Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: To Raise Your Name Value, Take a Dump
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To raise your name value, take a dump.
Aramark's CEO, George, had a massive headache.
"...So, there's no way to deal with it?"
"Yes, Chairman."
His secretary, Reika, replied.
"If we attack him from our side, the backlash would be unpredictable."
At Reika's report, George could only drum his fingers on the desk.
They had pulled off this massive stunt targeting the entire school lunch industry, and yet there was nothing they could do?
What kind of bullshit was this?
It was probably because of that 'hero' title.
And...
The justification was perfectly on his side.
'A declaration solely for America's growing children.'
On the surface, it was an impeccably righteous and irrefutable reason.
Giant corporation versus upstart company.
People always root for the underdog.
He was at a complete loss on how to resolve this hopeless situation.
"...Hoo. Their base is in California?"
"Yes."
"'Hansang,' was it? Have we mapped out their distribution network and production facilities?"
"Yes. The report is on your desk."
He began reading the report on his desk carefully.
"Hm... Even California can't handle a scale this big. No direct major damage to us yet, right?"
"Yes. Fortunately, most schools still have time left on their contracts. Unless another major issue like food poisoning erupts, schools won't be able to unilaterally terminate easily."
"Hoo... Then we don't have much to worry about."
He let out a sigh of relief.
"At worst, it's a piddling operation that can't handle 1,000 schools. Tsk. Better to just let them take a little hit in California."
"Yes... It's not like we're the only ones hurting; competitors are losing schools too. Much better than the damage from poking him now."
"Right. We'll watch for now. But we need an official rebuttal to that 'trash food' comment."
"Understood."
"The others... Sodexo and Chartwells quiet?"
"Probably in the same boat. Obvious loss if we touch him now."
"Tsk... Got it. Get back to work."
"Yes, sir."
Reika bowed and left the room.
George stared out the window and muttered softly.
"You'd better eat moderately and be satisfied."
But John had no idea.
How bitterly he would regret not going hard at the start.
Ji's-hoon's Colbert Show remarks had detonated a massive bomb in American society.
Parents' fury pierced the skies, and complaint calls crippled schools and education offices.
In the end, an official rebuttal statement was issued in the name of the 'American School Lunch Providers Association (ASLPA)', led by Aramark, Sodexo, and Chartwells.
The statement directly countered the photos Ji-hoon had shown.
"Mr. Kim Ji-hoon called this food trash. But he completely fails to understand the nutritional science behind it. What he called a 'crumb of bread' is an essential vitamin-fortified grain product that passed USDA's strict guidelines. What he called 'soggy pizza' is actually a balanced protein and carbohydrate food containing tomato paste."
The statement continued to claim their food was scientifically superior.
"Our goal is to ensure kids get reliable, proven calories through food they like. Kids don't want mystery soups made from sea algae or fermented cabbage. Kids want pizza and nuggets. We're just respecting their choices. Mr. Kim Ji-hoon's three-day service was admirable, but it was short-term volunteering, not a sustainable system for millions of students daily. We will continue providing science-based, nutritious meals to children."
In summary, it was a ridiculous excuse: We're not giving trash; we're giving scientifically backed trash that kids like—leaving listeners dumbfounded.
"What the hell is this? Licking Buddha's ball wrinkles?"
I stared at the school lunch cartel statement in utter disbelief.
Why?
When you can't attack the message, attack the messenger.
I fully expected them to hurl all sorts of abuse at me.
David versus Goliath.
Why do people cheer for David?
The lunch industry is Goliath, and I'm David.
The underdog.
Big guy versus little guy.
If they'd attacked me, I'd have jumped into a gleeful dogfight.
I have nothing to lose in this industry anyway.
There's a saying: To raise your name value, shit on a famous person's doorstep or spit in their face.
You're borrowing their name value to boost your own.
It's like rookies in MMA trash-talking champions to provoke them.
But no.
They botched rebutting the message so badly—what am I supposed to do?
I was dumbfounded and amused at the same time.
Even a shit ball wouldn't be this shitty.
Probably...
They figured touching me directly would only hurt them.
Tsk.
I logged into my YouTube account.
And started typing a reply to the statement in the community tab.
I hit post without hesitation.
As soon as Ji-hoon's post went up, American internet communities exploded.
He demolished the lunch companies' lame excuses with killer analogies.
Millions of likes and comments poured in instantly.
Public opinion overwhelmingly backed Ji-hoon.
Ji-hoon's witty rebuttal turned the lunch cartel's statement into instant mockery.
As the nerve war between Ji-hoon and the lunch industry began, the government was equally troubled.
Ji-hoon was no longer just an immigrant.
He was America's 'official hero' with the Presidential Medal around his neck.
And he declared, "America's kids are eating trash."
This became an uncontrollable blaze.
The moral high ground was perfectly his.
'Children's healthy future.'
Any politician contradicting this sacred value became a 'bad guy' or 'corrupt.'
Especially with countless parents watching closely.
One misstep, and they'd tank in the upcoming elections.
But
They couldn't easily side with Ji-hoon either.
Because of the entrenched lunch cartel.
Giant firms like Aramark and Sodexo wielded massive lobbying power.
For decades, they'd managed D.C. congressmen with huge political donations.
Their influence spanned education budgets to USDA nutrition guidelines.
Government and Congress were stuck, unable to act.
Enraging the hero meant furious voters.
Enraging giants meant severed campaign funds.
The healthy lunch issue Ji-hoon raised was shaking the entire American political pond.
The lunch industry moved fast.
Contacting politicians they sponsored and pulled strings with.
'Deal with Kim Ji-hoon somehow.'
But the responses were unexpected.
"Don't touch him. Lay low."
Politicians already roasted over lunch subsidy cuts and the absurd pizza-as-vegetable lobby scandal.
They realized provoking Ji-hoon more would kill their careers.
Why?
Because Ji-hoon had become the focal point for voters fed up with lunch issues.
No matter the cash from the cartel, losing the next election hurt more.
They warned the companies discreetly but firmly.
'Lay low.'
The warned firms had no choice but to back off, bitter as it was.
Betrayed by the politicians they funded.
But 'America's Hero' title outpowered their lobbying.
For now, at least.
Thanks to this, Hansang's lunch division entered the market smoothly, unhindered.
The giant cartels fell silent.
Hearing strong 'don't touch' warnings from politicians.
They could only watch.
Timing was perfect.
Thanks to Ji-hoon's broadcast, parents nationwide learned better lunches were possible for $4.
Furious opinion pressured local education offices and schools.
Schools stopped renewing old contracts, seeking alternatives.
And Hansang appeared as that alternative.
A company run by America's hero.
One prioritizing kids' health.
For schools, choosing Hansang silenced parent protests and cared for kids—the safest bet.
The first contract came from Berkeley High, the incident's origin.
From there, inquiries flooded from schools across California.
Nothing could stop Hansang's advance.