Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

19: Chapter 19: The Arrival of Revolution and the Foundation of IndustryMay 1, 2016, International Workers’ Day. Yet on this day, the eyes of the global tech community were not focused on workers, but firmly locked on the press conference hall of Spark Technology’s new headquarters in Shenzhen, which resembled a futuristic warship. The air was thick with the premonition that history was about to be written.

Backstage, Su Chen adjusted his suit. In the mirror, his eyes were calm as water, save for a cluster of flames deep within, leaping with something called ambition. Lin Wan carefully adjusted his tie; her movements were gentle, her eyes filled with trust and an indescribable pride.

”Are you ready?” she asked softly.

”Yes.” Su Chen nodded and took a deep breath, steady and long. ”Let’s go ignite this revolution.”

The moment Su Chen stepped onto the stage, enveloped by countless spotlights, the number of viewers on the global online live stream instantly broke through a terrifying figure. Below the stage were media, partners, and industry elites waiting in anticipation; in front of the screens were countless curious, expectant, or scrutinizing viewers.

”Over the past year, Spark Technology has been reborn from the ashes; we defined intelligent flight and pioneered panoramic vision.” Su Chen’s opening was steady and powerful, reviewing the past but aiming at the present. ”But today, we stand here not to continue the glories of the past. Today, what we are going to do is break boundaries and inject new ’energy’ into this world!”

He didn’t waste time with preliminaries. With a wave of his arm, the giant circular screen behind him instantly lit up. A three-dimensional model of a battery with a high-tech, streamlined design slowly rotated, and next to it were four large characters: spark super energy!

”What is the ultimate bottleneck plaguing all electronic devices? It is energy!” Su Chen’s voice suddenly rose. ”Battery life, low-temperature degradation, cycle life, charging speed... these act like shackles, limiting the imagination of technology. Today, Spark Technology will personally break these shackles!”

With every sentence he spoke, the data on the screen jumped:

”Energy density — 58 Wh/kg!”

”Cycle life — over 1800 times!”

”Low-temperature performance — at -30℃, capacity retention rate is over 70%!”

”Supports 2C fast charging, fully charged in one hour!”

Every parameter announced drew an uproar from the audience! These data points comprehensively surpassed all consumer battery products on the market and even touched the threshold of many professional fields!

”This is impossible!” Below the stage, an engineer from a competitor couldn’t help but whisper, disbelief written all over his face.

Su Chen didn’t stop. He invited Wu Hao and Yang Yang onto the stage. Although the two young scientists were a bit nervous, when they began to explain the revolutionary nature of this battery from the perspectives of materials science and electrochemistry, absolute confidence radiated from their eyes. Wu Hao focused on how low-cost graphene technology broke through material bottlenecks, and Yang Yang detailed the chemical miracle of ”1+1 > 2” produced by the combination of the lead-carbon system and graphene.

Their professional and in-depth explanation completely dispelled the last remaining doubts in people’s minds. This wasn’t a gimmick; this was solid, generational technological suppression!

After the technical explanation, it entered the Q&A session. As soon as the host announced the start, countless arms were raised like a forest.

Su Chen first pointed to a male reporter with black-rimmed glasses and a calm demeanor.

”Mr. Su, Dr. Wu, Dr. Yang, hello. I am a reporter from ’Frontier Materials’. The commercial application of graphene has always been a global challenge. May I ask how Spark Technology achieved such low-cost, large-scale preparation of single-layer graphene? How are process stability and consistency guaranteed?” The question went straight to the core technological barrier.

Wu Hao took the microphone and answered calmly: ”Thank you for your question. Our breakthrough lies in the revolutionary optimization of the reaction chamber structure, gas flow rate, and substrate treatment of the traditional CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, and we have uniquely created a matching roll-to-roll transfer technology. Specific process details involve trade secrets, but I can guarantee that our production line has achieved a yield rate of over 95% and amazing cost control, fully meeting the needs of industrial mass production.”

Immediately after, a female reporter from an internationally renowned energy journal got the chance to ask.

”Dr. Yang, hello. The lead-carbon system is not a brand-new concept, but energy density and cycle life are often difficult to balance. ’spark super energy’ battery claims to achieve both high energy density and ultra-long life. Where exactly is the core innovation? Does it rely on the addition of graphene?”

