Chapter 121: Cause, or Effect

Chapter 121 – Cause, or Effect

“Chief Lei.”

Inside the police command vehicle, the middle-aged team leader sat opposite of Lei Jun. Opening up a faxed document from the patent department, he silently pondered a moment before asking, “In 2018, you registered a patent for this phone model, correct?”

“Yes.” After regaining his senses, Lei Jun said thoughtfully, “In fact, we’ve registered related patents as early as 2017. The MIX Alpha model has adopted a part of this batch of patents. It seems the model Transdimensional Review’s UP is holding focuses more around the surround display technology. This is a patent we registered last year.”

“Does your company have any plans to manufacture this flexible folding phone?”

“We did. I’ve previously discussed it with several technicians in the technical department. We even held a meeting for it during the first half of this year. I’ve also asked my secretary to bring the minutes of that meeting.”

“Is it convenient for me to look at it?” Although the middle-aged team leader worded his sentence as a question, he had already stretched out his hand before even receiving an answer.

“Of course.”

Quickly, Lei Jun stepped out of the command vehicle and received a document envelope from the male secretary standing outside the car. He then passed the folder to the middle-aged team leader.

“Thank you.”

Opening the envelope, the middle-aged team leader promptly pulled out the documents and started carefully reading through them.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun returned his gaze toward the screen displaying Chen Yu’s livestream. However, despite his eyes focused on the screen, his brain processed none of the information his eyes saw as it was already overloaded with other thoughts.

Roughly 10 minutes later, the middle-aged team leader returned the documents into the envelope and asked, “Do you still have copies of these documents?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, I’ll be taking this set.”

“No problem.”

“Hmm.” After pondering for a moment, the middle-aged team leader said, “Looking at your meeting content, the discussed phone’s appearance looks quite different compared to Transdimensional Review’s phone.”

“That’s right.” Lei Jun nodded. “For flagship or concept products, we generally have to go through extensive research, experimentation, and engineering to determine the final version. According to our original plans, the final version of this phone model should only come out five years later. We still need to undergo many testing sessions.”

“What about now?” The middle-aged team leader’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

“…” Lei Jun raised three fingers after pondering for a long time and said, “Three years.”

“Will it be exactly the same?”

“It can only be exactly the same. If we make any alterations, the production date will have to be delayed.”

“In other words…”

Nodding, Lei Jun said, “In other words, without Transdimensional Review, this phone may not appear until a later date. The project might even get called off due to budgeting and technical difficulties. However, after watching this livestream, if we mimicked the showcased phone’s design completely, we can create an exact replica within three years. Other major phone manufacturers should also have the same standards after watching this livestream.”

Upon hearing these words, the middle-aged team leader tightened his grip around the document envelope.

Was it because of this smartphone review that led to Xiaomi Corporation manufacturing the phone in the future?

Or was it because of Xiaomi manufacturing this phone in the future that led to this smartphone review today?

Cause and effect. Which came first? And which came after?

Or maybe cause and effect are mutually affecting each other?

For a time, similar to Lei Jun, a chaotic storm started raging in the middle-aged team leader’s mind.

After a long time had passed, Lei Jun tentatively asked, “Do you want to cancel this project?”

“If it is canceled, won’t the cycle of time be broken?” the team leader asked.

“It might not be broken.” Lowering his head, Lei Jun said, “Three years later, this flexible smartphone will definitely appear. You should know of the grandfather paradox.”

“…This is no longer something we can discuss. It also isn’t something we can decide upon. Let’s leave it to the ones above to ruminate over it. However, I feel that the higher-ups will definitely ask you to manufacture the smartphone. You won’t be allowed to cancel the project even if you wanted to,” the middle-aged team leader said as he massaged his swollen temples. Afterward, he stood up and stretched out his hand, “Thank you very much for your cooperation, Chief Lei. I will have to trouble you again afterward.”

Sensibly standing up as well, Lei Jun reached out to grab the other party’s calloused hand. “This is what I should do. If there is nothing else for the time being, I have to deal with the company’s problems.”

“Go on. Pay attention to the emotions of your employees. Make sure chaos doesn’t occur.”

“Okay.”

After seeing off Lei Jun, the middle-aged team leader looked down at the document envelope in his hands before shifting his gaze toward the screen.

A moment later, he pulled out his phone and said, “Stay concealed and start taking probing actions.”

…

“And with that ends the performance testing segment. The screen’s resolution is genuinely high. Moreover, I found a particularly interesting bug. When playing Honor of Kings, I entered the game in mobile mode and expanded the screen into tablet mode during the game. As a result, my field of vision doubled! I had a panoramic view of half the battlefield and basically no need for a minimap.

“I feel that I can continue exploiting this bug for another three years. Once this phone is released three years later, though, Honor of Kings should have a fix for it already.”

Click!

Folding the two screens back again, Chen Yu waved the phone in front of the camera. He then continued, “Truthfully, out of the many products I’ve reviewed, this smartphone feels the most realistic to me as it is only three years apart from our current year. The technological standards of this phone are still within our cognitive level.

“However, even so, it is still plenty surprising. This smartphone allows us to feel how rapidly changing technology truly is. Thinking back to seven or eight years ago, the video calling feature was used to heavily advertise 3G. Nowadays, this feature has already become a part of our lives. What’s even more unbelievable is that the development of technology will only grow faster and faster from this point onward.”

Locking the phone screen, Chen Yu crossed his fingers before the camera and concluded his review.

“We are blessed to be living in modern times. However, compared to the future, we are still living in sorrowful times. We are even more sorrowful compared to people living in ancient times.

“Meanwhile, this just so happens to be the charm of technology. It drives all humans to continuously push forward.

“Okay, this is the end of today’s livestream. While it is indeed very short, but it is also substantial.”

[Is there a need to end it so quickly? At least fly a lap around the park for us!]

[Will there be another livestream tomorrow?]

[It’s over? I’m signing off.]

[You still haven’t finished reviewing the smartphone! Are you that eager to leave with your female assistant?! Take some photos!]

[Right! Take some photos and let us experience the smartphone camera of the future.]

[Photograph the female assistant, specifically her legs.]

[Photograph her in the nude. After all, clothes are considered sexual, while nudity is considered art.]

[We love art.]

[Don’t go! I’m hurrying over to you in my car!]

[Bullshit! I’m at the scene, and all surrounding roads have been blocked off.]

[UP might’ve been born in the year of the rabbit.]

[Goodbye.]

Raising his wrist and glancing at the bullet comments displayed on his watch, Chen Yu helplessly shrugged and said, “We should end things when it’s time. It is only a smartphone. There is not much to evaluate. What everyone really wants to see is the official livestream three weeks later, right?

“Now that my access level has been raised, the fourth livestream’s review product will be a real gem. I hope everyone can help spread the word offline.

“Lastly, since everyone wishes to see this phone’s camera in action, as a kind-hearted UP, I naturally cannot leave you unsatisfied.”

After saying so, Chen Yu raised the phone and turned on the camera function.

Immediately, the bustling night view of Beijing City appeared on the smartphone’s screen.

As there were screens located both on the front and rear of the phone, the audience could also see the scenery taken by the camera through the rear screen.

“Huh? That’s interesting,” Chen Yu commented as he flipped the smartphone around. “I discovered another small function of this smartphone. When you’re taking a photo of someone, the other person can see whether the picture you’ve taken looks good or not as well.

“Now, let’s see if we can take a photo of the moon. This is a technology developed many years ago…”

After saying so, Chen Yu moved the phone upwards and aimed it at the moon hanging in the sky.

“…

“What? Paratroopers?!”

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