WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Little Prince in the Ossuary

Chapter 128

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Management Rationalization Committee & Golden Gate

#Management Rationalization Committee, 2053

「Committee Member A: Ah, committee members. Please stop multitasking and come back online. We will now begin the regular general meeting of the Korea Economic Reform Committee. Let me think, what session number are we on again?」

「Committee Member B: Come on now. Today we are not meeting as the Economic Reform Committee, but as members of the Afterlife Insurance Authority Management Rationalization Committee. You even pulled up the wrong data. Please fix it.」

「Committee Member A: Oops... my apologies. My secretary made a mistake. Honestly, I get confused too. We see the same faces every time. Hahaha.」

(Sound of people laughing)

「Committee Member E: I understand, but is this not exactly when we should be on edge? Chairman Go Geon-cheol now controls Paradise Group. We still hold supervisory authority over the Authority, but how long do you think that greedy tyrant Chairman Go will sit back and watch? Starting next year, he will try to plant his own people. If we want to block that, we need remarkable performance gains within this term.」

「Committee Member C: You mean shortening the effective coverage period.」

「Committee Member E: Please call it management rationalization. Refrain from specific wording.」

「Committee Member C: It is fine, is it not? Unless this is some e-government server.」

「Committee Member E: Even so. A bucket leaks inside before it leaks outside. Wording matters. We are doing this so everyone can prosper, but the public will not see it that way. How many times have people fixated on minor phrasing and ignored the real intent? It was not once or twice. Just thinking about the trouble from that chicken coop remark still brings tears to my eyes. Young people all called it that these days, so I tossed it out lightly to liven the mood...」

「Committee Member C: Yes, yes. That is how people without expertise are. I will be careful.」

「Committee Member B: It is because civic awareness is garbage. They do not even know how to show Empathy.」

「Committee Member A: Enough small talk. If everyone is ready, we will begin. First, let us discuss improving service satisfaction through expanding internal diversity in the Afterlife Insurance world setting. As you know, this plan was drafted as a pilot from the first quarter of this year, and the results already seem quite good.」

「Committee Member D: Really? That cannot be... I thought satisfaction would rise and extend the lifespans of surplus subscribers.」

「Committee Member A: You did oppose it strongly back then. It was effectively an expansion of free welfare. Initial resource consumption was also very high. But the results are encouraging. Please look at this chart, and refer to the distributed research report as well.」

「Committee Member B: Oh, this is excellent. Surplus subscribers are down, profitability is up, and resource usage is trending downward. At this rate, we could recover normal resource occupancy within next year.」

「Committee Member D: Let me see... An increase in random variables means an increase in potential threats. The number of surplus subscribers who had survived long-term without consuming profitable add-on products such as DLC is rising, because they cannot adapt to sharply improved diversity, is that it? Who was in charge of add-on product policy review?」

「Committee Member E: I was.」

「Committee Member D: What is your view, as the person responsible?」

「Committee Member E: I think it created synergy with a project we were already running.」

「Committee Member D: Hmm? There was something else?」

「Committee Member A: Well, add-on products were scheduled for the next agenda item...」

「Committee Member E: Since it came up, let us mention it and move on. It is part of the same issue anyway.」

「Committee Member A: Sounds like you have something to share.」

「Committee Member E: I want to brag a little. Heh heh.」

「Committee Member C: Huh. Should we get excited?」

「Committee Member E: Nothing huge, but we have been heavily promoting certain types of add-on products to surplus subscribers. We even provide them free to national meritorious persons. Those users often have especially low purchasing power. It is also easy to pull budget under the pretext of veterans support.」

「Committee Member C: Certain types of add-on products? What type?」

「Committee Member E: Internally, we call them killing content. They are powerful add-on products that can dramatically strengthen the subscriber, heavily control virtual personality psychology, or reshape the world setting while ignoring plausibility. We outsource production to various companies as a public project.」

「Committee Member C: Killing content. I see.」

「Committee Member E: Yes. It is like carbonated soda. Sweet and refreshing while you drink it, then you are thirsty again in no time.」

「Committee Member C: So when they fail to adapt to the changed world setting, they buy killing content to overcome that?」

「Committee Member E: Yes.」

「Committee Member B: I do not know. Surplus subscribers often buy nothing for years, sometimes over ten years... and those people are spending money? To the point where they cannot maintain their accounts?」

「Committee Member E: They are mostly elderly. People who spent a long time repeating a today like yesterday and a tomorrow like today, all to save deposits. Imagine how rigid their minds have become.」

「Committee Member C: Interesting. True enough. Subscribers Grade B and below are isolated from one another for system security reasons. And they were probably surrounded only by idiot-like virtual personalities. There was even research showing that the longer that period lasts, the more judgment declines.」

「Committee Member E: Exactly. We offered those confused elderly users free trials of killing content, then discounted purchase opportunities afterward. At first there is no financial burden, so they use it without hesitation. Statistically, fewer than 20% of people who use it once never use it again. Oh, right. At initial registration, we also get consent with wording like, 『After the free period ends, this service automatically converts to paid service. If you do not want this, please cancel manually.』」

