Chapter 70 — The Marketplace Reveal
Before dawn, Stella and the XB tech team carefully transported the digital signage to the bustling marketplace. The large screen was mounted on a sturdy brick wall, reinforced with strong brackets and insulated wiring to keep it stable even in outdoor conditions. The entire process was carried out with quiet precision — no announcements, no unnecessary movements, just silent efficiency under the pale morning sky.
They tested the power supply.
They checked the interface.
The demonstration video was loaded and queued.
A technician stepped back and nodded.
> "Everything's ready."
Stella folded her arms, calm as always.
> "Good. We leave it running and return in the morning to see how it performs."
The team faded into the early morning quiet, leaving only the soft hum of electricity against the wall.
---
When the sun began to rise, the marketplace slowly awakened.
The first vendors to arrive froze mid-step.
A moving image flickered to life on the wall — clear, bright, and impossibly smooth.
The Modern Age Camera capturing a still image with perfect detail.
The Modern Age Video Camera recording movement — a spinning fan, a falling sheet of paper, a child running past a window.
No flicker.
No grain.
No sound of film winding.
Just reality, replaying on a screen.
People gathered.
> "Is that… a television?"
"No, look — it's too clear."
"There's no film reel. How is it showing video?"
"It looks real, like I'm looking through a window!"
More and more crowded in.
Vendors left their stalls half-assembled.
Children pointed.
Shopkeepers leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed with disbelief.
By mid-morning, dozens had gathered, and the murmurs had grown into small excitement-filled discussions.
News spread quickly.
By phone.
By whispers.
By sheer shock.
---
Stella quietly called Bai Xia.
> "The signage performed perfectly," she reported. "People are already asking where they can buy it."
Bai Xia smiled faintly, the corners of her lips curving with quiet satisfaction.
> "Good," she said. "But for now, no one will get their hands on it. Let curiosity do the work. Continue gathering reactions. This is only the beginning."
She hung up.
This — this — was how one pulled the world forward:
Not by shouting, but by letting the future speak for itself.
---
By late morning, reporters had arrived.
Cameras flashed.
Questions flew.
Bai Xia stepped forward — graceful, calm, composed like she had prepared for this moment for years.
> "You may observe it as you like," she said evenly. "The digital signage is not yet available for sale. We are still running performance evaluations and stability tests."
A reporter raised a microphone.
> "When will it be released to the market?"
Bai Xia's answer was soft — controlled, deliberate.
> "When the world is ready. For now, please enjoy a glimpse of what is coming."
That sentence alone ignited desire.
They wanted it.
They needed it.
But they could not have it.
Scarcity was the most powerful demand engine.
---
When the crowd thinned, Bai Xia made a decision to take a walk. She had been working nonstop — prototypes, meetings, tests — barely any room to breathe. A bit of quiet wouldn't hurt.
She thought of the restaurant she once visited with Fu Jian… but remembering that girl's jealous presence there, she chose somewhere else — a small restaurant closer to the marketplace.
Inside, she ordered a simple meal, expecting nothing unusual.
But then — the girl who brought her food stopped her breath for a moment.
She was young — perhaps seventeen or eighteen.
She had delicate almond-shaped eyes, framed by long dark lashes.
Her nose was narrow and elegant, her cheekbones refined yet soft.
Her skin held a warm tone, neither pale nor dark — just naturally radiant.
Her hair was chestnut-brown, tied loosely behind her head, with strands falling beside her cheeks.
Her features were a striking blend: unmistakably Chinese in gentleness, yet with subtle Western edge in bone structure.
Graceful.
Natural.
Quietly luminous.
In her past life, this girl — Ruby — had become a renowned model, admired in Shanghai and across China. She had won awards, magazine covers, endorsements, and countless fans.
But here she was — serving tables.
Something had happened.
Her path had shifted.
Bai Xia's fingers stilled beside her chopsticks.
---
When Bai Xia finished eating, she went to the reception.
> "I'd like to speak with the owner of this restaurant."
The receptionist blinked, then hurried inside. Moments later, an elderly woman in her sixties emerged. She paused the moment she saw Bai Xia — her expression shifting into recognition.
Not personal recognition — but public recognition.
The whisper of newspaper headlines. The young CEO of XB.
Bai Xia spoke calmly.
> "The waitress who served me — is she a permanent employee here?"
The old woman stiffened.
> "No, no — she just works part-time. Did she offend you?"
Her voice trembled — afraid of offending someone powerful.
> "She didn't offend me," Bai Xia replied gently. "I simply want to speak with her."
Relief flooded the old woman's face. She hurried off and returned with Ruby.
---
Ruby appeared nervous, unsure why she was being called.
When she saw Bai Xia's gaze — calm, assessing, unreadable — she felt small, like someone being evaluated at an audition.
> "Are you interested," Bai Xia asked, her tone soft yet certain,
"in another job besides this one?"
Ruby blinked — stunned.
Hope flickered in her eyes — faint but bright.
> "Yes," she admitted quietly. "I… I would like another job."
Bai Xia wrote down a number and handed it to her.
> "This is my assistant's number. Come to XB Corporation tomorrow. I'll see you personally."
Ruby took the note with both hands — as if it were something precious.
> "Yes. I… I will be there."
When Bai Xia left, the old woman stared after her, realization dawning in full force.
> "Ruby," she whispered urgently, gripping the girl's arm,
"That was the CEO of XB Corporation. Your life will change if you seize this chance."
Ruby's heart pounded.
> "Yes," she breathed. "I'll hold onto it — no matter what."
---
Bai Xia walked down the street, deciding to skip the taxi. A little exercise would help clear her mind.
She had barely gone twenty steps…
When a shadow moved behind her — fast.
A large figure lunged.
Bai Xia's body reacted instantly — her stance shifting, weight distributing, muscles ready.
Her eyes narrowed.
Who was bold enough to target her — now?
And why?
The air stilled.
The attack struck.
To be continued…