The virtual empire starts from the game

Chapter 704 Xia Kingdom Begins Action! All-in on the Future!

After waiting all day, the players finally received news about Xu Meng and her team the next morning.

Xu Meng posted a group photo of everyone on her social media.

Including Xu Meng and Xiao Meng, there are 48 people left in the group.

They stood neatly in front of the magnetically confined plasma core, happily posed for a group photo, and announced the perfect success of the operation.

Now, it's time to fulfill our promise.

The official Zhuzhu account responded quickly, releasing an announcement about price reductions and promotional activities.

The price of the Dream Machine through official channels has been permanently reduced by 30%, from 29800 yuan to 20860 yuan.

And in the next two weeks, it will be 50% off, dropping to 10430 yuan.

Upon seeing this price, netizens around the world were stunned.

This discount is so deep that it's almost against business rules!
Especially with dream machines, it's not that they can't be sold—quite the opposite, no matter how many are made, they're never enough to meet demand.

With no worries about sales, drastically reducing the price to one-third of the original price is a huge shock.

Players couldn't help but worry:

Won't selling Dream Building products like this cause them to go bankrupt?
Compared to the money lost here, the billions of yuan in red envelopes distributed in the virtual world seem insignificant.

Of course, not understanding is one thing, but that doesn't stop the sales of the Dream Machine from soaring!
Millions of yuan worth of inventory, which had just left the factory in December, were sold out in less than an hour!

The price drop from 3 to 1 means that the Dream Machine's price is approaching that of high-end mobile phones, greatly lowering the barrier to entry and more than doubling the purchasing desire of potential consumers.

However, this also creates a problem:
The significant price reduction of the dream machine has activated a large number of potential users, further widening the production capacity gap.

As a result, when slower-reacting users tried to place an order, they found that everything was already sold out.

Although many netizens felt that Xu Meng wouldn't do something so tasteless—saying she would drastically reduce prices but actually only selling a few hundred thousand units at a reduced price—the fact that they couldn't enjoy such a large discount still left many netizens extremely disappointed.

They won't attack Xu Meng—after all, many people just received red envelopes from Xu Meng—but instead they're targeting the marketing staff of Zhumeng.

They believed that they were deceiving Xu Meng to obtain KPI data and were secretly engaging in underhanded tactics.

The marketing department employees were wronged.

When they saw the boss's announcement yesterday, they were completely stunned and couldn't understand the reason for lowering the price of the Dream Machine at this time.

Xu Meng was very busy and didn't tell them much, only that they should cooperate in making preparations.

They found it hard to understand, but they still acted quickly to cooperate with Xu Meng's work.

Contrary to the wild speculations of netizens, no one at Zhumeng would disagree with Xu Meng.

With Xiaomeng watching over them, no one could outwardly comply but inwardly defy her, resort to tricks, or engage in underhanded tactics.

Xu Meng's decision will definitely be implemented without fail.

The reason it sold out so quickly is simply because the price reduction was so drastic that it triggered a surge in purchasing power among players, who placed orders with great enthusiasm and bought up all the stock.

They had to reveal the staggering sales figure of "ten million units per hour" to appease these users somewhat.

But it couldn't completely appease them.

After all, if you want to buy it again in half a month, it will cost 20,000 yuan!
It's not just them who are heartbroken; those who just bought it at the original price last month are even more heartbroken and can't breathe.

The excitement on the internet shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Xu Meng, however, was too preoccupied with these things in the virtual world.

He stood outside the door and dialed Wu Shuang's number.

Wu Shuang had been waiting for his call and answered it almost instantly.

Xu Meng cut to the chase without beating around the bush: "We've obtained a complete and mature technical solution for a compact fusion device, and we also have a ready-made artificial sun that's been running all along. Why don't you gather some trustworthy experts in this field and come for an on-site inspection?"

"..."

"what?"

Wu Shuang was stunned on the spot.

What does it mean to "get" a technical solution?
Isn't that a bit too unserious?
It sounds like it was stolen from somewhere!
Moreover, the "artificial sun"...

Wu Shuang looked up at the content on the holographic screen in front of her—it was a group photo of mission completion that Xu Meng had just posted, with a dazzling plasma sun in the background.

The question marks above her head grew even more numerous.

After racking her brains, she guessed, "You didn't actually collect all the data from nuclear fusion labs around the world, use a super server to conduct realistic simulations, and work with Xiaomeng to get the technology working, did you?"

As for this high-profile mission... it might simply be something Xu Meng enjoys playing around with, or it could be a measure to whitewash the technology.

But it is not important.

The key factor is the credibility of the technology.

Xu Meng couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Of course not."

"I have never touched the servers of any nuclear fusion experimental facility in 'the world'."

"It's too abstract to talk about the specifics over the phone, let's discuss it in person. I'll be waiting for you in Mansheng, please do it as soon as possible."

Xu Meng hung up the phone after saying that.

Wu Shuang was extremely confused.

But like the confused Dream Building employees yesterday, even with a lot of questions in her mind, she immediately took action to meet Xu Meng's requirements as soon as possible.

