3: Chapter 3: The Destroyer Arrives

Time flew by amidst tension and anticipation. In the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Su Chen took over Spark Technology.

In these three months, earth-shattering changes had occurred within Spark Technology. The once lifeless office area was now brightly lit, with the clicking of keyboards, technical discussions, and the roar of production line debugging intertwining to form a symphony of struggle.

With the complete technical data provided by the system, the project team skipped the most time-consuming research and development exploration phase. The technical team led by Wang Ming turned drawings and algorithms into reality at a near-frenzied speed. Prototype trial production, repeated testing, adjustment, and optimization... although there were some hiccups in the process, the overall progress was exceptionally smooth.

However, in the actual implementation, Su Chen also encountered practical problems. The system's technology mainly covered the core algorithms, sensors, integrated gimbals, motors and ESCs, flight controllers, and communication modules. But some non-core standardized parts, shell molds, and batteries still needed to be purchased externally. This meant the final calculated comprehensive production cost of 'xinghuo no. 1' didn't reach the exaggerated '20%' originally expected, but it was still controlled at an exciting 1,200 rmb per unit. This was only 40% of the cost of equivalent products on the market (such as Lingyun Technology's phantom 3, which costs about 3,000 rmb)!

When the financial director handed this cost report to Su Chen, his hands were shaking. He had worked in this industry for half his life and had never seen such terrifying cost-performance.

With the cost determined, pricing became the key.

At the project team's core meeting, Su Chen threw out his plan: "'xinghuo no. 1' will be priced at 2,999 rmb."

The meeting room fell into instant silence, followed by an uproar.

"President Su, isn't this... too aggressive?" An old employee in charge of marketing couldn't help but speak up. "Lingyun's equivalent products sell for 5,999 or even higher. Our performance is not inferior to theirs. Even if we set it at 4,999, it would still be an absolute advantage!"

"Yes, President Su," another person chimed in. "At 2,999, our gross profit per unit is nearly 1,800 rmb, but we still have to account for marketing, channel commissions, and advertising. These will take away at least 600 rmb per unit, leaving a net profit of 1,200 rmb. Although that's also high, if we set it at 4,999, we could earn an extra two thousand! The company desperately needs profit right now!"

Everyone felt Su Chen was being too much of a "spendthrift," letting double the profit slip away.

Su Chen looked around at everyone, his gaze firm. "I know what you're thinking. But you must understand that our primary goal at this stage isn't maximizing profit per unit, but speed and market share."

He stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and wrote three large words: "Cash Flow."

"We need to spread the product out as quickly as possible to generate huge sales. Only when sales volume goes up can funds be recovered quickly, allowing us to expand production and support our next plan. 2,999 rmb isn't just a price; it's a threshold—a threshold that can instantly pierce consumers' psychological defenses and leave all competitors with no time to react! We will use this one product to completely make a name for Spark Technology and seize the market high ground!"

He overrode all objections, his tone unquestionable: "It's settled. All promotional resources will revolve around the 2,999 rmb core explosive point!"

...

One afternoon in May, Spark Technology's new product launch event was held in a redecorated auditorium within the company. They didn't choose a luxury hotel; the venue wasn't extravagant but was full of minimalist tech style. The number of media and industry insiders present was more than Su Chen had expected. Clearly, the news that ST Spark was releasing a new product carried enough buzz on its own.

Su Chen wore a simple dark suit and walked onto the stage calmly. Without excessive pleasantries, he directly introduced today's protagonist—the 'xinghuo no. 1' drone.

The streamlined body, matte black texture, and exquisite folding design attracted many eyes as soon as it appeared.

"Looks good, but I wonder if it's just for show," someone in the audience commented in a low voice.

Su Chen ignored the possible doubts and began demonstrating the core functions of 'xinghuo no. 1' one by one.

The indoor hover was as steady as Bedrock, remaining motionless even under man-made airflow interference; the smooth high-speed maneuvers carved beautiful arcs in the sky; the high-definition camera transmitted footage as stable as if shot from the ground in real-time onto the big screen. The most eye-catching feature was the intelligent follow function; the drone was like a loyal cameraman, firmly locked onto a volunteer staff member below the stage, keeping them in the center of the frame no matter how they moved.

The excellent performance caused the whispers in the audience to gradually fade, replaced by growing amazement.

When the demonstration ended, Su Chen stood in the center of the stage. The image on the large screen behind him changed, and a massive number appeared—

[Price: 2,999]

"Whoa—!"

The entire venue was dead silent for a second, then a huge wave of sound erupted! Almost everyone thought they had seen it wrong!

