As a mage, I just want to pursue the truth

Chapter 114: Unexpected Profit Point (4000 words -in-)

There is no basis for mutual trust when these three troublemakers, Japan, England and the Kangaroo Country, get together.

The relationship between England and Kangaroo Country is better, after all, England is the sovereign of Kangaroo Country. But this kind of relationship is very weak and only in name.

The Kangaroo Republic became completely independent in 1931, but the Queen is still the nominal supreme leader.

As for Japan and these two Anglo-Saxon countries, there is not even the slightest basis for mutual trust.

The European Union has a unified economy and trade, and residents have been able to migrate freely within it for so many years. The two big brothers, France and Germany, each got a magic coin. Although they are unhappy, they don't want to object.

In order to get these two magic coins, Germany and France gave up a lot of interests, including the Europa League's plan to pay for a package of government bonds of some economically depressed countries. They gritted their teeth and accepted it.

For some reasons, the economies of some European countries have been very depressed in the past two years, so the solution they came up with was for the government to issue bonds and let the European Union pay for it.

It is not just small countries that have this idea, but also some countries that used to have good economic situation. Originally, the Europa League was determined not to agree.

Because this is equivalent to Germany and France using their own income to pay for other countries.

However, due to the existence of magic coin, Germany and France had to agree in order to obtain magic coin.

On the other hand, Japan and England are neither short of money nor willing to make concessions.

As mining progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find planets that meet the requirements.

Since the two sides had been arguing for a long time, Nihong suggested that we just use both magic coins, with each of us using one.

England thinks this is fine, but the Kangaroo Country disagrees. If only one is used, I have no objection to you two sharing it, but if both are to be used, then why do you two have one and I don't?
People do not suffer from scarcity but from inequality.

Therefore, Neon, England and the Kangaroo Country, which received two magic coins, have been unable to reach an agreement.

The brain-computer connection mobile phone of the Kechuang Biotechnology English Department has been widely praised after landing in the European and American markets. Samsung's high-end models have once again sold well, and its market share in the American market has surpassed Apple.

This led Apple to move forward the launch of its iPhone 14 to August.

Before the new iPhone was launched, Neuralink, owned by Musk, launched the first brain-computer connection chip based on the research and development data of Ke Chuang Bio.

In order to avoid suspicion, Neuralink had to launch English-language brain-computer connection technology with a recognition accuracy of only 80%, even though its Chinese-language brain-computer connection recognition accuracy rate could reach 95%.

The 80 percent brain-computer connection recognition rate is in stark contrast to Ke Chuang Bio's 99 percent.

Apple does not want to be tied to one supplier and cannot find a reason to support Neuralink.

Musk personally led the team to talk to Cook, "We can't be kidnapped by scientific and technological innovation!"

"The brain-computer connection technology license for the Chinese department of Kechuang Biology is only 200 RMB, but for the English department they want 500 RMB. If Apple does not curb this behavior, their next price increase will be even more excessive."

Cook is also helpless. He must want to give Neuralink a chance:

"If your recognition accuracy can reach 95 percent, I'd be happy to give you a chance."

"But your recognition accuracy is only 80 percent, and users can clearly feel the difference."

"We have compared the differences between Neuralink and Kechuang Bio's brain-computer connection technology in the laboratory, and this difference cannot be concealed by animation effects at all."

Why do users think that IOS is smoother than Android? On the one hand, iOS and Apple's self-developed chips complement each other. On the other hand, Apple's animation effects are optimized well enough, and any lag is very smooth, without frame drops like Android.

Musk blushed. He knew his request was not in line with business logic, but some things were higher than business logic:

"If you don't support Neuralink, the field of brain-computer connection will always be monopolized by Chinese companies, just like our industry needs to rely on Chinese companies."

"Neuralink needs a chance. Our brain-computer connection chips do not need to be installed on iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max."

“But Neuralink’s brain-computer connection technology can be installed on iPhone mini and iPhone. You would have differentiated these four models.”

Musk’s keen business sense did not surprise Cook. He praised the other party’s proposal:

“What a genius idea.”

"But we are iPhones. iPhones and iPhone minis are both iPhones. Neuralink's brain-computer connection recognition accuracy is only 80 percent, which is unacceptable even for iPhone minis."

Musk's proposal has been discussed within Apple, but destroying Apple's previous reputation in order to support a supplier is obviously not a cost-effective deal.

Musk still wanted to struggle: "The 13 series iPhones can make mine and 13 not equipped with high refresh rate function, why can't 14 be equipped with high refresh rate function?"

