From Idler to Tech Tycoon: Earth
Chapter 78: Bytecon

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Bytecon

The tour ended with murmurs. Rockstar’s people still whispered among themselves, clearly processing what they just saw. Some stood near the Vector Core interface, tapping cautiously, as if proximity alone would teach them something.

Ernesto checked his watch. "If no one minds, we can head back to the boardroom."

Vance nodded. "Of course. I believe we have one more item to discuss."

Back in the boardroom, the energy had shifted. Something unspoken lingered as everyone settled in.

Arthur Vance leaned forward.

"Gentlemen," he said, voice casual but pointed. "Let me be blunt. What you’ve built here... it goes beyond gaming. Phoenix AI? That thing could operate drones, write medical diagnostics, manage smart grids. It’s next-gen autonomy, and I don’t say that lightly."

Arthur continued. "I have a friend. Might be extremely interested in what you’ve developed. Elon Musk."

The room paused. Even the air seemed to hesitate.

Arthur didn’t flinch. "I think this could lead to something significant. Worldwide recognition. Real collaboration. I’m not just throwing a name around—I mean it."

Jack blinked. "Like, the real Elon Musk? Tesla-Elon? SpaceX-Elon?"

Arthur smirked. "The very same."

Richard sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable. His mind raced through a complex web of risks and rewards.

Phoenix AI, even Variant 3—my weakest model—is already gaining traction through the chatbot demo. If this were purely about money, it’s easily achievable. But public trust and our company’s reputation... that’s still uncertain.

He considered the implications of a partnership with Elon Musk. It wasn’t just about recognition; it was about cementing Bytebull’s reputation as a cutting-edge tech leader.

A partnership with Elon Musk would bring not just recognition but also cement Bytebull’s reputation for collaboration, even as a cutting-edge tech leader. I could release Phoenix Variant 3 open source for recognition, but working closely with Elon offers broader benefits for the country.

Ernesto leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Will it be possible for us? Bytebull is still not even a year old company, after all."

His question brought a touch of realism to the ambitious proposition. Ernesto was the cautious, grounded leader, ensuring they approached this with realistic expectations.

Arthur Vance smiled, his confidence unwavering. "I strongly believe it is, Mr. Ernesto. After all, it is mutually beneficial for us all. I believe that a strong relationship with Bytebull will bring us great benefits in the years to come."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the room. "I will convey your regards to Elon. However, I recommend visiting him in California; he’s quite a busy man and prefers to keep his hands on things. When you do visit him, though, give him all you’ve got. Punch him in the gut. Don’t hold back."

Arthur’s advice was clear. They needed to present their most compelling arguments and demonstrations, to truly impress Elon Musk and seize this potentially game-changing opportunity.

As the meeting adjourned, the team was left with a sense of anticipation. The future of Bytebull hung in the balance, and the path ahead was both exhilarating and uncertain. The journey to California loomed large, a cliffhanger that promised to redefine their destiny.

-------------------

June 21, 2013.

The Araneta Coliseum wasn’t just full. It was overflowing. Every seat taken. Every stair occupied. Even the press box had people standing shoulder to shoulder. The crowd wasn’t just big. It was electric.

Above them, cameras swept over the dome on tight-wire rigs. Spotlights moved slowly across the audience, catching banners, fan signs, blinking wristbands synced to the audio. A massive LED screen dominated the stage, already glowing with Bytebull’s signature pulse-white logo.

Behind the scenes, things were just as busy. Crew members checked cables. Lights shifted colors. Tech teams ran diagnostics on the stream. Bytecon was live, not just in Manila, but across the globe.

Twitter hashtags were trending.

YouTube’s chat feed was unreadable, flying too fast to follow.

Discord servers were packed with watch parties.

This was more than a product launch.

It was a moment.

Six months earlier, Bytebull had been a startup. Sharp, lean, and aggressive. Now?

Now it was the center of an industry.

