The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 111

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 111. The Cost Game
Next came the cost structure.
Administrative expenses. Distribution costs. Operating expenses.
I raised the labor costs slightly. I only bumped up the hourly wage tier by one notch, yet the total swelled considerably.
Well, the managerial staff—I increased their share a bit too. Just a tiny bit.
‘I need to take care of my people.’
I raised the unit price of packaging materials.
The justification was switching to eco-friendly packaging.
I inserted a new line item for factory reconfiguration costs. The pretext was rearranging the production line to accommodate the filming.
‘This one PD Ga created himself.’
In reality, we were only moving a single lighting fixture, but the paperwork showed the entire line being reconfigured.
Each individual item was subtle enough to go unnoticed.
But combined, they added up considerably.
1.5 times!
The original cost had been inflated to 1.5 times on paper.
Since each line item had supporting documentation, it looked plausible to anyone reviewing it.
‘At this level, even an audit won’t catch it. Heh heh.’
Oh Tae-sik saved the file.
He leaned back and took a sip of coffee.
It had gone cold. But that didn’t matter.
“Perfect.”
Finally, he mentally mapped out the workflow for the filming day.
Once the filming crew arrived, I could charge factory setup fees too.
Lighting installation. Safety equipment rental. Filming cooperation labor.
‘There’s so much to add.’
Each item was an expense. For now, anyway.
They’re all just pretexts.
Someone will pocket it, certainly.
Whether it’s me or someone else—what does it matter?
And then there was what the Representative just said.
‘He said to finish things well.’
Finishing well means the numbers look good. Good numbers make for a good finish.
Oh Tae-sik closed his laptop.
Whatever donation amount remained, Jang On-gyu would decide that.
Get the image boost. Keep the money.
‘This is why he’s called a business genius.’
Oh Tae-sik laughed as he turned off the light.
The office went dark.
Only the laptop’s standby light blinked blue.
Buzz—
My phone rang. A text message.
[I think I could add a few more setups?]
It was from Jang On-gyu.
Oh Tae-sik laughed in the darkness.
He opened his laptop again. The screen brightened.
An Excel sheet was displayed.
He added one row. Then another.
The numbers climbed higher.
Save.
This time he really closed it.
‘One more polish tomorrow morning and it’s done.’
Oh Tae-sik left the office.
* * *
Time flew by quickly.
It was a few days before filming.
The lunch rush had passed, and we had a brief moment to catch our breath.
‘Phew… it’s almost over. Huh?’
The door suddenly opened.
A familiar face appeared.
“Hello!”
It was Lee Sae-rom. She walked in waving her hand with sunglasses pushed up on her head.
Jang Han-su stood behind her.
-What? It’s Lee Sae-rom!?
-Jang Han-su came too?
-Are they filming?
-What’s going on?
The customers buzzed with excitement.
A commotion erupted suddenly.
Despite appearances, Jang Han-su was a top-tier MC, and Lee Sae-rom had risen in status through this broadcast. They were both riding high in popularity right now.
So it was only natural that the restaurant became chaotic.
I was flustered too.
‘Both of them together? Why here?’
I never expected these two to show up suddenly.
* * *
Jin-woo reacted first from the hall.
“Oh! Lee Sae-rom! MC Jang Han-su!?”
“Oh, Jin-woo! How have you been?”
“What, really? You’re just calling me by my name?”
“Then, um, Sae-rom… noona?”
“Why noona! That makes me sound old…”
“I saw you and thought you were so pretty, so I looked up your profile….”
“That’s enough. Just stop at pretty.”
“…Yes, noona.”
“Okay. Good judgment!”
“Heh… Thank you. Would you mind heading up to the second floor? There’s going to be a bit of commotion, so it would be better up there.”
“Oh. Special treatment?”
“No. I’m worried it might disturb the other customers.”
“…Noona’s going to sulk.”
“Can’t be helped. Come on, let’s head up.”
Lee Sae-rom naturally claimed a table.
The second floor window area.
Jang Han-su followed and sat down a beat later.
It was unexpected.
The Jang Han-su I’d seen before was someone who always claimed his seat first. You could call it MC instinct. But today he was yielding ground to Lee Sae-rom.
‘Interesting?’
This was the first time I’d seen him take a step back.
* * *
Besides, orders were nearly finished anyway.
Since I hadn’t seen them in a while, I headed up. I was glad to see them.
“It’s been a while.”
“It really has!”
“Yes. It’s nice to see you like this.”
“But Owner, what’s good today?”
Lee Sae-rom handed over the menu.
“Everything is delicious.”
“Come on. That’s cheating.”
“Then would something not taste good?”
“Ugh… You’re right. Everything probably tastes amazing.”
While exchanging pleasantries with Sae-rom, Jang Han-su lowered his tone and spoke.
“Kim Seon-woo. I came to greet you first.”
“Greet me?”
“You might have heard, but PD Ga apparently brought up the broadcast.”
Broadcast. The word I’d anticipated came out as I headed up.
‘So it was that after all.’
