Jiang Ye clicked the [Video Call Device] again.
He bought one first.
Five thousand yuan was spent, and the transaction chamber flashed with light.
A tablet computer appeared.
Jiang Ye picked it up, and the tablet immediately displayed subtitles:
[Do you want to use facial recognition to sync information? After facial recognition, this device will be bound to you and sync your friend list.]
He reached out and tapped [Confirm].
A face frame appeared in the center of the screen. Jiang Ye adjusted his face to fit, then turned his head left and right and blinked as prompted.
These actions were for liveness detection. It prevented criminals from unlocking devices with the bodies of their victims after committing murder.
[Binding successful!]
[Your identity has been recognized: Colony Officer Jiang Ye]
[Your friend list has been synced]
Several groups of densely packed friend names immediately appeared on the screen.
Jiang Ye tried tapping Isabella.
A call interface popped up instantly, and Isabella was being called.
He was stunned; a light tap initiated the call.
He frantically tried to close the call, but before he could press the hang-up button, it was answered.
A pale, ghostly face appeared on the screen. Isabella was wearing a face mask.
"Hello! You finally bought a video call device!" Isabella, afraid of wrinkling her mask, could only part her lips slightly and wave at Jiang Ye.
She was sitting on her own bed, leaning against the headboard, with a thick, several-hundred-page paperback resting on her chest. The title was "Hot."
The construction of the logistics center was proceeding quickly. The security center, guard posts, and ten warehouses were all built. Jiang Ye found a topic.
"I can see the progress here. It's already 33% complete. It should be finished in two more days. Once it's done, I'll move over to work there." Isabella held up her hands in a V-sign. "You'll be my boss then, Boss Jiang."
Jiang Ye chuckled. "What boss? Alright, it's getting late. You should get some sleep."
"Goodnight!" Isabella waved, and the call ended.
Jiang Ye held the calling tablet, nodding repeatedly. The picture quality was truly excellent; he could even see the individual strands of Isabella's hair. It was on a completely different level from previous video calls.
He tapped around on the tablet for a long time but couldn't find any other functions. It couldn't access the internet, nor did it have mini-games. This tablet was solely for video calls.
This was somewhat unexpected for Jiang Ye. In his childhood, mobile phones became more functional with each passing year, each new model more elaborate than the last, with thousands of apps. After so many years, there were still tablet computers that only made video calls.
However, being able to make video calls across the vastness of space, with such stable signals and true-to-life picture quality, was indeed high technology. If one could call anyone anywhere in the galaxy, it would be incredibly powerful.
He tapped the Galactic Mall and bought two more calling tablets.
Another hundred thousand yuan was spent, leaving his personal account balance at 6.55 million yuan.
After acquiring the two tablets, Jiang Ye opened the chat channel.
He sent one to Cao County Citizen first.
As soon as he sent it, her message arrived.
Cao County Citizen: "Holy crap? A tablet computer? I can play games now!"
Jiang Ye: "Don't get excited too quickly. Try starting it up. The functions are very basic, just for video calls."
There was a thirty-second silence from the other side.
The calling tablet in Jiang Ye's hand suddenly rang:
[Your friend Cao County Citizen is initiating a video call to you]
He tapped to connect directly.
A face of stunning, almost unbelievable beauty appeared on the screen. She had long, wavy hair, bright eyes, and wore a simple white tank top, which her chest filled out impressively. She initially opened her mouth slightly, but upon seeing the image, she burst into laughter.
"It really works! The picture quality is at least 4K, right? I can finally see a real person!" Cao County Citizen was delighted, as excited as a child.
"Of course, it works. What do you think?" Jiang Ye was also amused.
"You look a bit chubbier than in your photo," Cao County Citizen leaned closer to the screen.
"Maybe the food's been good lately, lots of meat every day," Jiang Ye smiled. "I think this calling tablet is marketable. You know the market; do you think there's a sales channel for it?"
"Of course, there's a sales channel! For communication needs, people with money will definitely buy one. Our planet is gradually seeing a rise in wealthy individuals." Cao County Citizen's expression suddenly showed a hint of shrewdness. She tilted her head, squinting. "Boss Jiang, what's the pricing?"
"A rise in wealthy individuals? How wealthy?" Jiang Ye pondered for a moment. "The wholesale price is one hundred thousand per unit."
"That's so expensive!" Cao County Citizen's eyes widened, displaying an expression of disbelief. "You sell them to me for a hundred thousand each, and I'll have to sell them for more than a hundred thousand. This price is hard to sell! When I say wealthy, I mean people who can afford to eat, not royalty!"
Jiang Ye smiled and explained the reason for the high pricing:
"Video calls can alleviate many people's concerns and build trust. If these calling tablets become too popular, many people on the planet will gather together, forming various factions. If everyone unites, it won't be beneficial to you and me. Shouldn't we ensure everyone else remains weak so that our goods sell well?"
Cao County Citizen's face showed a look of sudden realization, and she let out a sly, sinister laugh.
"Jiang Ye, you old fox! I understand your strategy. I learned about it in college: offshore balancing, right? Like the Ming Dynasty controlling the Mongols, or Britain playing European powers against each other. You're truly cunning."
"Not at all, I'm very pure, like a blank piece of paper," Jiang Ye said shamelessly.
"What have you been up to lately? Still mining?"
"I'm brewing up a big move these past couple of days. I won't tell you what it is yet, but you'll know soon." Jiang Ye showed a foxy smile.
They chatted for a while longer. Cao County Citizen had a customer arrive, so they bid each other goodnight, and the call ended.
Seeing is believing. Cao County Citizen's image in Jiang Ye's mind improved a few more notches. She was still so beautiful, lively, kind, and quick-witted – a business partner one would be lucky to find.
Jiang Ye hesitated for a moment, then sent the remaining tablet to Long-legged Te Bai.
Long-legged Te Bai: "What is this?"
Jiang Ye: "A calling tablet. It can make video calls. Play around with it."
Long-legged Te Bai: "Ah, thank you! I'll try it out."
After two minutes, another message arrived.
Long-legged Te Bai: "I've figured it out. Do you want to call me?"
Jiang Ye was taken aback. Why was this girl so reserved? Cao County Citizen had called him without a second thought.
Long-legged Te Bai: "If it's inconvenient for you, we can talk another time."
Jiang Ye: "It's convenient, there's nothing inconvenient about it."
After waiting for another ten seconds, the call prompt finally popped up.
[Your friend Long-legged Te Bai is initiating a video call to you]
For some reason, he felt a little nervous.
He hadn't been nervous at all when talking to Cao County Citizen, probably because of her outgoing personality.
But this girl, Long-legged Te Bai, was clearly a bit reserved and shy, which made Jiang Ye feel shy too.
He clenched his fists and clicked to connect.