Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Backlash
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Seul-bi, in a Break Burger uniform with a black cap pulled low, flipped a flaming steak. Ro-si and Yi-na, wearing exaggerated retro headbands, gasped in admiration.
“Whoa!”
Seul-bi switched positions and plunged the steak into a bubbling, pale-yellow cheese sauce, then pulled it out.
The thick, gooey cheese dripped down, and the other Answer members and Ye-jun watched with amazed expressions.
“Introducing Break Burger's newest creation! The Deep Cheese Steak Burger is ready!”
“Wow!”
Following Min-jun's advice, the Answer members had starved for a day, and their glazed eyes were filled with genuine hunger and craving.
Seol-ah pressed down on the top bun, and cheese oozed out. Just like in the TV show, Ye-jun opened his mouth wide like an alligator.
“Waaah!”
“Nom!”
Behind the awestruck Ye-jun, Yi-na spun around, looking ecstatic over the burger's taste.
The commercial had an over-the-top, B-movie retro concept slathered in exaggerated CG, which perfectly complemented the disco-era vibe of Answer's song, "Answer Me Now."
The ad ended with a natural shot of Ye-jun, struggling to hold the burger with his tiny hands, saying, "Noona, I wanna make lots of money so I can eat this every day."
-Yi-na is spinning in the commercial too, lol.
-Food expert Seul-bi flipping that flaming patty is insane.
-Whoa, that cheese lava is making my mouth water.
-Wait? Was it always Break Burger?
-You're right. The PPL was for King Patty, not Break Burger.
The marketing director of King Patty saw the commercial released online and immediately flew into a rage.
“How dare they ignore my offer and release a commercial? And this early? Did they think I'd just let this slide? Eat this, you bastards.”
His face contorted with anger, he sent an email to someone and picked up his phone.
“Hey! Reporter Lee! I just sent you a press release. Please polish it into a column and distribute it. I'd appreciate it if you could hurry.”
A nasty smile spread across his face as he spoke with the reporter.
He had no doubt that this decisive blow he was orchestrating would deal significant damage not only to his competitor but also to the arrogant JD and Answer who had rejected his offer...
* * *
The day the commercial first aired, a column about the burger appeared online, as if it had been waiting.
-
-A so-called famous "jjal" (a term for pictures or images circulating on the internet) has been making the rounds online recently. It's the captivated expression of a young child who, on his first trip to an amusement park, is trying a hamburger for the very first time. (Omitted section)
However, the models in the picture rejected the offer from the company that provided the product placement and instead filmed a commercial for their biggest competitor, who offered a higher contract fee. From their perspective, it might simply be a matter of choosing the more profitable option, but the original company is now sighing that the new commercial will steal the effects of their initial investment. It's a classic case of the bear doing all the work while someone else reaps the rewards.
As times change and life becomes harsher, materialism is becoming rampant. Is it too much for this writer to hope that conscientious, intelligent individuals would refrain from actions deserving of social condemnation?
-They have no principles.
-All they care about is money.
-Feeling good about that ad money you got by selling out a kid?
-Answer and JD's images are in the gutter.
-Boycott Break Burger, boycott Answer, boycott JD.
After the column was posted, countless comments criticizing Answer flooded in, again as if on cue.
“Hey, what is all this? Get everyone in here.”
CEO Park Jae-yong summoned his key personnel after seeing the malicious column about Answer and the public's reaction.
Director Lee Sun, Manager Ji, Min-jun, Team Leader Lee, and the head of PR, who didn't have any schedules, gathered in the CEO's office. But unlike the frantic CEO Park Jae-yong, the others looked relatively calm.
“How can you all be so calm? Answer's and JD's reputations could be ruined!”
Lee Sun looked at Park Jae-yong with a puzzled expression and spoke.
“Daepyo-nim, is this about the hamburger column?”
“Huh? You know? You know and you're still this calm?”
“...”
Dumbfounded by Lee Sun's demeanor, Park Jae-yong looked around at the others.
“We already reported this while you were in the States helping Yoo-ah get settled, Daepyo-nim.”
