Chen Mo stepped into the conference hall and was instantly struck by the scale of it all. Compared to the company's first product launch, this was a whole new world.
From the media section alone, he could spot People's Daily, Global Times, Sina, Phoenix, Tencent, Squirrel News, and even CCTV. Nearly every major domestic outlet had shown up—and not just print and tech. A few entertainment media groups had joined the crowd too, probably lured in by Zhao Min's "goddess CEO" reputation. Her last appearance had clearly stirred up attention.
Chen Mo blinked. Foreign reporters were in the mix too, armed with cameras and recorders. Long lenses, short lenses, mics—it looked like a battlefield of flash and press badges.
He glanced sideways at Zhao Min, half tempted to ask how she managed to invite so many media groups.
What surprised him even more was the number of gatecrashers. Even those who hadn't received official invites had still shown up through open public channels. Interest in Marching Ants had clearly hit a fever pitch.
Chen Mo quietly slipped into an empty guest seat, keeping a low profile as he waited for the show to begin.
A Marching Ant Leaves the Nest.
That was the theme of today's conference. It echoed the last launch, but with a twist. The ants had grown up. No longer the quiet, humble company tucked away in a tech park—they were emerging into the spotlight.
The crowd quieted as Zhao Min took the stage, poised and confident, holding the familiar Butterfly Eye phone in one hand. Her appearance alone drew a wave of murmurs through the audience.
"Is this a new phone release?"
"Looks like a Butterfly Eye—are they releasing a second-gen model?"
Even the livestream audience on bullet comment platforms went wild:
"Zoom in! That's the original Butterfly Eye, not a new phone."
"What new tricks are they hiding this time?"
"Classic Marching Ant hype-building… Watch me not buy it."
"Cap. You'll buy three."
Zhao Min raised her hand slightly, and the room settled.
"Let's begin."
The giant screen behind her lit up.
A digital universe unfolded—floating characters, symbols, and data streams cascading like rain, resembling a sci-fi movie's depiction of cyberspace. Then, from the depths of that coded world, a softly glowing, stylized 3D female face emerged, built from fine white lines.
"Hello, human."
Just four words—but they exploded through the crowd like a thunderclap.
Shutters clicked furiously. Cameras zoomed. All eyes locked onto the screen.
Even the livestream audience fell into stunned silence.
Artificial intelligence.
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
That calm, mechanical voice had just dropped a bomb: Marching Ant Company was entering the AI space.
Since AlphaGo had stunned the world by beating top Go players, AI had become the hottest topic in tech. Major countries, tech giants, and research institutions had all invested heavily in AI development—it was considered the next frontier of innovation.
And now, out of nowhere, Marching Ant Company had just unveiled their own artificial intelligence. No leaks, no hype, just boom—a surprise strike.
The audience buzzed, restless and electric with energy. But Zhao Min didn't rush.
Instead, she smiled lightly and waited for silence.
"Go ahead. Please introduce yourself."
The AI face on the screen moved again.
"I am Xiaodie, a product of the Marching Ant Company. I hope to become your friend in the near future."
"And what are your functions?" Zhao Min asked.
"Xiaodie supports voice recognition unlocking, chat, search, voice input, and most importantly—full voice-controlled phone operation."
"How does that work?"
"You speak. Xiaodie obeys."
The demonstration of Xiaodie's features immediately spread through livestream platforms. Social media exploded. The concept felt familiar—many compared it to Apple's Siri—but they quickly realized this was something else entirely.
Zhao Min continued.
The screen shifted to a phone's home screen.
Zhao Min opened the smart assistant app and placed her phone on a raised platform, synced to the big screen.
"Connect to Wi-Fi."
The phone responded instantly. The settings opened, the network panel popped up.
"Please choose a Wi-Fi network."
"Marching Ant."
"Network selected. Connection successful."
A low murmur spread through the crowd, then grew louder.
Everyone had assumed this would be a Siri copy. But now?
This thing crushed Siri.
Complete hands-free control, executed in real time. No delay. No tap. No need to even touch the phone.
Applause thundered across the venue. Reporters, tech enthusiasts, and fans alike were awestruck.
"This is insane."
"My wallet is screaming."
"I swear I won't download it. But if I do, I'm naming my next chicken Xiaodie."
"Now this... this is the future."
"Too good to be true. Is it spying on us?"
The livestream comments came fast and wild. Suspicion, excitement, hype—it was all there. But no one could deny Xiaodie had just raised the bar.
Zhao Min showcased Xiaodie navigating apps, turning pages in browsers, taking photos, and playing media—all via voice commands. It was sleek, responsive, and lightyears beyond anything on the market.
"The age of hands-free control has arrived," she said.
Once the demonstration ended, the stage crew removed the demo gear. Zhao Min tapped a button, and the app's icon—shaped like a stylized butterfly—filled the screen.
"This is Xiaodie, our mobile smart assistant. Its capabilities surpass anything available today. There's no need for comparisons—we're not in the same league."
Confidence radiated from her words.
"Following this conference, Xiaodie will be available for download from our official website. Once installed, you'll be able to control your phone with your voice alone."
The screen listed Xiaodie's full features, and Zhao Min walked the audience through them. Reporters clicked away, capturing every slide.
If everything she said was true, this wasn't just a cool app—it was revolutionary. An epoch-making product.
Some were already opening their browsers, refreshing Marching Ant's website in anticipation.
Then Zhao Min paused, her tone shifting.
"However…"
The room quieted again.
"Xiaodie is not a perfect product. It still has shortcomings."
The temperature dropped a little. The high-energy hype train screeched as everyone blinked in surprise.
At a product launch, she was admitting flaws?
Was this honesty? A PR trick? Or something else?
The audience leaned forward, waiting to hear more.