The next day, Dong-sik and I visited a nearby real estate office together.
By the way—after applying the Skin Regeneration Agent to his face yesterday, Dong-sik's skin had clearly become much smoother and cleaner.
And yet, for some reason, he still looked slightly dissatisfied.
The reason was simple.
His naturally dark skin tone hadn't turned lighter.
Which led me to learn something new.
The Skin Regeneration Agent didn't change a person's natural skin color.It regenerated cells based on their original genetic complexion.
"Why do you look so sulky, Dong-sik?" I asked.
"…I thought it'd get a little brighter."
So that was it.
It seemed he'd always had a minor complex about his tanned skin.
Personally, I thought it suited him perfectly. He'd been active outdoors since elementary school—running around, playing sports. His complexion matched his personality.
It never struck me as a flaw.
But then again, people perceive themselves differently.
If a skin-whitening technology ever shows up in the Akashic Records…I'll make sure Dong-sik gets the first finished product.
We took a taxi into town and continued talking as we walked along the main street.
"Si-woo, we should probably buy a car soon," Dong-sik said."Now that we're running a business, we can't keep relying on taxis forever."
"True. Damn… business really does bleed money in unexpected places."
Dong-sik chuckled.
"Of course it does. That's why so many people crash and burn.Honestly, if your item hadn't been this insane, I'd still be trying to talk you out of starting a business right now."
We finally arrived at the real estate office.
Since this was a quiet area on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province, there weren't many agencies in town.
A yellow sign with black letters read:
Hanbit Real Estate
We stepped inside.
"Oh! Welcome, gentlemen. Looking for a rental room?"The middle-aged owner greeted us with a broad smile.
"We're looking for a warehouse building," I said."Not too big—around fifty pyeong would be perfect."
The owner looked at us with interest.
"Oh? You both look young. Starting a business?"
"Yes. We'll need to manufacture, package, and ship products there, so we'd prefer a place where changing the usage permit won't be an issue."
"Heh! Passionate young men.These days, most kids just lock themselves in their rooms instead of working.This—this is patriotism. Real patriotism."
"Haha… thank you," I replied awkwardly.
The owner said he had a suitable property and pulled out a listing.
"…This place?"
Dong-sik and I widened our eyes and looked at each other.
It was a warehouse not far from our neighborhood—one we'd passed countless times while driving between villages.
The photos attached to the listing were all familiar.
Land area: 80 pyeong
Warehouse area: 50 pyeong
Price: approximately 200 million won
Considering it was within the Gyeonggi metropolitan area—only about thirty minutes from Seoul—the price was excellent.
"That's a really good price for the size," Dong-sik remarked.
"Yes. The owner inherited it recently and wants to sell quickly.Since it's a bit remote, pricing it at market rate would take too long."
"So it's listed below average."
"Exactly."
"Can we take a look?"
"Of course."
When we visited, the warehouse had clearly been vacant for a while, but aside from some dust on the floor, it was well-maintained.
Ventilation systems and windows were in place, and there was even a small office area attached.
It was perfect as a starting point for our first business.
"Looks good to me. Any issues?" I asked.
"Nope. Honestly, we're insanely lucky.A well-maintained warehouse near home, cheaper than market price."
"Alright. Let's do it."
We decided on the spot.
The next day, we met the owner, signed the contract, and paid in cash.
"…All at once? And in cash?"The young owner looked shocked—then visibly delighted.
He must have been eager to get rid of the inherited warehouse that had become a burden.
Just like that, the deal was done.
"Si-woo," Dong-sik said afterward,"we should convert the remaining gold into cash little by little.Sell it at multiple shops. It's a hassle, but safer.I'll handle changing the warehouse permits and getting cosmetic sales approval."
"Got it. I'll leave the admin work to you."
We split up.
Dong-sik dove into paperwork, while I began selling the remaining gold pieces across several jewelry shops.
After converting everything, the total came to roughly 650 million won.
200 million for the warehouse
150 million set aside for my father's hospital bills and living expenses
That left us with about 300 million won in operational funds.
Not bad.
When I looked at the quantum computer in the living room, I noticed something new.
After completing the Skin Regeneration Agent, a new menu had appeared in the Akashic Records interface.