Yang Yang nodded confidently: ”You’re right, balance is key. Our innovation is systematic. The addition of graphene greatly improves the conductivity and structural stability of the electrode; this is the foundation. But more importantly, we redesigned the microstructure of the lead-carbon anode and optimized the electrolyte formula, making the utilization of active materials higher and side reactions fewer. This is a comprehensive solution integrating ’material + structure + chemistry’.”

At this moment, a middle-aged man sitting in the front row with a serious expression stood up. He introduced himself as the technical director of a large domestic battery manufacturer.

”Mr. Su, the data released by Spark is indeed shocking. But as a peer, I must raise a question: is such aggressive performance improvement at the cost of safety? Especially regarding thermal runaway risks during fast charging and high-rate discharge, how do you control them?” This question was extremely sharp, and the scene instantly went quiet.

Facing the challenge, Su Chen’s expression remained unchanged, but his tone was exceptionally firm: ”Safety is the bottom line of Spark products, and it is the highest principle in the design of this battery.” He signaled the big screen to play a new video. ”We have adopted multiple safety measures: a uniquely designed anti-short-circuit separator, an intelligent thermal management BMS (Battery Management System), and a special pressure relief valve mechanism. All tests, including nail penetration, overcharge/over-discharge, and extreme temperature cycling, far exceed national standard requirements. Third-party authoritative test reports will be available for review shortly. spark super energy is not only powerful but absolutely safe.”

The bullet comments on the live stream were also going crazy:

”Holy crap! The reporter’s question was so ruthless! But the scientists’ answer was even more awesome!”

”Sounds very reliable, not just bragging; there are technical details!”

”The response on safety was so tough! Just for this, I’ll definitely buy it when it hits the market!”

”I feel like the battery industry is about to change...”

”Spark is going to dominate everything!”

Finally, Su Chen returned to the center of the stage and threw out the most important strategic declaration:

”’spark super energy’ batteries will first be applied to all of Spark Technology’s next-generation products! But its stage is definitely not limited to Spark!”

He scanned the audience, his words clear and distinct:

”From today on, Spark Technology will officially open ’spark super energy’ battery procurement to all global partners! Whether it’s smartphones, laptops, portable power stations, drones, or even starter batteries for electric vehicles... we welcome all partners dedicated to improving user experience to join us and use a stronger ’heart’ to empower better products!”

He paused, his voice resounding like a bell:

”We believe this is not just a battery launch. This will bring a real micro-technology revolution to the entire consumer electronics field.”

At the press conference, after a brief silence, a tsunami of applause and exclamations erupted! The online bullet comments went completely wild: ”Battery revolution!” ”Spark redefines energy!” ”Open for procurement? This is going to be the ’daddy’ of all manufacturers!” comments flooded the screen. Every media person knew that tomorrow’s headline would have only one name: Spark Technology!

Less than an hour after the press conference ended, Yu Dong, CEO of the consumer electronics giant Huawei, posted on his personal Weibo: ”’spark super energy’ battery is amazing! This is exactly the energy solution our future flagship products have been waiting for. @Spark Technology, looking forward to in-depth cooperation to bring breakthrough experiences to consumers together!” At the same time, domestic automotive leader Geely Group also officially announced that it had been in contact with Spark Technology to discuss using ”spark super energy” batteries for the 12V lithium battery system of its high-end new energy models to thoroughly solve the problems of winter starting and in-vehicle electrical endurance. The rapid response of the two industry giants wrote the most powerful footnote for the broad prospects of Spark batteries.

After the press conference, in the depths of Su Chen’s mind, the long-silent system notification sound rang out like heavenly music:

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully led a micro-technology revolution, significantly promoting the current civilization process! Stage task completed!]

[Reward issued: Unlocked ”Basic Industrial Machine Tools” directory.]

[Obtained: Complete design and manufacturing technology for 5-axis linkage machining centers (2018 technical level)!]

[Obtained: Complete design and manufacturing technology for 4-axis linkage machining centers (2020 technical level)!]

[Obtained: Complete design and manufacturing technology for 3-axis linkage machining centers (2022 technical level)!]

