WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Economics of an Alchemist ◈
Chapter 16
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An old container on the outskirts of Gimpo.
In the place that had been transformed from a secret workshop into Valence's factory, Jaeha was watching TechPark's livestream with his two younger siblings.
“Puhahaha! Look at that guy's face! He looks like his soul just left his body!”
Jaeseong clutched his stomach and cackled.
Onscreen, TechPark could only move his lips wordlessly as he stared at the phone, which had fallen from five meters up and remained perfectly intact.
Seo-yun burst out laughing too, patting Jaeseong on the shoulder.
“Oh no, oh no. I almost feel bad for him.”
“You're laughing right now, noona.”
“That’s separate. But this is seriously incredible. How many viewers are there if you add up all the other stream rooms? If even those people buy our cases... Wow! Jaeseong, I could quit my job now.”
“Exactly! Hyung, aren't we about to be rolling in money?”
Despite his siblings' excitement, Jaeha simply stood with his arms folded, watching the monitor with a relaxed smile.
After the effect from the 10,000 Moon Balloons he had sent swept across the screen, the chat had practically exploded.
- He says it's to help with the repair bill lol
- lol
- Valence CEO's flex is insane lmao
- I still can't believe it. Why didn't that break?
- Damn, the Outbox I bought yesterday is worse than that jelly case?
- TechPark's CPU just burned out.
- Brain shutdown lol
Then TechPark, apparently coming to his senses, roughly shook his head.
“Wait! Just because the outside looks fine doesn't mean everything is fine! How could this thin jelly case absorb all that impact? The shock wave must've gone straight inside and smashed the panel or motherboard...!”
TechPark desperately pressed the A-phone 4's Home button. But contrary to his fervent hopes, the “Slide to Unlock” screen smoothly appeared.
“Huh?”
The hand holding the phone trembled. This was TechPark's second mental collapse after the Outbox Defender's miserable defeat.
“I-it was luck! When the phone with the Aegis Case fell, it might've landed perfectly flat by chance, spreading out the impact!”
TechPark's meager pride as a influential blogger made him deny reality.
- Hm... I think both of them hit corner-first...
- This is pathetic, TechPark lol
- First he said the insides were smashed, now that it turns on he's talking about it landing flat lol
- Test it again.
- Let's run it back!
- The A-phone 4 is too valuable. Just throw the one with the Aegis Case.
Biting his lip hard, TechPark picked up the A-phone 4 wearing the Aegis Case and climbed the ladder again.
“Jaeseong, it'll break this time, right?”
“Probably? Honestly, the first time was just lucky.”
As his siblings talked in the background, Jaeha recalled the Aegis Case test data. Its survival rate from a five-meter drop was around 20%.
‘It doesn't matter if it breaks.’
The performance had already been proven when it defeated the Outbox Defender in the first test.
“Here it goes!”
TechPark dropped the phone onscreen.
Whoosh! Thud!
The phone rolled across the ground with a sharp crack. TechPark rushed down and shoved the camera close.
“All right, let's check. Maybe it got lucky before, but this time... Huh?”
The A-phone 4 inside the Aegis Case was still showing off its smooth design without a single scratch.
“Wow, that's crazy! Amazing!”
“It didn't break again, Jaeseong!”
Jaeseong and Seo-yun leapt to their feet and cheered. Jaeha let out a quiet laugh as well.
‘Lucky.’
- LOLLLLL TechPark face screenshot secured!
- TechPark's sobbing lol
- No way, is this real?
- What did they say the Aegis Case's five-meter survival rate was? Anyone remember?
- I think 20%?
- Crazy. Isn't that way beyond the manufacturer's stated specs?
- Why are there so many idiots who don't know what independent trials are?
- I'm buying an Aegis Case! I'm buying an Aegis Case!
- Where do they sell the case?
Jaeseong grinned at the viewer chat, then suddenly turned to Jaeha.
“Hyung, shouldn't we put the product listing up now?”
He had spent the past few days handling the system setup for selling through an online marketplace, including designing the product page and linking the escrow payment system.
