Chapter 723: Rocket Man

[Chapter 723: Rocket Man]

In an office above a Best Buy store, a pricey Toshiba handheld device lay dismantled into a disarray of parts.

Eric examined the Toshiba mini hard drive in his hand, about the size of a credit card, and said in confusion to Rhett Jackman, "1.8 inches? It shouldn't be this big. I think this hard drive is at least 4 inches."

With Eric's identity revealed, Rhett Jackman was filled with more respect and patiently explained, "Mr. Williams, the size of the hard drive doesn't refer to the external casing but rather to the diameter of the internal disk platters."

As Rhett spoke, he took the mini hard drive from Eric's hand, expertly using a disassembly tool to open the back cover. He showed Eric the silver disk platter inside, which was slightly larger than a coin. "These aluminum alloy platters are coated with countless tiny magnetic powder particles. The magnetic head arranges them in patterns representing 0s and 1s to record data."

Linda Evangelista had been quietly listening all along and, surprised by Rhett's succinct description, exclaimed, "That's amazing! I just heard you mention CF cards, and this one has a capacity several times bigger. Does that mean it can store over a thousand photos?"

Rhett Jackman appreciated Linda's enthusiasm, smiling as he replied, "Based on current mainstream digital camera resolutions, it can store roughly 1,600 photos."

Linda asked, "Then why do digital cameras use those tiny capacity CF cards instead of this hard drive?"

Rhett explained, "There are many factors to consider, such as technology, costs, market positioning, and even company strategy. For example, if I were the CEO of Kodak, I would try to limit the development of digital cameras that use hard drive technology. Even though Kodak manufactures photography equipment, over 70% of their revenue comes from film sales. The emergence of high-capacity digital cameras would be a disaster for the company."

Eric grabbed the mini hard drive again, contemplating the MP3 situation. Hearing Rhett's words reminded him of the shocking news about Kodak's decline during his previous life, and he nodded in appreciation, surprised by Rhett's foresight.

In fact, Eric's current role was already leaning towards being a guardian of the old order. As a major stakeholder in Firefly Group, it was in his best interest to halt the emergence of new media and technologies. But Eric recognized that if he truly did that, he would ultimately be driven out of the market.

Sony's downfall was the best example. In the early MP3 era, Sony's technical accumulations and music rights far surpassed Apple, yet they continuously retreated in the MP3 market. The fundamental reason was that Sony hesitated for too long over whether to fully abandon the CD realm. They even attempted, using their dominant position in the recording industry, to stop the development of MP3s and internet music sales. This counterproductive approach led to the once-dominant music player industry king being completely pushed out of the market in just a few years.

Eric knew that if he proposed the MP3 player plan, he would certainly face resistance from major record labels, and even the record department within Firefly Group would raise objections. However, not doing so would mean surrendering the market to outsiders, placing him in a more passive position later.

After two hours at Best Buy, Eric left with two large boxes filled with electronic products that seemed like antiques when viewed through a future lens but were equipped with the most advanced technology at that moment.

Not heading back to Cindy's apartment, Eric took Linda to his home on Sixth Avenue.

...

After a simple lunch, Eric began organizing the spoils from his shopping spree. Linda wandered around the luxurious duplex apartment overlooking Central Park, savoring the sights. When she stepped downstairs, she spotted Eric arranging a brick-like IBM mobile phone amidst the numerous electronic products in the living room. Occasionally, he tapped away on his open laptop.

Linda curiously approached him and asked, "Eric, does anyone still use such a big mobile phone?"

Eric was holding the IBM Simon mobile phone. Initially surprised by the size, he found it odd that, despite being much larger than today's phones that fit in the palm of your hand, it fully operated via a touchscreen. Apart from making calls, it also provided a notepad, memos, calendar, and other functions, essentially making it a smartphone -- and possibly the world's first smartphone.

"It's 1995," Eric remarked. This again proved that technology had never been the issue; strategy was. If IBM had persisted in research and development along this line during his previous life, Apple wouldn't have become so prevalent.

Shaking the IBM Simon in his hand, Eric asked Linda, "If this phone were shrunk to fit in your palm, would you be willing to use it?"

Linda picked it up and examined it for a moment but shook her head, "I'm not interested. A phone is just for making calls. All those notepad and memo features aren't useful. A notebook that costs a few cents can do those things. Who would spend a thousand dollars?"

Eric nodded with a smile. From Rhett Jackman earlier, he had learned that the bulky IBM phone, along with Apple's Newton tablet, Sony's electronic notepad, and Toshiba's handheld device, were all selling poorly. The fundamental reason echoed Linda's sentiment. These seemingly high-end electronic products lacked features and therefore didn't have much market potential.

