Chapter 62 — The Modern Age Camera Revealed
The next day was Thursday, and Bai Xia didn't have to attend school. A month from now, she would face the entrance exam, but today was reserved for something far more exciting. She dressed carefully, her mind alive with anticipation, and headed for the company. The tech department was already buzzing with activity. Engineers darted between tables cluttered with half-open monitors, wires, scattered circuit boards, and glimmering metal scraps, their movements a chaotic ballet of creation.
When Bai Xia stepped through the glass doors, a hush fell. It wasn't unusual for her presence to command attention — after all, she was the young boss who consistently conjured ideas far beyond anyone else's imagination. Yet today, there was something different. Her usual serene smile was gone. Her eyes burned with a rare spark, the kind that could ignite the air around her.
> "Gather everyone," she said, her voice calm but firm.
"There's something I want to show you."
Within minutes, a small crowd had formed near the central workbench. The usual hum of machines faded, the clatter of tools softened, and the engineers, curious and cautious, edged closer.
Bai Xia placed a black case on the table and clicked the lock open. The lid swung back, revealing the object within — compact, elegant, and yet somehow familiar. Its body had the weight and feel of a 1995 camera, but the design whispered of a future that none of them had seen.
> "This," she said, steady and deliberate, "is what I've been working on."
The head technician leaned forward, brow furrowed.
> "It looks like a camera… but there's no film compartment?"
> "It doesn't need one," Bai Xia replied softly, her fingers brushing the device. "It captures light — not on film, but as data."
The word "data" hung in the air, foreign and intangible, eliciting puzzled glances and quiet murmurs from the engineers.
She did not explain further. Instead, she lifted the camera, adjusted the lens, and turned toward the nearest window. Morning light spilled through the glass like molten silver, trembling across the floor and glinting off scattered tools.
Her finger pressed the button. Click.
The sound was crisp, unlike any shutter they had heard before. She tilted the small display toward them — and gasps erupted. The image shimmered, impossibly detailed. Every individual strand of hair, each glint of dust suspended in sunlight, the distant city skyline reflected in a window — all captured with uncanny clarity.
> "That's… impossible," whispered one engineer. "There's no film. No delay. How—"
> "It's a new way to see," she interrupted, eyes locked on the screen. "Light itself becomes memory."
She set the camera down, allowing the crowd to gather closer. They leaned in, tentatively touching it, murmuring in disbelief. Some exchanged glances, as if trying to convince each other that what they were witnessing was not a trick of the eye.
Bai Xia stepped back, letting them absorb the moment. Their faces reflected confusion, wonder, and awe — precisely what she had hoped to see. A quiet warmth spread through her chest. So this is what it feels like, she thought. To pull the future into the past.
> "You'll study it," she said finally, her voice commanding attention again. "Learn its parts, its logic, its rhythm. And then…" Her gaze swept across the gathered engineers. "…we'll make more."
She turned to the head tech.
> "Stella will give you the blueprints. Use the tools I asked you to make earlier."
Her words landed like thunder in the suddenly silent room. Somewhere in the corner, the assistant manager scribbled notes feverishly, almost falling over in his haste to capture every detail.
> "Boss… what should we call it?" he finally asked, voice trembling with excitement.
Bai Xia paused, letting the question hang. A faint smile touched her lips.
> "Modern Age Camera," she said. "Because from now on… we won't just take pictures. We'll capture time."
The room buzzed again, but now with a different energy. Engineers whispered excitedly, some shaking their heads in disbelief, others examining the camera with renewed respect.
> "No film… that's insane."
"Look at the clarity… it's like the world itself is inside that little screen."
"She's not just clever — she's rewriting how we see things."
"If this works, it'll change photography forever."
"Where did she even get the parts for something like this?"
"Did she… build the circuits herself?"
"It's impossible, but… I want to try it."
"I feel like I'm standing in front of a time machine."
"The design… it's beautiful, like it was meant to exist."
"I can't believe she's only a student — yet she's inventing this."
Even the head tech, usually stoic and critical, felt a ripple of excitement. He leaned closer to Bai Xia, curiosity and admiration mingling in his expression.
> "Miss Bai… how did you even think of this?"
She shrugged lightly, as though it were the simplest thing in the world.
> "I didn't think," she said softly. "I just knew it had to exist."
For the rest of the morning, engineers carefully examined the device, disassembling parts, tracing circuits, and whispering to one another about how the tiny mechanisms worked. Some tried to replicate a portion on their own, only to glance back and marvel at the ingenuity of her design. Every observation confirmed it — this was not a prototype; it was a revelation.
By noon, Bai Xia collected the camera, packing it carefully into its black case. She addressed the engineers one last time.
> "You've seen the future. Study it, learn it, but don't touch the full assembly yet. Once the blueprints are ready, you'll build the next generation. For now… let this be the spark."
The assistant manager nodded fervently, eyes wide, notebook clutched tightly.
> "Understood, Miss Bai."
Bai Xia's gaze swept across the room, lingering on each engineer, noting their reactions — disbelief, curiosity, awe, excitement. She felt satisfaction, not from their admiration, but from knowing that something extraordinary had taken its first step into the world.
> "Remember," she said quietly, "this is just the beginning."
With that, she turned and left the room. The hum of machines resumed, the chatter of engineers returned, but the energy had shifted. The tech department was no longer a collection of workers and tools — it was the birthplace of the future, and everyone inside knew it.
Bai Xia stepped into the sunlight outside the glass doors, carrying a secret that would change the world long before anyone else could imagine.