Hong Kong films: From street thugs to Hong Kong financial tycoons

Chapter 85 A groundbreaking window, is this some kind of movie screening?

The Peninsula Hotel, Victoria Ballroom.

As the computer case emitted a deep, steady hum, the air in the hall seemed to stand still.

On the color CRT screen, there was no black background with white text as people were used to in this era, nor were there lines of dry and difficult-to-understand DOS English code.

With a crisp and pleasant startup sound, a dark golden five-clawed dragon coiled and disappeared in the center of the screen. Immediately afterwards, a desktop with soft colors and a clear layout popped up.

On the left are several neatly arranged folder icons, at the bottom is a semi-transparent taskbar, and in the lower right corner there is even a ticking clock, while in the very center of the screen is a white arrow cursor.

This simple scene left everyone present completely dumbfounded.

Boss Li craned his neck, staring intently at the screen with his bloodshot eyes, but after a long time he still couldn't figure it out.

"Lin Yao, why did you go through all that trouble to move a TV over here?"

Boss Li tugged at his tight tie and chuckled.

"Want to play a videotape? Where's your computer? Why isn't there even a command prompt?"

In the eyes of bosses of that era, a computer was just a lump of iron that required typists to frantically type on the keyboard and input strings of code to run.

The thing with the picture in front of them was completely beyond their comprehension.

Lin Yao didn't even bother to look at him, but simply nodded at Fatty Wang.

"Boss Li, times have changed."

Lin Yao stood with his hands in his pockets, his tone indifferent.

"This is called a graphical user interface. The old typist system should have been swept into the dustbin long ago."

Wang Pangzi understood immediately, plopped down in the chair in front of the computer, and gently slid the mouse across the mousepad with his right hand.

On the screen, the white arrow cursor immediately began to move, so smoothly that there was not a single lag.

"hiss----"

Seeing that the cursor could actually move along with the small plastic case in his hand, the wealthy businessmen watching nearby gasped in astonishment.

Uncle Liu stopped playing with the walnuts in his hand. He frowned, his eyes fixed on the small mouse, and a strong sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart.

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Fatty Wang skillfully moved the cursor and double-clicked the icon on the desktop that depicted a peach wood sword.

"Dear elders, just looking at the desktop isn't interesting."

Fatty Wang grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Our boss said that since it's a charity gala tonight, we should show everyone something festive."

"Buzz!"

The fan speed inside the case instantly increased, and the first-generation GPU graphics processor began to operate at full capacity.

The screen went black for a moment, and then a deep Taoist bell sound came from the external speaker, making people's eardrums tingle.

The screen lit up, and what appeared on the screen was not some pixelated cube, but a majestic and precipitous mountain peak.

Sunlight shines through the sea of ​​clouds onto the Bagua Square paved with bluestone slabs, and you can even clearly see the moss growing in the cracks between the slabs.

Then, the camera zoomed in, revealing a 3D character model dressed in a bright yellow Taoist robe and holding a peach wood sword, standing steadily in the center of the square. It was a one-to-one model of the protagonist, modeled to resemble Uncle Nine.

"Whoosh!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

"This footage—was this film you shot in the mountains?"

Grandpa Guo suddenly stood up straight, pointed at the screen, and looked on incredulously.

Not only him, but all the celebrities and tycoons present, including the group of paparazzi with cameras behind them, all came to the same conclusion.

Such realistic lighting and such clear visuals can only be explained by movies shot with cameras. Nintendo's Famicom is nothing compared to this; it's like a pile of dog shit!

"Video recording?"

Fatty Wang chuckled, placing his left hand on the keyboard and his right hand on the mouse.

"Grandpa Guo, please look carefully."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fatty Wang suddenly dragged the mouse with his right hand, and the screen instantly completed a smooth 360-degree panoramic view in response to his movement.

The surrounding cliffs, the Sanqing main hall behind them, and even the clouds drifting in the sky were all displayed in front of everyone without any blind spots.

