The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 134

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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 134. Proposal (2)
In the afternoon, after the lunch rush had passed, only a couple of groups of customers remained in the restaurant.
“Ha. Welcome.”
Han Jae-won had arrived first.
He’d been looking over the menu at a window seat, and when I entered, he lifted his head lightly.
He carried himself as if he owned the place, and it suited him remarkably well.
He was the type who fit in anywhere—someone with an instinct for reading the room.
“I’ve gotten a rough sense of what this place is about.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Since you asked me to come here, I figured there must be something to it. That’s why I arrived early.”
“So you came with high expectations?”
“Exactly. You did say to come with great expectations.”
The moment I sat across from him, he launched into conversation.
As expected—he’s quick. It meant he’d already made a full circuit of the place before I arrived.
“So, what do you think?”
“Why did you ask me to come to a place like this?”
He answered my question with a question of his own.
“The food here.”
“Hmm… the food?”
I tapped the menu once.
“Don’t you think it could be quite delicious with a little work?”
“A little work, you say.”
Han Jae-won’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It was the gaze of someone trying to read between the lines.
“Let’s taste it first.”
“Fair enough. Food must be tasted to be judged. What will you order?”
“Two bowls of kalguksu, please!”
“Yes! Order received!”
I ordered two bowls of kalguksu, and the Young Restaurant Owner acknowledged the order with a bright voice.
‘Good posture.’
His voice carried energy that lifted the customer’s spirits.
Usually, when there are few customers, people lose their vigor and don’t project their voices. But this man maintained his energy regardless.
In that sense, he possessed a commendable attitude.
Shortly after, the Young Restaurant Owner brought out the dishes himself.
Then he asked carefully.
“Would it be alright if I asked for an autograph later?”
“An autograph?”
He was asking me.
“Ha ha.”
Han Jae-won watched him and smiled.
“You recognized me, Representative?”
“…Yes. Indeed.”
“I apologize if I was presumptuous.”
“No, no. I don’t have anything like an autograph to give.”
“Ah…!”
“My apologies. How about this person instead?”
“This person is…! Oh! Han Jae-won, Judge!”
“Ha ha. I’ve become a judge rather than a representative.”
“You’ll sign for me, won’t you?”
“Of course. Since Representative Kim asked. Would my autograph be acceptable?”
“Y-yes, it’s an honor.”
“Ha ha. That’s wonderful.”
The brief exchange passed quickly.
The Owner set down the kalguksu with trembling hands, clearly nervous.
‘Impressive that he didn’t spill it. Heh.’
His hands were professional.
* * *
The Owner withdrew from our table, his nervousness evident.
He retreated with visible tension.
Of all people, it had to be the two of us—famous for our palates.
It made perfect sense that he’d be nervous with two such diners visiting his restaurant.
“Shall we taste it?”
“Hmm… I’m looking forward to it.”
Slurp—
The noodles were slightly thick, and the broth had an anchovy base with a subtle hint of clam aroma rising through.
‘Not bad. Definitely not bad.’
That was the point. Not bad, but something was missing from the flavor.
Han Jae-won picked up his chopsticks.
He gathered a single strand of noodles, dipped it in the broth, and brought it to his mouth.
He chewed, swallowed, followed it with a sip of broth, then paused for a beat.
‘His expression changed.’
His lips neither turned down nor up.
“It’s exactly 2% short.”
“That’s right. That’s why I came.”
“That’s why you came?”
I set down my chopsticks and looked at Han Jae-won.
“But what if I filled in that missing part?”
“Filled in that missing part….”
Han Jae-won’s hand froze. His leisurely gaze sharpened by a full tone.
“Are you suddenly planning to offer consulting?”
“That’s right. As expected, you catch on quickly.”
“Consulting, you say….”
Han Jae-won tilted his head.
“Most people would call this nonsense.”
“I suppose they would.”
“Yes. Cooking something yourself and teaching it to others are two entirely different matters.”
“Exactly.”
“But you’ve already proven you can do it. At the factory.”
“Haven’t I?”
“Hmm….”
I scooped up more broth. Sipping it slowly, I was organizing my thoughts.
“So the next product would be….”
“Something like this.”
I tapped the kalguksu bowl lightly.
“Quite interesting, wouldn’t you say?”
“Hmm… Kalguksu made from a consulted recipe.”
Han Jae-won leaned back against his chair.
“It’s not bad. Not bad at all… but it’s not particularly good either.”
“Why is that?”
His lips curved upward, but his eyes were calculating.
“Because I want yours, Representative Seonwoo.”
“Of course we’ll do that too.”
I took another bite of noodles. They slid smoothly down my throat.
“But wouldn’t it be interesting to productize what we make here as well? In the sense of creating multiple products, like those craft breweries do?”
“Ooh….”
Han Jae-won’s eyebrows rose slightly.
“The unit cost will be higher, though.”
