Chapter 64
Chapter 64. Second Step
While Y&P spent the past month preparing to distribute vending machines and ice boxes,
Baron Keystone prepared to establish Cola bottling factories.
This was about attracting bottling factories not to a single city, but to separate cities.
Absolutely speaking, one month wasn't that long a time.
How much effort and time did Y&P put into establishing the initial Cola factory?
However, Baron Keystone's capabilities were real.
First, Baron Keystone visited Pasture Trading Company, with whom he'd signed a license contract in advance.
Whether he sweet-talked them with money or went bonk! and hit their heads, who knows.
Keystone Company monopolized bottling in the Northern Three Cities.
Afterward, utilizing existing Berrymix factories, he established six bottling plants in just one month.
The story of selling Cola made this way through a distribution network spreading like capillaries into every corner was already a week ago.
In that process, Jurgen and Penelope had almost nothing to worry about.
Should we say it ended with praying for syrup produced at the syrup factory to arrive safely?
So much so that Penelope was startled when seeing the settlement statement, going 'We're already selling?'
This was the overwhelming scalability of bottling licenses.
If summoning minions was dark mages' auto-hunting, bottling licenses could be seen as Y&P's auto-hunting.
"Let me see."
Penelope excitedly unfolded the auto-hunting settlement statement.
Royalties paid by each bottling factory, syrup sales amounts, and such were neatly organized at a glance.
Red eyes scanning the numbers organized in the table reached the total settlement amount listed at the very bottom of the chart.
"What."
Penelope's reaction seemed completely deflated.
"Why, why?"
Serena, who had manufactured the bottling equipment for the bottling factories, also showed interest and stuck her head in.
Serena, who sneakily pulled out the settlement statement from Penelope's hands frozen like a statue, also froze solid.
"Goodness..."
No wonder.
"In one week... 220 Crowns...?"
Because a much larger amount than expected was written as the final payment.
"One week is seven days... If we calculate a month as 30 days... roughly 940 Crowns?"
"As expected, Miss Serena. Quick with money calculations."
"Um, by any chance... what's the profit margin on bottling license contracts?"
"Considering production costs and syrup distribution costs, I set it at 85%."
Serena finished the money calculation in 3 seconds.
"Then... just from bottling licenses, the monthly net profit is 800 Crowns, wow."
Unrealistic.
To begin with, a food company having an 85% profit margin didn't make sense, but the most surprising thing was the growth rate.
Y&P earned a monthly net profit of 1,700 Crowns from bottled Cola and dispensers, but through the method called bottling contracts, they instantly amplified net profit by 1.5 times.
Calculating all of that together...
"Annual net profit of 30,000 Crowns..."
Y&P, which started from a shabby brewery, was reborn as a crazy cash-rich company with annual sales of 45,000 Crowns and net profit of 30,000 Crowns.
Of course, business wasn't a math problem, and Serena's calculation was optimism premised on sales steadily maintaining.
Probably many variables and difficulties would await ahead.
Even so, they'd practically already pushed aside Polar Sun, which had been fussing around with lemonade.
'Ugh, I shouldn't be like this...'
Serena felt her stomach churning twinge twinge.
Jealousy was instinctive.
However, if humans only lived by instinct, they wouldn't qualify to be called the lords of all creation.
Moreover, would it do for Serena Renoir, a 'Viscountess,' to be swept up in petty emotions like jealousy?
She knew.
She really knew...
She knew it was truly ugly and unsightly but...
Envious! She felt like dying of envy!
Seeing money written there that Serena couldn't save even if she devoted her whole life...
The trinity of envy, jealousy, and covetousness embedded in the foundation of human psychology gushed forth wildly!
"...Ugh."
"What?"
"You're, you're hateful."
Serena attempted mind control.
Let's stop showing this ugly side.
Didn't she obtain the viscountcy thanks to the two of them?
The Renoir Workshop's reputation also rose considerably thanks to Y&P's orders.
It was a structure that continuously generated profit, not one-time sales.
So she had to discard these rotten and ungrateful thoughts.
Y&P's growth was Serena Renoir's growth!
