Lin Zhiyuan took a deep breath as he stood behind the podium.
Though he'd been with the Marching Ant Company for over a year now, this was his first time attending a high-level strategy meeting—the kind where real decisions were made. He was one of the core engineers in the Chinese character programming department, recruited for his talent in software development. But in this room, surrounded by senior executives and top tech minds, he still felt the pressure.
He focused his thoughts and spoke.
"Regarding holographic ecological applications, my suggestion is to start with the software category that has the largest user base—games."
As he settled into his flow, the nerves melted away.
"Research shows that over 80% of smartphones in China have games installed. Game apps are among the most frequently used, with high user engagement. Eight out of ten people use their phones to play games.
Our main demographic—ages 18 to 40—is exactly the same group that dominates the gaming market. So if we want the holographic ecosystem to gain traction quickly, holographic gaming is the most direct, impactful entry point."
He paused and tapped on the podium console.
The holographic projector in the center of the conference table flickered to life.
A vivid, three-dimensional landscape emerged in the air: a sprawling canyon battlefield with mountains, forests, winding rivers, and animated wild monsters roaming its terrain. It was unmistakably inspired by classic MOBA game maps—like King's Pesticide or League of Legends—but reimagined in full holographic space.
Murmurs rippled around the room. The executives leaned forward instinctively. Even those not into games could see the potential immediately.
"There are three primary categories we can target with holographic gaming:
Tower Defense & Chess-type Games
Competitive Fighting Games like King of Fighters
Online Team Battle Games like Honor of Kings, League of Legends, and Arena-type MOBAs
All of them share one thing: the gameplay takes place on fixed maps or arenas. That's perfect for holographic projection. The environment is bounded, and we can craft immersive 3D terrain that players can walk around, observe, or control from different perspectives."
Lin Zhiyuan gestured toward the hovering canyon.
"This is a prototype map I created in my free time—a simple model of a MOBA-style battlefield. Players could engage from their phones, tablets, or consoles, but experience the entire map holographically.
Holographic games don't require headsets or VR gear. They're more dynamic than screen-based games, and more social than VR. Think of a group of friends gathered around a digital war map, like ancient generals planning a campaign. This is digital board gaming meets real-time strategy, with face-to-face interaction and immersive visuals.
And it's not just games. It encourages social connection, even physical movement. This makes it richer than traditional gaming, and far more personal than cold digital screens."
He looked around. Everyone seemed absorbed.
"With this, we can offer a new layer of gaming—between mobile and VR, where users still control with devices, but watch and interact in 3D space.
I believe holographic gaming could be the killer app that drives mass adoption of our holographic ecosystem."
As he finished, Lin Zhiyuan exhaled quietly and returned to his seat.
A second later, Wei Zhe—sitting beside him—gave him a thumbs-up.
"Well said. Nailed it," Wei Zhe whispered.
Lin Zhiyuan smiled.
The Chinese character programming department had long been one of the company's most prestigious teams. After the Clown Virus incident, their reputation had skyrocketed—especially with the language's incredible execution speed and security advantages.
To be part of that team meant you were one of the best. And today, Lin Zhiyuan had proven he belonged.
Zhao Min gave a small nod from the head of the table.
"That was a very promising direction."
She glanced around. "Anyone else with ideas on 'Artificial Intelligence+' or holographic applications?"
Several hands rose.
What followed was a wave of proposals—from extending smart assistant capabilities to new household systems, to integrating holography into online education, virtual shopping, medical simulations, and workplace conferencing.
Some ideas were bold. Others were rough sketches. A few built on Wang Sijia's AI+ concept or Lin Zhiyuan's gaming idea, expanding into broader ecosystems.
An hour passed, and nearly everyone who had something to contribute had spoken.
Then Zhao Min asked again, "Anyone else?"
A hesitant voice rose from the far side of the room.
"Um… President Zhao. I… I have something."
Everyone turned.
Lin Shu stood up awkwardly from her seat beside Wei Zhe.
From the start of the meeting, she'd been quiet—watching, listening, taking notes. She was young—barely twenty—and still a university student, though she worked part-time on the company's R&D team.
Her shy demeanor and baby-faced appearance made her seem out of place in a room of tech veterans and executives.
Some of the managers exchanged puzzled glances. Another young talent from the Chinese programming team?
Zhao Min and Xiao Yu, however, recognized her instantly.
This was Chen Mo's personally invited recruit—the young woman whose early antivirus code had played a pivotal role in tracing the Clown Virus. Her software had since evolved into the foundation of the company's antivirus division.
Zhao Min smiled gently.
"You're Lin Shu, right?"
Lin Shu blinked, surprised. "President… you know me?"
"Of course. You're one of our brightest programmers. And you were handpicked by the boss. Why wouldn't I know you?"
The room quieted. Several heads turned, this time with real interest. Chen Mo personally recruited her?
Zhao Min nodded encouragingly. "Don't be nervous. This is exactly the place to speak up. If you have an idea, share it."
"Okay…" Lin Shu took a deep breath and quickly made her way to the podium. Her face was slightly flushed, but her expression was determined.
"I actually have two ideas. One is about the 'Artificial Intelligence+' strategy, and the other is for holographic ecological applications. They're similar to Director Wang and Lin Zhiyuan's proposals… but with a few twists of my own."