The press conference ended smoothly. After bidding farewell to the media, Zhao Min walked off the stage, pulled out her phone, and dialed Chen Mo.
"Are you satisfied with the conference?" she asked as soon as the call connected.
"Very satisfied. Especially that final question—I almost wanted to throw your picture on the big screen with the words 'Integrity, Courage, Motivation, Handsome, and Alive' written underneath."
"You should've put yours up instead," Zhao Min chuckled. "I wonder what kind of response the conference is getting."
"It's already trending. The beauty president's influence is no joke. You're famous now," Chen Mo replied.
"So fast?" Zhao Min was genuinely surprised.
"That last woman who asked about your boyfriend? She live-streamed it on Weibo. It sent the press conference straight to the hot search."
"I'm preparing to launch the phone next. Are you coming to the office?"
"Some other day—you go ahead."
Chen Mo hung up, packed his things, and left the venue.
Soon after the press conference, Global News posted an article titled "Awaken, Marching Ants!" Along with clips from the live stream, the post quickly drew a flood of comments, shares, and engagement within minutes.
Not long after, People's Daily also posted on Weibo using the same title.
With two major media outlets involved, attention surged.
The hashtag #AwakenMarchingAnts climbed the trending list.
Amusingly, the hashtag #BeautyPresident followed right behind, nearly stealing the limelight. The third trending tag was #ChineseMobileOS, and fourth was #ButterflyEye.
The momentum kept growing.
A single press conference had dominated four top trending spots—overshadowing even celebrity gossip.
With little major news lately, the Marching Ants launch became the headline event of the day.
The Marching Ant OS was being touted as potentially superior to Android and iOS.
And the star of the show—the Butterfly Eye smartphone—had pictures flooding every social feed. Many women were calling it a must-buy, while men could only mourn their wallets.
Only 30,000 units were released in the first batch. With this kind of hype, they'd be gone in minutes. And sales were online only.
Penguin News, Squirrel Headlines, Sina, Phoenix—every major outlet was covering it.
With no other major stories, the domestic media spotlight turned entirely to the Marching Ants.
A beautiful CEO, a domestic operating system, and a gorgeous phone—these three hooks kept the momentum climbing.
Gan Yu walked through the door, tossed his briefcase on the couch, and collapsed on it. Work was draining, and making a living wasn't getting any easier.
Suddenly, the smell of food reached his nose, jolting him awake.
"Aqiu? Is that you?" he called out.
His girlfriend, a self-described tomboy, never cooked. Who was in the kitchen?
"Honey~"
A soft voice called from inside. It was Aqiu. She walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron, carrying two dishes.
What was happening?
Gan Yu felt goosebumps. This was… off. "Aqiu, are you feeling okay?"
"Husband~" she said again, putting the dishes down and undoing her apron. She skipped over to him, her tone bashful.
"Aqiu, do you have a fever? Let me check."
Her cutesy tone made the hairs on his neck stand up. Was she sick? Had she lost her mind?
"I'm not sick," she said sweetly.
Wait. Did she just say "people"? Gan Yu blinked. He didn't mishear it. This tomboy just acted coy?
"Honey, I made dinner for you today."
"Aqiu, please be honest—are you feeling unwell?" He looked like he was about to call an ambulance.
"I'm fine. I just want a new phone."
Oh.
Relieved, Gan Yu exhaled. "A new phone? Didn't you just buy one last month? We're saving for the wedding, can't it wait?"
"My phone's for you~ You can buy me another one, okay? I'll cook every day if you do. Pretty please?"
The sugary tone and adorable act melted his heart. All the fatigue from work evaporated.
"Alright, I'll get it for you. Is it the new iPhone?"
"Nope! It's half the price of an iPhone. It's called the Butterfly Eye, from a company named Marching Ants." Aqiu pecked him on the cheek, pulled out her phone, opened Weibo, and showed him pictures.
All over the internet, scenes like this were playing out—couples reacting, bargaining, and laughing over the buzz.
Discussions about the Marching Ant OS flooded online spaces. And the "Qiqi-style" humor—quirky and exaggerated—was everywhere under the company's official Weibo.
"Shocked! My tomboy girlfriend cooked and spoiled me today. I almost cried. If she stays like this, I'd buy her a jet, let alone a phone!"
"Shocked! Opposite case here. My usually sweet girlfriend came out of the kitchen with a cleaver and said, 'Buy me the Butterfly Eye.' I said yes before she even finished."
"Shocked! My girlfriend said, 'Buy me this and I'll marry you tomorrow.'"
"Shocked! My wife said, 'Buy it and I'll give you a baby monkey.'"
"Shocked! My daughter said, 'If you won't buy it, go get a new son-in-law.'"
"Shocked! Formation ruined! Hahaha—wait, my mom's calling."
Besides the comments under Marching Ant's official account, other platforms were buzzing too. Most praised the company—for finally providing a domestic system. Regardless of performance, it was a patriotic win.
Still, not all voices were positive. Some criticized the limited availability, calling it "hunger marketing." That stirred some debate.
—
Back in the office, Zhao Min was going over a report from Julie.
The conference's impact had far exceeded expectations—even Zhao Min hadn't anticipated this level of success.
Marching Ants was now front and center.
"President Zhao," Julie began, "we haven't even officially launched yet, and some are already accusing us of hunger marketing. Certain media outlets are starting to take shots at us. Should we increase production?"
"With what money?"
"Bank loans, financing. We've got the Marching Ant OS, Ant Office, waterproof interface patents underway… With all that, why worry about funding?"
"Using our technology as mortgage? What if we can't repay on time? We're just small ants to the big capital players. And the chairman won't approve outside financing. The company's entirely his—why would he hand over benefits to capitalists?"
Zhao Min knew now wasn't the time to be aggressive. Any misstep could attract predatory investment. The Marching Ant OS was a big, juicy pie—and everyone wanted a slice.
"So what's next?"
"Prep everything for tomorrow's online sales. Be ready to scale up production at a moment's notice. Ensure spare parts are ready. Quality control has to be tighter than ever. Before, no one paid attention. Now, even a tiny issue could ruin us. Especially batteries—we can't afford any accidents. If there's a battery explosion, we're finished."
"Understood."
After Julie left, Zhao Min rubbed her temples. The press conference had created a much larger wave than she imagined. As she watched the online storm unfold, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
In just half a day, Marching Ants had gone from a little-known startup to a nationally recognized name.
And that kind of attention was both an opportunity—and a risk.