[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola":3,"chapter-i-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola-i-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola-chapter-32":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I’m Quitting Everything and Selling Cola",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},223458,492,"Chapter 32","i-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola-chapter-32",32,"\u003Cp>Chapter 32. I Released Cola in Nortaris! (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inside of the auction house was already packed with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An interior so spacious that shouting'yahoo'would echo—yet there wasn't a single spot to step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bankers, businessmen, or representatives from merchant associations, each interested in the legacy Polar Sun left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope was the only noble personally present and seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she even came wearing a red, flashy dress, countless glances poured toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it... Why of all times...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that... was really true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today's a bust... If I'd known...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...As long as it doesn't overlap...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the murmuring grew louder, but now was the time to focus on the auction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope squeezed through the gaps in the crowd and sat in an auction seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's with the sudden business cards... anyway?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even sitting down and thinking about it again, she couldn't understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely stories about the Cola factory had leaked out...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, she'd been quite active recently and had shown the fearsome side of the Rosemores against Blyton, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, is that it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone with a bit of sense would know the Rosemores moved not for Penelope's sake but for the family's prestige...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that social circles had been ostracizing Penelope all this time without even that much awareness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time to fall into deep contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We will now begin the auction for Polar Sun Corporation asset liquidation. I trust everyone is familiar with the procedures, so we'll move straight to the first item.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The auctioneer started the auction without even a second's deviation from the scheduled time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lot number 1, a lemonade manufacturing plant. Please refer to the catalog for detailed specifications. The starting bid is 300 Crowns! We'll take bids!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What, what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does it normally proceed this quickly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope, who had barely caught her breath, hurriedly examined the materials she'd prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's see... Lot number 1...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lemonade plant in question was one of Polar Sun's main production facilities located in the New Industrial District.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The starting price was 300 Crowns, but this was far below the estimated value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They deliberately lowered the starting price to ignite fierce competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If proper competition took hold, it could easily surpass several thousand Crowns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's pie in the sky...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, most of Penelope's assets were tied up, invested in the Cola factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget several thousand Crowns—she didn't even have the starting price of 300 Crowns on hand, so she lost interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She examined the auction catalog to see if there were any other items worth picking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are at least buyable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed possible to snag unused raw materials at bargain prices with her current budget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sugar, bottle caps, oranges—things like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jurgen had been worrying lately about rising sugar prices anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the sugar—the storage condition was good and the quantity sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If luck followed, she might be able to take it at a tidy discount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Penelope examined the auction list, she raised her head, feeling the surroundings were strangely quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She'd thought the moment the auctioneer's crisp voice rang through the hall, excitement wouldwhooshignite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it's an auction—competition, desire, the heat of battle, things like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But silence flowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence so deep you could hear the clock's second hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The auction participants in front weren't focused on the auction at all but kept glancing backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Blyton come back from the dead or something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope, who snuck a glance over her shoulder while pretending to flip her hair, was once again flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The auction participants sitting in the back rows turned their gazes away and feigned ignorance as if completely uninterested in the auction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While everyone was quiet, someone suddenly approached the auctioneer and whispered along with a note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The auctioneer tilted his head as if baffled, then spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... I apologize. There was an error. Lot number 1, lemonade manufacturing plant. We will correct the starting price to 100 Crowns. We apologize for the confusion. Starting bid, 100 Crowns!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's an auction anyway, so does lowering the starting price even matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope seemed to understand why the auctioneer showed that reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"100 Crowns, anyone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the hall remained silent enough to hear the clock's second hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? Is everyone completely uninterested in that item?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That's really an absurd price though...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why isn't anyone bidding?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope glanced around, then showed uncharacteristic timidity as she raised her paddle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"100 Crowns. I bid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feeling was like 'If no one's going to buy it... can I just take it...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"100 Crowns! We have 100 Crowns! One! 100 Crowns, two! 100 Crowns, three! Sold to number 47! Congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope blinked her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first she blinked slowly, then gradually faster as she recognized reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one bid higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Penelope won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Won?