Losing Money to Become a Tycoon: Starting with Games
Chapter 440: This Launch Event Is Way Too Interesting
As soon as the warm-up video ended, the atmosphere in the venue became not only lively but also more formal.
People who hadn't yet entered quickly took their seats, and the hall was soon completely filled.
A gentle female voice announced some reminders: please silence your phones, the event would last less than an hour so try not to leave midway, and small gifts could be collected after the event.
It was also mentioned that the launch event was being livestreamed across the internet, with a dedicated stream available on the YY Live platform.
As 3 PM approached, the lights dimmed. Amid enthusiastic applause, Chang You walked onto the stage.
"Hello everyone, I'm Chang You."
"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend the OTTO E1 smartphone launch event. On behalf of everyone at OTTO Technology, I extend a warm welcome to you all!"
Thunderous applause erupted once again.
Pei Qian took out his phone, opened YY Live, and found the livestream for the OTTO Technology launch.
Over the past year, the livestreaming business had grown rapidly. At this time last year, YY Live only had a few hundred thousand users total, but now a single stream could already attract tens of thousands of viewers.
The OTTO launch stream wasn't particularly popular—only twenty to thirty thousand viewers were watching, most of them likely tech enthusiasts.
"Hey, isn't that President Chang? After ruining Hongcheng Technology, which poor company is he messing with now?"
"Outu Technology? Never heard of it before."
"It's under Tengda Group. It's listed on TPDb. Haven't you seen A Better Tomorrow?"
"Still sounds like a no-name brand. Tengda Group is great at making games, sure—but in phones? They're basically amateurs. Let's see which brands Chang is going to take shots at today. I'm betting Pineapple and Shenhua!"
"Come on, which domestic phone brand doesn't take shots at Pineapple and Shenhua? Pineapple gets roasted daily—it's used to it."
The livestream didn't support bullet comments yet, but there was a chat panel on the right where viewers could post messages.
Clearly, Chang You's past reputation at Hongcheng Technology had left a deep impression on many tech enthusiasts. Their attention wasn't really on the phone—it was on him.
Pei Qian was quite satisfied with this, feeling rather proud of his ability to pick the right people.
…
On stage, Chang You briefly introduced the background of OTTO Technology.
There was actually a lot he could have talked about—for example, its connection to Tengda Group, and its somewhat mysterious ties to A Better Tomorrow.
But he didn't go into detail, only giving a short overview, because President Pei had emphasized keeping the event concise.
So Chang You decided to get straight to the point. He pressed the remote, and four large words instantly appeared on the big screen:
"Pricing Segment"
The moment these words appeared, the entire venue fell silent. The livestream chat filled with question marks.
"Wait, didn't the stream just start? Did I miss something?"
"Did I accidentally skip two hours?"
"Is the PPT wrong?"
Everyone looked completely bewildered.
According to the usual formula, the pricing segment should be the final part of the presentation!
Typically, you'd first go through all the features, hype up the phone's strengths, and save the most important highlights for last.
Once the audience's expectations were at their peak, you'd subtly imply premium materials and high quality, prompting them to guess a high price—then reveal a lower-than-expected number, instantly earning applause and a flood of "so worth it" reactions.
Of course, sometimes it backfires—if the price is too high, the audience reacts with "this stinks," making things awkward.
But no matter what, the order shouldn't be messed up!
They hadn't even seen the phone yet, and suddenly—boom—the price was on the screen.
What kind of presentation was this supposed to be?!
Wouldn't that completely take away the fun of guessing the price?
Chang You was already mentally prepared for this. Without hesitation, he pressed the remote again, and four huge digits appeared on the screen:
8199!
The venue fell into dead silence. The livestream chat instantly filled with question marks.
"Did President Chang drink too much today?"
"819? A budget phone? What a steal!"
"Even flagship phones from Shenhua and Pineapple don't cost that much. Who gave you this confidence?"
The audience in the venue wasn't as blunt as the livestream viewers, but their confused expressions said everything.
Was this a joke?!
Sure, Chang You had run Hongcheng Technology into the ground, but that didn't mean he'd make such a rookie mistake, right?
Unfazed, Chang You continued:
"Our OTTO E1 will have no launch discount, and there will never be any discounts in the future. Until the next generation releases and the E1 is discontinued, the price will remain at 8199—unchanged. Of course, installment payments are not supported."
"Alright, you may now begin typing 'this stinks.'"
The venue remained silent, but the livestream chat exploded with sarcasm and mockery.
Seeing the flood of ridicule in the chat, Pei Qian felt both excited and thrilled.
This was it—this was exactly the effect he wanted!
He almost couldn't help but give Chang You a thumbs-up from his seat.
Chang You's expression remained calm. Since time was limited, he didn't dwell on the pricing and moved straight to the next segment.
"Next, let's talk about our inventory."
"The first production batch of OTTO E1 consists of 1,000 units. First come, first served. Once sold out, that's it. The delivery date for the second batch is yet to be determined."
An image appeared on the big screen: a large warehouse in Jingzhou used by ROF Assembly. On one section of shelving, exactly 1,000 OTTO E1 phones were neatly stacked—while half of the shelf remained empty.
At a glance, it looked… rather pitiful.
"Pfft—"
A tech journalist in the front row couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
This launch event was way too entertaining!
At other companies' launch events, after announcing the price and getting a chorus of "so worth it," they'd usually talk about having ample stock and show images of warehouses filled to the brim.
