The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 141

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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 141. A New Beginning
A long line of people stretched out in front of the store.
Even before opening, the queue was remarkably diverse.
About half were neighborhood regulars, but there were quite a few unfamiliar faces too. New customers, in other words.
Jin-woo raised his hand from inside.
“Boss!”
“You made it?”
“I did! Look at this line. The line! Wow, I think it’s even longer than our store’s usual line?”
“Right? Even I have to admit it looks impressive.”
“Boss, this line seriously goes all the way to the end of the Alley.”
“Really?”
“Yes! It was really long. Isn’t this amazing?”
“The opening’s off to a great start, but we need to keep this momentum going from morning straight through the night.”
“We can do it! I guarantee it.”
“Haha. I hope so.”
Haran was also tidying up the surroundings, standing a step apart nearby.
“Thanks for coming, Haran.”
“I’m just repaying a debt.”
“A debt?”
“Yes. A debt. You’ve done something for me, so I should do this much.”
“…Thank you.”
“Hehe.”
In the meantime, other people gradually took their positions.
PD Ga slipped in and set up the camera.
‘He’s quite industrious.’
The long line forming here was partly thanks to PD Ga.
And beyond that, Im Ha-yun and Sonny had also helped out, though they weren’t here now.
He could have taken credit for it, but PD Ga wasn’t the type to do that.
“We’ll need two cameras here. By the way, we already set up at the Couple’s Kalguksu Restaurant.”
“Are you going to broadcast both simultaneously?”
“Yes. The Couple’s Kalguksu Restaurant is part of the story too, so we need to include it. By the way, Episode 1 will be going up on YouTube soon.”
“That’s fast?”
“Actually, it’s slow. It’s been ages since we filmed. Hehe. I thought I’d die waiting for everything to be set up until now.”
“Wow… You’ve got quite the sharp tongue.”
“This much is standard. Haha.”
PD Ga laughed lightly.
Then he headed inside. As if his work was done.
‘Good. Is the setup complete now?’
* * *
“We’re opening now. We’ll serve tastings one person at a time, one bowl each, at a leisurely pace.”
“Wow!”
Jin-woo lined up bowls across the tasting counter from inside the bar area.
That was the signal. Everyone’s hands moved swiftly.
I could see PD Ga’s camera capturing the scene.
“How many of you?”
“Two of us! We came together!”
“Two people. Here you go.”
“Oh…! The portion is huge!”
“We can’t half-ass a tasting.”
“Oh… Thank you.”
The customers took their bowls and stood before the tasting counter.
Slurp. Slurp.
The sound of eating filled the store.
Murmured voices drifted over.
“Honey, isn’t this that place, the Couple’s Kalguksu Restaurant?”
“Yeah. That place that was on social media recently. So this was their noodle tasting?”
“Wow… This is amazing.”
Everyone’s reaction was positive.
I added some explanation from the side.
“The noodles you’re tasting today are also available for purchase as meal kits. By the way, the main location is in that alley over there.”
* * *
Today’s event wasn’t organized by the noodle restaurant or my store.
It was happening in the three shops I’d rented for the showcase—now unified into one.
The task was simple. As you can see, we opened the showcase.
The moment the meal kits prepared in advance at the D-dong Factory were ready!
‘I did rush it.’
Consulting, store interior, factory setup—everything.
I kept all three moving without pause. I really didn’t stop, and the results were excellent.
“I’ll have one too!”
“Give me two!”
Everything was running smoothly.
Right in the heart of the New City District, I’d succeeded in creating a unified image linking the Couple’s Kalguksu Restaurant and this showcase.
PD Ga’s two cameras alternated between the customer line and the tasting counter.
Incidentally, across the street, Jang On-gyu’s signboards were lined up in a row.
* * *
At the same moment, Jang On-gyu sat at his office desk.
Beyond the window, the New City District street spread out before him at a glance.
Ordinarily, he loved this view from above. Everything felt like it belonged to him.
“Hmm…?”
But something.
On any other day, I would have only noticed the street lined with my own storefronts, but today the view struck me differently.
My eyes were drawn first to the queue of people stretching outside the shop across the street.
I could even hear what sounded like applause.
‘What is this?’
It might have been my imagination.
The Secretary entered late, opening the door.
He held a phone in his hand.
“I’ve confirmed who owns that shop.”
“Who is it?”
“…Well….”
“Just tell me.”
The Secretary glanced back at his phone screen.
“…It’s all Kim Seon-woo.”
“What?”
“Kim Seon-woo. All the representatives are listed as Kim Seon-woo.”
“….”
The Secretary paused to collect himself.
“And….”
“And what?”
“It’s about PD Ga.”
“Why would that person be relevant?”
“That person left the Broadcasting Station.”
“Left?”
