The Game Changer
Choi Yeosim, the young head of the Choi Family Pharmacy, had been sighing a lot lately.
She glanced around the room. Once she confirmed no one else was there, she began lightly bonking her own head. Idiot. I’m such an idiot.
If her disciples saw her like this, they would probably faint on the spot. Our family head could never be this cute!
But cute or not, she was deadly serious.
“Another failure… ugh.”
The reason was the pill sitting in front of her.
Around this time last year, Choi Yeosim had accompanied Lee Shin on one of his escapades. The person who had been supplying her with needles and tools turned out to be the legendary craftsman, the Wicked Peak elder. And that elder had some mysterious connection to her grandfather. It had been quite the dynamic adventure in what was otherwise a rather plain life.
The meeting had left everyone—Lee Shin, Wicked Peak, and herself—satisfied. In return for arranging that encounter, Lee Shin had given her three things: a gift, a request, and a promise.
Her gaze drifted down to the jade-colored gourd bottle and the yellowish parchment in front of her.
“Here’s your gift. It’s the gourd bottle that once belonged to the Poison Demon. Just in case, I’ll teach you how to use it. Mix poison and medicine together, shake-shake. It’s an incredibly valuable item, so please take good care of it.”
“And for the request, please use this gourd to create this pill. Here are the ingredients and exact mixing ratios. I’ll cover all research costs. So just make it for me, okay?”
Choi Yeosim picked up the parchment.
Brush strokes covered the aged, yellowish paper.
What was funny was that it was written in crooked Korean. Anyone could tell it was Lee Shin’s handwriting. If you’re going to do this, why not just use A4 paper?
She couldn’t help but smile at the prank that was so very like him, but the content was anything but a joke.
“To think this would be an elixir…”
Elixir.
A medicine with mysterious, almost mystical effects.
The brightest flower a pharmacist could ever cultivate.
It was commonly known that elixirs increased mana (or inner energy) and strengthened the body. That wasn’t wrong, but it only described the result. Since elixirs were still medicine, their effects varied wildly depending on their purpose and target.
Skipping the complicated explanation and getting straight to the point—the elixir Lee Shin had given her had one specific effect: physical refinement.
“It corrects distorted meridians, expels the ‘turbid energy’ lodged in every channel throughout the body, and purifies the physique.”
If one had to compare it, it was similar to the legendary ‘marrow cleansing and hair cutting’ process.
It was the same kind of treatment that traditional Chinese sects performed on their young disciples to properly shape their mana circuits.
“It’s an incredibly innovative idea. The more I look at it, the more amazing it becomes.”
The most astonishing part was that it utilized a ‘destroy first, then restore’ mechanism by combining poison and medicine.
It was an idea that could never be attempted without deep knowledge of both poison and medicine.
Though she never said it out loud, Choi Yeosim could clearly smell the influence of her great-grandfather in this formula. It was probably connected to him in some way.
That was why she had poured her heart and soul into making it…
But the result, as one could see, was failure.
“Ha… Yeosim, you idiot. You absolute fool.”
He had even given her the exact mixing ratios. She had received more than enough funding.
And nearly a full year of time.
Yet all she had to show for it was this single pill.
“Honestly, what kind of medicine needs to be taken every morning and evening for a hundred days? Idiot.”
Of course, there were medicines that needed to be taken for one or even two years, but this one was extreme. If you missed even a single day, all the accumulated effects would vanish into thin air. It wasn’t some long-term savings account.
“And the fact that it requires constant activity because the circulation doesn’t work on its own is ridiculous. What kind of medicine is this heavy on the butt? Hng.”
Even after taking it, the body had to be actively stimulated for the medicine to spread throughout the system. In simple terms, the user had to walk, run, and move their body themselves to distribute the medicinal energy.
Okay, fine. That part was acceptable.
If the elixir’s effect was truly effective, it was something that could be endured. After all, who wouldn’t do whatever it took to become stronger?
But there was one final, fatal flaw.
This medicine…
“…has absolutely no effect on mana.”
It refined the body, yet the ‘mana enhancement’ effect was zero.
No matter how much better your body became, your mana wouldn’t budge an inch!
A half-baked elixir that had its most important function castrated!!
To be honest, Choi Yeosim had completed this pill three months ago.
Back then, it had been even more disastrous. The dosing period had been nearly half a year, and the process of delivering the medicine through the body had required not just ‘exercise’ but something closer to ‘intense combat.’
This was what she had managed to create after three months of constant improvement and refinement.
“Even though he told me the core mixing ratio, this is all I could make… I’m finished.”
It wasn’t a small amount of money. She had received funding equivalent to dozens of buildings, yet this was all she had produced.
Choi Yeosim was so ashamed she couldn’t even lift her head. Her mind felt like it would explode just thinking about what she would say to Lee Shin.
However.
When she called him with a heavy, apologetic heart, Lee Shin’s reaction sent her into a panic.
…What kind of reaction was that?
Wondering if she had misheard, she kindly explained the shortcomings once more. His response was:
……Huh??
