124: Chapter 124 The Darkness Before Dawn

The official website of Star Technology.

All product introductions, parameter comparisons, and user reviews for "stellar" products on the page had vanished.

Only a small line of text remained at the very top of the page.

"Thank you for your company; farewell."

No explanations, no goodbyes.

Eight characters declared the end of a business.

At this moment, the mobile phone business of Star Technology officially came to an end.

Within ten minutes, the news spread across the entire internet through screenshots and shares.

#Star Technology Bankrupt#

This topic surged to the number one spot on the trending lists of all social platforms.

Countless users of "stellar" phones clicked on the official website.

They saw that small line of gray text with their own eyes.

A sense of loss welled up in their hearts.

They spontaneously posted screenshots of their phone systems in the comment sections.

Accompanied by the phrase "Rest in peace."

The media reacted even faster.

Major tech portals pushed out special reports immediately.

"The End of an Era: The Meteoric Tragedy of Star Technology."

"The Price of Challenging the Rules: A Giant Falls Before the Dawn."

"What a Pity! If Only Xingchen Had Been Given Three More Years..."

Regret, reflection, analysis—articles from various perspectives emerged one after another.

At the headquarters of Xiaomi Group, in the office of founder person, several executives sat around.

His personal social media account had just updated with a post: "A respectable opponent, a legendary journey. We were supposed to meet at the peak."

He put down his phone and picked up the teacup on the table.

"The market is finally quiet," a vice president let out a long sigh.

person said nothing, just looking out the window.

Peng City, Huawei headquarters.

The office of Yu Chengdong, CEO of the mobile business, was also brightly lit.

He had just shared an in-depth article analyzing the reasons for Xingchen's failure, adding a comment: "In the face of globalized technical barriers, any heroism that fights alone is worthy of respect, but also destined to be tragic. Huawei will continue to explore and move forward on this difficult path."

Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was relaxed.

Someone opened a bottle of champagne, and the golden liquid fizzed in the glass.

"The biggest threat has finally walked into a dead end on its own."

"He is too young and too impatient, thinking he could challenge the entire supply chain with just one or two technologies."

"Now, the high-end market is back on our table."

Yu Chengdong raised his glass and clinked it with the others.

"To the end of an era."

The crisp sound of glass clinking echoed in the room.

Across the ocean, analysts on Wall Street began a carnival.

They worked through the night to write their reports, defining the failure of Star Technology as "the inevitable outcome for challenging the technical hegemony of the United States."

In the CNBC studio, a top analyst talked eloquently to the camera.

"The case of Star Technology serves as a wake-up call for all companies in emerging markets."

"Any attempt to bypass the existing international technical order will pay a heavy price."

"This is not a threat; it is a rule."

His views were translated into multiple languages and spread globally.

Several top business schools had even written "The Collapse of Star Technology" into their MBA textbooks as the latest case study on failure, used to warn future entrepreneurs.

Global public opinion was putting the final nail in the coffin of Star Technology's "death."

However, amidst this global uproar, a very small number of people felt a hint of unease.

Jing City, Institute 703.

The office of Zhang Jianzhong had no lights on.

The light from the computer screen illuminated his face.

He was browsing through the overwhelming number of "obituaries" and "analyses" on the internet.

The screen's light reflected a flash of sarcasm on his face.

As one of the few who knew the truth, he understood that what the outside world saw was only what Chen Xu wanted them to see.

That internal briefing regarding the successful trial production of the "Kunlun" chip was still sitting in the secure cabinet beside him.

The real storm had not yet begun.

Time was approaching midnight.

This grand "cyber funeral" had reached its climax.

Countless internet users staying up late were still expressing their regret or mockery in various posts and live streams.

Just then, a sudden change occurred.

The official website of Star Technology, which had been gray for days and visited and screenshotted by countless people as a memento, had all its content vanish in that instant.

The website turned into a purely black page.

All netizens who were refreshing the page were stunned.

Was this the final sign before the server was shut down completely?

Just as they were wondering, a pixel flickered in the center of the dark page.

Immediately after, more pixels lit up.

They formed a retro-styled electronic countdown clock.

The numbers on the clock clearly displayed: 24:00:00.

Below the countdown clock, four Chinese characters emitted a faint glow.

[Tianshu · Rebirth]

This page ignited the entire internet.

The people still staying up late went completely crazy.

"What's going on? Has the Xingchen official website been hacked?"

"It's not a hacker! Look at those two words! Tianshu! Rebirth!"

"A comeback from the dead? What does this mean? A final farewell performance?"

"I don't believe it! I don't believe Xingchen would fall like this! This is definitely the horn of a counterattack! 'Rebirth', brothers!"

The word "Rebirth" reignited a flame in the hearts of countless users who had originally lost heart.

That was a glimmer of hope seen in a desperate situation.

Panic began to spread among another group of people.

Meanwhile, an electronic invitation appeared in the inboxes of major global tech media, well-known commentators, and companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung.

Sender: Star Technology.

The email content was extremely concise, with only one line of text.

"We cordially invite you to witness the beginning of a new era together."

There were no specific details.

This invitation, combined with the countdown on the official website, created a sense of suspense.

The countdown, under the gaze of hundreds of millions of people around the world, ticked down second by second.

23:59:59.

23:59:58.

No one knew what would happen 24 hours later when this number reached zero.

Was it a final self-mockery, or... a shocking counterattack?

Star Technology headquarters building, top floor.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were the city lights of Fei City.

Chen Xu stood in front of the window, overlooking the night scene below.

Guan Yi stood by his side, reporting the global trends that had just been summarized.

"Boss, executives from Huawei and Xiaomi have both issued 'eulogies'."

"Wall Street has defined us as a classic example of a failed challenge."

"After the countdown appeared on the official website, server traffic on all social platforms hit a peak."

Chen Xu's gaze passed through the night, looking into the distance.

"Notify Wei Yi to activate the highest security protocol."

Guan Yi nodded.

Chen Xu continued.

"The 'Aegis' team will take over all areas inside and outside the press conference venue at six o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Tell him to prepare more personnel."

He paused for a moment.

"Tomorrow, there will be many people wanting to rush into our Technology Park."

"The kind that can't be stopped."