Launch!

Tony's people were indeed much more efficient than they had expected. Yinsen had found an excuse to stay behind in the lab. He wasn't particularly interested in anything else, either.

As a top medical doctor, he actually preferred researching things of his own.

Just like in the original story, he had only wanted to use his death to awaken the playboy lost in a drunken stupor—to awaken the hero buried deep inside him. His own safety had never really been a concern.

Fang Bie, of course, had no intention of missing this grand event, which he could say he had personally helped bring about. So he hurried after Tony and got into the car.

Not much time had passed. To prevent Stark Industries' stock from falling again, the press conference had come around sooner than they had expected.

Although Tony had been staying at home these past few days, working on his Arc Reactor, he hadn't been ignoring the outside world.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have immediately realized how much this could benefit Stark Industries. So after getting Fang Bie's approval, the two of them had quickly come to an agreement.

The Rolls-Royce sped along with them inside and soon arrived at Stark Industries' main press conference venue: a huge plaza formed by two rotor blades.

With countless camera flashes going off around him, Tony made his way onto the stage with ease. Fang Bie followed behind, pretending not to care.

"Hey, buddy, loosen up! You're the star of the press conference in a minute!" Tony pulled him right up to the front, where the countless camera flashes made him shine.

"This is my friend, Fang Bie. He's going to be the real star of this press conference!" Tony shoved Fang Bie to the front, right into the glare of countless camera flashes.

They had now reached the main stage. Unlike the temporary venue they had put together a few days earlier, this place had a full-fledged holographic screen, a platform where people could perform to their hearts' content, speakers facing every direction, and several enormous screens.

With news media crowding around them, the two walked onto the stage and stopped in front of the holographic screen.

Tony had discussed things with Obadiah Stane earlier. They would lie low for a while and avoid making trouble, leaving the other man to sort out everything within the company.

But he had since realized that this wouldn't solve the problem. If anything, it would only make things worse.

Especially when he noticed that Obadiah Stane seemed to be using the company's dire situation to pressure him into making questionable decisions. In the end, he had stepped forward.

He was Tony Stark: a world-class billionaire, playboy, and genius inventor. He was Iron Man, in his thirties and still as childlike as ever!

The moment he stepped forward and gently pressed down with one hand, all the noise seemed to vanish. The whole venue fell silent.

"Ahem! I know you have a lot of questions for me, but you can ask them after the press conference. Right now, this is a product launch!"

Tony snapped his fingers. The screen shifted like a play of light, flooding the previously dark venue with bright, clear light.

And in his hand, as if by magic, appeared a communications device encased entirely in silver-white metal.

Seeing the amazement on everyone's faces, Fang Bie didn't know what to say.

Tony really knew how to go all out. He'd used the Inventory ability Fang Bie had given him right there at the press conference, without worrying that anyone might notice something strange.

"This is a moment that will change the course of history—and the end of our world's journey toward the age of intelligence!" Tony spread his arms like the king of the world. At that moment, the screen's image appeared across the entire projection.

"Please welcome our product designer, Mr. Fang Bie!" Tony had been setting the stage, and now he brought the person behind it into the spotlight without hesitation.

Fang Bie was completely dumbfounded. He had never expected Tony to sell him out like this.

That morning, the two of them had still been in the lab discussing the product's pros and cons. By that afternoon, they were already standing on a stage like this, introducing it to the world's media!

Of course he was nervous.

Fang Bie could only force himself to stay calm. Surrounded by spotlights, he slowly raised the phone in front of him.

"Are you OK?" He wondered if he should open with that, but after thinking it over, decided against making a joke at Lei Jun's expense.

He touched the screen, presenting this brand-new product—one that had truly appeared in this world—to everyone watching.

It had a simple screen and a plain, circular button. Against this clean, minimalist design was a display that left people puzzled.

"Perhaps many of you are wondering what Stark Industries is launching today. Now that we're no longer selling weapons, do we even have a flagship product left?"

Fang Bie asked the question himself. Before anyone could raise a hand to answer, he immediately responded.

"My answer is: yes, we do! Don't let the past limit your vision. We should be looking ahead. Let's look to the future and see what phones will be like!"

He swiped his finger across the screen, revealing an extremely clean home screen and rows of apps with names that looked bafflingly sophisticated.

"Before, our phones could only offer whatever content the carriers provided. Whatever they made available was all we could see!"

"But now, we'll have the power to choose what we want to see. That's what I'm introducing today: Stark Industries' M1 smartphone!"

The phone's full design appeared before them. The small, exquisite, silver-white device seemed to captivate everyone in the room.

"The M1 will have most of a computer's functions. We've added 3G support and an app store. And when 4G finally arrives, we'll bring it together with the phone and make mobile computing a reality!"

"It's less than eight millimeters thick, making it thinner than the slimmest phone on the market by thirteen percent. I can say without a doubt that this is the thinnest phone in the world!" Fang Bie showed the device to everyone on the screen, unaware that the broadcast was already reaching the entire world.

"Powerful camera capabilities, an unparalleled operating system, stunning image clarity, a powerful antenna and signal, and the ability to stay connected to the internet at all times!" Fang Bie's voice grew more impassioned. "And most importantly, a fully dynamic software system!"

"Art doesn't come from the machine itself, but from this software system, which everyone can improve and customize! Ladies and gentlemen, you are privileged to witness the arrival of the mobile internet age!"