A Fresh Start (Part 4)

I started by searching the internet for information about my father's company.

I typed in the name and looked through their website, news articles, and other materials. The basic status of the company was as follows:

Wondong Paper. Established thirty years ago, with annual revenue of about 100 billion won. They primarily manufacture corrugated cardboard...

Next, I looked up information regarding wastewater.

Here it is. In the paper manufacturing process...

Paper mills use a variety of chemicals to process wood.

Because of this, large-scale wastewater treatment facilities are required to process the massive volume of effluent generated.

Wondong Paper's current wastewater treatment method is...

It was simple: adjust the pH level of the wastewater and discharge it into the river.

Most companies adopted this method.

It was the simplest and cheapest option.

However, that alone could not completely filter out the chemicals in the wastewater. Ultimately, the discharge caused significant harm to the soil, rivers, aquatic life, and even humans.

That's why the government recently tightened and revised the regulations on wastewater treatment.

Companies ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were now required not only to adjust pH levels but also to install eco-friendly facilities capable of additional chemical treatment.

Failure to do so would result in heavy fines.

This amendment was set to officially take effect next January.

Wondong Paper must be planning to replace their facilities before then.

The rising trend was biological treatment.

Specifically, cultivating microorganisms to consume pollutants was currently the most promising technology worldwide.

But that's German technology.

This type of equipment was not manufactured domestically in Korea.

As a result, companies had to import it. I saw articles noting that the cost ranged from billions to tens of billions of won depending on the scale, placing a heavy financial burden on the businesses.

Still, it has to be done for the public good.

Just then, I heard my parents talking outside my room again.

"So when is it supposed to happen?"

"Probably not right away. I heard the estimate they got was astronomical. Around four billion won? The president is agonizing over what to do."

So it's not super urgent.

Four billion won was definitely a burdensome amount for a company of Wondong Paper's size.

Since there was still time before the regulations took effect, they probably wouldn't rush. Still, they would have to replace it eventually.

What if I build it?

I could provide a system with similar performance at a much lower price.

From the company's perspective, they would have every reason to choose my system to cut costs.

The only problem is how to make it.

It wasn't as if I knew everything about every field of science.

I couldn't just snap my fingers and conjure it up.

But it's possible if I use my skill.

The absurd skill that had manifested alongside my regression.

Divine Library Access: Science and Technology

I activated it.

Right. The knowledge I want is...

An eco-friendly technology for purifying wastewater.

That was it.

It also had to be at a level equal to or higher than Earth's current technology.

And it had to be cheaper.

Show me the technology that fits these conditions.

Instantly, a response appeared.

A list of various technologies appeared, along with brief conceptual explanations.

This was knowledge from some other world in the universe, not Earth.

The concept of the Divine Library itself was essentially a database containing the knowledge of the entire universe.

And I've been granted access to it.

Thanks to this, I was able to find the technology closest to what I wanted.

However, to obtain the detailed knowledge of this technology, I had to pay a massive amount of Karma.

A whopping thirty thousand Karma.

But the Karma I currently possessed fell far short.

I worked so hard to gather this much.

I had forced myself to participate in class and solve all kinds of problems.

But there was a limit to that method.

The other kids didn't really care in the first place.

The teachers reacted well enough, but that novelty was bound to wear off eventually.

In other words, it's going to be difficult to gather more Karma than this.

So instead...

I just need to lower the price of the technology.

To do this, I searched the internet again.

I looked up the broader category that encompassed Actiflo cultivation.

Wastewater purification systems using microorganisms.

A wealth of related information appeared.

Among them were personal blogs, patents from the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and academic papers.

I read through them one by one, studying the technology and deepening my overall understanding.

Oh, so that's how it works.

Of course, it wasn't an easy process.

I had almost no prior knowledge in this field.

Still, I mobilized all the study habits and tricks from my past life to learn the relevant concepts.

Once I felt I had studied enough, I activated the skill again to check.

Show me the Actiflo cultivation technology.

Then:

The amount of Karma required had dropped drastically.

From thirty thousand to less than a thousand.

Yes!

Now it was time to unlock it.

Unlock the Actiflo cultivation technology.

Yes.

The moment I agreed...

Whoosh!

A tempest of knowledge surged into my mind.

In the blink of an eye.

Blink.

I understood the technology completely.

...!

It all came to me.

The nature of Actiflo, how to cultivate it, how to apply it, and how ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to construct a wastewater purification system using it.

I completely get it!

The information was organized so cleanly, and because it built upon the concepts I had just studied, I understood it without any difficulty.

Naturally, I compared it to Earth's existing technology.

This technology is definitely superior.

There wasn't a massive difference in basic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠functionality.

The core principle of cultivating microorganisms to eliminate pollutants was the same.

But the cost is significantly lower.

This was because Actiflo's ability to consume pollutants was extraordinary.

While implementing the best existing technology at my father's company would cost four billion won, using this Actiflo system would cost less than 1.4 billion won.

The cost was nearly cut to a third.

This is a massive difference.

Any company looking to save every penny would easily prefer this system.

Now, I just need to build it.

But before that, there was something I had to do.

I needed to cultivate Actiflo on a small scale first to run initial tests.

The blueprint for building such a testing facility was already clear in my head.

Let's sketch it out.

I grabbed a pen and began drawing in my notebook.

*Scratch, scratch, scratch.*

Before long, it was done.

Perfect.

The blueprint for the initial Actiflo cultivation test facility was complete.

The next morning.

I kept tapping away at my phone while eating breakfast.

The screen displayed various metals and their current market prices.

To build the facility... the material costs alone will be around 600,000 won.

That included the crucial pressure and temperature regulators, the stainless steel for the main body, and various pipes.

The problem is, I can't build this myself.

This required highly specialized metalworking skills.

Not only did I lack that expertise, but buying the equipment to do the work myself would incur even more costs.

In the end, I have to outsource it to a professional... which means even more expenses.

The labor costs would be substantial.

I estimated the cost based on the required skill level and time.

No matter how I calculate it, I need at least one million won.

But as a student, I didn't have that kind of money.

This is tricky.

Just then, my mother spoke to me.

"What are you looking at so intently on your phone?"

"Just checking a few things."

"You're going to be late for school."

"I won't be."

As we talked, I pondered.

Hmm... should I ask my parents for help?

But I quickly dismissed the idea.

No, I can't do that.

The state of our house caught my eye—the stained wallpaper and the worn-out kitchen utensils.

I don't want to worry them.

If I really pushed and convinced them, they would probably find a way to give me the one million won.

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it would undoubtedly be a burden on them.

That had to be an absolute last resort.

So instead...

I thought of another way.

What if I get an investor?

That would solve the problem easily.

But who would invest in me right now?

Right now, I was just a high school student.

And one who had been at the very bottom of the school rankings until recently.

I need something to build credibility.

One idea immediately came to mind.

A research paper.

If I wrote a paper and gained recognition from academia, it would build trust with investors.

But to publish a paper, I needed at least a bachelor's degree.

So that's out.

Another idea surfaced.

A patent.

Registering a patent would provide instant credibility.

But that would take too long.

It takes at least a year, so that's out too.

Having ruled out those two options, no other viable methods came to mind.

Ugh...

Assuming securing an investment was impossible for now.

Where on earth am I going to get one million won?