“What?”
“An offer came in for a PPL-linked contract for Answer, but the terms were terrible. We tried to develop it, but it failed. We ended up signing a better deal with a competitor that included a social contribution option.”
Park Jae-yong blinked, thinking for a moment, then spoke again, frustrated.
“So, because of that deal, some article trashing us is up, and the comments are bad. We need to respond!”
Park Jae-yong looked at Min-jun, his tone harsh.
“We have.”
“Huh?”
Min-jun's chic reply suddenly deflated Park Jae-yong.
“I anticipated that there would be talk, even if not from a vengeful King Patty, so I distributed a press release we had already prepared a few minutes ago.”
“Oh, really? Think it'll blow over okay?”
Embarrassed by his outburst, Park Jae-yong changed his expression as if he had never been angry.
“So, everyone trusted Min-jun, even though he's not officially appointed yet?”
“Well, at least nothing Team Leader Min-jun has handled directly has ever gone wrong.”
“Tsk. True. So, is the article out?”
Everyone immediately started searching for the article Min-jun would have distributed.
“Reporter Shin already linked it as a related article right below the column.”
“Aha. So this is what I missed?”
Park Jae-yong began reading the rebuttal article.
-[Between Hamburger Manners and Lowballing]
-There's a famous picture making the rounds these days. It's the hamburger picture of Answer's Seol-ah and her younger brother Ye-jun, who rose to stardom after many hardships. Young Ye-jun, who grew up in the countryside and had never been to a theme park or even tried a hamburger until he was nearly five, looked as if he'd discovered a new world after his first bite. The image went viral after being broadcast, and K Burger, the company behind the product placement, reportedly saw a massive sales increase incomparable to their initial investment.
As is customary, K Burger offered a commercial deal linked to the product placement. The terms they proposed were at a level from long before Answer became popular. It was a clear attempt to pressure them, implying they were morally obligated to choose them even if a competitor offered better terms. In other words, it was a lowball offer.
Let's hear from Answer's chief manager, Min-jun.
-Min-jun: 'Honestly, I was just going to let it go. I didn't want to turn Answer, who worked so hard to get here, into a mere performing bear. Besides, K Burger had already told us to forget it if we didn't like the offer.'
-Q: So what did you do?
-Min-jun: Just then, the company we filmed the commercial with made a great proposal with a special condition. They offered to deliver the new hamburger sets and various side dishes to children in orphanages nationwide. As some of you may know, we recently had a similar event with Seopyeong Confectionery, and we thought this would be a very meaningful endeavor. We couldn't just stand by. The original offer was only for Seol-ah and her brother, but we decided to have all of Answer appear for the same terms. A good deed deserves another, right?’
-[Photo 1. Answer and their manager laughing together on the set of the commercial]
-It was a heartwarming story. And today, on its release date, the new "Deep Cheese Steak" burger is scheduled to be delivered warm to children and staff at orphanages across the country.
If you expect manners from others, shouldn't you have manners yourself first?
-Squee! I knew it. There's no way Answer, who's only done good things, would have such bad manners.
-Turns out King Patty were the ones with the bad manners.
-Whoa, the tables have turned hard, lmao.
-That hamburger column was definitely a paid article, right?
-What a twist, lol. You should always keep your gear in neutral.
-The column was all "boycott Break Burger and Answer," and now they're getting hit with the backlash.
-Let's go boycott the world's biggest hamburger monster.
-Their buns have been getting dry lately anyway, I was sick of them.
-But why are so many people trying to take Answer down? There have been so many suspicions about them from the start. It's like it's all coordinated.
-Still, JD's response is amazing. Their quick judgment is insane. The rebuttal articles always come out within 5 minutes.
-lol, right? It's like they have them prepared and ready to go. They must have a mastermind.
* * *
King Patty's website crashed, and their phone lines were flooded with complaints. The news reached Senior Managing Director Jang Ki-yong, who had been in charge of the contract with Min-jun.
A startled Director Jang opened a search engine, only to be met with a flood of articles about King Patty's lowballing tactics.
