Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 307 Preparations Under the Lens
11 month 1 day.

As the Mercedes-Benz S350 drove on the highway, Chen Xuebing pinched his nose hard to sober up.

"Stop pinching it. We'll be on camera this afternoon, and it won't look good if you leave marks," Ren Ying reminded her.

"Phew..." Chen Xuebing let out a long breath: "Those tech guys can really drink, especially that foreigner... what's his name?"

“Jim Zemlin.” Ren Ying took out a few documents from her backpack. “He’s an important figure, a board member of the Linux Foundation and chairman of the International Free Standards Organization. He has managed 850 key open-source projects and has a good relationship with Linux founder Linus Torvalds. You should remember his name. When he comes, you’d better greet him. We may need his help to build a data transit center in the United States.”

"Hmm, this China Open Source Software Promotion Alliance is quite capable. Zhang asked me to invite them before, but I thought it was too much trouble. I didn't expect them to be able to invite the board of directors of Linux. When was this organization established?"

"I've inquired about it. They were established in 2004 under the guidance of the Ministry of Information Industry, and they have a certain level of credibility with an official background. The list of international think tanks they invited includes Andrew Morton, the Linux kernel development master and the guardian of version 2.6, as well as the founders of Apache and MySQL. They are all Hall of Fame members in the open source field."

"Oh."

"The survival model of these open source organizations all comes from the membership fees and donations paid by tech giants. Their active engagement with China must be because they are optimistic about China's technological future. As long as you are generous enough, you can get more support."

Chen Xuebing laughed upon hearing this.

"Okay, then you can look it up and see how much donation Linux and Apache have received the most. We'll get a diamond membership."

Shanghai International Convention Center.

As soon as he arrived at the underground parking garage, a Buick was already waiting inside. Two people standing next to the car were calibrating their cameras. When they saw Chen Xuebing arrive, they immediately took out their cameras and followed him.

Chen Xuebing's expression turned strange for a moment, and he looked back.

"Weren't the reporters scheduled to arrive at noon?"

Ren Ying whispered, "This is the photographer arranged by President Lu. He said that today is Qidian's first press conference, which is an important part of our company's development history. He wanted to record it so that new employees can watch the video to experience the company culture and for company team building in the future."

"Oh, that's a good idea."

Mr. Chen smiled, indicating his approval.

Ren Yingchong nodded to the photographer behind her, who immediately steadied the camera and pressed the shutter button.

Part 1
08:18
A tall, upright figure entered the elevator lobby, where several young men were pushing a trolley piled high with sealed metal boxes into the elevator next to it.

"Slow down, don't fall!" a voice came from behind. "Oh, Mr. Chen! You're here so early!"

A short man in a silver suit strode into the frame and greeted Chen Xuebing.

"Mr. Yu, you're up early too. You must be tired."

"Serving Qidian!" Yu Chengdong put his hands in his pockets, beaming. "Today is a moment of pride for our domestic mobile phones. Huawei will definitely provide excellent logistical support!"

"Hehe, when will Mr. Ren arrive?"

"We're on the plane, we'll be there soon!"

The elevator doors open, and the camera follows them in.

Yu Chengdong glanced at the camera, his expression questioning.

“Our internal photographers will follow and film this,” Ren Ying said.

Yu Chengdong, thinking the machine wasn't on yet, whispered to Chen Xuebing, "I heard you invited someone from the Tang Dynasty but didn't invite Zhou... that's a bit mean."

His voice was barely audible, and his smile was somewhat lewd.

Chen Xuebing frowned and coughed.

The screen is interrupted.

Part 2
08:27
A group of people appeared beside Chen Xuebing and entered the multi-functional hall while talking.

"Chairman, we've added two webmail function demonstrations to the pre-recorded footage from the hardware broadcasting equipment overnight. Do you think it's necessary? If so, we'll have to rehearse twice more."

"Is it still impossible to demonstrate real-time functionality?"

"No, the effect is too poor. It requires a live connection, which is not conducive to your presentation and will cause a significant delay. We tried several times, and the demonstration effect was very poor. But don't worry, we have put a reflective film on the demo machine, so the angles in the camera lens cannot be captured. If your movements are not in sync, the director will adjust the playback rhythm live according to your movements to ensure the audience's immersion."

"Oh, Chairman, during the 3G network demonstration later, you need to place your phone under the camera on the podium. There will be a small camera in real time during this segment, so please keep an eye on the big screen and make sure your phone is facing the camera, otherwise the picture won't be clear!"

"Oh"

As the camera angle slowly shifted and zoomed in, a hint of tension appeared on Chen Xuebing's profile, but he quickly composed himself.

"Then let's practice a couple more times. Ren Ying, Mr. Wang from China Mobile might call later, so be sure to answer him."

Part 3
10:07
Backstage in the dressing room, Chen Xuebing took off his coat, sat on a chair, and muttered to himself while holding a manuscript. The makeup artist squatted down next to him, carefully covering up a small scar on the back of his hand with concealer.