Xu Meng has never faltered on any major issue, and all the technologies he mentioned have been implemented. Wu Shuang cannot afford to take them lightly.

Furthermore, given his past contributions and current importance, even if he were to suddenly decide to play the "beacon fire trick on the old man" game, he would first have to bring the person there and confirm that there was indeed a problem before proceeding.

Of course, things need to be done, and the methods for doing things also need to be considered.

Wu Shuang did not directly say, "Xu Meng has mastered the compact nuclear fusion device."

That sounds absolutely absurd.

These scholars who conduct fusion experiments are also pillars of the nation; if they develop psychological resistance, it will be a troublesome matter.

Therefore, Wu Shuang stated: "Xu Meng became very interested in simulating nuclear fusion experiments in the virtual world and even tried it himself. According to him, the results were excellent."

"Now he's inviting you to go to the site and take a look, and discuss the feasibility."

This is not a lie.

There is just a slight ambiguity.

Xu Meng invited these experts to discuss the credibility of this fusion technology and its feasibility in real-world replication.

But when Wu Shuang said that, they felt that they were going to discuss the feasibility of "simulating fusion experiments in a virtual world".

These scientific research experts simply couldn't refuse the invitation.

Without even needing to issue an administrative order, the top officials of the Magnetic Confinement Fusion National Laboratory mobilized in full force and headed straight for Mansheng City.

—In these laboratories, dream machines and [rejuvenation devices] are standard equipment, and it's not uncommon for them to operate 24/7.

Soon, Xu Meng met Wu Shuang and her 30-person expert team at Mansheng.

Without wasting words, he led his men directly to the door.

The numerical adaptability of these 30 people is on a completely different level compared to the previous 60 players.

Before entering, Xu Meng wrapped everyone in a bubble to protect them from the erosion of the information universe.

When entering, you have to manually deform these bubbles—there's no way around it, the door is just too small.

Xu Meng was already planning in her mind how to renovate the door.

He needs a bigger, more magnificent, and more indestructible door.

Upon entering the vast ocean of information, these researchers curiously observed the dilapidated city and the chaotic world of code outside.

Soon, their gaze was fixed on the artificial sun at the top of the giant tower.

Without Xu Meng wasting her breath, they quickly walked toward the giant tower.

Wu Shuang then came to Xu Meng's side and whispered, "Didn't you say you'd explain it to me when we got there? Can you tell me now?"

Xu Meng nodded: "Didn't I say before? I didn't create this place."

Wu Shuang asked, puzzled, "Who created that?"

“I don’t know either.” Xu Meng shook her head. “It could be that a civilization far more advanced than ours created this place; or it could be a natural phenomenon that arose by chance when information technology in the infinite multiverse developed to a certain stage.”

"I'm not sure which situation it is right now, but I personally lean towards the former."

A huge question mark slowly appeared above Wu Shuang's head.

"A more...more advanced civilization? A...multiverse???"

Her face clearly said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Xu Meng could understand her shock and confusion, so she further explained: "After the virtual world developed to a certain extent, I accidentally captured an echo."

—This is not a lie; he had indeed noticed this unusual phenomenon before the system helped open the door.

However, the reaction was very weak. Without the system's help to open the door, he would probably have to wait several more months until the virtual world expanded further and the anomaly became clearer before he could begin to devote more energy to its research.

Once we figure out what's going on, reshape the underlying code of the virtual world, build the framework, and figure out how to identify and utilize data-driven thinking, it will probably take years to finally open that door.

Even with the most optimistic estimate, it will take at least 10 years.

Strictly speaking, the current scale of the virtual world is only just enough to meet the minimum requirements for accessing the vast ocean of information.

However, the system's ultimate reward helped him overcome this hurdle in one go.

This also allows the world to access the ocean of information ahead of time.

But next, Xu Meng is about to start lying:

"Out of curiosity, I studied this echo carefully and eventually discovered that it was the echo of a collision between the virtual world and another enormous entity."

"At first, I didn't understand why this phenomenon occurred. But after in-depth research, I discovered that when players' brainwave signals interact with the virtual world, a special byproduct is produced, which I tentatively call data-driven thinking."

"After that, I suddenly realized that the virtual world is actually the dream world, and the two are no longer distinguishable."

"The vast amount of thoughts and consciousness contained within it subtly altered this world that blends dreams and numbers, ultimately leading it to collide with something similar—"

Xu Meng pointed to the chaotic surge of information in the sky.

"The ocean of information in the universe".

This astonishing truth left Wu Shuang completely stunned. She could only try her best to remember every word Xu Meng said, and had no spare brainpower to think about anything else.

Seeing that she didn't ask any questions, Xu Meng continued, "You've seen what happened next: with the help of hundreds of millions of users around the world, I pushed open this door and came to the ocean of the information universe."

"In a sense, our consciousness has now left the original world—or at least arrived at the edge of the world."

“Every point of light you see when you look up now is proof that a civilization once existed here.”

"They may still exist, systematically exploring and utilizing the ocean of information."