“What the fuck is this?”
He clicked on an article that was a blatant takedown of the column he had distributed.
“They're just kids who went with the company that paid them more. Why is everyone making such a fucking fuss?”
As he scrolled down and read, cold sweat beaded on Director Jang's forehead.
Contrary to his assumption that they had simply gone for the money, the article specified a special social contribution clause in the contract between Answer and Break Burger.
“Fuck...”
Director Jang felt as if he had walked right into a trap set by Min-jun.
It was as if he had anticipated exactly what kind of malicious article would be written about Answer and Break Burger, releasing a perfect rebuttal within minutes. It would have been impossible without thorough preparation.
The party he had accused of having bad manners had been turned into the victim of power tripping and lowballing, while he and King Patty were suddenly cast as the villainous corporation.
Jang Ki-yong's frantic eyes stared at the office phone. He expected it to ring any second with a furious call from the executive director or the CEO.
*Riiing!*
“Hah!”
The phone he was staring at rang, and Director Jang gasped.
“Yes, this is...”
-You bastard! Get to my office, now!
*SLAM!*
The sound of the receiver being slammed down, hard enough to break it, made Director Jang flinch.
Biting his nails, a habit unbefitting a man of fifty, Director Jang headed for the office of the CEO of King Patty Korea.
‘Should I hurry to get yelled at less? No. In times like this, isn't it better to be a little late?’
Director Jang suddenly wished for some unexpected incident to occur, but no such thing happened.
The female secretary in front of the CEO's office, seeming to sense the atmosphere, cautiously pressed the extension number.
“Senior Managing Director Jang Ki-yong is...”
“Come in!”
A loud voice boomed simultaneously from the intercom and from behind the door. Director Jang finished evenly tearing off the rest of his thumbnail before stepping inside.
The furious CEO lifted the phone receiver as if to throw it at him. Director Jang flinched, covering his head with his arms before slowly lowering them.
“Hah, hah. You dumbass.”
“...I was set up...”
*Thwack!*
A stack of documents thrown by the CEO hit Director Jang in the head and scattered.
“Bullshit! You bastard! You had a budget of 150 million, and you offered 50 million, turning our company into absolute trash!?”
“I was trying to contribute to the company's profits... I was planning to raise it gradually. I was even going to go up to 60 million...”
“Shut up! You got greedy like an idiot because 50% of the remaining budget is paid as an incentive, didn't you!”
“But it was still profitable for the company...”
“Profitable? Profitable!? You tried to pocket a 50 million incentive, and now King Patty is facing a boycott over power-tripping allegations, and you call that profitable!?”
The word "boycott" sent a chill down Director Jang's spine.
“I'll handle it right away.”
The CEO, who had been furious, suddenly let out a nasty laugh, which made Director Jang even more anxious.
“Heh. Handle it? That hamburger column that came out as soon as the Break Burger ad aired, that was you, wasn't it?”
“...Of course, I had to do some damage control.”
“If you hadn't pulled that stunt, we wouldn't be facing this backlash.”
The CEO suddenly gave a deflated laugh, then opened his desk and held out a sheet of A4 paper covered in text.
-This is Senior Managing Director Jang Ki-yong, who was in charge of the contract with Answer at the time...
Seeing his name in a statement he had never written, Director Jang felt a shiver run down his spine. His eyes skipped past the middle of the document and darted to the end.
-...While it is true there was a major misunderstanding in our communications, I ask that you please refrain from further speculation. I will take responsibility for this and leave King Patty Burger, the company to which I have dedicated my entire life. Once again, I apologize to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by this misunderstanding.
It was a demand for his resignation.
Director Jang was furious.
“Seonbae, how can you do this to me!”
“Then what should I do? Put back what you took and leave quietly before I sue you for embezzlement and breach of trust.”
Hearing the words of the CEO, who already held all the cards to fire him, Director Jang let out a hollow laugh. He had always wielded his superior position for his own gain, but now that he was on the receiving end, he was utterly dumbfounded.