The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 4

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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 4. A Battle of Nerves
I arrived at the Truck Zone early in the morning to prepare for business.
To maintain consistent opening and closing times, I had to be diligent.
It’s the foundation of running a business.
“The ingredients look fresh…”
I carefully arranged the prepared ingredients.
‘There’s quite a lot now.’
Over time, I’d added various toppings for the Ramen Case.
The preparation took ages, but it brought me joy.
Because it meant I could serve many more people.
I could earn more and become even happier.
‘Ingredient preparation complete.’
Next, it was time to set up the tables.
It had been this week since the initial two tables expanded to four.
‘I should gradually add more tables. Since I’m expanding anyway, it would be nice to do it together with the coffee truck owner. Should I discuss it with him?’
There was still plenty of space to add more tables.
The remaining space in the Food Truck was quite substantial.
Clang. Clang. Thud.
I installed the tables while thinking about how to fill the remaining space.
When I’d installed about three of them.
I sensed a presence.
‘Jin-woo? He’s here early today?’
Thinking it might be Jin-woo, who never missed being the first customer, I turned my head.
“Jin-woo, you’re here…”
It wasn’t him.
Standing before me was a Muscular Man I’d never seen before.
His arms were covered entirely in tattoos, and every strand of hair was slicked back.
Overall, he radiated an intimidating presence.
He raised one arm stiffly and spoke.
“Hey. You can’t just install tables like that!”
“Pardon?”
He was pointing at my Food Truck Zone.
More precisely, at the white line drawn to designate the designated area.
He was pointing at that line, which was so faint it looked nearly erased.
“You can only install in the permitted area. Don’t you see the line here?”
“I can see it, but…?”
“You can see it? Then why did you install it like that? Looking at it now, you’ve clearly crossed the line.”
Crossed the line?
Upon inspection, he was right.
By expanding the tables to four and spacing them out, I had slightly crossed the line.
‘I’ve gone over by a few centimeters.’
About five or six centimeters.
“You’re only supposed to stay within the designated area. If you keep overstepping like this, what happens then?”
“…I apologize.”
Even if it’s minor, I was wrong.
Everyone’s let it slide until now.
There’s no reason to suffer losses over crossing this faint line.
But rules exist to be followed.
‘There was never a time when rules mattered more than during the apocalypse.’
I can’t think that I alone will be fine.
Once one or two people start breaking rules, everything quickly falls into chaos.
The confusion created by such people often led to troublesome situations.
Because of that, following rules is one of my life’s principles.
‘Though if the other person crosses the line, I do cross it too.’
Regardless, thinking the other person was right, I apologized sincerely.
Then the Muscular Man’s expression changed.
I thought I’d handled it well, but his face showed ‘wait, that’s not it.’
A hint of disappointment was visible in his eyes.
“Tsk… You seem like someone who’d understand. You do it right? You should keep to your designated spot.”
“Yes. I’ll make sure to do that.”
“Good. I’ll be watching that spot. Follow the Truck Zone rules too… what is it, don’t act so carelessly.”
“Carelessly?”
Suddenly?
“Yeah, carelessly. That… ugh. Never mind.”
“Hmm….”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“For crying out loud. How bland.”
The Muscular Man trailed off.
‘This person seems to have something on their mind.’
A sense, I suppose.
Looking at him more carefully, my crossing the line wasn’t really the reason for his irritation.
He never stated the true fundamental reason for his anger.
He came here to resolve it, but since I admitted fault so easily, he couldn’t find fault with me.
There are too many inconsistencies to call it a misunderstanding.
‘Now that I think about it, it is strange.’
The Food Truck Zone rule about not crossing the designated line definitely exists.
But usually, people don’t know about it.
To be precise, those who know the Food Truck Zone rules are rare.
‘Who would memorize it if they weren’t someone running a business there?’
That’s not all.
The way people keep glancing at me is far from ordinary.
It’s a look I know all too well.
‘That’s the look hunters give when they’re fighting over hunting grounds.’
Ready to nitpick the moment something goes wrong!
I simply acknowledged it readily, and since there was nothing else to criticize, their momentum just fizzled out.
“…Anyway, do well.”
“Yes, of course.”
The Muscular Man stared at me for a long while before leaving his spot.
I let it slide for now.
Intimidated by his size?
As if I would be.
I had a way to resolve this immediately.
By the rules he himself had stated.
‘The time has come anyway.’
* * *
The next day.
‘This should do it.’
I arrived even earlier than before.
Clang. Clang.
I set up the tables right away.
Not four tables, but seven—more than before.
Three I placed nearby, and the remaining four I began setting up further away.
This would have been impossible before.
But not anymore.
‘Now I can do it.’
There’s a way to do everything. By the rules.
As I finished the setup, I sensed a presence.
