Baiting the Spy with Scoville Hellfire
"How does the bait product taste?"
"Baby miss, Scoville index of 17,000? What's that?"
"Well, the truth is..."
I explained everything to Dr. Lee—except for the part about reading Grandpa's autobiography in my previous life.
"What? Section Chief Ko is a corporate spy?"
"Shh! Don't tell anyone else. Not even Grandpa."
"Gasp!"
Dr. Lee covered his mouth with both hands. He glanced around anxiously.
What I'd just said could potentially cause a huge uproar at Hansung Food.
"...Why would Section Chief Ko...?"
Should I explain this part roughly?
"A while back, I attended an executive meeting with Grandpa."
Dr. Lee nodded at my words. The rumor of the Hansung Group Chairman bringing his only daughter had spread like wildfire through the entire company.
"But this guy named Section Chief Ko acted really suspicious. Like he was prying too much into everything?"
"...!"
Come to think of it, even Dr. Lee couldn't hide his tense expression.
"Baby miss, actually, a few days ago, Section Chief Ko asked me what kind of ramen we were making in the lab."
"That guy did?"
"Yes. At first, I thought it was just innocent curiosity since we're on the same Team 1. But hearing what you said, it seems like he was probing for something."
I had no idea such a thing had already happened.
"What did you tell him?"
"Just that we're developing the next ramen per your request..."
Dr. Lee couldn't lift his face, embarrassed. If he'd slipped up, the secret of Sichuan Hansung Jjapaghetti could have leaked because of him.
But why was I feeling so pleased, smiling without realizing it?
Well, duh. A brilliant plan had just popped into my head. A perfect little scheme to royally screw over the enemy.
"Actually, this worked out great."
"Pardon? If Section Chief Ko really is a corporate spy like you suspect, this is a huge crisis for Hansung Food, isn't it?"
"Yes, exactly. But you didn't tell him what kind of ramen, right? Just that we're developing the next one."
"W-Well, yes, but...?"
"So won't they start spinning their own wild fantasies? And if we can control those fantasies...?"
Dr. Lee's pupils dilated massively in that instant.
If we played this right, we could inflict massive damage on the enemy through Section Chief Ko.
"Dr. Lee, let's do it like this."
*Whisper whisper!*
A moment later, a sly gleam of delight spread across Dr. Lee's face.
"Oho!"
＊
Section Chief Ko Seoksu had been biting his nails nonstop.
A week had passed since I'd learned about him.
By now, he should've figured out what ramen Dr. Lee was making. But he hadn't gotten the info he wanted.
What the hell could it be? The ramen to follow their blockbuster Hansung Jjapaghetti...
It was definitely no ordinary item. Otherwise, Dr. Lee wouldn't be holed up in the lab, skipping evenings off.
Then, at last, opportunity knocked for the man who'd been waiting day and night.
Dr. Lee had requested his help.
"Section Chief Ko, this is top secret. You absolutely cannot tell a soul."
"Hahaha, Dr. Lee, you can trust me alone. We've known each other for ages, haven't we?"
The lab door finally opened—the one whose secrets he'd craved.
"Eek!"
Section Chief Ko pinched his nose.
The lab reeked with a nose-stinging spiciness.
"W-What's this smell? Did someone poison the place or...?"
Dr. Lee smirked faintly.
"The ramen I'm developing this time is extremely spicy."
"Pardon? Spicy ramen? Even so, this smell..."
"Heh, it's not your average spicy ramen. Koreans are one of the few nations in the world who love their heat. That aroma you're smelling? It's from ingredients clocking in at a Scoville index of 17,000."
"...!"
Scoville index—the scale measuring the heat of peppers and spicy foods. At 1,000, you'd need to dilute the pure extract 1,000 times to kill the burn.
Ko Seoksu shuddered at the terrifying 17,000 figure, wondering if this was even edible for humans.
Dr. Lee smiled leisurely.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. Kimchi, which Koreans love, hits over 1,500 Scoville. Cheongyang peppers that elders munch on? A whopping 12,000. 17,000 isn't that shocking."
Now that he thought about it, that made sense. He himself snacked on raw peppers when bored.
This was major intel. Passing it to Nongwon's Jang Sehun Division Head would rocket his career like a highway drive.
