Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 118 Feeling Overwhelmed?! (5.2k views, please vote for chapters 1-7)

"Damn! Just like I said before, I've stumbled upon a den of scumbags. Well, the Three Musketeers are finally complete."

Hearing the sound, Xiuyan looked over, and the slight gentleness on her face vanished instantly, replaced by an icy glint that quickly returned, her eyes sharp as knives once more.

She took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress her anger, and first turned to Jiang Che and the other two children, saying:

"You guys go up first."

Krystal also saw Ningyi, and her face immediately tightened. Instead of leaving, she clung tightly to Sooyeon's arm.

"I'm not leaving! When I asked you about the phone call last time, you wouldn't say a word! You've always treated me like a child; this time I want to see for myself what really happened."

"Hey, Soojung! Let's go back!"

"No!" Soojung retorted firmly, a rare occurrence for her.

Seeing that the two sisters were about to start arguing in the hotel lobby, Jiang Che quickly stepped in to smooth things over:

"Soojung, you take Sulli upstairs first. I'll watch over her from the side. I know kung fu, so don't worry, I definitely won't let Sooyeon unnie get hurt. Don't let outsiders laugh at you." He secretly winked at Soojung as he spoke.

Krystal glanced at the determined-looking unnie, then at Yoona unnie who was giving her a meaningful look, and then uttered a harsh remark:
"Unnie! You have to tell me what happened when you get back! Otherwise... otherwise I'll tell Dad and Mom!" After saying that, before Soo-yeon could react, she quickly pulled Sulli towards the elevator.

"Hey! Soojung!"

As Shirley was being pulled along, she didn't forget to turn back and call out worriedly:
"Jessica unnie, Yoona unnie, please be careful!"

Now, only Jiang Che and Xiu Yan remained in one corner of the lobby.

Xiuyan looked at Jiang Che with a complicated expression:

"Yoona, you should go too. I can handle my own affairs."

Jiang Che shook his head vigorously, his attitude unusually resolute:

"Unnie, I really do know kung fu, and my record is verifiable. Please let me stay here."

"A verifiable record?" Hearing the strange terms Jiang Che used, Xiuyan initially wanted to use violence to drive him away, but then she remembered the pressure Yoona had endured regarding that incident.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally gave up and looked deeply at Jiang Che, then sighed and said:

"……whatever."

Then, she turned around and walked towards where Quan Ningyi was sitting.

When Kwon Ning saw Soo-yeon approaching, he immediately put on a fake smile. When his gaze swept over Kang Cheol behind Soo-yeon, he paused slightly, seemingly surprised, but quickly returned to normal.

"Jessica, why aren't you answering your phone?"

Xiuyan sneered, showing no respect whatsoever:

"What's the point of accepting? It'll just be the same old stuff anyway, what's the point of accepting?"

Kwon Ning was momentarily speechless, his smile faltering slightly, but he quickly regained his composure:

"So what are you thinking now?"

"What do I think? I can rely on myself."

"Rely on yourself?" Quan Ningyi scoffed as if he had heard a joke.
"Jessica, don't be naive. The fashion industry isn't that easy to break into. Without resources or connections, what makes you think you can succeed? Just because of your fans?"

Can they buy one, two, three... or even ten, a hundred, a thousand? Do you think they can support a brand on their own? Don't dream.

His words were like cold knives, stabbing precisely at Xiuyan.

She pursed her lips and didn't speak, but subconsciously clenched her fists.

Upon seeing this, Quan Ning softened his tone:
“Jessica, we’re in this together now, our interests are aligned. You have to believe me, I’m definitely doing this for our own good and I won’t hurt you. Think it over carefully, I’ll wait for your news.”

After speaking, he gave Xiuyan a meaningful look, then glanced at Jiang Che, before turning and leaving the hotel lobby.

Jiang Che stood behind, watching Quan Ningyi's figure completely disappear outside the hotel gate, feeling a slight sense of loss.

'No... that's it?'

Seeing Quan Ningyi's face and hearing his typical PUA rhetoric, he thought that based on his understanding of Xiuyan's temper these past two days, she would just rush up and give that guy a good beating, and he could conveniently send that scumbag to see his grandmother.

