As OASIS rolled out, several months passed.
The year 2009 was just around the corner.
Election preparations were growing more intense.
But in New York, Norman Osborn already had victory in the bag.
Unless Kingpin could make Norman Osborn physically disappear, he had no chance.
And Kingpin had no chance to do that either. Norman Osborn had grown increasingly cautious, giving him no opening.
Norman Osborn was preparing to send Kingpin to prison as soon as he won the election.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that OASIS was about to launch.
For months, the two companies had been stocking retailers with virtual reality devices.
Even Tony Stark was stunned.
"Where the hell did you get so many units?"
The devices kept coming as though they cost nothing, and the quantities were enormous.
He had thought it would be enough to let people in America play first, but Li Wei's supply showed no sign of slowing.
It left Tony Stark speechless.
Li Wei smiled. "If the world's factory can't supply the whole world, can you still call it the world's factory?"
Of course, Li Wei hadn't neglected the Pacific Rim Universe.
Technological development in that world was lopsided, so Li Wei had supplied them with plenty of technology, along with food.
They needed it. Fighting off monster invasions had left them short of food.
Tony Stark could only stare at him in bafflement.
But things had come this far, so they might as well launch everywhere.
OASIS ads had already reached the entire world.
Just as they had expected, once OASIS took off in North America, interest spread elsewhere.
First came allies in Europe, then even people in the two major powers across the ocean wanted to play.
Li Wei and the others went with the tide.
So