The launch of the Harmony X2 had electrified the public.
Across forums and media, excitement was through the roof. But inside CS Technologies, the mood was even higher.
Preorders had opened the night before.
By morning, the numbers were as follows: One million units were reserved in a single night.
That was half the total inventory—gone before the first day ended.
It was an unprecedented win for a domestic brand's flagship product.
Haifeng called an emergency executive meeting at CS headquarters.
What was meant to be a sales report had become a celebration—and a warning.
"The Harmony X2 is only the beginning," Haifeng said as he sat at the head of the table.
"CS isn't a one-product company."
"This phone put us on the map. But if we want to stay here, we need depth."
He looked around the room. Faces were smiling—some a little too much.
Haifeng didn't let it slide.
"The X2 is high-end. Flagship. But that also means limited volume."
"It won't scale like mid-range phones. It won't support our full expansion."
"And we're still new. Three years in, no matter how strong our specs are, we're still smaller than Apple or Samsung."
"Their brand power alone lets them charge hundreds more."
"We're not there yet."
That silenced the room.
Everyone had felt the momentum, but they needed the reminder.
"Our next steps matter more than our last launch," Haifeng said.
"To survive long-term, we need the Harmony X Series for prestige, the Harmony S Series for power-users, and the Xingchen Series for the mass market."
"Right now, the S series is all performance. The Xingchen Series is all smoothness."
"That's not enough. We need stronger identities across the board."
Haifeng continued:
"We can't rely solely on chipsets and OS. We need to win in display, battery, build quality, user experience—the entire stack."
"We need a roadmap. A path beyond phones."
He didn't say it aloud yet, but his mind was already on the next horizon: Ecosystem. Exports. Ecosystem again.
Just like Apple.
But none of that could happen until the Harmony X2 held its ground.
CS could make its next play if it beats the Galaxy S6 in reviews, user feedback, and long-term adoption.
That meeting clarified the path forward.
It celebrated the momentum, but also cooled the euphoria.
There was work to do.
Meanwhile, Chairman Lee Jae-yong was having a very different morning over at Samsung.
He was smiling—until an executive barged into his office without knocking.
Lee's expression darkened immediately.
"Get out. Knock next time."
The executive winced but bowed quickly.
"Chairman… please just look at this video first. I'll leave the laptop and step out."
He placed the laptop down and backed out of the room.
Lee sighed and turned toward the screen.
The title alone made his stomach twist:
"CS Technologies Harmony X2 Launch – Full Presentation Replay"
He clicked play.
As the stream rolled and specs flashed across the screen—2K display, wireless charging, Kunpeng chip, full-screen front—his hand tightened on the armrest.
He wasn't just annoyed.
He was shaken.
This wasn't a cute domestic challenger anymore.
It was a serious threat.
And it had arrived faster than anyone at Samsung had anticipated.