“Yes. He quit. He quit and moved to YouTube. So when I looked into it, I found that live broadcasts are being done from that shop….”
“That’s PD Ga?”
“For now… yes. That’s correct.”
Jang On-gyu’s fingers stopped on the desk.
He remained silent for a long moment.
“…Kim Seon-woo.”
He ground his teeth.
“Kim Seon-woo. Kim Seon-woo. Damn it.”
This one stung.
It was as though I’d been struck multiple times simultaneously.
Looking at it, they were clearly selling meal kits—products undoubtedly manufactured at the factory I’d shut down before. Even if that weren’t the case, they must have received help from the Representative.
On top of that, they’d brazenly opened a shop right in front of my main base.
A showcase, they call it.
Who knows what they’ll fill that showcase with going forward.
It was as good as being struck twice.
My hand gripped the edge of the desk. The back of my hand had turned white.
“Haa….”
* * *
The Commercial Showcase was approaching closing time.
It wasn’t that customers had dwindled—it was simply that the hour was drawing to an end.
‘I shouldn’t push myself too hard.’
Since it was the first day, I had to make an appearance.
From the second day onward, the employees I’d trained in advance were scheduled to take over. Of course, even so, I couldn’t avoid coming by entirely.
Running the Factory Canteen meant that mountains of tasks would inevitably pile up that required my attention in between.
To prepare for that, I wrapped things up as soon as the time came.
“Thank you all for your hard work today.”
“Everyone did great!”
As everyone exchanged greetings mixed with encouragement, PD Ga was securing both cameras on his person.
“Today really is the end.”
“You’re broadcasting this in full?”
“Live broadcasts work best that way. Full coverage is natural. No editing.”
“Wow, you really went all the way with enthusiasm.”
PD Ga chuckled lightly.
Just then, the store door chimed again.
Ding.
The person who naturally opened the closed store door and stepped inside was a familiar face.
“…Hello.”
It was Im Ha-yun.
“Ha-yun? It’s been a while.”
“Yes. It’s been a while. Hehe.”
“What brings you here? Isn’t it too early for you to come?”
“PD Ga called me today.”
“He did?”
“Yes. She needs to join for what comes next.”
“Wow, you work fast.”
Im Ha-yun adjusted her hat back onto her head.
* * *
While Im Ha-yun and PD Ga stepped aside to prepare for the next shoot.
Jin-woo approached hesitantly.
“Boss!”
“What is it.”
“Could I maybe try helping out with running the New City District store?”
Helping out, he says. But if this guy is here while I’m away, that’s not helping—that means he’s primarily handling the work.
He knows that too, which is why he’s being so hesitant.
It’s as if he came here on his own two feet asking to take on something major.
My answer was already decided.
“Go for it.”
Who else would I entrust this to if not him?
Jin-woo’s been with me since we first set up the production line.
“Really? Seriously?”
But the guy was genuinely shocked.
He probably thought I’d at least run a test first.
“What, you want me to lie? You don’t want to do it? Then why’d you ask?”
“Hehe… I do want to do it. But… it’s a pretty big responsibility, you know.”
“You came here knowing it was a big responsibility, didn’t you?
“Yes! That’s true.”
“Then you’ve got to give it a shot. You must’ve made a real decision coming here.”
“Oh… thank you.”
“Just make sure you get moving early. It won’t be easy, so you’ll need to make up for it with time.”
“Yes! I’ll get moving early!”
“Do your best.”
“Yes…! I’ll really do my best!”
I had a feeling he’d pull it off.
Look at him now—he’s absolutely fired up.
‘He’ll treat it like his own work.’
That’s all I need. I’m not asking for anything more than that.
As long as he delivers even beyond what I’m expecting.
“If you do well, I might even hand over the entire Commercial Showcase to you.”
“Huh? Really?”
“If you do well.”
“Yes!”
I genuinely intended to entrust the Commercial Showcase to him.
It wasn’t a sudden thought.
There was a reason.
‘His talents are clearly suited for this kind of work.’
Watching the talents this guy has displayed so far.
Seeing how well he handles so many different things, it felt right that rather than managing a single store, he should be overseeing something like this Commercial Showcase that operates in so many different ways.
That’s why I said it—if he does well, I’ll hand over the Commercial Showcase to him.
I wonder if he understood my sincerity.
“I’ll work hard!”
His eyes were brimming with vitality.
* * *
Jin-woo headed off excitedly to finish up.
‘He’ll do great.’
I didn’t even need to see it to know. He’d do well going forward.
Haran seemed to think the same.
The moment our eyes met, she nodded.
A Chef from the Apocalypse Ventures into the Food Industry
Author |
Heung-haeng
Publisher |
Samyang C&C – Dream Books
Chief Editor |
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 |
[email protected]
No part of this book may 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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