The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 121

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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 121. Broadcast Live!
‘Good. That’s a usable shot since it shows her face.’
It was a cut that PD Ga had deliberately included.
I knew that Ha-yun was someone who spoke little but communicated through action in moments like these.
Unlike personal broadcasts, her concept on shows like this typically followed this pattern.
Speaking only when necessary, exchanging words sparingly.
Sometimes appearing neutral, other times cynical.
Yet her expressions were remarkably varied, which became her charm.
‘She really kills it on camera.’
The viewers recognized that charm too.
-Ha-yun reading the manual is so cute
-Ha-yun’s appeal is in her silence
-Sae-rom’s reactions are great, she’s bright no matter what she does
Choi PD muttered.
“Hyung, it’s been smooth so far.”
PD Ga didn’t nod.
Smooth wasn’t the problem.
The real thing was still ahead.
* * *
This was it.
The twelve-minute mark.
The long-awaited tasting scene began.
The existing finished product from the factory. Song Seo-gwang fish placed on a plate.
The judges each took a bite.
Lee Sae-rom reacted first.
“Hmm….”
She paused mid-chew. Her smile became strained.
Sonny lowered the camera and moved her mouth.
“….”
She said nothing. Sonny’s silence was an answer in itself.
Ha-yun set down her chopsticks.
Her expression had subtly hardened.
It was broadcast exactly as it was.
The heavy atmosphere came through vividly.
Seeing this, Choi PD wore an exasperated expression.
“Wow. You said to leave it to you, and you captured all of this?”
“Is it a problem?”
“This seems insane. Can you handle it?”
“What else can I do? The reaction is killer.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Broadcasting is all about entertainment. Listen up. Remember this when you debut—entertainment is always the top priority, no exceptions.”
“Yes, sir!”
“These crazy kids.”
As Choi PD reacted, Jang Han-su on screen stepped up like a true organizer to keep the mood alive.
“How does it taste?”
Lee Sae-rom answered with a smile, but her voice lacked conviction.
“The taste is… there. But compared to what it was at the competition, it’s a bit…”
The comments scrolled rapidly.
-Huh? Why’s her reaction like that?
-She flinched lol everyone’s managing their expressions
-Different from the competition taste? Is it because it’s from the factory?
-Isn’t that just bad? They’re all staying quiet about it
-If Sonny’s not saying anything, it’s really not good fr fr
PD Ga’s fingers moved across his knee.
This was the turning point.
* * *
At the 14-minute mark, Seonwoo finally took a bite on screen.
PD Ga captured this moment in slow motion.
‘Perfect slow-mo.’
Seonwoo’s eyes blinked once.
Then his expression changed. Subtly. Very subtly.
It was the face of someone who had just discerned something.
And then Seonwoo spoke.
“Is this flounder sourced directly from the origin?”
What followed erupted on screen.
The Factory Manager’s face hardening.
Jang Han-su’s sharp comeback.
Numbers rattling off one after another.
All those scenes played out in full.
-?????
-What did he just say?
-He’s reciting the cost breakdown after one bite???
-Is Kim Seon-woo actually a chef? Or an appraiser?
-Gives me chills
-Look at the manager’s face lol he froze
PD Ga’s lips curved up slightly, then fell back.
At the 18-minute mark, Oh Tae-sik finally stepped in.
“Kim Seon-woo, the factory operation is a bit different.”
He spoke with courtesy, but his tone carried an edge.
She spoke in a polite but sharp tone.
“Why don’t you try setting it up yourself?”
Seonwoo’s response carried unmistakable conviction.
“I will.”
As he spoke, the background music underscored his decisiveness.
-Who is that guy
-Wait, is he provoking him?
Let’s do it. Reclaimed land lol
They got into a fight lol
The reaction exploded from there.
Choi PD had already leaned forward in his seat.
He’d edited this himself, watched it over dozens of times,
‘but it never gets old.’
It was still thrilling to watch.
But this wasn’t the end.
* * *
At the 21-minute mark—this was where the broadcast’s core moment began.
The scene of Seonwoo tying on his apron and taking his position at the line!
There it was!
“Lower it three degrees.”
“This one here….”
Han Jae-won opened the panel beside him, Seonwoo called out the numbers, and Jin-woo jotted them down from the side.
Every moment of it played out on screen exactly as it happened.
PD Ga’s editing was nothing short of artistry—the sequential cuts created a palpable sense of momentum.
“Phew… I did it, but I did it well.”
“Why are you using cuts so freely?”
“Freely? The real magic is what comes after.”
“Really?
The process of adjusting temperature, reducing time, and fine-tuning the mixture flowed together in rapid cuts.
“Insane… it really works.”
PD Ga had edited this section without music.
Only the sound of machinery and human voices filled the screen.
Normally this would feel tedious.
But brilliant editing had turned it into something captivating.
“Hehehehe….”
“Insane, you proud of yourself?”
“How could I not be? This is a masterpiece, a true masterpiece.”
“Fair point. I’ll give you that.”
The screen caught the line beginning to rotate.
And then.
Thunk—!
The finished product came out in no time.
I’d dramatically increased the production speed.