“We just need to hit one button!”
Jaeha stroked his rough stubble, considered it for a moment, then shook his head.
“Wait a little. The highlight is still coming.”
“Okay!”
A moment later, TechPark walked toward the SUV with a defeated expression.
“I know what the result will be, but... I'll check anyway.”
There was no energy in his voice.
Vrooom! Clunk.
The heavy SUV's tire crushed the phone as it rolled over it, but the result was obvious.
- Damn, it doesn't break even when you run it over with a car lol
- Confirmed: tech made by torturing aliens lol
- Is TechPark still breathing? lol
- Hurry up and tell us where to buy it! I'm getting dizzy here.
- Take my money already!
TechPark got out of the car and read the chat with vacant eyes. Then he turned to face the camera.
“...Everyone.”
He spoke in a heavy voice.
“I... was completely wrong. The Aegis Case is the real deal. I have nothing to say for judging Valence as a scam company when they developed a case with such insane performance, all because of my limited common sense. I sincerely apologize to Valence.”
TechPark bent at the waist in a ninety-degree bow. It was a clean declaration of surrender.
- TechPark's groveling lol
- He admitted it fast lol
- What else could he do?
- Is TechPark crying? Is he crying?
- The jelly case that made TechPark submit
- Where do we buy it?!
- Groveling pic screenshot secured lol
- You sadists
TechPark had thoroughly lost face.
If the stream ended like this, he would be immortalized online as the influential blogger who had smugly tried to catch staged footage, only to get humiliated.
Jaeha smiled calmly and brought a hand to the keyboard.
‘No need to make an enemy for nothing.’
Staying on bad terms with TechPark would be the worst option. Making an influential blogger owe him, then using him as a reliable mouthpiece, would be the best.
That was Jaeha's thinking.
[‘Valence’ has gifted 10,000 Moon Balloons.]
(Thank you very much for proving the Aegis Case's performance through such rigorous testing despite our unreasonable request. As expected, you are the best IT reviewer. If we develop another new product, we will invite TechPark first.)
Moon Balloon effects exploded spectacularly across the chat window.
TechPark's eyes widened as he read Jaeha's message. After looking confused for a moment, he soon broke into an easygoing laugh.
“Ahaha! Mr. Valence! Thank you! You know TechPark always promotes truly good products properly, right? I'll stake my blog emblem on the Aegis Case and guarantee it one hundred percent! Now then! Shall we test just how far beyond the manufacturer's official specifications it goes?”
His shameless yet amusing change of attitude filled the chat with mockery and laughter again.
- Look at that about-face...
- Here's a monster born from capitalism!
- Didn't he stake his blog emblem that the Aegis Case was 100% a scam? lol
- Blog emblem remaining: 0
- Infinite emblem refills lol
Watching the situation, Seo-yun let out an impressed sigh.
“Wow! The moment you offered him a helping hand, he grabbed it without hesitation.”
“TechPark didn't get that far for nothing. TechPark lost face because of us this time, though.”
Jaeseong added sympathetically.
“TechPark just got swept up in a natural disaster. Honestly, almost no IT reviewer believed the Aegis Case's performance was real.”
“Were there any?”
“A few no-name bloggers? They didn't really believe it. It seemed like they were just pretending to for attention.”
While the siblings talked, the mood in the chat had shifted into praise for Valence.
- God-tier Valence
- What a magnanimous CEO lol
- So when the hell are you selling that?!
- I'm waiting with cash in hand!
[‘GodCase’ has gifted 100 Moon Balloons.]
(Mr. Valence. When and where can we buy the case? Please answer.)
[‘IBuyAegisCases’ has gifted 10 Moon Balloons.]
(Please take my money T_T)
[‘SugarSugarAphone’ has gifted 1 Moon Balloon.]
(Please start selling them. I think I'm getting dizzy.)
Then, just as the viewers' desire to buy reached its limit, Jaeha opened his mouth.
“Put it up now.”
“Yes, sir!”
Tap, tap-tap!
