After examining the new phone, Pei Qian turned his attention to the massive game router beside it.

It was undeniably eye-catching.

The design was quite exaggerated, resembling a huge pyramid base. It measured around 20 centimeters in both length and width, with a thickness of nearly 10 centimeters. From the side, all four faces appeared as trapezoids, forming a stepped structure with two recessed grooves hiding various ports.

The flat platform on top featured illuminated light strips common to many game routers, while eight enormous antennas encircled the device.

It resembled an octopus with its tentacles spread wide.

Between these octopus-like antennas, various ports were concealed in the grooves, including USB ports, power ports, network cable ports, and more.

The disc drive was deeply hidden on the side, accessible only after folding down two of the vertical antennas.

If you were to plug in a network cable, most people would assume it was just an oversized router, never connecting it with a gaming console.

“My goodness,” Pei Qian exclaimed. This thing matched exactly what he had imagined!

He picked it up and weighed it in his hand. It was quite heavy.

That was understandable—after all, it was a gaming console combined with a high-end router. How could it not be heavy?

Next to the console was its matching controller. Although this controller still fell somewhat short of the top-tier controllers on the market, it was cost-effective and included all the necessary features like gyroscopes and back buttons. The overall feel was quite good, which was impressive given the circumstances.

After all, major manufacturers had invested heavily in developing their controllers, securing numerous patents. It wasn’t realistic for domestic controllers to catch up in such a short time.

But this carefully crafted controller had managed to reach the level of standard controllers from foreign manufacturers, which was no small achievement.

Additionally, controllers from other major manufacturers could also connect to this console and function normally, providing players with more options. If buyers chose the version without a controller, they could save a bit more money.

Chang You explained, “Mr. Pei, I’ve heard that the escort game from the Dead End Project Incubation Base is almost complete. It should be finished before the press conference, and ready to launch simultaneously with the official release of the router machine.”

Pei Qian nodded, thinking that the escort game from the Dead End Project Incubation Base shouldn’t be too bad, considering it was led by Qiu Hong and had excellent independent game developers like Wu Zhicheng handling the design.

But regardless, this was merely a launch title for a console. Given the caliber of the incubation base team, it was still somewhat lacking.

A gaming console was on an entirely different level of difficulty compared to other digital products. Success would only be possible if every aspect was executed perfectly, but Pei Qian didn’t think he needed to worry too much yet.

Chang You asked, “Mr. Pei, how should we organize the press conference for this gaming router?”

Pei Qian smiled casually, “That’s simple. Just focus on introducing its parameters as a router.”

“There’s no need to emphasize its gaming functions; just mention briefly that this device can be placed in the living room and integrates some entertainment activities.”

“By the way, what’s the price?”

Chang You replied, “4,999 yuan. The gaming console itself costs about 3,999 yuan, while the router component is around 1,000 yuan.”

“After all, this console has rather high-end specifications.”

“This price includes a small subsidy as per your requirements, Mr. Pei. We’ll need high-volume sales to avoid losses.”

“Of course, for Tenda Group, whether the gaming console makes money isn’t very important. The main thing is to establish ourselves first, then we can gradually profit from games later.”

Pei Qian nodded slightly. He thought this price was reasonable and should deter quite a few players.

Foreign gaming consoles generally fell within the 4,000 yuan price range, and consoles themselves didn’t typically generate much profit.

Tenda’s gaming router had essentially no price advantage whatsoever.

Compared to computers, especially laptops, this was just an entry-level price, but gaming consoles and computers were quite different.

Many people felt that computers could be used for work or other activities, while gaming consoles were only good for playing games—there was a clear difference in utility between the two.

Moreover, most young gaming enthusiasts in China didn’t have their own living rooms or televisions, so gaming laptops better suited their needs than consoles. This also explained why online games and mobile games had developed rapidly in China while standalone games had consistently underperformed.

Pei Qian believed this gaming router might sell to some extent—Tenda had too many die-hard fans, after all—but the possibility of it becoming a runaway success was minimal.

With this in mind, Pei Qian stood up satisfied and said, “Good, I’ve seen both products and there are no major issues. Just prepare for the press conference as I’ve instructed.”

…

July 10, Wednesday.

Jingzhou International Exhibition Center.

Outu Technology had previously held several press conferences at five-star hotels in Jingzhou. Although the venues were luxurious, they still lacked a certain grandeur.

This time, they had upgraded to the Jingzhou International Exhibition Center, raising the prestige by several notches.

