The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 112

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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 112. Like a True Chef
I pulled out the tenderloin at precisely the right moment.
The knife went in. One cut along the grain. One cut perpendicular.
The proper thickness, the right size to fit in a single bite—basic fundamentals, but ones I always maintained with precision.
Slice. Slice.
The sound of the blade cutting through was deeply satisfying.
“Fresh pan here.”
“Thanks.”
I took the pan from Haran, whose thoughtfulness never wavered, and gripped it instead of the knife.
This time, a stronger flame!
I was going to trigger the Maillard reaction.
Sizzle—
The tenderloin sang against the pan.
The oil didn’t splatter wildly. The temperature was perfect.
‘Just the outside first, and quickly.’
I seared only the surface.
The inside turned a perfect pink.
Stopping at that boundary was the key.
‘I need to control this precisely.’
I drizzled the sauce. Gochujang, doenjang, plum extract.
I laid caramelized onions on the rice, placed the tenderloin on top, and drew a line of sauce across it.
Finally, I scattered sesame seeds. Tap. Tap-tap.
Two bowls were complete.
‘Not bad at all.’
Excellent.
“Jin-woo. Take this.”
“Should I deliver it?”
“Wouldn’t the lady be looking for it?”
“She said it’s sister! Anyway, I’m going!”
Jin-woo carried the bowls to the hall.
I could see Lee Sae-rom picking up her chopsticks.
* * *
‘I’m excited to see her reaction!’
Lee Sae-rom took her first bite.
She picked up the onion and tenderloin together, placed them on the rice, and put everything in her mouth at once.
She chewed. Then chewed again.
‘So tender!’
Then she stopped. Her chopsticks froze in mid-air.
“…What is this?”
Jang Han-su looked at Lee Sae-rom. Her expression had transformed.
It wasn’t the reaction of a broadcaster.
She spoke with her real face, not an act.
“Please, eat quickly.”
“Pardon?”
“Quickly! You’ll understand once you taste it!”
“Ha, well. It must be delicious. After all, it’s from a champion.”
“No, it’s not just at that level!”
“Goodness. We’re not even broadcasting right now, so don’t overdo it. Even if this tastes good… hm?”
Jang Han-su picked up his chopsticks. He took a bite.
The moment he chewed, his eating pace quickened.
“…”
“…”
Both fell silent.
Lee Sae-rom scooped a second spoonful. Then a third. Her speed increased.
Then suddenly she set down her chopsticks and looked at Jang Han-su.
“This wasn’t on the menu, was it?”
“…It wasn’t.”
“What does it mean to serve something that’s not even on the menu?”
Jang Han-su swallowed his rice and spoke.
“It means it’s made specially for us, doesn’t it?”
“Right?”
“Then isn’t that a sign of welcome?”
Lee Sae-rom’s eyes sparkled.
I was watching him from the kitchen.
When he looked toward me from a distance, I spoke to him with my lips.
“Just eat.”
Just eat already.
The perceptive Lee Sae-rom understood him.
But she wasn’t discouraged.
“Ah, look at that! How stoic!”
“Right? He is pretty stoic.”
“But look how warm his cooking is!”
Lee Sae-rom nudged Jang Han-su.
“Why aren’t you saying anything more? You should say it’s delicious if it is.”
“I’m eating it.”
“Just eating isn’t enough. You need to show a reaction.”
“You’re already doing all the reacting for me, and besides, this isn’t being broadcast, so there’s no appearance fee for me anyway.”
“I’m doing this because I want to! And I’m usually like this anyway.”
“Well…… chuckle…… so it really is your calling?”
“What is? Eating?”
“No. I’m talking about the broadcast.”
“That’s true too!”
Jang Han-su responded calmly.
Lee Sae-rom pouted.
“But now that I think about it, isn’t the MC supposed to be in charge of reactions?”
“Right now, I’m not the MC. I’m a customer.”
“Oh. Right, that’s true.”
Lee Sae-rom took another bite. She tilted her head while chewing.
“But seriously. If people don’t see this taste on the broadcast, it’s a crime. A crime, you know? How can we be the only ones who know about this?”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
Jang Han-su laughed. It wasn’t his MC laugh.
It was the kind of laugh that comes naturally when eating something delicious.
“Right? Just imagine the viewers not being able to taste this. This onion. This meat. This sauce.”
Lee Sae-rom pointed to each ingredient with her chopsticks.
“They’re delicious on their own, but together they taste completely different. How does this even happen? It’s just a simple rice bowl. Rice bowls aren’t usually like this.”
“Exactly.”
Just then, Jin-woo, who had been wiping down the table nearby, chimed in.
“The boss calculated all the proportions….”
“Calculated?”
“Oops. This isn’t the right time to talk about that.”
Jin-woo closed his mouth. It wasn’t a secret, but this wasn’t the place to explain it.
“Tsk. What is this!”
“Ah, just think of it as a preview. You know, broadcasts do this well too, right? People watch the commercial and then come back?”
“…This isn’t a broadcast though.”
“Noona. Just bear with it.”
