86: The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber III

"The Yangtze River Battery is the latest achievement of our Red Star Charging Lab. Our Engineers have developed a new type of lithium-ion battery by improving the battery production process, changing the folding of the separator, and altering the ratio of cathode material elements."

"Compared to original lithium-ion batteries, this battery is 23% lighter for the same volume, and its capacity has increased by 42%. I'll ask my assistant to bring out two batteries for comparison so everyone can see clearly."

As Shen Rou brought out two batteries, Chen Chen put down the remote and held up both batteries to show the live audience and viewers watching the stream.

"In my left hand is a 3000mAh battery, and in my right is our latest Yangtze River Battery. Friends watching the stream should be able to see that these two batteries are basically the same size, but our Yangtze River Battery has a capacity of a full 5500mAh!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.

Everyone knew Red Star was strong in charging technology, but no one expected them to be this powerful.

A battery of the same volume was a full 2500mAh larger; no wonder Chen Chen said earlier that the kunpeng phone 2 could be so thin and light without sacrificing battery capacity.

"The production of a battery involves over a hundred processes, including electrode slurry preparation, coating, pole piece punching, winding, stacking, assembly, and injection. Our Engineers conducted hundreds of thousands of experiments, starting from every process of battery production and trying every possible method before finally developing this Yangtze River Battery."

"This isn't just a small battery; it represents Red Star's continuous exploration of technology."

"On the path of exploration, we at Red Star are constantly investing, working hard, and making breakthroughs."

"Even for a mere one percent improvement, we are willing to invest one hundred percent more!"

Enthusiastic applause and cheers came from below the stage, but the appearance of this battery also gave the heads of other manufacturers a sense of crisis. Red Star was already leading in charging, and now with such a large battery, how could their own products compete?

If they also made high-capacity phones, they would be thicker and larger than Red Star's.

If they didn't make them high-capacity, people would say Red Star has 5500mAh while you only have 3000mAh, so your battery life must be terrible.

Once users got used to fast charging and long battery life, they would have already been dragged onto this track by Red Star, and they would have no choice but to follow.

At this moment, the heads of various manufacturers had their own calculations. Yu Chengbei's first reaction was that Huawei must also research this area; they absolutely could not fall too far behind Red Star.

Lei Jun's first reaction was that he should discuss it with Chen Chen and order a batch of Yangtze River batteries for Red Star.

As for the Vice President of Fruit, he had a look of joy on his face. The body size of Fruit's 5s this year meant it was impossible to fit a very large battery. Even though Fruit's iOS power management was excellent, who would complain about having more battery capacity without changing the product's volume?

It seemed he could talk about cooperation with Red Star after the event ended.

Being able to supply Fruit would be an honor for Red Star; he believed this Chen Chen wouldn't say no.

"The Yangtze River Battery is actually just a byproduct of our pursuit of fast charging. Our Engineers wanted higher charging power and faster speeds, but existing batteries didn't support our fast charging. Out of necessity, we had to design and improve the battery ourselves."

"As for fast charging, you don't need to worry; Red Star has always been at the global forefront in this regard!"

"The charging power of the kunpeng phone 2 has been increased again, reaching 55 watts! It only takes 36 minutes to fully charge this large 5500mAh battery!"

"We at Red Star dare to challenge the world's fastest charging speed. To repeat: we are far ahead of our peers!"

Sitting in the first row, Yu Chengbei felt an indescribable sensation every time he heard Chen Chen say that phrase, yet he couldn't put his finger on what was wrong.

It felt as if he had lost something important.

And yet, this Chen Chen loved saying it so much.

In basically every press conference, he would drop that 'far ahead' line.

"So, what is the price for a Kunpeng mobile phone with such a beautiful appearance, powerful performance, excellent screen, outstanding photography, the world's fastest charging speed, and the largest battery in Red Star's history?"

"1999!"

"1999!"

The fans in the audience shouted '1999' as if heckling, leaving Chen Chen caught between laughter and tears.

He wasn't about to sell the technology he worked so hard to develop at bargain-bin prices.

"President Chen, 1999!"

"Make a friend, 1999!"

For a moment, shouts of '1999' rose and fell throughout the entire audience.

"The one shouting 1999 is definitely here to cause trouble. Who would provide 55-watt charging and a Yangtze River Battery for 1999?"

"Our final price starts at 3499!"

As the big screen scrolled, it displayed the prices for the kunpeng phone 2.

4+64: 3499

4+128: 3699

6+64: 3999

6+128: 4299

6+256: 5999

"In addition to the standard version, the Kunpeng mobile phone also has an ultimate collectors edition this time. Its back cover is made of top-layer calfskin imported from Italy, crafted through 86 processes for an outstanding feel. Meanwhile, the two cameras use 18k gold plating to highlight the owner's high-end and elegant status."

"In terms of memory, we've gone straight to the top with a 6G+256G configuration. It comes with a flip protective case that is outstanding in both feel and quality, as well as a Black Gold F-Code for priority purchase of Red Star phones."

"This F-code has no expiration date and is bound to a Red Star account. In the future, every mass-produced mobile phone product released by Red Star can be purchased with priority once."

"That's once for every mass-produced phone from Red Star, not just one use in total."

When the rendering of this ultimate edition appeared on the big screen, everyone's eyes were drawn to it.

"Holy crap! It looks so high-end! Especially that F-code—does that mean I'll never have to fight for a launch release again? I can just buy it!"

"Imported Italian calfskin and 18k gold plating? I think a phone like this perfectly matches my status."

"Give it a rest, you're only suited for the 699 Shine 1."

Following the audience's discussion, Chen Chen threw out another benefit for the ultimate collectors edition.

"Red Star is about to release another heavyweight product, which will be featured first on the ultimate collectors edition. At the same time, due to the back cover process, the production volume won't be high—only 50,000 units in total."

Rarity makes things valuable. Since it was called the ultimate collectors edition, they couldn't release too much stock; otherwise, if they released a ton, what would be 'ultimate' or 'collectible' about it?

Scarcity was the goal; collectibility was the goal.

Looking at future Lamborghini collaborations, Porsche designs, or RS models, the markups were in the thousands or tens of thousands. To be high-end, it had to be scarce; if everyone could buy it, what was high-end about it?

"Next, I will bring you a few more products from Red Star, starting with televisions and our smart speakers. Allow me to step down for a drink of water while our staff sets up the television."