The first cry of "Vibe" was truly earth-shattering!
Seizing the overwhelming excitement sparked by Ethan's school anniversary, Vibe launched a carefully planned combo with strong performance.
The effect was immediate; the data was like a rocket.
Within just 24 hours of going live, the number of registered users skyrocketed to 100,000+!
This figure was nothing short of a bombshell in the mobile internet startup field in 2014!
You have to understand, this was the result of just one day!
Preliminary analysis showed that the NYU campus had almost been "taken over," with conservative estimates suggesting that over 90% of enrolled students had downloaded the app.
Even more exciting, this craze spread rapidly like ripples, attracting students from many universities around the city and becoming the first loyal fans of Vibe.
The magic of the "Ethan effect" and the "school anniversary live performance" was fully displayed!
Ethan was not blinded by the initial victory.
He knew well that the traffic dividends brought by personal events needed to be quickly transformed into the platform's own vitality.
After firing the first shot, Ethan immediately approved allocating $1.5 million as special promotional funds, determined to make the fire burn even fiercer!
He personally took charge, developing a more systematic and aggressive follow-up promotion plan targeting the national university market and beginning to penetrate a broader young demographic.
A second project plan was then formulated.
A brand-new "Headlines" section was added to the most prominent spot on the Vibe homepage!
The core positioning was clearly printed in the pinned section: "Read daily world events without leaving home!"
This design cleverly combined the social genes of later Twitter with the information push advantages of news aggregation apps, greatly enriching Vibe's content ecosystem and practical value, making it no longer limited to simple social sharing.
These past few days, Ethan had been so busy he barely had time to rest.
Company, school, various meetings and decisions — all occupied almost all his time.
But he never forgot Oak Ridge and the girl who needed to be "fed."
He made a special effort to buy a large amount of fresh ingredients, filling every corner of the courtyard refrigerator.
Before leaving, he earnestly told Nora: These dishes are your daily cooking; they're your job. If I come back, let's eat together; if I don't come back, you can eat it yourself. Remember, don't let the vegetables spoil or go to waste.
Although his tone carried an undeniable command, there was also a subtle concern that was barely noticeable.
Nora was indeed very obedient.
In the days that followed, she really came to the courtyard on time every day and cooked diligently.
On nights when Ethan wasn't around, she would sit alone on a small stool in the kitchen, finish all the food, and leave not a single grain of rice behind.
Afraid of spoiling and wasting it.
That evening, Ethan finally slipped away from his nonstop work and returned to Oak Ridge.
Out of habit, he went to the kitchen to open the fridge and checked. It was completely empty, with all the ingredients used up.
A trace of relief appeared on Ethan's weary face.
Relaxing, he walked into the bathroom, ready to take a shower and wash away his fatigue.
However, when he habitually picked up the toiletries from the shelf, his movement suddenly froze.
Shampoo, body wash, facial cleanser... All the beautifully packaged bottles and jars he had specially prepared for her stood there untouched, seals intact, not even the plastic wrap had been torn off!
As if they were merely cold decorations, never needed.
After showering, he took out his phone and dialed Nora's number.
But the phone gave that damn notification again.
"Hello, the number you dialed is off. Please try again later. Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is powered off..."
Damn it, this feeling of not being able to reach her was really uncomfortable — it was the same as last time.
At that moment.
"Click."
The sound of the key turning the lock cylinder came through clearly.
Immediately after, the door was gently pushed open a crack.
Nora timidly leaned in halfway.
She clearly didn't know Ethan would come back tonight, because for the past few nights, she had been the only one here.
In other words, when she was alone, she always looked the same, but she felt much better than before.
Ever since that night at the school anniversary, when she heard Ethan's speech on "courage" and "facing challenges," a small spark seemed to have been ignited in a frozen corner of her heart.
Though faint, she was indeed trying to melt the ice, making her awkwardly and little by little attempt to "hear" the voice of this world, rather than just isolating herself in silent fear.
Her complexion no longer seemed as pale and frightening as when they first met, but faintly showed a faint trace of color.
Her body seemed a little fuller too?
Of course, these changes were extremely subtle; unless one deliberately observed, they were almost impossible to detect.
As soon as Nora entered the room and saw Ethan sitting in the living room, she exclaimed in surprise, "Ethan, you're back? There aren't enough vegetables for two people at home, so I'll go to the store and buy some..."
These past few days, she had been carrying a hundred-dollar bill in her pocket, just to wait for Ethan to come back and go buy groceries.
After all, when cooking for Ethan, she could eat together and feel free to "share a meal."
And these past few days, eating alone, even though Ethan had told her to eat, that uneasy feeling of "getting a free ride" in her heart made her feel like she owed him something.
That hundred dollars was the proof she intended to use to "pay off the debt."
Ethan said calmly, "The food at the campus store isn't fresh. Let's go to the mall supermarket. I can pick up something else while I'm at it!"
Nora nodded and said, "Alright!"
But then her heart skipped a beat.
To the mall or the supermarket? The food there must be even more expensive! She instinctively gripped the hundred-dollar bill in her pocket, warmed by her body heat.
If they went to the mall, that hundred dollars might not be enough...
"Oh, right," Ethan seemed to remember something and naturally reached out his hand, "Give me your phone."
This time, he didn't ask why the phone couldn't be reached, as if he had already accepted that her old flip phone was full of issues.
"Hmm..." Without hesitation, Nora took out the old, severely worn phone from the inner pocket of her coat and quietly handed it over.
Ethan took her old phone and pressed the power button. The screen went completely black and showed no response.
He skillfully pried open the back cover, revealing the tiny battery inside.
Sure enough, the contact plate was a bit crooked. He gently adjusted the battery, reinstalled it, and pressed the power button again.
A faint yet familiar startup bell rang, and the screen lit up with a dim yellow light.
There really was nothing on this phone.
Not even a damn spam text.
There were only three numbers in the contacts: one for her mother, one for her grandmother, and the last one was Ethan's.
There are 130 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439