The Only Daughter's Exploits Are Just Beginning
Han Seongcheol was startled by the unexpectedly deep flavor. He could hardly believe that ramen could achieve such a high level of perfection. The noodles were evenly coated with the soup, so every bite delivered the rich, umami-packed taste of black bean sauce without any dilution. Moreover, the strangely shaped noodles weren't too flat or overly thick—they were optimized perfectly for absorbing the broth.
This... this can't be...
Compared to the noodles made by Hansung Food, his granddaughter's were on another level entirely. He felt a profound disillusionment toward the research team at Hansung Food, who were supposedly inferior to his own granddaughter. They were top domestic talents he'd scouted at great expense. And yet, they couldn't measure up to her.
"Seoyeon."
"Yes, Grandfather."
His granddaughter had piled more of that black bean ramen onto his empty bowl. No matter how much he ate, his salivary glands wouldn't stop working.
"From what I can tell at a glance, the magic of this black bean ramen lies in the soup, but it seems to be powder rather than liquid."
"Yes, that's right."
"Heh, judging by the lack of broth, it looks like you boiled the noodles, discarded the water, and then mixed in the powder. How on earth does the powder blend so evenly?"
"Aw, if I gave that away for free, I'd be at too much of a loss. Hehe~"
"Heh heh heh, quite right. It wouldn't be proper for a merchant to reveal another's trade secret for nothing. Then, shall your grandfather and I have a little private chat?"
With that, Chairman Han Seongcheol took his granddaughter's hand and headed to the study on the second floor. A broad grin lit up his face—a expression no one had ever seen before. The others couldn't hide their bewilderment.
"Th-the Chairman with that kind of face...?"
＊
While staying at the Bukchangdong Mansion, I finally entered Grandfather's study for the first time. How many years had it been since I'd come to the mansion? This was forbidden territory. Without Grandfather's permission, no one could enter this holy sanctum.
The air inside smelled of ink and aged paper. A large map of the country dominated one wall, drawing the eye. In the center stood a massive solid wood desk, wide enough for ten adults to sit side by side. It gleamed not with polish, but with the deep patina of time.
I quietly took a seat across from Grandfather.
"Well now, I never knew our Seoyeon had the talent to startle this old man like that. How did you come up with that black bean ramen?"
In times like this, it was best to answer like a child.
"Grandfather, it takes thirty minutes by car to get to a Chinese restaurant from your house. Jjajangmyeon is so delicious I want to eat it every day, but going out feels like a burden on the uncles. So even when I craved it, I held back..."
"A burden on the uncles? What do you mean by that?"
"Those uncles work here even on weekends. One of them said there's a cute, pretty kid like me, but I guess he doesn't get to see his family much."
As I said this, I subtly wiped the corners of my eyes. Grandfather looked deeply moved by my thoughtfulness.
"I never realized our Seoyeon was so considerate of the uncles. I promise to make sure they can spend weekends with their families as much as possible."
"Hehe, that's why you're my favorite person in the world, Grandfather."
"What? Kuhahaha!"
I snuggled into Grandfather's embrace. The faint woody scent from his old hanbok soothed my heart. A moment of pure happiness. Burying my face deeper into his chest, I wished this instant could last forever.
Aaah, my heart feels so at ease...
Grandfather placed a hand on my head as if proud, a contented smile on his face.
"But our Seoyeon still hasn't answered this old man's question from earlier. How did you make the powder soak evenly into the noodles?"
"Hehe, well, it's like this..."
I taught Grandfather the secret weapon I'd put into the black bean ramen.
"I used specially shaped noodles and olive oil."
"Heh, I had a hunch about the noodles, but olive oil? Does that help with black bean ramen?"
"Of course. Powder tends to clump up without oil. The olive oil helps the powder get fully absorbed into the noodles."
"!"
Originally, olive flavored oil wouldn't officially appear in black bean ramen until after 1984—and even then, not right at launch. Chunjang sauce needs to be stir-fried in oil to bring out its full flavor and aroma, but with Hansung's current tech, using liquid chunjang wasn't cost-effective. Powder soup was the realistic alternative, but it had the fatal flaw of not coating the noodles evenly.
That's where my idea of olive flavored oil came in. Coating the noodles once with it prevented the powder from sitting on the surface, making it cling naturally like freshly stir-fried chunjang. In other words, it achieved perfection worthy of the name Hansung Jjapaghetti.
"Incredible. How did you figure out such a principle..."
In that moment, Grandfather wasn't the mighty emperor of the Hansung Empire. He was just a manager, purely in awe of my talent.
"Can this old man use the name 'black bean ramen' too?"
"Of course. That's why Dr. Uncle and I worked so hard on it."
"What? Kuhaha!"
Grandfather thought for a moment, then stood and opened a cabinet in the corner of the study. Inside were neatly arranged gift bundles, and he pulled one out.