"Let's make another assumption," Eric said, picking up the Newton tablet. "What if this tablet could serve as an electronic reader and hold hundreds of books? Would you buy it?"

"I'm not much of a reader," Linda replied, then added, "But as long as it's not too expensive, I imagine people who enjoy reading would be keen to buy it."

"Okay, sale failed," Eric chuckled as he put down the Newton tablet and picked up the Toshiba mini hard drive. "According to the MP3 audio format developed by Yahoo, this hard drive can hold over 50 songs. With a few more years of technological advancement, it would be able to hold 100 to 200 songs without any issue. So, if there was an MP3 player the size of a cigarette pack that could store hundreds of songs in your pocket for on-the-go listening, would you buy it?"

"Of course I would!" Linda nodded eagerly, gesturing at the scattered electronic products in the room. "Eric, you bought all this stuff to develop the music player you just mentioned, didn't you?"

"Exactly."

Eric nodded. The expensive and impractical electronics he had purchased primarily aimed to understand the current level of technological development in liquid crystal displays, flash storage, hard drives, lithium-ion batteries, and more. By having a hands-on experience, he hoped to confirm the feasibility of his thoughts.

Although flash storage capacity had yet to reach a practical level for MP3 manufacturing and the micro hard disk technology that once dominated MP3 storage wouldn't appear until later, developing a cigarette-pack-sized MP3 player was still doable with the existing mini hard drive and lithium-ion battery technology. While it wouldn't be as compact as the mini devices compared to chewing gum from his previous life, it would certainly be more cutting-edge than Sony's Walkman. Additionally, Eric wanted to secure the complete patent technology for the MP3 player, ensuring situations like the confusion over patent ownership that led to a flood of MP3 manufacturers from his previous life wouldn't happen.

Spending the entire afternoon, Eric tore apart most of the purchased electronic items, meticulously assembling a detailed memorandum for developing e-reader technology, the MP3 player, and even smartphones.

As he came down from his work mode, he noticed dusk setting in outside. Eric originally intended to send this memorandum to Yahoo's executives and Nokia's Jorma Ollila, but reconsidering Chris's warning about Microsoft's intentions to poach from Yahoo, he decided to hold off for now. He thought it best to wait until July when everything settled down, giving him time to prepare.

Eric retrieved two paper boxes he had used to carry the electronics and sorted through them, placing the relevant parts into one box while tossing the rest into another. He dusted off his hands, suddenly recalling that Linda should still be around.

...

In the adjacent living room, the television was playing a show. Eric walked in to find MTV airing a fashion program, but Linda was curled up on the couch, cradling a pillow and fast asleep. Her curvaceous figure resembled a lazy kitten, rising and falling gently with her breaths. Strands of her blonde hair covered her face, her red lips slightly parted, giving her an air of charming allure.

After silently admiring the perfect creation of humanity for a while, Eric didn't have the heart to wake her. He settled softly in the corner of the sofa near Linda's feet, inhaling the faint fragrance of her presence while quietly watching television.

...

Despite sleeping lazily all afternoon, Linda had actually woken up the moment Eric entered the living room.

Curious about Eric's reaction to her sleeping presence, she kept her eyes closed but waited patiently. When she felt him sit nearby, quietly watching television, she felt satisfied that he didn't lose control and pounce on her. However, she also thought it unusual for a man to react so calmly.

So, she decided to continue pretending to be asleep, but her eyes secretly peered open. As the light dimmed in the living room, she could only catch glimpses of his sharply defined profile in the flickering television glow. Having washed off her makeup from the morning, her natural features now exhibited a certain appeal that she found nice about him.

A moment later, the program on TV suddenly changed, and the host began introducing a music video.

She packed my bags last night, pre-flightZero hour, 9 a.m.And I'm gonna be high as a kite by thenI miss the Earth so much, I miss my wifeIt's lonely out in spaceOn such a timeless flight

...

...

It was the famous British singer Elton John's "Rocket Man." She loved this song; Elton's voice carried an air of sadness, resignation, helplessness, and ultimately, a hint of hysteria.

The lyrics told the story of a rocket man drifting through space, missing home and his wife, but to her, it felt more like a parable about a wayward soul longing for stability yet unable to attain it. Such stories often unfolded in movies, where retired bodyguards, spies, or soldiers were inevitably sent on one last mission, only to tragically die -- usually these characters were side characters. The heroes continued their adventures, stretching a movie franchise to its sixteenth installment without concluding it.

Earlier, MTV had also aired a trailer for the sixteenth James Bond film. What was it called again? Ah, GoldenEye! It seemed to be coming out in July.

