Chapter 113
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Halmae Tteok Opens
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The more people there were, the more talent you'd find. It was only natural that Seoul, with its dense population, would be teeming with talented individuals.
Setting up an office in Seoul would make recruiting talent easier and expanding the business smoother.
'Not bad.'
I'd have to head to Seoul soon.
Set up an office there.
"Um, I have one more thing I'm worried about."
"What is it?"
"I don't really know how to handle employee benefits. I can't get a sense of what benefits to offer, how much, or to what extent."
Jin-seong liked his employees. Their kind personalities were great, and he appreciated how diligently they worked for his company.
He saw them as family. And as his precious family, he felt it was his duty to look after and care for them.
'At the very least, I want to do right by my family.'
One of the best ways to take care of family was through employee benefits.
Jin-seong wanted to improve those benefits, but with his limited experience, he could only agonize over it without taking action.
"Employee benefits...?"
Lee Myung-ho set down his chopsticks and fell deep into thought.
"Hmm... In my opinion... there are two main ways to approach it?"
Two ways?
"One is to draw from your own experience, Jin-seong. For example, until recently, you were working in a factory, right? You could base benefits on the inconveniences, shortcomings, improvements, and complaints you felt back then. Or, conversely, reference the perks, advantages, and good parts of factory life."
"......"
"The second is to ask your employees what they want. Every company and person has different tendencies and desires, so directly asking and implementing appropriately leads to fewer complaints and higher satisfaction. What you think is good might not match what they want."
"Aha?"
Jin-seong sank into thought.
Inconveniences from factory life?
"During my factory days... there were a few annoyances... but the biggest one—no, the most dissatisfying—was the meals. The side dishes were too plain, too few varieties, and just not tasty."
The rice was so skimpy that he often ate cup ramen, bread, or snacks. He'd grumbled that the food just needed to taste good.
"I should start by improving the meal benefits first."
"Excellent. That's a fantastic idea."
"Thanks for the advice."
"Your employees must be jealous. Our company cafeteria is trash, and that's no exaggeration..."
They talked at length about employee benefits.
"What's your goal, Jin-seong?"
"To become a successful entrepreneur. Building a world-class entertainment company."
"Whoa? That's some ambition."
Lee Myung-ho chewed on some goat meat while gazing into Jin-seong's eyes.
They were kind and upright eyes. Not a hint of deceit.
"I believe it. You can do it. I'll definitely turn YSP Entertainment into a global powerhouse. No, I will."
There was no tremor in his voice.
He brimmed with conviction that he could succeed, that he could achieve his goal.
"Good. You're really impressive."
Lee Myung-ho thought the younger Jin-seong was cool.
At Jin-seong's age, he'd been obsessed with games. Even now, he lived a safe, unchallenging life.
"You'll definitely make it happen."
I hope you do.
"Myung-ho hyung, ever thought about working for my company?"
He cautiously made the scouting offer.
'Majored in business, has four A-rank talents, and is a great guy. No reason not to hire him.'
Lee Myung-ho was a good person.
He wasn't an S-rank genius, but he was an elite who would benefit the company immensely.
"I'll make sure the pay and perks aren't stingy."
"That's so sudden... Let me think about it."
They conversed on various topics with Lee Myung-ho.
The more they talked, the more enlightened Jin-seong felt, resolving all his big and small worries.
First round: black goat hotpot for stamina.
Second round: drinks and snacks at an izakaya.
'Glad I met up with Myung-ho hyung.'
It had been immensely beneficial in every way.
100 out of 100 points.
Favorability: 93
Inner Thoughts: Jin-seong... I thought he was just a good guy... but he's capable and cool too.
Inner Thoughts: Scouting...? I need to think about it seriously. I've made enough money; now I want a meaningful life.
Cook Hyun-woo Studio.
Jin-seong, Lee Hyun-woo, Grandma, and Seo Ye-jin were gathered.
"I'm thinking of naming the snack bar 'Halmae Tteok.' It's short for Grandma's Spicy Tteokbokki."
After much deliberation, they decided on 'Halmae Tteok' for the name.
"The concept is spicy flavors. The basic strategy is to sell spicy broth tteokbokki cheap and generous."
With a spicy concept, they focused on the spice levels.
There were four spice levels.
1. Mild 2. Medium 3. Spicy 4. Hellfire.
1. Mild.
A gently spicy-sweet flavor even spice-haters could enjoy. Like the spicy level of Jin Ramen.
2. Medium.
Delightfully spicy. The kind any Korean, young or old, man or woman, would love. Like Shin Ramen.