Ernesto had become a fixture on international news. CNN Philippines. CNBC Asia. TechCrunch. He wore the calm of someone who knew the storm before it came—and welcomed it.

Under his lead, Bytebull grew fast. Not recklessly, but with purpose. Strategic acquisitions. A talent pipeline that didn’t just hire locally—it empowered. Their office became a campus. Their campus became a hub.

The government noticed.

Policy shifted. Scholarships opened. Tax codes changed. High school programs refocused. Courses in IT, systems development, and hardware engineering filled faster than ever.

Investors came from Singapore, Japan, Silicon Valley. Semiconductor plants reopened. Data centers launched. Local unemployment dipped below six percent.

Bytebull didn’t just build software. It rebuilt the narrative.

Their biggest flex? A new AI Research Lab. The first of its kind. Fully autonomous. A building that learned as its researchers worked.

And they weren’t done.

Backstage, Jack fidgeted. He adjusted his collar for the third time in five minutes.

"You’d think after all the practice I’d be chill by now," he muttered.

Richard didn’t look up from his checklist. "You slammed three shots of espresso this morning. That was a tactical error."

"You think it’ll show?"

"Only if you start vibrating."

The stage manager held up fingers. Five seconds.

Jack took a breath. Then another.

Richard checked his mic.

Three. Two. One.

The arena lights dropped.

The screen behind the stage flared to life.

Music swelled. Then faded.

And Richard walked out.

Steady.

Confident.

He paused at center stage, letting the applause rise and fall on its own.

He leaned slightly toward the mic.

"Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. Wherever you are in the world... welcome to Bytecon."

The crowd erupted again.

He waited. Let it settle.

"For months, you’ve seen glimpses. You’ve heard the rumors. You’ve felt the tremors. Today, we’re not just showing you the future. We’re handing it to you."

From stage left, Jack strode out, grinning wide.

"Get ready to experience the next leap!" he shouted. "A revolution not just in gaming, but in how we build, how we think, how we interact with everything."

He threw a hand up toward the screen.

The lights shifted again. Music dipped to a low hum.

Richard stepped forward.

His voice was calm. Confident. Sharp.

"Let’s begin with the very heart of creation. We’re incredibly proud to announce the immediate release of Vector Core v1.00.03—the world’s first truly AI-driven game engine."

Behind him, the screen burst to life with stunning visuals. Terrain morphing in real-time. Buildings rising. Characters reacting to unseen triggers.

"This is not just a tool," he said, eyes scanning the crowd. "It’s a living, intelligent partner in creation. Available today on Windows, Linux, macOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch."

He turned slightly as the screen switched to a glowing schematic.

"At its core is the Phoenix AI Core. An adaptive intelligence optimizing every part of your project."

A forest rendered from nothing but a text input. A war-torn city built in seconds.

"Procedural asset generation. No more sculpting every tree or rock. Feed your vision. Vector Core will build the world around it."

He didn’t wait for applause.

"Advanced Procedural Physics. Real-world realism. Environmental destruction. True ragdoll physics. Dynamic fluid behavior. It reacts. It learns. It improves."

Clips showed buildings collapsing naturally. Water adjusting to terrain. Debris flying, interacting, bouncing. Not pre-scripted. Generated.

"And the brain behind the logic? AI-Assisted Logic Scripting. Cleaner code. Smarter code. Auto-debugging. Suggestions based on your gameplay intent. It’s like having a lead engineer whispering in your ear."

The next feature rolled in.

"Adaptive Asset Optimization. The engine reads your platform and adjusts everything. You build once. Vector Core does the rest. Visual fidelity, performance, balance—all handled in real-time."

"We paired that with Dynamic Resource Allocation. CPU, GPU, memory—distributed intelligently. Even in high-load, multi-system environments."

Developers in the crowd leaned in.

"Cross-Platform Compilation. One click. All platforms. Native performance. PC. Console. Mobile."

He glanced at the top row.

"We’re serious about saving you time. Our Modular Asset & Code Library includes thousands of AI-optimized assets. Drag, drop, and customize."

