[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reborn-starting-from-1993":3,"chapter-reborn-starting-from-1993-reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-70":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Reborn Starting from 1993",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2357054,4611,"Chapter 70: Charter Flight","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-70",70,"\u003Cp>In Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Japan, the area centered on Chūō Dōri west of Akihabara Station, stretching 400 meters east-west and 800 meters north-south, is known as Akihabara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s Akihabara has not yet become the future paradise of anime and video games; it is primarily focused on selling electronics and electrical products, serving as Japan’s top electronics commercial street, with densely packed billboards lining both sides, where 10% of Japan’s annual electronics transactions are completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Japan was reined in by its patron state three years ago, its stock and real estate markets have collapsed in succession, and with semiconductor suppression, even Japan’s once-proud electronics industry has suffered severe damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akihabara, once the symbol of Japanese electronics, has begun to change—comic shops, game stores, arcade halls, and figurine toy stores have started appearing here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bandai also has a store in Akihabara; besides selling its famous toys and figurines, it features several rows of gashapon machines, another major revenue generator for Bandai—but even the most profitable gashapon machines can’t offset the massive losses from failed game consoles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Bandai’s store attracted many young people and tourists, but today a long queue stretches from the store entrance all the way onto the street, with the number of people still growing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the digital pet device’s trial launch in Hong Kong was merely a hint of its potential, in Japan it has exploded completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning’s Trade partnered with Bandai and attempted to distribute 150,000 digital pet devices through Bandai’s retail channels in major toy and electronics stores across Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama, Osaka, and elsewhere; Bandai itself paid little attention to this product.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Bandai not been in such dire straits—suffering heavy losses from failed game consoles and unsold toys and figurines—it might not have even noticed this product. The 150,000 units, worth over two million U.S. dollars, were merely a test for Bandai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least Ikazawa Naoyuki never expected he’d call Ning Wenko; previously, agents and distributors had begged Bandai for supply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the digital pet device completely exceeded Ikazawa Naoyuki and Bandai’s marketing department’s expectations—the product’s spread was astonishingly fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first day of distribution, sales were lukewarm, but by the second day, digital pet devices began circulating among female students in many Japanese middle and high schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with rising sales, malls and retailers began posting posters and promoting the device, causing sales to surge dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than a week, the digital pet device became one of the most popular electronic items in many Tokyo schools—or even a social “credential.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who owned digital pet devices gathered after class to play, and an invisible new social circle formed around the device.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Japan, centered on Tokyo and spreading outward from schools, the digital pet device rapidly expanded—many housewives and office workers began purchasing it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ikazawa Naoyuki kept receiving repeated calls from retailers demanding more stock and learned that all 150,000 units had sold out, he was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need 400,000 units—some retailers are already out of stock; air freight them to Tokyo immediately, and Bandai will cover the costs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calling Ning Wenko, Ikazawa Naoyuki couldn’t help but wear an expectant expression; Bandai’s products had been selling poorly, even in Japan, with sales plummeting terrifyingly, and as head of marketing, Ikazawa Naoyuki was under immense pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the digital pet device truly exploded in Japan, he would have made a monumental contribution to Bandai—and if its sales helped Bandai survive the crisis, his status within the company would rise dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ikazawa Naoyuki wanted to report this to Yamashiro Makoto, but then he thought: the digital pet device had only been tested with the first batch; if subsequent sales faltered, his report would be a wasted effort. So he decided to wait and see how the second batch sold before reporting to Yamashiro Makoto—after all, the credit was his, and it wouldn’t run away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“40,000 digital pet devices have been sold in Hong Kong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All 60,000 units deployed in Korea are sold out; they are now out of stock!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“10,000 units sold in Singapore!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In major cities of Siam, Cochinchina, Malaysia, and elsewhere, digital pet device sales have totaled over 50,000 units!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Dongling High-Tech’s headquarters in Hanxi, Sales Manager Zhang Ao listened to his subordinates’ reports, appearing calm—but with each new region’s sales figure, his fists clenched tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The satellite dish had once sold well too, but it earned renminbi; the digital pet device was earning foreign currency, a completely different matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to sales statistics, in its first week, excluding Japan’s figures, the digital pet device sold 160,000 units in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Siam, and elsewhere, generating over $2.4 million in revenue—equivalent to nearly 19 million renminbi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember, this was only the trial phase, with large-scale advertising yet to begin; Zhang Ao suppressed his excitement and asked the head of marketing, “Has Ning’s Trade not yet compiled Japan’s sales figures?