Chapter 508: Glimpse of One’s Back (1)
Chapter 508: Glimpse of One’s Back (1)
Kaya’s Six Meat menu made its debut at Irregular Lab. In fact, many restaurants wanted her new recipe. Even those she shared it with asked if they could use it, offering to pay royalties and credit her.
This was natural. Six Meat was a recipe universally loved—at home or in any restaurant. More precisely, restaurants favoured it because it was simpler than Jo Reggiano yet easy to make with distinctive flavours.
For restaurants bound to deliver dishes promptly when customers order, Six Meat was perfect. All they needed to do was plate finished ingredients.
But Kaya was greedy. She wanted to monopolise the happiness the recipe brought—the smiles of those who enjoyed it.
Rationally, she might have grown fame faster by partnering with other chefs to introduce it widely at once. However, sometimes humans act on instinct and emotion, not reason.
She needn’t rush. Within weeks, Six Meat was validated and recognised by many restaurants and the public, achieving the satisfactory results she expected.
Six Meat was a recipe people loved from the start. Minjoon’s Jo Reggiano used cheese; Kaya’s Six Meat used mainly meat. People love dishes containing either.
Moreover, Six Meat’s culinary convenience surpassed Jo Reggiano’s. Like Jo Reggiano, it was hard for home cooks to master because it required sous-vide cooking.
Some attempted ordinary methods at home—monitoring water temperature with thermometers, adjusting heat carefully, or submerging meat in hot water after boiling. But sous-vide simplifies this in under an hour, maintaining perfect temperature.
Although theoretically possible, constant temperature control over hours was practically impossible at home.
As a result, many chose sides. Some bought sous-vide machines boldly, but most begged Jefferson, owner of the Jo Reggiano factory, to commercialise Six Meat like Jo Reggiano. They promised a huge market for quality Six Meat.
Now Jefferson sat before Kaya, Minjoon, and June.
He glanced at June and quietly muttered, “Honestly, I don’t know when I can add production lines. Jo Reggiano’s demand remains huge—from families and restaurants alike.”
“Then Kaya has no reason to sign with you yet. We must start producing Six Meat commercially ASAP. You know this is a golden opportunity…”
“Got it! I’ll make it work, even building a new factory for Six Meat.”
Jefferson hurried in response to June’s cold tone. He knew her reputation. Though close, he’d heard much about her personality.
June resumed her sharp negotiating, pointing out every flaw in Jefferson’s words. She even brought up contract issues he’d caused Minjoon when signing Jo Reggiano. When June argued he should have made Minjoon greedier, he was at a loss.
“Oh, don’t worry—I like money,” Kaya said suddenly.
When June and Jefferson worried she lacked Minjoon’s ambition, Kaya smiled and raised her hand.
June smiled too, arms crossed.
“Yeah, Jefferson, make the best contract—for our money-loving lady.”
“No need reminding—I was planning the best contract anyway.”
“Let’s see if it’s best for you or her.”
Jefferson found June’s smile irritating, and when she shifted tone, he felt like a petulant child.
“Well, Kaya’s recipe could outsweeten Jo Reggiano.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There are many reasons, but I’ll keep it brief. Jo Reggiano was their first step. Six Meat is their second. You know which step is higher, right?”
June spoke as if Minjoon and Kaya were one. Jefferson didn’t challenge it; he understood.
Though lovers sharing a life, they cooked in separate kitchens. Yet everyone knew their dishes resembled each other increasingly—from Grand Chef days to now.
Six Meat was a good example. Different meats cooked the same way with identical sauces and ingredients—though not exactly like Jo Reggiano. Close scrutiny showed Six Meat was Jo Reggiano’s opposite side, but Kaya could not deny traces of Minjoon’s creation in her dish.
Jefferson recalled what his friend said after tasting Six Meat:
“Man, they’re fantastic!”
“Why?”
“They cook far beyond usual expectations. You can measure a chef’s skill from last year, predict their improvement, right? But Minjoon and Kaya’s dishes exceeded all understanding. It makes me question my own career and cooking.”
“So they’re so great? I thought they were geniuses, but this is beyond that.”
Jefferson’s friend, a lifelong prodigy running a top restaurant, sighed.
“They make geniuses look mediocre. Six Meat? I don’t even know how to describe it. One thing I can say: don’t hesitate or you’ll miss the chance to work with them. It might be your biggest opportunity since Jo Reggiano.”
This advice drove Jefferson here. His earlier claim of no time to produce Six Meat commercially was true—orders for Jo Reggiano poured in, making him a fortune. Still, he felt betting on Minjoon again was worth the risk.
“All right, let’s go together.”
“I told you,” June handed him the contract.
“Whether we work together depends on your acceptance of these terms.”