The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 60

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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 60. Visitors (2)
I was taken aback by PD Ga’s intuition.
And now that I thought about it more carefully.
Her mind was filled with the thought that someone of this caliber deserved at least a hearing.
It wasn’t mere rationalization.
She was thinking that the planning of someone with such abilities might also benefit Kim Seon-woo.
However, I needed to set clear conditions.
“…Alright. First, if the Owner is willing to accept it, then I will. But I have conditions.”
“What conditions?”
“If the Owner shows even the slightest sign of disliking it, I’ll stop immediately. And I’ll stop too in that case. Promise? No strange contracts or binding clauses.”
I attached dense conditions as a prerequisite.
I thought even PD Ga would find this difficult to accept.
‘PD Ga has pride.’
That esteemed PD’s pride would absolutely never accept this.
Especially not PD Ga, who enjoyed leading broadcasts as she pleased. Even less so.
“Deal!”
But what do you know.
She accepted immediately.
As if she’d been waiting for it.
PD Ga extended her hand with a smile of conviction.
“So if I keep the conditions I mentioned, we have a contract?”
“Yes. But I’ll select the ingredients myself. Only the finest quality.”
“Oh, what an honor. This will be even more fun!”
PD Ga’s eyes gleamed as we shook hands.
* * *
It was during the lunch rush after I finished teaching Jin-woo.
The store door opened, and three men in business suits rushed in.
They weren’t customers.
Government IDs hung around their necks and folders in their hands.
Their eyes gleamed like hunting dogs spotting prey.
“Excuse me!”
The man in front shouted.
The store fell silent in an instant.
The eyes of the customers enjoying their meals snapped toward them all at once.
“What?”
“What’s going on?”
Murmurs spread like waves.
The man waved his documents with an deliberately solemn expression.
“We’re from the District Office Health Department. We’ve received a sanitation complaint.”
A sanitation complaint!
The impact of that single word was tremendous.
The chopsticks of the customers who had been savoring their ramen moments before came to a halt.
Anxious glances darted between them.
“A report? Here?”
“Now that I think about it, things have been going too well lately.”
“What? So they’re not doing things properly after all?”
“Are they just putting on a good show?”
Whispers spread like wildfire through the restaurant.
The man quietly eating in the back had his lips curve upward ever so slightly.
The health inspector who had arrived wore the same satisfied expression.
It was the reaction they had been counting on.
In health inspections, the process is far more damaging than the result.
The mere fact of being inspected could tank a restaurant’s reputation.
* * *
‘The timing is absolutely perfect.’
Watching him, I let out a quiet laugh and set down my wok.
‘I wonder who filed the report.’
Was it Jang On-gyu, now growing desperate?
Or someone beneath him?
In truth, it didn’t matter who had done it.
This was inevitable—it was only a matter of time.
“You’re the owner, correct?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, I’m also an owner.”
“So am I.”
“Then please cooperate. We’ll be inspecting the kitchen, warehouse, and refrigerator thoroughly. You understand that refusal constitutes grounds for business suspension, yes?”
The man made his threat clear.
Jin-woo came rushing over, visibly distressed.
“Boss, what do we do? We have so many customers right now….”
“It’s fine. It’s fine.”
I calmly adjusted my apron.
Then, loud enough for all the customers to hear, I called out with confidence and pride.
“Welcome! We’re honored to have you!”
“…Excuse me?”
The cocky public official was taken aback.
I threw open the kitchen door wide for all to see.
“Actually, I’ve felt wronged about this for a while.”
“Wronged?”
“Yes. I’ve been itching to show off just how clean our kitchen is.”
“Hah, does this person think I’m joking right now?”
“I’m not joking. I’m confident, so that’s why.”
I raised my hand and pointed toward the kitchen.
“Look here. If even a speck of dust or a water stain appears, I’ll close this restaurant today and shut down for good.”
“…!”
“But if nothing comes up, you Public Officials need to explain that to everyone, right?”
This wasn’t a bet, and I knew they understood it was no joke.
The Public Official nodded, making up his mind to do this properly.
“Explain? If it’s clean, of course we’ll say it’s clean.”
“Good. Tell everyone here that this place is truly clean. I’m counting on you.”
“Ha. What if it’s the opposite?”
“Then shout it out too. Haha.”
“Let’s see just how clean this really is.”
What gleamed in my eyes wasn’t stubbornness or recklessness.
The survival instinct honed since the Apocalypse—when a single drop of contaminated water meant life or death—was something no one could overcome.
I had absolute confidence in my sanitation standards.
“What are you all doing! Get in there and search!”
The fired-up Public Official shouted.
The Inspection Team Members poured into the kitchen.
‘Go ahead and tear it apart.’
* * *
Two Inspection Team Members entered the kitchen solemnly, wearing white cotton gloves.
