The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 33

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 33. The Main Story
Taking walks had long become a habit of mine.
Though I’d discovered this city by chance, it had become my base of operations in every sense.
The New City District, which I naturally passed through on my way to the Store after shopping for ingredients to test new recipes.
“Wow. They decorated it like this?”
An unexpected brilliance had settled over the place.
LED lights sparkled from morning onwards in every corner, and congratulatory wreaths stretched out in long rows.
As if by prior arrangement, there were quite a few people as well.
‘How dazzling.’
I wondered what all this splendor was for.
I could figure it out soon enough.
“Is it finally opening?”
Jang On-gyu, the business genius.
The restaurants he’d prepared were opening one by one.
‘He’s planning to completely dominate the street.’
Just like the Jang Owner Street he’d created before.
This place too was lined with all sorts of shops in that momentum.
They were all franchises he’d created.
Was he trying to ride this wave together with them?
“Huh. That one opened too?”
The shops that were already rented when we first searched for our Store, so we couldn’t get them.
Those places also seemed to have finished their renovations, displaying their splendor.
Since they were all people who moved quickly after hearing rumors, you could see the effort put into everything from the signage to the store interior.
‘That’s impressive.’
Pure admiration welled up in me.
It was a rare sight to see shops opening with this kind of momentum in what’s called self-employment.
As I was looking for a while, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Seonwoo?”
“Huh?”
I turned around and saw the Store owner.
The so-called business genius Jang Owner.
He, who appeared to have just gotten out of his car, had quite a number of people following him.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes. It really has been a while.”
He extended his hand for a handshake.
He looked more gentlemanly than anyone.
“You’ve been well, I hope?”
“Of course. Oh, and congratulations.”
“Congratulations?”
At the word congratulations, one of his eyebrows twitched briefly.
“Yes, of course I should congratulate you. You’ve opened the Store, after all? Haha.”
“Ah, that congratulations. Haha. Thank you. Thanks to you, the opening went smoothly.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Yes. I do regret not being able to fill everything with what I wanted. I suppose I’ll have to wait and see on that front.”
There was real substance behind this man’s words.
It was painfully obvious who hadn’t made it into that “everything.”
“Why would you need to wait and see?”
“Is that so? Has your heart changed?”
“People don’t change easily. That’s why there’s no need to wait and see. It seems difficult to fill everything.”
My lips twitched again.
‘So that’s a habit of mine.’
Is that the expression I make when something displeases me?
“Is that really so?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t people sometimes change not by their own will, but by external circumstances? We usually call that ‘correction.'”
“Correction, you say. That’s an interesting perspective.”
“Haha. Isn’t it? I thought you’d see it favorably.”
So that’s how he’s viewing this.
If the target of his “correction” is me, would that be excessive self-confidence?
I’ve long passed the age of being full of self-certainty, so normally I’d deny it first.
“My, your gaze is quite intense.”
Looking at those eyes, conviction only grows.
No matter how I look at it, Jang On-gyu still has lingering feelings for me.
“Is that so? Perhaps my heart is burning hot today from opening these Stores.”
“Your passion is admirable.”
Did I need to confront him directly?
We’d acknowledged each other; this was enough for now.
“Thank you. Well then, I have matters to attend to.”
“Yes. Please go ahead. Congratulations once more.”
Jang On-gyu turned and raised his hand in farewell, then disappeared into the distance.
The people surrounding him naturally followed in his wake.
Among those following him.
‘There are familiar faces.’
Quite a few people I’d encountered before were there.
This felt like the main story was finally beginning.
* * *
‘So that’s the person.’
Lee Chae-min, the PR Team Leader standing behind Jang On-gyu.
He listened to their conversation from the closest vantage point and became certain.
While Jang On-gyu was conversing with others, Lee Chae-min immediately asked the Park Secretary.
“Is that the person Park Secretary mentioned before? That’s them, right?”
“Pardon?”
“The one who rejected the CEO’s offer.”
At the direct question, Park Secretary’s expression grew troubled.
“Ah. Yes, that’s correct.”
“As I thought.”
Even so, she answered readily enough.
That it was true.
‘They’re competent at work, but they have a soft character.’
Their soft temperament was a flaw, though they compensated for it with excellent work performance.
But seeing how the CEO still disapproved, and Park Secretary remained this flustered—could that really be acceptable?
The PR Team Lead adjusted her assessment of Park Secretary and made her judgment.
“It seems the CEO still has lingering interest, doesn’t it?”
“Well, naturally. The CEO is someone with considerable ambition.”
“Yes. Someone quite ambitious indeed.”
“So why mention it?”
“Well, I was thinking we should prepare a way to bring them in if possible.”
“Ah, we’ll look into methods on our secretary team’s end.”
“How exactly?”
“By adjusting the conditions, perhaps?”
“Standard adjustments won’t work, I suspect.”
“Ah. I’ll handle that myself.”
Did she feel her territory was being encroached upon?