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All 150,000 units in Japan are sold out; they’re demanding we immediately air-freight 400,000 more!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The employee handling communications with Ning’s Trade ran over to Zhang Ao, holding the sales statistics sheet, face beaming with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The units in Japan sold out?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All 150,000 units are gone?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhang Ao heard this, his mind went “buzz”—sales of the digital pet device in just one region of Japan nearly matched the combined total of all other Southeast Asian markets; this purchasing power was terrifying, leaving Zhang Ao momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at the sales statistics sheet, Zhang Ao hurried off toward Li Dongling’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“310,000 units!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The trial sales figures for the digital pet device are in—310,000 units sold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Ao burst into the office, Yao Luoying and Hu Ziyan, who were inside with Li Dongling, reacted just as he had—first disbelief, then uncontrollable delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the silver mink mouse gained fame due to its lawsuit with Microsoft, it never became a breakout hit and failed to deliver massive profits to Dongling High-Tech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the digital pet device is different—it is easily the best-selling product since Dongling High-Tech’s founding, capable of generating massive cash flow for the company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Yao Luoying and Hu Ziyan, Li Dongling finally exhaled in relief; the digital pet device project was his own initiative, designed to relieve immediate financial pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongling High-Tech needed to bridge the gap before the digital cordless phone’s launch, needed to support the thousands of employees recruited from Xicheng Wireless Factory One, and needed to raise R&D funds for new projects like the next-generation mouse, mini radio, car radio, and USB drives—if the digital pet device sold well, all these problems would be solved!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Dongling High-Tech’s electronics park, Tao Zhiliang, who managed one production line, felt only one thing: exhaustion. He didn’t even need a bed—just a mat on the floor, and he’d fall asleep instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During training, Tao Zhiliang had worried the electronics park might have no work and lay them off; now he had no such fears—there was simply too much work to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Zhiliang and his team were working nonstop; he should have already clocked out for rest, but he was kept behind to assist with setting up and calibrating a new production line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Tao Zhiliang wasn’t working for free—he received overtime pay. He’d never heard of such a thing before; in state-owned factories, it didn’t exist. He did the math: if he worked overtime daily, his monthly overtime pay would exceed his regular salary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone worked hard today—after shift, each of you can claim one pound of meat, and choose one of the following to take home: canned food, orange powder, malted milk powder, or brown sugar!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We just received notice from headquarters: this month, all production department staff will receive double wages, plus a year-end bonus…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Tao Zhiliang worked, he saw Gao Peng enter with a loudspeaker, followed by staff pushing carts loaded with pre-weighed, wrapped meat blocks, along with canned food, orange powder, brown sugar—the very items relatives brought during New Year visits; today, each worker received one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the workshop erupted in cheers; such benefits were unmatched even in provincial capitals, let alone Pingyang—the meat, canned food, and malted milk powder alone were worth over ten yuan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the electronics park’s warehouse, activity was equally frantic—large cargo trucks waited to load.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanying them were ten burly security personnel from Dongling High-Tech’s Security Department; each truck carried two security officers alongside the driver, and two escort cars—one in front, one behind—ensuring the cargo reached the provincial capital’s airport. Dongling High-Tech even requested Pingyang’s municipal government to coordinate police escorts; once in the provincial capital, local authorities would take over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caution was absolutely necessary—road bandits were real; small convoys couldn’t pass safely. In many areas, highways still bore banners reading “Robbing police vehicles is illegal”—a clear sign of how dangerous the roads had become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This single shipment contained 600,000 digital pet devices, worth over $9 million—no amount of caution was excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Airport staff in the provincial capital, seeing the massive escort and the cargo of digital pet devices, were astonished; even after years working at this airport, they had never seen a chartered flight transporting goods like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1527,"2026-06-21T04:42:08.057Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e608da61072b3b33d3f365d7169ef02608b6d53356303b0ee99082add84eba6a","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-71","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-69",989,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freborn-starting-from-1993-cover.jpg"]