At the press conference, both in person and across countless live streams around the globe, everyone held their breath.
A rare hush swept through the sea of people. Even those watching from home paused mid-bite, mid-sentence—nervous fingers hovering over keyboards, fast food cooling on trays.
All waiting for one number.
The price.
Chen Mo stood calmly on stage, absorbing the weight of thousands of eyes. Then, seeing their restless anticipation, he finally said:
"The retail price of the Mirage Ant will be..."
Before he could finish, the number materialized above the phone's holographic projection.
¥28,888
A beat of stunned silence.
Then—
Gasps. Murmurs. Shouts. Typing. Screaming.
It was a number far beyond the current market average. Most high-end phones topped out at ¥10,000. Only ultra-luxury or customized devices occasionally crept higher.
But this? A leap to ¥28,888 sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Some faces froze in disbelief.
Others broke into laughter or disbelief-fueled cursing.
"So this is how it feels... to want something so badly, you'd sell a kidney."
"Marching Ants, are you out of your minds?!"
"I knew I shouldn't have checked the price. Now I can't stop thinking about it."
"Stop crying. This thing's basically alien tech. You want to buy a holographic phone for ¥2,800 like it's some budget rice cooker?"
"Honestly, I think this price is fair. Revolutionary tech doesn't come cheap."
"Even if I have to live on instant noodles for two months... I'm buying it."
"Get ready, Huaqiangbei. Time to test the fakes."
While some cursed or joked, a surprisingly large number accepted the price. Compared to the sheer innovation behind the Mirage Ant—the holographic projection, intelligent assistant, carbon crystal battery—it wasn't outrageous.
Many were already calculating if they could pull it off with a little budgeting. After all, if you skipped a vacation or held off on some luxury spending...
It was possible.
And in truth, this wasn't just a phone.
It was a ticket to the future.
Back on stage, Chen Mo's voice carried again:
"The Mirage Ant will be available for pre-order on the Marching Ant Mall at 6 PM today. Offline retail sales will begin tomorrow at 9 AM nationwide."
Cheers and excited murmurs surged through the crowd.
"For international regions, launch times will be announced on the official website. And lastly—good news for those attending the press conferences today. You can purchase the Mirage Ant on-site, right now."
The crowd exploded.
A full wave of emotion surged through the theatre—cheers, clapping, even some people standing in excitement. They thought they'd have to wait weeks. Now, they could be the first in the world to own a holographic smartphone.
"I'm heading to the press conference. Right now."
People watching the stream from nearby districts of Binhai were already grabbing car keys. Cars started flooding toward the Grand Theatre. Others who had hesitated before now regretted not attending in person.
"My girlfriend invited me to Binhai yesterday… I said no. I'm a fool."
"People at the venue right now are living in the future."
"Forget movies. I'm buying this phone even if I can only watch holographic... anime."
After the presentation, Chen Mo stepped off stage.
Backstage, his staff greeted him with wide grins and visible pride in their eyes. The atmosphere was electric—pure success radiated from every corner.
"Water?" Xiao Yu handed him an insulated cup, her eyes shining.
"So that's why you were holding it the whole time," Zhao Min teased. "What a lucky guy, Chen Mo. You really caught the right fish."
Chen Mo laughed, eyes soft as he glanced at Xiao Yu.
"She's always been my lucky charm."
Zhao Min rolled her eyes.
"Alright, alright, save the dog food. You're trending globally. The press conference is officially on fire."
"Wasn't that the goal?" Chen Mo said lightly.
"Sure, but even so, some reactions exceeded expectations."
"What do you mean?"
"Come here. Take a look."
She led him toward the backstage window.
Chen Mo peered outside—and was momentarily speechless.
Two long queues stretched out like winding dragons from the entrance of the Grand Theatre, disappearing toward the square. People shivered in the cold sea breeze, wrapped in jackets and scarves, waiting.
"They're... lining up to buy the phone?"
"Yep. After you announced on-site sales, everyone nearby drove straight here. We're regulating entry for safety, but the number of people is still overwhelming. I was just told the bridge to the theatre is already gridlocked."
Chen Mo looked at the people outside—shivering, determined, hopeful.
Something swelled in his chest.
"Let's add more sales points outside," he said. "Don't let them suffer in this wind."
"Already being arranged," Zhao Min nodded. "We're deploying more staff for crowd control and order."
They fell quiet for a moment, just watching.
The Mirage Ant had landed—and the world was already chasing it.
But not everyone was cheering.
Altice Group Headquarters — Europe.
Kang Bomin sat in his office, face grim, eyes locked on the live stream of the Marching Ant press conference.
He didn't even need to watch the whole video. From the very beginning, he knew today would be a disaster.
He had once pushed for a partnership with Marching Ant, recognizing their disruptive potential. But his proposal had been vetoed by the board, who instead tried to acquire shares from the company.
That had gone nowhere—and the relationship collapsed.
Since then, Marching Ant had only climbed higher—seismographs, robots, AI, now holographic projection. And now, this smartphone.
The future had arrived—and Altice wasn't invited.
Now, Europe only had Roche Group cooperating with Marching Ant. Though Roche was smaller, they had powerful political and corporate networks.
Altice, by contrast, had burned its bridge.
And with Marching Ant now entering the European mobile market, backed by Roche… Altice's grip on high-end users would slip.
Worse, telecom giants wouldn't dare cross Marching Ant.
Even rivals who'd once joined Altice in trying to suppress Marching Ant were already reaching out to form alliances.
As Kang Bomin brooded, his phone rang.
He glanced at the number—then picked up.
After a brief conversation, he put the phone down, rubbing his temples.
His expression eased slightly, but new worries flickered behind his eyes.
The next phase wouldn't be easier.