[Experience Progress]
I clicked it.
[Skin Regeneration Agent – Tier 1]Progress to next knowledge: [1 / 200]
So that's how it worked.
To unlock the next piece of knowledge, I needed to manufacture a certain number—or quantity—of completed products based on the unlocked technology.
When I asked the quantum computer, it confirmed my guess.
[System Message: You may think of this as experience points.When the value is filled, the next knowledge will be unlocked.]
Choosing to start a business had been the right call.
Filling a requirement of 200 through personal use alone would've been nearly impossible.
And even if I somehow managed it—who knew how much higher the next requirement would be?
Production Begins
Before long, the warehouse transformed into a factory and logistics center.
The office area gained desks and computers, finally resembling a real workplace.
I finished converting all remaining gold into cash.
I'll admit—temptation crept in.
Now that we were officially a cosmetics company, obtaining industrial-grade sulfuric acid under a corporate name would be easy.
No need to go through dangerous home synthesis anymore.
But I restrained myself.
The National Intelligence Service was still watching me.
Producing and selling gold beyond what they already knew would only invite suspicion.
And honestly—
Selling the Skin Regeneration Agent alone had far greater long-term potential.
"Si-woo, the website's done," Dong-sik said."We've opened a Naver Smart Store too. All that's left is production and sales."
We hired advertising agencies and launched paid promotions across social media.
Then—
I began manufacturing.
I created several large Luktic Basic Catalyst Stones, far bigger than the thumbnail-sized one I'd made at first.
These new stones were nearly fist-sized, glowing with a milky-white translucence, refracting light beautifully—like rare gemstones.
I poured materials into massive cylindrical containers:
Water.Glycerin.Protein and collagen powder.Fresh fruit juice from industrial blenders.Silver powder.Quartz powder.And finally—the massive Luktic Basic Catalyst Stones.
I stirred with a large shovel.
Heat rose. White steam filled the air.
Just in case, I cranked the warehouse ventilation to maximum.
After one hour, thick white cream formed—just like before.
The difference was the water ratio.
This batch was intentionally diluted, producing a slightly weakened—but still extraordinary—Skin Regeneration Agent.
We ran multiple containers in parallel.
The total volume exceeded 1,000 liters.
At 200 ml per unit—
Nearly 5,000 bottles.
"If we optimize this process later, production will explode," Dong-sik said in awe."It's simple enough to automate too."
We transferred the cream to an automated filling machine.
Perfectly measured amounts flowed into pre-ordered containers at astonishing speed.
Modern engineering really was something else.
The machine alone had cost tens of millions of won.
The containers bore our brand name:
Luktic Cream
The name came from the sender listed on the quantum computer's delivery box: Luktic.
No such company existed domestically—but the name felt right.
Dong-sik agreed immediately.
"The item, the seed money—everything came from you.Of course the company name should follow your call.And honestly? It sounds classy."
Stacks of padded boxes filled the warehouse.
We were confident.
With effects this overwhelming, success was only a matter of time.
The Problem
But that time turned out to be longer than expected.
Orders trickled in—barely.
"Damn… even site traffic is low," Dong-sik muttered."And conversion rates are terrible."
People clicked in, skimmed the product page—
Then left.
That's when we realized what we'd overlooked.
When choosing cosmetics, people prefer brands they recognize.Products that are famous. Proven. Trusted.
Which made perfect sense.
Facial products carry risk. One bad choice can cause lasting damage.
From a consumer's perspective, caution was only natural.
"…We underestimated the cosmetics market," I said, pressing my fingers to my forehead."Even we wouldn't easily buy a product from a brand we've never heard of."
Dong-sik nodded, grim.
"This one's on me. Marketing was my responsibility.I should've thought this through better. I'm sorry, Si-woo."
"Don't say that. You did your best," I said firmly."This isn't the time to blame ourselves—it's the time to find a breakthrough."
"…A breakthrough… marketing…"
Suddenly, Dong-sik froze.
His expression shifted—like Archimedes shouting Eureka.
"Ah…!"
"Huh? Did you think of something?"
"…If we use this properly, our product could blow up overnight."
"What is it?" I urged."Spit it out!"
Dong-sik nodded slowly.
"It's this…"