This is not a videotape with a fixed perspective at all; it is a complete virtual three-dimensional space where the perspective can be freely controlled by a person!

Boss Li's mouth opened slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with difficulty. He subconsciously took two steps forward, wanting to get closer and see clearly what kind of sorcery this was.

Fatty Wang didn't give them a chance to breathe. He pressed the W key on the keyboard, and Uncle Nine on the screen immediately started running forward on the bluestone slabs.

Fatty Wang pressed another key, and Uncle Nine's peach wood sword suddenly twirled into a beautiful sword flower, a dark red light flashing across the blade, accompanied by a whistling sound.

"roar--!"

Just then, accompanied by a chilling roar, a five-meter-tall heavy mechanical flying zombie suddenly leaped out of the shadows of the hall.

Its bluish-gray skin reflected the sunlight as its thick, steel arms slammed violently onto the bluestone slabs of the ground.

"Bang!"

Debris flew everywhere, and the screen even simulated the shaking of the camera lens!

"Oh my god!"

A timid wealthy woman in the front row screamed in fright at the sudden appearance of the monster and the sound effects, dropping her champagne glass and shattering it on the ground.

But nobody paid any attention to the broken cup; everyone's eyes were glued to the small screen.

Fatty Wang used both hands, his keyboard and mouse working together seamlessly. On the screen, Uncle Nine dodged and weaved, avoiding the mechanical flying zombie's heavy blows. At the same time, he seized an opportunity and stabbed the flying zombie in the gap of its armor, causing a series of dazzling sparks to erupt.

Every sound effect of the collision, every change in light and shadow, is so realistic it sends chills down your spine.

After demonstrating for a full three minutes, Fatty Wang reluctantly pressed the pause button and released the mouse.

He turned his head, looked at the group of Hong Kong's elite who had been completely transformed into wooden and clay sculptures, and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, let me introduce you to 'Myth: Zombie Taoist Priest,' a fully 3D mythological action game independently developed by Yaosheng Technology based on the Loongson 1.0 operating system. It is currently in beta, so please bear with it."

Just make do with it?

These words were like a resounding slap in the face to every one of the long-established chaebols present.

You call this visually stunning and technically superior, which is so bad it's barely passable?

"Clatter".

The two old walnuts that Uncle Liu had been playing with for more than ten years finally slipped from his grasp, fell onto the carpet, and rolled a long way away.

He didn't pick it up. This old man, who had spent his whole life weathering the storms of Hong Kong, had an unprecedented surge of turmoil in the depths of his eyes.

Although he doesn't understand computer code, he understands business and the market.

If this machine and this game are actually launched on the market, it will be far more than just making money; it will completely devour the entire Western electronics industry.

Boss Li's face turned pale and then red, and sweat streamed down his face.

He snapped out of his shock, pointed at Lin Yao on the stage, and his voice sounded somewhat sharp due to a lack of confidence.

"A smokescreen! It's all a smokescreen!"

Boss Li shouted loudly, as if to bolster his courage: "Lin Yao, don't think you can fool us with some fancy toy. This machine is a prototype that you spent tens of millions to have scientists in the lab sculpt by hand, right?"

The more Boss Li spoke, the more reasonable he became. He turned to Uncle Liu and Grandpa Guo and said loudly, "Don't be fooled by him, everyone. Current technology simply cannot mass-produce such a monster."

"Without licenses from MSI and Intel, and without the production lines of contract manufacturers like us, this machine would forever remain a display piece in a laboratory!"

"Yes, Boss Li is right!"

Another real estate developer chimed in, wiping the cold sweat from his brow: "It's easy to manually build a machine, but to mass-produce and bring it to market, the intricate surface mount and packaging processes alone can be a major hurdle."

"Without the approval of our Pan-Asian Alliance, his parts wouldn't even get through customs!"

Upon hearing these words, the initially stunned meeting room gradually regained some confidence.

