章節 71: Chapter: 71
It seems that the low price of the Nervegear technology doesn't match its identity as cutting-edge black technology. However, it was actually determined after precise analysis and discussion by the top executives of the company. With the help of Stark Industries' automated production capabilities, the production cost of each Nervegear device can be kept below $800, even when including transportation and labor costs. The cost would not exceed $1000.
In other words, the price announced by Mark may seem very reasonable to consumers, but in reality, it is not. Instead, it is quite cunning. This business can make a profit 40 times over, a feat that few can achieve except through illegal means, criminal activities, or monopolized industries controlled by the government.
Furthermore, the pricing of the three product tiers is set just at the bottom line of each corresponding consumer group. Whether you belong to the middle class, or the affluent class, Mark's pricing only slightly exceeds their affordability limits. With the allure of virtual reality technology and the option of payment in installments, as long as you have the intention, it's impossible to resist sending your money to Mark.
The day after the product launch, news headlines and popular searches on various major news websites were dominated by articles related to Mark's research center and virtual reality technology. On the official website, the pre-order deposit for the Nervegear had already reached a staggering $400 billion. It can be said that people all over the world are scrambling to be among the first to buy the Nervegear, whether it's for the experience, to show off, or for resale.
Various influential organizations and institutions, including renowned universities, medical institutions, the military, governments, and even foreign collaborations, all entered the scene one after another. They were competing to place their money in front of Mark. However, Mark delegated these matters to the employees of the Business Department and did not personally intervene.
On the fifth day after the product launch, after working overtime to prepare and distribute the stock, the brand-new Nervegear products were already packaged and delivered to the warehouses of major stores. The official website of Mark's research center also displayed a prominent countdown timer, indicating that there was only one hour left until the global unified release, both online and offline.
When the countdown timer started ticking down like a time bomb, the entire internet seemed to have been detonated. Billions of network traffic from all over the world surged into Mark's research center's servers, pushing them to the brink of collapse, almost overwhelming the servers that had already expanded by several times compared to the time of personal health assistants sales.
Fortunately, Mark took timely measures and ensured the normal operation of the website through load balancing and speed control.
When the second of the countdown reached zero, all the offline stores in different regions of the world simultaneously opened their doors.
A large number of customers rushed to the cash registers, trying to pay in advance even before they could get their hands on the goods, just to secure a purchase slot.
The first batch of 10 million units of machines was completely sold out online and offline in less than ten minutes. To keep up with the speed of sales, the production department manager of Mark's company urgently contacted Stark Industries to increase the production capacity by adding five modified production lines, allowing Nervegear's daily production capacity to reach 15 million units.
However, even so, in the following days, enthusiastic customers continued to buy out the stock within minutes of the stores' opening, and the online pre-order queue extended for miles. Many unscrupulous buyers and the underground black market drove up the price of brand-new, unopened Nervegear devices to hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet the demand remained high, surpassing the supply.
In order to alleviate the current tense supply and demand situation, as well as to prevent scalpers from taking advantage, Mark quickly instructed the public relations team to implement purchase restrictions.
Priority was given to minors and women for purchasing, followed by disabled individuals and military personnel. However, each person was limited to purchasing one unit, and their identity needed to be registered during the purchase process. After registration, the system would automatically bind the Nervegear to the purchaser's information, making it impossible for anyone other than the registered individual to log in and use the device.
After the implementation of this measure, although sales continued at a fast pace, it effectively suppressed the scalpers' behavior of buying and reselling to earn price differences.
The booming business lasted for about half a month before gradually calming down. However, this was only in comparison to the initial situation. If compared to other stores, the stores under Mark's company were still crowded with people, sales continued to rise with limited supply.
However, just when everything was going smoothly, there was a sudden shift in public opinion on social media and the internet.
Overnight, many parents emerged on social networking sites, expressing negative views on the virtual reality technology of Nervegear. In general, they criticized Nervegear for causing children addicted to virtual games to have irregular eating habits, abnormal sleep patterns, and other unfavorable health issues. They also mentioned a decline in academic performance, as well as a decrease in physical activities among children who used to enjoy sports.
Additionally, some so-called experts also stepped forward, claiming that Nervegear was a new type of mental product disguised in high-tech clothing. They suggested that the government should intervene and restrict its sales and the release of related games, while also prohibiting minors from purchasing it.
Upon seeing this unfavorable news and the emergence of negative sentiments, the CEO of Mark's company immediately called a meeting with all the top executives and informed Mark about the developments.
"Have you found out who is behind all this?" Mark maintained a calm facade, but deep inside, his anger was burning.
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