Seattle time, July 12, 09:25.
On the eleventh floor of Atlas Headquarters stood a spacious conference hall large enough to accommodate fourteen hundred people at once.
A group of staff in black uniforms had meticulously arranged the venue, lining up the sofa chairs neatly and placing bottled water, mints, paper, and pens on every armrest table for the attendees' convenience.
At that moment, the staff were conducting their final checks to ensure everything was in order.
09:30.
The instant the four main doors on the north side opened, it was as if floodgates had been thrown wide, allowing the long-waiting reporters and camera crews outside to pour into the hall and quickly find their assigned seats and areas according to the signs.
Before long, the entire venue became noisy.
However, once the host stepped onto the stage and said, "The product Atlas is unveiling today will usher in a brand-new era. But before we reveal everything, let us remain quiet and enjoy a short film together," the dimming lights gradually silenced the hall, creating a calm, expectant atmosphere for the pivotal moment ahead.
The screen suspended above the venue lit up.
The image was black at first.
!
Then a twisting bolt of lightning illuminated the screen.
"Rumble..." A muffled clap of thunder followed, and the screen showed a group of primitive people huddled in a cave, staring fearfully at the thunderstorm outside.
It seemed that cold and hunger, but even more so their fear of the unknown, had left them unable to stop trembling.
Rustle.
!!
More shadows flashed past outside, sending the primitive people into a panic.
However, when those shadows drew closer and entered the cave, they realized they were their companions who had gone out hunting!
"Oh! Oh!!"
Everyone cheered in celebration and gathered around the companions who had successfully brought back food.
It seemed that amid all the primitive people's fears was concern for the companions who had to face danger head-on.
The camera slowly shifted until it left the cave and looked up at the cloud-covered sky.
But a white dove flying through the rain entered the shot from right to left, followed by a close-up of the band around its leg, revealing that it was a carrier pigeon.
As the camera's perspective merged with the carrier pigeon's view, the audience discovered that the primeval forest below had transformed into a human city with walls, houses, palaces, and other structures.
Yet the carrier pigeon flew directly into a patch of low clouds, blurring its view.
Once it broke through the gloom, everything opened up. The sky was bright and blue, while the city had changed from an ancient settlement into a modern metropolis filled with skyscrapers.
At that point, the images on the screen began switching rapidly, from letters written by hand, to mounted messengers racing on horseback, to a photograph of Alexander Graham Bell with the first telephone.
Accompanied by an increasingly stirring symphony, the transitions grew faster and faster, showing wartime radios as well as Atlas's first mobile phone.
In the end, the screen and the venue were plunged into complete darkness.
"Communication, sharing..." The rich voice of renowned actor Morgan Freeman began the narration for the short film. "By transmitting information, humanity has built social bonds through mutual understanding and support, strengthened communities, fulfilled emotional needs, shared knowledge and culture, and in turn propelled society's rapid development.
"Especially with the widespread adoption of personal real-time communication devices—mobile phones—the connections between people have become even closer. So...
"Let Atlas lead us as we witness the arrival of a new era together."
His voice fell silent.
The short film ended.
Warm lights gradually came on throughout the venue, preventing excessive strain on everyone's eyes.
Clap! Clap!
As the hall became fully illuminated, everyone rose to their feet and applauded, each of them eager to learn the answer.
After all, if the promotional film was this good, what would the product it promoted look like?
"Ladies and gentlemen, are you excited?" The host returned to the podium at just the right moment and said with a smile:
"The reason Atlas has been able to remain at the forefront of communications technology is inseparable from our current owner.
"He was the one who provided innovative ideas, and he was also..."
Meanwhile.
Sui Yang, whom the host was introducing onstage, stood in the wings as staff gave his clothes and hair their final adjustments.
Yet his expression was somewhat too serious.
Of course, Sui Yang was not nervous about going onstage to give a speech. Rather, a faint, intermittent sense of unease was disrupting his thoughts.
The feeling was difficult to describe. It was vague, and blurry images of laboratories, drugs, and discussions about research with Alexia kept flashing through his mind.
Among all those images, satellite views of the Kenya base and Congo occupied the most space.
It seemed like...
Some kind of vision of the future?
Otherwise, Sui Yang had no way to explain what this "symptom" was.
After thinking for a moment, Sui Yang raised a hand to beckon Arthur over from nearby, then gave him a quiet instruction:
"Send several elite Investigators into Congo to determine whether anything unusual is happening there. Also, notify Second Lieutenant Krauser. Tell him I recommend Congo as the location for this graduation test."
"Got it, boss."
Arthur nodded after receiving the instructions and left.
"...Hahaha, and now! Please welcome Atlas's current owner, Mr. Sui Yang!"
Clap! Clap!
Thunderous applause rang out again.
Hearing the commotion outside, Sui Yang removed a "black slab" only one centimeter thick, fourteen centimeters long, and six centimeters wide from the inner pocket of his suit.
Then he passed through the side curtain used for decoration and to block the view, stepping onto the venue's podium amid the click-click of shutters and flashing camera lights.
"I'm very pleased that you accepted the invitation to come to Atlas Headquarters. As for me, I don't like beating around the bush..." As he spoke, Sui Yang raised his left hand, presenting the "black slab" in his hand for everyone to see, and said directly:
"This is Atlas's first mobile phone, and the world's first third-generation mobile phone: the Titan 3G (Altas 3G)."
--
July 16.
Noon.
Although sunlight had long since spread across the land, the mist lingering throughout the rainforest still refused to disperse.
And within this rainforest was a fairly wide road.
People dressed simply, accustomed to carrying baskets of fruit, buckets of water, and various other items on their heads, traveled along this road.
From their customs, skin color, and the tropical climate, it was easy to guess that this was somewhere in Africa.
"Beep! Beep!"
At that moment, a four-door sedan with peeling paint and rusted edges sped north almost recklessly, showing no concern whatsoever for the pedestrians' safety.
Inside the car.
"Merde! (Shit!)"
"Ah!! Putain!! (Fuck!)"
"Va voir ailleurs! (Get out of the way!)"
The driver cursed nonstop, clearly furious that anyone was blocking the road.
"..."
The blond passenger in the front seat tightly gripped the roof handle, his expression and eyes betraying a trace of worry.
(End of chapter)
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