Chapter 57 This slide-to-unlock technique allows you to apply for a global patent!

Hundreds of long and short camera lenses instantly locked onto Lu Jingming's hand.

Lu Jingming's thumb hovered at the bottom of the screen.

There was a semi-transparent light grey light strip there.

Inside the light strip, a few small characters were flickering.

Lu Jingming's fingertip pressed steadily onto it.

He didn't press down hard, just followed the track of the light strip and gently swiped to the right.

The slider moved smoothly along with his fingertip, without the slightest resistance.

"Click."

A crisp metallic mechanical sound transmitted throughout the venue via the loudspeakers.

The lock icon in the middle of the screen shattered in response.

The deep blue starry sky wallpaper instantly unfolded, and rows of icons spread across the screen like flowing water.

Unlocked.

Just a gentle swipe, effortless.

Charles's legs went weak, and he slammed his butt onto the folding chair.

He had just been clamoring about how one could unlock without buttons, and now, someone had just used a single thumb to metaphorically slap his face.

The venue was quiet for two seconds.

Immediately after, the roar of the crowd blew the roof off the sports center.

"Holy crap! Slide-to-unlock! This operation is so damn elegant!"

"Physical buttons can go into the coffin! This interaction logic is amazing!"

"Where's that foreigner from just now? Keep shouting! Why aren't you talking anymore!"

In the domestic live broadcast room, the gift special effects directly caused the server to lag with afterimages.

The overseas YouTube broadcast area also went crazy.

"God, is this really made by Chinese people? This level of smoothness is ten thousand times better than my BlackBerry!"

Chu Xuan was watching the data in the main control room, slapping his thigh in delight.

"Mr. Lu's flex is so natural, perfectly smooth!"

Offstage, those four Apple engineers disguised as reporters were struck by lightning.

The ballpoint pen in the Blonde Captain's hand snapped in two with a "pop."

The plastic shards pierced his palm, oozing a few drops of blood, but he seemed not to feel any pain.

The young engineer beside him had his mouth open, like a dehydrated dead fish.

"Captain, that is our..."

"Shut up!"

The Blonde Captain gritted his teeth, his whole body feeling like it had been soaked in ice water, a chill shooting straight to his brain.

Slide-to-unlock. Slide-to-unlock!

This was an interaction masterpiece that Steve had stayed up for three months to create, killing off dozens of plans before finalizing it!

They were preparing to use this move to shock the world at the press conference three days later.

And the result?

It was snatched away by someone else in public!

Lu Jingming stood under the spotlight, pinching his phone with two fingers and spinning it around.

"Did everyone see clearly? This is called Slide-to-unlock."

He looked at the ashen-faced Charles with a mocking tone.

"No need to worry about accidental touches in your pocket, just swipe your finger across. Simple, straightforward, and easy to use."

Charles's face turned purple, a mix of shame and anger.

He jumped up, shouting at the top of his lungs in English.

"Mr. Lu! This is absolutely plagiarism!"

Charles held on like a mad dog.

"This kind of advanced interaction logic must have been stolen from a laboratory in Silicon Valley! A Chinese assembly plant couldn't possibly come up with something like this!"

There was a commotion in the foreign media reporter area, and many people joined in to jeer.

In their eyes, Chinese people only know how to copy and definitely can't create original work.

Lu Jingming didn't get angry; instead, he sneered.

"Stolen?"

He tapped the microphone and waved to the first row of VIPs offstage.

"Old Liu, someone says our hands aren't clean."

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man in an old grey suit stood up.

This man was carrying a worn-out briefcase and had a pair of triangular eyes.

He grinned, the half-gold tooth in his mouth reflecting light, exuding the sinister air of a suave scumbag.

This was none other than the head of the Xinghai Technology legal department, The Pizza Hut of Donghai City.

The Pizza Hut of Donghai City swaggered over and took a spare microphone.

He didn't use Chinese but spoke in a fluent London accent.

"Dear foreign media friends, sorry to interrupt."

He unzipped his worn-out briefcase, took out a thick stack of documents, and held them high above his head.

The lights hit the documents, and the red seal on the cover was clearly visible.

"Mr. Charles, right? You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want. Spreading rumors will get you a lawyer's letter."

The Pizza Hut of Donghai City slapped the papers, making them rustle loudly.

"This document is the official acceptance notice for a PCT international patent application."

The whole venue went quiet instantly; even Charles was stunned.

"Just an hour ago, our Xinghai Technology legal department already went through the PCT route."

The Pizza Hut of Donghai City scanned the audience, his tone arrogant.

"And officially submitted an exclusive patent application for Slide-to-unlock to 150 contracting states globally!"

Boom!

This sentence was like a nuclear bomb exploding in the pile of reporters.

"The underlying code, the interaction logic, and even that 'click' sound effect from just now."

The Pizza Hut of Donghai City flicked the documents in his hand and sneered, showing his gold tooth.

"Black and white, stamped with a red seal. All of it is the exclusive property of Xinghai Technology!"

Charles's legs went weak, and he slumped back into his chair.

How can he smear them now? They've even secured the international patent!

"From now on, whoever dares to add a slider to the screen to unlock..."

The Pizza Hut of Donghai City's eyes suddenly turned cold, revealing a viciousness like a dog that won't let go once it bites.

"Whoever does it is infringing. No matter which giant they are, I guarantee I'll sue them until they can't even afford their underwear."

Lu Jingming on stage smiled and applauded.

"Did you hear that clearly, Mr. Charles?"

He looked at the ashen-faced foreign reporter with a teasing tone.

"In the future, in Silicon Valley, if you see anyone using Slide-to-unlock, remember to call the police for me. That's called a knockoff."

These words were sharp, piercing to the core.

The four Apple engineers offstage felt as if they had been struck by lightning.

The Blonde Captain's vision went black, his chest feeling as tight as if it had been smashed by a sledgehammer.

This was no longer as simple as just being snatched away.

This was being stabbed in the major artery, with salt sprinkled on the wound for good measure!

The young engineer grabbed his swaying body.

His voice trembled like leaves in the cold wind, even sounding like he was about to cry.

"Captain, they snatched the patent! A global exclusive patent!"

The young engineer stared fixedly at the document on stage, his face full of despair.

"What about our press conference in three days? There are millions of units in the warehouse, all using Slide-to-unlock!"

The Blonde Captain panted heavily, cold sweat soaking his back.

It's over. It's all over.

The killer move that Steve had painstakingly prepared had directly turned into a life-ending poison.

"What else can we do?"

The Blonde Captain clenched his fists tightly, his face ashen.

"If we dare to go ahead with the launch, Apple will immediately become the world's biggest knockoff factory!"