He is Already a Tycoon at a Young Age! - Chapter 78



Only Krnovel

Episode 78 – Would you like a glass of moldy drink?

“Did you draw Rocket Man all night long?”

“No, I was thinking about something else.”

“The story has been fun lately. The number of colleagues has increased and the scale has also gotten bigger.”

“Do you read Rocketman too?”

“Mr. Sicklegruber is drawing it, so I can’t not read it. Right? So, what happens next?”

Richter asked, sitting on the sofa in his office.

“Ada and the main character are connected?”

“No, they are siblings.”

“what?!”

Richter shouted, his flagship.

“I thought you two would date naturally. You two are siblings?”

“It feels like a secret of birth. It hasn’t been revealed yet.”

Did I spoil it too much?

Richter shook his head in disbelief.

“Oh, Anna would be sad if she heard that. I thought they would naturally become lovers. Now that I think about it, I guess there was some foreshadowing.”

“Don’t tell anyone else.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor! Mein Kaiser!”

Richter raised his right hand and burst into laughter.

A classic Nazi salute.

“Don’t do that either.”

“Why? That’s what the Imperial Army does in the comics. I copied that.”

“I know that too. But…”

The Rocketman comics are based on settings from science fiction movies I’ve seen.

The same goes for the two forces that appear in the story.

The Earth Republic was established after overthrowing the dictatorship. And the remnants of the Empire appeared as enemy forces.

The salute used by the villains is the Nazi salute.

‘I drew it like that unconsciously…’

As Rocketman gained popularity, the Imperial Army also secretly gained a fan base.

There are a lot of really cool armors and costumes there.

“So, if you’re not drawing Rocket Man, what are you doing now?”

“I was deciding on a logo.”

“Logo?”

“This is for a car company. The most important thing about a car is the logo. It has to be easy to recognize at a glance.”

“Then, why don’t you just use H as your name?”

“I guess that would work.”

H.

It feels like a Honda or a Hyundai. Is there something different?

“Then, what if we use the model name New Frontier? No, isn’t that too long?”

“I guess it would be okay to use N as initials…”

There’s nothing that really catches my eye.

Let’s think about some more different pictures.

I drew the patterns I knew one by one on a piece of paper. Richter came over to the table and looked at them.

“Hey, is this okay?”

“Peace sign?”

“Peace? Is this the symbol of peace?”

“You could say that.”

It’s a symbol often used by hippies and anti-war movements. Has it not been created yet?

“I don’t really know what this has to do with peace.”

“Don’t they look like pigeon footprints?”

“Oh, now that I hear it, it does seem that way. Anyway, I think this is good.”

“Then let’s do this.”

It feels like the most opposite of Hitler.

This is better than the swastika.

Just then the door banged.

The sound of someone knocking loudly.

Joseph Kennedy’s voice rang out.

“Are you inside?!”

“Come in!”

The door opened wide and Joseph strode in.

“what’s the matter?”

“Have you two read this morning’s paper yet?”

Joseph slammed the newspaper down on the table.

“Read this.”

[Adolf Hitler’s Hofnung and Hope Foundations have recently been suspected of being a means to legally siphon money earned in the United States to Germany or other foreign countries…]

The article title caught my eye.

“I contacted someone I know at this newspaper, and he said it seemed like Rockefeller was the one throwing the money around.”

“Ah, I knew this.”

“You knew?”

“He probably thinks he was buried because of our foundation. Rockefeller has been pouring money into the foundation for years now.”

Rockefeller.

An American oil magnate and one of the last Robber barons.

Even though he is retired now, he will likely remain the real power behind the scenes.

“We’re shaking up the media before we launch a full-scale attack.”

I guess I’m pretty big now.

Should I consider it an honor?

Morgan-Rockefeller-Dupont.

They made a lot of money through the Civil War and World War I.

Financial power comparable to that of most small and medium-sized countries.

‘I have some kind of connection with Morgan, but…’

Rockefeller is a different story.

“Isn’t this not the time to be so relaxed? Put out a rebuttal article right now…”

“Take on Rockefeller head-on? You don’t mean it, Joseph. That would be counterproductive. The press would come after you even more.”