Cook said in a very high-sounding manner: "Our mobile phone models have been finalized. Some iPhone 14 and 14 mini have already been produced. It is impossible to re-finalize them now."

The real reason is simple.

By August, the Federal Reserve had raised interest rates twice. Due to the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes and Samsung's continuous squeezing of Apple's market share in the high-end market with the help of brain-computer connection technology, Apple's stock price has evaporated by more than 20 points under the double kill of Davis.

The Davis double kill refers to a decline in both a company's performance and valuation.

Apple urgently needs the 14 series to boost morale. How could it treat consumers differently at this time and consume their purchasing desire?

Cook gave a plan: "Neuralink can cooperate with Samsung. Samsung's mobile phones have a wider range of price distribution than iPhones. They can equip their mobile phones priced between 300 and 500 yuan with Neuralink's brain-computer connection technology."

If a phone at this price is equipped with Ke Chuang Bio's brain-computer connection technology, the patent licensing fees will eat up most of the profits of the mobile phone manufacturer.

And if Neuralink's price is low enough, that's obviously a route to go.

Musk pleaded: "What about an iPhone mini?"

If it can be installed on the iPhone, Musk would rather make less money in the first few years.

Cooperation with Samsung is easy to negotiate. As long as Neuralink is willing to reduce the patent licensing fee to less than 200 RMB, Samsung will definitely be willing to install brain-computer connection technology on their mid-range phones.

But Musk is not very willing to do so, because once mid-range models are shipped in large quantities, Neuralink will be unable to get rid of the low-end impression.

Even if the brain-computer connection products of Neuralink and CStone Biotechnology are almost the same in the future, consumers will prefer CStone Biotechnology.

Once consumers' impression of a brand is labeled as low-end, it is very, very difficult to get rid of it.

After rice was labeled as cost-effective, it could not be shaken off no matter how many press conferences it held in the Forbidden City in the past few years.

Therefore, Musk hopes to get on the bandwagon of the iPhone, even if it is an iPhone mini. At least users will feel that Neuralink is not much different from Ke Chuang Biotechnology.

Cook rejected Musk’s plea very firmly: “Sorry, if Neuralink’s recognition accuracy can reach 95%, then we will consider it.”

There is no difference between saying this and not saying it.

Because when Neuralink's brain-computer connection recognition rate reaches 95%, Ke Chuang Bio's technology will make new progress.

By that time, Apple will still only use the brain-computer connection technology of Ke Chuang Biotechnology and will still not choose Neuralink.

Seeing that he failed to convince Cook, Musk finally chose to cooperate with Samsung.

As for Chinese mobile phone manufacturers, Musk dare not bring out the Chinese brain-computer connection technology, otherwise someone with a keen eye will find anomalies when comparing. Then, if they publicize it on Chinese social media, it will affect Tesla's sales in China.

As usual, Li Miaomiao bought a cup of coffee on the first floor of the Kechuang Biobuilding and then went to her office.

"Or a latte with extra sugar."

"Okay, Mr. Li, please wait a moment!" the cashier of the coffee shop responded loudly. As the vice president of Ke Chuang Bio, he still needed to queue.

The employees in front of her wouldn't ask her to buy first, because Kechuang Biotechnology is a very young company, and there is almost no strict hierarchy.

A new coffee shop opened on the first floor of the Kechuang Biological Building in the middle of this year. Not long after its opening, this coffee shop quickly became an Internet celebrity coffee shop in the whole of Suzhou.

It’s a pity that you need an employee card to come in, otherwise there will be long queues every day.

As for why it has become an Internet celebrity coffee shop, it is not because the coffee is so delicious, but because the barista in this coffee shop is very special.

Xiao Huang is a disabled person. He used to be a barista with all his limbs intact, but later he lost both his hands due to an accident.

He was originally depressed, but when Ke Chuang Bio found him and asked him if he wanted to continue to be a barista, Xiao Huang wondered if he had heard it wrong.

In the past, I had only heard of deaf-mute people becoming baristas. If you have only one hand disabled, you have no chance of becoming a barista, let alone if you have no hands at all.

Xiao Huang, who just loves the coffee business and has a glimmer of hope for Suzhou's most famous company, Ke Chuang Biotechnology, agreed.

Later, after two months of training in the laboratory of Ke Chuang Biotechnology Suzhou, he successfully became a barista again.

Xiao Huang needs to go to the first floor every day to wear a special brain-computer connection device, which weighs half a pound and is connected to his entire back of the head and spine.

Then he needs to use the brain-computer interface to control two robotic arms extending from the wall of the cafe.

