I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 275
- Home
- I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper
- Chapter 275 - Character Demo – "Nuo'er: Boundless Bliss"
Chapter 275: Character Demo – “Nuo’er: Boundless Bliss” [1]
There was a wise saying, ‘When people are driven to desperation, they can do anything, except calculus.’
The good news was, what I needed to do didn’t involve solving calculus.
The bad news was, it was a field I had never stepped into before.
“Everyone, please remain calm. Due to the negligence of our staff, the… graphics card and computers haven’t arrived yet, so we can’t provide demonstrations at the moment.”
“But rest assured, the performance of our… um, graphics card is sufficient. ‘Age of Aquarius’ uses a brand-new game engine, and our Tianqi series graphics cards are optimized for it. Even the most basic model can achieve over 80 frames per second with medium effects at 4K resolution, while the top-of-the-line Tianqi 3000 can achieve over 160 frames per second at 4K…”
It was quite obvious that the company where the Xiongxiong family belonged, “Jialan Technology Co., Ltd.”, was a cooperating company of that day’s Tongmeng Net comic exhibition.
Not only were there advertisements for their company’s components everywhere, but even the largest stage in the exhibition center seemed to have been specifically set up for this company.
Speaking of which, that Jialan Technology company… seemed quite in line with the theme of the comic exhibition here?
Hosting a comic exhibition in a technology museum, selling technology products at the booth, there was nothing wrong with that.
It was just hard to say whether those “otaku” who came to the comic exhibition would buy into it.
Strictly speaking, companies that make computer components are hardly related to “otaku” culture, so they can only approach it from the perspective of “online gaming” or “watching anime online” – you need a computer to watch videos and play games, right? And if you need a computer, you need computer components. If you’re going to buy them, you’ve come to the right place, you can take a look at ours.
Coincidentally, “Age of Aquarius” just started its public beta recently, so they took advantage of this opportunity to promote it. But I never imagined that these product makers could be so careless as to not even bring samples directly to the comic exhibition. Logically, shouldn’t they have brought the most important things first?
“Where did these knock-offs come from? Can they really independently produce graphics cards?”
“It’s not just graphics cards, from what I’ve heard, this company seems to dabble in almost all computer products. Look, they have hard drives, RAM, but they didn’t specify what kind of components they use…”
“Jialan isn’t exactly a knock-off. Not many people in China know about this company. They rarely export these things, but recently, they’ve suddenly become more high-profile.”
“And they’re cooperating with Tongmeng Net? Isn’t that treatment a bit too much? There are ads everywhere, but why are their staff so careless?”
When Yin Xiamo, Xiongxiong, and I arrived at the center of the comic exhibition, there were already many people gathered there. The second floor of this technology museum was particularly spacious, with no partitions apart from load-bearing pillars.
As we ascended the stairs, we could almost immediately see the entire exhibition area—the large central stage-like booth, with various shops on either side selling everything from food to clothing.
When I went upstairs just now, I immediately noticed the large central booth, but I didn’t expect it to be used for showcasing products by Jialan Company.
If I’m not mistaken, Jialan Company probably only has the “right to use” this large booth for a period of time. After this, there should be some smaller programs like dancers and singers.
At this moment, under this cyberpunk-style large booth, many spectators have already gathered. It’s a dense crowd, and it’s unclear how the people on stage managed to attract so many. It could be described as “packed like sardines.”
“Heh, on the first day, they forget to bring the cards for showcasing products. They’ll probably use scarcity marketing for the graphics cards later, right? All companies are the same.”
“Don’t be so cynical. They didn’t forget the cards, their manager only brought a chassis over. They’ll use scarcity marketing even for RAM sticks. Scalpers must be making a fortune.”
It seems that the audience below is very dissatisfied with the fact that the showcasing machine was not brought to the stage, or perhaps because of recent incidents involving other companies’ graphics cards, there is some sort of “PTSD” fear. Many people seem to be very vocal about their opinions.
“I’ve watched some insider demonstration videos of ‘Age of Aquarius.’ The graphics quality is amazing, especially in that Titan Claw instance similar to Attack on Titan. I doubt their graphics cards can handle this kind of quality at 4K, they’re not even 4090s.”
“It’s said that their Tianqi 3000 graphics card is on par with the 4090, and even more exaggerated in terms of optimization for ‘Age of Aquarius’ than the 4090. What level is 4K at 160 frames per second? Invincible, right?”
“I came here today specifically to see a live demo of ‘Age of Aquarius.’ And now it’s been cancelled. Did I say something wrong? There’s no way a game like that could run at 4K 160 frames per second…”
It’s obvious that the incident of “not bringing samples to the exhibition resulting in the delay of the opening ceremony” has left the crowd very dissatisfied. People are murmuring and expressing impatience on their faces.
