Chapter 125: A New Order

The next day, news of KTalk’s update dominated the headlines across the media.

[Dojin Soft Updates ‘Voicetalk’ for Real-Time Voice Calls]

[Free Calls Without Carriers: KTalk’s New Feature Sends Global IT Industry into a Frenzy]

[Zero Phone Bill Era? Dojin Unveils 3G Real-Time Voice Call Technology]

[SKTT and KTA Convene Emergency Meetings… Closely Monitoring Voicetalk’s Impact]

[Dojin’s ‘AQC Module’ Patented in 12 Countries Worldwide… Real-Life Usage Videos Stir Global Excitement]

└Does this really work?

└I just tried it with a friend. It works perfectly without any interruptions.

└Wow, it works this well even on 3G, not just dedicated internet lines?

└What can’t Dojin do?

└LOL, are all carriers going out of business now?

└SKTT and KTA’s stock prices are plummeting like crazy.

“KTalk is currently being downloaded at a rate of 10,000 per minute.”

Han Yu-ju, brimming with excitement, was doing her best to maintain composure.

“…The response is explosive, especially in Southeast Asia, where telecom infrastructure is poor, and the reaction from the U.S. and Europe is also very hot.”

Seong-hwan, who was listening, added,

“The server was down for over two hours due to the influx of Quantum orders. Even with production lines running at full capacity, we can’t keep up with the demand.”

“Inquiries about the low-cost Quantum model are pouring in.”

Setting aside the excited team leaders’ remarks,

I glanced at the dashboard.

• KTalk Downloads: 74 million → 119 million (48-hour basis)

• Lunar SDK Downloads: 320,000 → 2.1 million

• New Quantum Orders: 1.42 million units over 3 days

• AQC Module OEM Requests: 49 companies from 34 countries

From small European manufacturers and Middle Eastern startups to Latin American telecom companies,

requests for substantial partnerships, premised on developing Lunar-based devices, were flooding in like a burst dam.

“So far, seven companies have officially confirmed the launch of new Lunar-based devices.”

As soon as Han Yu-ju finished speaking,

Hong Jin-man flipped through the materials and added,

“Additionally, 21 companies have requested the Lunar SDK optimization guide, with India, Turkey, and Brazil being particularly proactive. If things continue like this, at least 20 Lunar-based devices will be released this month alone.”

Thanks to Voicetalk, manufacturers from various countries were voluntarily joining the ecosystem.

Han Yu-ju spoke again,

“Free calls based on Voicetalk are becoming a catalyst for changing users’ lifestyles.”

The conference room screen switched slides, filling with red pins scattered across a world map.

Each pin represented a country or company launching or preparing to launch a Lunar-based device.

I casually glanced at the center of the screen, toward Northern Europe.

[NokiaTel]

There was still no movement.

They hadn’t let go of their faith in their brand value, global distribution network, and feature phone sales.

They hadn’t realized that everything they held was slipping away.

‘They’ll know soon.’

Or maybe they were already feeling it.

After all, even the 330 model, released a week after the NokiaTel 6700, had performed terribly.

…

…

…

That night, at the top floor of Dojin Industries.

I silently gazed at the city’s night view outside the office window.

Countless lights were blinking.

People passing by were pressing something on their devices.

Perhaps it was KTalk’s call button.

KTalk.

Voicetalk.

Quantum.

And Lunar.

I was now connecting all the links between hardware, communication, software, and platforms into one.

The goal hadn’t changed.

To become ‘the standard-setter.’

At that moment, the secretary knocked on the door.

“Chairman, NokiaTel has requested a technical meeting.”

The long-awaited call had finally arrived.

Without hesitation, I gave the order,

“Schedule it.”

The standard of a platform isn’t determined by technology,

but by who makes others depend on them first.

In Dojin Industries’ private conference room,

the two sides sat across the table, their eyes meeting quietly under low lighting.

From NokiaTel, Vice President Lauri Artonen and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Peters,

with two executives.

Their expressions carried a strange dissonance,

a mix of pride and unease.

On the conference table lay the AQC module and a Lunar-dedicated test device.

I gazed at the KTalk loading screen and spoke first,

“It must have been a long journey.”

“I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t expect the chairman to be so young.”

“Haha, I’m not that young.”

When I first regressed, I was just over mid-20s.

But as Dojin Tech grew, so did I.

Now, I was well into my 30s.

Anyway, after the greetings, Lauri Artonen’s gaze briefly passed over the AQC module on the table.

“The technology Dojin has created is quite impressive. Our engineers showed great interest in the AQC module.”

It was a compliment, but I didn’t smile.

Such words often open negotiations,

and compliments usually come with conditions, which lead to demands.