The display flipped again.

"And let’s talk about NPCs. No more scripts. Phoenix AI powers Dynamic NPC Behavior. Real-time learning. Contextual reactions. Living behavior trees that adapt to how your players act."

One scene showed an NPC ambushing a player. Another showed them flanking intelligently.

"Dynamic Storytelling. Narrative paths change. Not randomly, but based on behavior, mood, player action. Every playthrough becomes personal."

He stepped closer to the mic.

"With our AI Voice Interaction System, NPCs generate speech and voiceover on the fly. No more static voice lines. They can talk to your players. React. Feel alive."

Gasps spread across the room.

"And for dreamers of massive games—Dynamic Worldbuilding. The engine expands the world on its own. Adds new zones. Challenges. Events. Your universe evolves."

One last slide appeared.

"Real-time Rendering. Instant feedback. Interactive viewport. What you change, you see immediately. And with our Performance Profiler, you know where your bottlenecks are—and how to fix them."

"Existing project? Import it. It’ll work."

He paused, letting the weight of it settle.

"This... is Vector Core."

Silence.

Then the room exploded.

Standing ovations. Cheering. Laptops opening. Some developers already typing commands. A few visibly stunned, phones out, recording every second.

The online stream blew up.

"OMG."

"What even is this."

"GAME CHANGER."

"WHERE IS THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON."

On Twitter, hashtags climbed like rockets.

Jack took his cue.

He didn’t wait for quiet.

"Alright! Now let’s talk about what we built with Vector Core."

The screen cut to black.

Then fired back up with gameplay footage.

Massive battlefields. Dogfights. Trenches. Players storming bunkers.

"World War 2: Frontlines. You’ve played it. You’ve experienced the Singleplayer. But today? We’re releasing the Multiplayer Update. And it’s live now. PC, Xbox One, PS4."

Cheers from the back row.

"Visuals are overhauled. Real lighting. High-fidelity assets. Adaptive shaders. If you remember what it used to look like—forget it."

He pointed at the footage.

"Persistent Dynamic World. This is a live war. One battle connects to the next. Decisions matter. Maps change. Players shift the global conflict. This isn’t a match. It’s history playing out in real-time."

Clips showed territory lines changing. Dynamic weather. Generals issuing commands.

"Server Sharding. Huge player counts. Zero loading. Fluid battlefield zones."

He grinned.

"New Squad System. Coordinate better. Stick with your team. Execute tactical plans. And with our Deep Logistics System, your squad doesn’t just fight. You manage resources. Supplies. Build or break economies."

He stepped aside as new footage rolled.

"Ballistics? Real. Sound? Simulated in 3D space. Every explosion feels like it’s right next to you. Environmental destruction lets you flatten entire zones if you’re coordinated enough."

The crowd leaned in.

"This isn’t just an update. It’s a full reimagining. A letter to history—written with AI ink."

Another pause.

Then came the shouts.

"WHEN?"

Jack nodded.

"It’s already live. See you on the frontlines."

Phones came out instantly. Online stores crashed from the load. The crowd became a sea of glowing screens.

One developer leaned toward his friend.

"Did they just drop a live game engine and the multiplayer update in the same hour?"

His friend didn’t respond. He was already downloading it on his laptop.

Richard returned to the microphone. The energy in the room had shifted, from explosive excitement to a focused hum. This was the pivot, the moment the world understood Bytebull was more than just games.

The screens behind him, moments ago ablaze with gaming graphics, now displayed abstract, beautiful visualizations. Swirling fractals, networks of pulsing light, then elegant, almost biological patterns. It was the visual language of intelligence.

"Now," Richard said, his voice dropping slightly, becoming more profound, "let’s discuss the core of our ambition: Phoenix AI."

A collective intake of breath. This was it.

"This is more than just an in-game system," he continued, "it’s an artificial intelligence designed to be an invaluable asset across countless industries and applications."

