On an ordinary Thursday morning, the eyes of commuters radiated a lifeless glow. Counting on their fingers, they realized that after enduring today, there was just one more day until the weekend.
Colleagues were exchanging pleasantries, chatting about trending topics and things they had seen while surfing the internet yesterday. That's how coworkers are. Warm and friendly at work, but not even exchanging a single message on WeChat after hours.
As everyone was chatting, suddenly someone nearby jumped up and shouted, "Holy crap!"
In an instant, everyone's drowsiness vanished, and they all looked over, asking, "What's wrong?"
Those around sensed keenly that there was some juicy gossip to be had.
Looking around, the person who was so excited turned out to be Qi, the office nerd.
At that moment, his hand holding the phone was trembling slightly, and his face was somewhat distorted due to excessive excitement.
Everyone around was asking what had happened.
Though their words expressed concern, their eyes sparkled with the light of gossip.
Qi said, "Quick, check social media. This news is already trending at number one."
Everyone simultaneously pulled out their phones and began searching. Soon, exclamations of "Holy crap!" echoed throughout the office.
Opening the top trending topic, it read clearly: "The country's first holographic gaming pod goes on sale at 10:05. The sale price is 138,888."
"This device has full sensory capabilities. It comes with 20 built-in games including shooting games, farming games, fishing games, strategy games, martial arts games, and more..."
"Available for purchase on the National Scientists' website."
As soon as the news broke, all netizens were stunned.
"Holographic gaming, is it what I think it is?"
"Science fiction has truly become reality. Remember when the first prototype of this game was revealed at Starry Sky Kindergarten? The whole society was searching for the scientist who designed this game, but unfortunately, they disappeared without a trace. Thankfully, Shen Wei from Starry Sky Kindergarten donated all the design blueprints to the Academy of Sciences."
"I remember that too! But in the end, there was no news, and I thought the whole thing had fizzled out. Who would have thought they were working on something this big?"
"No pre-release hype, just straight to launch?"
"Isn't 138,888 a bit expensive? That's enough for an electric car."
"In our small city, that could be a down payment on a house. But this is a holographic gaming pod! There's nothing like it internationally. If you own one, you'll be among the first to experience holographic gaming."
"I've already begged my wife. If she agrees to buy it, I'm willing to wash dishes, scrub floors, cook, and give massages for a full 10 years."
"The guy above is willing to sell 10 years of happiness for a gaming console. Bro, that's a pretty steep price."
"I'm an 18-year-old guy, 6'2", with abs. To be honest, I'm looking for some sugar. I just want a holographic gaming pod, sister."
"To that young man, as far as I know, only Gu Qingyan can trade looks for a holographic pod. But he looks the way he does. If you want to trade for a gaming pod, you'd first have to beat Gu Qingyan in looks."
The person immediately fell silent. It was no joke - not just in the real world, but even in the entertainment industry, it would be hard to find someone more handsome than Gu Qingyan.
Gu Qingyan really did have a lot of fans who adored his looks.
In Gu Qingyan's comment section, there was often a phrase: "Just say the word, and I'll immediately promote you to become an idol with millions of fans."
Gu Qingyan would arrogantly reply: "I don't need that. I only need Shen Wei."
Fans would express their frustration: "Just take him already, look at how 'eager to marry' he is."
There was also inexplicable envy: "Sister, if not, then write a book. We want to know how you managed to tame him to be so obedient."
"What if I like both Shen Wei and Gu Qingyan? Can't we all be together?"
"I don't mind, add me in too, let's make it four."
"Aren't we supposed to advocate monogamy? I just want the two of them."
"Wow, the person above wants to have their cake and eat it too."
Although Gu Qingyan didn't do much marketing, every time he posted on social media, it was about how Shen Wei praised him.
He was just like a silly puppy - any kindness Shen Wei showed him, he would immediately jump out to show it off.
This behavior, though a bit childish, was really adorable.
Somehow, his followers had grown to over 3 million.
Some people even edited short videos of him and posted them online. Everyone had seen Gu Qingyan's breathtaking beauty.
While Gu Qingyan was popular among girls, with the release of the gaming pod, he now became popular among guys too.
People below started commenting: "I just came to see what the first person to own a gaming pod looks like."
"So you really can make a living off your looks, huh."
Gu Qingyan's fans were unhappy with this. They hadn't provoked anyone, so why the sarcastic remarks? They immediately retorted: "Gu Qingyan isn't just good-looking, he's also rich. He's the young master of a multi-billion dollar company, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Jealous much?"
"Even if he's rich, he's not eating your rice. Why are you being so hostile?"
"Sister Shen Wei loves to spoil him, what's it to you?"
Everyone chatting didn't forget to keep an eye on the time.
They were all waiting for the gaming pod to go on sale.
This time, everyone was a bit nervous.
Mainly because they didn't know how many units the officials would be selling.
It seemed that for something as complex as the gaming pod, there probably wouldn't be many available.
They were worried that their reaction speed wouldn't be fast enough to snag one.
Ever since learning about this news, everyone had been as restless as ants on a hot pan.
Finally, as 10 o'clock arrived, everyone immediately logged onto the Scientists' website.
It was their first time on this website. It had photos and introductions of various scientists, a bit like a university official website.
It somehow felt both serious and tense.
Time ticked by second by second.
The countdown had begun.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Finally, after "5", "4", "3", "2", "1", the direct purchase button turned blue, indicating it was clickable. Everyone immediately clicked.
In an instant, the website froze like a PowerPoint presentation.
Everyone started cursing: "Is this how you treat people?"