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For only 100 Crowns?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is this even okay?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a factory in the New Industrial District close to the port and cargo station, isn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was one of Polar Sun's main lemonade production facilities, wasn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even excluding the factory and equipment, the land value alone would easily exceed 1,000 Crowns, wouldn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is there some serious defect with the item?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are there debts, collateral, or ownership issues tangled up with it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if we trace back to the truth, that wasn't the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Ugh! What a waste!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'That for 100 Crowns...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I wanted to buy it too!!!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Of all times, P.R. had to show up!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those gathered at this Chamber of Commerce auction house were money demons who came to 'rationally' buy 'good items.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, when good items come out at good prices, it's natural to fight tooth and nail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, those gathered here had encountered gossip circulating through social circles—in Britannian terms, a 'memorandum.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Notification of Gray Council Decision Regarding Polar Sun and P.R.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Blyton, who antagonized P.R., 'processed as suicide.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Chairman Marcus to preferentially yield Polar Sun's legacy to P.R.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Other council members eyeing said legacy agreed to suspend related plans for 30 days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—P.R.'s position requires reevaluation. Incompetent image may be intentional performance. (Uncertain)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Need to reconsider the possibility that Penelope indirectly exercised influence over Gray Council. (Very uncertain)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A matter the entire Gray Council agreed upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least in this Chamber of Commerce auction house, there was no one who would ignore that tacit agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money is important, but more precious than life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next is lot number 2! Suburban Old Brewery District lot! Starting bid 40 Crowns!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That place was near the abandoned factory Jurgen bought from Serena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even considering it was an old industrial district, 40 Crowns was a bargain among bargains compared to the land area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time too, Penelope gauged the room andsneakilyraised her paddle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"40 Crowns. I bid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"50 Crowns...Oof oof... Who are you people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my! Friend! Please stay still!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We're trying to help, trying to help!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a small disturbance in the middle...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"40 Crowns! We have 40 Crowns! One! 40 Crowns, two! 40 Crowns, three! Sold to number 47! Congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sold to number 47! Congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Number 47 sold, congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Number 47, congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope successfully completed her auction house debut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about an hour of debuting, what she held in her hands were...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—New Industrial District lemonade manufacturing plant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Old industrial district brewery lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Large warehouse near Nortaris Central Station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—200 tons of sugar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the achievement accomplished with a measly 250 Crowns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People rejoice when fortune follows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when too great a fortune follows, one simply becomes dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope, who had overcome early morning drowsiness hoping to snag something cheaply out of regret, was in exactly that state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like succeeding at an unreasonable quest she'd experienced during her university days: 'Hey, I'll give you 5 pence, so go to the shop and buy 5 rubies and lapis lazuli for catalysts. And leave the change behind.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For 250 Crowns?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's what I'm saying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All of it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's what she says...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Jurgen couldn't help but be astonished at this miraculous arithmetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't make sense by common standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the worldview and concept of prices differ, when converting 1 Crown to won, the approximate equivalent is about 1 million won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For easy calculation, remove two zeros and add 'hundred million.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, 250 Crowns is about 250 million won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About the price of Serena's beloved car, the Caliburn Model J, which was involved in an unfortunate incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a small amount of money, but not particularly impressive in business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, even 'Cola Factory No. 1' alone was scheduled to have 1,500 Crowns invested after deducting this and that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was despite receiving the factory from Serena at a cheap price and maximizing reuse of existing equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, it meant she pulled off an absurd miracle with that 'chump change.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't know Miss Penelope's capabilities were so remarkable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Me neither...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever the detailed circumstances. Well done, Miss Penelope.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elegant noble lady Penelope is always thirsty for praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope's earsperkedup hearing Jurgen's admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, when I get serious, this is the level I'm at.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firmly suppressing the corners of her mouth while pretending to be nonchalant, she summarized the significance of today's harvest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the lemonade factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The New Industrial District is close to both the port and cargo station. Rather than rewriting the proposal, how about moving the factory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The blueprints have already gone in and foundation work has started, you see. We can put out Factory No. 2 under better conditions than now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, the lot in the same brewery district as Factory No. 