The mirror reflected the figure of Dai Wentao, the newly appointed technical director of Singularity, pacing back and forth behind him, with some data marked in red showing in the test report he was holding.

Ren Ying suddenly pushed the door open and came in.

"The Coalition for the Advancement of Open Source Software and Jim Zemlin arrived early and are looking at our demo unit in the experience area. They want to learn about our changes to the kernel scheduling algorithm."

Chen Xuebing tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the seat, looked in the mirror, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Can we tell them?"

The makeup artist immediately stopped what she was doing.

Dai Wentao put down the report in his hand and nodded: "It's okay, I'll go. I happen to have some questions I want to ask them."

Part 4
11:20
The hall, which was full of 2,600 people, appeared somewhat empty from a corner, with only a few dozen staff members scattered around.

In the distance, Chen Xuebing paced back and forth on the stage as he delivered his speech. A beam of light followed his figure, its brightness shifting slightly as it made final adjustments.

Ren Ying is facing away from the camera, answering a phone call.

"President Fan, Director Wen's secretary called to say they've landed. Has your pick-up person arrived yet?"

"Oh, okay, please take them to the 11th floor of the conference center for lunch. Oh, there are reporters too, right? Don't get it wrong, reporters go to the Asia Hall on the 7th floor, Director Wen goes to the small dining room on the 11th floor, and President Wang and President Ren will also go to the 11th floor when they arrive."

"Okay, once you get to your floor, you don't need to worry about anything, someone will take care of you."

After saying that, Ren Ying took her phone and walked out.

After walking a short distance, he turned back to the camera and said, "Come with me, let's take some pictures outside."

Part 5
11: 46.

Outside the building, several groups of people were taking photos at the entrance, and the air was filled with the laughter of young men and women.

"Tianqi!"

A group of people huddled together, flashing their brightest smiles at the set-up camera lens.

"I can't believe it! There are actually beauties in our Tianya Netizen Tribe! Xiaoqi, you're so pretty, why don't you post a picture?!" "Yida, you fatso, stop being so envious! Xiaoyao and Xiaoqi have already met in real life! It's a pity Xiaoyao didn't get a ticket!"

"Brother Xiaoyao was still searching for people to buy tickets in the group this morning! He's offering 800 yuan, who wants to sell? Let's make a fortune!"

"Haha, he messaged me late last night. I came all the way from Henan, and the travel expenses alone cost more than 800 yuan. Can I sell him to you?"

"Hey, hey, hey, you're from Shanghai, right? Our community finally has a gathering, aren't you going to treat us to a welcome-back party?"

"Absolutely! But the upstairs is too expensive. Come on, I'll take you to eat some authentic Shanghai cuisine."

A group of hostesses in cheongsams were taking photos nearby. A tall, slender girl approached them, smiling politely, and asked, "Are you from Tianya Forum?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, then you can just go to the Asian Hall on the seventh floor for lunch. Our company has arranged a lunch buffet. Just show your admission ticket when you get to the restaurant."

"what?"

A group of people looked at the tall and impressive building in front of them, their eyes meeting with a hint of excitement.

"Singularity Company is amazing! Free tickets, and they even provide meals!" The homeless guy immediately changed his tune: "Let me tell you, the buffet here is absolutely top-notch!"

"Xiao Qi," who was the center of attention in the crowd, hesitated for a moment, then walked up to the hostess and asked in a soft, sweet voice, "Um, sister, there's one person on our forum who didn't get a ticket. Do you sell your tickets?"

The somewhat shy female college students paled in comparison to the bright smiles of the etiquette ladies.

"Oh, please wait a moment, let me consult my supervisor."

The hostess turned around to make a phone call, and when she returned, she had a generous international smile on her face: "No problem, there are still seats available in the venue, and we can issue you a free admission ticket."

The group of people immediately became excited.

"Awesome! Beautiful ladies, are you all from Qidian Company?" The fat man's eyes lit up as he looked at the group of beautiful women in cheongsams.

The beautiful, white-toothed lady hesitated for a moment before smiling and saying, "We are the concierge department of Spreadtrum Communications, but Mr. Chen from Singularity is also one of our major shareholders."

A few days ago, Chen Xuebing signed an agreement to increase Spreadtrum's capital by 13 billion yuan. According to the timeline agreed by Huawei, the payment will be made. Now he holds 51% of the shares, which is a relative controlling stake. It is no problem to say that they are under the same boss.

"Oh, Mr. Chen!"

"That one!! A financial tycoon!"

"I heard he's only in his early twenties! Will we get to see him in person later?"

"Take more pictures! Take more pictures, maybe he's the richest person we've ever met!"

Someone off-camera chuckled, seemingly finding the group amusing. The scene then shifted to them going upstairs.

Part 6
12:08
Under the huge "Asia Hall" sign, crowds began to gather.

Besides the group of Tianya netizens dressed in various styles and full of enthusiasm, there were also many reporters carrying notebooks, cameras, and heavy video cameras.