Of course, in many cases that was just marketing—shortages would still happen, and "hunger marketing" was still common. But at least they'd make the effort to look prepared.
Meanwhile, OTTO Technology went completely off-script—directly stating the exact number: 1,000 units!
And they even emphasized this embarrassingly small number, as if afraid people might miss it.
What was this—trying to do scarcity marketing?
Did Chang You seriously think that setting a high price and limiting supply would make consumers rush to buy?
It had only been five minutes since the event started, but both the live audience and livestream viewers had already shifted from "watching a phone launch" to "watching a comedy show."
Someone in the audience shouted, "Nice one—do another!"
"Too cheap, I'm buying!"
"Basically free if you round it—if you don't buy, are you even human?"
The entire venue burst into laughter, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.
It had to be said—people were very good at finding entertainment.
After the "Pricing Segment" and "Inventory Segment," the audience's mindset had shifted from "anyone who buys this is an idiot" to "I can't afford it, but I'll enjoy the show." The previously serious tone had turned humorous.
Pei Qian, sitting below the stage, felt a bit speechless.
I'm telling the truth—what's so funny?
Is it really that amusing?
Well, laugh all you want. As long as you don't actually spend money later, we're good.
Chang You smiled slightly and moved on to the next segment.
"Next, I will introduce the advantages of this phone."
With a light press of the remote, an image appeared on the big screen.
Facing the audience, Chang You's lips began moving rapidly as he delivered the promotional script he had memorized by heart.
"A truly great brand, a truly great phone—welcome to the launch event of the high-end smartphone brand OTTO Technology's flagship product, the E1! The E1 features top-tier specs, a flagship chipset, a high-refresh-rate display, and a pure customized OS, bringing you an ultra-smooth, exclusive experience. With a massive battery, ultra-fast charging, safe and stable long-lasting power, it frees you from battery anxiety. A horizontal linear motor, NFC, infrared, headphone jack, Hi-Fi audio, and dual speakers—every detail you want, nothing cut. A custom cooling system, side charging port, and game-exclusive high frame rate mode ensure you always have the upper hand in intense battles. Its ultimate dual-camera system captures both people and scenery beautifully. With a signature breathing logo, unique design, and endorsement by Lu Zhiyao—the same phone featured in A Better Tomorrow—you get both fashion and the future. In addition, it comes with sixteen exclusive benefits across gaming, entertainment, lifestyle, and more. You'll gain premium statuses such as Tengda Group Super Player, Terminal Chinese Web Ultimate VIP, Feihuang Studio Connoisseur, Moyu Internet Café Gaming Expert, Moyu Delivery Premium Member, Mingyun Private Kitchen VIP Guest, and Against the Wind Logistics VIP Client, enjoying a permanent 5% discount across all Tengda Group services. Every year, you'll receive a free game, multiple exclusive skins, advance movie screening tickets, free drinks, periodic red packet bonuses, free delivery, and extra dishes from Mingyun Private Kitchen—bringing surprises to every aspect of your life. Additionally, enjoy lifelong benefits like trade-in upgrades, replacement instead of repair, and complimentary accessories. One purchase, lifetime rewards—OTTO E1 is not just a phone, but a walking Tengda Group supreme VIP card. Limited to 1,000 units, first come first served, value-retaining, never discounted. OTTO E1—your all-purpose assistant for work, your ultimate weapon in gaming, and your premium life manager. It is the ultimate solution in the high-tech era for all your troubles!"
Chang You delivered this entire long speech in one breath. Aside from brief pauses to catch his breath, there were almost no breaks, and his speaking speed reached the upper limit of what a normal audience could follow.
After finishing, Chang You let out a long breath and looked out at the audience.
He didn't know exactly where President Pei was sitting, but at this moment, he only wanted to say four words:
Mission accomplished!
He had memorized such a long script perfectly, delivered it smoothly, without a single stumble!
The entire venue was silent.
Pei Qian's hand, still holding a bottle of water, was frozen mid-air—as if he had momentarily forgotten what to do with it.
Chang You felt a bit deflated.
What was going on? Did the joke fall flat?
After delivering such a long passage, not a single person even applauded?
Glancing at the time, he realized he couldn't delay. He pressed the remote:
"Alright, that concludes the advantages. Next, let's talk about this phone's shortcomings—"
But the moment the slide changed, the audience suddenly exploded.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"I didn't catch it—do it again!"
"Say it again! Go back!"
Many people in the audience had been completely stunned during that rapid-fire speech and didn't even have time to react.
If this had been a comedy stage performance, the audience would have immediately erupted in applause.
But this was a hotel conference hall—a product launch event!
Who would've expected that while introducing a phone, Chang You would suddenly deliver something like that?
Only now did it sink in—and the entire venue erupted!
Facing the overwhelming chants of "Do it again!", Chang You said awkwardly:
"Sorry, our leader gave a strict order that this segment must be kept within five minutes. The five minutes are already up, so I have to move on. Please understand."
The audience clearly didn't buy this ridiculous explanation.
"Cut the nonsense! Why would your boss limit how long you can talk about the phone's advantages? Is he crazy?"
"Come on, President Chang, saying it again won't take that long!"
"Exactly—don't try to brush it off. Do it again!"
Chang You looked helplessly at the crowd, not knowing where President Pei was sitting.
Sorry, President Pei… I really wanted to keep it within five minutes—but the audience won't let me!
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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