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The warehouse problem is immediately solved. This works out well since I was worried about it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I bought it because it seemed to be right next door. You know how much I got it for? 40 Crowns, 40 Crowns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, the large warehouse near Nortaris Central Station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oho, it should be excellent as an intermediate distribution base.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since it's right next to the station, distribution throughout the North will become convenient too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lastly, even sugar, the main raw material for Cola.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, and I bought sugar too. 1 Crown per 10 tons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ohhh...! Well done, well done!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a mere 250 Crowns, she'd captured the trinity of manufacturing, distribution, and storage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that remained now was for Serena to quickly finish manufacturing the production equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But really, why was I so lucky?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incident where Penelope learns about the rumors concerning herself and becomesdejectedsaying 'I'm tainted by the mafia...' would come a bit later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, at the Renoir Workshop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serena was directing the manufacturing of Cola production equipment at the forefront.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Serena! Take it easy! Haven't you only been catnapping for three days already?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's plenty of time until the deadline.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The team members tried to dissuade their team leader, Serena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young lady had been obsessively immersed in work for the past few days without proper sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood that sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commission she'd received this time contained innovation that any Mechanical Engineer would want to design and manufacture at least once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Advanced equipment that progressed the existing beverage production system by two stages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They handle steel and machinery but are beings with passion hotter than a furnace in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn't that what a Mechanical Engineer is?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was too excessive, even excessively so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She'd seemed to grind her body down since the design phase, and upon entering the production phase, she'd practically set up house in the workshop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't simply giving instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing work clothes, gripping a wrench, getting grease on her face, rolling on-site together with team members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was on edge wondering what would happen if the already delicate young lady suddenly collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you insist, how about you give us instructions and at least close your eyes for a moment...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. I'll do a bit more. I can do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serena shook her head and wiped sweat with her sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As grease smeared, her face became a bit more grimy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm the on-site supervisor, aren't I? What happens if the field commander leaves their post on the battlefield?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the team members, even that appearance seemed beautiful enough to have a halo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sniff... When did she grow so dignified...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the young lady is stepping up like that, we can't slack off! All-nighter again today!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Waaaah!!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the kind of manager who gestures at subordinates while personally slacking off, but a true manager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn't this exactly the aspect of a true superior worthy of inheriting the Renoir Viscountcy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'As quickly as possible! With the highest quality possible! This much isn't enough!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Separate from the burning enthusiasm of the team members...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serena's reason for overworking was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, she hadn't intended to go this far from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though she'd made a bad impression on Senior Jurgen, whom she'd mistaken for a commoner, hadn't she roughly paid compensation with the factory and Caliburn?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, what Serena feared was Jurgen's side more than Penelope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Penelope...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just thought of her as someone born into a great family? With connections through family influence? A noble lady with a nasty personality? Something like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She'd thought'If you look at ability alone excluding family, isn't she not much different from me?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she occasionally challenged her, tried to match up to her, things like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was until she heard news about Penelope in the social circles' memorandum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope had her life threatened by a mafia boss who was a business competitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She repelled him through a show of force, and afterward even drove the boss to suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not satisfied with that, she even exercised influence over the Gray Council, Nortaris's mafia organization, to devour Polar Sun's legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penelope, who'd been mocked with the derogatory nickname of useless flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Serena had somewhat looked down on her, but she was actually...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fearsome noble living at the heart of dark struggles and schemes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must... move up the schedule...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with Serena's struggle stemming from survival instinct...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadline shortened from 60 days to 20 days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Y&P Trading Company's Cola Factory No. 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand opening!\u003C\u002Fp>",2350,"2026-05-29T14:34:06.789Z","2026-06-01T04:29:32.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","b73bdaef05d0674e68e8297437b0373b7645fc52574e6d6190ce7d05b10d3c8e","i-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola-chapter-33","i-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola-chapter-31",146,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-quitting-everything-and-selling-cola-cover.jpg"]