The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1780 One Percent
sold out?

Does what the ears are picking up mean that the stock is about to sell out?
So, in two to three hours, they completely emptied the flagship store of a large chain record store in Times Square.
Therefore, the scene of devastation before us is indeed "the ruins after a catastrophe," with enthusiastic fans clearing out almost the entire store in the form of a hurricane.

Early in the morning, a huge crowd gathered in front of the chain record store to queue up and buy an album. It's ridiculous enough that people still line up early to be the first to buy an album that is readily available in all record stores and can be purchased anywhere.

Little did they expect that the grand spectacle was merely the beginning of "madness".

"Is this...is this even possible?"

So unexpected and astonishing was Karen completely unaware that the words had slipped out without her even realizing it, and even they themselves expressed doubt—

Is this really not a joke? What kind of scarcity marketing, what kind of promotional tactics, what kind of nonsense is this?
The shop assistant, sweating profusely, gave a wry smile. "This is the first time I've ever heard of this. Whew..." He let out a long breath. "The boss is probably furious. Anson Wood's album sold out on its first day of release! This is going to be on the news."

"Our store manager is currently making urgent phone calls to request additional stock, hoping that there isn't a similar situation in New Jersey or Boston, so we can provide some temporary relief."

"But I heard that our branch is not the only one facing a shortage of inventory. Now it depends on how powerful the store manager is and who can grab the goods first."

Blair and Karen stared at each other, their jaws agape, utterly bewildered.

In 2004, amidst a general downturn in the global record market, Anson's new album surprisingly experienced a shortage of stock on its very first day.
So, is this Warner Music's fault? Did they not distribute enough stock, or were there not enough albums in the stores? Or was the total number of albums produced in the first batch insufficient?

It was the fault of the chain record store; the stock wasn't in place, causing the store to run out of stock in less than three hours, making it impossible to buy anything even if you wanted to.

Regardless of whose fault it was, were they underestimating Anson's market appeal? What, did they think Anson wouldn't sell more than 500,000 or 1 million units on its first day?

Damn it!

How could such a situation possibly occur in 2004!
Should they be happy or angry?
Karen didn't have time to think for a moment. "Ah, the album."

With a quick turn, Karen disregarded everything else, her eyes darting around as she saw "Dawn Breaks," and she decisively grabbed two bills and put them in her arms.

Blair reacted quickly and grabbed a card.

The next second, three or five more people rushed over and swept up the goods. A box of brand-new albums that had just been opened was emptied in the blink of an eye. The store clerk didn't even have time to put the albums on the shelf before it was all over.

No wonder the record store was in such a mess!

This... is hard to believe even if you witness it firsthand or experience it yourself.

Subconsciously, a voice popped out, "You should know this isn't a limited edition, right?" Only after saying it did Karen realize it was her own voice. Filled with surprise and astonishment, she stared wide-eyed at the frenzied faces in front of her, a scene comparable to the Black Friday sales frenzy every year.

Amid the noise and commotion, a response came: "I know, of course, but if you're slow, you won't hear it today."

Then came a cacophony of excited chatter: "They're so envious!" "I can't wait to go to school!" "I bet they didn't get one!" "Can I ask for a poster?" "Ahhh, I want one too! I want one too! I'll ask first."

The vibrant youth exudes a sense of abundance, with collagen and hormones filling the air, happiness and joy permeating everything, making everything brighter.

They've probably forgotten one thing, something crucial—

"Ansen = Trend".

In today's world, Anson is a leading figure in trend culture. An icon, a symbol, a superstar—his every move effortlessly sets trends. Imagine, even his outfit worn to take out the trash sold out—that's a testament to Anson's influence. Following Anson is equivalent to staying on trend.

For young people, no one wants to fall behind the trend; everyone tries to be at the forefront of the times, so naturally, they shouldn't miss out on Anson.

From "Spider-Man 2" to "Sunflower" and then to "Breaking Dawn," one thing leads to another, and everything is proving this point.

Then, this scene unfolded.

And even more unbelievable things were yet to come. Judging from Blair and Karen's own reactions when they unpacked "Dawn Breaks," a new wave of trends was already brewing over North America. The various details surrounding the album's release were once again permeating the culture, igniting a new frenzy.

The clearing out of record store inventory is likely to continue.

Blair realized this, while Karen remained oblivious, but that didn't matter. Karen realized there was something she had to do immediately—

Unpack the album!
Karen took a deep breath, rubbed her hands together, and prayed silently. There was no time left now; otherwise, she should have taken a bath and burned incense before opening the package.

Finally, Karen began, her fingers trembling slightly. She managed to control her excitement and finally opened the album.

This time, Karen was very cautious, slowly opening the album and its inner pages, searching inside and out, but in the end... she was still disappointed.

"Oh." Karen let out a disappointed wail, clutching the album and almost squatting down.

She thought she was mentally prepared, but soon found that she still couldn't accept this cruel reality—

Rainbow Sunflower! How can I possibly get the Rainbow Sunflower? She desperately needs it, so desperately that her heart is starting to ache.

Blair called out, "Karen, I have another one here."

Karen instantly regained her strength and quickly stood up, barely daring to swallow, "Blair, Blair..."

Karen crossed her arms over her chest and prayed silently, sending out appeals to every deity in the heavens, no matter who could grant her wish.

Blair clenched her fist secretly. In truth, she didn't have much hope. After all, she had already drawn a rainbow sunflower, and she didn't believe she was lucky enough to draw a second one. But regardless, the opportunity was right in front of her, so Blair took a deep breath and adjusted her breathing.

Blair opened the album and carefully flipped through it—

No. As expected, there wasn't one.

Blair looked up at his friend, a hint of apology in his eyes, "Karen..."

Karen was almost in tears. Her shoulders slumped, looking dejected. She mumbled something, but couldn't make a sound. She managed a smile, which looked worse than crying. It would have been better if she had just cried.

Blair didn't know how to comfort Karen.

Without noticing, Blair's lowered gaze revealed something stuck to the side of his palm. He looked up, then tore it off.

Wait, this is... a rainbow sunflower?

(End of this chapter)