Their eyes were like detectives raiding a crime scene.
For them, their pride was on the line.
Because of Kim Seon-woo’s provocation.
“Open the refrigerator first.”
At the Senior’s instruction, the other one swung the door wide open.
In a typical restaurant, there should be unidentified side dish containers and black bags rolling around. Proper date labels wouldn’t even be there.
But.
“…Huh?”
The inside of the refrigerator looked like a prop from a model home.
It was immaculate.
All ingredients were stored in transparent containers, and the labeling was perfect.
[Scallion Prep Date: 2026. 03. 02. 9:03 AM]
“What is this?”
“It looks like labeling.”
“That’s from yesterday, right? They organize like this every day?”
The employee took out a container in disbelief.
When he opened the lid, the fresh scent of newly harvested scallions wafted out.
There wasn’t a single wilted or discolored part to be found.
“Sir, the refrigerator is clean.”
“Then check the freezer at least! It’s bound to be covered in frost.”
The Senior, his irritation mounting, shouted.
But the freezer too was pristine, not a single ice crystal in sight.
All the ingredients were vacuum-sealed and stacked like bricks in neat rows.
I’d never encountered anything like this before.
“…This doesn’t make sense.”
I lifted a blanket to shake off the dust.
All that came out was fragrance.
The murmuring voices of the Customers echoing from afar fell silent.
At this point, they could only stare with hopeful eyes, wondering what on earth would turn up next.
‘The atmosphere is perfect.’
I asked quietly, my arms crossed.
“Where would you like to inspect next? The hood? Or the drain?”
“The hood! Yes, check the hood! You were just cooking. There’s no way it can be free of grease buildup!”
-That’s right. You’re inspecting based on what comes out while actively cooking?
-Isn’t that a bit much?
I heard murmurs of dissent, but the Senior ignored them.
He roughly wiped the hood above the gas range with his gloved hand.
The hood of a meat restaurant is the grave of hygiene.
Sticky grease buildup naturally accumulates. It’s common sense.
But.
Screeeech—
As his fingers scraped across the stainless steel surface, it made a sound like nails on a chalkboard.
Far from being slick, it was so dry and smooth it squeaked.
Not a speck of soot clung to his white cotton gloves.
“H-how is this even….”
“B-but you were just cooking, weren’t you?”
“I was. Cleanly?”
The man stared blankly at his fingers.
Nothing. There was nothing. Staring wouldn’t make anything appear.
“Let’s check the floor as well.”
I gestured with my chin toward the floor drain.
The Inspection Team Member crouched down and lifted the cover.
The place that should have reeked was white as new.
Not a single grain of rice clung to the strainer, only the faint scent of bleach lingered.
“…Insane. Does this even make sense?”
A curse slipped out unbidden.
This wasn’t a restaurant kitchen.
It would be believable even as a Semiconductor Factory Cleanroom or a Hospital Operating Room.
With each inspection, their complexions grew increasingly pale.
The cutting board seams, the knife handle, even the dish towel.
“You clean it right after using it?”
“Well, cleaning is the standard practice, but….”
“It’s this meticulous.”
“Huh….”
There was nothing left to point out.
“Is there anywhere else you’d like to inspect?”
At my question, the customers holding their breath in the hall outside the kitchen began to whisper among themselves.
“Wow, it really is spotless.”
“Right? I’ve been looking for something since earlier, but nothing showed up.”
“Look at the public officials’ faces. They look like they just swallowed something bitter.”
“Exactly.”
“When you think about it, with an open kitchen like this, it’d be even harder to hide anything.”
“That’s true!”
The anxious eyes had transformed into wonder and trust.
The health inspection had become a guarantee of our restaurant’s perfection instead.
“Sir… Team Leader. There’s nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing!”
“There’s really not a speck of dust… anywhere.”
“Then what about the tables… ah…!”
“Team Leader. Look at their eyes over there. If we’re not careful…”
“…Damn it.”
The inspection team member reported with a grimace.
The senior official called Team Leader bit his lip and glared at me, but what could he do?
You can’t fabricate violations that don’t exist.
Even if you tried, there were far too many eyes watching.
‘This is a disaster for him, isn’t it?’
He irritably closed the folder and turned to leave.
“…No violations found. Withdraw.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the public officials began to retreat.
I wanted to ask him to announce it louder.
But it was already enough.
Everyone inside had heard what happened.
The senior official who came outside locked eyes with me and ground his teeth.
“….”
I simply shrugged.
If you had something to hide, you’d fear public officials.
But I have no sins to hide.
‘And I won’t have any going forward either.’
That’s why I’m always confident.
And it will continue to be that way.
* * *
In a corner of the hall where the commotion had subsided.
Someone who had been holding their breath until just moments ago pressed the recording button.
‘This is huge…! This is going to blow up!’

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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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