Double evil in the business district

Shen Ting's appearance instantly made the atmosphere in the banquet hall tense. Lin Xiao's face froze, and he turned around, forcing a forced smile: "Mr. Shen, you're here too."

"Of course," Shen Ting glanced at Xiao Yue calmly and said meaningfully, "How could I miss such an important occasion?"

His ambiguous words made Lin Xiao feel even more uneasy. She didn't know how much Shen Ting had heard, let alone his current position.

Xiao Yue took this opportunity to speak to Mr. Gao again, "Mr. Gao, why don't we go over to the side and talk in detail?"

Gao nodded hesitantly and followed Xiao Yue to the side. Seeing this, Lin Xiao felt a pang of anger, but she didn't dare to act rashly. Shen Ting's gaze was always on her, making her feel uneasy.

The presentation of Xiao's new business officially began. Xiao Yue took a deep breath, walked onto the stage, and bowed gracefully to the crowd. The spotlight shone on her, highlighting her confident and calm demeanor.

She began explaining Xiao's newly developed smart home system, detailing everything from its design concept to its features. The audience listened with rapt attention, occasionally exclaiming in admiration.

However, just as Xiao Yue was explaining the key technology, Lin Xiao suddenly raised her voice and asked sarcastically, "Ms. Xiao, this technology seems very similar to existing products on the market. Is there anything innovative about it?"

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. Everyone turned their eyes to Xiao Yue, and the originally warm atmosphere instantly cooled down.

Xiao Yue frowned slightly, glanced at Lin Xiao calmly, and continued to explain: "Ms. Lin raised a very good question. Our technology does draw on some mature technologies on the market, but we have deeply optimized and innovated on this basis..."

She tried to explain, but the men assigned by Yang's opponent began to ask various tricky questions one after another, trying to interrupt her rhythm and disrupt her thinking.

"Ms. Xiao, how secure is your system? Is there a risk of data leakage?"

"Ms. Xiao, what is your market positioning? Who are your target customer groups? What is your projected market share?"

These questions were more sharp and difficult than the last, and as if they had been rehearsed in advance, they came to Xiao Yue in wave after wave.

Xiao Yue tried to remain calm and answer the questions one by one, but she was clearly feeling the pressure. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her hand holding the microphone was trembling slightly.

In the audience, a high-ranking guest had initially been quite interested in Xiao's new business, but, influenced by Lin Xiao, he began to doubt Xiao Yue's explanation. He frowned and whispered to his assistant, "This project seems..." He didn't finish, but the hesitation in his tone was already evident.

Shen Ting stood in the corner, taking in all of this. His deep gaze fell on the slightly embarrassed Xiao Yue on the stage. His fingers tapped lightly on his wine glass, as if he was thinking about something. He opened his lips slightly and whispered to his assistant beside him, "Go check if there's anything fishy going on behind Lin Xiao and Yang's opponent's back."

Gao Binke's initially wavering stance shifted completely to the other side under Lin Xiao's persistent whispering and hinting. He cleared his throat and raised his voice, "Ms. Xiao, with all due respect, your project lacks innovation and its market prospects are bleak."

With the high guest taking the lead, other guests who had originally been on the sidelines also began to agree.

"Yeah, this technology looks very ordinary, nothing special."

"There are already many similar products on the market. Xiao's new business will probably have a hard time competing."

"Moreover, security is also a concern. If a data leak occurs, the consequences will be disastrous."

For a moment, voices of doubt and criticism rose one after another, and the once bustling banquet hall was filled with an oppressive atmosphere. Xiao Yue felt like she was in the center of a storm, being mercilessly beaten by the wind and rain.

But she didn't give up. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and calmly took out the data and cases she had prepared in advance from her bag.

"Everyone, I know you may have some concerns about our new business, and that's perfectly normal. To address your concerns, I've prepared some data and case studies for your review."

She projected the prepared materials onto the large screen, pointed to the data and charts, and explained in detail: "Although our smart home system draws on some mature technologies on the market, we have made a lot of innovations and optimizations in core algorithms, data security, user experience, etc...."

She spoke eloquently, attempting to convince everyone with facts and data. However, Lin Xiao had already prepared a response. With a cold laugh, she pulled out another document and said, "Ms. Xiao, I'm afraid the innovation you're talking about is just one-sided. I have a document showing that your so-called innovative technology was patented by another company years ago."

The document in Lin Xiao's hand turned out to be a forged patent document. Xiao Yue was stunned when she saw it. She had never expected that Lin Xiao would use such a despicable method to frame her. She was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to refute.

Lin Xiao raised his chin proudly, looked around at everyone, and said, "Facts speak louder than words. Miss Xiao, do you have anything else to say?"

The atmosphere in the venue grew even more tense. Guests were whispering and discussing. Xiao Yue felt her breathing becoming labored. She tried to remain calm, her mind racing, trying to come up with a plan.

She gripped the remote tightly in her hand, her eyes scanning the new business introduction displayed on the screen. An idea flashed through her mind. She took a deep breath and was about to speak... Shen Ting's voice suddenly came from the back of the crowd: "Wait."

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to ignore Lin Xiao's shock. She refocused on the new business and switched the projection to the system demonstration interface.

With a light tap of your fingers, the smooth smart home operation process is displayed on the screen. From voice control of lights to remote monitoring of security, every detail is strived for perfection.

"Everyone, even though there are disputes over the patent rights of our core algorithm, our system's integration, user experience, and personalized customization for special populations are unmatched by other products on the market. We have designed a simpler operation mode for the elderly and people with disabilities, with functions such as one-click calling and emergency assistance, which further demonstrate our humanistic care..."

