risks.

But being a producer isn't easy; not every celebrity has the ability to organize events and oversee the entire project.

Whether it succeeds or not is another matter, but the name of this plan is still very impressive.

Zhao Liying continued, "Currently, Yang Mi has the highest status and is currently working closely with Huanrui on 'Swords of Legends,' so she has been assigned a super popular IP."

"Oh? What project?" Liu Shishi became interested.

"The super popular novel 'Zhu Xian' on Qidian Chinese website."

“Zhu Xian?!” Liu Shishi exclaimed in surprise. “How could Reading Group not let Tengda Culture develop such a big IP, but instead sold it off?”

Zhao Liying sighed softly, "Don't mention it. The story goes back a long way; the copyright for 'Zhu Xian' was bought by Perfect World back in 2007."

At the time, the main purpose was to develop online games; Qidian.com was still owned by Shanda at that time. Huanrui only later acquired the film and television adaptation rights from Perfect World.

"That's a real pity." Liu Shishi looked regretful. "However, Mimi probably doesn't have the ability to independently develop such a top-tier IP with huge investment and a massive fan base right now."

Her company, Jaywalk Studio, is relatively new and lacks a sufficiently talented and experienced production team. To launch this project, she'll likely need to partner with another powerful, established company.

“That’s true.” Zhao Liying nodded in agreement.

Everyone knows perfectly well that the only companies in the industry with the real strength and experience to handle the production of large-scale fantasy dramas are a handful of companies such as Tengda Culture, Huace, and Tangren Media.

For Jiaxing's still relatively inexperienced team, tackling the tough challenge of "Zhu Xian" will be no easy task.

(End of this chapter)