WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
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◈ The Economics of an Alchemist ◈
Chapter 19
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“Ah! But listen.”
Mr. Choi, who had been bickering with the realtor, suddenly looked at Jaeha as if something had occurred to him.
“Logistics aside, what are you going to do about electricity?”
“Electricity?”
“The power supply there is probably only enough for agricultural use or a small factory. You said you were bringing in five more machines. The breakers will keep blowing, and you'll take out the whole neighborhood's power! You'll have to call KEPCO and install an entire high-voltage transformer, and that isn't something that happens overnight. If KEPCO drags its feet, the safety inspection alone could take months.”
It was a practical concern born from years of running a factory.
“That’s right. Young owners sometimes expand their equipment without thinking it through, then end up in trouble because of the electricity. It happens all the time.”
The realtor eagerly chimed in.
Despite their concerns, Jaeha remained perfectly calm. Electricity was the key to operating the Transmutation Array. There was no way he had overlooked it.
“It’ll be fine. Our equipment is a custom-built ultra-low-power model, so it uses far less electricity than you’d expect. A low-voltage capacity upgrade should be enough.”
“What? What kind of injection molding machine doesn’t use electricity? You said you were making smartphone cases.”
Mr. Choi’s eyes widened.
“That would be true for regular injection molding machines. They have to heat plastic until it melts, so I understand each machine consumes at least twenty kilowatts.”
“R-right! So if you’re bringing in more machines, you absolutely have to contact KEPCO and install extra-high-voltage receiving equipment first…”
Jaeha smiled faintly.
“Our machines are a little special. Even if we bring in five more and run them nonstop, a fifty-kilowatt upgrade should be enough. It should cost around five million won.”
“…What? You’re bringing in five more injection molding machines, and they’ll only use that much power?”
Mr. Choi blinked in disbelief.
Fifty kilowatts was enough for ten ordinary homes to use at once with power to spare. It was absurdly little for five or six pieces of factory equipment.
“Our equipment doesn’t use an injection molding process, where plastic is melted and molded.”
“They aren’t injection molding machines? Then what are they?”
“We bring in already-finished ordinary cases and put them through a special secondary process. Our proprietary process rearranges the molecular structure of the cases. There’s no heating process, which consumes the most power, so fifty kilowatts will be enough.”
“…Huh?”
“…”
A brief silence settled over the real estate office after Jaeha’s simple explanation.
Molecular structure. Rearrangement.
To people who had spent their entire lives breathing metal dust on factory floors and bouncing between real estate deals, they might as well have been alien words.
The two men glanced at each other, then nodded at the same time as though they had planned it.
“Mr. Kim, you studied quite a bit, didn’t you?”
“…Pardon?”
“Korea University? Yeonhui University?”
Jaeha did not go out of his way to reveal that he had only finished high school. It was wisdom he had learned from experience.
There was no reason to invite exhausting questions or give people an excuse to look down on him.
With a smile that was neither confirmation nor denial, he smoothly changed the subject.
“Then let’s proceed with the lease for the vacant lot.”
“Listen to me, being rude in front of a busy man.”
The lease contract for the neighboring vacant lot went through without a hitch. The real estate office had already received authorization from the owner. Jaeha stamped the contract the realtor printed out and transferred the deposit to the owner’s account, neatly completing every procedure.
“Thank you for your time. I’ll be going now.”
Jaeha had finished everything he came to do and was about to stand.
“Ah, right. Mr. Kim.”
Mr. Choi, who had been quiet until then, suddenly stopped him.
“You said you were bringing in another couple of containers, right? Have you found a place to get them?”
“No. I was just about to start looking.”
“Why look far away? A younger friend of mine deals in sturdy used containers near the intersection around here. I’ll put in a word and get you a good price, so leave me a business card.”
Jaeha nodded and took a business card from his pocket. It had a clean background and stylish lettering.
[Valence (VALENCE) - CEO Kim Jaeha]
“Oho, Valence? I don’t know what it means, but it sounds pretty convincing. Like some foreign conglomerate.”
Chuckling as he examined the card, Mr. Choi opened his old wallet and handed over one of his own cards in exchange.
“I’ll send the container guy’s number in a text, so contact him after lunch this afternoon. Make sure you mention my name. If he tries to overcharge you, call me right away.”
“Thank you for looking out for me.”
The card Jaeha received was the complete opposite of his sleek one, old-fashioned and plain.
[Seil Precision Mold - CEO Choi Gwangsu]
“Then I’ll be on my way. I look forward to working with you.”
Jaeha bowed to the two men and left the real estate office.
Vrooom!
As the sound of his old SUV faded away, the realtor gulped down the rest of his instant coffee and shot Mr. Choi a look.
“What’s gotten into you? You gave him your card and even introduced him to someone. You were ice-cold to that Gangnam owner last time, saying you didn’t have any cards.”
“Tch. That guy was obviously a con artist who was all talk.”
Clicking his tongue, Mr. Choi looked down at Jaeha’s card. A sharpness unique to a veteran technician flickered through the eyes that usually looked so warm.
“You’re good at judging land and buildings, but you’re bad at judging people. Take that Gangnam con artist. If I hadn’t stopped you, you would’ve fallen for him and lost every last penny.”