That was indeed quite a serious mishap, no wonder Xiongxiong was so anxious.
“Sorry, excuse me.”
“Move aside, thanks…”
Sikong Yue, dressed in a bear costume, leads the way ahead, while Yin Xiamo and I follow behind. Perhaps because we’re all wearing cosplay costumes, the crowd instinctively makes way for us, creating a path towards the booth.
Man, this platform is really high.
I quietly marvel in my mind as we pass by the lighting equipment on the right side of the platform.
And… why is everyone around so tall? There isn’t even one person shorter than me. Even those who look like they might be in elementary school are at least 1.5 meters tall. This doesn’t make sense!
Although I know deep down that I probably won’t find anyone shorter than me at the entire comic exhibition, walking among the crowd still makes me feel a bit sad.
The comic exhibition and the café are different. Those who enjoy the comic exhibition and have the means to come here for leisure are mostly of high school age or older, with the majority being college students and office workers.
No matter how nice a café is, there are always parents bringing their kids for breakfast or a quick meal, and there are many cats. When I work at the café, I can still compete with the cats. Even if I’m short, I can’t possibly be shorter than the cats. But here at the comic exhibition… I seem to be really the shortest one.
Due to the announcement of the new version, Dendro Archon Nahida is now a popular character. Along the way, I’ve seen quite a few girls cosplaying as Dendro Archon, but they… are all taller than me, and by a lot!
“Old man, what’s going on?”
As we arrive backstage at the stage, Xiongxiong addresses a middle-aged man who’s constantly on the phone, “Have Dad and the others not arrived yet?”
“At least twenty minutes. The prototype was forgotten in the room over there.”
The man, referred to as “old man,” looks anxious, speaking in somewhat broken Mandarin, “This morning, I reminded them countless times not to forget important things. I didn’t expect… They brought the microphone, the projector, the lighting, the promotional posters, but they forgot the entire… prototype, and the graphics card, not even one was brought!”
“Now it’s a mess. They talked big at the opening ceremony, but there’s nothing here. It’s no wonder people below are furious!”
As the man speaks, he anxiously taps on his phone screen, “Yue, how do we handle this now? Are they your friends?”
“Yeah, they’re my good friends here.”
Xiongxiong pulled me and Yin Xiamo aside, then lowered her voice, “Quick, save the situation. We’re counting on you this time.”
“How…”
Although I readily agreed to Xiongxiong’s request earlier, as we approached the scene, I still felt a bit lost, “How do I save it? Go up and sing?”
From high school to college, I’ve always been relatively ordinary, never having sung on stage or performed. Even after entering society, I’ve never worked in a related field. While my time as a maid at the café has boosted my confidence, it hasn’t turned me into a social butterfly.
The only reason I agreed to this just now was purely because I heard Xiongxiong say she could provide a complete set of drawing tools afterwards. While I have some basic understanding of computers, the field of “drawing tablets” is truly a blind spot in my knowledge.
I’m not sure what tools artists usually use for drawing, or the compatibility of software and hardware in this field. I don’t know the differences between different drawing tools.
The reason I haven’t bought a tablet for Xiao Mo even after getting paid is because I’m not very familiar with this field and don’t dare to buy randomly.
Xiongxiong’s promise of “a complete set of our company’s top-of-the-line drawing tablets” instantly excited me, simply because such items usually come with “after-sales service.”
What’s the most headache-inducing thing when buying a computer? After-sales service. That’s why people who understand computers generally don’t help computer novices build computers, because it means taking on the responsibility of “lifetime after-sales service” for them.
Since Xiongxiong dares to propose using a complete set of drawing tablets as compensation for “saving the day,” it means she can provide corresponding “after-sales service.”
For example, how to use the tablet, how to connect it to the computer, if there are any issues during use, we can contact their company’s after-sales service through our relationship with Xiongxiong. Even if we buy the wrong tablet, it’s okay, we can just exchange it. This “after-sales service” is the main reason that excites me.
“Singing is also an option, or organizing some small activities…”
Under mine and Xiao Mo’s gaze, Xiongxiong said helplessly, “Anyway, just attract the attention of the audience below and stall for these 20 minutes.”
“Any way to stall the time, right?”
Before I could speak, Xiao Mo, who probably noticed my intention of aiming for that set of drawing tablets, had already approached Xiongxiong.
“Do you have wireless earphones here? The kind that allows remote communication, Bluetooth, is that what it’s called? Bluetooth earphones.”
“We do.”
Xiongxiong casually took out a pair of small earphones from her pocket, “Do you want these?”
“Let Nuo’er wear these. Can she hear me speaking from here?”
