[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reborn-starting-from-1993":3,"chapter-reborn-starting-from-1993-reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-71":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},2357055,4611,"Chapter 71: Ignition","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-71",71,"\u003Cp>In Hongcheng, at Ma Daowei’s digital electronics store, a long queue had formed, and a sign posted at the entrance read: “This Store Sells Electronic Pets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While busy collecting money, Ma Daowei occasionally picked up a loudspeaker to shout a few times—after all, no one escapes the “true charm” effect, and Ma Daowei was no exception; just a few days ago, he had insisted his store was a legitimate digital electronics shop, not a toy store, yet today he had begun selling electronic pet devices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just this morning alone, he sold over two hundred units, all at a markup, priced at 150 Hong Kong dollars each; within a few hours, he had earned 3,000 Hong Kong dollars in profit from the price difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Daowei was even considerate—each electronic pet device cost him 135 Hong Kong dollars from Ning’s Trading Company, and he marked it up by only 15 Hong Kong dollars; elsewhere, some sellers were pushing prices as high as 180 Hong Kong dollars per unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Ning’s Trading Company, major malls and large retail toy chains still sold at Ning’s official price of 135 Hong Kong dollars, but smaller retailers like Ma Daowei were all marking up the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These retailers dared to mark up prices because at major mall counters, customers hoping to buy an electronic pet device had to wait an hour or longer, only to be told, “Sorry, sold out,” when they finally reached the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most critical issue, of course, was insufficient supply—most of the goods shipped from Hanxi by air were sent to Japan, then distributed to Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and other places, leaving far less available locally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the world’s second-largest economy, despite Japan’s recent turmoil and constant pressure from America, its consumer power still vastly surpassed other regions; no matter how many electronic pet devices were dumped into the Japanese market, they vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knock came at the door; Yamashiro Sei winced as he saw the Bandai finance director enter. “What bad news now?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not bad news—it’s… Bandai’s stock price has risen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yamashiro Sei thought he’d misheard—he had delivered Bandai’s worst performance in its history since taking office, yet the stock price had risen, leaving him baffled, unsure what the investors were thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bandai’s market cap had already fallen below four billion U.S. dollars, and its stock price had dropped to under five U.S. dollars—it was still a giant, but compared to Sony, Nintendo, and other peers, it looked pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems related to the new product being distributed by the marketing department!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send Ikazawa Naoko here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Due to insufficient supply, Bandai’s Akihabara store has sparked long queues as it sells the new electronic product ‘Tamagotchi,’ which has surged in popularity across Tokyo, Nagoya, and other cities!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tamagotchi, distributed by Bandai, has now sold over four hundred thousand units in Japan; Nomura Securities analysts believe Tamagotchi may become a phenomenon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nomura Securities, SBI Securities, and multiple other investment firms have raised their stock price and performance forecasts for Bandai…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On television, news about Tamagotchi played; Yamashiro Sei, Ikazawa Naoko, and other Bandai executives watched the broadcast—the scene of people queuing for Tamagotchi struck Yamashiro Sei deeply; how long had it been since Bandai last saw such frenzied demand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Manager, I was planning to explain to you after the second batch of products was tested…” Ikazawa Naoko began to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t matter anymore!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yamashiro Sei took a deep breath; the pressure that had felt like a noose tightening around his neck all year suddenly loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go to Ning’s Trading Company and the company that produced Tamagotchi—Bandai must secure exclusive sales rights for Tamagotchi in Japan at any cost!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yamashiro Sei’s mind raced like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline—he had to cling to it, no matter whether it could save him or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hire celebrities to endorse Tamagotchi; have the animation department integrate Tamagotchi into cartoons; launch full-scale advertising for Tamagotchi!