HONG KONG -- It is well past midnight, but sales are still in full swing on a Chinese e-commerce platform as a virtual host peddles cosmetics and skin care products at rock-bottom prices.
Groggy viewers ask about a bottle of scented body lotion on offer for 69 yuan ($11). But they don't have much luck getting answers; the auburn-haired avatar's sales pitch just repeats itself on a preprogrammed loop.