Serena, who had steadied her breathing, raised her thumb with desperate eyes.
"C-congratulations. It's truly remarkable progress."
"Why are you doing things you don't normally do?"
"I-I congratulated you while swallowing tears, and yet..."
Meanwhile, Penelope felt the scene before her eyes lacked any sense of reality.
When the bottling partner contract was signed and documents exchanged, she roughly guessed the sales.
Through things like profit projections and market reports.
Though Penelope had received business education in her own way, there were so many things to worry about that she couldn't focus purely on numbers.
But this was a settlement statement.
The amount written here would go directly into Y&P's account.
When she clearly recognized that fact...
A shiver ran zzzzt down her spine.
Firework-like euphoria exploded in her head.
A fluffy happiness and sense of accomplishment that couldn't be exchanged for any other joy tickled her chest.
She wanted to tightly embrace Serena and Jurgen and scream shouts of joy roar roar.
"Don't get too carried away. Business is no different from sailing in stormy seas."
She pressed down that feeling tightly and declared boldly.
This wasn't a young lady's bravado but also clear recognition of reality.
Still a long way to go!
There was the 10,000 Crowns to repay Branch Manager Belheim, and they had to increase syrup factories for stable supply.
They had to hire employees to manage just the bottling partnership, and there were plenty of places money would go as much as they earned.
"30,000 Crowns annually is impressive, but it's less than The Richfield Hotel's profits."
"The hotel was that much...?"
"Yes, if you consider profit stability even more, there's no comparison. Though Cola being verified as not a flash trend is over, it hasn't perfectly settled as a steady seller yet, right?"
Serena admired Penelope's appearance, coolly assessing the current situation.
Usually when bickering, she seemed like nothing but immature, but this part was definitely different.
While Serena spent time being jealous looking at profits, Penelope was already looking at 'next.'
Seeing the cold analytical ability and emotion control capability that even mocked God, Serena thought.
'I must learn...!'
She must learn and absorb.
Serena had already obtained a viscountcy.
However, a viscountcy was ultimately a first-generation noble, just a mayfly.
Serena's newly updated goal was to achieve even greater merit and become a baroness.
For that, she needed the detachment to fly toward goals without being swayed by every joy and sorrow like Penelope.
That back view was the true face of a 'real noble' Serena should emulate and learn!
...Was what she thought because Serena was looking at Penelope's dignified back.
From Jurgen's perspective, it was different.
"Now from next time, how should we... sh-shall we plan the business?"
Penelope looked like someone desperately holding back tickles.
"Y&P Trading Company's final goal isn't just hitting it big once with Cola and ending, right?"
Her eyes tried hard to maintain solemnity, but her cheeks sagged loosely, and her pronunciation leaked from biting her lips so hard to hold back laughter.
Even tears welled up.
If Penelope, who had no match in poker faces, was this bad, he could guess how happy she was.
"As it happens, I have something I want to show you two, shall we move?"
"Where?"
"Since it's dinner time. A new business item."
The three people rode Serena's new beloved car (four-seater) Bunny 2 and headed to Jurgen's sweet home.
***
As you can see, Y&P Trading Company secured capital and foundation through 'Cola.'
Now it was time to properly take the second step of the culinary revolution.
Jurgen had pondered considerably about which step to take next.
First, 'revolution' was impossible with just one or two good restaurants.
For impact and transmission power, franchises were necessary.
This premise didn't change.
Then which menu could draw out the best resonance?
Pizza, which only needed a brick oven and could be easily customized to taste?
Hamburgers that would become convenient food for busy adventurers?
Or should he grab direction toward familiar Korean food and lead the Britannianization of Korean cuisine?
Each direction had pros and cons, but he reached a conclusion surprisingly quickly.
A global market size of over 130 trillion won annually.
The food that started in the hands of the most lowly but trampled over coldness and contempt to finally conquer the world's dining tables.
Chicken.
Specifically, Korean-style chicken.
Categorically, no country had fried chicken as fiercely competitively as Korea.
This was proven by the fact that the number of chicken shops in Korea exceeded the number of McDonald's stores worldwide.
