At this moment, John sighed in satisfaction, leaning back in his chair, feeling that all his hard work had finally paid off.
Slightly different from his initial expectations, John estimated that the new generation of chips increased computational power by approximately 12 times compared to the first generation, rather than the originally planned 15 times.
Even so, John was quite satisfied. This meant that if he pushed himself to the limit, he could potentially manage 27 computers for high-end gaming services simultaneously. Previously, at best, he could only handle around 2.5 computers.
Operating 27 computers nonstop on high-end gaming tasks – imagine the massive income that would generate! Calculating at an hourly rate of $50 , 27 computers could earn more than $30,000a day, nearly a million a month!
He needed to expand his scale immediately. But…
Looking at the dilapidated courtyard he currently resided in, John hesitated. The courtyard was too small, with only two rooms. Even if he filled these two rooms with computers, leaving aside the space required for daily living, he could only fit 13 computers at most.
Moreover, with more computers came more problems. John worried that his daily delivery of large packages would attract attention, despite rarely leaving the house.
With fewer computers, it was easier to conceal. With more computers, hiding them became difficult.
"If only I had a spacious, secluded place with water, electricity, internet, and gas," he thought. But such a place would cost at least ten thousand a month to rent. Even with a steady stream of gaming tasks bringing in cash, John had less than $50,000 left.
Furthermore, he no longer wanted to rent. Renting was too unstable, with too many uncertainties. It was best to buy or build his own facility.
That would require even more money, possibly hundreds of thousands.
After much consideration, John decided to continue making do in the small courtyard for a while, earning more money before moving.
However, he needed to make some preparations. Deciding on his next steps, John posted a notice on his online shop: "Due to expansion and relocation, business will be paused for two days. We look forward to serving you again soon!"
Messages started pouring into the shop's communication software.
"Are you expanding, boss? No more waiting in line, right?"
"Are you hiring, boss? I'm highly skilled!"
"Hurry up, boss, we're waiting!"
After replying enthusiastically, John dismantled all the computers, robots, and numerous cables and power strips, packing everything away to restore the house to its normal state. He then contacted a security company to install hidden surveillance and internal iron bars.
From the outside, the courtyard still looked shabby and unguarded, but anyone who broke in would be detected immediately. Even if they forced their way in, they would be stopped by the iron bars and doors, unable to find the secrets inside.
John made these modifications without informing the landlord, not bothering to explain. The landlord would likely be pleased with the enhanced security. If the landlord was difficult, John would just restore everything to its original state later.
Besides security, John bought some computer desks, household appliances, especially a refrigerator, and rewired the rooms for electricity and internet, installing various network devices. All this cost John another $30,000 , leaving him with just $17,000.
But John felt it was worth it. Without a fridge, he couldn't store food long-term, forcing him to leave every few days to eat and buy supplies, which interrupted his work. Now, he could stay in for a week at a time.
He also replaced the creaky bed with a new one and bought a full set of kitchen utensils, significantly improving his living conditions. Although he might have to discard these items when moving, John no longer cared.
Once everything was set up, the new computers and robot parts arrived. With limited funds, John bought only two sets this time, adding to his original five. He now had seven computers and robots in total.
Skillfully assembling the robots and computers, connecting all the cables, and powering them on, John updated the shop notice: "Relocation complete, we are now open for business!"
New orders came in immediately.
"Boss, fight the Serpent King!"
"Defeat the Planet Devourer!"
"Kill 200 scorpions on the Yellow Sand Star!"
"No problem!"
Including previous orders, John's seven computers were soon fully booked. The new CPU's usage rate was less than half, something previously unimaginable.
In the evening, John cooked a meal with the meat and vegetables from his fridge, enjoying it thoroughly. Lying on his new, comfortable mattress, he sighed in contentment.
At midnight, after reviewing his work, John found that he had earned $5,000 in just one day. This was with a mix of low and high-end orders and intentionally lowering efficiency to avoid attracting attention.
With money in hand, John immediately ordered another computer and robot set. The next day, he earned another $5,000 and placed another order.
Earning enough each day to buy new equipment, John soon received the 13th computer.
After assembling it, he had the full 13 computers in place. For now, he didn't plan to add more; there simply wasn't room.
Of the 13 computers, 12 were for orders, and the last was for John's use, handling communication and research.
With 12 computers, John could now take on all high-end orders without making customers wait. When there were no high-end orders, he worked on low-end ones, ensuring the computers and their computing power were always utilized.
As his shop's reputation grew, the number of high-end orders increased. Soon, even 12 computers might not be enough.
But that was okay; by then, John would have relocated, with even greater capacity.
On the first day of full-capacity operation, John reviewed his earnings again, pleasantly surprised. In just one day, he had earned over $10,000!