Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Negotiation, Attracting Premium Customers
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Tonics.
At first glance, they seem like something that's always good for you!—but that's not always the case.
You have to consider your constitution.
If you gobble them up just because they're supposed to be good, your constitution might actually change for real.
So I was trying to simmer this super-premium tonic called America as slowly as possible.
But that was just my perspective.
The side getting fed was in a huge rush. Maybe because they thought they were the ones doing the feeding.
Tap tap tap.
[Is this for real?] [Posted by: StockFreakWannabe]
(Today's morning news article)
Heard FHA officially requested Molrangtori support from Molrangmol?
Pretty out of left field.
And they want it for free? What's their deal lolololol
-Yeah, facts. FHA director mentioned it during last night's official press conference.
-Crazy bastards.
└But that's America for you.
└Bullying with power has been their tradition forever lol
-What stock should I buy? That fucking director pisses me off every time with his bullshit ffs
└Total asshole. I went long on Hwayeon and that prick slapped me with a seizure—ruined my life lol
└Idiot. Hwayeon's meta right now is straight shorting.
└Molrangmol hold for IPO go go go
└Queue's miles long for that, you'd just be fertilizer
"Hmm...."
The FHA director had officially requested it from Molrangmol.
Molrangtori support.
It was called a request, but really it was pressure.
'Guess they got scared after all.'
They'd cut the quantity in half.
From 200,000 to 100,000.
Along with a promise to take zero responsibility for any related issues and handle it all themselves.
I got it.
From investigating the internet seas with Kami No.2.
FHA's current goal was cracking down on their pet bunnies.
Trying to rein in the criminal organizations that had grown unchecked.
The emergence of Awakeners had messed up the traditional power logics.
'Korea’s small land and population make it easy to manage, sure....'
But for big countries, it was a different story.
Must've been eating at them for a while.
And Molrangtori?
To criminal groups, it was drool-worthy.
Of course, I was sure smuggling damage from them was still minimal.
'Never officially sold abroad to begin with.'
Even in Korea alone, it sold out instantly.
Supply shortage. Why else would I research mass production methods?
A foreigner buying a product without export approval?
Possible, but the procedures were a hassle.
So FHA was trying to catch three rabbits.
1. Get Molrangtori support to bolster FHA forces.
2. Handle all the annoying import issues themselves.
3. Rein in criminal orgs and bring Molrangmol under their wing.
'Greedy bastards, huh.'
Ding!
[White Night: So...... what are you gonna do?]
[DragonBreeder: About what?]
[White Night: FHA.]
Worried messages from Joo Ha-neul came whenever I forgot about them.
White Night had no direct dealings with America.
But as head of one of the top five guilds, she couldn't avoid knowing about FHA.
She got tangled up in stuff with them all the time.
Tap tap tap.
[DragonBreeder: No problem at all.]
But who am I?
The world's top monster summoner, creator of things that never existed before.
Infinite monopoly power.
Even Hwayeon, with their top researchers, couldn't copy it.
Now that it was in stable phase, what was there to fear?
Of course.
America could apply some pressure.
But there were clear limits.
If they didn't deal with me, they'd regret it more.
They started this mess because they wanted to deal with me in the first place.
"Mini. Can you grab that for me? Come to Room A?"
Woo-ee!
After sending Mini on the errand, I headed to Room A.
Room A, the biggest room on the factory's second floor.
Thanks to Seolbaek-i's camouflage, no need to worry about going out anymore.
So I set up cameras, lights, soundproof booth, mics, etc. in Room A.
Kinda like a remote press room?
For official announcements or live streams.
"Ahem."
Confirmed the camouflage was working fine, turned on the camera.
Nyaaang!
Kami No.2 handled the computer cursor on its own.
Click!
Clicked the link that came to my official email this morning.
FHA's invitation to negotiate.
Skip the bullshit, let's talk face-to-face.
...Virtually, anyway.
Vrring!
Soon the screen lit up.
The face I'd seen on the news a few times.
A bushy white beard like Santa Claus, wrinkled face.
Looked like a kindly old grandpa.
If he hadn't made those outrageous demands, I'd have thought so.
Maybe the president pressured him.
That guy was the same age as Korea Hunter Association Chair Lee Hyun-ah?
Heard they partied together back in the day.
'Is Lee Hyun-ah a real vampire?'
Highlander syndrome... might be a pretty good condition.
[Hoho.... Didn't expect you'd come in person.]
The old man started with a hearty laugh.
No worries about language.
The world's advanced enough for real-time translation.
[Thought you'd go through the Korean Association.]
Like he said, the Korean Association offered to help me out.
Even said they'd negotiate on my behalf if it was too much pressure.
But how could I?
Appreciate it, but I'm the rep for Molrangmol.