The realtor smacked his lips.
“I’m still not sure. Honestly, the product sounded incredible. A machine that can diagnose two hundred diseases, starting with cancer, from a single drop of blood. I heard they were even talking about investing tens of billions of won in America.”
“You still haven’t come to your senses. Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? We live in an age where people like Mr. Kim and you can use something as small as a phone like a computer.”
Mr. Choi thumped his chest in frustration.
“Think about it. When a hospital draws blood, they mix in reagents or whatever chemicals they use for each test, right? But to test for two hundred diseases with one drop of blood, they’d need to add chemicals two hundred times, wouldn’t they? If you pour in two hundred drops of chemicals, is that still blood? It’s just chemicals! I guarantee that guy will be all over the news for fraud before long. Just wait and see.”
When the realtor let out a groan as if he still regretted missing the chance, Mr. Choi clicked his tongue and waved Jaeha’s business card.
“Look at Mr. Kim from earlier. There was no unnecessary fluff in what he said, and you could tell he understood his technology perfectly. On top of that, he immediately wired the deposit right there. That’s proof he’s got real substance. People with technology and money don’t talk too much.”
“Hmm… Now that you put it that way, maybe you’re right.”
“Mr. Kim is going to make it big soon. We should make sure he remembers us before then.”
Mr. Choi carefully tucked Jaeha’s business card deep inside his wallet.
Meanwhile.
After leaving the real estate office, Jaeha drove straight toward the Guro Machine Market without taking any detours.
It was time to meet the craftsmen who had handled his order when he built the production equipment for the Aegis Case.
The first place Jaeha visited was a factory specializing in precision welding and frames.
Whirrr! Clang!
Inside the factory, metal shrieked and sparks flew. The owner in work clothes recognized Jaeha at once.
“Huh? Aren’t you that picky young boss from last time?”
Jaeha approached with a smile.
“You remember me?”
“Of course I remember. You hounded me to carefully weld steel sheets fitted over a conveyor belt into a perfect blackout chamber that wouldn’t let even a ray of light through. So what brings you here this time?”
“I need five more of the frames and chambers you made for me last time.”
“Five more, not just one? Whatever it is, your business must be doing well. Congratulations. But I’m sorry, I can’t do it. I’ve got a mountain of press machine orders backed up. You’ll have to wait at least a month.”
“A whole month?”
“Yep. So look somewhere else.”
The owner said he had too much work that needed to be completed immediately.
“If all I needed was steel sheets attached and gaps sealed with silicone, I would go somewhere else. But what I need is a perfectly sealed chamber that doesn’t allow even a pinprick of light or a speck of dust inside. The machine generates quite a bit of heat and vibration, so rubber packing and silicone quickly deteriorate and peel off.”
“I know. That’s why I fully welded every one of those thin steel sheets last time.”
The owner’s expression made it plain just how grueling the work had been. It was also why Jaeha could not go elsewhere.
“Yes. You’re the only one who can weld thin steel sheets without a gap and still make them come out straight instead of warped. I tried commissioning other factories, but they either couldn’t control the heat and bent the steel like taffy, or left tiny gaps.”
“Well, then you’ll have to wait. The orders I have lined up are from regular clients, so I can’t move you ahead of them.”
The owner’s lips curled upward slightly at Jaeha’s subtle praise of his skill, but his answer remained firm.
Jaeha, however, had no intention of waiting.
“I’ll pay double for rush service.”
“Double?”
The owner’s eyes widened.
Jaeha had already paid him one and a half times the market price for the previous job due to its demanding specifications and difficulty. Now he was offering twice the regular price. And it was five units, not one like last time.
There was nothing to consider. Even if he had to work through the night for days, he needed to take the job.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
The owner cleared his throat, pretending to deliberate before speaking cautiously.
“If I had around ten days…”
“One week.”
“Now, you know as well as I do that this isn’t such an easy job…”
“I’ll pay two and a half times the regular price.”
“Even if I collapse, I’ll have it done within a week.”
“Thank you. I’ll transfer the advance payment right away.”
Having secured the most difficult blackout chambers, Jaeha immediately headed to the next location, a factory that controlled conveyor belt motors and fluid systems.
“What? That freakishly off-beat setup from last time? You want five more? No, no! I’m too busy to mess around with something like that!”
“I’ll pay double.”
“When do you need it done?”
Next was the factory responsible for power and shielding design.
“Ugh, that ridiculous machine again? The one stuffed with useless dummy parts and tangled with grotesque wiring? I told you last time, I’d never make that kind of junk again!”
“Double the unit price…”
“The delivery address is the same as last time, right?”
Before the sweet allure of capitalism, the proud craftsmen of the Guro Machine Market all promised a one-week turnaround with one heart and mind.
‘Money really is the best.’
If there was something that could not be done, it was only because there was not enough money.
Jaeha felt the truth of those words.
Until now, he had burned through his time to earn money. Staying up all night, giving up weekends, and working his body to the bone.
But things had to change now.
Even as his bank balance raced toward zero, a deep smile spread across Jaeha’s face. He had discovered that spending money to buy time felt surprisingly good.
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