After saying that, I turned my head and looked at Richter.

“Richter, what comes to mind if I tell you not to think of an elephant?”

“Nose, elephant?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“What does that have to do with this article?”

“Even if we say it’s not true, no one will believe us. If the person being suspected says it’s not true, how can it be credible?”

“But isn’t this an obvious lie?! It’s okay to take issue with false reports.”

“There are many newspapers sponsored by Rockefeller. They are nothing compared to mine. Hearst won’t take my side either. Truth depends on the person who tells it.”

No matter how hard I try to refute it, it’s over if the media comes to their own conclusion.

It only takes a moment for the public to turn their backs.

“So you’re just going to sit there and listen to this nonsense? Until they get tired first? I didn’t know you were so scared.”

Joseph hissed with a red face.

At times like this, you definitely look like you’re from Ireland.

“You’re right. I can’t just stay still. That would mean admitting that these charges are true.”

If you remain silent, you will be suspicious, and if you actively refute, you will be suspected.

Whichever you choose, you lose.

Then I guess I’ll have to take the third path.

“This paper claims that my foundation is a money-sucking scheme. What do you think is the best way to refute that?”

“…Spreading money? If you spread money to people through the foundation, public opinion will change positively.”

“That’s a good idea. But that would cost too much money. The Foundation’s investment would actually decrease.”

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me, my friend. What is it that you think?”

“It’s simple. Just show the foundation’s achievements. Then, wouldn’t it be natural to prove that the money wasn’t spent on strange things?”

I shrugged.

Could anything be simpler than that?

It shows definite results!

Then there is no need to publish a rebuttal article.

No matter how much money Rockefeller pours in, it’s hard to win people’s love.

‘I’m the complete opposite.’

Should we call him a 21st century style rich man who knows how to win the public’s favor?

I poked the newspaper with my finger.

“Rather, the newspaper that reported this will be in a difficult position.”

Joseph sat down with a thoughtful expression.

“If we do as you say, it won’t work with something small. There will have to be some really big results for people to be convinced.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve prepared something big enough. Compound H is enough.”

“Compound H, what is that?”

“This guy is the type of guy who can easily blow away an issue like this.”

Joseph opened his eyes slightly after hearing what I said.

“Adolf, you’re not planning on committing any terrorist acts, are you? Compound H? Something about it sounds a bit fishy.”

“…”

No, Richter too, why does everyone look at me so badly?

I sighed and stood up from my seat.

“Contact Bernays and have him call the reporters. The first floor will be a good place to hold a press conference.”

He looked at Joseph and snickered.

“It’s not a bomb, it’s a miracle drug. It’s a blessing from heaven.”

“I’m not an expert, but I’m not sure. Do you think the medical community will take this at face value?”

Richter asked, scratching his head.

“If I’m lucky, I’ll probably get treated like a scammer.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s better for us.”

There was also an issue related to room-temperature superconductivity in Korea in the 21st century.

Penicillin, or rather Compound H, was my own room-temperature superconductor.

‘And this is 100% real.’

＊＊＊

“So when does it start?”

“I don’t know, they said it would come down soon. We’ve all been waiting for over an hour.”

“What is there?”

“Wallace tapped his pen on his notebook,” he said.

Hitler Company building.

The first floor was bustling with reporters. Most of them were familiar faces.

As such, Hitler Company was a frequent gathering place for journalists.

The reconciliation of Edison and Tesla, rivals of the century.

Mickey Mouse, Radio, Rocketman, Area 51, Capitalism Ho!, Nobel Prize, etc.

“I wonder what will come out this time. Have you started betting already?”

“Well, Wallace, would you like to do that too?”

A reporter from a New York tabloid asked, waving a fedora.

“Whether or not they’re going to release a rebuttal to the foundation’s allegations. By the way, I’m betting on a no.”

“Then I’ll bet on the side of publishing a rebuttal.”

Wallace smiled and stuffed a dollar bill into his fedora.

“If we keep quiet, the rumors will continue to spread. Wouldn’t Hitler have issued a rebuttal before then?”

