Chapter 257 - 254: Sense of Disparity (4)

Chapter 257: Chapter 254: Sense of Disparity (4)

"Hurst, I’m leaving the matter of spreading the news to you."

Kurda said, looking at him.

"No problem! I guarantee that before the twelfth, articles praising the Noah operating system will appear all over the global internet," Hurst said without hesitation.

To him, this was hardly a difficult task. Even a rookie could do it. With the backing of Fruit Group’s power, it would be a walk in the park!

Fruit Group might have its weaknesses, but its global influence was undeniable.

Otherwise, it never would have achieved such incredible brand power!

...

「February 11th.」

As planned, Ye Ling was going to the temple fair with Ye Feng and Ning Ruoxi today, so he got up very early.

After freshening up, he browsed the internet for news while eating breakfast.

Overnight, a flurry of news had appeared online, most of it revolving around Xia Wei Group and Fruit Group.

’Fruit Group Announces a $150 Price Drop for the FruitPhone 7X Launch!’

’Xia Wei Group’s New, Independently Developed OS!’

’The Noah Operating System—An Epoch-Making System!’

...

Ye Ling frowned slightly as he read the headlines.

He’d honestly guessed Fruit Group would lower its prices yesterday. He’d checked their stock forecast, and the curve for the twelfth showed it skyrocketing.

So, Fruit Group must have done something... Ye Ling’s first guess was that they had lowered the launch price of the FruitPhone 7X.

It wasn’t that Ye Ling was a genius or anything. It was just that, frankly, Fruit Group had no other cards to play besides price.

But when he saw the articles about the Noah operating system, he could tell something was off.

Such a massive wave of articles couldn’t have been spontaneously posted by netizens. It was all too uniform. Some were even published by internationally renowned entertainment media outlets.

This could only mean one thing: someone was pulling the strings.

Xia Wei Group would never do something like this. First, it would require money—a lot of money.

Besides, doing so would bring Xia Wei Group no benefit.

Their own promotional efforts were already sufficient. Using the Noah operating system as another gimmick wouldn’t add much value. Plus, there was the risk of creating a sense of disappointment.

If you hype something to the moon and back, users will feel underwhelmed no matter how good the system actually is.

It was like those promotional ads for certain apps that made all sorts of insane claims to get downloads. But when people actually downloaded and tried the app, they found it was nothing like the ads and naturally felt put off.

Even if the app was better than its competitors, consumers would still be left with a bad taste in their mouths.

That was the sense of disappointment.

Therefore, these articles were definitely not published by Xia Wei Group.

’So, who could it be?’

Ye Ling’s first thought was Fruit Group, and he immediately understood their goal.

Setting them up for a fall.

They were trying to hoist Xia Wei Group up high, kick the ladder out from under them, and let them experience the feeling of a ten-thousand-meter fall.

Ye Ling didn’t know what that felt like, but he knew one thing: if Xia Wei Group really took that fall, they would probably... be done for.

’What a vicious move.’

However, Ye Ling wasn’t worried. ’Go ahead and try,’ he thought. ’No matter how perfectly you execute your plan, I’m still here—the ’bug’ in the system. You’re the ones who are screwed.’

After breakfast, Ye Ling drove Ning Ruoxi and Ye Feng out of the house.

"This temple fair is pretty big. I heard this is the ninth time it’s been held," Ye Feng said from his seat in the car.

"Perfect. It’ll be more fun to explore then."

Ye Ling said with a cheerful laugh.

’The temple fair itself wasn’t what was important. What mattered was being with family. That’s what made it meaningful.’

"Wow, look at all the people outside!"

Ning Ruoxi exclaimed, looking out the car window.

Even though Ye Ling’s family lived in a relatively small town, the crowds were immense.

The streets were teeming with pedestrians, and red lanterns adorned the buildings, creating a joyful and bustling atmosphere.

This was the true spirit of the New Year in Xia Country.

"Actually, a lot of people from big cities are moving to smaller towns like this now," Ye Ling remarked.

"Why is that?"

Ning Ruoxi asked, blinking in confusion.

"Because they’re more livable, of course."

Ye Ling shrugged. "Take a place like Modu. It’s all steel and concrete, packed to the gills with people. Driving is a nightmare, right? But then you look at a small town like this—the environment is nice, housing is cheap, the cost of living is low, and most importantly, there’s barely any traffic!"

In reality, this wasn’t some big secret, but a very normal phenomenon.

After many years of urbanization, Xia Country had already started to see a trend of counter-urbanization.

The pace of life in big cities was too fast. It might be fine for young people, but for those who had already settled down and started families, smaller towns offered a more relaxed lifestyle.

"That’s true."

Ning Ruoxi nodded in agreement.

’After all... Modu’s traffic is truly terrifying!’

Ye Ling drove on, and they soon arrived at their destination.

The temple fair was packed. Many people had brought their whole families along, and they ambled about, adding to the exceptionally lively atmosphere.

"Let’s just wander around," Ye Ling said, turning to the others.

The three of them got out of the car and melted into the crowd.

Ye Feng stood in the middle, flanked by Ye Ling and Ning Ruoxi. He looked like a father out with his two children.

The feeling was indistinguishable from that of a real family.

After wandering for a while, they passed a temple, and Ye Feng stopped in his tracks.

"You two go on ahead. I’m going to go pray for some blessings."

Ye Feng said, turning to look at Ye Ling and Ning Ruoxi.

"Why don’t we go with you?"

Ye Ling suggested.

’I don’t really believe in this stuff,’ he thought, ’but it’s a nice way to wish for a good new year.’

’A little faith can’t hurt.’

"No need. I’ll pray for both of you. You two go have fun."

Ye Feng shot Ye Ling a look.

’This damn kid, how can he be so dense right now?’

’Can’t he see I’m trying to give them some time alone?’

It had to be said.

Ye Feng was really going to great lengths to help Ye Ling win Ning Ruoxi over.

"Got it."

Ye Ling instantly got the hint. He wrapped his arm around Ning Ruoxi, who looked like she was about to say something, and guided her forward.

"Stinky, why did you just walk off like that!"

Ning Ruoxi pouted as Ye Ling pulled her away. She looked up at him and asked the question.

’I don’t really believe in that stuff either, but Ye Feng does...’

’So I think it’s better to go with him.’

’Whatever it takes to make our elder happy!’