* * *
Exactly three days after Lee Shin dropped a bomb on the market.
Chae Dong-ha was incredibly busy preparing for an investment presentation that was only thirty minutes away.
“How many times have I asked you, Mr. Mayor? I must have told you at least ten times to pay attention to the roads. Is sending a few police officers all you’re going to do?”
――――!!
While listening to the mayor’s endless stream of apologies through his earpiece, Chae Dong-ha’s hands and eyes were busy reviewing documents handed to him by his secretary. At the same time, his feet never stopped moving at a brisk pace.
It was too much for just two hands.
Even though he was this busy, one of the VIP guests had gotten into a minor collision on the way. The driver, apparently not yet used to Busan’s roads, had made a mistake…
By now, Chae Dong-ha had gained plenty of experience. He immediately caught on.
The way his secretary phrased it was basically saying, ‘Why are the roads in Busan so terrible?’
“Ha, I’m begging you, Mr. Mayor. The people coming today are at minimum chairmen. Almost all the owners ranked in the top twenty of the business world are attending. This is an opportunity for you too, isn’t it?”
――――!!
“Let’s just tear everything up and start over. We’ll cooperate fully. Yes, yes, I understand. Please make sure to take good care of them when they leave. After it’s over, I’ll see you at that samgyeopsal place we always go to.”
The moment the call ended, the team leaders who had been following him immediately began reporting.
“Sales team leader. How’s the guiding going?”
“All team members are out guiding the guests.”
“Childcare team leader, no issues with the guests’ drinks and snacks?”
“Everything is being prepared at the main café branch.”
“Stay on top of it until the very end. PR team leader, have all the reporters been sent away?”
“I warned them that if even a single word about today’s attendees leaks, they can forget about running any articles from our side this year.”
“Don’t treat it like a joke. If there’s any trouble today, they will be permanently banned from covering us.”
“Understood.”
“Alright everyone, let’s push just a little harder!!”
Clap clap.
The team leaders dispersed with a round of applause.
Maybe because he was in his third year now? Chae Dong-ha had developed quite the aura of a proper manager.
That was exactly why he couldn’t help but think: I’ve changed this much, so why is that guy still exactly the same?
“Why can’t I wear these glasses? It’s my signature look!”
“Representative, please nooooo!”
“Ahh! Please!! Wear these instead. These suit you much better!”
“What’s going on?”
“Dong-ha hyung? You’re here.”
“Vice-leader! Please stop him!”
“He’s insisting on going out wearing those awful glasses!!”
“Isn’t it fine? He looks like a professor.”
“Kyaaaaack!!”
“That precious face in the world!!”
When Lee Shin, wearing his round, taped-up glasses, blew a kiss, the stylists recoiled in horror. The young man who had been doing his hair squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch.
Chae Dong-ha thought to himself.
…Should I hit him?
“Hyung, I think that thought just leaked out loud.”
“Indeed, it feels like it might manifest physically as well.”
“Ah, ahaha, was that my mistake?”
“No. It’s entirely my fault.”
With an expressionless face, Chae Dong-ha walked over and held out his hand to the stylist.
The glasses were immediately placed in his palm. He removed Lee Shin’s round glasses and replaced them with the new pair.
Then, with an indifferent expression, he tossed the old ones behind him.
Crack!
“It is my fault for failing to properly assist the representative.”
“Uh, um. I see.”
In times like these, drift away.
When Lee Shin asked for what he had requested, Chae Dong-ha handed over a binder and three t-shirts.
“Come here, everyone. Hyun-ji, you’re in charge of Yeon-woo and Su-bin’s photos, right? Here you go.”
“Ouch! Park Baek Line! Thank you, Representative!”
“Se-jong, here’s the duo photo of Lira and Hwarang.”
“Th-thank you! Loyalty, loyalty!!”
“Ji-min, this one’s unique. Ta-da! A bromide of me and the Mountain King.”
“Kyaaaaaack!! How is this possibleeee!!”
“Take good care of our kids. Spread the faith diligently! Got it?”
We will!!
Lee Shin handed out signed uniforms to the three who were cheering like baby dragons and sent them on their way.
Chae Dong-ha shook his head as he watched Lee Shin waving at them.
“You’re doing fan service even right before something this important?”
“Fan service? I’m just giving them gifts. They’re admirable, aren’t they? Those young people work so hard.”
“All of them are older than you, Representative.”
“…That’s why quite a few showed up, right? Give me the list. Did Grandfather come?”
Chae Dong-ha watched as Lee Shin hurriedly checked the list and let out a small chuckle. Yeah, it wasn’t so bad that at least one person remained exactly the same.
Even if he was usually a complete mess, when it was time to get things done, Lee Shin always delivered.
“By the way, Representative.”
“Yeah?”
“What are we going to do about the elixir?”
“Do about what?”
“The elixir. Lady Choi Yeosim is very worried, saying it’s a failure.”
“Geez, why is our family head like that? No matter how many times I tell her it’s not a failure, she still worries.”
