Chapter 109: We Need a Virtual Machine

Upon hearing that the virtual machines had arrived, William finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered his staff to work overtime, busily preparing through the night. It was the early hours of the morning, and they had to unload the shipment, arrange everything, and ready the store for the global launch of the virtual machines the next day.

William meticulously inspected the store, carefully checking every detail to ensure that the release of the virtual machines would proceed without a hitch. Having once been the manager of a flagship fruit phone store, he possessed extensive experience in such matters.

“People are already lining up outside?”

At the entrance, William was stunned. He saw several people setting up small tents and beginning to queue. It was December—the coldest time of the year—and London’s temperatures were quite low. Yet here they were, braving the chill to secure their place in line.

Moreover, the line was growing longer by the minute. Clearly, many who had missed out on pre-orders feared they wouldn’t get a virtual machine tomorrow, so they had arrived overnight, tents in tow, prepared to endure the cold until they could purchase one first thing in the morning.

“We never saw this kind of frenzy even with the fruit phones,” William muttered, shaking his head. He had witnessed long queues during the fruit phone launches as a manager, but never such an overnight vigil in freezing weather for an electronic device.

By early morning, after a night of hard work, William finally relaxed. All preparations were complete. The virtual machines in the experience zone were fully installed and connected to the fastest network. Slipping on a virtual machine himself, he instantly immersed in the wondrous virtual world. Having personally tried it the night before, he was deeply captivated and fully understood the power of this groundbreaking technology.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Finish your breakfast; we start selling promptly at 10 am.”

Though visibly tired, William remained excited. Experiencing the machine firsthand filled him with confidence in its future.

“Manager, come quick!”

An employee hurried over, urgency clear in his voice. William followed him to the entrance and through the glass witnessed an unbelievable scene.

Outside the virtual machine experience store, a massive line stretched beyond sight, filling one side of the entire street with anxious customers. London police had arrived to maintain order, wary of any disruptions.

The crowd was enormous. Those who had learned of the news yesterday rushed over today. Many had camped overnight in tents, now packing up while sipping hot coffee and breakfast brought by friends, their eyes occasionally glancing at the store.

Journalists drawn by the commotion had set up their cameras and microphones, continuously reporting and interviewing those waiting in line.

The scene resembled a major event—police maintaining order, media coverage—akin to the excitement when the John Bull national team won the World Cup.

“This is bad. We oversold during the preorders yesterday. There are fewer than 10,000 virtual machines available today—nowhere near enough. How will we explain this to the overnight line-waiting customers?” William frowned deeply. Though he had anticipated strong demand, he never imagined such a massive overnight queue. Checking the news on his phone, he learned the line stretched across several streets. Over 500 London police officers had been dispatched to maintain order, fearing riots or terror attacks.

“Seoul’s virtual machine store sold out 50,000 units in under half an hour. Some customers, upset at missing out despite camping overnight, smashed the store’s glass and attempted to seize the demo virtual machines. Fortunately, police quickly restored order.”

“In Tokyo, the virtual machine’s $50,000 price tag sparked outrage among the locals against South Korea, where the same device costs $20,000. In contrast, in China, the price is just 10,000 yuan, less than $2,000.”

“The first batch of virtual machines has reached consumers, who rave about the device’s powerful functions. Wearing the virtual machine watch has become the latest fashion—a must-have for successful people.”

Scrolling through the news on his phone, William saw the headlines dominated by the virtual machine launch. Due to time differences, the device was released first in the East, so related news had emerged there earliest.

“Everyone, gather around. It seems our preparations were somewhat lacking. Other stores have faced various issues. When we open, we must pay close attention to a few key points.”

“First, maintain order—no disturbances allowed.”

“Second, keep a constant watch on the demo virtual machines to prevent theft or violent seizure.”

“Third, after sales, be patient and calm with upset customers—no verbal conflicts.”

“Everyone remember?”

William gathered all the staff and emphasized these points again. The launch had already caused some trouble elsewhere, and he was determined to avoid similar problems.

At 10 am London time, under eager watch, the virtual machine store opened promptly. The long line surged inside immediately.

“I want ten virtual machines!”

“Sorry, sir, due to limited supply, each person is limited to one unit.”

“Give me one now—a white watch style.”

“Very well, sir, that will be £20,000. Card or cash?”

“Card.”

“I’m here to pick up my order. Here’s my receipt.”

David held up the receipt from yesterday to a female staff member.

“Why did he queue overnight if he already preordered?” The person behind him was dumbfounded.

“This is your virtual machine. Please check it carefully, and if everything is fine, sign here.”

A small box was placed on the table, attracting everyone’s attention. The three large characters for “Virtual Machine” on the box drew all eyes. Amid envious glances, David opened the packaging and took out a watch-style virtual machine. Without hesitation, he inserted a prepared SIM card and wore it on his wrist.

A gentle press of a button sent a faint electric current through his body, and an image appeared in his mind. After following some setup instructions, he connected to the virtual network.

“Ha! The virtual machine is in hand! I can control everything with just a thought—this feeling is incredible!”

With a thought, he instantly shared the good news with all his friends. High-profile and confident, he strode out of the store, flashing the virtual machine watch and clutching his fist over his chest as the waiting media cameras flashed relentlessly.

The crowd moved steadily forward. Many, like David, had preordered but still couldn’t wait and camped overnight to pick up their machines. In less than half an hour, nearly 40,000 virtual machines sold out completely.

“Everyone, we’re very sorry. All virtual machines in this store have sold out. Please patiently wait for the next batch, expected to arrive next Monday—around 80,000 units.”

As manager, William had police inside the store early and now apologized to the long line outside. His words barely finished when the crowd erupted.

“Shit, only half an hour and already sold out?”

“I camped overnight in the freezing wind for over ten hours. Now you tell me there’s no stock?”

“We want virtual machines! We want virtual machines!”

The crowd grew agitated, shouting slogans. Some began throwing objects in frustration. Fortunately, the police quickly subdued the commotion and restored order.

“Everyone, though we’re out of stock now, you can place orders for the next batch. Once they arrive, just come pick them up—your wait won’t be in vain.”

“We also have many demo units here for you to experience the virtual machine’s charm!”

Reluctantly, William resorted to promoting preorders again, gradually calming the crowd. Though out of stock, sales remained explosive. After one batch sold out, the next batch’s quota sold out in advance.

Scenes like London’s unfolded worldwide. Due to scarce supply, each store’s share was limited and sold out quickly. Even the next batch of ten million units was pre-sold within hours.

At nearly every experience store globally, sales emptied the shelves in under half an hour, and the following shipment was snapped up just as fast.

PS: Thanks for the generous 2000 tip from Passion Unlimited, the 500 from mmdmp, and 4670 from Pingdan.