509: Chapter 54 The Voyager Press Conference: A Century-Old Deception

His voice regained the calm and ruthlessness of a businessman.

"Prepare to release the first batch of PR drafts."

"Include all the core highlights of our new system in there."

"Then, once the news breaks that Vision Dynamics is launching a new project, immediately buy trending topics to push the hashtag 'Vision Dynamics Suspected of Plagiarizing Technology' to the top."

"I want to turn their press conference into a complete farce."

The person on the other end of the line acknowledged him.

Ma Kai hung up the phone, a flicker of vengeful satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He looked out the window, as if he could already see the shocked, furious, yet helpless face of Vision Dynamics CEO Zhang Kaiwen.

Shen Yan had set the stage for him and handed him the script.

Now, it was time for him, the protagonist, to make his entrance.

He softly recited the words Shen Yan had left him that day:

"The fire thief will ultimately be consumed by the raging flames."

The next day.

The morning sunlight had just pierced through the clouds.

The annual new product launch event for Vision Dynamics Technology Co., Ltd. had already begun.

The venue was the top-tier Golden Hall at the Binhai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Hundreds of media reporters, with long lenses and cameras, were in position, fully prepared.

The back rows were filled with investors in sharp suits, their eyes gleaming with the desire for capital.

On the giant LED screen at the front of the hall, blue countdown numbers were ticking down.

The atmosphere had been built up to its peak.

Zhang Kaiwen stood backstage, adjusting the tie of his expensive custom suit.

In the mirror, he looked high-spirited and vigorous.

He could already envision the scene after the press conference concluded: the company's stock price soaring into the heavens.

He would become the godfather of the domestic autonomous driving field.

As for Ma Kai, the man he had kicked aside...

He was merely an insignificant stepping stone on his path to success.

He should even thank Ma Kai.

Thank him for leaving behind that incomplete data, which allowed his team to 'develop' results so quickly based on it.

The countdown hit zero.

Exciting music swelled.

Zhang Kaiwen took a deep breath and walked onto the stage with a perfect business smile.

The spotlight instantly enveloped him.

"Good morning, distinguished guests and media friends!"

His voice carried through the microphone to every corner of the hall.

"Today, what I am about to show you is not just a product."

"It is an era."

"A true Level 5 autonomous driving era, initiated by Vision Dynamics!"

He spread his arms wide, like a monarch embracing the future.

Down below, the camera flashes erupted into a blinding daylight.

Applause thundered.

The next hour belonged entirely to Zhang Kaiwen's solo performance.

He meticulously introduced their brand-new autonomous driving system—the "Voyager."

From the underlying neural network perception algorithms to the millisecond-level decision response system.

And finally, to its cloud collaboration capabilities with the city's smart transportation network.

Every technical term sounded profound and utterly convincing.

On the big screen, test videos of the "Voyager" system operating under various extreme road conditions were played.

Heavy rain, dense fog, nighttime construction, and even simulated sudden traffic accidents.

The "Voyager" handled everything with ease, perfectly, as if it were a science fiction movie.

The investors in the audience nodded frequently, whispering to their assistants.

Their eyes were growing brighter and brighter.

This was a gold mine.

A massive gold mine capable of overturning the entire automotive industry.

"Our 'Voyager' will first be installed in the new flagship models of three top-tier domestic automotive brands."

"The estimated market size will exceed one hundred billion."

Zhang Kaiwen dropped the final bombshell.

The atmosphere in the venue completely ignited.

Reporters frantically clicked their shutters, afraid to miss a single detail.

Investors were already taking out their phones, starting to contact their fund managers.

Zhang Kaiwen reveled in it all.

He stood center stage, enjoying the glory of being the focus of everyone's attention.

He saw success, he saw wealth, he saw everything he had dreamed of.

The press conference concluded successfully amidst the most enthusiastic applause.

Zhang Kaiwen stepped off the stage.

Instantly, he was surrounded by a crowd.

"Mr. Zhang, congratulations! 'Voyager' is truly a magnificent product!"

"Mr. Zhang, regarding the matter of the Series A additional investment, can we discuss it in detail tonight?"

"Mr. Zhang, we are from XX Capital, and we are extremely interested in leading your next round of financing!"

Enthusiastic smiling faces, words of flattery and praise.

Zhang Kaiwen felt like he was floating on clouds.

He skillfully navigated the crowd, exchanging business cards with every important investor.

However...

The change happened at that very moment.

In the crowd, a financial reporter's phone abruptly sounded a special notification tone for breaking news.

He subconsciously looked down.

The expression on his face instantly froze.

He looked up, casting a strange look at Zhang Kaiwen, who was surrounded by people.

Immediately after...

The second, the third... more and more people picked up their phones.

The previously enthusiastic atmosphere in the venue began to feel somewhat eerie.

The noisy chorus of compliments gradually subsided.

It was replaced by a suppressed, murmuring buzz of whispers.

The smiles on the faces of those investors who had been fiery with enthusiasm also stiffened.

They looked at their phone screens, then back at Zhang Kaiwen, their eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny.

Zhang Kaiwen sensed that something was wrong.

"Everyone, what's wrong?" he asked with a smile, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.

No one answered him.

An editor-in-chief from a media outlet, who had previously been very respectful to him, quietly took a step back, increasing the distance between them.

This action served as a signal.

More and more people began to retreat subtly.

A strange vacuum formed around Zhang Kaiwen.

The smile finally fell from his face.

"What exactly happened?" His voice carried a hint of severity.

"Mr. Zhang, you should see for yourself."

A media editor-in-chief familiar with him handed over his phone, his expression complicated.

Zhang Kaiwen frowned and took the phone.

On the screen was a breaking news push notification that had just popped up across the entire network.

The headline was marked with startling, blood-red font:

"Scam of the Century! Vision Dynamics' 'Voyager' System Suspected of Plagiarizing Technology; Core Code Highly Similar to the Project of the 'Quantum Leap' Startup Team!"

"Quantum Leap"?

What the hell kind of project was that?

Zhang Kaiwen's heart lurched, and an ominous premonition arose.

His fingers trembled as he tapped to open the article.

The article was written with extreme professionalism and extreme malice.

It began with comparison charts of two segments of core algorithm code.