Unexpectedly, the anticipated brawl never happened. Kwon Ning finished his rant and left, but what about Soo-yeon? Forget about Da-bi-dou, she's still standing there, head down, silent, lost in thought.

Jiang Che clicked his tongue, carefully recalling the conversation he had just overheard. He had always thought that even if this woman's career didn't go well, it would be a few years from now, but judging from their words...
Things seem to be going badly now—and the other party is trying to get Xiuyan to do something she clearly doesn't want to do? Judging from this, this kind of persuasion has probably happened more than once. And judging from her current state, she's obviously been affected by those words.

Jiang Che scratched his head. Although this woman's temper was unpredictable and her mood changed faster than flipping through a book, but... looking at her current appearance, and remembering how she had previously served him food and insisted on paying the bill...

'Should we... help her?'

Once the thought popped into my head, it was hard to stop.

How about revealing some secrets? Tell her about some of the hottest items I know about in the future? Although he's pretty much got a grasp of the design sketches and manufacturing processes—he's still completely clueless.
Even if you've never eaten pork, you've seen a pig run. Describe the general shape of a pig running, act as a "soul painter," and draw a rough sketch. The rest is up to this woman's own fashion sense to figure out.

If she really does create a hit product, firstly, it will help me overcome my career crisis, and secondly, as the creative provider, asking her for a consulting fee of 100 million won shouldn't be unreasonable.

Perfect! A win-win situation!
Jiang Che thought about it more and more and felt that the idea was reliable, and his eyes began to light up. He cleared his throat and walked over to Xiuyan, who was still in a daze:
"Ernie?"

"Mo?" Xiuyan seemed to be suddenly awakened, turning her head to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion and irritation.

Jiang Che looked at her and said seriously:
"Don't take everything Quan Ningyi said just now too seriously. He said a brand can't rely solely on fans, which is theoretically correct, but who says breaking through necessarily requires those so-called resources and connections? Sometimes all you need is a hot topic that can ignite the market!"
"Breaking point? What does that mean?"

He looked around before his gaze settled on the hotel reception desk: "Unnie, wait for me!"

He jogged to the front desk and politely began to speak:
"Excuse me, could I borrow a piece of paper and a pen? Thank you!"

The receptionist clearly recognized her, handed her a pen and paper, and even asked for an autograph.

Jiang Che took the paper and pen and jogged back. Seeing Xiuyan still standing there in a daze, he simply reached out and grabbed her wrist, leading her to sit down on the sofa in the rest area.

"Unnie, wait for me a little longer, I'll try to draw it for you."

He unscrewed the pen cap, his brow furrowed, trying to dig into his past life memories—he remembered that back then… cough cough… a girl said there was a bag that had been popular for several years, and she begged him to help her buy it, even showing him pictures of it… what did it look like again?

As Jiang Che tried to recall, his pen moved clumsily across the paper.

Seeing his serious expression, Xiuyan's irritation was gradually replaced by curiosity. She leaned closer to see what kind of amazing thing this maknae could draw.

Then, she saw a bag outline gradually appear on the paper... well... extremely abstract, with crooked lines and even a slightly strange proportion.

If I had to describe it, it's like a flattened bucket with two wide noodles stuck in it.

Jiang Che looked at his masterpiece, and his lips twitched. It wasn't exactly the same as the bag he remembered; in fact, it was completely unrelated.

"Ahem, well... that's what I mean. Look, the key point is the wide shoulder strap design!" He pointed to the two wide straps with his pen:
"These shoulder straps are much wider than regular shoulder straps, and they can be made in color blocking or with a retro pattern. Doesn't that instantly elevate the look?"

Xiuyan's fashion sense is definitely on point. Although the sketch is abstract, the image that Jiang Che described seems somewhat appealing when imagined in her mind.

Seeing that she didn't refute him, Jiang Che continued to make things up:
"Also, unnie, don't you design glasses too? I think using some metal frames would look more high-end!"

He paused, observed Xiuyan's expression, and then said:

"However, unnie, I think the most important thing is not the product itself, but that you have to come up with an advertising slogan that can touch people's hearts! Not the kind of dry slogan that just praises how good the product is, but a slogan that can convey an attitude, a spirit!"

