Trump Card

The commercial sky of Jingzhou changed overnight.

Two explosive pieces of news shook the entire automotive industry on the same day.

The international giant, Stellar, officially began production at its Jingzhou super factory.

Its first product was a special model tailored for the Xia market—the "Vanguard."

Priced at 350,000 yuan, it directly targeted the mid-to-high-end market share of "Boundless" Motors.

While Stellar's entry was somewhat expected, the other news detonated like a depth charge.

Qin New Energy proudly unveiled its new sub-brand, "Swiftwind."

The first model's specifications rivaled the "Boundless Youth Edition," but with a jaw-dropping price tag of 198,000 yuan—barely above cost.

One domestic, one foreign. One high-end, one budget.

Two sharp blades, precisely aimed at "Boundless" Motors' throat and weak spots.

At the top-floor office of Abyss Dragon Tech, Lin Yuan's expression was graver than ever.

"President Lu, we have a problem," he said, placing a real-time data report in front of Lu Chenyuan.

"Within 24 hours of Stellar's 'Vanguard' and Qin's 'Swiftwind' launches, our new orders dropped by 30%.

"Our showrooms are flooded with cancellation calls.

"Online, every automotive forum is buzzing about this. The sentiment is toxic—they're calling us a 'scam.'"

This was the first major crisis "Boundless" Motors had faced since its launch.

Tension gripped the company.

Several executives had already called Lin Yuan, their voices thick with anxiety.

"Should we convene an emergency meeting?" Lin Yuan asked. "Everyone's waiting for your decision."

"No." Lu Chenyuan's gaze remained fixed outside the window.

His eyes rested calmly on the construction site of the "Boundless" super factory, where piling had just begun.

"Let them argue. Let them fight.

"The real war isn't waged in meeting rooms."

He turned to face Lin Yuan.

"Three directives.

"First, reject all proposals for price cuts or promotions.

"Second, accelerate construction of the 'Boundless' super factory—spare no expense.

"Third, notify Lu Ruoxi's Pangu Lab and all core software teams to prepare for a meeting."

Confusion flickered in Lin Yuan's eyes.

No price cuts?

And doubling down on factory construction?

It defied logic.

But he didn't question it. "Understood," he replied.

An hour later, in Abyss Dragon Tech's highest-security conference room, fewer than ten people were present.

Aside from Lu Chenyuan and Lin Yuan, only the company's top AI and software leads were there—including Lu Ruoxi.

Dressed in a simple white blouse, her aura was ethereal, like an immortal untouched by worldly dust.

The room felt heavy. Everyone knew the company was under unprecedented pressure.

Without preamble, Lu Chenyuan activated the projector.

The screen displayed neither cars nor financial reports.

Instead, a sleek, futuristic operating system interface appeared, centered around two seal-script characters:

Celestial Pivot.

"Today," Lu Chenyuan began, his tone measured, "we don't discuss our rivals. We discuss ourselves.

"Let me ask: What is the essence of a car?"

Silence.

He answered his own question.

"In the past, cars were transportation—four wheels and a sofa. Competition revolved around engines, chassis, hardware.

"But the future? Cars are smart terminals.

"The third living space for humanity, beyond homes and offices.

"Their core? Computing power. Software. Ecosystems."

He pointed at "Celestial Pivot OS" onscreen.

"This is our answer for the future.

"A true intelligent cockpit system, fully powered by the 'Nuwa 2.0' large model."

Lu Ruoxi stood, taking over with a laser pointer.

"'Celestial Pivot OS' seamlessly integrates car, home, and user. It's not a passive system—it's an active steward.

"After work, it syncs your calendar, preps briefing materials for your next meeting in the car, and calculates your arrival time to activate home AC, air purifiers, and water heaters.

"It reads your mood. Tired? It plays soothing music and adjusts your seat. Excited? It suggests top-rated nearby restaurants.

“Most crucially”—her eyes gleamed with conviction—“it opens the underlying APIs to all developers.”

"Any programmer with an idea can build apps for 'Celestial Pivot.' We provide the platform; the world's creativity builds our ecosystem."

The room fell utterly still.

The sheer scale of the vision left them awestruck.

Now they understood the magnitude of Lu Chenyuan's strategy.

While Stellar and Qin Group obsessed over hardware costs and pricing, Lu Chenyuan had elevated the battle to an entirely new dimension.

"My decision is final," Lu Chenyuan said, his voice steel. "We launch 'Celestial Pivot OS' ahead of schedule.

"I don't care how you do it. Within a week, this system must be installed in every 'Boundless' demo and test-drive vehicle.

"Prepare the launch event. We'll show the market the real game has just begun.

"Hardware margins can be slim."

His gaze swept the room.

"But ecosystem value? That's infinite."

One week later.

Jingzhou National Convention Center.

Abyss Dragon Tech held a globally watched launch event.

Media speculation swirled: Would Lu Chenyuan slash prices? Release a budget model?

The venue was packed.

Lu Chenyuan took the stage in a plain black T-shirt.

No flashy intro. No crisis rhetoric.

He simply stood there, calm.

"Many ask how 'Boundless' will respond to this price war.

"My answer? We won't.

"Because that isn't our war.

"Today, I'm not launching a car. I'm defining a new species."

The screen behind him lit up.

Celestial Pivot OS debuted in full glory.

Fluid interactions. An eerily intuitive voice assistant. Seamless smart-life integration...

Live demos painted a crystal-clear vision: the future of intelligent mobility.

The crowd erupted.

Everyone grasped it instantly—this was a dimensionality shift in competition.

While rivals dueled with sharper knives, Lu Chenyuan had just drawn a gun.

At the end of the press conference, Lu Chenyuan announced an even more groundbreaking decision.

"'Tianshu OS' will be provided as a free system update to all existing owners of 'Wuju' vehicles."

"Our promise is this: a 'Wuju' car will never become obsolete—it is an intelligent terminal capable of continuous evolution."

As Lu Chenyuan concluded his speech, thunderous applause erupted in the venue.

Consumers who had hesitated due to price were instantly swayed.

On one side, there was an ordinary car that would only depreciate in value.

On the other, a "species of the future" with limitless potential, capable of endless upgrades.

The choice was obvious.

Qin Corporation.

Li Jinchuan stared fixedly at the composed and confident figure on the screen.

All the effort he had poured into the "Fengchi" project, his proud price-slashing strategy—now seemed laughable, utterly defenseless against "Tianshu OS."

He thought he had found Lu Chenyuan's weakness.

But he never imagined the man didn’t even consider him a worthy opponent.

Lu Chenyuan had flipped the board entirely, then declared to everyone: we’re playing a far more advanced game now.

A bone-chilling dread crept up from the soles of his feet.

Once again, he felt the crushing helplessness of being outmaneuvered on an entirely different level.

With a furious roar, he hurled his glass to the ground.

"Lu Chenyuan!"

He ground out the name through clenched teeth, each syllable dripping with venom.

Meanwhile, in Qin Ya’s office.

She had watched the entire livestream without uttering a word.

The lazy amusement had vanished from her face.

In its place was a complex mix of frustration, admiration, and wariness.

"Now do you understand?"

She murmured the question into the empty air.

As if asking herself—or perhaps the now-unhinged Li Jinchuan.

"He never intended to play the same game as us."

"He doesn’t follow the rules—he makes them."