Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C49

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With a synchronized whinny from the two short-legged horses, thin plumes of smoke began to rise from the small boiler at the back of the carriage. The smoke drifted upward through the chimney on the side of the carriage while the water tank hidden beneath the chassis gurgled with the sound of flowing water.

As the engine throbbed with a creaking noise and the axles turned with a rhythmic clatter, the entire bottom of the carriage lifted slightly off the ground. By the time the sound of hooves striking the asphalt echoed, this extremely noisy steam carriage had already surged forward by seven or eight meters.

"Sir! There are a lot of people at the Char Department Store!"

It seems that no matter which world you're in, anyone who drives one of these carriages is bound to be a chatterbox. Despite the roar of the boiler ringing in their ears, it didn't stop the enthusiastic steam carriage driver from striking up a conversation. After glancing at Leon through the rearview mirror, he shouted:

"Are you going there because you heard they’re having a sale and want to do some big shopping? Or does someone in your family have a disease from drinking public tap water, and you’re planning to register for compensation?"

A sale? Register for compensation?

Leon, who had initially no intention of chatting, suddenly tensed up at the driver's question. Instinctively clutching the folder in his arms tighter, he asked with a puzzled expression, "The compensation for victims at Char Department Store… has already started? And what’s this about a sale?"

"Ahaha, those two are actually the same thing!" Seeing that Leon had taken the bait, the talkative carriage driver happily shouted his reply:

"Some time ago, there was an issue with the public water pipes! The company that contracted those pipes, Waterworks Company, was jointly opened by Char Department Store and some other partners. But it seems like their business hasn’t been doing well—they haven’t even recouped their investment yet. Now, Char Department Store doesn’t have the money to pay out compensations. Their boss lady was so stressed she nearly passed out!"

"This left the boss of Char Department Store completely out of options, so they just put up a sign saying they were selling goods at a loss. They dumped everything from the department store onto the streets, marked the prices, and started selling them at a loss. The prices were so shockingly cheap that nearly half the people in the capital rushed to grab the deals!"

Feeling that words alone weren’t enough to capture the grandeur of the scene, the carriage driver let go of one rein and gestured dramatically, mimicking "the deafening sound of gongs and drums, firecrackers exploding, red flags waving, and crowds surging." Then, turning back to a wide-eyed Leon, he continued:

"And then! They brought out this huge box with openings on both sides. As soon as money from sales went into the box, people lining up for compensation could immediately take it out. Aside from a few folks counting the cash and verifying the identities of the victims, the entire process didn’t pass through their company’s hands!"

"The most impressive part? The box was completely transparent! Everyone could see exactly how much money was inside. It guaranteed that every copper coin collected would be returned as compensation. Whatever mess the Waterworks Company caused, they vowed to take full responsibility, even if it meant bankrupting the department store entirely!"

"Ahaha! You know what, sir? That old man might not be great at running companies—always losing money—but this move is as straightforward and honest as it gets! Now, everyone’s worried the store will collapse before they can get their share of the bargains, so people are rushing there like crazy!"

"..."

What a genius scam! If this keeps up, he’ll lose so much money he might just become the richest man by default!

After hearing about Char Department Store's audacious scheme, Leon couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of admiration for the unseen “Old Char.”

...

Having been battered by all sorts of business tactics in his life, Leon understood perfectly well how much room there was for manipulation here.

The pricing of goods in department stores was already inflated beyond belief. The production costs of goods in the industrial age were unimaginably low to anyone who hadn’t experienced it firsthand. Take Gott, for example, which sold for three silver coins per pack. If its production cost reached even five copper coins, Leon would gladly cut off his own head and let them use it as a soccer ball!

So this so-called massive discount sale would still make them a profit—likely an enormous one at that! And what’s more, while buyers were driven into a frenzy, the sellers certainly weren’t losing their minds. In the end, which items got discounted was entirely up to the department store.

Overpriced goods, old inventory that had been sitting around too long, products negotiated at ultra-low prices from factories—all of these could be pushed out without a second thought. Even cigarettes priced at three silver coins could turn a profit when sold at half price, and once displayed, they’d be snatched up instantly. How could they not push this hard?

As for the claim that the money was handed over as compensation immediately after being received... please, who were they trying to fool?

Buyers paid and left without issue, but those claiming compensation had to go through identity checks, right? With the difference in speed between incoming and outgoing transactions, no matter how big the money box was, it would eventually overflow. And when that happened, who’s to say the department store staff wouldn’t quietly pocket the excess cash?For those coming to claim compensation, their biggest fears were that there wouldn’t be enough money or that nothing would happen. Char Department Store was openly paying out compensation and repeatedly promising to do so until the company went bankrupt. With such a large, overflowing money box sitting right there, even if there were some skeptical voices, those seeking compensation would hardly dare to make a fuss.

And once Char Department Store quietly pocketed this "little bit" of extra cash, they’d likely rush to place urgent orders with various factories—or, leveraging their massive sales volume, simply force factories into accepting delayed payments. They’d demand goods first and pay later, all while ruthlessly driving down prices.

In the commercial age, whoever can sell goods holds all the power!

If this “loss-leading mega-sale” lasted for just a week, it would probably drain half a year’s worth of purchasing power from the entire capital. All other department stores aside from Char Department Store would suffer staggering losses on paper. Those without deep pockets would be crushed outright by inventory costs and storage fees.

But as long as Char Department Store survived, they’d successfully dominate over ninety percent of the retail market. Using their newfound position, they could effectively hold most related factories hostage. For at least the next ten to twenty years, no one in the department store business would stand a chance against them.

As for whether such ruthless tactics might draw the scrutiny of the kingdom’s regulatory bodies… What an absurd notion! Was the Char Department Store making money? No. They were losing it—heavily losing it.

To those still waiting for compensation, the message was clear: Char Department Store was sincere in its desire to make amends. In fact, they had already begun selling goods at a loss just to raise the necessary funds. Hadn’t their boss lady fallen ill from the sheer strain of it all? Her condition was proof enough of their dedication.

If those authorities dared to prevent the people from receiving their rightful compensation by shutting down Char Department Store’s operations, they would soon find themselves facing the full force of public outrage.

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