Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

41: Chapter 41: The Light of DawnDecember 1, 2016, Shenzhen.

The winter chill did not dampen the enthusiasm of the tech world. Tonight, the ”Heart of Spark” International Convention Center, located next to the Spark Technology headquarters campus, was brightly lit like a massive diamond fallen to earth. On the circular building’s facade, flowing lights outlined the ”SPARK” logo and the theme of tonight’s conference—”Light of Dawn.”

Inside, the main hall, which could accommodate three thousand people, was packed to capacity. Tech media from around the world, industry analysts, core suppliers, partners, and lucky fans who had won tickets filled every seat. The air was thick with a complex mix of anticipation, curiosity, and even a hint of scrutiny. Everyone wanted to know what kind of answer Spark Technology would provide after nearly six months of silence and international pressure.

At exactly seven o’clock in the evening, the lights in the hall suddenly went out, plunging the room into pure darkness and silence. Then, a spotlight pierced the darkness like a sword, striking the center of the stage with precision.

Su Chen, dressed in a simple dark turtleneck and casual trousers, walked steadily into the center of the light. There were no flashy entrance effects or loud musical accompaniment—just him and the thousands of eyes focused on him.

He scanned the audience with a calm and profound gaze, picked up the microphone, and spoke his first words, which rang out clearly and powerfully in every corner of the hall:

“Over the past few months, we have been through a lot.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it possessed a strange piercing quality. “Doubts, suppression, blockades... Some wanted to know if we could still stand up. Today, we stand here not to talk about the hardships of the journey, but to present an answer.”

He paused slightly, a confident smile playing on his lips:

“We have returned with the answer.”

No long-winded prologue, no dramatization of past struggles—just concise, powerful, and confident! Instantly, the first round of thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and many loyal supporters of Spark even stood up in excitement.

“First, let’s look at an old friend you’re all familiar with, the place where our dreams began.” Su Chen turned slightly, and the massive circular screen behind him lit up instantly, showing a 3D model of a drone with sharp lines and a futuristic tech aesthetic rotating slowly. “Welcome, spark 3!”

A low gasp rippled through the audience. Compared to xinghuo no. 2, the design of spark 3 was more aggressive, its body coating gleaming with a dull metallic luster under the lights.

“It is stronger.” Su Chen pointed to the parameter list. “Level 7 wind resistance means it can still fly steadily in most harsh weather conditions.”

“It is more enduring.” The second parameter lit up. “35 minutes of ultra-long battery life, a 40% increase over the previous generation, giving you plenty of time to capture every brilliant moment.”

“It sees further and transmits more stably.” Su Chen continued, “The brand-new OcuSync 2.0 image transmission technology provides a maximum range of 8 kilometers and 1080p high-definition real-time footage with almost no perceptible latency.”

Then, he added with emphasis: “And the core of all this intelligent experience comes from its brand-new brain—” The screen behind him switched to a close-up and internal structure diagram of the flint one chip, “Our self-developed ‘flint one’ SOC!”

“Based on the powerful AI computing power of the ‘flint one,’ we have given spark 3 real ‘eyes’ and a ‘brain’—APAS 3.0 (Advanced Pilot Assistance System).” As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, a meticulously produced demonstration video began to play.

In the video, the spark 3 automatically followed a hiker through a dense mountain forest with complex terrain. The drone nimbly wove through tree branches, occasionally rising above the canopy or tilting to avoid protruding rocks; in a narrow canyon, it even actively planned a ’Z’ shaped route to pass through perfectly. Throughout the process, the flight path was smooth and fluid, without a hint of hesitation or risk of collision.

“Omnidirectional environmental sensing and intelligent obstacle avoidance in all directions.” Su Chen’s voice sounded after the video ended. “This means you only need to focus on composition and creativity; leave the flying and safety to it.”

The venue erupted in applause, especially from professional aerial photographers and tech enthusiasts who knew all too well what such a system meant!

Next, Su Chen announced the “Spirit Eye 2” action camera. It featured a smaller, more rugged body and supported 4K/120fps ultra-HD slow motion and 1080p/240fps extreme slow motion. When a video of skiing and mountain bike downhill racing, shot directly with the “Spirit Eye 2” without any post-processing stabilization, was played, the footage—comparable to that of a professional movie stabilizer—sent the crowd into a frenzy again! The power of the FlowState 2.0 stabilization algorithm was beyond doubt.

“Excellent terminal products cannot exist without the support of even more powerful core components.” Su Chen’s tone shifted. “Today, we officially announce our entry into the field of core components!”

An extremely exquisite camera module appeared on the screen. “This is the ‘Light and Shadow 1.0’ multi-camera module. It integrates our self-developed dual-camera system, boasting industry-leading ultra-high light sensitivity and HDR video capabilities.”

Su Chen showed a comparison image: on the left was a blurry photo taken by a certain international flagship phone in extreme low light, while on the right was a sample from a prototype equipped with the “Light and Shadow 1.0,” showing a bright image with clear details and excellent noise control. “We believe ‘Light and Shadow 1.0’ will redefine the benchmark for the next generation of mobile imaging,” he declared confidently.

Then, the stage lights changed again, and the background turned into an animation of powerful mechanical structures.

“Next is the power that drives the future.” Su Chen’s voice became more forceful. “Spark Power brings you brand-new battery and electric drive solutions!”

