Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Flawless Inspection and Brewing Scandal
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Bowls lined up in perfect rows.
Not a speck of dust, even if you ran your fingertingerprint across every corner of the restaurant.
The broth quality goes without saying,
and the ingredients—exactly 1.5 times the daily quota, as if they'd coordinated it beforehand.
"Perfect."
Jo Yi-ruk muttered beside me with a dazed look on his face.
"Not a single thing... out of regulation. Even with our sudden visit."
"Right?"
I grinned and said,
"I told you it'd be worth watching."
If Park Seung-jae's franchise was the despair edition, this place was the polar opposite. A true franchise hope story!
Impeccable hygiene, recipes spot-on with headquarters' standards, strict adherence to business hours.
If there's a model student among franchises, this is it.
"Congratulations, President Seo Beom-jun."
I looked at Seo Beom-jun, who was standing there awkwardly, and said,
"You've passed every criterion. No, you exceed them by far. This kitchen looks cleaner than my own room."
I could probably lay out a futon here and sleep right away. That's how spotless and well-organized it was.
"...You're too kind. Everyone does this much."
Seo Beom-jun bowed his head humbly. Hmm. He's much better at talking than last time.
"There are so many who can't even manage the basics."
I'd just seen proof of that yesterday.
"That's why this is impressive. You can take pride in it."
"...I see."
His expression was stiff and emotionless, but his earlobes were turning red. He clearly wasn't used to such direct praise.
"It's just that this is all I have."
His mashed-up earlobes hinted at his life story. From what I vaguely recalled, he'd made it to the national judo team selection trials.
A promising talent, by all accounts.
But he'd suffered a major injury from an opponent's foul play during the trials. Daily life and light exercise were fine, but judo was out of the question anymore.
The despair he must have felt back then was beyond imagination.
"Sports is a battle with yourself, after all."
His calm, reciting voice brimmed with self-assurance.
"Live each day diligently, and it builds into your skill."
That experience might have shaped the man Seo Beom-jun is today.
Even in training, temptations to compromise with himself must have arisen. Just this once, just for today.
Catching those softening impulses and stacking up each day in silence.
Maybe that's the common thread between business and sports.
"I just thought that way. If I can do it, anyone can. It's nothing special."
I felt like applauding.
Jo Yi-ruk looked a bit moved too. Probably because he was comparing him to the guy from yesterday.
"Just keep doing what you're doing. Thanks for welcoming us on such short notice. Best of luck~."
I bowed and stepped out of the shop. As I was about to head off, Jo Yi-ruk chattered beside me.
"Recommended by you personally, President, so of course he's different."
"Hm? Oh~."
Come to think of it, yeah. I'd spotted Seo Beom-jun's name on the list and picked him out.
"How did you know? I was worried since he had no experience in food service."
"Haha. Really?"
"Yeah. He followed along well in training... but just that much."
Nothing standout.
"Keep an eye on him."
I patted Jo Yi-ruk's shoulder and said,
"He's going to be with us for the long haul."
"Yes, sir. Got it."
In my past life, that's how it was. He started as an early member and stuck around almost to the end.
The quiet type, so we never had deep talks. But sharing a drink in silence, there was this sense of unspoken understanding.
His customer service wasn't exactly warm, but there was a strange trustworthiness in his steady work ethic.
"It's going to work out."
I muttered softly and turned away.
"You can handle the rest of the franchise checks on your own, right, Team Leader Jo?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes. I learned the method, so no problem... Do you have other business?"
You bet.
The other franchises seemed to be opening smoothly, and inquiries were pouring in.
We were in the midst of rapid expansion, but I'd delegated most tasks to others.
'Though I handle the final approvals myself.'
For anyone else, even that would eat up all their time. But with my accumulated know-how, I breeze through it.
"Our company has three brands now, right? [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap], [Happiness Snacks], ."
"Yes. Especially 's growth is explosive. Interest in snowflake bingsu is still red-hot."
SNS was blowing up, apparently. Once franchises pop up here and there, accessibility will skyrocket.
