Chapter 24: A competitor who copied the wrong blueprints produced a pile of scrap metal.

Uncle Jiu's back disappeared at the stairwell entrance; he didn't even dare to pick up the tattered leather shoe he'd dropped on the stairs.

Brother Biao kicked over the sheet metal stool in front of him.

"Trash! You're all fucking trash!"

He paced around the basement, which was filled with the smell of something burnt, the gold chain around his neck clattering loudly.

On the workbench, the xinghai generation 1 that had been burned through by acid was still emitting acrid white smoke.

He couldn't collect the debt of over two million, and now he had almost lost his life just trying to copy someone else's work.

Liu Jin stared fixedly at the pitch-black wreckage, his eyeballs rolling around wildly.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh hard and sprang up from the tattered sofa.

"If we can't copy the motherboard, then we won't copy the motherboard!"

Brother Biao stopped and looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Did the smoke fry your brain? If we don't copy the motherboard, what are we going to sell for money?"

Liu Jin grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, smiling like a weasel that had just stolen a chicken.

"That Lu kid's selling point, what is it? Bulletproof! Big battery!"

He walked quickly to the corner, kicked open a few cardboard boxes filled with scrap, his eyes filled with greed.

"What the hell do ordinary people know about die-casting technology? All they care about is the thickness and the weight!"

Liu Jin turned around and stared intently at Brother Biao.

"We'll find the cheapest injection molding factory and make a thick mold exactly like the Xinghai one."

"Then, we'll buy a batch of refurbished, high-capacity lithium batteries from Guangdong at a low price and shove them in."

Brother Biao froze for a moment, his triangular eyes lighting up instantly.

"We'll call it the Jinshi Pro! Xinghai sells for 998, we'll cut the price in half and sell it for 499!"

Liu Jin let out a sinister laugh.

"Right! We'll snatch up his low-end market! At most half a month, and we'll double our money!"

Half a month later, Donghai City, Xinghai Technology building.

Chu Xuan carried a gaudy cardboard box, panting as he burst through the door of Lu Jingming's office.

"Boss Lu! Those bastards in Huaqiangbei have absolutely no shame!"

He slammed the box onto the solid wood desk.

Printed in striking gold lettering on the packaging box were the words: Jinshi Pro, The Ultimate Survival Machine with Ultra-Large Battery.

Niu Dazhuang happened to be reporting on production progress, and when he peeked over, his temper flared instantly.

"The packaging color is exactly the same as ours! Young Master, let me take some men and smash their shop!"

Lu Jingming leaned back in his chair, spinning a one-yuan plastic lighter in his hand.

He didn't even lift his eyelids; he pulled the box over and pried open the seal.

A heavy, black chunk fell out.

Except for a shoddy "Jinshi" logo stuck on the front, its appearance, thickness, and weight were identical to the xinghai generation 1.

"Four hundred ninety-nine? This price must be selling like crazy in the urban-rural fringe."

Lu Jingming weighed it in his hand, his tone flat.

Chu Xuan was so anxious he was scratching his scalp.

"Exactly! That bastard Liu Jin is plastering the place with flyers."

"Those migrant workers looking for a bargain have all been swindled into rushing to buy them!"

Lu Jingming didn't respond, instead reaching into his drawer and pulling out a Phillips screwdriver.

He aimed at the rough seam on the edge of the back cover and gave his wrist a sharp twist.

With a "click," the shoddy, thick plastic back cover popped right off.

There was no roll cage, no heat spreader, and certainly none of that signature amber epoxy resin.

A massive lithium battery, stuck firmly with yellow double-sided tape, occupied most of the internal space.

A few thin red flying wires connected to the motherboard in a messy web, like a spider's web.

Niu Dazhuang gasped.

"Good heavens, this is too rough. This crappy battery is almost pushing the casing apart."

Lu Jingming poked at the yellow tape with the screwdriver, a cold curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The reason the xinghai generation 1 dared to use a 20,000 mAh battery was because of its laminated die-casting technology and full-coverage graphite cooling.

That idiot Liu Jin actually shoved an ordinary, shoddy wound battery into an airtight, thick plastic shell.

"This isn't a mobile phone."

Lu Jingming threw the screwdriver onto the desk, making a crisp sound.

"This is a directional explosive detonator with a screen."

Chu Xuan was stunned, swallowing his saliva with a stutter.