Park Secretary’s expression hardened.
Though technically they were just the secretary team.
As Jang Owner’s business operations expanded, Park Secretary and her team had come to oversee numerous practical domains.
The scope was quite broad.
Before the PR Team was established, they’d even handled all promotional work.
For reference, scouting and approaching suitable establishments for franchising was also their responsibility.
Having that territory invaded—that’s what angered her.
‘The PR Team should just do PR, right?’
Lee Chae-min’s internal dissatisfaction bubbled up.
But outwardly, she responded with a bright smile instead.
“Yes. I’m confident you’ll handle it well.”
“Of course. Since we’re the secretary team, you can leave this to us. Haha.”
“Absolutely. What secretary team wouldn’t be trustworthy!”
“Haha. Thank you.”
Perhaps because she showed respect, even if superficial.
Park Secretary finally relaxed her rigid expression.
The atmosphere became warm and cordial once more.
“Well then, it seems the representative is waiting for us too. Shall we head in?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Lee Chae-min decided there was no need to disrupt that atmosphere.
After all, even if the secretary team was a different department, we were still part of the same company.
And at the same time, he thought to himself.
‘People from the same company can help each other out, right?’
The PR team had their own methods.
‘I should reach out to them shortly. This falls within the realm of PR anyway.’
* * *
A week had passed since Jang Owner’s Store opened.
3:30 PM—Older Brother was in the thick of the rush.
“This one’s a bit large, isn’t it?”
But there was no one else to serve more coffee.
“The customers have thinned out, haven’t they?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Usually at this time, we’d be completely full, wouldn’t we?”
“That’s right. It’s only around four o’clock that people start leaving.”
I could see empty seats scattered throughout the store.
It was different from the days when we were always at full capacity.
I couldn’t deny it.
People used to fill the seats, whether they came for a meal or just coffee, but today there were fewer.
‘How was business this morning?’
I recalled the faces of the customers who had come and gone today.
Most of them were familiar faces.
“It seems the regulars haven’t stopped coming. But we’re definitely getting fewer new customers.”
“That’s for sure.”
You can’t run a business on regulars alone.
Especially for a restaurant of this size, we needed a steady influx of new customers.
That influx had dried up.
Where that influx had been blocked was clear without saying.
Jang Owner’s Store opening.
More precisely, the explosive opening in the New City District.
‘They’ve been spending money like water since the opening, so there’s no helping it.’
And now they were pouring money into promotion.
Just from the opening event alone, the effect was this significant.
This is big.
“I heard they’re also bringing in some YouTubers little by little.”
“YouTubers?”
“Yeah. Jang Owner has a wide network, doesn’t he? There’s probably a PR team among the people under him. They’re the ones making moves.”
“Ah, I see….”
On top of the opening event, now YouTubers too.
Something big is coming.
‘More nerve-wracking than local broadcasts.’
Each wave is substantial, but the real problem is that this feels like just the beginning.
“From what I can see, it doesn’t look like the major outlets have been called yet. But there are quite a few people with recognition showing up.”
“Wow. This isn’t easy.”
Without even a proper main episode yet, just the prologue is causing the influx to thin out.
And YouTubers are still waiting for the main content.
I have to admit this.
It’s strong. Really strong.
“Jang Owner truly isn’t ordinary.”
“That’s right. He’s no pushover, I’m telling you.”
A crisis.
A different kind of crisis than the apocalypse of my past life!
* * *
‘Crisis or not, I still have to run the business.’
When I think about it, it’s not a life-or-death situation.
“Welcome!”
As soon as I opened for the evening, the regulars started arriving.
I was confident I could turn even the few new customers who came in into regulars.
In the short term, it’s a crisis.
But in the long run, I had no confidence. No confidence I could win.
“Boss! Two people! They said they want something energizing!”
“Something energizing? Sure! I’ll have it ready in no time.”
I made it through an apocalypse—could I not overcome this?
Burning with determination, I focused on cooking.
Soon, I heard Jin-woo and Haran’s loud greetings.
“Welcome!”
“Hello!”
Did they sense my resolve to push forward head-on?
Both of them were brimming with energy, more than usual.
“Order up! Two people!”
“Yes, sir!”
“I’ll take those three over there!”
“Got it!”
We picked up the pace and started serving with full momentum.
‘This should do it!’
The food went out, and the customers smiled brightly as they ate.
Their smiles gave me strength.
Then, at some point, Jin-woo suddenly came over while taking an order.
“What’s wrong?”
“Older Brother, would it be alright if I filmed a bit?”
“Ah, I see.”
Film? I glanced over and spotted someone holding a small camera.
“So this is the YouTuber I’ve only heard about.”
“Exactly. It seems like they were filming around the New City District and wandered over here?”
“I suppose so.”
They wanted to film a few things while they were here before leaving.
‘The world truly moves in unpredictable ways.’
I found it interesting that people Jang Owner had called over were helping in such ways.
But then again.
I never expected what would come after this.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————