"Director, our retail sales volume in the basic cosmetics division dropped sharply last month.Please take a look at this."
"…What? Why all of a sudden?There haven't been any major changes in the market, have there?The economy hasn't been great, but that's been the case for years."
"That's true, but according to our marketing department's analysis, the cause appears to be a newly rising startup called Luktic, whose products began gaining traction last month.We'll submit a detailed report by tomorrow."
"Luktic…?Ah—are you talking about that venture company linked to Min Seo-ah's return?"
"Yes, sir."
"But is that story actually true?That their technology completely healed Min Seo-ah's burn scars?"
"Considering that Min Seo-ah has already resumed her public activities, it does appear that her burn scars were genuinely cured."
"Could it be some kind of trick or visual deception?"
"As you know better than anyone, sir, there's no illusion or cosmetic technique capable of naturally concealing scars of that severity."
"But isn't it even more impossible to fully restore scars like that?There's no way modern medical technology could achieve something like this."
"…Regardless, it's clearly a real phenomenon.We believe we need to investigate exactly how advanced their technology truly is."
"Is it selling that well? Their cosmetic product?"
"They're still a very small company, so their absolute production volume is limited.However, their growth rate is extraordinary."
"I see.Have the relevant departments conduct a thorough analysis of everything related to Luktic."
"Yes, sir."
Our small workplace was running at a frantic pace, day and night.
Packaging and shipping operations continued almost 24 hours a day, and Dong-sik and I took turns napping briefly on the sofa in the office next to the warehouse while overseeing the work.
One thing, however, continued to bother me.
By hiring short-term workers for packaging and shipping, we'd inevitably allowed third parties to observe parts of the Luktic Cream production process.
To be honest, if anyone saw the process exactly as it was, they'd naturally feel suspicious.
Mixing ordinary ingredients—fruit, protein, a bit of silver and quartz powder—then tossing in a strange, transparent, softly glowing stone…And out comes a skin cream with unbelievable effects?
Anyone would question that.
So, to avoid suspicion, we began preparing the silver and quartz powders separately at home, then told the workers these were part of Luktic's proprietary secret recipe before adding them into the large mixing tanks.
Even so, it was clear we needed to secure a separate manufacturing facility as soon as possible.
Fortunately, ever since Min Seo-ah's return, Luktic Cream had been selling like wildfire, so cash continued to pour in.
At this rate, we could either acquire a dedicated building—or purchase nearby land and construct a factory ourselves.
We also needed proper equipment and machinery for large-scale production.
For that, we decided to work with a factory automation company that had previously done business with Dong-sik's relatives.
Of course, we had to be extremely careful during the design and consultation phase—Under no circumstances could anything related to the Akashic Records be exposed.
Multiple liquid filling machines had been added, and part-time workers busily filled containers with Luktic Cream.
The sealed products were then boxed, labeled, and shipped out in a nonstop flow.
Standing inside the roughly fifty-pyeong warehouse, watching the operation unfold, I muttered,
"At this rate, we'll need to automate the filling process soon too.And since we're a cosmetics brand now, we should probably design proper packaging boxes specifically for the cream containers."
The business had changed—in an instant.
Just a short while ago, daily sales were still in the single digits, and we were running at a loss.
Now, with Min Seo-ah's return and nationwide exposure of both our company and product, orders were flooding in faster than we could process them.
In fact, we'd already placed 'Out of Stock' and 'SOLD OUT' notices across every online shopping platform.
A situation where we couldn't sell simply because there was nothing left to sell.
Production expansion had become urgent.
And once the business reached that scale, we'd inevitably have to hire full-time employees as well.
We were truly becoming a company.
I stepped back into the office to switch shifts with Dong-sik.
He was sprawled across the long sofa, tossing restlessly in exhaustion.
"Dong-sik, it's time to switch."
"…Ugh. Already?"
No wonder he was tired.
We'd been pulling overnight shifts for over a week straight.
The number of orders that had come in over the past few days alone was in the hundreds of thousands.
That wasn't something two managers could possibly handle.
Because the growth had been so sudden, we were still relying heavily on temporary workers for packaging and shipping—but that wasn't sustainable long-term.
Just like snakes or crustaceans shedding their shells as they grow, a business must restructure its organization each time it reaches a new stage.
Rubbing his eyes, Dong-sik slowly stood up.
"…I never imagined things would blow up this much.At this rate, we might grow into a mid-sized company in no time."
