The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 99

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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 99. Commercialization
“…It’s commercialization.”
The audience fell silent.
Quiet.
-Commercialization?
-What does that mean?
-Is this a word game? Why suddenly here?
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
Lee Sae-rom in particular looked completely lost.
“Commerc…commercialization, you say?”
“It may sound like a word game.”
Oh Tae-sik turned his head to the side.
“This person will explain the details.”
The microphone was passed over.
To Jang On-gyu, who was wearing a mask.
* * *
The audience began to stir.
It felt like something big was about to happen.
The atmosphere slowly, yet unmistakably, heated up.
Jang On-gyu placed his hand on the mask.
Slowly.
Whoosh—
His face was revealed.
-Gasp…!
Gasps echoed throughout the audience.
Two seconds.
Then the studio erupted.
-What?!
-That person…!
-Isn’t that Representative Jang On-gyu?!
-Why is Jang On-gyu appearing here?
Some people jumped to their feet.
Others grabbed their neighbors’ arms and shook them.
-Is this real? Is that really Jang On-gyu?!
-Yes! I’ve seen him on broadcasts!
-Wow. What? He’s coming out? Really?
Murmurs spread like waves.
Even Jang Han-su picked up the microphone half a beat late.
No, there’s no way he didn’t know.
He must have mixed in a surprised reaction.
‘Truly a professional.’
He was born with a talent for capturing people’s attention.
“Now, everyone! The identity of our special judge has been revealed! It’s Representative Jang On-gyu!”
Jang Han-su’s cry.
Cheers erupted from the audience.
Jang On-gyu stood and slowly swept his gaze across the spectators. Slowly.
The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.
Beneath the mask, a clean face was revealed.
For the audience, that would have been everything.
But I was different.
Even with the mask removed, my heart raced.
Even more so.
Thump—thump—
In my past life, I had never seen his bare face.
I had only ever seen the burn scars beneath the mask.
So when I first saw Jang On-gyu in this life, I didn’t recognize him.
Without the mask, he was just a neat businessman.
But now.
The moment he appeared wearing the mask, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
Now, even with the mask off, my heart will surely race.
‘Now I know who you are.’
My heart churned, but my hands remained steady.
The two hands standing before the wok didn’t tremble at all.
I had learned this in my past life.
The more my heart races, the more I must calm my hands. I had to.
To catch him.
* * *
Jang On-gyu, holding the microphone, spoke.
“Good evening, everyone. It’s an honor to be here with you all.”
The audience fell silent at those words.
‘It was the same in my past life.’
The man who manipulated crowds with a single sentence.
He was no different in this life.
Jang On-gyu glanced around the audience once more and smiled.
“Commercialization. I’m sure it sounds sudden. I’ll explain everything for you.”
He paused for effect.
“The winning dish created by today’s champion.
Jang On-gyu gestured smoothly to the side.
Oh Tae-sik was standing there.
“Together with the company of Oh Tae-sik here, I will personally take responsibility for—”
My gaze turned toward the front camera.
“We’ll distribute it across the entire nation.”
A beat of silence.
Then the audience erupted.
-What?!
-Nationwide?!
-You’re commercializing the winning dish?!
Some people turned to face their neighbors with their mouths agape.
Some covered their mouths with their hands.
-If it’s Representative Oh Tae-sik, won’t convenience stores and supermarkets be flooded with it?
-This is bigger than the prize money itself, isn’t it?
-This is insane, seriously….
-So if you win here, you’re making a fortune?
Lee Sae-rom’s eyes widened.
“My goodness. This is… an incredible prize, isn’t it?”
Im Ha-yun nodded while keeping her arms crossed.
“For a chef, there might not be a bigger prize than this. And the money too.”
Jang On-gyu picked up the microphone again.
This time, looking toward the competitors’ seats.
“I’m confident that the esteemed chefs participating will showcase even better cooking. I’m looking forward to it as well.”
‘Right. He always looks that way on the surface.’
Even in my past life, he gathered people with that face.
On the surface, a savior.
Underneath, a merchant.
I set aside the commotion and began calculating.
‘Commercialization.’
If I win, that dish gets distributed nationwide.
It’s quite a prize.
But that’s not all there is to it.
‘Why would Jang On-gyu bring this up himself.’
The intention was obvious.
The commercialization process has to go through Jang On-gyu and Oh Tae-sik’s hands.
Recipe rights. Distribution channels. Brand licensing.
Even if I win, I’d have to play by their rules.
‘Playing on his board.’
The entire structure was carefully designed from the start.
They just announced it now, but.
Having discussed this with PD Ga, I knew this product was prepared from the beginning.
Of course it was.
‘Jang On-gyu isn’t a fool, after all.’
Even if I dislike the man, he’s not foolish enough to throw money away on the ground.
He’s the type to orchestrate a scheme and make it his own.
It’s the same now.
Commercialize it and place it in his hands?
Ultimately, he’s structuring it so he profits from it.
‘I already anticipated that.’
That’s why I intended to dismantle it.
You could call it perfect timing.
A stage to break it has been created.
* * *
“Well then, before the final round, let’s hear a word from each participant!”