“If Hitler had been an ordinary man, then yes. There must have been something bigger.”

“Let’s just leave it for a while.”

Just then a commotion was heard from the front of the line.

Wallace quickly took note of the notes.

The main character of the press conference, Hitler, came down the stairs with heavy steps.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you all. Paul, how is your little brother?”

“It’s always the same, Mr. Hitler.”

Wallace smirked at the sight.

Hitler was always trying to score points with reporters.

There is even talk that some journalists are receiving a salary from Hitler.

‘I don’t have any plans to do that yet.’

Wallace licked the tip of his pen.

Even if you dig deep, someone like Hitler will find something.

Today was that day.

The moment Hitler’s true nature was revealed.

‘They’ll probably come up with excuses or rebuttals.’

Then Hitler opened his mouth.

“As I informed you in advance, there will be a very important announcement today. I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that it will be a moment that will go down in world history.”

A murmur spread among the reporters.

A moment that will be remembered in world history?

Hitler always exaggerated, but it actually happened.

‘What on earth are you trying to say?’

Wallace moved his pen busily, lost in thought.

“As you all know, the Hope Foundation has been supporting various medical research for several months.”

Up to this point, it was obvious.

As Wallace pulled out a new piece of paper…

“A groundbreaking discovery was made at a hospital laboratory in London that received this support. The chemical, discovered by Dr. Alexander Fleming, is known as Compound H…”

Hitler took a deep breath.

“It was found to have greater antibacterial properties than any previously known chemical.”

An awkward silence flowed.

All the reporters looked at each other with their mouths shut.

Chemicals? Labs? Antibacterial properties?

It was a random story.

Wallace blinked and looked around at his colleagues.

Then a reporter raised his hand and asked.

“If it has such excellent antibacterial properties, are you saying that you have developed a new drug?”

“It’s not just a new drug. It’s more like something discovered in nature rather than something that was created. It’s still far from being mass-produced…”

Hitler answered with a smile.

“It has been shown to be effective against staphylococcus, streptococcus, gonococcus, meningitis, diphtheria, pneumonia, sepsis, anthrax, and other bacterial diseases.”

There was a silence longer than before.

And the next moment,

“Is this some kind of German joke? It’s already past April Fool’s Day.”

“Are you saying that all the diseases you mentioned can be cured?! You’re not saying that such an antibiotic exists, are you?”

“Are you claiming to have discovered a panacea?”

“You said it was discovered through foundation investment, but is that accurate…!”

“Was Alexander Fleming British or American?!”

The voices of reporters echoed from all directions.

“It has already been proven to be effective in the experimental stage. It has also been proven to be harmless to the human body. An official announcement will be made soon.”

Wallace stared blankly at the sight.

Is what Hitler said true?

True or false, one thing was certain.

The money I bet on was gone.

“Let me tell you something for sure. From today on, the history of medicine will be rewritten.”

===＊＊＊===

Author’s Note

Q: Why did it take 12 years from the discovery of penicillin to mass production?

A: After the discovery of penicillin, researchers at St. Mary’s Hospital, including Alexander Fleming, studied mass production and stabilization.

However, penicillin had a fatal problem in that it lost its effectiveness if left at room temperature for a long time. In addition, the culture medium remained effective for up to 8 days, but after 10 days, it lost its effectiveness. This caused great difficulties in clinical testing.

After the failure of his experiments to isolate penicillin in 1932, Fleming lost interest and focused his research on other antibacterial substances, lysozyme and sulfa drugs.

In addition, the absence of a professional chemist to solve chemical problems and Fleming’s awkward communication were also cited as problems. Fleming also did not systematically apply animal testing and clinical testing.

Craddock, who later became Fleming’s assistant, recalled:

‘At the time, we didn’t realize that there was only one obstacle left to overcome. We had been through so many failures. If we put penicillin in the refrigerator, we would watch it lose its activity after a week. If there had been even one skilled chemist at that time, we would have definitely caught penicillin.’

(Source – The Story of Penicillin Told by Fleming, Kim Young-ho)