The visuals changed again, showing faint outlines of factories, hospitals, research labs.

"Today, we are making Phoenix AI’s API available for Cloud Licensing and On-Premise Licensing, ready for immediate integration into your projects, starting today."

A quiet but intense buzz began to ripple through the professional sections of the audience. Heads craned. Notebooks snapped open. Pens scratched furiously.

"For businesses, for researchers, for innovators – you can now integrate the most advanced AI into your own systems." Richard’s voice was steady, authoritative. "Imagine AI that can power complex simulations, analyze vast datasets, drive advanced robotics, or provide intelligent automation."

He paused, letting the scope of it sink in.

"Phoenix AI is designed for unparalleled adaptability and learning, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve in the real world."

Online, the chat feeds were no longer dominated by gamers.

Twitch Chat (Live Stream):

@TechBro99: O_O Enterprise level AI?! This is huge!

@DataGuru: Cloud licensing? Smart move. Access to that kind of processing power is a game changer for startups.

@RoboticsFan: Imagine this for drone swarm intelligence! No way.

@BioMedQueen: Could this accelerate drug discovery? My mind is blown. @FinanceNerd: Automated trading systems just got an upgrade. This is insane for quant firms.

@LinuxGeek: On-premise option too? Respect. They get it.

@AnonEng: My company has been trying to build something like this for years. They just... bought it off the shelf. Wow.

@Gamer4Life: Uh, guys, what about the games?! Is this just for rich companies? @AIethicsNow: We need to talk about the implications of this. Fast. @InnovatorX: Forget games, this is the real revolution.

Then, Jack took the stage again, his boundless energy a stark contrast to Richard’s gravitas, but no less impactful. The screens behind him dissolved the abstract AI visualizations, replaced by sleek, vibrant UI demos of a new application. A conversational interface, clean and inviting.

"And for everyone," Jack beamed, sweeping his hand out to encompass the entire, diverse audience, "for the everyday user, for the future of communication and assistance, we introduce Phoenix Chat!"

A ripple of understanding, then a wave of excitement.

"Following our incredibly successful demo," Jack continued, his voice bright, "we know many of you have been waiting for this moment. We are thrilled to announce that Phoenix Chat is available for download and use, starting today, on Windows, Android, Apple iOS, and Linux!"

The Coliseum erupted. A collective sigh of relief, then a roar of pure joy. Hands shot into pockets, phones snatched out. Faint sounds of hurried tapping filled the air.

"Finally!"

"No more dumb bots!"

"This is what I’ve been waiting for!"

The online comments scrolled by in a blur, a torrent of eager anticipation.

Twitter (Live Feed):

@GamerGurl: OMG PHOENIX CHAT IS REAL! Downloading NOW! #Bytecon2013 #PhoenixChat

@TechEnthusiast: Available on EVERYTHING?! Windows, Android, iOS, Linux! Bytebull just ended the OS wars for AI. #PhoenixChat

@RandomDude: Finally, a chatbot that doesn’t feel like talking to a brick. This is gonna be my new best friend lol.

@MommyBlogger: Just downloaded Phoenix Chat. It actually understood my toddler’s gibberish! 😂 This is amazing for parents!

@StudentLife: Ask it to write my essay? 🤔 JK... unless? #PhoenixChat

@SkepticalSam: Too good to be true. Let’s see how long before it starts spouting nonsense. #AI

@EarlyAdopter: Contextual understanding AND emotional intelligence? This is going to revolutionize customer service. Bye bye annoying phone trees!

@SocialMediaQueen: Already having a deep convo with Phoenix Chat. It’s surprisingly good at flirting back. 😉

@PrivacyWatcher: What about privacy? Where is my data going? Asking the real questions. #Bytecon

@LinuxMasterRace: BOOM! Linux support day one! Bytebull gets it!

@NoSleepGamer: Forget work, Phoenix Chat can help me manage my raid schedule! lol @FutureIsNow: This is literally Minority Report come to life. The future is here.