“For the high-end market pursuing ultimate performance, we are launching the ‘Divine Travel’ high-energy-density ternary lithium battery. It reaches an energy density of 250 Wh/kg and supports ultra-high-speed charging, replenishing 80% of its power in just 15 minutes, making range anxiety a thing of the past!”

“And for the mainstream market and energy storage sector that prioritize safety and durability, we provide the ‘Bedrock’ lithium iron phosphate battery. It has a cycle life of over 8,000 charges and has passed the most rigorous safety tests—it is as solid as a rock, living up to its name!”

Finally, Su Chen revealed the grand finale of the power sector—the “Qingtian Super Power Electric Drive System!” The large screen boldly listed its parameters: a triple-motor layout, a peak total power of 440kW (approximately 598 horsepower), and peak torque exceeding—

A collective gasp of surprise echoed through the audience. These figures already surpassed the vast majority of top-tier performance cars on the market!

A short video played at the right moment: a camouflaged test car on a closed track lined up for a standing start against a V8 supercar from a famous brand. When the green light flashed, the test car shot out like a cannonball, instantly leaving the supercar far behind with an extremely obvious advantage!

“This is the power of ‘Qingtian.’” Su Chen said calmly. “It is not just fast; it is more efficient and smoother. It will empower our partners to create world-class new energy vehicles.”

“Every product released today, from the drones soaring in the sky to the cameras capturing moments, and the batteries and motors driving the future...” Su Chen’s voice slowed down, filled with emotion. “They all share one soul, one that we designed and built with our own hands—the ‘spark core’!”

The large screen focused on the “flint one” once again. Beside it was a detailed performance comparison with the previously used imported chips and the industry-mainstream 28-nanometer chips. The screen behind him displayed a comparison chart where performance surpassed the TSMC 28HPM process ARM A9 chip. The “flint one” achieved significant leads in energy efficiency and image processing capabilities.

“This is our answer after being cut off from supplies.” Su Chen’s gaze became incredibly firm, and his voice rose an octave, carrying an unquestionable power. “It proves that without core technology, one will be controlled by others! It also proves that there is no cutting-edge technology that we Huaxia people cannot build ourselves! This ‘flint one’ not only lights up our products, but it also ignites our determination and confidence in independent innovation!”

The atmosphere in the hall reached its peak! Long, thunderous applause almost blew the roof off the venue. In the front row, Lin Wan, Shen Nanpeng, Wang Ming, and others were all clapping vigorously with tears in their eyes.

The event moved into the media Q&A session.

A foreign journalist was the first to challenge him with a sharp question: “Mr. Su, congratulations on the new products. But we want to know, what is the initial yield rate of the ‘flint one’? How can you guarantee its long-term reliability? Furthermore, after losing major markets in Europe and America, where exactly will Spark Technology’s growth momentum come from?”

Su Chen faced it candidly: “Thank you for your question. To be honest, the initial yield rate did face challenges, but thanks to our team’s hard work and unique process optimization, the yield rate has rapidly increased and stabilized at an industry-leading level. Regarding reliability, we have complete test data and a rigorous quality system; time will prove everything.” He paused, his tone turning confident. “As for growth momentum, on one hand, it comes from our technologically leading products themselves—they speak for themselves. On the other hand, Huaxia possesses the world’s largest and most active market. Additionally, ‘non-US’ markets like Russia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are equally vast. The world’s diversity far exceeds what some people imagine.”

Then, a journalist from an authoritative domestic tech media outlet stood up, their tone full of praise: “President Su, today’s conference is a milestone for Huaxia tech companies! May I ask about the current customer expansion status for the ‘Light and Shadow 1.0’ module?”

“Thank you for the recognition.” Su Chen responded with a smile. “We have already reached preliminary supply agreements with several leading domestic smartphone manufacturers. Specific details of the cooperation will be announced by the partners themselves in the future.”

Next were questions from partners. Li Fu, Chairman of Geely Auto, took the microphone directly and said in a booming voice: “President Su, I’ll just ask one thing: when can the ‘Qingtian’ system be supplied in bulk? I officially announce here that Geely’s new high-end new energy brand, ‘Galaxy,’ will be fully equipped with ‘Divine Travel’ batteries and the ‘Qingtian’ electric drive system!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the audience was in an uproar again! This was the strongest possible market endorsement!

Yu Dong, CEO of Huawei terminals, followed closely. He highly praised the performance of the “flint one” and “Light and Shadow 1.0” and announced on the spot: “Huawei has decided to establish a joint laboratory with Spark Technology to jointly develop next-generation mobile terminal chips and imaging technology! At the same time, we will also procure ‘flint one’ chips and ‘Light and Shadow 1.0’ modules for use in some of our future terminal products!”

The full support of two industry giants elevated the significance of the conference once again, marking Spark Technology’s successful embedding into the core of Huaxia’s top-tier technology industry chain.

Su Chen returned to the center of the stage for the final summary. He thanked all users, partners, and employees for their trust and support.

“Dawn has arrived, and the road ahead is bright.” He looked at the countless eyes sparkling with excitement and hope, his voice steady and full of power. “Today’s conference is not the end, but a brand-new beginning. Spark Technology’s journey—”

He opened his arms as if to embrace the entire future:

“—is the sea of stars!”

The entire audience stood up, and the applause, cheers, and whistles continued unabated, merging into a surging heat that echoed throughout the “Heart of Spark” venue. It was as if announcing the start of a new technological era. The light of dawn had pierced through layers of haze, illuminating the path forward for Spark Technology and the entire Huaxia tech industry.