Lost in thought for a moment, Linda glanced at the man sitting across from her. She didn't comprehend the phrase "high places are lonely," nor did she understand the feeling of "no one to hear the strings break," but instinctively felt that perhaps he was a rocket man too.

Feeling her body stiffening from sleep and a bit hungry, she didn't want to feign sleep any longer. She opened her eyes, instinctively stretching her long body, her delicate foot resting on his leg.

"You're awake," Eric turned his head, smiling as he held her slender ankle, placing it on his leg to make it easier for her to stretch.

Linda tossed the pillow aside and nodded. Feeling a slight tickle from Eric holding her ankle, she blushed and playfully nudged it. "I had a dream that you gifted this entire house to me, and then I woke up laughing."

"Ha, well, waking up is good. If I had stayed in your dream, I'd certainly be crying."

Though she felt envious, she never fantasized about Eric actually giving her the multi-million dollar mansion. If it truly happened, she wouldn't dare accept it outright. While not the sharpest tool in the shed, she knew everything in this world had a price. In the afternoon, her dream accurately captured that sentiment, and the dim evening light allowed her to candidly share it.

Eric's words left her slightly disappointed. She kicked her feet playfully and said, "In such situations, even playboys seeking to avoid giving gifts usually know how to fake a bit. You're just too lazy."

Eric pretended to look helpless. "Alright, let me think of something to say."

Linda, her eyes sparkling in the flickering light from the TV, looked at him with a playful expression as if saying he better come up with something.

After a moment, Eric slapped his forehead, his face lighting up in realization. "Oh! I remember now; this house isn't mine!"

"Ha! No creativity at all; aren't you a Hollywood gold medal screenwriter?"

"Just enjoy my creative ramblings," Eric chuckled, then asked, "Are you hungry? Shall we go out to eat?"

"Sure," Linda nodded. She was far more familiar with Manhattan than Eric and had just begun to suggest a place when the phone rang in the living room.

"I'll take this call, just a moment," Eric said as he got up to walk outside.

Linda watched him leave the lounge, too lazy to rise. She wiggled her body, peering out from behind the sofa's armrest. She saw him sitting on the couch with the phone to his ear, vaguely hearing him discuss the premiere arrangements for Jurassic Park 2.

The conversation stretched for nearly ten minutes before Eric hung up. As she was about to pull back and get up, Eric's phone rang again.

"Hello? Oh, Cindy! It's you!" Eric replied, noticing Linda's peering. He waved his hand at her.

She smiled, having guessed Cindy's intent for the call. Pulling her head back, she felt lazy and didn't want to hear anymore. Suddenly, she recalled Eric's serious tone during that earlier work-related conversation -- it was earnest, meticulous, and focused.

And what about her?

She had a decent background, no financial pressures, had grown lazy with education as an adult, and relied on her good looks to model.

It all began at sixteen.

Fourteen years later...

Step by step to the present.

Life seemed simple.

Work and play.

Not getting out of bed for less than ten grand a day.

Marrying too young.

Meeting the wrong people.

Not wanting to settle anymore, so she divorced.

Couldn't handle her boyfriend, so she broke it off.

Living on her whims, without boundaries.

Suddenly, she realized she was the rocket man.

No wonder she liked Elton John's song so much.

Straining to catch the conversation outside, she found Eric still speaking gently with Cindy, exuding endless patience.

Perhaps while he too floated in space, he controlled everything, like a space shuttle pilot.

But wait -- he didn't control everything; at least he didn't know what her ambitious faux-friend was thinking.

She suddenly felt a sense of responsibility to do something. Her mind buzzed for a moment before she jumped off the sofa and headed toward the living room.

"Oh, George's Jean restaurant -- where's that?" Eric was speaking with Cindy about the restaurant's location when Linda approached him, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a commanding gesture. She leaned closer, playfully pushing Eric back against the sofa.

As Eric listened to Cindy share the address, he was abruptly pushed back onto the couch by Linda. He shot her a questioning look.

Cindy on the other end had just finished giving the address when Linda went over to Eric, standing in front of him. He watched as she pulled down the zipper on her dress, skillfully slipped the shoulder straps down, and leaned in to give him a light nibble on the neck.

"Cindy, I...oh, I've got it. Linda and I will be there in about fifteen minutes."

"No, my dear Cindy, let's wait for an hour," Linda said loudly into the phone, snatching it from Eric's grasp and hanging up.

Eric helplessly reached for Linda's soft waist and chuckled, "Okay then, what state of mind are you in? Did something bite you?"

"Certainly not," Linda replied, cupping Eric's face in her hands, leaning in to kiss him wildly, her voice husky as she said, "I plan to squeeze you dry."

Well, Cindy darling, let's see how you handle that tonight.

*****

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