「Committee Member B: But are you not being too aggressive? You should be careful this does not get out. You will be accused of institutional euthanasia. Compared to that, the chicken coop remark would be a joke.」

「Committee Member E: Oh please. Do you think I would get burned twice? Of course I am being careful.」

「Committee Member D: How?」

「Committee Member E: We did not run promotions for all surplus subscribers. We selected people who do not run relay channels, have no personal fame or external influence, and have no visitation record within three years.」

「Committee Member D: Wise.」

「Committee Member E: And who is forcibly disposing of anyone? They can just open a relay channel and generate revenue. Their personal satisfaction goes up, and the national economy grows. Two birds with one stone. If someone gets disposed of because they are lazy despite having a way to survive, they should not blame the country. They need to make an effort.」

「Committee Member C: Exactly. And DLC use is entirely their own choice, is it not? People who spent their youth fooling around and saved no money, then go on existing for over a hundred years under basic pension conversion, that is shameless too. How long do they plan to keep sucking the lifeblood of younger generations... People who do not consider others are no different from monsters.」

「Committee Member A: The country is in no shape to carry even those whom nobody needs and who help nobody. Helping those who failed to leave while the applause lasted, in open and hidden ways, is the mission of people like us. It is dirty, difficult work that no one wants to do.」

「Committee Member E: Someone has to do it.」

「Committee Member B: Member E, may I ask one more thing?」

「Committee Member E: Go ahead.」

「Committee Member B: Do you not get complaints about world setting improvements?」

「Committee Member E: Of course we do.」

「Committee Member B: Hmm. You say that as if it is nothing.」

「Committee Member E: It really is nothing. Objectively speaking, we simply improved the quality of the virtual reality world setting without charging for it. Subscribers with sufficiently high purchasing power, pardon me, sufficiently high grade, love it. Depending on how you set the criteria, it even comes out plus-minus zero. The magic of statistics.」

「Committee Member C: What about citizens who still do not receive Afterlife Insurance benefits?」

「Committee Member E: Who would dislike hearing that the virtual reality where they will be placed has improved in quality? Many say old people complain even when treated well. Most people do not care anyway. Who pays attention to people even their own families do not look for?」

#Golden Gate (1)

Horizon to the west, coastline to the east. The Japanese cargo ship Corona Triumph was nearing its destination.

From the bow, Gyeoul looked at the harbor lit by sunset. They still had dozens of minutes to go, yet it already felt close. Filipino crew members came out onto the deck and chatted loudly. He could not make out their words. The wind was cold and rough, and the deck was wide.

“Forget what happened before.”

That unusually clear voice belonged to FBI Supervisory Special Agent Joanna Gibson. Gyeoul turned, and the seasoned investigator held out a cup of coffee. Even in the sea wind, the scent remained, with a peculiar Charm.

“Take it. It is Cafe Royal.”

“Thank you, Ann. I would have preferred cocoa.”

It was nothing special, but the investigator doubled over laughing. She said it did not suit him. Compared to before, she was much less formal. After they returned from the ghost ship, she had asked him to call her by name, and by nickname if he was comfortable with it. It did not feel strange. In that culture, people could become friends regardless of age.

No, making a friend right before a life-risk mission was a little strange.

Steam curled up from the mug. Gyeoul blew on it and took a sip. Cafe Royal, was it? Sweet, with an odd undertone. A soft grape note blended into the coffee aroma. He did not dislike it. As he swallowed, he felt his body warming. Gyeoul frowned slightly. A warning from 「Survival Instinct」 floated before him.

“Is this a cocktail?”

Joanna Gibson shrugged.

“I said Cafe Royal. It has brandy in it, but it is not quite a cocktail.”

Seeing his sour expression, the investigator laughed brightly again.

“My style is one spoon of brandy for every sugar cube. Put the sugar on a spoon and light it. The harsh edge burns off, and then a caramel aroma layers on top.”

“It needs at least 100 proof, over 50%, to catch fire.”

“Right. The stronger the better. This one has grappa, 120 proof.”

“...I do not think it got just one or two spoons.”

“Hmm, maybe five spoons?”

Five spoons of 60% liquor. That was a normal cocktail.

Alcohol dulled sensory correction. Overuse and long-term use also came with side effects. Still, a pleasant feeling did come. It was famous enough to appear in textbooks as a case of technical achievement in sensory reproduction. Since it temporarily reduced combat power, it was not exactly a drink to enjoy.

Gyeoul made a troubled face.

“We are about to arrive, and you gave me alcohol?”

“Do not worry. Even after we reach Golden Gate, it will still take a while before contact. We probably will not see the faces of Intelligence Bureau agents until after midnight. Look over there. What do you think that is?”

