God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 143

"Wait a moment. ...Do you really cook like this? Seriously? Good heavens."

It was literally "Good heavens." There was no other way to express it.

I gaped at the sight before me. Ahn Dong-woo said he would demonstrate how he usually cooks, so I watched to see what he would do, and...

Chicken in boiling water. It looked appetizing as it turned white, but that wasn't the important part.

The lid sitting firmly on top!

"Why did you put the lid on?"

I asked in bewilderment, and Ahn Dong-woo replied, looking confused.

"Huh? Well, that way the water boils faster and the chicken cooks quicker..."

"You're boiling it to remove the gamey smell, so you shouldn't close the lid. That's for making broth!"

"Is, is that so?"

"Is it just plain water? You didn't add anything else?"

"Yes. It's just water."

"......"

Oh, my goodness. No wonder there's a gamey smell.

"Well, details like opening and closing the lid weren't written in the recipe..."

Ahn Dong-woo added sheepishly. Right. He's trying to recreate the dish with just a written recipe. How could it be perfect?

I understand, but thinking about how this has been served to customers all along makes me feel exasperated.

"Sigh."

After letting out a deep sigh, I finally spoke.

"I see what the problem is. With a few changes, it will taste much better than it does now."

"Really?"

"Yes. I guarantee it."

The recipe itself isn't bad. If we just correct these beginner mistakes... it could be good enough to call a signature dish.

"Let's slightly modify the dakbokkeumtang recipe, and I'll teach you a good recipe for doenjang jjigae. I think that should do it."

There's nothing else that needs changing. He seems to handle customers well, and while the restaurant is old, it has a homey feel.

With a decent regular customer base, it wouldn't be good to close for renovations either.

In the end, just fixing the recipe, which is the root cause of losing customers, should be enough for the business to recover.

"Oh, thank you so much!"

Ahn Dong-woo bowed deeply.

"Oh, it's nothing."

I bowed back. It's not something that warrants such thanks.

"Our shop is just in front of here anyway. We're neighbors. I'll drop by from time to time, so don't try to cut corners with the recipe I taught you. Just promise me you'll stick to it."

"Of course! How could I not?"

Oh, but people do. I've seen it happen.

But seeing Ahn Dong-woo's sparkling eyes made me momentarily forget that bitter reality. His determination to try his best was clearly conveyed to me.

"Thank you so much. ...I'm actually a fan of your TV shows, CEO Song. When I first started the business, I felt lost... but as I watched your <Master Chef> show and followed along, I gained confidence in cooking."

Oh my. Is that so? No wonder his eyes seemed full of admiration. I was wondering why he didn't seem to be looking at me just as a celebrity who appears on TV a lot.

He must have held me in higher regard than I thought.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I smiled awkwardly.

"I'll work hard from now on!"

"Yes. I hope that attitude doesn't change."

"Um, CEO Song. If it's alright, would you mind giving me an autograph?"

"What?"

An autograph?

Well, I've signed approval documents before, but this is the first time someone has directly asked me for an autograph, so I was taken aback.

While I was hesitating, Ahn Dong-woo stepped closer and urged me.

"Yes! I'll hang it up here and look at it whenever I feel like slacking off!"

"Oh, well."

It's hard to refuse when he puts it like that. I'm not sure what significance my autograph would have, but...

In the end, I had to leave a large autograph on an A4 paper as Ahn Dong-woo wished.

At the bottom, I added a small message:

[Dakbokkeumtang recognized by Song Woo-yeon!]

I wonder if this really means anything. Anyway, having put my name on it, I felt a strange sense of responsibility.

"You know I live nearby, right? If I come for a surprise inspection next time and the taste has changed, I'm taking this down."

"Yes! I'll keep that in mind!"

Ahn Dong-woo's face was beaming with a bright smile and satisfaction. If he's happy, that's what matters.

I nodded and immediately moved on to the next main point.

"Then I'll start teaching you the recipe in earnest. By the way, I tend to be quite Spartan in my teaching methods, you know?"

As I smiled gently, Ahn Dong-woo's face turned pale.

"Well, let's begin."

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"Hmm hmm hmm~ Hmm hmm~"

Kim Young-joo, owner of <Bean Rice Cake Red Bean Rice Cake>, the only rice cake shop in the area, set out on her way to work after a while.

She had just returned from a rare family vacation.

'I'll check the state of the rice flour that's supposed to arrive today, and if it's good, I'll start by making garaetteok. Hehe. There's nothing like fresh garaetteok dipped in honey... Gasp!'

But that peaceful journey to work didn't last long. Right next door, customers were swarming.