Jang Han-su picked up the microphone and walked toward the competitors’ seats.
First was Jeong Si-woo.
“Chef Jeong Si-woo. You seem to be losing momentum right now. Any final words of resolve?”
The microphone drew closer.
Jeong Si-woo lowered his head once.
Having experienced several failures, he seemed aware the situation was disadvantageous, and his expression was visibly tense.
“…Honestly, it hasn’t been easy getting this far.”
His voice was low.
It wasn’t trembling.
It felt like he was suppressing something deep down.
“But I’m a chef. I’ll cook my way through to the end. I’ll show you properly. Until the very last moment.”
It was brief.
That was all.
‘Not bad at all.’
With that kind of resolve, his unanimous victory with the omakase sushi earlier wasn’t just luck.
A person who’s collapsed once and rebuilt themselves
rarely collapses a second time.
In my past life too, people like that were invaluable as allies.
And they were the most troublesome as enemies.
Jeong Si-woo was that type.
‘Our beginning was an ill-fated encounter, but when it comes to competition, he’s not a bad opponent.’
* * *
While I was assessing Jeong Si-woo, Jang Han-su moved toward Ern Kim.
“Chef Ern Kim! You’re currently tied at 2 points with Chef Seonwoo. How are you feeling?”
Ern Kim took hold of the microphone.
Or rather, he seized it.
“How am I feeling?”
One corner of his mouth rose.
“Naturally, I feel excellent. I’m cooking with the finest ingredients on the greatest stage.”
‘The finest ingredients.’
That’s the key point.
He wanted to emphasize that the caliber of ingredients he worked with was different.
Truffle. Foie gras. Caviar.
And I had marbled pork belly.
And by mentioning those ingredients, he was blatantly excluding me. It was painfully clear—he didn’t want my name in his mouth.
“So, what’s the result?”
“Honestly, I think the result is already decided.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I spoke with a smile.
My words were lighthearted, but my eyes weren’t smiling.
‘That’s not arrogance—that’s conviction.’
It was both Ern Kim’s weapon and his weakness.
His unwavering belief that his cooking was the best!
I’d already seen what kind of face he made when that conviction shattered in the second round.
‘I want to see it again this time.’
As I steeled my resolve.
Ern Kim’s interview came to an end.
“Finally! Chef Kim Seon-woo!”
Jang Han-su stepped in front of me.
The microphone came into view.
* * *
I took the microphone.
The audience fell silent.
“You mentioned commercialization, right?”
Jang Han-su tilted his head slightly.
“Yes, that’s right. The commercialization that Representative Jang On-gyu announced earlier….”
“That commercialization.”
I cut him off.
“Since we’re doing it anyway, how about we all share in it together?”
Jang Han-su’s eyes widened.
“All of us? Is there a way to do that?”
“Haha, it’s simpler than you’d think.”
“Really? Wow, it sounds like you’re about to say something nobody expected.”
“Haha. I’m sure you never thought of it.”
The audience stirred.
A subtle movement appeared at the end of the judges’ table.
Jang On-gyu’s brow furrowed.
It was only a moment.
It smoothed out immediately, but I saw it.
‘Got them.’
That reaction was all I needed.
I smiled toward the camera.
Brightly.
Deliberately.
“Revenue through merchandising. That’s only possible because of all of you here, isn’t it?”
I gestured toward the audience with my hand.
“The viewers. The audience members. The judges. Everyone who made this moment possible.”
Jang Han-su missed his timing to take the microphone back.
Because I was holding it.
“So I’d like to propose that if I win the championship, I’ll donate all the merchandising revenue.”
The audience fell silent for a moment.
“…Pardon? A donation?”
“Yes. A donation.”
Jang Han-su asked again.
During that exchange, Jang On-gyu’s crossed arms uncrossed.
Then crossed again.
‘He moved twice.’
He’s calculating.
What comes back to him if the merchandising revenue goes to charity.
The brand licensing, the distribution margins—all of it becomes meaningless.
‘It completely disappears. He spends his own money and gets nothing in return. Actually, it’s a net loss.’
He spent his connections and money, and if nothing comes back, that’s a loss.
What else would you call that if not a loss?
Plus, he can’t attach his strings to my cooking anymore.
‘Playing on your board ends here.’
But if only I mention the donation, the impact is halved.
Jang On-gyu gets a way out.
‘If only I’m treated as the crazy one, that’s the end of it.’
That’s why I called it a proposal.
To drive the wedge in.
I’ll seize this momentum and pull everyone in.
If all three of us donate?
Jang On-gyu becomes the one who keeps the profits for himself.
He can’t survive that on live broadcast.
I opened my mouth again.
“So here’s my proposal.”
I looked toward the competitors’ seats.
“This time, I’ll ask. What do you two think? Sounds good, right?”
Jeong Si-woo lifted his head first.
He seemed to pause in thought for a moment.
His expression remained serious throughout.
But then his face softened, if only briefly. A lighter expression crossed his features.
“…I share the same sentiment.”
He agreed immediately.
That he would make the donation.
It was brief.
But his voice carried weight.
“A chef benefits people through cooking. That’s what we’re supposed to do in the first place, isn’t it?”
Ern Kim was different.

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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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