Before he finished speaking, a deep male voice came from the crowd: "Ms. Xiao, as far as I know, the smart home system released by H&G half a year ago already includes all the functions you mentioned, and it is even more mature and complete." The person who spoke was Yang's opponent. There was a contemptuous smile on the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were full of provocation.

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She had heard of H&G's product; it was indeed a powerful smart home system, but she hadn't previously delved into designs tailored to specific populations. She tried to recall her knowledge of Xiao's new business, trying to find a point to refute. But Yang's words seemed to have hit a soft spot, leaving her momentarily unable to resist.

The atmosphere in the conference hall shifted subtly again. The guests, briefly captivated by Xiao Yue's presentation, began whispering again. Lin Xiao, seated in the audience, elegantly raised a glass of champagne, gently shaking it with a smug smile on her face. She seemed to have foreseen Xiao Yue's failure, and the disastrous demise of Xiao's new business.

Xiao Yue felt like she was trapped in a swamp, the more she struggled, the deeper she sank. She clutched the remote control tightly, her palms slightly sweating. She looked around, hoping for a glimmer of support, but all she saw were faces of indifference or suspicion. The feeling of helplessness washed over her like a tide, threatening to drown her.

She knew that if she couldn't turn the situation around, Xiao's new business would suffer a major blow, potentially even affecting the entire company's development. She couldn't give up; she had to find a way to break through. She looked at the system demonstration on the screen again, her eyes settling on an inconspicuous icon.

A bold idea emerged in her mind. She took a deep breath and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Everyone, in addition to the above, our system has another biggest highlight, which is..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room with determination, finally landing on Shen Ting, who was standing at the back of the crowd. Shen Ting's gaze met hers, and there seemed to be a hint of encouragement in his deep eyes.

"That's it..." Xiao Yue spoke again, his tone full of confidence. "Our system has the ability to learn and evolve autonomously. It can continuously optimize and improve its functions based on user habits and needs, truly providing personalized services for each individual!"

Yang's opponent sneered, "Autonomous learning? Evolution? Miss Xiao, are you telling me this? There's no smart home system on the market that can do this."

Xiao Yue ignored the ridicule of Yang's opponent and continued, "I know this sounds unbelievable, but..." She pressed a button on the remote control, and the picture on the screen switched to a brand new interface.

"Please look!"

At the same time, Shen Ting whispered to his assistant, "Let's get started." The assistant nodded slightly and quickly walked to the control room in the banquet hall...

"What is this?" Gao Binke asked in disbelief, pointing at the changes on the screen.

On the screen, the previously static system demo interface suddenly came to life. A virtual house model appeared in the center, its lights dimming as the simulated day and night cycled, the curtains opening and closing automatically, and even the virtual characters inside began engaging in various activities, such as reading, watering the plants, and cooking. Everything flowed smoothly and naturally, as if a real home were functioning.

"This is the self-learning function of our system," Xiao Yue's voice became firm and powerful again. "It can automatically adjust the home environment according to the user's schedule, living habits, and personal preferences, providing the most comfortable and convenient living experience."

Yang's opponent snorted disdainfully, "It's just a pre-set program, and you dare call it self-learning?"

Xiao Yue smiled slightly, but didn't directly refute him. She walked over to the screen, pointed at a virtual character in the virtual house, and said, "This 'resident' is an elderly person who loves reading. We've set him to start reading at 8 p.m. every night. Now, let's adjust the time to 8 p.m."

As Xiao Yue operated, the time in the virtual house quickly jumped to 8 p.m. A surprising scene appeared: the virtual old man did not begin reading as previously planned. Instead, he walked to the window and looked up at the simulated starry sky outside.

"What's going on?" asked the guest Gao in confusion.

"Because he spent a long time in the garden this afternoon, the system detected that he had sufficient daylight hours. Therefore, it determined that he might need more rest and relaxation, so it recommended that he enjoy the night view," Xiao Yue explained. "This is due to the autonomous learning capability of our system. It can dynamically adjust preset programs based on the user's real-time status and environmental changes, providing more personalized service."

The venue was completely silent, as the guests were stunned by the intelligence displayed on the screen. Even Lin Xiao, who had been watching from the sidelines, could not help but frown slightly.

Yang's face turned pale. He hadn't expected Xiao Yue to have such a trick. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "This is just a trivial trick. It doesn't prove that your system truly possesses autonomous learning capabilities."

"Of course, this is just a simple demonstration," Xiao Yue responded calmly. "Our system's learning capabilities go far beyond this. It can continuously learn and evolve based on the user's voice commands, operating habits, and even emotional fluctuations, ultimately becoming an intelligent butler who truly understands you."

She paused, her eyes falling on Shen Ting again, her tone carrying a hint of provocation: "Mr. Shen, you are an industry expert, and you must have a deeper understanding of smart home systems. I wonder what you think of our system?"

Shen Ting stood quietly at the back of the crowd, observing everything. A flicker of admiration flashed across his deep gaze, and he slowly spoke, "Ms. Xiao's presentation was indeed impressive. I believe Xiao's new business has great potential."

Shen Ting's brief comment was like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the venue. The high-ranking guest immediately changed his attitude and enthusiastically approached Xiao Yue, expressing his keen interest in Xiao's new business. Other guests also gathered around, eagerly asking for details.

Yang's opponent's expression turned even uglier, knowing he had completely lost this time. Lin Xiao bit her lip tightly, her eyes filled with resentment and jealousy.

Xiao Yue smiled triumphantly, but she didn't get carried away. She knew this was just the first step, and there was still a long way to go. She turned to Shen Ting and said softly, "Thank you."

Shen Ting nodded slightly, gazing at Xiao Yue with deep eyes, and said slowly: "You did very well..." He paused, a meaningful smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, "But this is just the beginning."