Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

It's another morning.

Li Siyuan, a student from Hongcheng University, slumped in a plastic chair in an internet cafe and yawned at the computer screen.

Today is Saturday.

There have been no classes since yesterday afternoon.

My roommates with girlfriends spend time with them, while those without girlfriends have dinner with two or three close male friends.

He was left all alone, with only his computer for company.

Sure enough, he went to the Speedy Internet Cafe near the school and played games all night.

As it was time to log off, he no longer had the energy to continue playing the game.

I decided to just browse around on Baidu Tieba.

Li Siyuan opened "Digital Bar".

The previous post about that mysterious MP4 player.

After these past few days, the initial heated debate has subsided.

From then on, no one cared about it.

Even the original poster hasn't been seen for several days.

It seems like it's completely over.

Since he couldn't get any useful information from the forum, he browsed some of his usual digital websites for a while.

There's nothing new here, just old-fashioned configuration debates and secondhand trading posts.

It completely lacked the long-lost excitement that the original post had given him.

"I'm so bored..."

Li Siyuan muttered to himself and casually clicked on the little penguin icon on his desktop.

The penguin's notification sound kept ringing "beep beep beep".

It turns out someone in the game group was showing off their battle results.

Meanwhile, the group members were "kindly and amicably" asking this netizen for tips on how to play.

Li Siyuan read through all the historical messages and chatted with his friends in the silly group for a bit.

Li Siyuan was once again left with nothing to do.

"Never mind, let's go see the goddess."

The goddess he was talking about wasn't any girl he was with.

Instead, it was Cheng Lin, who was hailed as the original internet celebrity pioneer.

Mentioning this name evokes memories for countless people.

In 2005, Tencent launched its Qzone feature.

In the era before short videos and Weibo.

Penguin Space is the most important social venue for young people.

At that time, Shen Ke's "Funeral Love Family" and the "Shamate" style were at their peak.

Everyone in it isn't doing anything "gothic".

Or you could dye your hair bright red or purple to show off your personality.

Among them, a girl with a "lion's mane" hairstyle, a unique style, and a peace sign in her hand quickly became an internet sensation with her selfie.

She is Cheng Lin.

In a spontaneous online beauty contest held by netizens in 2007.

Cheng Lin stood out among many internet celebrities and was selected as the "top internet beauty".

From then on, Cheng Lin became a household name.

Girls began to imitate her makeup, hairstyle, and outfits.

The boys used her photos as their profile pictures and wallpapers.

At that time, Cheng Lin was undoubtedly a trendsetter in the online world.

Almost every day, countless people check in at Cheng Lin's Penguin Space.

However, fame can also bring other troubles.

Someone stole Cheng Lin's photo to register a QQ account and impersonated her to commit fraud.

Many people, after being deceived, vented their anger on Cheng Lin.

Subsequently, with the explosive growth of platforms such as Weibo, it became a new center for public opinion and star-making.

Penguin Space and the "non-mainstream" culture it represents were quickly labeled as "outdated" and "non-mainstream".

Its core users have also begun to migrate to Weibo.

Therefore, Cheng Lin gradually faded from public view around 2010.

And now, Cheng Lin is at the height of her popularity.

Li Siyuan also really likes this "girl next door" who is very popular on Tencent Space.

I often visit other people's online spaces.

The page redirected, and the buffering circle spun for half a second.

Upon entering the Penguin Space, Cheng Lin's signature headshot selfie is prominently displayed at the top.

Ah... no wonder she's a goddess, she's as adorable as ever today.

Looking at Cheng Lin's photo, Li Siyuan couldn't help but sigh.

next second.

The background music that Cheng Lin had set up then began to play.

"what?"

Li Siyuan subconsciously turned up the volume.

It wasn't that familiar song.

"Anmixiu, Anmixiu~ Anmixiu, everyday~".

The new spatial music is not the expected pop love songs.

Instead, a few clear piano notes leap out first, accompanied by an electronic synthesized prelude, clean and crisp.

The rhythmic drumbeats "dong" slam in, instantly injecting modern vitality into the ancient style's artistic conception.

Then,

A clear male voice, with a unique and melodious pronunciation, rang out:

"To master unparalleled martial arts, one must endure pain that ordinary people cannot bear..."

Li Siyuan's finger, which was on the mouse, stopped.

This song!

This song is completely different from the music that's popular now!

It has a strong sense of storytelling.

A short lyric.

However, it tells a complete story.

Coupled with that carefree and catchy melody.

It has a peculiar attraction!

Especially when singing, "With my left hand I strike a Tai Chi move, with my right hand I thrust a sword forward! This sweeping leg move is called Clear Snow, breaking through the light-footed flying swallow!"

It even had a touch of opera singing style, which was the perfect finishing touch.

It's absolutely terrifying!

People born in 08 had never heard of this style of music before.

Li Siyuan had completely forgotten that he came here to "just take a look".

His eyes were fixed on the song title and artist displayed in the upper left corner of the homepage: "Down the Mountain", sung by Xu Song.

Xu Song?

A name I've never heard of before.

But... this song is just too damn good!

It's completely different from the sad love songs and pop songs that are playing all day online these days!

It's both novel and addictive!

His gaze then shifted away from the top left corner.

The mouse wheel scrolls naturally to move on to the next photo.

The latest update was taken by Cheng Lin on campus.

She was holding an electronic device in her hand.

The device was an extremely dreamy, pearlescent pink.

Under the soft light, the colors flow and shimmer, like a meticulously carved piece of jade, exquisite beyond compare.

Li Siyuan's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Jiugongge photo.

Each one exudes the beautiful spirit of youth.

Cheng Lin's smile remains fresh and sweet.

But what attracted Li Siyuan's attention at that moment was the dreamlike electronic device in her hand.

The first photo shows Cheng Lin sitting by the window in the library.

She wore pure white headphones and tilted her head slightly, resting them in her palms.

He held that device in his hand.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on her hair and the machine.

Cheng Lin closed her eyes, a contented smile on her lips.

The caption reads: "The sound quality of my new companion is amazing, and the screen is huge too. It's made reading ebooks much more efficient!"

The second photo is a close-up of the front of the device.

The deep black screen almost fills the entire front, and the transition between the edges and the pink body is incredibly smooth.

The screen, like an obsidian mirror, reflected the blurry shadows of trees and the blue sky outside the window.

Below are three minimalist touch button icons.

The third photo is a close-up of the "Z" logo on the back.

The metallic logo is set in the center of the pink back cover.

The lines are simple and powerful, making it stand out and appear sophisticated against the background.

In the fourth photo, Cheng Lin's index finger is swiping across the screen.

The screen was filled with exploding juice effects, clearly indicating that someone was playing a game.

Her expression was focused and slightly playful.

The caption reads: "I'm totally hooked on the built-in mini-games! The touchscreen response is lightning fast!"

The fifth photo.

The Z1 Journey is placed together with several novels with refreshing covers, a ceramic cup, and a small pot of succulents.

It creates a quiet scene full of life aesthetics.