K-Chicken that survived the solitary jar where the weak died would become a deadly poison to addict Britannia.
"How is it?"
When he conveyed it while omitting the 'Korean' parts, Penelope showed a lukewarm reaction.
"Chicken is... kind of ordinary, isn't it? Serena, what do you think?"
"Um... Yes. The new business method itself called 'franchise' is innovative like bottling licenses but... chicken is... I have the same thought as Lady Penelope. Besides, chicken... honestly isn't very tasty."
"Hmm, is that so?"
Well, looking at just the menu itself, chicken wasn't special like Cola.
Britannia's national food was Fish and Chips.
Among shops selling Fish and Chips, some occasionally fried and served chicken too.
Perhaps that's why the evaluation of chicken was just so-so.
It couldn't be helped.
How difficult a food chicken was.
"Then, from now on I'll show you that differences in taste come from details."
Jurgen brought the two to the kitchen and took out brined chicken.
Having made cuts and aged it overnight in the refrigerator, flavor would have soaked in every corner.
"You soaked the chicken in water?"
"Not just water but brine. It's the process of making flavor permeate deep into the chicken meat."
He lightly rinsed the brine with water and removed excess fat by pressing the divided chicken pieces with his hands.
"That ends chicken preparation. Next is time to dress the chicken."
Next, he took out chicken powder.
Mixing all-purpose flour with corn starch, baking powder, sugar, and skim milk powder in appropriate ratios.
Adding salt, celery salt, garlic salt, thyme, basil, oregano, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, ginger, and mustard powder to complete it.
The important thing here was that simply coating it with powder and frying wasn't the answer.
"You two, do you know why Britannia's fried foods are thick and soggy?"
"...Aren't fried foods originally soggy and thick?"
"Absolutely not. It's because the batter is fried too thick. We'll go the opposite way."
There were various types of chicken, but what Jurgen was trying to make was crispy chicken.
The first thing that came to mind for Koreans when saying 'fried chicken'—literally chicken with crispy fried coating.
For this, two processes were needed: coating once with wet batter, then coating powder on top.
"The important point is keeping the wet batter's temperature cold. That's how to complete the crispy and thin inner coating."
After mixing the wet-battered chicken so powder adhered evenly, he dropped it into oil preheated to 170 degrees.
"Was fried chicken such a labor-intensive food...?"
"R-right. I thought you just coated everything on raw chicken and fried it..."
"Don't get too close. Oil vapor is bad for lungs."
These processes themselves seemed fascinating to the two.
Like curious children watching a fish tank, Penelope and Serena watched the sight of chicken frying sizzle sizzle in the fryer with heads together.
12 minutes elapsed.
"There, it's done."
After taking out the chicken dressed in golden crispy fried coating and letting it cool a bit, he moved to the dining table.
Both Penelope and Serena followed along toddle toddle and sat down.
"The smell is extraordinary? This is our second item?"
"That's right. It's incredibly good but..."
When actually facing the chicken, Serena and Penelope's attitudes had a slight difference.
Penelope had firm trust so she expected it with a feeling of 'Whatever Jurgen makes is delicious,' while Serena's expression was slightly bad?
"I, I actually don't really like fried chicken..."
Jurgen, who had courageously challenged local chicken believing the maxim that anything fried tastes good, also guessed the reason.
Britannian chicken wasn't tasty.
Overall, aside from not feeling any effort to make it delicious, chicken treatment itself was a side dish to Fish and Chips.
So usually they fried both in the same oil, and doing such unconscionable acts, the chicken couldn't help but smell fishy.
Probably Serena's prejudice originated from there too.
"Just try it once. Ah, eat the drumstick first. That part is a delicacy."
"Okay..."
Serena, who was at a loss before the chicken, steeled her mind.
It wasn't food she'd die from eating anyway.
Wearing golden crispy fried coating, it at least didn't look unappetizing.
The smell she caught up close was also better than expected... incredibly good.
A rich fragrance with subtle pepper scent as a base, as if an entire herb garden was put in.
That intertwined with the meat's oil, gently tickling her appetite.
