Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Time to Change Strategy (3)
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Setting aside the community's explosive reactions for now...
Anyway, that wrapped up everything regarding the virtual reality worship service.
The explanation about the church had gone exactly as planned through the invite-only interview, so now it was just a matter of time sorting itself out.
But beyond that, another issue had cropped up that needed handling on this end.
And so we arrived at our destination.
In the center of a private dining room bathed in soft lighting.
With the city nightscape glittering through the floor-to-ceiling windows at my back, I gazed intently down at the dish on my plate.
"..."
A perfectly smoked salmon topped with Oscietra caviar, drizzled with a herb-infused crème fraîche sauce.
I picked up the silverware beside the plate and carefully sliced off a small piece of the salmon.
As I dipped it lightly in the sauce and brought it to my mouth with a few caviar pearls, the salmon's savory fattiness and subtle smokiness enveloped my tongue, followed by the bursting pop of the caviar's condensed ocean flavor, all harmonized by the cream's refreshing tang.
"Mmm...!"
Like all arts, fine dining evolves with the times.
In the past, when spices like pepper were rare luxuries, dishes loaded with them were all the rage to flaunt wealth.
During the monarchical eras, that ostentatious, heavy richness defined haute cuisine, but trends shifted as times changed.
To the refined techniques and formalities of cuisine classique, which systematized complex court dishes.
Then to nouvelle cuisine, which pursued the pure flavors of ingredients.
By the modern age, advancing science had invaded the kitchen.
Molecular gastronomy kicked it off, analyzing every aspect of food scientifically to create novel tastes and textures, pushing boundaries to their limits.
But trends always cycle back. Fatigued by cuisine that veered too avant-garde, near-future diners returned to fundamentalism.
In an era where environmental devastation made natural ingredients scarce and precious.
The current style maximized the innate flavors of unprocessed fresh seafood and produce while still embracing scientific tech.
And that's where Omega Detroit's fine dining had landed.
Expensive food isn't always delicious by default. Fine dining has its own barriers to entry.
Even I, a total novice, had often tilted my head at high-end ingredients despite getting lucky tastes.
But after fine dining's trends had come full circle over half a century in this near-future world, it looped back to a spot that perfectly suited the palate of an ordinary modern person like me.
The reason I'd learned all this was simple.
"........."
My plate, emptied spotless in the blink of an eye without me realizing.
Across the table, she beamed at me with a bright smile.
"Does it suit your taste?"
The golden-haired beauty with sparkling red eyes—Celestina.
The same dish sat untouched before her.
She'd just been staring intently at me devouring mine.
The ever-elegant and stunning beauty murmured to herself in a languid tone, as always.
"So cute..."
"........."
I had to pretend I didn't hear her faint whisper.
It was embarrassing—not like a kid, ignoring my companion and manners to polish off my plate alone.
But from the first bite, I couldn't help it.
'Too delicious to stop...'
It was only natural, really. This was one of the city's top-tier French dining spots, where a single meal topped 2,000 credit dollars. Focusing on anything else would be the real faux pas.
I mentally crunched the numbers for a moment.
'1 credit dollar equals about 1,000 won...'
In familiar terms, roughly 2 million won.
And that was per person, billed separately.
"........."
This place was strictly members-only to boot. Money alone wouldn't get you in; not just anyone was welcome.
The very ability to entertain a business partner here screamed upper-crust credentials. Seemingly minor, but the aura was utterly untouchable.
So why was I indulging in this extravagance?...
It started after wrapping up the invite-only stream with Rico—I'd heard the news belatedly.
During the stream, a staggering donation had rolled in.
'Shocked me silly. For real.'
Once I figured out the donor's identity, I'd come here to ask what the deal was.
I asked cautiously.
"Celestina, why did you send such a huge amount?"
She just graced me with an elegant smile.
"I'm a Radiance Church believer too. Is it strange to make an offering to the Saintess?"
With that, she subtly undid a button on her shirt collar and pulled out a familiar starlight-patterned necklace.
The exact same accessory I wore now.
The Radiance Church's holy emblem.
In the process, as she loosened her collar slightly, a glimpse of her pristine white skin flashed between the folds.
A slip-up? I panicked and averted my eyes.
Clearing my throat, I forced a casual tone.
"Ahem! You've already donated plenty to the church. Massive amounts, even."