"How much? 2,999?"

"Did I hear that right? Performance comparable to the phantom 3, for only 2,999?"

"Is this price... for real?!"

The bullet comments on the online streaming platforms exploded instantly, densely covering the entire screen:

"Price Butcher!!!"

"The Light of Domestic Goods! Buy it till it's gone!"

"Holy crap! At this price, who needs anything else!"

"Lingyun Technology must be dumbfounded!"

"Spark Technology is awesome! President Su is awesome!"

2,999 rmb! This was over two thousand rmb cheaper than all drones with equivalent performance on the market! This was almost equivalent to half a month's salary for an average urban worker in 2015! The massive price gap created an unparalleled impact.

The launch event was an unprecedented success. The terms 'xinghuo no. 1' and '2,999,' along with the reputations of "Price Butcher" and "Light of Domestic Goods," swept through the tech circles and major social platforms at an alarming speed. Spark Technology, a name almost forgotten, became an overnight internet sensation!

The real test was on the sales side. A week later, the first batch of 50,000 'xinghuo no. 1' units went on sale simultaneously on several mainstream e-commerce platforms, starting immediate delivery.

Su Chen, Lin Wan, Wang Ming, and all the project team members stared intently at the constantly jumping sales data in the backend.

10 seconds, inventory decreased by 10,000 units!

30 seconds, inventory alert!

1 minute! All 50,000 units in stock were sold out!

When the grey words "Sold Out" appeared on the screen, the office was silent at first, then erupted into deafening cheers! Many people hugged each other excitedly, and some even shed tears. This wasn't just the sales of 50,000 units; it was proof of their survival against all odds!

The first batch of 50,000 units had sales totaling nearly 150 million rmb!

Just as everyone was immersed in joy, Su Chen's personal phone received a text message notification. He walked to the window and opened the message:

[Industrial and Commercial Bank of China] Your account ending in 8810 received a transfer of 15,000,000.00 rmb at 16:28 on May XX. Current balance 15,XX... Remarks: Technology Innovation Tax Refund.

Fifteen million!

The system's rebate function was real! This huge sum of money was lying directly in his personal account! This meant that as long as 'xinghuo no. 1' continued to sell, he would have a continuous personal cash treasury! This provided the solidest foundation for his future plans.

Meanwhile, the capital market's sense of smell was the keenest. After the news of 'xinghuo no. 1' selling out spread, ST Spark's stock price, which had been lifeless and hit the downward limit for several consecutive days, seemed to be injected with a shot of adrenaline. That afternoon, buying orders suddenly flooded in, and the stock price pulled up against the trend, eventually locking firmly at the upward limit!

1.05 rmb!

This was the first time ST Spark's stock price hit the upward limit after falling to rock bottom! Although the increase was only 0.05 rmb, this was undoubtedly a strong signal, symbolizing the initial return of market confidence and a turning point in the company's fate!

An atmosphere of joy permeated the company. However, crises always grow quietly when the sun is at its brightest.

In the evening, Lin Wan knocked on Su Chen's office door, holding a freshly printed report with a hint of solemnity on her face.

"President Su," she placed the report on Su Chen's desk, "this is the information our public opinion monitoring department just collected."

Su Chen picked up the report and scanned it quickly. The first part was mostly positive media reports and user praise, but in the last few pages, the tone suddenly changed.

Minutes from an internal meeting allegedly leaked from industry giant [Lingyun Technology] showed that their top management had urgently convened a meeting specifically to discuss the 'xinghuo no. 1' phenomenon, with the meeting theme marked as "Red Alert."

At the same time, some discordant voices began to appear online. Several influential tech self-media outlets published sharp commentary articles:

"Shocking 2,999! The source of Spark's drone technology is a mystery: is it black tech or a black industry chain?"

"Cost Cloud: Analyzing xinghuo no. 1—how did they cut the price in half? Is there any cutting of corners?"

"Is ST Spark's 'miracle' a rebirth from the ashes or a capital scam?"

The articles were full of doubts about Spark Technology's technical sources, questioned the rationality of the ultra-low cost, and even subtly hinted at possible intellectual property infringement or the use of illegal means to reduce costs.

The tree wants to be still, but the wind keeps blowing.

The first battle was won, cash flow was activated, and the stock price began to recover. But Su Chen understood that the real challenge might have only just begun. Lingyun Technology, this industry giant, had been awakened, and the battlefield of public opinion had also been ignited.

He gently put down the report and looked out the window at the brilliant city night view, his eyes deep.

"I see," he said calmly to Lin Wan. "Let the bullets fly for a while longer."