"Gulp..."
Serena unknowingly swallowed and brought the chicken to her mouth with knife and fork.
Crisp crisp crisp crisp crisp crisp crisp!
The skin was far crispier than it looked.
Enough to make her look at the ceiling wondering if the roof was collapsing the moment she bit.
As Serena's teeth crushed the chicken skin.
"...!!!"
Flavor exploded.
Various scent fragments that couldn't be fully felt just by smelling from afar materialized.
Not a trace of the feared fishy smell or oily smell.
Instead, incredibly savory, umami-rich skin emitted tongue-tingling saltiness each time it crumbled.
The highlight here was precisely the fat layer stuck under the fried coating that became one with the skin.
Even if they sold just this fried coating separately, she'd probably roll her eyes back and buy it.
'It's delicious but...! Too... stimulating...'
An unfamiliar stimulation felt on her tongue.
But simultaneously, curiosity arose.
She'd only lightly bit the skin so far.
What flavor existed after this?
This ahead was an unknown path Serena had never traveled.
Perhaps a very difficult and painful path.
Serena's eyes trembling with anxiety met Jurgen's.
Jurgen closing his eyes and nodding solemnly as if to trust him.
With somehow inexplicable trust, Serena squeezed her eyes shut and chewed the pure white chicken meat filling her mouth.
Gush.
Two streams formed.
Streams of meat juice created as tender flesh was cut away without resistance.
Streams of umami gently covering taste buds trembling shiver shiver from unknown stimulation.
'Serena, you trusted me.'
And at the intersection of two streams, a dignified rooster with a cave-deep voice waited for Serena.
He grasped Serena's hand and pulled, smiling refreshingly.
'I told you. The world of chicken is this wide and beautiful.'
Where he spread his wings to teach, warm light, meat juice, and fields of all kinds of spices spread to the horizon's end.
Now she understood.
This was true chicken, this was true cuisine...!
"D-delicious! Amazing!"
Serena reflexively pushed chicken into her mouth and trembled shiver shiver with overflowing emotion.
"You, when did you make something like this again?"
"While Miss Penelope ran around busy, I couldn't just play around, could I? It's still incomplete."
"Incomplete? This?"
"Meaning there's still room for improvement."
Even Penelope, who had become accustomed to Jurgen-brand food, was surprised this time.
Actually she'd watched Serena's reaction before eating because it seemed like a test version, but chicken dish she'd never eaten even once ecstatically stimulated her tongue.
"How is it? I believe this is worthy as the second item of the culinary revolution."
"Hmm, the taste itself is amazing. But... how should I say, it's still ambiguous."
However, Penelope's brow didn't easily smooth.
"I think Cola could leap like now because of the 'newness' Cola provides."
She'd acknowledge Jurgen's chicken had differentiation from existing chicken.
Excluding the commonality of 'chicken fried in oil,' it could practically be seen as a separate dish.
But 'Cola' was the first carbonated beverage, and luckily became word-of-mouth combined with Bellaby's indirect promotion.
However, fried chicken was clearly food sold at stalls.
Moreover, people's image was close to 'Is that really necessary?' like Serena.
"Can this chicken shake the market like Cola? For the culinary revolution, shouldn't more novelty be added? ...That's my thought."
"Won't people eat it out of curiosity if we say Y&P made it?"
"No, the reputation Y&P Trading Company built is reputation regarding 'beverages,' right? Chicken is a completely new genre."
Even saying that, Penelope watched Jurgen's reaction.
Because Penelope couldn't immediately present a sharp solution or alternative either.
Originally in group projects too, the guy who says 'Seems mediocre' without alternatives makes you want to twist their joints immediately.
"A very good point. Certainly this alone lacks newness."
"Uh, huh?"
"Wait a moment."
"Ah, wait! I haven't finished eating yet...!"
However, far from disappointment, Jurgen showed a happy expression as if waiting for such rebuttal.
Then he took away the chicken Serena was eagerly munching and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Now, how about this?"
The chicken on the plate he presented upon returning was.
"It's red."
Red.
Completely bright red.
"Because it's seasoned chicken."