And that was true. Celestina had already poured fortunes into the church.
In this city where real estate prices were insane, where did the funds for those spanking-new cathedrals come from?
Mostly from the donations of the woman before me, president of a global financial firm.
But this personal stream donation felt... different from official church contributions. Hard to pin down exactly, but the vibe was off somehow.
So I hesitated before saying,
"I'm always grateful. You're already helping us tremendously, Celestina. Asking for more feels like..."
"Well, I'm a stickler for balanced books."
Her unexpected reply came back.
"You still owe me a ton, and if something priceless—beyond money's measure—pops up at bargain price right in front of me... passing it up would be foolish, no?"
I had no clue what she meant.
But those red eyes gazing steadily at me held an unsettling glint.
I flinched involuntarily.
Her "White Shark" moniker suddenly made perfect sense—that gaze was a little scary...
Right then, a knock sounded, and the waiter arrived with the next course.
"Excuse me."
Thus, a snow-white lime sorbet was placed on our table.
Thinly sliced mint leaves and a faint dusting of gold powder adorned it.
The fresh course lightened the mood between us a bit.
"........."
After glancing at her briefly, I scooped a spoonful of sorbet.
The zingy tartness prickled my tongue, and a cool freshness cleared my head. My expression relaxed on its own.
Then Celestina spoke.
"Speaking of which, didn't you mention some setbacks in church expansion?"
"Yes. It's exactly what I wanted to consult you about, Celestina."
Indeed. This meeting wasn't just to probe her donation motives.
I also wanted advice from someone with the intuition and skills to helm a global investment firm.
So I laid out my current headache.
Evangelism wasn't going as hoped inside the city proper.
"-So what do you think? Celestina?"
After listening quietly and pondering, she replied softly.
"Maybe a bit off-topic, but investing boils down to two basics: company analysis and market analysis. Figure out what the company sells and how well it sells it where it matters, and growth potential reveals itself."
Celestina paused to choose her words, then continued.
Companies, ultimately, were groups selling something—products, services, tech.
And mega-corps dominating the world succeeded for one reason: they sold what consumers needed, right where they needed it.
So effectively they addicted customers to their goods.
I caught her drift immediately. The outskirts and downtown were worlds apart.
So residents' needs differed too. Maybe I'd been off-target all along.
She gazed at me gently and asked,
"So, for the citizens here who need to become church followers going forward—what's the most essential thing they lack?"
Food? Jobs? Housing? All partially right.
But also somewhat workable around.
You could get by on calorie crackers at 1 credit dollar a pop, no matter how awful-tasting, for a meal.
Scrounge a day-labor gig to eat that day.
Squeeze into a chicken-coop subdivided single-room flop for pennies a night.
Tragic, but people survived that way.
So what was vital for every city citizen—something so urgent, ignoring it meant certain death?
Celestina spoke up.
"Eve, do you know what bankrupts Omega Detroit's lower classes the most?"
"......No idea. What's the answer?"
"Medical bills. In this city, 'get sick and die' isn't hyperbole."
Exactly. A city where welfare was extinct—no public healthcare aid or safety nets for citizens.
One major illness, and decades of savings vanished in a single surgery bill.
For patients, hospital invoices terrified more than the disease.
Celestina continued.
"People get private insurance to dodge that... but know this? Omega Detroit's biggest health insurer, Prosper Wellness, has a 48% claims denial rate."
".......!"
It was true.
Customers paid premiums faithfully monthly, but post-treatment claims got nitpicked and rejected endlessly.
Sue for breach of contract? City law favored corps.
So citizens gambled bankruptcy odds every hospital visit—like flipping a coin.
Someone might ask: just switch to a better insurer?
But this was Omega Detroit.
Modern Korea applied insurance anywhere; here, every hospital and doc tied to specific insurers. Wrong one? Useless.
Insurers poured capital into buying up downtown hospitals, lobbying for exclusive coverage for their clients.
Result: healthcare market monopolies.
Consumers had no choice but to accept—even at 50% payout odds—better than certain bankruptcy from unaffordable bills.
No alternatives.
And that desperation ironically fattened insurers more.
This vicious cycle became one of the city's top killers of citizens.
Celestina fixed her signature red eyes on me and proposed,
"How about targeting that angle?"