God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 144

Ahn Dong-woo's business boomed after receiving a recipe from Song Woo-yeon!

As they say, rumors spread like wildfire. This news spread so widely that there was hardly anyone among the nearby merchants who didn't know about it.

It was understandable. They had all been established in this tight-knit industry for a long time. Everyone's sales figures were more or less predictable.

Amidst this, Ahn Dong-woo's shop alone was bustling with customers, stirring up envy and curiosity everywhere.

At first, people tried to find out the reason, and once Song Woo-yeon's involvement was revealed, they clicked their tongues, saying, "Ah, it's that person again?"

And then... they harbored a faint hope, thinking, "Then, what about me?"

Lee Kyung-ja, the owner of the spicy soup restaurant across from Ahn Dong-woo's <Chicken and Dori>, thought the same.

'That Song Woo-yeon or whatever might be annoying, but isn't she the goose that lays golden eggs? If I can persuade her and get the recipe, couldn't I hit the jackpot too?!'

The mere thought was exciting. Her heart raced at the idea of customers lining up and money pouring in.

'Right. From what I've seen, she's young but rich, and seems to run several shops. Would someone like that really care about giving away a recipe or two?'

Absolutely not.

Lee Kyung-ja nodded vigorously at this thought. After all, those who make big money should know how to share with others.

'Besides, it's not like that Ahn Dong-woo kid had any special connection with her!'

-Haha. The secret behind the sudden success of my shop? Even if you ask... I didn't do anything special. It was all thanks to CEO Song.

-CEO Song? You mean that Song Woo-yeon over there?

-Yes. She provided the recipe. Once the taste improved, more customers started coming.

-Were you close with her before? I never heard about that.

-We weren't even acquainted. But Owner Han asked her to take a look just once. She came willingly, examined everything, passed on the recipe, and left. She's truly my lifesaver.

Ahn Dong-woo's eyes sparkled with gratitude as he spoke. But to Lee Kyung-ja, such things were of little importance.

The part about "We weren't even acquainted" stuck in her mind the most.

It seemed this Song Woo-yeon character was generous enough to readily help a merchant she didn't even know.

And why not? She must have made a fortune. That money should have been spread among all the shops in this alley.

'She's taken all our customers! While we just sit here twiddling our thumbs. Ugh, it's infuriating.'

Lee Kyung-ja shuddered. At first, it was unbearable, like a stomachache. Now, having seen it for a while, she had become somewhat used to it, but the lingering pain of twisted intestines remained.

'Did she earn all that money by herself? It's all thanks to our sacrifice. Now that she's made enough, isn't it time she helped those around her?'

As her thoughts drifted in this direction, she even began to resent Song Woo-yeon for not helping them.

Why was she pretending not to know about her rightful duty? That young thing had gotten drunk on money.

From what she'd heard, Song Woo-yeon had no parents and was alone. The child had gone mad with money due to lack of proper family education. Lee Kyung-ja shook her head.

'Next time I see her, I'll corner her and won't let her go!'

Lee Kyung-ja inwardly made this resolution.

And the opportunity came not long after.

It was when she was sitting in her usual spot in the empty hall, idly flipping through channels on the old television.

Amidst the bustling crowd across the street, wasn't that a familiar face?

How could she not recognize it? The same face was appearing right now in the rerun of <Survival Law of the Jungle> on TV!

Lee Kyung-ja sprang to her feet.

Song Woo-yeon seemed to be heading towards the back of <Chicken and Dori>. Lee Kyung-ja followed.

Bang!

"...right? I came to check if you're following it well..."

Startled by the sudden opening of the door, Song Woo-yeon stopped mid-sentence and turned around. It was indeed her!

"Do you know her?"

"Ah, yes. She's the owner of the spicy soup restaurant across the street... Owner, what brings you here?"

Ahn Dong-woo asked with a puzzled expression. But to Lee Kyung-ja, Ahn Dong-woo was not an important figure at all, so she fixed her gaze on Song Woo-yeon and got straight to the point.

"Give me the recipe."

"...Pardon?"

Song Woo-yeon and Ahn Dong-woo's faces changed subtly. Ahn Dong-woo looked flustered and at a loss, while Song Woo-yeon's expression was closer to resignation, as if thinking, 'I knew this would happen.'

But that too was of little importance to Lee Kyung-ja.

"Is it right to prosper alone? We should all thrive together. Share the recipe with me~"

"But Owner, suddenly barging in like this..."