"This is a gift for our Seoyeon, in commemoration of sharing such an interesting fact with this old man."
"Waaah!"
It was a gift from the chairman of an entire group, no less. What could it be? I carefully unwrapped the silk cloth and opened the box lid. Inside lay a few sheets of paper.
Huh? This is...?
"When people buy the ramen Seoyeon made, this is your share. How about it? Like it?"
Like it? This was royalty—something that would be worth a fortune in the future. As I knew well, I had recipes not just for domestic hits, but for global successes too. If we made and sold ramen with those, the earnings would be beyond imagination. Just this black bean ramen alone sold 9.1 billion units worldwide over forty years. In money terms, trillions of won.
Hueek!
The gift from Grandfather was outrageously generous, its value impossible to fathom.
＊
Some people say if they went back in time, they'd buy stocks or coins or lotto tickets. But I was a ramen maniac. Not a stock whiz. Ramen was my whole world.
If only I'd memorized lotto numbers...
It would have been perfect pocket money.
"Baby."
The nanny called me. She said we were going somewhere with Grandfather today, so we'd finished dressing up since morning. A soft pastel pink T-shirt on top, with pleated suspender shorts below. Perfectly comfortable for moving around. The small, shiny leather shoes—fit for a rich kid—hugged my feet just right. I spun around in front of the mirror like a princess. Whoosh!
The nanny admired from the side.
"I don't know which angel you take after to be so beautiful."
"Hehe, you think I'm the prettiest in the world, Nanny?"
"Of course! If you're not pretty, who in the world is?"
Cars were lined up in front of the mansion. The row of Pony cars—the symbol of 1980s Korea—handsomely displayed the might of Hansung Group.
"There's our Seoyeon."
Today, even Grandfather wore a suit instead of hanbok. Dignified and restrained, befitting a corporate chairman.
"Seoyeon."
"Yes."
"This old man has one question."
"Yes, what is it?"
Seeing my maturity beyond my years, Grandfather's lips curved up naturally.
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Seoyeon? Whatever you choose, I just hope you follow your heart."
He was probably thinking of the group's future successor.
"I want to make the world's number one ramen with Grandfather."
"Heh heh heh, the world's number one?"
"Yes. Earn lots of money with ramen and make delicious ramen for everyone."
Grandfather gently stroked my head, full of pride. Being petted by Grandfather felt like being a kitten.
Woo Shijang, in the passenger seat, looked shocked. Inside the mansion was one thing, but this was in public view. It was prime material for accusations of favoritism.
Soon, we arrived at Hansung Food. The expansive site featured the main building, research wing, and production facilities in neat array. This was where I'd be making my mark from now on. Maybe because I'd never been here in my past life, it felt fresh and emotional.
"This is where we'll make the black bean ramen you developed, Seoyeon. Want to take a look around?"
"Yes!"
"Heh heh heh, our granddaughter showing such interest in the company at an age when girls love dolls..."
Grandfather took my hand and slowly walked toward the main building. As if on cue, waiting employees parted to the sides. They all bowed their heads.
"Good day, Chairman."
"Everyone's working hard, guhmun."
Among them, a man who seemed high-ranking hurried over and stood before us. Han Seongu, the youngest son of Hansung Group. My dad.
"Daaaad!"
"Aigoo, what brings our Seoyeon here? With Grandfather, no less?"
"Hehe, Grandfather said he'd show me something fun, so I came along."
"R-really? Father said that?"
Dad glanced at Grandfather in disbelief.
"Our granddaughter's right. And call all the executives for a meeting right now."
"All the executives?"
"Yes. From today, Hansung Food stakes its survival on Seoyeon's black bean ramen."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
Dad stared blankly at Grandfather and me, unable to continue. His brain had probably frozen.
"Ah, Father. Seoyeon is still just..."
"What does age matter in group business? It's the thieves who grow old eating my money without doing a damn thing that are the problem, isn't it?"
"......"
Dad followed behind Grandfather, unable to hide his confusion. Soon, the meeting began with all executives assembled. Near the massive table filling the room stood unfamiliar faces. Grandfather gripped the microphone from the head seat.
"You all know how much cumulative loss Hansung Food has racked up, right? A whopping 1.5 billion won. 1.5 billion! You've realized by now how futile your pipe dream of turning successful Japanese ramen into Korean instant noodles was."
The air in the conference room froze instantly. Not one executive dared meet his eyes, just swallowing dryly.
"That's why I've brought a solution."
The executives all looked up at once. Hansung Food's situation was that dire.
"Here's the one who'll save Hansung Food—my granddaughter. Greet her, everyone."
"?"
Eek? I thought he'd just let me watch, but he's pushing me front and center? What is this?! I'm still a kindergarten-less little kid!
"Hehe... H-hello, everyone?"