Chapter 269
Translator: penny
Chapter: 269
Chapter Title: The Relentless Inspector
I strode forward confidently. As I stepped through the open shop door, I spotted Choi Min-hyuk trailing behind that man from earlier, dogging his every step.
He had this bewildered look on his face as he protested,
"No, this has to be the third or fourth time this month already. Right? You checked everything thoroughly last time too."
"That's true, but we have to inspect whenever we get a hygiene complaint. It's policy."
The man replied in a bored tone. From that brief exchange, I immediately figured out who he was.
'The hygiene inspector from the local health center.'
Health department teams from local centers, or environmental hygiene offices under local governments, regularly drop by restaurants to check sanitation.
When a hygiene-related complaint comes in, they usually dispatch an inspector like this.
From a restaurant's perspective, they're a nightmare.
Get on their bad side, and you could face a shutdown. A real headache.
'But this doesn't seem like a one-off. A hygiene inspector showing up multiple times a month?'
That's extremely rare.
Unless there's solid evidence like photos or videos, a vague verbal complaint like "that place is dirty" isn't enough to act on.
They usually only move on clear cases, like foreign objects in food.
'I haven't heard anything about foreign objects in their handmade burgers.'
And yet, inspectors were coming and going constantly?
'Choi Jun-hyuk's not the type to slack on hygiene just because he's busy.'
I glanced around, but nothing looked much different from before. If crowds had led to neglected cleaning, it would show in the dining area.
Instead, every corner gleamed like it had been polished spotless.
'With inspectors popping in so often, they'd have no choice but to be extra vigilant.'
Something was definitely off.
"What the heck is going on...?"
Hyun Ye-won muttered to herself as she finally stepped inside. Hearing her, Choi Min-hyuk turned toward us.
"......!"
Spotting me, his eyes went wide, so I raised a finger to my lips—shh.
No need to stir up more chaos here.
'We'll talk later.'
I mouthed the words, and he nodded silently.
Screeech! The rusty back door swung open with a grating noise. Choi Min-hyuk stood there, looking like he was about to burst into tears.
"Been well?"
I tossed out a casual greeting first, but it must've hit a nerve—he choked up. Slam! He shut the door behind him and let out a massive sigh, like the ground might cave in beneath him.
"Haaaa..."
I could already guess the gist of his troubles. Even one hygiene inspection tearing through the place is massive stress—but constantly? Brutal.
"Sorry. Kept you waiting?"
"Nah, I just got back here myself."
"Finished processing the incoming orders, so I was a bit late. We're on break now anyway, so it's fine."
Choi Min-hyuk shook off his gloom and put on a brave front.
"Good to hear. I just missed these handmade burgers and came to eat. Hope my sudden visit didn't startle you."
"Startle me? I'm thrilled! You never need to wait in line—just come right in."
"Nah. Waiting makes it taste better, right?"
Special treatment like that could lead to gossip later.
"And your companion? Hope we didn't ruin their meal."
"I fed them something delicious and sent them off satisfied. No worries."
We chuckled it off with some jokes, then got down to business.
"So, what was that all about earlier?"
"......"
"Not a one-time thing, right?"
"Yeah..."
Choi Min-hyuk pulled off his mask, clutched it in his hand, and sank down like he was collapsing.
"I'm seriously dying here, Woo-yeon. What do I do?"
He buried his face in his hands, rubbing it dry, then raked through his hair and shook it out.
His frustration was palpable, that suffocating helplessness.
"...It started with trash bags left at the front door."
His tone was strained, like he was forcing down his emotions. Trying to stay calm, but the anger seeped through.
"I thought it was a mistake at first. Someone must've dumped it wrong. When it kept happening, I put up a sign saying not to leave food waste."
"...But it kept showing up anyway."
"Yeah."
"CCTV?"
"Not even a shadow. Like they knew exactly how to dodge it."
Choi Min-hyuk muttered glumly.
"Didn't know who, but it was clear someone hated our guts."
Still, he tried to play it off at first, he continued. Figured anyone could be a jerk like that and laugh it off.
Business was booming—no time for petty worries.
But as if mocking him, the harassment only escalated.
"Complaints pouring in every day. Saying our hygiene sucks, begging for inspections. So persistent that even the health center can't ignore a pile-up."
Multiple similar complaints? They have to act. That's why the inspectors kept swarming.
"And that's not all! Delivery trucks park out front briefly for ingredients, right? Someone snaps a photo and reports illegal parking. I've had to apologize to drivers so many times, head bowed."
"......"
"Customer cars got reported too, so now we warn everyone upfront. Deleted weird reviews multiple times, and lately even noise complaints for being 'loud.'"
So meticulously vicious, like they were trying to strangle him slowly.
Choi Min-hyuk looked choked by the sheer malice. A flicker of fear crossed his pale face.
"What do I even do...?"
I watched his despair with pity, but cold logic churned in the back of my mind.
'Who could it be? Someone with this much grudge. Jealous of our success? Could be anyone.'
But his story narrowed it down.
'Snapping pics of a briefly parked refrigerated truck means they're nearby—not far from the shop.'
Deliveries vary by consumption, but staking out daily? Unlikely.
Someone who passes by regularly, more like.
'Not just passing. They'd need to stick around at least 10 minutes.'
Illegal parking reports require proof it's been parked 10+ minutes—photos or video.
No random passerby coming back later. They loitered nearby that long.
'Narrows it way down. Shops or homes with a view of our storefront.'
Dodging CCTV with trash bags fits too—calculated.
Still too early to pinpoint one suspect. Dozens possible.
'Local merchants? Jealousy. Neighbors? Parking woes and outsiders flooding in.'
Reasons galore—pick any.
But reasons don't matter.
'What to do next—that's the focus.'
I crouched to his eye level. My surgical scar throbbed faintly, but I ignored it.
"Times like this, you gotta keep your head straight."
He looked up at me, eyes brimming with tears.
"Self-employed life is lonely. No one fights your battles for you."
"You wanna protect what's yours? Gotta step up yourself. Got it?"
Choi Min-hyuk nodded, entranced.
In this cutthroat world, lose focus and you're eaten alive.
Not cynicism—fact. Eyes wide open, and still get fleeced daily. Why do you think Hyunmu steamrolled me pre-regression?
Lower your guard, and you're done.
Not saying strike first. But stay vigilant, and counter when attacked—that's how you survive.
"I've got a thick skin for this stuff."
Once my operations grew, I didn't handle it personally, but with three or four shops? I was public enemy number one in the district.
Felt like some evil mega-corp bullying small businesses. Though we were all small fry.
'Ran into similar crap back then.'
Still burned me up. Sleepless nights fuming.
Eventually, they whispered not to mess with me.
"Wh-what do we do?"
Choi Min-hyuk asked blankly, like a lost soul spotting a lighthouse.
"Well, there's peaceful resolution... or crushing them thoroughly."
I grinned at him.
"Which way you wanna go?"