I wondered if it was him.
Steeling myself, I turned around.
“Huh? It’s you?”
“Hyung, ‘it’s you’? That’s a bit hurtful. I’m a customer here, aren’t I?”
It was Jin-woo.
Not that muscular man.
‘Ah, I was looking forward to it.’
Rules demand rules.
I’d been planning to give him a proper lesson.
Now some of my momentum had faded.
For reference, Jin-woo was perceptive.
“But is something wrong? Your eyes looked scary—different from usual.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Hey, is something wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He’s a good kid.
There was no need to burden him with that matter.
As Jin-woo said, he’s just a customer.
‘It’s fine for me to listen to a customer’s worries. But I shouldn’t share my own. It would only weigh on him.’
I didn’t want to trouble my customers with my problems.
I wanted this place to bring only happiness.
I didn’t want to burden anyone from my end.
It’s one of my core principles.
I smoothly changed the subject.
“I’m just nervous because I’m handling a bigger operation than usual.”
“Oh…! Now that you mention it, you really are. Let me count—one table, two… seven? Wow, that’s a lot. You really went big, didn’t you?”
“I felt sorry making the customers wait in line.”
“Wow! You’re really becoming a proper boss!”
Jin-woo gave me a thumbs up.
Fortunately, he bought it.
* * *
Business that day was enjoyable.
‘I should feed him well.’
Jin-woo. The first customer is always special.
For him, I prepared a signature ramen topped with caramelized garlic and scallion strips made from my own specially grown green onions.
“Ahh… so refreshing. This taste is incredible!”
Another clean plate.
Jin-woo drained every last drop of broth and seasoning before leaving.
Soon after, the lunch hour arrived.
-More tables now?
-Oh! We don’t have to wait in line? That’s lucky!
-Crazy. Baki is the protagonist of a fighting manga!
-Shut up! Let’s just go eat. I’m going first!
Customers flooded in.
As I processed payments, I guided each group to their designated seats.
“Please head to table seven. It’s the first outdoor table over there.”
“Got it!”
It operated differently from other restaurants.
But this method was the best way to maximize seating efficiency.
The customers actually enjoyed the assigned seating system.
They saw it as a kind of romance unique to a Food Truck.
‘This is nice.’
Thanks to that, I gathered strength and processed the payment.
In return, I diligently prepared a bowl of ramen worthy of his patronage.
A somewhat special customer arrived.
A regular, no less.
“Welcome!”
“Ugh… one bowl, as always.”
The Company Employee Customer who became my regular after Jin-woo.
This customer, who hadn’t missed a single day, always wore an expression like Janus with two faces whenever he came.
On one hand, he anticipated the ramen.
On the other hand, he seemed to think this shouldn’t be happening…
That was the expression he wore.
So the nickname I privately called him was Two-Faced Janus Customer.
‘That expression. Quite fascinating.’
Making two expressions at once like that.
It was nearly a feat of magic.
I couldn’t say I didn’t understand it.
My ramen is special. I guarantee that once you taste it, you can’t escape its flavor.
There’s only one drawback. Calories.
Since multiple toppings are added, the calorie count is inherently high.
In other words, it’s quite a calorie-dense meal.
That is, every time he came and finished the special ramen, my customer was gradually gaining weight.
By my estimation, around two kilograms so far.
The regular seemed quite bothered by it.
“I’ve received your payment. Today, I’ll prepare a special ramen just for you.”
“Special ramen? Ugh… then again…!”
“Haha. Just wait a moment and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
“Ugh… yes!”
Janus’s expression deepened even further.
Special ramen!
He looked both more excited and, at the same time, more anxious.
He was clearly drowning in conflicting emotions.
What should I do about this?
‘It’s not like I have a cruel hobby of tormenting my customers.’
I planned to fulfill his expectations in a different way.
In a direction that would shatter that Janus expression of his.
I had already prepared a ramen that would ease both his anticipation and his worries at once.
‘Just wait and see.’
Splash—
I filled two pots with water, and for the one I needed to heat quickly, I sprinkled the broth base first.
Up to this point, it was no different from any other ramen preparation.
‘The most important thing is different.’
I had focused on a special point for this signature ramen.
“Huh? Brother, I’ve never seen noodles like that before?”
“You saw them?”
“I noticed them while setting down the bowl.”
Jin-woo, sharp-eyed as always. He spotted my special touch first while placing the bowl on the serving station.
“What is that?”
“Konjac noodles.”
“Huh? You can make noodles from konjac?”
“Apparently you can. Pretty interesting, right?”
“Yeah. It really is interesting?!”
Konjac noodles. Literally noodles made from konjac.
Using these reduces the noodles’ calories to nearly one-tenth.
In other words, you can eat as much as you want without the calorie burden!