"Hmm?" He looked into Xiuyan's eyes and said very seriously:
"For example, someone like you, Unnie, I think we could just type out—'Live your true self bravely and redefine womanhood.'"

How about that? Unnie, your own experience is the best interpretation of this statement, so it's particularly convincing. You two are practically one with the words.

When your product possesses this kind of value that evokes emotional resonance in consumers, it becomes more than just a commodity; it becomes a topic of conversation.

“Live your true self bravely… redefine womanhood…” Xiuyan repeated it subconsciously, feeling a jolt of electricity run up her spine and goosebumps even forming on her arms.

Why did she leave Girls' Generation, confront the company head-on, and start her own brand from scratch? Wasn't it all to take control of her own life and live according to her own wishes? This statement truly resonated with her!

Seeing that Xiuyan seemed stunned by him, Jiang Che quickly pressed his advantage:

"Once it becomes a hot topic, and the product is also recognizable, even if fans don't buy ten, a hundred, or a thousand items, they will spontaneously discuss, recommend, and promote the topic of 'living bravely and being true to yourself'!"

Once the hype builds and word-of-mouth spreads, why worry about a lack of buyers? And once you've grown your business significantly, you won't need to look for connections and resources anymore, because you yourself will be your biggest network.

Xiuyan's eyes brightened as she listened, her breathing becoming slightly rapid. She suddenly pulled out her phone, turned on the recording function, and spoke urgently:

"Yoona! Say what you just said again! Speak slowly and clearly!"

Jiang Che: "..."

Sis, I was just improvising, and I've almost forgotten what I just made up. Why are you making me repeat myself?

But seeing the expectant look in Xiuyan's eyes, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to restate his explanation as fluently as possible.

Xiuyan carefully saved the recording as if it were a priceless treasure. Only then did she belatedly look up, scrutinizing Jiang Che with an expression as if she were seeing Yoona for the first time, her tone filled with disbelief:
"Yoona...where...where did you learn all this?"

Jiang Che was speechless, but thankfully he was mentally prepared, and casually said:

"It was after you left, Unnie, that I started to figure things out on my own and slowly learned."

Upon hearing this, Xiuyan's excitement vanished instantly, replaced by a mix of emotions.

'So… the maknae… she… studies these things, researches fashion… and can even come up with ideas and advertising slogans like these… is it so that she can find a trace of me, the departed unnie, through the path of fashion? Is she using this method…'

Thinking of this, she felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if something had tugged at it. Such a good maknae, and she had been patting her back and biting her before! She was such an idiot!

She sniffed hard, trying to suppress the sour feeling, and said very solemnly:
"Yoona, thank you! Really! If... if this idea succeeds, if it really sells well, unnie will definitely give you a share of the profits! A huge share of the profits!"

'Dividends? I only wanted 100 million, but this woman is actually giving me dividends? Good people are rewarded after all.' Jiang Che's eyes lit up immediately.

But he quickly calmed down—he had access to information about getting rich quick, so why wait for a steady stream of dividends? The sooner he got his start-up capital, the sooner he could begin planning.

He quickly waved his hand, "Ani ani, forget about the profit sharing! Unnie, you're too kind! How about this..." His eyes darted around, and he decided to make a patch:

"If... this idea really becomes a big hit, next time we meet, if I bring it up with you, unnie, just give me 100 million won as pocket money!"
If I don't mention it... please don't bring it up with me again, and definitely don't give me any money, okay?

"One hundred million? My allowance?" Jessica Jung was stunned by the number. Who gets one hundred million in allowance? Although it's a lot, if it really sells well...

Compared to the potential profits, it's really just a drop in the ocean. But I asked, puzzled:

"Why can only you bring it up, but I can't?"

Jiang Che felt like his brain was about to explode. 'Why does this woman have so many questions! Can't her thirst for knowledge be less intense?!' He could only resort to his secret weapon again, revealing a weary smile:
"It's still...it's still because of the pressure...Unnie, please say yes, okay?"

The word "pressure" acted like a switch, striking Xiuyan precisely once again. Looking at Jiang Che's forced smile, her initial doubts were instantly overwhelmed by even greater guilt and pity.

