The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 123

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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 123. Things Left Behind
He had missed something.
What exactly had he overlooked? The answer lay not far away.
The Department Head picked up the phone he had set down.
[Crazy Kid of Mine]
That was PD Ga’s saved contact name.
Hoping that the crazy kid was still his kid, he pressed the number.
-Ah, yes? Department Head. I’ve got the call.
“PD Ga, come up.”
-Yes. After I finish this…
“No, right now.”
-Ugh. Understood.
“Good.”
As he hung up, the Department Head thought to himself.
So this kid does know something.
‘…What trouble did he cause this time?’
* * *
PD Ga spoke without taking his eyes off the monitor.
“Ah. Word must have gotten out. I’ll be back.”
“You’re going to the Director’s Office a lot these days?”
“I knew I’d have to go.”
Choi PD turned his chair as he asked.
“Internet reaction?”
“That must be it. Why else would he call? He doesn’t praise twice.”
“That’s true. But he curses more than twice, doesn’t he?”
“…Damn it.”
PD Ga stood up as he spoke.
Park Min-soo beside him started to ask something but closed his mouth.
PD Ga left the Editing Room.
More slowly than ever before.
‘I knew it would happen, but getting scolded still feels awkward. Tsk.’
He passed through the Corridor and stood before the Elevator.
As he pressed the button, he thought back. Before, the Department Head only looked at numbers—the ratings. He seemed oblivious to which way the internet opinion was flowing, which was nice.
‘Why didn’t you enjoy it for just one more day?’
Of all places, where did he hear it from? Either someone brought it to him first, or he saw it himself.
Either way, he heard about it.
‘Well. I can guess roughly. That analog guy wouldn’t have found it himself. Someone must have called him.’
The Elevator arrived. The doors opened. The Director’s Office came into view.
* * *
The moment he opened the Director’s Office door and stepped inside.
The rich aroma of coffee greeted him first.
Once, he’d found that scent quite pleasant. This time felt different.
Anger radiated from the Department Head’s back as he gazed out the window.
“Sit.”
His voice was flat, stripped of its usual warmth.
“Mm….”
PD Ga sat without protest.
The Department Head spoke without turning around.
“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“What’s your grievance?”
“I’ve always had grievances.”
“You bastard….”
“Since the program got shredded like that, yes.”
“What? Are you talking back to me?”
“Well… the viewership numbers are good through this week, aren’t they?”
“For God’s sake. Why did you edit it like that? Turns out you dug your own grave to get criticized!”
This wasn’t a question. The real one came next.
“Do you know how many calls I’ve gotten from upstairs?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never sat in your chair….”
“Damn it! Could you ever sit there? You can’t even handle this!”
The Department Head turned around.
His eyes were different now. The composed expression he’d shown Park Min-soo had vanished entirely.
The smile he’d worn while brewing coffee was gone too.
“Cut it out now. Re-edit it.”
“That’s the part the viewers loved. It got a reaction. How can I cut it? I absolutely cannot remove it.”
“Hey. I said cut it. That’s an order.”
“The editing is my responsibility, Department Head.”
“What are you saying right now?”
“You entrusted me with making the broadcast entertaining. The viewership came through. The viewers loved it. I did everything I could as a PD.”
The Department Head stepped forward.
“Hey, I’m getting multiple calls from upstairs right now.”
“There’s no reason to cut it, Department Head.”
“Ha….”
The Department Head walked toward the sofa.
He didn’t sit, but gripped the backrest with his hand as he spoke.
“Hey. Do you think I don’t understand broadcasting? Would I be sitting in this chair if I didn’t know what viewership means?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why would I do this? When calls come from upstairs like this, I have no choice either. Please!”
PD Ga looked at the Department Head.
“Director Head, when you entrusted Salvation of Gastronomy to me, what did you say?”
“Hey!”
“You told me to make it entertaining. To make the broadcast entertaining. That’s my job, you said. Didn’t you?”
“Ha….”
The Director Head fell silent.
It was the expression of someone with nothing left to say.
Because PD Ga wasn’t saying anything wrong.
“Hey. I really…. Ugh…”
The Director Head grabbed his head.
Having another PD fix it wouldn’t be difficult.
That’s true.
But having a PD who raised the ratings this much butchered by someone else, not even by my own hand?
No matter how much broadcasting lives off advertising.
It becomes a morale issue for the internal team.
His head couldn’t help but be complicated.
Even knowing that, PD Ga rose from his seat expressionlessly.
“I’ll head back in first.”
“Yeah. Go. Get out. Get out of here!”
PD Ga opened the door and came out. The corridor was quiet. He walked neither fast nor slow.
He passed the elevator and stood before the window at the end of the corridor, thinking.
‘This is bullshit. Really bullshit.’
He cursed inwardly.
Clearly, he was the one who won.
But hearing such words from the Director Head made him feel devastated.
He didn’t feel good about this entire situation either.