That one thing PD Ga threw out just before hanging up.
Broadcast. Not a pilot but a regular series. Rumors seem to be spreading.
“I heard it’s not confirmed yet. I’m also hesitant to call it confirmed?”
“Right. Since it’s before confirmation, that’s exactly why I’m greeting you now.”
Today, Jang Han-su’s tone was different.
He wasn’t the resonant MC I’d seen on broadcasts.
His voice was calm and low—the tone reserved for private moments.
“We wanted to be part of it too.”
Lee Sae-rom cut in directly.
“The delicious food wins, doesn’t it? I want to eat something delicious on that broadcast.”
“And as a work, you’re ambitious about it?”
“Ambitious… yes, that’s right. Ambitious.”
Ambitious. That was so like Lee Sae-rom.
‘She’s honest, at least.’
This was my first time seeing her in a private setting.
But this person seemed to be like this naturally.
She didn’t know how to speak indirectly. Even her judging comments at the competition were the same. Delicious is delicious, otherwise it isn’t. That was Lee Sae-rom’s way.
Jang Han-su continued.
“Honestly, it’s strange not to be ambitious, isn’t it? The pilot already generated this much buzz.”
“Even though the actual broadcast could have a different structure?”
“Ha. What is broadcasting? If it has buzz, that’s half the battle. At least half, or rather 90% of it is already secured.”
“So you’re fine with however it turns out?”
“If I think of it as a good change, that’s all. That’s why I’m ambitious.”
The conversation started with ambition and ended with ambition.
Jang Han-su seemed intent on being honest, at least this time.
“Before that, I thought it was right to greet Kim Seon-woo first. Rather than the PD.”
I paused for a moment.
Rather than the PD.
He deliberately attached those five words. The emphasis was quite strong.
It meant Jang Han-su had come to me first before PD Ga.
For broadcasters, the PD is their livelihood.
He had come to the cast member first, before that livelihood.
‘Hmm….’
There was much contained in those words.
In the past, he would have gone to Jang On-gyu first.
In broadcasting circles, Jang On-gyu was both money and connections.
But Jang Han-su is sitting here now.
Not toward Jang On-gyu, but at my restaurant. He came on his own.
In that moment, I felt it.
‘The wind has truly shifted.’
The wind that had blown toward Jang On-gyu had twisted slightly, losing some of its warmth.
‘Though this isn’t the first time I’ve sensed it.’
I’d felt it since the competition.
It showed in his attitude during the awards ceremony.
He only displayed the essence of an MC to the end.
The texture had changed from those days when he clung warmly to Jang On-gyu. Unmistakably.
But there was no need to voice that thought.
As the saying goes, even Diamond Mountain tastes better after a meal. First, I should do what a restaurant does best.
“Please, have a seat. What would you like to order?”
“Surprise us! We’d like you to choose for us, Owner.”
Lee Sae-rom closed the menu. Jang Han-su followed suit.
“Chef’s choice. I realized something at the competition—whatever Kim Seon-woo picks always tastes the best.”
Chef’s choice.
Yes, perhaps they’re asking me to answer through my cooking here.
“Understood. Look forward to it.”
“Yes!”
“Absolutely!”
* * *
‘If they came to taste, I should answer with taste.’
I returned to the kitchen.
Haran was sharpening a knife. Scritch-scritch. The pleasant metallic sound rang out.
Though the intensity in her eyes as she gazed at that blade was sharp enough to pierce—a minor concern.
“Owner. Is that an order?”
“Yes. It just happened to work out this way.”
“Because of those two?”
“That’s right.”
“This should be interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“Yes. I’m curious what you’ll make this time. Hehe.”
Just as Haran said.
I paused to consider what to prepare.
Clear bone broth ramen or torched truffle kimbap.
It would be a shame to serve what I gave Han Jae-won again. I’ve already made those for others too.
‘Something feels insufficient as an answer.’
These people deserved something different.
‘They came to me purely for the taste. I should treat them with taste.’
Yes, that felt right.
Caramelized onion tenderloin rice bowl.
More precisely, a rice bowl with beef tenderloin atop deeply caramelized, sweet onions.
Truth be told, it’s a recipe I haven’t added to the official menu yet.
‘I’ve only just locked down the proportions through breaking the limits of taste.’
And honestly, beef tenderloin rice bowl in a casual eatery?
It doesn’t quite fit, does it? Even managing the cost per unit was no simple task.
‘Which is exactly why it’s perfect.’
Serving something unexpected ensures it stays in their memory.
This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve presented dishes this way.
There was nothing to hesitate about.
Whoosh—
I ignited the stove.
I placed the onion on the heat. My senses read the moisture content on the onion’s surface.
‘The moisture is higher than usual?’
Today’s onion had 2% more moisture than yesterday’s.
I carefully lowered the stove’s flame.
The onion began to receive the heat.
It turned translucent, and the edges began to change color.
A deep amber hue. The signal that caramelization had begun.
A sweet aroma filled the kitchen.
‘Perfect. This is the moment!’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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