Yes, what good is the technology if you can't mass-produce it or turn it into a product to sell? Then the technology is just a piece of waste paper.

The capital market looks at the volume of shipments and the actual flow of profits.

Uncle Liu slowly bent down, picked up the walnuts from the ground, and rubbed them in his hands again. He looked at Lin Yao, and his eyes regained that condescending sense of control.

"Brother Lin, your skills are truly eye-opening."

Uncle Liu sighed and, adopting the demeanor of an elder, advised, "But in business, technology alone is not enough. You must understand that the entire physical supply chain in Asia is in the hands of us old bones."

"You brought this machine out today simply to increase your bargaining power at the negotiating table, I understand."

Uncle Liu held up five fingers and shook them: "How about this, let's change the terms. Our Pan-Asia Alliance will invest HK$100 billion, plus all the contract manufacturers and shipping channels, in exchange for 50% of Yaosheng Technology's shares."

"How about we all sit on equal footing and work together to make this pie bigger?"

Being treated as equals is the biggest concession a veteran tycoon like Uncle Six can make.

In their view, Lin Yao was now in a corner and had no room to refuse. He either had to cooperate or he would be stuck with this groundbreaking computer.

However, faced with this seemingly tempting concession, Lin Yao simply stood on the podium, looking down at them, not even bothering to sneer.

"Sixth Uncle".

Lin Yao placed his hands on the edge of the podium, leaning slightly forward. His eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, revealed a kind of pity as if he were looking at a fool.

"As I just said, everyone's time is precious, so let's not play games."

Lin Yao's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail, firmly driven into the floor.

"Are you all really senile? Since I, Lin Yao, dare to stand here today, what makes you think I need to put up with the attitude of you piece of junk?"

Upon hearing this, Boss Li flew into a rage: "Lin Yao, don't be so stubborn! Without our contract manufacturer, how are you going to mass-produce anything? Are you going to just boast about it?"

"OEM manufacturer?"

Lin Yao slowly took off his sunglasses and casually tossed them on the table. His deep and sharp eyes pierced straight into Boss Li's heart.

"Old Chen."

Lin Yao didn't even turn his head, but called out once.

Chen Zheng immediately stepped forward and took out a thick stack of documents and a dozen large-format, high-resolution photos from his briefcase.

"Boss Li, when the times abandon you, they won't even say goodbye."

Chen Zheng tossed the stack of photos onto the table in front of Uncle Liu and Boss Li like dealing cards.

"Dear elders, why don't you open your eyes wide and take a good look at what real capital is?"

Lin Yao stood on the stage, his tone extremely cold.

Uncle Liu frowned, picked up the top photo, and after just one glance, the old man, who had seen many storms, suddenly trembled, and the photo almost fell to the ground.

When Boss Li and Grandpa Guo went over to take a look, they were instantly stunned, as if struck by lightning.

The photo shows a huge underground factory that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see.

Hundreds of semi-automated production lines are neatly arranged. Tens of thousands of workers, dressed in white anti-static suits, sit densely packed at their workstations, assembling and welding with great enthusiasm.

In the background of the factory, forklifts are transporting packed boxes to the warehouse.

Chen Zheng spoke at the opportune moment, his voice echoing in the quiet banquet hall.

"Excuse me, everyone, Yaosheng Technology has never needed anyone's contract manufacturer."

"In just the past two weeks, our boss has spent 10 billion US dollars in cash to buy up all the equipment of electronics factories in Asia that are on the verge of bankruptcy."

"And in Hong Kong, we hired a full 100,000 skilled industrial workers at high salaries."

Chen Zheng pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and a cold glint flashed behind the lenses.

"The Loongson 1.0 supercomputer prototype that was just on stage is now quietly lying in the top-secret warehouse number zero in the New Territories."

"In total————"

Chen Zheng paused, then uttered a number that sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

"A full 300,000 units in stock!"