"Hey, it could just be a short-lived boom."
"Normally, sure.But Luktic Cream is different.Even though we diluted the original solution significantly, the quality is still overwhelmingly superior to competing products."
Dong-sik ran his palm over his face.
Once rough and scarred, his skin was now smooth—almost like polished marble.
"Once someone uses this even once, there's no way they'll ever go back to another product.I told you before—this thing was guaranteed to be a hit."
"Haha… is it really that good?"
"It is. Honestly, I've never seen a product this powerful—or growth this fast.And you know how many business owners there are among my relatives.Seriously, Si-woo… it's incredible.How did you even develop something like this?"
I couldn't exactly say it was knowledge decrypted from the Akashic Records, so I brushed it off.
"Well, since we've got such an incredible product, we should take this opportunity and grow properly.Let's get back to work, Mr. Kim Dong-sik."
"Ugh… fine, fine."
He left the office with a pained expression.
As the door closed with a creak, I was left alone with my thoughts.
Luktic Cream was impressive, yes—but what truly shocked the world was our technology's ability to completely heal Min Seo-ah's severe burn scars.
Which meant everything stemmed from the terrifying regenerative power of the Skin Regeneration Agent's original solution.
That led me to a new question.
Min Seo-ah wasn't the only one suffering.
Countless people around the world lived in pain due to skin scars that modern medicine deemed untreatable.
Instead of endlessly diluting the original solution and selling it only as cosmetics—
Wouldn't it be better to also develop a medical-grade product, using its true potential?
That would be profitable, yes—but more importantly, it would align perfectly with the Akashic Records' directive to use its technology to benefit the world.
Of course, entering the pharmaceutical field would mean far stricter approval processes and significantly higher barriers to distribution compared to cosmetics.
Dong-sik probably didn't have much knowledge in that area either.
And even beyond that—
Neither of us had ever properly managed a large company before.
Becoming the head of a rapidly growing enterprise overnight was no small burden.
We needed help.
An advisor.
Someone experienced, knowledgeable—and trustworthy.
But where could we find someone like that?
The business was succeeding beyond expectations, yet my worries only continued to multiply.
Exhausted, I lay back on the sofa and sank into deep thought.
Elsewhere
"Chairman, I've summarized the most critical points from the reports submitted up through yesterday."
The chairman's office at Daesung Group was once again filled with thick stacks of documents.
Reports compiled from information gathered by hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide—Condensed by thousands at headquarters, then refined again by hundreds of executives.
A culmination of modern corporate intelligence.
"Good work.But what's this? It's marked as Very High Priority.Is it related to cosmetics?"
The chairman picked up a document with a red sticky note attached.
"Yes, sir.A variable has appeared in the market that could seriously impact our beauty affiliates' flagship skin cream products."
The chairman read the report carefully.
His eyes widened.
"…Min Seo-ah?I remember news about a celebrity who was horribly injured by a sulfuric acid attack.You're telling me her scars were completely cured…?"
"Yes.The media and internet are overflowing with that story right now."
"And the company that developed this treatment… let me see…'Luktic.'A newly founded venture company.They released a skin cream using that technology, and it's selling explosively?"
"That's correct."
"And this technology… doesn't seem like smoke and mirrors, but something that can genuinely regenerate severe burn scars?"
"Yes.After extensive investigation, the cosmetics division concluded that the reports are factual."
"…If that's true…"
The chairman's voice trailed off.
The secretary sensed that this wasn't merely concern over a threatening competitor.
"Jaeseok…"
"Yes, Chairman."
"Are you telling me that with this technology…they might be able to treat skin damaged by burns completely…?"
"Yes, sir. That appears to be the case."
"Then… then maybe…my Eun-seok's skin disease could also be treated…?"
"…!"
At last, the secretary understood the chairman's true concern.
The chairman's youngest son—his late-born child—had long suffered from a severe skin disease acquired in childhood.
Despite the chairman's immense wealth and influence, even the world's best doctors had declared it incurable.
If there was even the slightest chance…
Even a straw was worth grasping.
"If they can regenerate skin damaged that severely…maybe they can do something for my son too."
The chairman spoke firmly.
"Make contact with this company—Luktic.If they can cure my son, I don't care what it costs.You understand what I mean, Jaeseok."
"Yes, Chairman."
Following the order, Secretary Park Jaeseok began preparing to contact Luktic.