But…
‘That’s enough. Damn it….’
He’d vented his curses. That would be the end of it.
‘This isn’t even the first time something like this has happened, is it?’
Some family here, some conglomerate there.
One phone call from such places and the Director Head becomes like that.
It’s not just here.
All the other broadcasting stations do the same.
‘It’s definitely not the first time….’
The person who was happy making coffee earlier becomes like that with a single phone call.
‘…Why does this feel so bitter today?’
This time, I managed to endure it. But could I really endure it next time?
The real problem wasn’t the Director Head.
‘It won’t end with the Director Head.’
Each time I endure, the pressure from above comes down harder.
As long as that structure exists within KBN, nothing will change.
That’s why I feel so doubtful.
Whether I can even launch the pilot for Salvation of Gastronomy here.
Even if the ratings come out. Even if viewers love it.
In the end, if someone from above puts their hand in, I can’t make the broadcast I want.
‘Should I do it somewhere else? But where?’
Even specialty channels are struggling these days.
‘Should I become a YouTuber too? Forget it… my face isn’t exactly camera-friendly.’
This thought hadn’t occurred to me for the first time today.
But today it felt different somehow.
For the first time, it felt genuinely possible.
If I did it on YouTube, there’d be no one meddling with the editing.
Without a Department Head, the Jang family wouldn’t be calling.
Instead, there’d be a platform. There’d be advertisers.
‘Though there’s no guarantee they won’t interfere either.’
I knew that.
But it’s still better than this current structure.
If it were a specialty channel, that would be a different story.
I’d have to convince people, restructure everything. Not right now, but eventually.
‘Maybe I’ll have to leave someday. Damn it… I don’t know.’
PD Ga looked out the window once more, then turned away.
I had to head down to the Editing Room. There was too much to do right now.
I could think about it later.
* * *
Lunchtime. The Restaurant hit its peak again.
As I set the pot on the burner, I swept my eyes across the Hall—it was more crowded than usual.
-Order in!
-Coming!
There wasn’t a single empty Table.
Even after the expansion, the occasional vacant spot had disappeared.
Jin-woo was running between two stations simultaneously.
Older Brother leaned his face into the Kitchen and spoke.
“This must be thanks to today’s broadcast, right?”
“Probably.”
“You’re quite the celebrity, aren’t you?”
“Come on, you’ve got plenty of customers too, don’t you?”
“That’s all thanks to you. Ha ha.”
Jang Owner laughed and turned back to his work.
As I quietly prepared the dishes, Jin-woo greeted the new Customers.
There were two of them.
“Welcome!”
I heard one of the customers ask quietly.
“Is the owner from the broadcast here?”
“Of course! Right over there!”
Their gaze turned toward me. I gave a brief nod while stirring the broth—a gesture of acknowledgment. If I wanted to avoid complaints, I had to handle these moments well.
A question came from another table.
“You visited the factory, didn’t you? We saw it on the broadcast. Did you really change the setup? How do you even do something like that?”
“Well, you know how it is. Ha ha.”
“I was genuinely amazed when I saw it.”
“I was amazed watching from beside him too.”
“Oh? So you’re the one who appeared then?”
“Ah, yes. Ha ha. I assisted from the side.”
“Hey, could I get a handshake?”
“Oh? My hands are a bit dirty from serving…”
“Ah, that’s fine.”
“Just a moment, let me take off my gloves. Th, thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you!”
The customer shook my hand, satisfied, and unfolded the menu.
Toward the end of lunch, a middle-aged man approached the register.
“Owner, I tried the flounder. It was really delicious.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s from the factory, right? It seemed like you made it yourselves.”
“Ah, come on. You know it’s all factory-made.”
“Ha ha. It was just so delicious.”
The man nodded and left.
Jin-woo came into the kitchen and spoke.
“Older Brother, that’s already the fifth customer today talking about the flounder.”
“Is that so.”
“And somehow… before, customers only seemed interested in the food, but this time it feels like they’re looking for us? It seems a bit different, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. It’s definitely changed.”
I lowered the heat and reflected on it.
‘Not just the food… but interest in me too. This is refreshing.’
It truly was refreshing.
This kind of attention was entirely new to me.
I’d heard talk of celebrity chefs and influencers before.
I wondered if this was what they felt.
But there was something even more refreshing than that.
‘The reactions are entertaining.’
The image of the factory line running stayed in my mind.
That strange, unfamiliar feeling from then hadn’t faded.
With a thud, the finished product came off the end of the line.
It wasn’t made by hand, one piece at a time.
I hadn’t personally touched each one at that station.
Yet the taste came out exactly as I intended.
‘That’s what made it so satisfying.’
A Chef from the Apocalypse Ventures into the Food Industry
Author |
Heung-haeng
Publisher |
Samyang C&C – Dream Books
Editor-in-Chief |
Editorial Department
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Samyang C&C – Dream Books
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UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260206001
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter(X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
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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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