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Zhao Hu's tap was flowing abundantly as the Excellent app began to spread like wildfire, infiltrating various app categories. After simmering for a few days, it exploded in popularity due to a viral internet video.

The Mood Studio boasted hundreds of thousands of followers on Doudou Live, a platform where Xu Haiqing and Wang Xin collaborated. They were known for their timely acquisition of various branded smartphones and their unreserved approach to testing, earning them a modest online reputation.

On the launch day of the Wheat 5 and Melan 4, both smartphones were marketed as budget-friendly, priced under 1,000 yuan. Wang Xin decided to create a comparison video featuring the two similarly priced devices.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've seen our recent review. The Wheat 5 slightly outperforms the Melan 4 in most areas, but the Melan 4 does have a slight edge in looks. The choice is yours."

"Whoa, what's this garbage app? It's called Excellent? Holy cow, it claims to boost performance by 200%? What the heck, did it just crash? Why is it restarting? Today's just not my day. I got curious and clicked on it. Folks, if this app is for real, I'll eat crap on my live stream. Don't believe me? Just watch."

Wang Xin couldn't help but recall the 100,000 yuan the marketing director of Wheat had slipped him, as he read the chat filled with praise for the Wheat 5. "You fools, both phones have nearly identical specs. Who's better? That's for me to decide."

"Okay, the Melan 4 has rebooted. Let's pick up where we left off and test the camera. The Wheat 5 boasts a 20-million-pixel rear camera, enhanced by our own optimization. As you can see, the photo quality is quite impressive."

"Now, let's see the Melan 4. Take a look at this photo... Hmm, how should I put it? This photo is kind of incredible."

Wang Xin was taken aback by the photo captured by the Melan 4. "Damn, I couldn't get a photo this sharp and colorful even with a DSLR!"

We're live, and in high definition, there's no room for slip-ups. Didn't they say it only has an 18-million-pixel rear camera? How on earth could it capture such an image?

Wang Xin had taken money for this, but he couldn't just spout nonsense. If he did, he'd lose his fans and wouldn't make a dime ever again.

"What camera and imaging technology has Plum Orchid employed this time? How can 18 million pixels produce such clarity? I'm telling you, the camera alone is worth more than its price."

Seeing the chat filled with compliments for Plum Orchid, Wang Xin didn't dare to contradict. He had no choice but to join in the praise.

"Now, let's test the sound quality. We'll crank the volume up to the max and play 'Hotel California,' the host's favorite track."

Wang Xin played the song, turning the volume all the way up. The Plum Orchid 4 was peculiar; as soon as the intro hit, he thought it sounded like a domestic voice king. Smartphones typically have a low volume ceiling to preserve sound quality, but the Plum Orchid 4's volume was on par with knockoff brands.

Wang Xin's worries eased a bit. At last, he could ensure a win for the product. A hundred thousand is no small sum, and if he botched this, who would trust him with such tasks in the future?

The more he listened, the more something seemed off. The song wasn't particularly high-pitched, but how was there not even a hint of distortion?

Skeptical, Wang Xin mused, "Maybe this track's pitch is too low to be a proper test. Let's switch to 'The Wanderer's Song.'"

As an audiophile with his own speaker setup, Wang Xin noticed the difference immediately when he played the song. Was this really just a phone?

His worldview was being challenged. How could such a tiny device deliver such precise sound? Why was there no tremble or static?

It was like listening to an entry-level speaker system that shouldn't be able to produce such sound at all!

Wang Xin imagined the Plum Orchid 4 sitting atop several speaker cabinets, all powered by a massive subwoofer below, to push out such steady audio.

After the song finished, Wang Xin was at a loss for words. What in the world was happening? How could the Plum Orchid 4 be priced at only 1,000 yuan? In Wang Xin's opinion, it could easily fetch 10,000 yuan.

Scanning the comments, Wang Xin noticed many viewers were questioning whether his Plum Orchid was different, asking if he was a shill for the brand. Wang Xin felt like crying. Yes, he was a shill, but for Wheat, not Plum Orchid!

Then it dawned on Wang Xin that it might be the software. Before rebooting, Wheat had the upper hand. After rebooting, the Plum Orchid's performance was unrecognizable as a mere phone.

He swiftly downloaded an Excellent video onto the Wheat 5. The whole process was live-streamed, leaving many viewers puzzled about Wang Xin's actions.

It wasn't until Wang Xin installed Excellent on the Wheat 5 and retested it that the truth became crystal clear.

"Holy smokes, folks, I can't believe my eyes. Look at this. The same phone, with and without Excellent, performs completely differently. Just look at the Wheat 5 now; it's neck and neck with the Plum Orchid 4, and it's all thanks to this one app. Today's phone comparison is trivial; this app is set to revolutionize the mobile industry."

