South Korea – Samsung Headquarters
Inside the boardroom, the key directors and department heads of Samsung's mobile division sat in quiet tension. At the head of the long table was Gao Zhendong, head of Samsung's mobile phone business.
His mandate was simple: generate profits and keep Samsung at the top of the mobile world.
But the truth was grim.
Since the Galaxy Note 7 battery disaster, Samsung's market share had nosedived—especially in Huaxia. The company's mistreatment of Chinese consumers and the fallout from the THAAD incident had deeply eroded trust. Worse still, Chinese smartphone brands had risen swiftly to dominate.
China Micro and Xiaomi had carved up the high-end segment. Brands like Honor and Oppo ruled the lower tier. Now, a new predator had entered the ecosystem:
Marching Ant Company.
Their arrival was different.
The Butterfly Eye phone, equipped with a revolutionary smart assistant, had leapfrogged the industry by a generation. It ushered in a new age of intelligent devices—leaving even Apple scrambling to catch up.
If Marching Ant succeeded in going global, it would be a devastating blow to Samsung.
Apple and Huawei were already battering them from both sides. If Marching Ant entered the fray too…
Their empire would crumble.
Thankfully, Marching Ant had failed to break into the European market.
Now was Samsung's chance.
They couldn't lose Huaxia, one of the largest smartphone markets in the world. This was their window to reclaim lost territory.
Gao Zhendong scanned the room. His voice was low, firm.
"Production must speed up on the Note10. Panel department—cut OLED supplies to Marching Ant and reduce shipments to China Micro. Prepare the marketing rollout and press events. Move."
It was a ruthless move, but standard practice. Leverage their monopoly. Choke the competition. Simple.
The gears of Samsung's mobile division started to spin once again.
In Huaxia, Li Danni—head of Marching Ant's production division—stormed into her office and immediately called Zhao Min.
The production team had just informed her: Samsung suspended their OLED screen shipments, citing "production shortages."
Bad news.
The second-gen Butterfly Eye used Samsung OLED for its high-end models. The base models used BOE panels, but Samsung's OLED had the best performance.
"President Zhao," she said urgently, "Samsung just halted our OLED supply."
"What?" Zhao Min's voice instantly rose.
"They're claiming production constraints," Li Danni explained. "BOE's handling the low-end models, but the high-end models are affected."
Zhao Min took a deep breath.
"Contact BOE. See if they can ramp up production. Also, get in touch with Samsung's reps. I want a delivery timeline—if there is one."
After hanging up, Zhao Min's expression turned cold.
The Butterfly Eye was still hot on the market. Reducing output—especially of premium models—was a massive blow.
Another wave, just after the last storm. Monopoly again...
She gritted her teeth. Their failed entry into Europe was still fresh—and now this?
Was Samsung kicking them while they were down?
Whether or not this was a calculated move, she couldn't say. But one thing was clear: this kind of vulnerability couldn't continue. If BOE couldn't scale up soon, they'd be held hostage at every turn.
The suspension of OLED shipments soon hit the internet.
The Marching Ant Company's failed push into Europe had barely faded from the headlines when Samsung's block reignited media frenzy.
Once again, lacking core technology meant being subject to external control.
This wasn't Samsung's first time weaponizing its supply chain. It likely wouldn't be the last.
Many in the industry saw this as a blatant power play. Netizens began rallying behind BOE, hoping to see a domestic alternative rise to challenge Samsung's grip.
Meanwhile, the rivals celebrated.
Marching Ant's international version of the smart assistant was now stuck in limbo. Without access to global markets, the multilingual rollout was meaningless. This was good news for Samsung and China Micro—both still reliant on Android and compatible with Marching Ant's assistant.
Apple, of course, remained unaffected.
But with Marching Ant stalled and supply disrupted, Huawei suddenly found itself in the perfect position to capitalize.
The next day, things escalated quickly.
Huawei announced a new product launch event for the China Micro M11, scheduled for one week later.
Samsung followed suit, announcing their Note10 series reveal—just five days away.
Apple jumped in too, declaring a launch event three days later.
Even Xiaomi, which hadn't unveiled a flagship in some time, announced the debut of their new Black Rice series—set for five days later.
The Butterfly Eye had stolen the spotlight for weeks. Its intelligent assistant and elegant design had made competitors cautious. Releasing a new device in its shadow would've been suicidal.
But now?
Marching Ant was floundering.
This was the perfect time to strike.
The mobile giants had quietly been biding their time. Now they pounced—four titans announcing launch events within days of each other.
The internet exploded.
"Mobile Industry Battle Royale?!" — Squirrel Headlines
"East: Samsung. West: Apple. South: China Micro. North: Xiaomi." — Sina Tech
"Four Great Sects Surround Marching Ants!" — Global News
"Zhong Shen Tong – Marching Ants!" — Phoenix News
Media outlets leaned into martial arts metaphors, painting the scenario as a Wuxia-style showdown.
Normally, mobile companies staggered their launch events to avoid direct collisions.
This time?
It was an all-out siege.
Marching Ant, already bruised by the European blockade, now faced internal sabotage. OLED shortages meant high-end Butterfly Eye phones might go out of stock—or worse, face temporary suspension.
This was the opening everyone had waited for.
The market was theirs—if they moved fast.
Scalpers pounced. Existing high-end Butterfly Eye stock was snapped up overnight.
In response, Marching Ant officially announced a temporary suspension of the premium model due to supply constraints.
The internet went wild.
"My god! These four tech titans timed this better than Yamazaki's combo counter."
"Secretary Dakang: GDP's counting on your Huashan Sword Conference."
"Huashan Sword Meet! Master, I bow to your precision. Dare I ask your sect?"
"I hail from the Small Seam Clan."
"Curtain rises. Who dares challenge?"
"This humble immortal sees an opening—strike!"
"This old monk has reached the top of the peak!"
"Hahaha! These comments are better than the launch events!"
Across forums, social media, and comment sections, memes and parodies flooded in. It was the most entertaining product launch frenzy in years.
Four major phone makers clashing in the same week?
Unheard of.
Once-in-a-decade stuff.
Now, with tensions rising and competitors sharpening their blades, the world watched to see:
Would Marching Ant Company survive the siege?
Or would this be the beginning of their fall?