Several staff members wearing dark blue "Singularity Technology" polo shirts stood at the entrance of the hall, quickly checking invitations or admission tickets.

Tianya netizens lined up to enter, curiously looking around.

A long table was covered with a clean white tablecloth, and a dazzling array of Chinese and Western dishes exuded an enticing aroma. Soft background music and the buzzing of the crowd filled the air.

Just as the homeless man and the fat man were getting their trays, Xiao Qi, with her sharp eyes, suddenly tugged at the homeless man's sleeve and gestured towards a corner.

The camera finally focused on a few tables near the stage—where several foreigners of different skin colors and distinct temperaments were sitting and chatting casually. One of them, a tall, bald, middle-aged white man with black-rimmed glasses, was particularly eye-catching.

"Look!" Xiao Qi whispered to her companion, "Look! Look at that table in the corner! My God... is it really him?!"

"Steve Jobs! It really is Steve Jobs!" Fatty Yida almost dropped his plate, his voice cracking with excitement. "Holy crap! Brother Wanderer, pinch me! Am I dreaming? It's the living, breathing cult leader!"

He frantically tried to take out his old Nokia to take pictures, but found that the lens cap wouldn't open no matter what.

Everyone else was stunned.

"Wow." The homeless guy muttered, "Singularity is really going to take things to the heavens... They even managed to get Chief Qiao to come? What a steal, today is a total steal!"

Inside the lobby, different people were taking pictures in the direction of Jobs.

At this moment, Ren Ying, dressed in a business suit, walked in from another entrance and appeared in the camera's view. She walked up to Jobs and whispered in his ear.

Jobs smiled and shook his head, as if refusing something.

Just then, Dai Wentao's figure strode into the frame, holding a few pieces of paper in his hand. His eyes, slightly anxious, swept across several tables before heading straight to the table where Ren Ying and Jobs were sitting.

He first shook hands respectfully with Jobs, then immediately turned to Ren Ying, speaking rapidly in a low voice while his fingers tapped eagerly on the report paper in his hand.

Ren Ying's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, pulled Dai Wentao to a quieter spot, and the two began to talk in hushed tones with serious expressions.

Part 6
12:32
The scene then follows the rapid "click" of Ren Ying's high heels hitting the ground as she crashes into the backstage dressing room.

Upon reaching the door, Ren Ying slowed down and gently pushed it open. Inside, Chen Xuebing had changed into the dark suit he would wear to the press conference and was sitting on the sofa chatting with Lu Weibing.

Ren Ying quickly walked to Chen Xuebing's side, leaned down and whispered a rapid report in his ear: "Chairman, the conversation with Jim Zemlin went well; he praised the smoothness of the UI we demonstrated. However… Dai Wentao just reported that during the live demonstration of 3G web browsing at the simulated launch event, two pre-recorded demo machines experienced… brief system lag and page loading failures under extreme stress testing. The probability is low, but what if…"

"What?" Chen Xuebing's eyes sharpened. "What's the probability? What's the reason?"

"With a trigger rate of less than three per thousand, Dai Wentao suspects it's a minor bug in the backend cache scheduling logic under high-concurrency network requests and a specific application combination. He's still urgently investigating it, but he says it's not a big problem and a restart will fix it."

"Reboot?" Chen Xuebing's voice was deep, and he slammed his hand heavily on the coffee table in front of him. "Two thousand people are watching, and there are dozens of media outlets. You want me to reboot my phone on stage?"

Lu Weibing's expression changed, and he wisely stood up and took two steps back.

Only Ren Ying dared to approach the chairman in this state.

“President Dai assured us that the main demonstration machine is absolutely fine; they’ve manually optimized it countless times. The problem lies with the backup machine hidden under the podium, which is used to trigger video playback. The director said that as long as your movements on the main demonstration machine are precise, the video will play perfectly, and you absolutely won’t be able to tell the difference.” Ren Ying spoke rapidly. “President Wang just finished his call and will be here in ten minutes. He wants to meet with you, President Ren, and Director Wen. The seating is arranged in the innermost private room of the restaurant on the 11th floor.”

"How much longer will the investigation take? Are there any other questions?" Chen Xuebing stood up and straightened his suit.

"Mr. Dai said it would take at least half an hour."

Chen Xuebing took a deep breath, turned to look in the mirror, and his gaze became calm again.

"Is the base station on the rooftop okay?"

"General Manager Yu said there would definitely be no problem, and he's even taken the technicians out for lunch now."

"Okay." Chen Xuebing nodded. "The press conference schedule cannot be changed. Today is a comprehensive showcase, representing not only Singularity but also China's 3G technology. We must give everyone full confidence! President Lu, don't worry about the interview format for now. Your reporters' interviews will be moved to after the conference. You personally go to the technology area to oversee things. Before the press conference ends, any unexpected events must be resolved backstage. The front stage must be absolutely flawless!"

(I've been organizing the outline these past few days, so the writing is slow and the word count will be shorter.)
(End of this chapter)