She paused for a few seconds, then nodded with a complicated expression, without asking any further questions: "...Okay, unnie promises you."

Seeing that he had finally managed to fool them, Jiang Che breathed a long sigh of relief. He felt like he had accomplished another major task, and his mood lightened considerably. He stood up and said:

"Hey unnie, shall we go up?" After saying that, he naturally took the lead and walked towards the elevator.

Xiuyan watched Jiang Che's retreating figure, then looked down at the now useless piece of paper in her hand. Finally, she carefully folded it and put it in her bag before getting up and quickly following after him.

The two entered the elevator in silence, one after the other, and silently arrived at their floor.

"Goodnight, unnie." Jiang Che pointed in the direction of his room.

"Mm." Xiuyan nodded, watched Jiang Che leave, and then turned and went back to her room.

As soon as the door opened, Krystal Jung immediately jumped up:
"Unnie! What are you two talking about? What did that jerk Kwon Ning-il want from you? Are you alright?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on her, leaving Xiuyan completely overwhelmed. As she changed her shoes, she waved her hand dismissively.
"It's nothing, just a business matter, it's been resolved."

"What? It's resolved? How was it resolved? Unnie, don't try to fool me!" Soojung followed closely behind her, her face clearly showing her disbelief.

Soo-yeon was getting annoyed by the questions, and coupled with her volatile emotions today, her patience had completely run out. She narrowed her eyes and habitually raised her hand:
"Jung Soo-jung! Are you asking for trouble again? Kids shouldn't pry into adult matters! If you ask again, believe me, I'll beat you up!"

Normally, if Krystal saw her unnie really angry, she would probably back down and at most mutter a few words under her breath.

But today, the situation is different!

She witnessed the amazing scene firsthand—Yoona unnie's simple "I'm under a lot of pressure" instantly transformed the furious unnie into a caring feeder! This move is practically a get-out-of-jail-free card!

Soojung's eyes darted around, and mimicking Kang Cheol's earlier actions, she shouted:
"Ani! Unnie! I'm under so much pressure lately!"

Xiuyan's hand, which was halfway through its swing, suddenly froze in mid-air.

Feeling stressed?
She's here too?
What's wrong with everyone today? Are they all under a lot of pressure?
Soo-yeon's heart skipped a beat. Could it be... that Soo-jung also had some kind of anniversary effect because of that incident?
She lowered her hand with some skepticism, carefully examining Soo-jung, her tone unconsciously softening slightly:
"You... are under a lot of pressure? What's causing your stress? Tell Unnie."

Seeing that there was a chance, Soojung was secretly delighted. Her unnie was definitely falling for this: "It's...it's that thing..."

"That matter? Which matter?"

"Uh...it's just...it's just..." Krystal had no idea what exactly it was referring to; she was simply imitating Yoona's approach. Caught off guard by the question, she stammered, "..."
"It's about... that thing you told Yoona unnie..."

Xiuyan was initially a little worried about her younger sister, but when she saw Xiujing's shifty eyes and hesitant speech, and that she didn't dare to look her in the eye, her worries vanished instantly.

'Well, so it turns out this brat was just putting on an act!'

“Jung Soo-jung…” Jessica’s voice instantly turned cold:

"Tell me in detail about what I talked about with Yoona. What exactly was it?"

"Uh... it's... that one..." Soojung sensed that her unnie's aura had changed, and realized something was wrong, but still tried to make a last-ditch effort.

It's a pity it's too late.

"Hey! Jung Soo-jung! How dare you lie to me! And say you're under a lot of pressure! I think you need to be taught a lesson!" Soo-yeon completely exploded, grabbing her younger sister who was trying to run away and skillfully starting her family education.

"Ah! Unnie! I was wrong! Hit me if you want, but don't tickle me! Ouch... I really... I'm definitely under pressure, but maybe... maybe not that much, okay?!" Soojung's screams and pleas for mercy echoed in the room.

A few minutes later, the world became quiet.

The two sisters collapsed on the sofa, panting heavily; one had been beaten, and the other was exhausted from beating someone.

After a while, Krystal secretly glanced at her unnie and cautiously sidled up to her:

"Unnie... are you feeling any better?"

(End of this chapter)