3. Spicy.
Mouth-numbingly fiery. If your stomach was weak, you'd suffer in the bathroom all day.
4. Hellfire.
Beyond mere spice. Soul-searing heat. A taste that let you experience hell itself.
"Here's the recipe manual."
Lee Hyun-woo handed over A4 paper with detailed recipes.
"Let me demonstrate."
Lee Hyun-woo explained and showed how to make tteokbokki.
Chopping veggies, making the sauce, cooking methods, and more.
"Now you try."
"Alrighty."
"Start with prepping the veggies."
"Like this, right?"
"Yes. Perfect. You're doing great."
She prepped the veggies.
"How many spoons of sugar was it?"
"Five spoons."
"That much sugar? Won't it be bad for ya?"
"No, that's actually on the light side. Sweetness is the soul of tteokbokki."
She made the sauce.
And cooked in the proper order.
Tteokbokki was just the start. He passed on secrets for fried foods, kimbap, and fish cake soup too.
Grandma learned with real enthusiasm, and Lee Hyun-woo taught patiently and meticulously.
These were Grandma's inner thoughts.
Inner Thoughts: Gotta learn hard. Need to make money to send my granddaughter to college. Buy her tasty treats too.
Lee Hyun-woo's inner thoughts.
Inner Thoughts: The elder's learning so eagerly. Hope the business booms and both she and President Yoo become rich.
Seo Ye-jin's inner thoughts.
Inner Thoughts: Thank you, Uncle. You're such a good person. You've given me a debt of gratitude I could never repay in a lifetime.
Inner Thoughts: I'm so glad Grandma doesn't have to collect scraps anymore. We can live without money worries now.
Jin-seong smiled warmly.
'I hope everyone does well.'
I wanted them all to be happy.
At least free from money worries.
"Give it a taste."
It was tasting time.
They sampled the tteokbokki.
Level 1: Spicy-sweet.
Level 2: Fiery spice.
Level 3: Tear-inducingly hot.
Level 4: Insanely scorching.
Next, the fried foods.
The fritters were perfect for dipping in the tteokbokki broth.
They paired great with the spice and helped tame it.
Finally, the fish cake soup.
'This is killer.'
The fish cake broth was out of this world.
It complemented the spicy tteokbokki perfectly, felt like a hangover cure, and made you crave a shot of soju.
'A fish cake soup spot in itself.'
Hands kept going back for more.
"This is real good."
"Right?"
"But ain't some of it too spicy?"
"Young folks love it hot these days."
"I can't handle the heat though..."
"Exactly. It has to be spicy. Most kids in my class prefer spicy tteokbokki over the sweet stuff anyway."
They planned to open next Monday.
Until then, they'd refine and practice at the studio.
'Profit split...'
An 8:1:1 ratio.
Jin-seong 8, Lee Hyun-woo 1, Grandma 1.
Since Lee Hyun-woo provided the recipes, he'd get 10% of profits, and Grandma would get 10% as incentive.
'Base pay 2.5 million.'
For managing and running the shop, he'd give Grandma a base salary of 2.5 million won.
With base pay plus 10% profits, she'd take home a solid monthly income—enough to raise Ye-jin without issues.
'Myung-ho hyung...'
He recalled Lee Myung-ho's advice.
"[Jin-seong, when partnering with others, always split profits fairly. It might feel like a loss upfront, but it's not. Sharing gains makes things last. Without sharing, they won't.]"
He wanted to go long-term with them. Maintain good relationships. So he sacrificed a bit of profit to share.
"Uncle."
"Yeah?"
Seo Ye-jin grabbed his hand.
"Wait a sec. I have something to say."
She pulled him along.
To a place with no one around.
"Thank you."
She rose on tiptoes.
Mwah.
A kiss on the cheek.
Trust: 50
Inner Thoughts: Thank you.
Inner Thoughts: Someday... I want to be Uncle's wife....
Inner Thoughts: I want to be someone who helps Uncle too....
Jin-seong looked up at the sign.
[Halmae Tteok]
[Grandma's Spicy Tteokbokki]
The sign turned out great. Worth every penny.
Ding-a-ling!
He opened the door and stepped inside.
Modern interior blending orange and white perfectly.
Six single tables crammed by the window. Four two-person tables. Four four-person tables.
The kitchen was fully visible from the dining area.
Ding-a-ling!
The door opened.
"Hyun-woo? You're out early."
"Woke up early. Excited since it's opening day, I guess."
"Me too."
Lee Hyun-woo would help out at the shop mornings for a while.
Running around on-site to find and fix improvements.
Ding-a-ling!
The first customer arrived.