“I appreciate the praise, but I don’t think you asked to see me just out of ‘interest.’”

Lauri didn’t avoid my eyes and countered,

“To be honest, we felt a great crisis after seeing Quantum’s success.”

Lauri Artonen paused for a moment.

After taking a deep breath, he continued,

“When we first created Symbian, no one took other OSs seriously, but now even internally, the mood has changed.”

The two smartphone models we strategically launched had performed terribly.

It was only natural to feel the crisis.

When Lauri gestured, Dr. Peters showed the laptop screen.

It displayed the sales trend of the 330 model over the past week.

“Despite being a strategic launch, the 330 model’s global cumulative sales over a week were only 57,000 units—just 12% of our forecast.”

Compared to Quantum’s weekly sales of 800,000 units,

it was less than a tenth.

For NokiaTel, holding 40% of the global market share, it was an embarrassingly poor performance.

“…The UI based on Symbian is considered outdated, app compatibility fell short of expectations, and most importantly, we realized users no longer just want familiarity.”

Lauri handed me a document.

It contained an internal technical evaluation report.

[Symbian vs. Lunar Performance Comparison Report]

• Boot Time: 18.7 seconds (Sym) / 7.2 seconds (Lun)

• App Launch Response Time: 2.1 seconds (Sym) / 0.8 seconds (Lun)

• Multitasking Stability: 72% (Sym) / 94% (Lun)

• Real-Time Voice Service Support: Limited (Sym) / Built-in (Lun)

• Third-Party App Compatibility: …

• Final Conclusion: No reason to maintain Symbian, which has virtually no market competitiveness.

“With inquiries about Lunar flooding in, we had no choice but to seek you out, Chairman Kang.”

“…”

I remained silent,

and Lauri continued,

“We pride ourselves on our hardware, but what we need now isn’t hardware—it’s an ecosystem.”

Not a bad judgment.

Why was this company so late in transitioning to smartphones before the regression?

No, not late,

but they failed to sense the crisis in time.

This time, my actions seemed to have influenced them to some extent.

“So, you’re seeking cooperation with us?”

“Yes.”

Lauri openly revealed their vulnerabilities, perhaps hoping for our active support.

“The first thing we should support is the SDK guide for Lunar.”

Dr. Peters nodded quietly.

His eyes held not cynicism or hesitation, but the calculated respect of an engineer.

“If possible, could you pre-release the internal structure documents for Lunar 1.6 Beta?”

“Of course. But there are conditions.”

I presented a prepared document.

A draft license agreement for Lunar (Lunar).

Below were clauses regarding the pre-installation of KTalk, Ani-pung, and Pang Pang, and the exclusive use of the Lunar OS.

Lauri’s eyebrows twitched as he silently reviewed the contract.

“Including ad apps seems to overlook that we’re a hardware manufacturer.”

“They’re not ad apps.”

I cut him off immediately.

“KTalk is already used by 120 million people, Ani-pung is a national game not just in our country but also in the UK, France, and North America, and Pang Pang is a payment and shopping platform.”

They weren’t just apps but part of the ecosystem,

and the moment they were embedded in hardware, they became a reason for consumers to ‘choose’ the product.

When Dr. Peters nodded, Lauri’s eyes flickered slightly.

He wasn’t speaking, but I knew he was calculating internally.

“If we accept these terms… what level of technical cooperation can Dojin provide?”

“The latest Lunar SDK, optimized design diagrams for the AQC module, and capacitive touch design licenses. Plus… customized Voicetalk infrastructure for NokiaTel.”

This wasn’t a negotiation but a presentation of ‘choices.’

“And one more condition.”

“…”

“The next Lunar-equipped model from NokiaTel should be announced jointly with us.”

“Joint announcement?”

Lauri looked puzzled.

I added an explanation for him,

“In exchange for our support, we need to strongly establish that Lunar isn’t just an OS, but a ‘new standard’ created by NokiaTel and Dojin together.”

This way, Lunar could dominate the mobile OS market alongside jOS.

Essentially, aside from the A-Phone, Lunar would be the sole leader.

The choice was NokiaTel’s,

but Lauri’s decision didn’t take long.

“We accept all of Dojin’s proposals.”

NokiaTel and I signed the contract on the spot

and announced it to the world through a press conference.

[Mobile Industry No. 1 NokiaTel Signs MOU with Dojin]

[Global Strategic Device NokiaTel 7700 Confirmed to Feature Lunar]

[KTalk, Ani-pung, and Pang Pang Available on NokiaTel Phones]

[NokiaTel Joins Dojin’s Smart Ecosystem for the First Time]

That night, after signing,

I looked out the window again.

The world was changing rapidly.

At the heart of that change,

the standards were shifting.

And I was carving a new order upon those standards.