Rebirth: Starting from Lighting Up the Tech Tree

Chapter 93: All Things in the Star Alliance

On the day of the press conference, it rained lightly in Hangzhou, but the venue was packed.

Han Lu's invitation list had 200 people, but more than 280 actually showed up. Besides media and industry analysts, there were representatives from over a dozen local governments and partners from more than twenty investment institutions. Huaxin also sent someone, who sat in the last row with a rather subtle expression.

Zuo Cheng, dressed in a dark blue suit, stood on the podium. On the screen behind him, the four large characters "Star Alliance of Everything" flashed with blue light.

"Distinguished guests, I am Zuo Cheng from 402 Technology. Today, I would like to share a story about connection with you."

His opening remarks didn't rely on fancy technical jargon; instead, he began by talking about a street in Hangzhou. Every morning at seven o'clock, 5000 sensors awaken from their slumber and begin collecting every breath the city takes. Traffic flow, air quality, noise levels, and trash can fullness—these seemingly scattered data points converge in the 402 edge dispatch system to form the digital pulse of the city.

"Nine milliseconds." When Zuo Cheng announced this number, someone in the room gasped softly. "This is our end-to-end latency; the industry average is over 30 milliseconds. What does 9 milliseconds mean? It means that the data collected by the sensors reaches the processing center in less than the blink of an eye."

He showcased a real-time data dashboard for Hangzhou's smart city, with sensor data from six districts flowing across the screen, and every indicator updating in real time. This wasn't a conceptual diagram on a PowerPoint presentation, but rather data from a real city in operation.

Applause erupted from the audience.

Next was Ma Hao's technical demonstration. He demonstrated the working principle of the edge scheduling system, as well as two core technologies: adaptive priority scheduling and predictive resource reservation. The demonstration used a simulated scenario: during the morning peak hours, sensors on three streets simultaneously reported data, and the system completed resource allocation and scheduling within milliseconds.

"This isn't a theoretical model; it's a real, operational system in Hangzhou," Ma Hao said. "Six months of operational data proves that our solution is reliable."

Yu Ying also took the stage, showcasing the results of her sensor anomaly detection algorithm. Running on an edge gateway, the algorithm automatically identifies faulty sensors with an accuracy rate of 97.6%. This figure once again drew gasps of amazement from the audience. An expert raised his hand and asked, "Can this algorithm be used in industrial scenarios?" Yu Ying replied, "Yes, it can; we just need to adjust the training dataset. We are already discussing industrial IoT applications with 402."

A murmur rippled through the audience. 402's IoT solution wasn't just for smart cities; it could extend into the industrial sector, instantly opening up a world of possibilities.

The final segment of the press conference was Zuo Cheng's concluding speech. He stood on the stage, looking at the hundreds of eyes watching him from below.

"The Internet of Things (IoT) is not a technological problem, but a connectivity problem," Zuo Cheng said. "What we need to do is connect every sensor, every device, and every person in the city to form an intelligent network. This network can sense, think, and act."

He paused.

"402 is just the first step. Hangzhou is a starting point, not the end. From today onwards, 402 will promote the successful model of smart cities nationwide. We believe that every city deserves its own digital pulse."

The applause from the audience lasted for more than ten seconds, and some people even stood up to applaud. Zuo Cheng saw the expressions on the faces of several government representatives in the front row, expressions that said, "I have to pay attention to this company."

After the press conference, Zuo Cheng was surrounded by reporters and investors. Han Lu helped him filter out most of the interview requests, arranging only brief interviews with three core media outlets. One financial media asked him about his valuation, one technology media asked him how he achieved 9 millisecond latency, and one industry media asked about his nationwide expansion timeline. Zuo Cheng's answers were all restrained, neither exaggerated nor humble.

Director Zhao also arrived. He patted Zuo Cheng on the shoulder: "President Zuo, today was a great success. People from the province are all asking me what 402 is all about."

Zuo Cheng smiled and said, "Director Zhao's support is the most crucial factor. Without the pilot program in Hangzhou, none of this would be possible today."

"By the way, the deputy director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department from the neighboring province is also here. He's very interested in your proposal. I've already introduced Han Lu to him."

"Thank you, Director Zhao."

Chen Hao walked over and handed him a glass of water: "Brother Cheng, someone claiming to be from Xingchen Technology just contacted you, saying he wanted to talk to you privately. He's been waiting in the VIP lounge for half an hour."

Zuo Cheng took the water, took a sip, and asked, "Zhao Wenbo?"

"I don't know him. His business card says 'Strategic Development Department.' He's in his forties and speaks very logically."

As expected, it's Xingchen Technology. They contacted us at Han Lu's summit, and now they've caught up with us at the 402 launch event. This shows that their interest in the 402 is genuine, not just a passing fancy.

"Tell them I can meet next week when it's convenient for me," Zuo Cheng said, "but not in my office, 402. Let's meet somewhere neutral. A coffee shop will do."

"clear."

In the evening after the press conference, Zuo Cheng and Yu Ying walked along the streets of Hangzhou. The rain had stopped, the air was fresh, and the puddles on the road reflected the light from the streetlights.

"Brother, you spoke so well today," Yu Ying said. "Even I, someone who doesn't work in the Internet of Things, was inspired."

"That's because the data is real," Zuo Cheng said. "The power of truth is stronger than any rhetoric."

Yu Ying leaned gently on his shoulder: "You should be happier today."

Zuo Cheng smiled and said, "I'm happy. But I'm also thinking that this press conference is just the beginning; the road ahead is much longer."

"You're always like this," Yu Ying rolled her eyes at him. "Can't you just enjoy your current success?"

Zuo Cheng gazed at the distant horizon and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Okay, let's just enjoy the moment tonight." Zuo Cheng finally showed a relaxed smile. He took his phone out of his pocket, turned off all notifications, and then put it back in his pocket. "No work from now until tomorrow morning."

Yu Ying smiled and took his arm. The two walked along a street lined with plane trees. The autumn wind blew, and a few yellow leaves fell from above. The light from the streetlights dappled through the leaves and shimmered on the ground like scattered gold.

At this moment, Zuo Cheng was just a young man in his early twenties, strolling with his girlfriend through the rain-soaked streets. There was no tech tree, no Sky Dome, no Huaxin, no Star Technology. Only the two of them, and this quiet city.