A torrent of information, far more vast, complex, and precise than any before, surged into Su Chen’s consciousness! It covered high-precision bed casting, ultra-precision spindle design, nano-scale grating ruler feedback systems, intelligent CNC systems, multi-axis linkage spatial compensation algorithms... a complete and transcendent industrial machine tool technology system covering design, materials, processing, and assembly!

Even though Su Chen was mentally prepared, his heart surged with monstrous waves!

Industrial machine tools! The machines that make machines!

This is the ultimate embodiment of a country’s industrial strength and the crown of precision manufacturing! With these technologies, Spark Technology will no longer be restricted by any external processing capabilities and can independently produce the most precise drone parts, robot joints, and even optical instruments and core parts of medical equipment that may be involved in the future! This is not just self-sufficiency; it means that from now on, Spark Technology has the potential to define high-end manufacturing standards, and in the future, it can even export the most core processing equipment to other high-end manufacturing enterprises!

The company’s ceiling was raised infinitely at this moment! Moving from a product company to a cornerstone company! The landscape had completely changed!

...

Meanwhile, in different corners of the world, some people felt like they had fallen into an ice cellar.

In the Lingyun Technology office, Chen Yonghao looked at the high-spirited Su Chen on the live stream and those desperate battery parameters. His face was ashen, and the cigar in his hand had long gone out without him realizing it. His lips trembled, finally turning into a powerless long sigh, and he slumped in his boss chair, his eyes empty. He knew that the ”Star Hunter Alliance” had become a joke, and the twilight of Lingyun Technology had arrived prematurely.

And in that secret office, Zhou Tianyu’s face was so gloomy it could drip water. On the tablet in front of him, Spark Technology’s stock price was soaring again, and the screen was full of praise. Su Chen’s success was like a loud slap in his face. Spark Technology’s value and moat were already so deep that he couldn’t shake them. An extremely strong sense of frustration and desire for destruction intertwined in his heart.

”Su Chen... you’re very good...” He squeezed these words out through his teeth, a crazy and dangerous light flickering in his eyes. ”But the game isn’t over yet! The more perfect something is, the more pleasant it is when it shatters!” He knew that conventional business methods were hard to be effective, and he had to find more unconventional and lethal ways to strike.

...

Spark Technology’s celebration party was grandly held in the headquarters park. The lights were bright, glasses were clinking, and everyone’s faces were filled with joy and pride. As the absolute protagonist, Su Chen was surrounded by people, accepting congratulations like a tide.

Lin Wan shuttled through the crowd, dealing with guests from all sides appropriately, but her gaze always followed Su Chen’s figure intentionally or unintentionally. Wang Ming and Evan Chen were arm-in-arm, discussing what crazy designs could be realized for the next generation of products with the ”spark super energy” battery. Wu Hao and Yang Yang were surrounded by a group of peers, enjoying the glory of being technical heroes.

In the jubilant atmosphere, Su Chen walked to Liang Zhen and Engineer Wang seemingly casually and raised his glass to signal.

He had a gentle smile on his face, but his voice was very low, and only the three of them could hear:

”Liang Zhen, Engineer Wang. This feast is very successful, but in the corner, one or two uninvited ’flies’ might have mixed in.”

His gaze seemed unintentional, but it precisely swept over Li Mengqi, who was chatting and laughing with several young engineers not far away.

”It’s time to ’clean up’ our R&D team. It needs to be clean, and it needs to be ’quiet’.”

A cold glint flashed in Liang Zhen’s eyes, and he nodded slightly: ”Understood, Mr. Su. The evidence chain is initially complete, just waiting to close the net.”

Wang Ming was stunned at first, and then a trace of heartbreak and anger flashed across his face. He nodded heavily.

Su Chen withdrew his gaze, raised his glass again, faced the audience, his face filled with the smile of a winner.

”To Spark! To the future!”

”To Spark! To the future!” The whole audience responded, the sound shaking the sky.

The flames of revolution had been ignited, and the foundation of industry had been quietly laid. And in the shadows where no one noticed, an operation to purge internal tumors was about to unfold silently. Spark Technology’s journey had turned a brand new page. Ahead lay a broader sea of stars, and also hidden deeper undercurrents and whirlpools.