“It needs to be paired with your phone.”
“How do I do that?”
“I’ll help you.”
Xiongxiong took Yin Xiamo’s phone, made a few settings on it, seemingly turning on Bluetooth and pairing it, then soon handed the phone back to Xiao Mo, saying, “Here.”
Xiao Mo glanced at the screen of her phone and handed me the Bluetooth earphones, saying, “Nuo’er, wear this.”
“Oh…”
Although I didn’t know what Xiao Mo was up to, out of trust in her, I obediently put on the earphones.
“Let’s go.”
Xiao Mo patted my shoulder and walked towards the stage ahead—
“We’re truly sorry, we definitely won’t stand you up.”
“Who would believe that? The two graphics card companies before said the same thing, claiming they had enough supply and you could definitely get one. But your product hasn’t even been released yet, and the launch event is being stood up. How can consumers trust this?”
“Tongmeng Net is really trashy, to collaborate with such a company…”
“We’re really sorry, it was a mistake on the part of the staff. At most, it will be half an hour. The launch event will definitely start on time in half an hour!”
“Then why not just postpone it for half an hour? Saying half of it and then stalling halfway through, what’s the meaning of that?”
Amidst the noisy scene, unlike me, who was a bit nervous, Cosplayer Yin Xiamo, in Lumine outfit, confidently walked up and snatched the microphone from the clearly “amateur” host, saying, “Alright, you can step down now.”
“Huh?”
The host was dumbfounded. He was about to say something when he noticed Xiongxiong and the “uncle” gesturing for him to step back.
“So, let’s give the rest of the time to these two…”
The host glanced at Yin Xiamo, who had a “I’m the boss” expression, and then at me.
“Let’s hand the time over to this traveler and the little Dendro Archon!”
“Hello everyone, I’m the famous traveler, and this is my partner, N— umm, little Dendro Archon.”
For some reason, Xiao Mo changed her usual haughty queen and gentle wife demeanor and spoke with a slightly… casual tone?
“They did indeed forget to bring the showcase machine, but the product is good. For example, the technology we’re about to demonstrate is developed by this company themselves—”
As she spoke, Xiao Mo somehow pulled out a grass-green small ball from somewhere and tossed it into the sky.
“Ding—”
In the moment the ball reached the top of the stage, as if something had been activated, bright green lights bloomed like flowers, turning into translucent curtains, enveloping the entire stage.
This curtain is somewhat similar to holographic projection technology. It disperses and opens up around the small ball Xiao Mo threw into the sky, continuously rotating, appearing as if the ball was originally connected to certain circuits above our heads.
After a brief burst of light, the surrounding curtains gradually transformed into a massive green palace, enveloping Xiao Mo and me inside the venue, creating a spectacular sight.
From a scientific perspective, this “holographic projection” can be easily explained. It’s as if Xiao Mo had prepared a small ball with transparent threads attached to it in advance. When she tossed it, the backstage machine instantly pulled the ball up to the stage, then activated the top holographic projection light to create a “magical” effect.
However, from my point of view, Xiao Mo’s series of actions truly felt like “magic.” Because from these surrounding translucent and sparkling “palace holographic projections,” I felt a life force similar to that of my own clothes.
In other words… this should be Xiao Mo simulating it with her elf-like life magic.
But the people below probably don’t think so.
“Wow!”
“What’s this? This is way too exaggerated, isn’t it?”
“So beautiful… Is this a magic performance?”
“Tch, you don’t even need to guess for this little trick, it’s holographic projection, right? But I didn’t expect the effect to be this good, quite impressive.”
“No wonder it’s Tongmeng Net, they even provide such technology…”
Suddenly, the entire stage was enveloped by such a large translucent palace. Not only the audience below, but even people in the distance who hadn’t noticed the commotion on the stage were drawn over. In no time, the crowd had surrounded the area in layers.
I could faintly hear Xiongxiong and her “uncle” conversing backstage—
“What’s going on?”
“I have no idea! I let them improvise.”
“……”
“To express our apologies to everyone, we’ve decided to spontaneously insert a stage play and a solo performance.”
Seeing the atmosphere was almost set, Yin Xiamo walked over to my side.
“Now, please enjoy the show— ‘Boundless Bliss’, performed by ‘Little Xia Nuo Does Not Hide in the Cardboard Box’.”
“……”
……
TL Note:
This title’s reference is taken from [Character Demo – “Nahida: Boundless Bliss”]. And Nahida is replaced with Nuo’er.
Character Demo – “Nahida: Boundless Bliss” :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpZhGzZ3hNc
Comments for chapter "Chapter 275"
MANGA DISCUSSION
Support Fan’s Translations
Note: Individual translators usually have their own ko-fi buttons.