In the direction she pointed, rows of buoys floated in a line, clearly visible even in late afternoon light. They were loud primary colors, and there were so many that they stood out even more with trash tangled around them.

“Could it be a minefield?”

“Correct.”

She explained that the shipping lanes into the port were becoming more complicated.

“They were scattered there for coastal blockade. Like what you saw at April Pacific, it would be a problem if variants from other continents landed. We are broadcasting warnings worldwide by satellite signal. Approach the coast recklessly and you may hit mines. If you want relief, follow U.S. Navy control.”

A flash lit up in the direction of San Francisco. A blazing orange barrage spread across the sky. Bang! Booooom! The cannon fire and machine-gun noise arrived one beat late.

The warned ship hurriedly swung its bow away. It was small and fast. It hit the waves while tilted, almost failed to recover balance, then barely survived. A person clung to the deck rail after seawater swept past. A crewmate quickly pulled them up.

Besides that, countless ships hoping to enter the bay were lined up in long rows. Most stayed outside the patrol range of U.S. destroyers. They had dropped anchor as if resigned.

That small boat forcing entry had been one of the few exceptions.

Gyeoul said, “April Pacific was my mistake. Like you said, I should not have gone in at all.”

============================ Author's Afterword ============================

#Premium

Now that Naver serialization has started, I guess there will be no more requests to switch to premium.

Readers will be more spread out, so the ranking will probably fall even further... hehe. It was basically as good as having no ranking anyway, so I do not really mind.

#Q&A

Q. Kaif: @If the chance of humanity's extinction is 0%... does that mean the game cannot be cleared? D-d-d

A. This came up before, in the intermission, in the Cancer-Solver Munchkin Package Mark 1 part.

<<The miracle of capitalism that gives you the power to overcome any crisis situation!

Feeling a little uneasy? Come on, not over this. Virtual reality is an entertainment-style imitation of reality. In reality, money solves everything, so in virtual reality, money should also solve everything. Have you not played Korean-made online packages for a day or two? Those killer-box cars are always driven that way, and our service is meant to be used this way too.>> That is right. If you spend cash, everything works. Haha.

Q. RGZ95: @Reality is harsher than virtual... 8..8 It was an episode overflowing with childlike innocence

A. Because of insomnia, this author is running out of childlike innocence. 8_8

Q. ToothbrushWithRice: @Hmm... if a baby goes into a childcare pod, what do they see, and how are they taught? Also, if they stay in there from infancy and come out around age thirty, I am curious what kind of person they would become.

A. A public service advertisement on that topic is planned once.

Q. PAM: @lol but reality these days is so strong that Ossuary's impact feels a bit weaker. Author-nim, it is a novel, so you have to surpass reality. Work harder! But then who would not have to work harder lol

A. Regretfully, I do not think I can surpass reality. I guess I will remain a third-rate writer forever. This is all President Park Geun-hye's fault.

Q. CurryRice: @I have a question. Can Afterlife Insurance subscribers watch broadcasts by other Afterlife Insurance subscribers?? For example, that original star streamer Park Woo-cheol who appeared briefly before? Is it possible for someone like him to watch Gyeoul's broadcast?

A. It depends on grade. In old man Park Woo-cheol's case, he worked hard and raised his grade, so it is possible, but he is too busy surviving to have time to watch.

Q. svjk: @Hmm... then what is the current probability that humanity goes extinct?? And can we stop extinction without surpassing the limits of human ability?

A. The probability... well. Even as the author, it is hard to express as a concrete number. Gyeoul has already surpassed human limits. It depends on what you do. Skill alone is not enough, luck has to follow a lot. Since I decide that luck, you could say this novel is overflowing with hope.

Q. qoewh: @Author-nim, I have a question. If you search "fairy tale" on Naver, the definition is "a branch of prose literature written for children based on childlike innocence." Also, childlike innocence means "the mind of a young child." And "young" as an adjective refers to an age that does not exceed early teens. Then since I am already old enough to think about marriage, does that mean I cannot become a fairy-tale writer? T_T kkheuheuheuheugyu

A. Why not? I am in my thirties... no, a man in his 40030s, and I am writing fairy tales like this. Dreams are beautiful whenever you dream them. :)

Q. CommonKestrel: @This was chat content that felt familiar yet uncomfortable, I did not know whether to laugh or frown. Is the BeenToDolce generation raised in childcare pods? (omitted) If the idea that childbirth is mandatory disappears, will we get human factories? And would those factories be state-run, public, or private?

A. Childcare pods appeared after the launch of Afterlife Insurance. BeenToDolce belongs to the generation before childcare pods. / In the Republic of Korea of the Ossuary setting, discussion of state-run embryo factories is very active. For now it is impossible because the cost is still too high.

Q. Guaaaaak: @Today's chat is overflowing with childlike innocence too. Is the future you imagine a world where the childrearing method shown in the story becomes universal? Or is it just novel content?

A. I expect family bonds will not break apart that easily. Please just read Ossuary as a novel. :)

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