"You don't mean you want me to help with...?"
"Heh, Section Chief Ko, sharp as ever. To accurately gauge a 17,000 Scoville heat level, there's no substitute for tasting it yourself, right?"
"What? You can't mean...?"
"I'm so lucky with people. Everyone else runs when I ask for help. This Scoville fate rests entirely in your hands, Section Chief Ko."
Dr. Lee's flattery melted Ko's expression like butter.
Praise makes even whales dance. A whole company's next project in his hands? Dopamine heaven for any salaryman.
But 17,000 Scoville? That backed him right up.
Intel was crucial, but not worth dying for.
"On second thought, I think I have unfinished work..."
"Heh heh, but once you're in here, you can't just waltz out, can you? You know that."
A devil appeared before his eyes.
Dr. Lee, the devil himself.
"H-Hiiiik!"
Before he knew it, Korea's hottest peppers crammed Ko Seoksu's mouth.
＊
Nongwon Headquarters, Business Division Director's Office.
Jang Sehun scowled at the fresh report.
"So Hansung Food is developing a 17,000 Scoville ramen?"
"Yes. Straight from Section Chief Ko Seoksu."
"Insane. 17,000 Scoville ramen? Even S Company's top seller barely hits that with chili powder. Isn't that hotter than Cheongyang peppers?"
He couldn't fathom Hansung Food's direction.
Scoville was a key metric for him too. Ramen was evolving from meal substitutes to fun, stimulating snacks—and heat was the benchmark.
Spicy sells? Proven a thousand times in Korea.
Judgment made, Jang shifted gears.
Hansung had seen something. Hence this absurd 17,000 product.
His lips curled slyly.
No rule said only they could steal products.
He'd beat them to market using Ko's intel.
He still believed Hansung had moles in Nongwon.
Their Hansung Jjapaghetti—a jajangmyeon ramen replacement he'd hounded his team to refine for years.
Almost complete, then bam—Hansung drops theirs.
Nongwon's investment in jajang ramen was enormous.
Early versions required adding water since the sauce didn't mix well.
After ages, they'd perfected fine, sand-like granular sauce.
Grr!
Just thinking about it boiled his blood. The R&D head mocking him back then.
He trembled with rage.
"If Hansung's doing 17,000, we'll make 20,000! Let's see who unleashes the spicier ramen first."
"B-But Director, a 20,000 Scoville ramen... humans can't eat that."
"Then what? Sit here and let Hansung hit another jackpot? We'll both be grilled for accountability."
"......"
No retreat now.
Jang's voice dropped low.
"This time, we flip the board first. Not 17,000—20,000! Higher if needed. Make it spicier, tastier than Hansung's. Got it?"
"...Yes."
Dark clouds loomed over Nongwon's future today.
＊
The Sichuan Hansung Jjapaghetti developed smoothly.
I knew all the key recipe ratios, Sichuan or otherwise.
Thankfully, spy Section Chief Ko diligently fed false intel to Nongwon.
They were probably frantically developing an era-mismatched ultra-spicy ramen right now.
Of course, I'd release a 17,000 Scoville bait product to fool them too.
Though we won't produce much of it...
Hansung Jjapaghetti would split into two flavors for military supply later.
Sweet original.
And spicy, like jajangmyeon with chili powder.
Plus new products to back them up.
"Grandpaaa!"
"Aigoo, has our Seoyeon come?"
Grandpa and Dad were deep in discussion in the study.
I scampered over and plopped right onto Grandpa's lap.
He chuckled warmly, delighted.
"Heh heh, you rushing in like this means good news, eh?"
"Hehe, a fun idea just hit me."
"Oho? Let's hear this fun idea then."
I explained using every finger and toe.
"Packet ramen's a pain to eat. Soldiers on TV live outside barracks a lot—it must be super inconvenient."
"True. Soldiers train mostly outdoors..."
Grandpa and Dad nodded in agreement.
"So you've planned a product suited to soldiers?"
"Yes. That's why I wanted to ask you, Grandpa."
"Alright, show me."
I caught my breath and carefully offered the white drawing paper.
A sketch I'd poured days into from blank space.
"Th-This is!"