Wang Xin hastily paused the live stream and called Xu Haiqing.

"Hey, get back here now, we've got a major situation. Put all your current review plans on hold."

Wang Xin's mind raced with possibilities. With this app, why would anyone spend thousands on the so-called 'King of Phones' or the latest iPhone when they could get similar performance for a mere thousand yuan?

The performance of these two budget phones had already blown the high-end 'King of Phones' and iPhone 18 out of the water. Wang Xin realized that it was a pivotal moment for his studio; there was no room for complacency. They had to seize this opportunity. He glanced at the official Excellent page and saw Dingyang Technology, a small unheard-of company. Yet, with their development of this app, they were likely on the cusp of becoming the next big thing in the internet world.

Wang Xin's video had already been recorded and shared online. While many were skeptical, it didn't stop them from giving it a try, and one by one, they were all won over by the Excellent app.

It turned out that the 200% performance increase was just the beginning. Within a mere three days, the Excellent app had taken over the top spots across all app categories in China.

Zhang Yang hadn't developed a version for the iPhone operating system, leaving many iPhone users venting their frustrations on forums.

"iPhones are such a rip-off. I spent thousands on this phone, and now it's not even as smooth as my cousin's knockoff. I'm done with these trashy iPhones."

"Are you out of your mind? How could there possibly be a phone faster than the iPhone?"

"You must be avoiding the internet to save on data, right? Everyone knows that what used to be iPhone's strengths are now its weaknesses."

"Android is poised to dominate the market for generations to come."

Zhang Yang paid no mind to the online buzz. He had just begun to tap into the domestic market and it wasn't time to start charging yet. With an overwhelming number of users, he had to rent additional servers for data storage. Despite being short on funds, he was determined to keep going.

Sunn Pang was over the moon these past few days. Who could have imagined that the Excellent app, now sweeping the nation, was created by two recent graduates in a small rental with just a laptop?

Sunn Pang felt like he was outdoing Gates and Zuckerberg. They started in a garage and a dorm room, respectively, while he was triumphing from a humble rental. The comparison made his success seem even more impressive.

"Pang, keep an eye on the data and continue studying. I need to quickly develop a foreign language version. Let's capture the international market first, then roll out a global, premium version," Zhang Yang said, planning his next move.

He got to work on an automatic language translation feature, aiming for a worldwide release. Once the market was fully open, he would begin charging.

Ten days flew by, and during that time, Bai Ling called Zhang Yang several times. But the busy Zhang Yang couldn't spare a moment to respond.

Language can be both complex and straightforward. The challenge was to gather all the major languages and scripts for automatic translation.

Next, he had to integrate these features into the Excellent app and upgrade it to the official version 1.0.

The latest update primarily transformed the platform into an international version, incorporating all known searchable text types from around the globe. It automatically switches languages based on location, but users can also set a fixed language preference if they choose.

The official 1.0 version is free for the first month, after which a subscription fee is required. Zhang Yang began reviewing the recent expansion of the Excellent app in his country.

"Fatty, how's it going? How many installations do we have now?"

Zhang Yang approached Sunn Pang's computer. Over the past few days, the two had been fervently coding and analyzing data with little to no conversation between them.

"Damn, Mr. Yang, we've struck gold! We've got over 300 million installations. At this rate, practically every Android smartphone will have it installed, and numerous phone manufacturers are even considering pre-installing our software," Sunn Pang exclaimed, his eyes bloodshot from the relentless effort to keep up. He had been learning this new programming language night and day, looking utterly exhausted.

"Okay, Fatty, you need to get some rest. Don't work yourself to death. We're just getting started, and there's a lot of growth ahead. You've got to look after your health," Zhang Yang urged.

"Damn, who do you think I am? I've only been at this for a few days, and I still manage four hours of rest each night. Back in the day, I could go a week without sleep for a game. Now, for our future, I'm all in," Sunn Pang retorted, undeterred.

Zhang Yang didn't press any further. The early stages of starting a business often required some hard graft.

With that matter set aside, Zhang Yang realized his company still lacked an office building. The business was registered at the room Sunn Pang rented, and they were severely lacking in other resources. He needed to get the company fully operational soon, especially with the upcoming subscription fees, which meant it was time to start recruiting.

After some consideration, Zhang Yang realized that among his acquaintances, only Bai Ya was a businesswoman with a substantial company. If he approached her for help, he could likely save a lot of hassle. However, he was hesitant to reach out to Bai Ya. Their relationship was strained, and their interactions always ended awkwardly. Bai Ya didn't like Zhang Yang, and the feeling was mutual.

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