Jaeseong turned on his laptop and hammered at the keyboard. Then, Click, the instant he briskly clicked the mouse button, the Aegis Case officially went on sale through the online marketplace.
“Hyung, it's up!”
Jaeha nodded and was about to send Moon Balloons to announce where to buy it when...
- It's up!
- Where, where?
- G-Mall! It's on G-Mall!
- Search G-Mall for Valence or Aegis Case!
- Ooh, I'm going!
- Found it!!!
- 19,900 won? Too expensive!
- What's expensive about it? The Outbox is 60,000 won lol
- Buying it right now.
The viewers pointed the way themselves.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding-ding-ding!
Order notifications started ringing madly as though there had been some kind of error. Jaeseong and Seo-yun's mouths fell open.
Soon, the chat was filled with the cheers of winners and the wails of losers.
- Hey, it's already sold out?
- Ah, are you kidding me?
- Ah, damn it, it kicked me out!! Stupid ActiveX.
- It sold out while I was entering my certificate password.
- Success!!! I bought two lol
Jaeseong refreshed the seller page with trembling hands.
“Th-this is crazy! Hyung! Noona! The first batch of two thousand we made...”
“They're all gone?”
“Yeah! Completely sold out!”
Sold out in just over three minutes. Revenue: 39.8 million won.
Seo-yun quickly calculated the cost ratio and net profit in her head, then covered her mouth with both hands and screamed.
“Oppa! Jaeseong! We really hit it big!”
“Wahahaha! We're rich now!”
Jaeha watched his wildly excited siblings bounce around with a smile for a moment, then spoke firmly.
“All right, that's enough cheering. Time to work.”
“...Work?”
“Yes, work. Seo-yun has to go to work tomorrow too, so I'll take her home. Jaeseong, don't fool around while we're gone. Stay here and work hard putting on shipping labels.”
“...Huh? By myself?”
Leaving the dazed Jaeseong behind, Jaeha picked up his coat and car keys. Seo-yun chuckled and waved.
“All right, noona's leaving. Good luck.”
“I'll be back soon, so don't worry. I'll bring late-night food too. Looks like we'll be working until dawn. What do you want?”
“Hyung! No, boss! Isn't this labor exploitation?”
“I said I'd give you a generous allowance soon and buy you an A-phone 4 too. You don't want late-night food?”
“...Chicken. Not the market kind, the one from Gochon.”
Jaeha and Seo-yun were just about to leave the workshop, with Jaeseong looking miserable behind them, when...
Ring-ring-ring, ring-ring-ring.
The distinctive A-phone ringtone echoed through the room. All three siblings checked their pockets at the same time. The phone belonged to Jaeha.
It was a number he had never seen before.
“Hello?”
“Good evening. I apologize for calling so late. I'm the merchandising manager for G-Mall's digital category. Are you the CEO of Valence?”
Seo-yun and Jaeseong held their breath at the voice leaking from the phone's speaker.
“The reason I'm calling is that payment traffic for the product your company just listed surged so heavily in such a short time that our system issued an abuse warning.”
“And?”
“However, the incoming IP addresses and payment patterns are perfect real-user data, so we can't block it as bots or fake purchases. We wanted to call and verify it.”
In his relaxed voice, Jaeha briefly explained TechPark's livestream. Soon, he heard a sharp intake of breath from the other end.
“Sir, we've confirmed it. We've also confirmed that traffic is still flooding in even after the first batch sold out in an instant. But if it stays listed as sold out, the sales ranking you worked so hard to build will drop. Isn't that a shame?”
‘For a G-Mall merchandising manager to personally cling to us the moment we listed a product... It really blew up.’
He had expected it, but the response was too fast.
“When you secure more stock, please don't go elsewhere. Send it all through us. We'll push it hard!”
Jaeha held the phone to his ear and looked around the factory. Delivery boxes piled up like mountains. And one piece of production equipment that still retained its heat.
‘We won't be able to keep up...’
“Sir? You're listening, right?”
The merchandising manager's voice was full of impatience.
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