Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Undercover Inspection
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Of course, it's not certain.
However,
The only person from Hyunmu who told me they were sorry was Hyun Ye-won, and a mere low-level employee wouldn't have access to such internal documents.
So, I could only speculate that it might be Hyun Ye-won, who was a director and part of the owner's family...
I had no idea why she sent that email.
If I had to guess, it was probably related to how she didn't seem to like Hyunmu much right now.
'...I don't remember well, but I think Chairman Hyun Jeong-hoo's personal life wasn't all that clean.'
Of course, there was no way I knew the ins and outs of a chaebol family's private affairs. Still, when you're in the industry, rumors always float around.
Word was that Hyunmu Chung, the founder of Hyunmu, disapproved of his successor Hyun Jeong-hoo's womanizing and clung to the chairmanship until the very end before reluctantly handing it over.
The story had spread so widely that it was practically accepted as fact. Even thinking about it simply, it didn't seem like Hyun Ye-won would look kindly on her father fooling around with other women while her mother was still alive.
There could be other reasons, too.
In any case... Hyun Ye-won was the only one at Hyunmu I could hope might be sympathetic toward me.
'Plus, she confessed to being my fan. For now, I'll keep her close.'
Even if her work leaked externally, it wouldn't harm The Song. And as a new hire, the information she could access was limited anyway.
Even if there was a chance she'd come in with ulterior motives, I judged it better to keep her nearby and watch.
'If I can turn Hyun Ye-won to my side, she'll be a huge asset against Hyunmu.'
In that sense, this undercover visit to make a first impression on her was pretty important.
"All done~."
Hyun Ye-won beamed, having polished off a full bowl of jjajangmyeon.
Well, that was a distant concern. For now, focus on the matter at hand.
"Let's head out."
"Sure~."
We finished our simple meal and left the shop. We couldn't cause a scene with customers around.
'See you later.'
We agreed to return at closing time.
Ding~.
As I flung open the door, my eyes met those of the owner, who was sweeping the dining hall.
His face was initially sullen, but as our gazes locked, his eyes gradually widened in surprise. I gave a slight smile and said,
"Good evening, Owner."
At my greeting, Owner Kim Myeong-seok tried to hide his flustered expression and replied,
"S-Song Woo-yeon? What brings you here...?"
"What do you mean?"
I held up the thick stack of documents in my hand.
The papers were covered top to bottom with checklists. If the total score fell below 80, it was a failed inspection.
"I'm here for an inspection."
"!"
His reaction showed he hadn't anticipated this at all. Of course not. That's what undercover inspections were for.
"The dining hall looks clean and well-maintained. Mind if I take a look at the kitchen?"
At my question, Kim Myeong-seok's eyes darted around. He was clearly uneasy, but most franchise owners dreaded surprise checks like this, so it wasn't particularly suspicious.
"The kitchen hasn't been cleaned up yet, so it's a mess..."
Even this was within expectations.
"Don't worry. We'll take it all into account. You think we can't tell the difference between a day's grease buildup and months of it?"
"......"
His face grew even more anxious at my words.
"Then I'll take a look inside the kitchen. Step aside, please."
"......"
"Owner?"
Even at my call, Kim Myeong-seok stood blocking the kitchen entrance, refusing to budge. We had a brief standoff, and wondering what his deal was, I waited a moment.
"......"
"Owner, this puts us in a tough spot. We need to finish the inspection quickly so you can wrap up and go home."
I tried coaxing him gently, but it fell on deaf ears. His head was bowed so low I couldn't see his expression.
But his intent to bar entry to the kitchen seemed firm. He still hadn't moved, and when I tried to slip around, he twisted to block the way.
I swallowed a deep sigh and said,
"Owner, you can't do this."
"...Hoo."
But then a sigh came from right in front of me. It was Kim Myeong-seok.
What?
As I felt puzzled, he lifted his head, which had been hanging low.
Just moments ago, he'd looked wracked with guilt, but now his face was full of resentment, as if it had never happened.
"What do you expect when you spring this on me out of nowhere?"
His demeanor had completely changed.
His scowl shifted the atmosphere entirely. The honest Chinese restaurant owner vibe was gone, replaced by an overtly threatening air.
His rolled-up sleeve revealed small burn scars alongside flashy tattoos.
"Huh? We have our own circumstances too, you know. You should've given us a heads-up~."
Well, now. Half banmal already?
