Chapter 291
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 291
Chapter Title: The Global Potion Cartel Proposal
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After the issue with the domestic alchemists' healing potion cartel finally wrapped up...
A few days later, foreign alchemists came looking for me.
‘...These guys are the same, wanting to collude... but their scale is different. Bigger ambitions, I guess?’
The alchemists from abroad—especially from America, the Middle East, and Europe—were upfront about wanting to play big.
They proposed forming something like OPEC to cut global healing potion production and dominate the world market.
My second sister, watching their boldness and preparations, said, "Yeah. Might as well play it that way."
She argued that playing small and sneaky gets you crushed by the law, but big thieves make governments and laws scramble instead.
‘An international organization like OPEC...’
Of course, I'd be the leader.
Since I produce the most.
‘So, am I in the position of some oil prince from the Middle East, draped in robes? Middle Eastern oil princes have harems... Hmm... Harems...’
The image of a Middle Eastern oil prince's harem was personally pretty appealing to me.
But since it was a major decision, I called a family meeting again.
"I'm in favor."
My second sister was pro, saying this international cartel would rake in massive cash.
But even on money matters, she suggested deciding through the family meeting.
She probably drew the line on purpose, knowing how much I relied on her for economic stuff, urging me to make a wiser call.
"I'm against."
"I'm for."
"I'm against."
The family meeting ended in a split vote.
My second sister, fourth sister, and I were for; Mom, big sister, and the youngest were against.
Second sister's logic: Dominate the market with a massive international cartel and make bank.
Mom's counter: Governments worldwide will smash us flat. We're not a nation.
Fourth sister shot back: Lobby and bribe politicians everywhere to cook 'em.
Big sister retorted: Why not just shove guns in their faces and demand it? Easier.
Me...? I basically said I wanted to make tons of money, gain huge influence, and build a massive harem—more wish than logic.
Everyone but me stared like I was pathetic.
They all got that my "big harem" meant taking in more women beyond the family.
"Sigh, ignore oppa. Listen to me, everyone. This isn't like oil or something. It's medical supplies directly tied to patients. People who've suffered like me, or their families—they'll see a cartel on healing potions and their blood will boil."
The youngest insisted healing potions weren't like oil.
They're medicine.
She argued that a global cartel slashing medicine production would tank public opinion overnight, forcing governments to swing their clubs and swords.
Her point hit hard as a healing potion beneficiary herself.
Desperate folks with nothing to lose and no future? They'd turn suicide bombers.
She painted vivid pictures—like a father losing his daughter to high potion prices, shedding cold tears and vowing revenge. As a novelist, her imagination made it scarily plausible.
"Oppa, think about your popularity right now too. And you're supposed to be the chairman of this mega cartel? Just 'cause you produce the most? Could be a figurehead. You wanna take the fall? You'll get hated worldwide. People tossing flowers now might chuck bricks and eggs later."
"...Uh, um..."
"You're already making bank, complaining about taxes so much you haven't even set up a corp. You gonna risk international backlash for some extra cash and clout?"
Her logic convinced me.
So we scrapped the OPEC-style potion export org.
I informed the foreign alchemists staying at a top Korean hotel, and they left Korea looking deeply disappointed.
They'd planned to make me head of the World Alchemists Association if it went through. When I refused the cartel, they tried tempting me to the end before bailing.
Word was already out on Wall Street that I was negotiating with them. Once it fell through, international potion prices tanked over 30%.
Even stocks in companies banking on industrialized potions dropped 15%+ across the board.
"As expected of Wall Street monsters. They were watching this closely. Some of those alchemists were probably their plants, knowingly or not."
Hearing second sister's mutter, I realized New York's financial beasts were behind it all.
They'd pocket most the cash while I played the villainous cartel boss hoarding medicine and got trashed globally.
"No, second sis. If you knew something like this, why didn't you stop me? Why vote yes?"
"Oh, little bro. If you became international cartel chairman, we'd make insane money—that's why I was for it. Eat some hate, make bank? Worth it. Bad rep's nothing to fear. Business is using and getting used for profit. If you'd gone for it, I'd have milked max gains from finance too."
"......"
Business. Tough. No clue.
I'll just focus on what I can do.
#
Lying with the girls after sex, savoring the afterglow while watching TV, my story came on.
-"Korea's great alchemist, Park Seung-ho—we're investigating rumors he made this item. Especially this bizarre one."-,
-"Whoa, what could it be? Everything from Park Seung-ho is wild."-,
-"I saw that hologram item description last time... mind-blowing."-,
It was an investigative variety show. With awakeners and artifacts hot lately, a pilot became a full regular.
Main topics: Awakeners, items, monster info.
How to evacuate from monsters... how to handle weird phenomena. Useful tips made it a national hit.
Even I learned new stuff watching—pretty fun.
Popularity earned.
-"Yes! Today's star... this item with auto-repairing durability...!"-,
-"Whoa, durability auto-recovers...?!"-,
-"Ah, I saw that online...!"-,
-"See? Told ya it'd be that."-,
It'd trended online before, but the show acted like first time hearing it. Needed for drama.
And "I knew it" reactors to dodge cheesiness.
Celebs, hot awakener babes, celeb-awakeners who'd cleared Tower trials—all scripted-feeling one-liners.
‘Hmm, regular celebs as clueless newbies, awakeners as semi-knowers explaining details. Smart.’
True to investigative format, they analyzed the (supposedly) mine item from every angle.
Celebs and awakeners reacted amazed.
-"Whoa, so weird. See that? I damaged the durability on purpose, and it recovered over time?"-,
-"Yes! Saw it! Wow! Insane!"-,
-"Whoa... watch it come back to life. Wish I had a knife like that at home."-,
-"Pfft, Jo Bo-ra with a self-repairing magic knife? Slicing meat and veggies?"-,
-"““Uhahaha.””"-,
-"Eek...! Just saying! If the price is right, I'd buy one..."-,
-"Don't faint at the price. It's worth a fancy Seoul apartment."-,
-"That much?!"-
-"Yeah, wasn't always. Park Seung-ho items' brand value soared. Early auction was 100 mil won—this one's up 45x to 4.5 bil now...!"-,
-"““Whoa... 4.5 bil...!””"-,
-"So Jo Bo-ra was gonna slice meat and veggies with a 4.5 bil knife?"-,
-"““Hahaha.””"-,
-"Nooo...! Why twist my words...! For real..."-,
-"““Haha.””"-,
The prankster celeb teased the butt-of-jokes actress, cracking everyone up.
She cutely rolled her eyes, pouting adorably.
Onlookers burst laughing at the skit-like routine.
‘Fun show. Heh.’