-Is he really changing it? Live?
-What’s Han Jae-won doing? Why is he helping?
Jin-woo’s notebook is so cute lol, it’s packed full of writing
-No BGM? Is that intentional? The raw energy is insane
-Factory employees also stop and look.
26 minutes in.
The tasting of the new finished product began.
That’s when the twist happened.
Lee Sae-rom’s eyes widened.
“This was really made at the factory?”
The subtitle captured her words.
Sonny picked up the camera again.
“It tastes the same as the competition version?”
Im Ha-yun silently took another bite.
PD Ga knew what this meant. When Im Ha-yun ate something twice, it was the highest praise.
So he held that shot for 2 seconds longer.
Jang Han-su stepped forward to wrap it up.
“At this level, it could definitely go to market as is, right?”
Right after that, a 0.5-second shot of Oh Tae-sik standing there dazed was inserted. This was intentional.
-Wow this is insane
-The taste is really the same? From the factory?
-Ha-yun took a second bite that’s legit
– Haha, look at the expression on the face of the guy who provoked me earlier.
-Isn’t that just him being dazed? He’s clearly flustered
-Oh Tae-sik? Who is this guy and why is he like that
-If Kim Seon-woo changed the settings and the taste changed, doesn’t that mean the original settings were wrong?
-Is he even an expert?
The tone of the comments began to shift.
-Wait, but if it came out like this, doesn’t that mean it tasted bad originally?
-For real, if Kim Seon-woo hadn’t stepped in, it would’ve just been expensive for nothing
-Expensive AND tasteless? Then what was the point?
-But something about the cost talk feels off?
PD Ga looked away from the monitor. He gazed at the ceiling.
Park Min-soo asked carefully.
“PD, will this be okay? The comments are a bit… scary.”
“It’s fine. Once you debut, you’ll see stuff like this all the time.”
“I don’t think I’ll see it all the time though….”
“Shut it, you punk!”
PD Ga took off his glasses and cleaned them.
He put them back on and looked at the screen.
“I only showed it. The viewers are the ones who read into it.”
“But your intention was embedded in it, wasn’t it?”
“What broadcast doesn’t have intention?”
“Well….”
“Be shameless about it, kid. Show what you want to show. Embed your intention. But it has to feel natural. That’s the key. Got it?”
“You’re teaching me something good.”
“Shut it. Better than your crazy exposés.”
“You bastard… always attacking when you’ve got nothing to say. But he’s got a point.”
“Yes, I’ll study hard.”
“Good. That’s how it should be. Hehe.”
Choi PD laughed. But there was something bittersweet in that laughter.
For some reason, he stood up from his seat. Yet he didn’t turn off the monitor.
Comments continued to pour in.
* * *
The next morning.
KBN Building. PD Ga was organizing the next proposal in the Editing Room.
It was a planning document for the live broadcast he had discussed with Seonwoo.
‘Things fell behind one way or another… but I think we can still pull it off.’
That’s when the phone rang. It was Park Min-soo.
“PD, the Department Head is coming up.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Oh, and he seems to be in a good mood.”
“Really?”
PD Ga hung up the phone.
Choi PD, who had been standing nearby watching, spoke up.
“The Director’s Office?”
“The ratings must have come out.”
“I guess? It’s about time.”
PD Ga stood up from his seat. He adjusted his glasses and left the Editing Room.
In front of the elevator, he pressed the button and thought.
‘The ratings should be good.’
Director’s Office. As I opened the door and stepped in, the Department Head was sitting on the sofa.
The Department Head had even personally brought out coffee.
The Department Head wasn’t someone who usually made coffee himself.
He only did it when he was in a good mood.
This was one of those times.
“Hey, PD Ga. Sit down. Sit down. Come on.”
“Yes. I’m sitting.”
PD Ga sat down across from me.
“Have you seen the ratings?”
“I haven’t seen the official report yet.”
“Man, this is insane. You know it’s going to be a massive hit, right?”
“It was a massive hit?”
“Highest pilot ratings ever! It’s unprecedented. For a single special episode to pull these numbers is extraordinary!”
The Department Head took a sip of coffee.
“Shouldn’t we be reviewing this for regular programming? Maybe go with a season format.”
“Really?”
“Hey, say something. You just pulled off something great—why are you acting like this?”
“Haha. I guess I was nervous.”
“Nervous? You?”
PD Ga simply listened with his head bowed.
“In any case, thank you. The coffee was delicious too. Once the viewer feedback compilation comes in, I’ll share it with you.”
“Good. Well done.”
The Department Head laughed. It was a relaxed laugh.
The laughter of someone who hadn’t checked the internet. The composure of someone who’d only seen the ratings numbers.
PD Ga knew this, but said nothing.
‘Enjoy it while you can.’
A Chef from Apocalypse Ventures into the Food Industry
Author |
Heung-haeng
Publisher |
Samyang C&C
Editorial Director |
Editorial Department
Published by |
Samyang C&C – Dream Books
Address |
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil 28, Gwangseong Building 7th Floor
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260206001
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter(X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
[email protected]
No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C – Dream Books.

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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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