Perhaps because she felt burdened by the fact that her failure had brought together the pillars of the nation, Choi Yeosim’s face in the attendee seats looked pale and gaunt. Her expression suggested she was praying for a meteor to fall and cancel the entire presentation.
Honestly, Chae Dong-ha felt the same way.
“The dosing period is absurdly long, missing even one day resets everything, and having to stay active for a set time after taking it seems incredibly inconvenient.”
Above all else.
“It’s called an elixir, yet it only makes the body healthier while providing zero increase in mana. Calling it an elixir feels wrong when it doesn’t actually function like one.”
In many ways, it was an embarrassing product to call an elixir, which was why Chae Dong-ha was secretly just as worried as Choi Yeosim.
Yet despite all these concerns, Lee Shin himself was grinning from ear to ear.
“Hyung, what is marketing?”
“You’re asking this out of nowhere.”
“To me, marketing is promoting a product in a way that matches the consumer’s needs.”
It was the correct answer.
It was such a model response that it was hard to believe it had come from Lee Shin’s mouth.
“The way to sell a refrigerator in Alaska isn’t ‘It keeps your food fresh.’ It’s ‘It keeps your food from freezing.’”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Don’t worry and just watch. Today, I’m going to go sell refrigerators in Alaska.”
With a refreshing smile, Lee Shin walked past him. A short while later, when he stepped onto the stage, his first words were:
* * *
At a presentation attended by the leaders of Korea’s most powerful corporations, Lee Shin was currently performing ‘marketing.’
“Many people misunderstand. They think an elixir is some kind of miraculous panacea. But all of you here—those who can eat elixirs like side dishes—already know the truth.”
“That for ordinary people who cannot Awaken, consuming an elixir is nothing more than a beautiful but useless fruit.”
In truth, it was worse than just being useless.
For ordinary people who could not control mana, injecting too much mana was actually poisonous.
That was why these group chairmen didn’t consume elixirs, and precisely why they were so interested in an ‘elixir that ordinary people could also take.’
“So I thought about it. Couldn’t ordinary people also enjoy the benefits of elixirs? Couldn’t we pioneer a market for all of humanity, not just Awakeners!”
No matter how much the number of Awakeners increased each year, the vast majority of this world was still non-Awakeners.
If they couldn’t embrace these people, the elixir market would eventually hit its limit.
“I wanted to catch two rabbits. Awakeners and non-Awakeners. Hunters and ordinary office workers.”
“After thinking and thinking, I realized something. Ah, I was too obsessed with the word ‘elixir’!”
What was an elixir? Fundamentally, it was a medicine that increased mana.
“I kept repeating mana, mana, mana. But do ordinary people need mana? No! Our target is all of humanity! So I boldly threw it away. The mana from the elixir!”
And in its place, he secured something else.
Something that both Awakeners and ordinary people desperately wanted.
“…Health, stamina, physical condition, and youth!”
──!!
The hall buzzed with murmurs for a moment.
The chairmen all scooted their chairs forward.
Lee Shin raised an eyebrow and dramatically threw off his coat. Then he lifted a small, luxurious glass container.
“Inside this golden, extremely luxurious glass case is a pill. This little guy will restore your vitality. It will gift you golf, fitness, jogging—all the exercise you’ve lost!”
They said having to move to spread the medicine was a flaw?
Then flip it around—it forces you to move! It makes you exercise!
“Does your whole body ache? Are you tired and exhausted from your demanding daily life? Take this pill morning and evening, and for just one hour! That single hour will open the door to youth. Walk! Run! Enjoy your freedom!”
“Our pill will keep this window of opportunity open for you for one hundred days. One hundred days, morning and evening. I’m already excited. The miracle you will gain after one hundred days!”
With this framing, the hundred-day dosing period became an advantage instead. It created a routine that money alone could never buy.
The reason Choi Yeosim had labeled this a failure was because she herself was young and an Awakener, but also because she didn’t understand the physiology of chaebols.
These people gathered here… had a lot of money. And they had a tremendous amount of time.
They were people who essentially earned bundles of cash every second. If they could become even one second younger, if they could feel the way they did in their youth even without extending their lifespan, or even if it was just the ‘possibility’ of doing so—they were the kind of people who would pay ten million gold without hesitation.
This was Lee Shin’s ‘marketing.’ Sales tailored to the consumer’s needs!
“Starting from this moment, aging is a disease. Even if it is the law of nature, I hope you will all believe it is a disease.”
“Humanity has conquered countless incurable diseases. If aging is a disease, then someday we will find the answer.”
That’s right.
What they needed was possibility.
Half-baked lies didn’t work on giants who had built their own empires. Instead, you had to charge forward with confidence.
“This is a small answer that I will show you.”
“Allow me to introduce it! The elixir that will restore your youth!!”
Like the bear that ate mugwort and garlic for one hundred days and was reborn as a human! Just take it for one hundred days. You too shall be reborn as a new human!
Its name was.
“Woongjindan!!”
It was the appearance of a game changer that would completely reshape the elixir market.