For Outu Technology’s new press conference, the venue spanned over 8,000 square meters with a ceiling height of more than 10 meters—they had maximized the impressiveness.

Chang You had even worried that it would be embarrassing if the venue wasn’t filled. While they could give away tickets, they needed to consider the possibility that even free tickets might not attract enough people.

However, when the day of the press conference arrived, Chang You was surprised to find the venue packed once again, with not a single empty seat.

Clearly, the vast majority had come to see President Chang’s performance.

Although Outu Technology’s new products weren’t always excellent or satisfying to everyone, their ability to create entertaining press conferences was unmatched, exceeding all other companies by a wide margin.

The hour-long press conference was more enjoyable than watching a comedy show.

What made Outu Technology’s press conferences even more exciting than traditional comedy was that their reveals were completely unexpected—no normal person could anticipate what outlandish new products they might introduce.

Products like the fully automatic smart argument machine or the intelligent fitness clothing rack were enough to make people burst into laughter during the presentations.

The crucial difference was that while comedians joke about fictional things, Outu Technology would actually produce and sell these products after introducing them—and they were real production models.

Considering that attendees could enjoy comedy while seeing these outrageous products become reality, everyone felt the press conferences were incredibly worthwhile.

Chang You looked at the packed venue from backstage and sighed, “If I had known it would be this popular, we should have raised the ticket prices.”

“We might as well cancel the complimentary tickets in the future, reserving them only for media. With this level of enthusiasm, we could practically hold a concert.”

Jiang Yuan knew Chang You was joking, but still said, “Forget it, that completely contradicts the Tenda spirit. Mr. Pei would never agree.”

He glanced at the audience below and asked, “President Chang, do you think Mr. Pei is here today?”

Chang You shook his head, “I have no idea. Mr. Pei always appears and disappears mysteriously, who knows? But even if Mr. Pei isn’t here in person, he’ll definitely be watching the livestream. We need to be 120% focused and can’t mess this up!”

“It’s almost time. Let’s get ready to go on stage.”

Jiang Yuan nodded and made final adjustments to his appearance.

…

Most major domestic technology media outlets had arrived at the press conference, along with many Tenda Group fans who had traveled from Jingzhou and other provinces.

They all wanted to see what new tricks Outu Technology had up its sleeve.

Some technology media reporters speculated among themselves:

“I wonder what new products Outu Technology will release this time? I’m so excited.”

“The most outrageous thing about Outu Technology isn’t that they release products that seem like jokes at every press conference, but that after mass-producing these products, they all become successful.”

“I’ve heard some inside information that they’re releasing a folding screen phone and a new smart device.”

“A new folding screen phone? Didn’t Shenhua just release one? Is Outu Technology really ready to compete with Shenhua on this level?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m not very optimistic. Folding screen phones require extremely advanced technology. Shenhua spent years perfecting theirs, and many of the technologies are patented. Haven’t you noticed that many other major manufacturers haven’t produced folding screen models? I think it will be very difficult for Outu Technology as a newer company.”

“Exactly. If Outu Technology is just going to present an immature folding screen solution, they’d be better off not releasing it at all. Folding screens are cutting-edge technology, so they’ll definitely be expensive and targeted at wealthy customers. These people won’t show off an unrefined folding screen product.”

“Who knows? Maybe Outu Technology can carve out a path with their established reputation in the high-end market?”

“Indeed! Outu Technology’s core competitiveness isn’t in their technical accumulation but in their innovative ideas. As long as their creativity remains excellent this time, they should still satisfy their fans.”

“If Tenda’s fans buy into it, the phone’s sales shouldn’t be too bad.”

Everyone was speculating about what kind of folding screen phone Tenda Group would release.

But with Shenhua Group’s folding screen phone already setting the standard, everyone was worried for Outu Technology.

Shenhua Group had already held their press conference, showcasing their folding screen phone’s various technological breakthroughs and announcing its price.

Everyone unanimously believed that currently, no other company could compete with them in the folding screen arena. Although Outu Technology was an up-and-coming player, their technological reserves and R&D capabilities were still lacking. Going head-to-head with Shenhua Group now seemed extremely risky.

Shenhua Group’s folding screen phone had already been announced but would only officially go on sale in the next couple of days—putting it in direct competition with Outu Technology’s phone.

Of course, both were domestic companies deserving support, but support ultimately depended on the products themselves.

Amid the discussions, the venue lights gradually dimmed, and the murmuring crowd gradually fell silent.