'Wh-What? What's going on?!'

Kim Young-joo immediately checked the sign. <Chicken and Dori> was still there. It didn't seem like a new shop had opened and was having a grand opening.

'What's this? Until recently, business was just so-so. Why has it suddenly changed like this?'

With wide eyes, Kim Young-joo hurried into her own shop. Then she carefully observed the neighboring shop.

Some people were waiting outside, perhaps for a table, and the inside was full of customers.

"My goodness. It's unbelievable."

As she muttered to herself without realizing, an unexpected response came.

"What's unbelievable?"

"Oh my, you startled me!"

Kim Young-joo turned to the side in surprise. Han Mi-ae was standing there with a bright smile, having approached without notice.

"I nearly jumped out of my skin! Whew. Give me some warning next time~!"

"Hahaha. I heard our Owner Kim was coming back from vacation today~ I came to see if there were any bean powder crumbs to pick up?"

"Come on, did you think I wouldn't have prepared something for Owner Han?"

Kim Young-joo pulled out a beautifully wrapped souvenir from her bag and handed it to Han Mi-ae.

"Here you go. I told you I never forget, didn't I?"

"You really brought something? Oh~ Thank you! I'll use it well!"

"Sure, sure. ...But what about this place next door? I'm sure~ it wasn't this busy before I left. What suddenly happened?"

"Oh, you mean <Chicken and Dori>?"

Han Mi-ae turned her head to look in that direction. Indeed, it was bustling with people.

"Business has been booming since Woo-yeon taught them the recipe."

"Oh? Really? Woo-yeon, you mean CEO Song?"

"Yes, yes. That's right~ You know, the owners there suddenly fell ill, and Owner Ahn was having a really hard time."

"That's right."

It was still a sad thing to think about. They were so healthy until just a day before they collapsed. They say you never know what will happen in life, but it was still too cruel.

"It was heartbreaking to watch. So I asked Woo-yeon if she could help somehow... and Woo-yeon gladly agreed!"

"My goodness. What a generous heart."

Usually, people are busy with their own shops, and even if they have time, they might be jealous of a neighboring shop for fear of losing customers.

To willingly extend a helping hand... Watching Han Mi-ae and hearing stories about this Song Woo-yeon person secondhand, she seemed like quite an extraordinary individual.

"After learning the recipe and making changes as advised, word spread that it was delicious. For the past few days, it's been this crowded?"

Han Mi-ae was clearly delighted, as if it were her own success. Kim Young-joo shook her head.

'The other merchants around here must be sick with envy by now.'

It was sad, but that was the reality.

The number of people coming to this area was fixed. If a few shops thrived, what about the rest?

There was already considerable discontent among the merchants' association because Song Woo-yeon's shops always attracted customers.

'Owner Ahn probably accepted that help because he doesn't know how things work around here. By joining hands with that side, he's essentially turning his back on the rest of the merchants...'

Kim Young-joo quickly scanned the surroundings.

This place was located on the opposite side from where Song Woo-yeon's shops were, so the atmosphere was not at all favorable.

She was fine because she had been established here for a long time and her "rice cake shop" targeted a completely different customer base.

But people who viewed Han Mi-ae unfavorably might pick unnecessary fights.

"You should go now. I need to prepare to open my shop too. Owner Han, you shouldn't leave your shop unattended for too long either."

"I left it with my son. But you're right, I should get going. Tell me about your trip next time we meet~"

"Sure~ Go on in."

Kim Young-joo hurriedly sent Han Mi-ae off and then slipped into her own shop.

'If it were closer to that side, it wouldn't matter if they received help. But in this area...'

It was obvious that <Chicken and Dori> would become a subtle target of ostracism.

'Owner Ahn is going to have a hard time.'

The thought crossed her mind. Kim Young-joo clicked her tongue inwardly.

"Ugh, I'm sick of this. Maybe I should close the shop soon and retire to the countryside."

Just thinking about the petty power struggles and mind games that were about to unfold made her weary already.

...Yes, she was sure things would go that way.

But it seems Kim Young-joo had overestimated people's sense of belonging.

Contrary to Kim Young-joo's prediction that everyone would band together to attack Ahn Dong-woo's <Chicken and Dori>, people started moving in a completely different direction.

Namely...

"Pardon?"

Song Woo-yeon looked bewildered. She couldn't understand what she was hearing at all.

"...You want the recipe?"

At those words, the merchant in front of her nodded vigorously. As if it was something they were entitled to.

In the end, an exasperated Song Woo-yeon asked back.

"Why should I?"