‘I honestly don’t understand it.’
For someone like me, who lived through starvation as a daily reality in the apocalypse, this ingredient made no sense.
But my job is to provide customers with the finest cuisine.
That’s why I prepared konjac noodles.
Burble, burble, burble—
The konjac noodles spread across the pot began to cook slowly.
They unraveled quickly and were done in no time.
“Hmm. But doesn’t konjac have a weird texture?”
“You already finished eating—why are you still here?”
“Hey, you’re telling me to go to the customer. Anyway, isn’t what I’m saying right?”
“There’s a way to handle everything.”
Jin-woo was right.
Konjac noodles have a different texture than regular noodles.
The solution to this is simpler than you’d think.
I didn’t put these noodles directly into the pot with the broth.
“Look at this.”
“Huh? Now that I look, you’re boiling in two pots?”
“That’s right.”
Konjac noodles boiled in a separate pot.
The answer lay in this pot.
What’s in this pot isn’t just plain water. It’s salted water.
I blanched the konjac noodles in this salt water.
“Phew, that must be hot.”
“Still have to do it.”
Sizzle—
I transferred the blanched konjac noodles into pre-prepared cold water and stirred.
Through this method, I could eliminate the mushy texture unique to konjac noodles and bring out their springy firmness.
This solved half of the problems inherent to konjac noodles.
“Is that it then?”
“No way. That’s not enough.”
I placed the rinsed noodles into a pot containing broth.
Bubble, bubble—
The noodles inside mixed with the boiling broth and water.
There was still one problem remaining here.
‘Konjac noodles don’t absorb flavors well. That’s why it’s difficult to bring out the broth’s taste.’
Unlike regular noodles, konjac noodles have poor absorption.
In other words, the flavor doesn’t penetrate the noodles easily.
But I couldn’t simmer them for too long either.
‘Otherwise the noodles would get soggy.’
I couldn’t serve customers completely bloated ramen.
The solution for this?
‘This is it.’
I ground black pepper and added a generous amount.
This wasn’t ordinary pepper.
It was pepper I had enhanced with a skill to bring out its distinctive spicy kick.
The effect I could achieve with this pepper was strong aroma and heat!
I compensated for the flavor that didn’t absorb into the noodles with a bold seasoning to achieve balance!
Once I cooked this exquisitely balanced ramen to perfection—
Voilà—
[You have completed a new recipe: Black Pepper Konjac Ramen.]
[The dish is imbued with Vitality Enhancement.]
[After consumption, Stamina Regeneration will be active for 1 hour.]
A new dish completed.
The activated stamina from just eating it would burn quite a significant amount of calories.
‘In other words, it’s a dish that makes you lose weight while eating.’
It might sound absurd, but—
if the calories consumed are less than the calories needed for digestion, that’s exactly what happens.
If 10 calories come in but 20 calories are spent digesting, that’s a negative 10 calories, isn’t it?
This ramen operates the same way.
The Vitality Enhancement and Stamina Regeneration imbued in the dish—
these two would naturally cause the body to expend significant energy.
Thanks to the vitality coursing through them, people would stay active without fatigue.
Naturally, they’d end up burning quite a lot of calories.
And the taste was far from lacking.
Whiff—
I’d already confirmed that the new ramen’s fragrant aroma and exquisite flavor were exceptional.
‘Since I ate my fill yesterday, I know what I’m doing.’
I called out with confidence.
“Your ramen is ready!”
“Wow! What is this?”
“I used konjac noodles to drastically lower the calories. You’ll feel energized after eating it too. Please enjoy it without worry.”
“Thank you so much!”
The regular customer of Janus’s face brightened instantly as he accepted the dish.
He looked delighted even before taking a bite.
The gloomy expression he’d worn earlier had vanished, replaced entirely by anticipation.
Slurp—
The regular took a decisive, hearty bite.
“It’s delicious! Wow… how do you make something this tasty with konjac noodles?!”
A smile bloomed across the customer’s face.
I watched that expression from afar and thought to myself.
‘This is wonderful.’
This moment—bringing joy to my customers—was the happiest moment of all.
* * *
And so I wrapped up that day’s business perfectly.
With more tables, I’d sold twice as much as usual.
A new record achieved!
[You have served over three hundred people delicious meals.]
[You have obtained the title: 【Table for Three Hundred】.]
[The depth of your culinary touch grows richer.]
[Your probability of discovering better ingredients increases.]
[Your probability of receiving special culinary inspiration increases.]
Thanks to that, a pleasant resonance filled me.
‘This is the best.’
Click. Click.
As I closed up shop with joy in my heart.
“Hey, if someone talks to you, you should listen!”
I turned my head and saw that massive frame.
‘Perfect timing.’
The person I’d been waiting for most during today’s business had arrived.

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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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