"De-detonator? Boss Lu, are you saying this thing will explode?"

"There are no cooling channels, and the cheap lithium battery is being charged under high load in a sealed space."

Lu Jingming relit his lighter, the faint blue flame reflecting in his sharp eyes.

"The weather is so hot; within three days, this batch of Liu Jin's goods will put on a big fireworks show for him."

He looked at Chu Xuan, his gaze filled with unquestionable decisiveness.

"Notify the customer service department; record all hotline calls for the next few days."

"Get ready to watch the show."

At the same time, at a construction site dormitory in the suburbs of Donghai City.

The sheet metal cabin was as stifling as a steamer, with a few rusty oscillating fans blowing hot air.

Old Wang was shirtless, sitting on the bottom bunk, happily fiddling with the newly bought Jinshi Pro in his hand.

"Old Wang, is that black brick of yours any good? Hope it's not a knock-off."

The coworker on the top bunk poked his head out and teased.

Old Wang slapped his thigh unconvinced, the sound shaking the bed boards.

"What the hell do you know! The shop owner said this came off the same assembly line as the Xinghai!"

"The battery is huge, four hundred ninety-nine, half the price!"

He pulled out a frayed, low-quality charging cable and jammed it into the port at the bottom of the phone.

The screen lit up with a glaring charging icon, and Old Wang casually stuffed the phone under his bamboo mat pillow.

"Time to sleep, have to get up early tomorrow to pour concrete."

Soon, the sound of snoring rose and fell throughout the cabin.

Time passed minute by minute, and the night grew deeper.

Under the pillow, the temperature of the Jinshi Pro was skyrocketing.

The low-quality lithium battery was undergoing a violent chemical reaction inside the sealed, thick plastic shell, and the internal gas was expanding rapidly.

The originally flat back cover gradually bulged into a large lump.

Shortly after, the shoddy plastic finally couldn't withstand the terrifying internal pressure.

"Sizzle——"

A slight ripping sound rang out.

The back cover cracked open, and an acrid, chemical burnt smell wafted out through the gap.

Old Wang was sleeping soundly, rolled over, and accidentally pressed his arm onto the pillow.

A piercing, burning sensation instantly seared through the bamboo mat onto his skin.

"Hiss——what the hell is so hot!"

Old Wang woke up with a start and flipped the pillow over.

In the darkness, that Jinshi Pro had swollen like a black toad about to give birth.

From the cracks, it was spewing out thick, rolling white smoke.

"Fuck! My phone!"

Old Wang was so scared he scrambled off the bed, not even bothering to put on his slippers.

Before he could even steady himself.

"Bang!"

A dull, loud explosion erupted in the sheet metal cabin.

The bulging battery burst completely, and a ball of orange-red flame, mixed with sparks, instantly shot onto the flammable quilt.

"Fire! Hurry and put out the fire!"

Old Wang screamed at the top of his lungs.

The workers in the entire dormitory were awakened; some grabbing basins, others towels, the place turned into a chaotic mess.

The towering flames lit up half the night sky.

This was just the tip of the iceberg.

On this stifling summer night, in rental apartments and construction site dormitories all over the country.

Countless Jinshi Pros, all currently charging, were turning into time bombs one after another.

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight shone into the Xinghai Technology building.

Lu Jingming had just pushed open the office door and hadn't yet had time to open the blinds.

A series of hurried footsteps came from the corridor.

Chu Xuan scrambled in, holding up a freshly printed copy of the Donghai Morning Post.

He had run so hard one of his shoes had fallen off, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Boss Lu! It exploded! You were absolutely right!"

Chu Xuan slammed the newspaper onto the desktop, panting heavily.

"Our municipal district reported seventeen fires last night, all because Jinshi Mobile phones caught fire in the middle of the night!"

Niu Dazhuang squeezed into the room right behind him, clutching a continuously vibrating PHS phone.

"Young Master, the industry and commerce authorities and the fire department have been mobilized! They sealed off Liu Jin's shop directly!"

Lu Jingming lowered his head and glanced at the photo on the front page of the newspaper, which showed a cabin burned to a crisp.

He pulled out his chair and sat down, tapping his bony, distinct fingers on the desktop.

"Tell the PR department to make this fire burn even brighter."

He looked up at Chu Xuan, a smile like a hunter closing his net appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Use the official account to post an announcement immediately. Guess what I'm going to write?"