The boss makes the decisions.
And takes the responsibility.
"Let's get straight to business."
No time for chit-chat.
Truth be told, I was a total noob at negotiations.
Life experience gap.
Decades vs. barely twenty-something years.
Positions different too.
Head of the hunter association in a superpower like America vs. the rising star owner of a company.
Experience levels were worlds apart.
My potential... well, my level cap was way higher, but current filled bar was lacking.
'So stick to the point.'
Don't give them the lead.
Talking's weird like that—the one who talks more usually takes control.
Listen to small talk, nodding along with "uh-huh... yeah..." and—
Whoops? Negotiations over before you know it.
[Fine. FHA officially requests from Molrangmol: 20,000 per year for 5 years. Total 100,000 Molrangtori.]
Conditions softened a bit.
They stepped back, so now asking nicely.
"Is that FHA's position? Or..."
[America's position. I'm here representing the United States.]
Top brass ordered it.
FHA's higher-ups? Only one possibility.
As aggressive as rumored.
No wonder big corps were having headaches lately.
"Sorry, but free support's impossible."
[In exchange, America's market opens up. We'll handle all private certifications and oversight.]
Hmm. That does sound tempting...
No.
Peeling back, it's the same as the first contract draft.
Just repackaged to sound nice.
Private certs are mandatory for mass exports anyway.
"Hard to accept on those terms. No reason for me to give freebies. America's not the only foreign market."
[Understood. We'll revise the request.]
Hmm? Folding quicker than expected?
Thought I'd have to declare no deal with America! to make 'em budge.
[We request building a Molrangtori factory in America.]
Ding!
Alert as soon as he finished. Sent detailed terms.
I skimmed it.
Summary was simple.
Molrangmol owns the factory and foots construction costs.
But they'd give subsidies, tax and tariff breaks.
'That was the goal from the start.'
I smiled.
Meant they saw Molrangtori as a key strategic asset.
Wanted stable supply of that asset. Ahead of rival nations.
Everyone knew current supply was woefully short.
Plus, bonus: produce future new products domestically.
But.
"Honestly speaking."
[Yes. Go ahead.]
"Doesn't really pull me in. America's not the only trading partner."
Molrangmol was fundamentally different from other companies.
Tech and production fully monopolized.
Total freedom. Leash in my hand.
"On the contrary, let me make a proposal."
[...]
"We've developed mass production methods at Molrangmol. If conditions are right, pumping out 100,000 a year is no sweat."
[...Go on.]
"So here's my offer. You cover factory costs. In return, exclusive supply of full output to America. And designate the factory a special tech protection zone."
Want production here? You pay.
Show that sincerity, then maybe I'll sell to you.
Refuse? Just regular customer status.
Might even run out of stock and skip America sometimes.
[...]
Old man closed eyes, pondered.
100,000 a year was insane volume. Countries would line up if they could get it.
"And that's not all. If more efficient methods come, extra output goes straight to America too. Our researchers are hitting milestones right now."
Elite-of-elites research team.
FHA probably knew that too.
[...One moment.]
He started a call. Who? Obvious.
Result came faster than expected.
What it meant: They anticipated this from the start.
Freebies were just a probe.
Bait. Nice if it worked, whatever if not.
My proposal hit their upper limit exactly.
[Agreed. We'll do it that way. America will build the factory as requested.]
Yes...!
I cheered inwardly.
Free factory, premium customer locked in.
Perks of monopoly tech.
"Thanks for the good negotiation. Hope we keep friendly relations going forward."
[Haha....]
"Oh, and we'll send these over."
Woo-ee!
Mini's delivery: Fancy-packaged Molrangtail and Molrangtex set.
Negotiations need face-saving for the other side.
So, a carrot.
Molrangtex as knight armor, Molrangtail Excalibur-style custom.
Heard their boss loves flashy visible stuff.
Plus 100 Molrangtori as gifts.
Easy enough gesture.
**
[Live Earth Stock God Update lololol] [Posted by: CountryMouseHere]
(Snapshot of Earth Stock God hoisting Molrangcalibur mid-speech)
Wtf lololololololololol
Dude's fucking thrilled lololololol
Wasn't this a gift like for DragonBreeder?
Didn't expect him to actually use it, not just display.
-LOL that geezer's senile, loves that kinda shit.
└For real lol
-He straight-up sucked off Molrangmol in the speech.
└"Partners for a thousand years" or whatever lololol
└Seeing this, gonna dump my life savings into Molrangmol.
-US investing in Molrangmol real?
└Real. Heard they're building a factory inside a D-rank gate.
└Molrangmol cheat win lololol how?
└Monopoly power lol. Total monopoly, can't strong-arm 'em.
└For real cheat. DragonBreeder is GOAT.