"It's alright."

As Ahn Dong-woo tried to intervene, Song Woo-yeon stopped him. She took a step forward.

"Owner. You want the recipe?"

Her face was a mix of irritated anger and slight weariness.

"Why should I?"

This isn't right. This reaction is different from what I expected. Such thoughts belatedly crossed Lee Kyung-ja's mind.

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I stared at the person before me with emotionless eyes. Seeing her eyes widen in surprise at my question "Why should I?", I repeated myself.

"Who do you think you are, Owner?"

"Oh, well. I'm Lee Kyung-ja, running the spicy soup restaurant just up front. There's no need to be so cold..."

Even slipping into informal speech.

Aside from trailing off at the end of her sentences, her face was now plastered with displeasure because I had spoken a bit sharply. She seemed annoyed that things weren't going her way.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Ahn Dong-woo stepped forward and said,

"Owner. Please leave now. This is the kitchen, and you shouldn't enter without my permission."

Though he spoke reasonably, it didn't get through to her. Lee Kyung-ja frowned and said in an exaggerated tone,

"Oh, Owner Ahn. How could you? I didn't think you were this kind of person. This is too much~"

"Excuse me?"

"Is it right to just take the recipe for yourself and have your business boom? You only care about your own success? What about us? Are the rest of the merchants supposed to starve to death?"

Good grief. It's so absurd that I'm at a loss for words. Ahn Dong-woo also seemed struck speechless, his mouth tightly shut.

I didn't know where to begin pointing out the flaws in her logic. But mistaking our silence for something else, Lee Kyung-ja grew even more triumphant and pressed on.

"Am I wrong? If you're so greedy, it'll all come back to haunt you~ And Song Woo-yeon-ssi, you too. You're already rich, why can't you be the first to share? Did I have to come all the way here myself to ask?"

Now she's even scolding me. When something is too ridiculous, it can actually make you laugh.

I smiled slightly and retorted,

"You're right. I was too cold-hearted, wasn't I?"

"Of course~"

"But Owner, am I a volunteer worker?"

"...Huh?"

Seeing her blink in confusion as if she had misheard, I clarified once more.

"I'm asking if I'm a volunteer worker."

"......"

"You're a businessperson too, so you should know. Shouldn't a businessperson pursue their own profit? Since when did we become people who help others not to starve?"

"...No, that's not what I meant!"

Lee Kyung-ja pounded her chest as if frustrated and said,

"You young folk are so dense. When did I say you should feed us all? I just said we should share the recipe! Huh? You seemed to talk big on TV."

As she continued speaking, she seemed to gain momentum, her words flowing smoothly.

"You seem too young to understand, but this isn't a world where you can thrive alone. You need to think about everyone's success! How can you walk around with your nose in the air like you're all that? The more successful you are, the more you should bow your head, respect your elders, and greet people properly. That's how you live well!"

This isn't even worth listening to.

It's not that I don't understand what Lee Kyung-ja is saying. These people are desperate because their livelihoods are at stake.

But their approach is completely wrong.

'If she had politely asked me for help, I might have actually helped her.'

Even if you sincerely help people like this, they'll end up reverting to their old ways. I guarantee that in a month or two, they'll be back to their usual methods.

And then they'll lament why their business isn't doing well.

'How many times have I seen people like this?'

There was a time when I helped such people out of frustration and pity. Before my regression, before the company grew really big.

When I was running five or six stores, my pockets were full and my heart was generous. I thought I had earned enough, and my attention started to shift to those around me.

Because I maintained close relationships with the owners of nearby stores, I couldn't ignore their pleas for help.

'I helped them as if their stores were my own. From recipe research to store interior design and management know-how.'

I shared everything without holding back. I already had more than enough to live on. I wanted everyone to do well.

But the result?

'It was disastrous.'

They all struggled to adapt to new methods that weren't their own. Even when I explained why they should do things this way, why they needed to push through the initial discomfort, it made no difference.

Even those who followed well at first eventually turned their backs on me, losing their temper.

I had reached out with pure goodwill, but when I came to my senses, there was no one left around me.

It's still a painful memory to recall.

If it were the past me. If it were me before the regression, I might have readily shared the recipe even after hearing these rude words.

But repeating the same mistake shows no growth as a person, doesn't it?

I looked straight at Lee Kyung-ja and said,

"Go back."

I could feel her flinch at my stern gaze.