Seattle time, July 12, 09:25.
Located on the 11th floor of the Atlas headquarters building, there is a spacious large venue that can accommodate 1,400 people at the same time.
The venue had been meticulously decorated by a group of staff members dressed in black uniforms. They arranged the sofas and chairs neatly, and placed bottled water, mints, and paper and pens on each armrest table to provide extra convenience for the participants.
At this moment, the staff are conducting final checks to ensure everything is in order.
09:30.
The moment the four main gates on the north side opened, it was as if a floodgate had been opened, allowing the reporters and photography teams who had been waiting outside to rush into the venue and quickly find their respective seats and areas according to the signs.
Before long, the entire venue became noisy.
However, as the host appeared and said, "The products Atlas is unveiling today will usher in a new era, but before we reveal all, let's keep quiet and enjoy a short film together." the venue gradually fell silent as the lights dimmed, creating a tranquil and expectant atmosphere for the crucial moment to come.
The screen placed above the venue lit up.
The screen was initially pitch black.
Then a curved, twisting bolt of lightning illuminated the screen.
Boom... A muffled thunderclap followed, and the screen showed a group of primitive people hiding in a cave, staring in terror at the thunderstorm outside.
It seemed to be the cold and hunger, but more so the fear of the unknown that made these primitive people tremble uncontrollably.
Many dark figures flashed by outside, causing the group of primitive people to panic.
However, as the dark figures approached the cave from afar, they were discovered to be their hunting companions!
"oh oh!!"
The crowd cheered and gathered around their companion who had successfully brought back food.
It seems that among all the fears of primitive people was an anxiety about their companions who had to face danger.
The camera slowly shifts its perspective until it leaves the cave and looks up at the dark, cloud covered sky.
But a white dove flying in the rain suddenly appeared in the frame from right to left, and a close-up of its leg band revealed that it was a homing pigeon.
When the camera's perspective aligned with the pigeon's viewpoint, the people in the hall realized that the view below had transformed from the dense forest to a human city with walls, houses, palaces, and other buildings.
However, at this moment, the carrier pigeons flew straight into a low cloud, blurring the view.
Once the carrier pigeons successfully broke through the gloom, everything became clear and bright. The sky was a clear blue, and the city transformed from an ancient place into a modern metropolis with towering buildings.
At this point, the images on the screen begin to switch frequently, from letters that need to be written by hand to messengers riding horses, and then to a photo of Alexander Graham Bell with the first telephone.
Accompanied by increasingly rousing symphonic music, the switching speed becomes faster and faster, showing both wartime radio and Atlas's first mobile phone.
Finally, the screen and the venue went completely dark.
"Communication, sharing..." Renowned actor Morgan Freeman's melodious voiceover begins the short film "Humans establish social connections, strengthen groups, satisfy emotional needs, and share knowledge and culture by exchanging information, understanding and supporting each other, thereby promoting the rapid development of society.
Especially with the widespread use of mobile phones personal instant communication tools, connections between people have become much closer, so....
Let Atlas lead us as we witness the dawn of a new era."
The words fell.
The short film has ended.
Warm colored lights were turned on one by one in the venue to avoid excessive stimulation to the eyes of the attendees.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
And as the hall was fully illuminated, everyone stood up and applauded, eager to know the answer.
After all, if the promotional video is so well made, what would the product being promoted look like?
"Everyone, aren't you excited?" The host walked back to the podium at the opportune moment and said with a smile.
"Our ability to continuously stay at the forefront of communication technology is inseparable from our current business owners. He provided the novel ideas, and it was he who..."
at the same time.
Sui Yang, who was introduced by the host at the beginning, is now standing to the side, receiving the final touches on her clothes and hairstyle from the staff.
But his facial expression was somewhat too serious.
Of course, Sui Yang wasn't nervous because he was about to give a speech rather, he felt a faint palpitation that was somewhat disturbing his thoughts.
The feeling was indescribable, very vague, and images of the laboratory, the medicine, and his discussions with Alexia about research topics would flash through his mind.
Of all the images, satellite aerial views of the Kenyan base and Congo made up the largest proportion.
It seems to be...
A vision of the future?
Otherwise, Sui Yang would not be able to explain what kind of symptom this was.
After a moment's thought, Sui Yang raised his hand and beckoned Arthur, who was not far away, to come closer. He then whispered his instructions:
"Send a few elite investigators to Congo to investigate whether there is anything unusual there.
Also, inform Lieutenant Krauser that I have suggested Congo as the location for this graduation test."
"Yes, boss."
Having received his instructions, Arthur nodded and left.
"...Hahaha, next! Please welcome our current owner of Atlas, Mr. Sui Yang!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Loud applause erupted again.
Hearing the commotion outside, Sui Yang took out a black phone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. It was only 1 cm thick, 14 cm long, and 6 cm wide.
Then, he walked through the side curtains used for decoration and to block the view, and came to the podium amidst the clicking of camera shutters and flashes.
"I'm very pleased that you all accepted the invitation to come to Atlas headquarters. As for me, I personally don't like beating around the bush..." With that, Sui Yang raised his left hand, revealing the black phone in it to everyone's view, and stated directly.
"This is Atlas' first, and the world's first, third-generation mobile phone, the Atlas 3G."
July 16th.
Noon.
Even though the sun had already shone on the earth, the mist that permeated the rainforest lingered for a long time.
In this rainforest, there is a fairly wide road.
People dressed simply, who were accustomed to carrying fruit bowls, buckets, and various items on their heads, walked along this road.
These customs, skin color, and tropical climate are enough to tell that this is somewhere in Africa.
Beep! Beep!
At this moment, a car with peeling paint and rusty edges, a four door sedan with two hatches, was driving recklessly northwards, completely disregarding the safety of pedestrians.
Inside the car.
"Merde! (Shit!)"
"Ah!" Putain!! (Ah! Damn it!)"
"Va voir ailleurs! (Get out of here!)"
The driver was swearing and extremely annoyed that someone was blocking his way.
The blond passenger with center parted hair, sitting in the front passenger seat, gripped the roof handrail tightly, his expression and eyes revealing a hint of worry.