His gaze looking down at me was brimming with displeasure.
Hmm. It happens sometimes.
'Franchise owners who see inspections as personal attacks.'
Not just owners—plenty of people like this exist. Give feedback on their work, and they sulk, thinking you're badmouthing them.
Working with them is exhausting and irritating. The food industry has all sorts of characters, so you run into these types.
What to do? Confronting this kind myself would just backfire.
'He probably thinks some young woman is getting cocky just because she has the president title.'
No way he'd listen properly then. It'd just make him angrier.
I subtly signaled Jo Yi-ruk, who was behind me.
Among the three of us, I figured Jo Yi-ruk was the best bet to ease Kim Myeong-seok's wariness.
He was taller than Kim Myeong-seok, dressed sharply in a suit, and the oldest of us.
Sometimes, these primal factors matter when dealing with people.
At my nod, Jo Yi-ruk nodded back understandingly and stepped forward.
"Owner, didn't we explain everything when you signed the franchise agreement?"
He'd probably handled this guy directly, so it made sense to hand it off to him.
"We mentioned unannounced inspections for brand management, and that repeated failures could lead to retraining or headquarters intervention. I told you multiple times..."
"That's ridiculous!"
Now it was outright banmal.
"You have to warn us ahead of time! No business ethics, no ethics! All my franchise friends say hygiene checks come with notice. No flexibility around here?"
"Owner, that's for scheduled inspections. We do notify for those. Today is a surprise check, so notifying ahead defeats the purpose..."
"I don't care about that!"
He wouldn't even listen to anything unfavorable. Cutting Jo Yi-ruk off mid-sentence, Kim Myeong-seok vented his side.
"What has headquarters even done for us? I cook, I greet customers—everything! And you just take a cut of sales every month!"
He doesn't seem to get what a franchise is.
"And now you're barging into my shop telling me what to do? Makes no sense! Huh?!"
"Owner, please calm down first."
"Calm my ass! I've got 25 years in Chinese kitchen work—think I don't know more than you kids? Inspections this, inspections that~ What arrogance!"
No idea when kitchen inspections became arrogance, but this approach wasn't working either.
"Yes, Owner. I understand what you're saying."
I smiled as best I could and said,
"Looks like we can't talk properly today, so we'll come back tomorrow."
"No. Why keep coming to a perfectly fine shop?"
As I pretended to back off, his tone softened a bit. Why come back? Because we need to.
"We actually stopped by your shop earlier today, and the recipes didn't match what we provided. So we have to check again."
"What?!"
He hadn't realized we'd already been there and jumped in shock. He chewed his lips, then, sensing no escape, bellowed,
"You messing with me?! You knew all along and toyed with me?"
No clue how it turned into that.
"You...! Get on TV, make some money off your face, and now small-time local merchants like me are a joke to you? Back in my day, girls like you would've stayed home cooking after marriage!"
Personal attacks now. What a guy.
Sorry, but I've heard every nasty thing before regressing, so this doesn't faze me.
Still, he was overly agitated, so provoking him more wouldn't help.
I pulled Jo Yi-ruk back. With types like this, you never know what they'll do—safety distance is key.
"......?"
But even as I tugged, Jo Yi-ruk wouldn't budge. What? Why isn't he moving?
Puzzled, I looked at Jo Yi-ruk. Oh no. His eyes had gone cold and fierce.
"You..."
His low, gravelly voice echoed. Whoa. He was really pissed.
Jo Yi-ruk removed his glasses, pocketed them, and continued.
"Say that again."
Now he was using banmal too.
"Jo, Team Leader Jo. What's wrong?"
You're not the type to lose it like this. You know provoking him won't help.
I grabbed his sleeve, but Jo Yi-ruk's gaze stayed fixed on Kim Myeong-seok.
"Hah! Some green kid glaring at an adult...!"
"And you?"
Jo Yi-ruk stepped even closer instead, right up to Kim Myeong-seok, looking down at him with a twisted smirk.
"Deserve any respect?"
"......Th-this...!"
Those words hit a nerve.
It happened in an instant.
Whoosh!
Kim Myeong-seok snatched an empty soju bottle from the table nearby and swung it down on the table.
Crash!
"Eeeeek!"
Hyun Ye-won's piercing scream rang out as the jagged broken edge of the glass bottle glinted under the fluorescent lights.
"You bastard!"
Swish!
No...!