"Or perhaps it has already sunk, leaving only some remains."

"Just like this dilapidated city beneath our feet right now."

"The reason I brought the players here before was to eliminate the danger and take the last treasure of this civilization—the artificial sun."

Wu Shuang looked at the stars in the sky and at the dilapidated city, feeling that her worldview was being completely refreshed by Xu Meng.

When she turned to look at the artificial sun again, her eyes had completely changed.

"So... artificial suns and nuclear fusion technology are real! They're legacies from another world?"

"?" This time, it was Xu Meng's turn to be stunned.

A multiverse, inter-world communication, endless technology and treasures, and unpredictable potential crises...

Faced with so much astonishing information, are you most concerned about the veracity of fusion technology?
"It is true, and it is very likely to happen in our world."

Xu Meng said definitively, "I have checked it, and the real environment simulated by that giant tower is exactly the same as our world."

After saying that, he couldn't help but ask, "But what you care about most... is actually this?"

Seeing his surprised expression, Wu Shuang finally smiled.

"Other information is also very important, of course."

"But it's just too important, far beyond my authority, to the point where I'm not qualified to comment."

"So my thoughts are completely unimportant. The only thing I can do is to report to the highest decision-making body immediately."

"On the contrary, nuclear fusion technology, although it is also very important, you have already made many major technological breakthroughs, and we already have mature processing procedures, so I can arrange it immediately."

After Wu Shuang said that, Xu Meng understood.

So he nodded and led the research team of scholars up the tower to study the fusion device.

Undoubtedly, after getting a real look at the technical details of this artificial sun, these old men, who had spent their lives in scientific research and were top experts on the world stage, were completely astonished.

He quickly put his previous ideas aside and began to study day and night.

Xu Meng only worked as a tour guide at the beginning, and then he was done with nothing else—he had no interest in taking over the old men's jobs.

He had things he was more interested in—

Build a digital bridgehead for the world!

Although this city has been in decline for countless years, it looks dilapidated.

But no matter how dilapidated it is, it's still much better than a flood of data that has nothing at all!

With enough threads, a giant bubble can be created to envelop this city, which is now only one-tenth the size of the sprawling metropolis, and transform it into a permanent foothold for humanity in the sea of ​​information.

However, the amount of thread required would be astonishing.

Xu Meng didn't have many threads left, so he had to use them sparingly. Therefore, he first wrapped up the giant tower and the road between the gate and the giant tower.

After receiving three more groups of researchers, he finally felt relieved enough to log off and rest.

……

While Xu Meng was resting, the world began to get busy.

Wu Shuang began giving reports at various meetings, detailing every word Xu Meng said, every expression and tone of voice she used.

After Xu Meng finished his rest and underwent another round of physical examinations, he also participated in several holographic meetings.

And then he shared more important information at the meeting.

His plans to explore the ocean of information, his methods for acquiring more valuable technologies, the possibility of other worlds existing, and most importantly—

Whether for expansion or defense, it is indispensable: the future development of the virtual world.

This is the foundation of everything.

The number of users of the dream machine determines the number of threads.

The amount of content in the virtual world determines the construction efficiency of large-scale projects.

With the current amount of content, we can only build a small wooden door. If we dream of building a gate that cannot be breached from the outside, then the current size of the virtual world is far from enough.

As Xu Meng recounted her story and experts and high-level officials repeatedly visited the site for investigation, the high-level leadership gradually reached a consensus:

A historic moment has arrived.

An infinite world, infinite technology, and an infinite leap in productivity can solve almost any problem!
then--

The Xia Kingdom has sprung into action.

The military was the first to take action:
On December 7, the Xia State Cyberspace Force announced a large-scale expansion.

Training programs are undergoing comprehensive reform, and details such as soldier benefits and promotion mechanisms are being discussed intensively.

This news left the whole world completely baffled.

But soon, even more shocking news followed—

On December 8th, the Ministry of Education of Xia Kingdom announced:
Starting next month, January 2027, special funds will be allocated to provincial education bureaus for the purchase and installation of dream-making machines in public schools, and discussions will be held on offering courses on the use of dream-making machines.

On December 11, the Ministry of Labor of Xia State announced:
This will promote the assessment and certification of professional qualification certificates related to dream-making machines, and provide assistance for the country in selecting special talents.

On December 12, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China issued announcements to launch special subsidies for veterans and public and private elderly care institutions to purchase dream machines and use the "rejuvenation" project.

On December 15th, the Ministry of Finance of Xia State issued an announcement:
Special consumer subsidies will be launched for dream-making machines and holographic devices. The subsidies will be implemented in three rounds, with each round lasting one month.

……

Big news, one after another!
National subsidies, centralized procurement, holographic cities, mixed reality... the whole world is dazzled by them!

No one believed that the Xia Kingdom government would suddenly go crazy. Their sudden series of major actions, providing almost unlimited and comprehensive support for Zhumeng, can only mean one thing:

They possessed crucial information that no other country knew about!

Therefore, governments, media, netizens from all over the world...

Everyone started asking the same question:
What on earth happened?

(End of this chapter)