“It will be somewhat higher, but if we make it delicious enough to offset that and still turn a profit, wouldn’t that work?”
I set down the broth bowl.
“Offset….”
“And if we sell it here as well, that could be quite fun.”
“Here, you mean….”
“This New City District.”
Han Jae-won turned his head.
Through the window, the New City District shopping area came into view.
A street where a couple of Jang On-gyu Franchise signs caught the eye.
Looking at that street, there was no way he could miss my intention.
“Ah…!”
His mouth fell open, then closed again.
“You’re targeting Jang On-gyu?”
“Killing two birds with one stone.”
“Ha ha. You’re calling that killing two birds with one stone?”
“Why not? Considering his family’s background, this street is small potatoes.”
“So you’re going for a full-court press?”
“Yes. Consulting to establish the market. Creating products. And additionally….”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. I’ll sell products in the form of a pop-up store in the empty shop here.”
“Ha ha ha. This is really… you’re undertaking things I never even imagined?”
“Isn’t that what makes it fun?”
“Yes. That’s what makes it fun. Ha ha.”
Han Jae-won laughed. Properly this time.
He didn’t make a sound, but his shoulders trembled slightly.
“This really does sound fun.”
He picked up his chopsticks again and finished his noodles.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
‘He must be organizing his thoughts.’
Even though he seemed easygoing, he was the type who wouldn’t open his mouth until he had an answer worked out internally.
His bowl was empty. Han Jae-won set down his broth bowl and looked directly at me.
“So here’s the thing.”
This time I spoke first.
“There’s an opportunity to invest in a factory. Would you like to come in with me?”
Han Jae-won opened his mouth, then closed it.
It was brief. His fingers tapped the table once, and one corner of his mouth lifted.
“You’d do it even without me, wouldn’t you?”
“That’s right. It would take some time, but… I don’t think I’d be unable to do it. Things like factory setup and all.”
“This is something else. If it were anyone else, I’d say it’s impossible. But you’ve already shown what you can do….”
“So wouldn’t it be better to do it together?”
“…I have no choice but to accept this, do I?”
“Great. I’m in!”
My voice rose a pitch. It was a reaction I’d never shown before.
I looked down at his bowl. He’d cleaned it completely, broth and all.
‘He said it was 2% short, but he ate it all cleanly.’
That was his answer in itself.
He would have left some if he didn’t like it.
We stepped outside the restaurant.
The afternoon sunlight slanted down across the shopping center signs.
Han Jae-won walked ahead and turned back to look at me.
“We’ll work out the details next time.”
“Yes.”
“But Representative.”
He paused and laughed.
“This is going to be really fun.”
I thought so too.
‘Running two operations simultaneously.’
* * *
I left the restaurant.
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Yes, go ahead and take a look.”
The moment I sent Han Jae-won off, the heart of the New City District came into view.
‘I need to finish this today.’
Work was piling up.
Even setting aside this project, there was still the restaurant to manage.
Haran and Jin-woo were doing well enough, but still.
My presence made a difference.
‘I’ve already set things up in advance, though…’
Even with preparations in place, it was right for me to step in for the customers.
That’s why I needed to hurry.
“Let’s start with the real estate office over there.”
* * *
It was the same real estate office I’d visited before.
Back then, there were no available properties, so the deal fell through.
“Oh my. What kind of property are you looking for that brings you here so earnestly?”
“I’d like to look around comprehensively.”
“Of course. It’s best to see everything at once. Haha.”
This time, the Real Estate Agent was unusually attentive. He had no choice but to be.
‘Business seems slow.’
With so many vacant spaces around, a customer like me was rare.
I went through the candidate locations again with the Real Estate Agent in tow.
Of the three places I’d marked yesterday, I immediately ruled out two.
The first had glass frontage on only one side, which limited visibility, and the second was too small in square footage.
‘Since it’s a showcase location, it needs to be visible to matter.
But it can’t be too small either.’
My feet stopped at the third store.
It was a corner location. With glass on two sides, the interior was clearly visible, and directly across the street stood the Jang On-gyu Franchise sign facing it perfectly.
The adjacent store was also vacant. The one next to it was too. Three in a row, all empty.
‘…This layout is actually better than what I originally envisioned?’
I made my decision.
The Real Estate Agent rubbed his hands together beside me.
“This one’s empty too?”
“This one has decent square footage, and the landlord wants to vacate quickly, so the terms should work out well.”
“That’s nice. And there are two more empty spaces next to here.”
“Yes. An entire line is vacant. This whole line has been closed anyway. Sigh… So I was wondering if that might be a concern for you?”
The Real Estate Agent worried at my words.
I understood.
‘He’s concerned it might be a problem.’
A Chef from the Apocalypse Ventures into the Food Service Industry
Author |
Heunghaeng
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Samyang C&C
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Editorial Department
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G720:N+A063-20260206001
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The contents of this book may not be used in any form or by any means without written permission from 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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