Every day, Xiao Huang stands between two robotic arms and uses his brain to control the robotic arms to make coffee for the customers.

The silver robotic arm is full of technology, and coupled with the cyberpunk-style design, the entire coffee shop is even more futuristic than the buildings in Cyberpunk 2077.

Reemployment of the disabled, brain-computer prosthetics, scientific and innovative biology, cyberpunk, a series of elements made this coffee shop attract countless eyeballs on the first day of its opening.

At that time, because the Federal Reserve had just raised interest rates, A-shares fell terribly, especially leading stocks in the pharmaceutical industry. In the past, they were driven up by funds, but now funds began to sell off and the stocks fell the fastest.

Kechuang Biotechnology also belongs to this type, but that day, due to the potential positive news of brain-computer prosthetics, Kechuang Biotechnology not only did not fall, but instead soared by seven points, directly returning to a trillion-dollar market value.

The official Weibo account of Ke Chuang Biotech also specially filmed Xiao Huang's day.

This coffee shop named 2072 is also known as a must-visit place in Suzhou. If you know friends who work in Ke Chuang Biotechnology, you must come here to check in.

So much so that when Luckin Coffee’s president came to Suzhou for inspection, he personally visited Kechuang Bio and asked how much it would cost to buy the equipment.

They also want to open a Luckin Coffee store in a core landmark of a first-tier city.

"Fifty million. This is our laboratory product. We don't sell it to the public. Fifty million is the cost price."

Luckin’s CEO said without blinking, “Then 50 million, I’ll buy four, one each in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.”

This thing is more of a marketing effect. Is it expensive to spend 200 million to advertise in the core landmarks of China's first-tier cities? Not expensive.

要知道2018 年全年瑞幸的市场营销费用共7.46亿，2019年前9个月，瑞幸咖啡的市场营销费用达11.16亿人民币。

Now it is 2022, Luckin Coffee has come back to life, and 2 million RMB is just a piece of cake for them.

Cheng Gang immediately agreed to this level of cooperation.

Only 200 million RMB.

After Luckin's cyberpunk-style coffee shop opened, it indeed attracted a lot of attention, with countless people queuing up to take pictures every day.

It seems that everyone is here not to drink coffee, but to take photos.

So much so that disabled baristas have become internet celebrities.

Starbucks was also jealous when seeing this, as Luckin is a direct partner of theirs.

The president of Starbucks Greater China also led a team to discuss cooperation. Compared with Luckin Coffee, Starbucks's move was much bigger. The order was for fifty brain-computer connection devices, and they plan to roll them out in Starbucks stores around the world.

Zheng Li himself had never expected the development of the matter. The first profit point of brain-computer prosthesis actually came from coffee shops.

It was a blessing in disguise.

Li Miaomiao watched the robotic arm making latte art. She found it amazing that the robotic arm could achieve such a smooth effect.

Although she has seen it many times, she still marvels at the power of technology every time she sees it.

It was she who proposed the idea of ​​using brain-computer prosthetics in coffee shops because there are still some technical immaturities in brain-computer prosthetics.

For example, in order to accurately identify the user's intentions through brain nerve signals, many more neural points are required than connecting the brain and the mobile phone.

Therefore, the brain-computer connection device will be very heavy and need to be connected from the back of your head to the spine, which will be a certain burden for people with disabilities.

The R&D team in Lion City wants to optimize it further.

In addition, this kind of thing is a medical device and needs to be reviewed before it can be put on the market on a large scale.

When used in a coffee shop, the prosthesis is on the wall and supported by the wall. It is a mechanical device rather than a medical device.

It's equivalent to playing a borderline ball.

After Li Miaomiao brought it up, Zheng Li said he could give it a try.

After a while, a coffee shop named 2072 opened on the first floor of Ke Chuang Bio.

People outside say that it is a cyberpunk-style coffee shop, but Li Miaomiao doesn't think so. She thinks it is a very soft coffee shop that provides disabled baristas with the opportunity to find re-employment and engage in their favorite careers.

In Li Miaomiao's view, this is a kind gesture of kindness from a high-tech company to people in an era of rapid technological development.

"Mr. Li, your coffee is ready."

Li Miaomiao cleared her mind and walked back to her office. She thought to herself, "A beautiful day starts with seeing the sparkling water of Jinji Lake."

Thanks to nimia5274, Qidi Tianxia, ​​and Feng丨Gentleman for the rewards!

I have been owing two extra chapters, but I have been too busy and have no time to write them. I have a lot of things to do this weekend, so I’m sorry.

I will update as soon as the author finds time!

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(End of this chapter)