Chapter 49

“Gee up!”

“Whinny~”

With the two short-legged horses neighing in unison, a wisp of smoke emerged from the small boiler at the back of the carriage, curling upwards along the air chimney on the side of the box. Meanwhile, the water tank hidden in the chassis emitted a splashing sound.

Following the engine’s pulsating creaks and the clicking of the rotating axles, the entire bottom of the carriage was lifted off the ground by the airflow. By the time the clopping of hooves against the street could be heard, the noisy steam carriage had already shot forward seven or eight meters.

“Guest! There are quite a lot of people at Chal Department Store!”

It seemed that no matter which world you were in, anyone capable of doing this job couldn’t help but chatter endlessly. Even with the roar of the boiler ringing in his ears, the steam carriage driver enthusiastically engaged in conversation. After catching a glimpse of Leon through the rearview mirror, he shouted:

“Did you also hear about their big sale? Are you going for a major shopping spree? Or is someone in your family sick from drinking the public water supply, so you’re going to register for compensation?”

Big sale? Register for compensation? Initially not interested in chatting, Leon suddenly tensed up upon hearing the driver’s question, instinctively hugging the folder in his arms tightly as he asked with a puzzled look:

“Has Chal Department Store already started compensating the victims ahead of schedule? What’s this talk about a big sale?”

“Ahaha, these two things are actually one and the same!”

Seeing Leon picking up the conversation, the talkative carriage driver cheerfully answered loudly: “The public water pipes had issues recently, right? The company that contracted the water pipes is a joint venture between Chal Department Store and others. However, it seems their business hasn’t been good, they haven’t recouped their investment yet, leaving Chal Department Store without funds for compensation. Their boss nearly passed out from the stress!

This situation left the owner of Chal Department Store completely stumped, so they directly hung up a sign offering goods at a loss, putting all items from the department store on the street, priced to sell at a loss. The prices are so cheap it’s downright scary, I reckon half the capital city’s population has rushed there to grab the deals!”

Seemingly feeling that mere words weren’t enough to depict the grandeur of the scene, the carriage driver let go of one side of the reins, raising his hand to gesture dramatically like “gongs clanging, fireworks popping, red flags waving, crowds surging,” before continuing to explain to the astonished Leon:

“Also, they brought out a large transparent box with openings on both sides. As soon as money from sales is stuffed into the box, those waiting in line for compensation can immediately take it out. Apart from counting the money and verifying patient identities, the entire process bypasses the company’s hands entirely!

What’s most impressive is that the box is completely transparent. Everyone can clearly see how much money is inside, guaranteeing every copper coin given back. They promise to take full responsibility for the water company’s issue until the department store goes bankrupt from compensations!

Ahaha! Guest, you wouldn’t believe it, but even though the old man runs his companies poorly and keeps losing money, handling this affair is truly commendable! Now many people are worried the company will collapse too quickly, missing out on the chance to profit, so everyone’s rushing madly over there!”

“……”

……

As someone who has experienced various commercial tricks, he knew all too well how much room for manipulation there was within.

The prices of items in the department store were inflated anyway. The production costs of industrial-era products were so low that it was unimaginable for those who hadn’t experienced it. If the cost of producing Gote cigarettes sold for three silver wheels per pack ever reached five copper wheels, he’d be willing to have his head twisted off and used as a ball for them to kick!

So this so-called massive price drop would definitely still make a profit! It might even result in a huge windfall!

Moreover, buyers were stimulated to the point of losing their minds, while sellers remained fully rational. Ultimately, what gets discounted is still decided by the department store. Items with artificially inflated prices, old stock that’s hard to sell, and products bought at super-low prices from factories—just pile them all out there. After all, even selling three-silver-wheel cigarettes at half price still makes a profit, and they’re snatched up instantly. This kind of aggressive approach is inevitable, right?

And as for handing over the proceeds directly for compensation… come on!

Can customers just pay and leave directly? Don’t those claiming compensation need proper identity verification? The difference in speed between incoming and outgoing cash means that no matter how large the money box is, it’ll fill up eventually. Won’t the excess money end up being collected by the department store staff?

For those seeking compensation, the worst-case scenario is no money or no action. Chal Department Store is earnestly compensating and continuously promises to keep paying until the company goes bankrupt. With such a visibly full money box sitting there, even if some doubts arise, those seeking compensation won’t cause trouble.

Once this “extra” money is collected, Chal Department Store will likely place urgent orders at various factories right away. They might even leverage their massive shipping volume to semi-forcefully negotiate deferred payment terms, pressuring factories to accept delivery first and payment later, while also squeezing more discounts.

In the commercial era, whoever can sell the product is king!

Without a single mistake, one after another, the content is available exclusively on 69 Book Bar!

If this “money-losing mega sale” lasts a week, it could likely drain the purchasing power of the entire capital city for half a year. All other department stores except Chal will suffer significant losses on their balance sheets. Those with thin capital will be crushed by overdue payments and inventory.

If Chal survives, they’ll successfully capture over 90% of the retail market and use their position to effectively hijack most related factories. For at least the next twenty years, no one will be able to compete with them in the department store business.

As for whether such extreme measures will attract attention from the kingdom’s relevant departments… Are you kidding me? Am I making money here? No, I’m losing money! Losing lots of money! Everyone waiting for compensation, listen up, we sincerely want to compensate you. We’re even selling at a loss to raise funds. Haven’t you seen our boss faint from the losses? But officials from the Kingdom XX Department and XX noble XX legislators have stepped in, accusing us of malicious dumping and disrupting the market, disallowing us to sell this way. So, everyone waiting for compensation, please go home for now. We’ll start compensating once we raise the funds through regular sales. As for when we can raise the funds…

Hmph, that depends on when you all can break down those barriers!

(End of Chapter)