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yamashiro Sei issued a string of orders to Bandai’s executives, determined to promote the electronic pet device in Japan; now, he saw this device as the lifeline that could rescue Bandai from ruin—he had to hold on tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could stabilize Bandai’s stock price, he could begin tackling its other problems; Bandai’s foundation was still solid—it was just caught off guard by this sudden crisis. If they could survive this moment, Yamashiro Sei believed Bandai would gradually recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, they had to protect Bandai’s stock price from collapsing; otherwise, he’d be fired, and everything would be meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under intense survival instinct, Bandai acted far more aggressively than Dongling High-Tech or Ning’s Trading Company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overnight, advertisements for the electronic pet device appeared across Japanese TV channels, newspapers, and outdoor billboards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this overwhelming advertising blitz, the electronic pet device’s recognition in Japan skyrocketed; Bandai rebranded it as a new-generation social product, even turning it into a fashion trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially among Japanese women, the electronic pet device was becoming as essential as makeup—no one could claim to be fashionable without one dangling from their backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Japanese schoolgirls in long skirts and sailor uniforms now carried electronic pet devices; the device spread rapidly across Japan with astonishing speed, acquiring meanings of fashion, trend, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When popular Japanese music diva Amuro Namie appeared on a music program holding an electronic pet device, it cemented the device’s status as the ultimate symbol of fashion and trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did schoolgirls in Japan become interested, but office workers and others began taking notice too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long queues formed at all Bandai retail stores selling electronic pet devices; Bandai’s original purchase price per unit was $15, roughly 1,980 yen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Bandai immediately marked it up to 2,500 yen—earning a $1.7 profit per unit just from the price difference, not to mention its 20% revenue share; Bandai’s estimated profit per electronic pet device exceeded $3.5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at the higher price, demand still far outstripped supply; other retailers who obtained stock from Bandai even resold single units for as much as 30,000 yen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two consecutive batches, totaling 550,000 units, sold out completely in Japan; over 700,000 more were then air-shipped, yet nearly all of Dongling High-Tech’s production still failed to fill this bottomless market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosive sales of the electronic pet device caused Bandai’s stock price to surge 35% in a single week; the device brought massive foot traffic—not just buyers, but also shoppers browsing Bandai’s toys, figurines, manga, and game discs, which all saw renewed sales; for every electronic pet device sold, Bandai’s total profit could be multiplied several times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a classroom at a Tokyo middle school, a series of “beep-beep-beep” sounds came from under a desk; the student quickly looked up to see a hand extended toward her. “Hand it over!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come find me after school to pick it up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confiscating yet another Tamagotchi—she couldn’t even count how many that day—Asano Mako returned to the front of the classroom to resume teaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After class, she labeled each confiscated Tamagotchi with a name, then opened her drawer—inside were over a dozen labeled electronic pet devices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Electronic pet devices were no longer cheap; ordinary ones had been resold for 3,000 yen—equivalent to $20!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the first electronic pet device appeared in school, how long had it been—a week or two? Asano Mako couldn’t remember, but now the device had spread completely through the school; after class, many girls hung one from their backpacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Amuro Namie publicly endorsed the device, this phenomenon spread from Tokyo’s schools to society at large; many women now carried one when going out. With such massive demand, men began giving electronic pet devices as gifts to women, driving sales even higher and causing frequent stockouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Asano Mako herself kept one in her bag—her boyfriend had given it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When meeting friends or female teachers after school, she’d play with it privately—it was genuinely addictive; once you started, you’d look up again and realize half an hour or even an hour had passed…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving school, Asano Mako saw posters advertising the electronic pet device on passing buses and bus stops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On her way home, she passed a Bandai retail store and saw people already lining up to buy electronic pet devices the next day—this scene rivaled the frenzy of smartphone launches in her past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of these people genuinely wanted a device; others were Huangniu scalpers—now, as long as they had stock, they had no trouble selling it; no matter how high the markup, someone would buy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home, she turned on the TV and saw electronic pet devices in her favorite variety show—both the host and guests held them; during the commercial break before the drama, Amuro Namie’s Tamagotchi ad played again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Japan, the electronic pet device had gone completely viral; when a product transcends being merely a product and becomes a symbol of fashion and culture, its influence reaches astonishing levels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1490,"2026-06-21T04:42:08.057Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ffd248090562c347389fbbaa2975007ceab30c9d70aa82ef4ac0b3ba45384c31","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-72","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-70",989,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freborn-starting-from-1993-cover.jpg"]