Chapters 4-7, 1970-1973 Summary and Analysis

Chapters four through seven describe events from 1970 through 1973. "Virgin" is the mail-order record business that draws "more cash than we had ever seen before."

Chapter 4 1970-1971 describes how Virgin sells the same mail order records for thirty-five shillings that others sell for thirty-nine shillings. Richard's plans for the Student's future are shelved to service a huge number of cash orders to buy and ship records to customers. Richard offers Nik forty per cent of Virgin Mail Order Records to join him as another permanent employee. Casual workers are paid twenty pounds a week. Virgin thrives until the postal workers strike in January 1971. Richard and Nik find free space above a shoe store by convincing the landlord he'll sell a lot of shoes. On opening day, Virgin record store has a line over a hundred yards long to...