Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Ethan's Principles
Today, countless spectators gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of Pikachu and Pichu.
"Honey, Pichu is so adorable! I want one!" A young woman in the crowd cozied up to her well-dressed, affluent-looking boyfriend.
"How much? If you want it, I'll buy it!" The round-faced man puffed up, exuding confidence with a hint of arrogance.
"You're the best!" She gave him a playful kiss on the cheek. "I heard they cost around 300,000 yuan. What do you think?"
"Three hundred thousand?" The man's confidence wavered, but he quickly composed himself. He'd made a promise, and backing down now would be embarrassing. With a steadying breath, he nodded. "Alright, we'll get one."
"No, I want it now!" She clung to his arm, giving him an irresistibly sweet look.
He sighed, feigning reluctance. "Alright, alright, let's go. I'll make it happen."
The two approached a Pokémon Biotechnology employee.
"Hey, I hear Pichus cost 300,000 yuan. I've got cash on me. Go ahead and pack one up for us!" the man announced loudly, drawing the attention of nearby onlookers. He grinned, clearly pleased with the attention.
"Sorry, sir, but all our Pichus have already been reserved," the employee responded politely.
"Don't kid around! Do you think I can't afford it? Fine, I'll go up to 350,000. Just get me one," he insisted, raising his offer.
The employee looked uneasy. "I'm afraid increasing the price won't help."
"Alright, then, 400,000!" The man's tone grew demanding as if expecting this to be a matter of price alone.
The employees exchanged uncertain glances until Ethan Grave noticed the commotion and approached.
"Sir, as my employee just mentioned, all our Pichus are reserved. We have a waitlist if you'd like to be added," Ethan explained, nodding to the employee, who stepped back with relief.
"You're the boss here, right?" The man, about forty, squared his shoulders, attempting to look imposing. "Give me one for 400,000. I don't care about the waitlist. I want it now."
Ethan sighed, his tone calm yet firm. "Even if you offered four million, it wouldn't make a difference. We've made commitments to our customers, and we honor them."
"Alright, then, 450,000!" the man pushed, his face beginning to flush.
"It wouldn't matter if you offered ten times that," Ethan replied, his voice turning steely. "Our business depends on trust, and I won't compromise that. Timmy!"
At Ethan's call, Pikachu approached, his cheeks sparking with small jolts of electricity.
The man and his girlfriend instinctively stepped back, startled.
"Sir," Ethan continued, "we value our principles as much as our products. I'm sure you understand."
The man hesitated before finally nodding, his bravado deflating. "Alright, alright. I get it. I just thought money could speed things up."
"It's about more than money," Ethan replied smoothly. "If you're interested, join the waitlist. No need to make a scene."
With little choice, the couple retreated, while the surrounding crowd applauded Ethan's polite but resolute handling of the situation.
The exchange inspired others to respect the waitlist, and the pressure for "immediate" purchases eased.
"Mr. Grave, could you tell us when we'll actually be able to buy a Pichu?" someone called eagerly from the crowd.
Ethan scanned the group, smiling at their excitement. "We're working on it. Our goal is to secure more funding, expand our labs, and ramp up production soon."
He paused, adding with a spark of enthusiasm, "And don't just focus only on Pichu. We're currently developing a brand-new species with its own special abilities."
The crowd gasped, and a ripple of excitement spread. Pokémon Biotechnology had only recently introduced Pichu, yet they were already working on another new species with unique capabilities.
"What type is it, Mr. Grave? Does it have electrical abilities, too? Did you design it yourself?" someone asked, curiosity lighting up their face.
Ethan smiled. "Yes, I designed it myself, but I can't give away all the details just yet. You'll find out soon, once it passes review with the evaluation agency. I think you'll all be surprised!"
The mention of a new species stirred even more excitement among the crowd.
"Mr. Grave is incredible! It takes a real genius designer to keep innovating like this, who knows maybe he could rival the world's best!"
"I can't wait! If Pichu is this amazing, the next creature will definitely be incredible."
The crowd's enthusiasm grew, and Ethan's reputation seemed to strengthen with each new revelation.
Back at the booth, Ethan rejoined his team. Among them, only James had been directly involved in the lab preparations for the new species, so most of the staff were just as surprised as the crowd.
"Mr. Grave, were you serious about that announcement?" one employee asked, wide-eyed.
"Of course," Ethan replied with a smile. "You can ask Director Hunt, he's been overseeing the lab setup these past few days."
The team turned to James, who hesitated before confirming, "Actually, there's more than one. Mr. Grave has laid the groundwork for two new creatures..."
The team was stunned.
Ethan never ceased to amaze them, and each new revelation only deepened their admiration.
...
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