“…Just because you call me noona, I’m supposed to bear with it. Seriously.”
* * *
Even a delicious meal had to come to an end.
Jang Han-su set down his spoon. The bowl was empty. Spotless.
Lee Sae-rom had already finished hers long ago.
After that, Jang Han-su sat for a while longer, and only came downstairs once the break time had ended and the restaurant grew quiet.
He signed autographs here and there, took photos with fans, and his face looked much the same as always. In a certain sense, he was quite a remarkable person.
“Kim Seon-woo. Or rather, Representative.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be coming back to eat here. Frequently.”
But his tone had changed. When he was talking about the broadcast earlier, there was calculation behind it.
Not anymore.
They say a single bowl of rice can change a person.
And it was true in my past life as well.
‘A shared meal became a stronger bond than fighting together.’
Perhaps it’s something similar even now.
That’s why this was my answer.
Not words, but taste.
It’s the best answer I can give.
Lee Sae-rom, standing beside me, chimed in without hesitation.
“Owner, you should add this to the menu. I’m serious.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Her voice was filled with genuine approval.
“Hmph. I want to eat this every time.”
She said it playfully.
But I could feel the sincerity beneath her words.
‘That’s nice.’
This feeling wasn’t so bad at all.
In any case, the two of them.
‘Had joined my side.’
That’s how it seemed.
* * *
Several more days passed in a blur.
And so the filming day arrived.
The weather was beautiful from morning.
‘Clear skies. I wish it was always like this.’
The sun was out, and the breeze was just right.
Since it would take some time to reach the factory, I planned to leave early.
‘Jin-woo said he’d come in his father’s car.’
He’d mentioned that over the phone yesterday.
His father had offered to drive him there first.
Well, that’s good. At least I’d see that man’s face, even if it’s in the car.
‘I wonder what he’ll want to talk about?’
Actually, he might not say anything at all. That’s the kind of person Jin-woo’s father is, from what I’ve heard.
Besides, not everything needs to be said in words.
That’s when it happened.
A car pulled up in front of me.
A Jeep. A familiar one.
The driver’s window rolled down.
“Ha-yun?”
“Get in. Standing around too long will inconvenience others.”
“Ha. Yes.”
It was Im Ha-yun.
She had her sunglasses on, one arm resting on the steering wheel.
Her small frame looked almost swallowed by the large vehicle, which was somewhat amusing, but her confidence remained unshaken.
“It’s nice that you’re giving me a ride again?”
“It’s on my way.”
“I know. We’re filming together, but I don’t think you’d come here this early in the morning just because we’re heading the same direction.”
“Just get in. You’re being noisy.”
“Hmm….”
I had nothing to say, so I got in.
As I settled into the passenger seat, the aroma of the coffee I’d brought filled the car instantly.
It was coffee my older brother had made this morning. He’d used specially blended beans, or so he said. It was worth anticipating.
“It smells wonderful?”
“Haha. Right? Here, have a cup first. You shouldn’t have an empty stomach in the morning.”
“For something like that, coffee?”
“But it’s a latte?”
“Wow. Thoughtful.”
“I think ‘thank you’ would sound better in a situation like this?”
“Thank you.”
I took a sip of the coffee. It was decent.
The car started moving. Ha-yun’s driving was surprisingly smooth.
‘Her driving is unexpectedly composed.’
After driving for a while, Ha-yun spoke first.
“How are you feeling?”
“Pardon?”
“What’s it like heading to the factory?”
Right. We’re heading to our factory.
I’d momentarily forgotten since I was enjoying being outside while riding in the car.
‘The factory, huh….’
I thought for a moment.
“I think it’ll be interesting?”
“You think it’ll be interesting?”
“Yes. I get to see how my cooking is produced on the assembly line. I’m curious about it.”
This is my first time with factory production anyway.
Ha-yun nodded slightly.
“Is that so? I just hope he doesn’t cause any trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“Jang On-gyu and his people.”
“Ah.”
Her voice carried weight.
It wasn’t common for that name to come from Ha-yun’s lips.
“We’re in front of the camera. There are limits to what he’d do, right?”
“Isn’t that exactly why he might do more? Or maybe he does it where no one’s watching.”
“Haha. You’re not wrong about that.”
“Exactly.”
I hadn’t dismissed that possibility either.
I knew Oh Tae-sik was doctoring the documents.
He’d definitely inflated the numbers. No question about it. But that was something I’d find out once I went to check.
“But you should push back.”
“…What?”
“Just kidding. You should push back.”
Ha-yun glanced at me sideways.
“Are you going to counter?”
“I’m not sure. A chef can only do so much.”
“Like what.”
“Cook.”
Ha-yun let out a hollow laugh.
There was no sarcasm in that laughter.
“Always the same thing.”
The atmosphere was good. Very good.
* * *
The factory we arrived at.
‘Wow. It’s huge.’
The factory was larger than I’d expected.
In the Apocalypse era, I’d only ever seen factories in ruins. A facility of this scale was entirely new to me. The sheer magnitude of it left quite an impression.

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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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