I crossed my arms and tapped my bicep with my fingertips.
"We've got a long way to go."
"Pardon? ...A company growing this fast is rare anywhere."
True, but.
Compared to my past life's scale, we're still a corner store.
"Let me say this upfront, Team Leader Jo. I'm more into new menu development than management."
I'd rather wield the wok in the kitchen one more time than juggle numbers, and imagining tastier new dishes beats fretting over margins.
That's my nature, which is why I chose food business out of all options.
With this expertise, I could've raked in even bigger bucks in distribution or trading.
Money comes and goes. The deprivation from my poor childhood? I more than filled the bank account in my past life.
"Of course, I'm not saying I'll slack off. I'll keep tabs steadily, but it's not my main focus."
"You're doing plenty well already."
"So expect more of this going forward."
"...'This' meaning."
Jo Yi-ruk eyed me with a strangely anxious glint.
'No way, right?'
His face said as much. I grinned, shattering that hope.
"Time to prep the next brand."
"What?! Already?"
"Not launching right away. This menu needs time. Starting with R&D."
Jo Yi-ruk let out a "Whoa" of an exhale. Sigh? Admiration? Maybe both.
"...I give up."
He shook his head.
"Do whatever you want, President. You're not listening anyway."
"Quick on the uptake."
I feigned surprise, and he shot me an exasperated glare, like he was annoyed. Haha. No need to stare like that.
"I said not right away."
"Yes. Small comfort."
Jo Yi-ruk pressed his temples like his head throbbed.
"I'll check the remaining sites. If anything like yesterday pops up, I'll report immediately."
"Yeah, sure."
"Then let's head to the office."
We'd inspected Seo Beom-jun's before opening, so lunch hour hadn't hit yet.
"By car, we'll arrive right around lunchtime."
"Yes, about that."
"Been so busy with trips these past couple days, haven't properly talked to Deputy Park either? Let's grab lunch together and bond a bit."
"Oh, sounds good."
Park Sang-won was probably getting handover from No Se-hee. Still, the office must feel empty with him so new.
Gotta get back quick and make sure he eats... That's when it happened.
Swoosh.
"We're back~. Came for lunch toge...ther."
Ding-a-ling!
"Yes, this is Chief No Se-hee of [The Song]."
"Ah~, sorry, but we're confirming the facts right now, and this has nothing to do with headquarters' stance..."
What the hell?
No Se-hee and Park Sang-won were swamped fielding ringing phones. No Se-hee spotted me and bowed.
"What's going on?"
"Yes, I understand. Can't go into details now; I'll call you back. Could you give me your name and contact...?"
No Se-hee waved her hand while on the call—no time to explain.
"Wh-what in the world is this...?!"
Jo Yi-ruk's face drained pale. First time with something like this, he was flustered.
Worried my voice might carry over the line, I gestured for quiet. He went "Eep!" and clamped his mouth.
Bzzz-!
Then my phone vibrated too.
[Reporter Kang Yu-ha]
Bad timing.
I hit accept and held it to my ear.
"Hello?"
-Hi, President Song. Got a sec?
"Yeah, a moment."
-Sorry to call when you're busy.
"No worries. Was hoping to ask someone anyway. What the hell happened?"
-Oh. You haven't heard yet.
Kang Yu-ha sounded troubled, then continued.
-Check the internet; you'll see right away. It's on the portal's front page.
"The portal?"
I hurried to my desk and hit the power on the PC tower. Loading was slow today.
-Yeah. That . Snowflake bingsu.
Meanwhile, Kang Yu-ha hesitated before going on.
PC finally booted. Skipping the rest, I opened the browser.
Portal site loaded, and bam—a massive article plastered on page one.
[Behind the Hype of the Hot 'Snowflake Bingsu' Trend... "Plagiarized from a Personal Cafe Dessert?"]
-Someone posted online that their idea was stolen, claiming injustice. Sparked a plagiarism controversy.
Kang Yu-ha's voice echoed in my head.
"......Huh."
What kind of nonsense is this?