God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 191

I smirked and muttered to myself.

'I appreciate the encouragement, but this kimchi smell must be the main culprit.'

However, I understood what Do-kyung was trying to say.

I've never boasted about being a CEO anywhere, and I generally tend to let things slide. Even during broadcast filming, there were often people with strange attitudes.

Whether they were looking down on me for being young or what.

It was an ambiguous attitude that was hard to pin down, so I just pretended not to notice and let it go.

'Was this the first time I showed real anger?'

Come to think of it, I rarely raise my voice like this except when inspecting franchisees.

'I suppose this worked out well.'

It seems this scolding helped correct my image that may have appeared too soft.

"Thanks."

Do-kyung flinched at my brief response. Then he replied with an awkward smile.

"Was it that obvious? I was trying to be discreet about it."

"A little. It's not something you needed to follow me here to say."

"I see."

It seems he was genuinely concerned.

"Hah. Woo-yeon, you don't know much about this industry. I thought I should look out for you since I know a bit more, but I guess that was too presumptuous of me."

Do-kyung leaned against the wall and grinned broadly.

"Looks like you're managing just fine on your own."

I turned on the water again and wet my arm as I spoke.

"Not entirely."

"Hm?"

"Both in the jungle and here on set. I know you've been helping me out bit by bit."

"Oh no. Was it that obvious?"

"Not obvious, per se."

It's just that I'm quite perceptive. As Do-kyung said, I'm still ignorant about how the entertainment industry works. Here, I'm essentially a rookie who debuted in variety shows less than 2 years ago.

On the other hand, isn't Do-kyung a top idol in the music industry? He's bound to be treated differently on set.

Yet, the reason I've been able to continue filming smoothly is largely thanks to Do-kyung's subtle consideration.

"Thanks for your thoughtfulness."

"Oh, no. I haven't done much. I'm just a figurehead here anyway......"

Do-kyung's expression turned strangely gloomy. It seems he's been thinking that way inside.

Well, Do-kyung doesn't have a distinct role. I provide solutions, Im Hye-eun acts as MC, and Do-kyung reacts.

In this three-way dynamic, Do-kyung's role seems insignificant.

"You've been doing plenty well."

"Huh?"

"No. I received part of the edited footage from the PD the other day. To explain the editing direction."

After seeing the edited footage, I was secretly surprised. I heard idols practice even their facial expressions to perform on stage. Indeed, his expressions were remarkably rich.

"Viewers will empathize with you and watch the situation. In a way, it could be seen as the most important role."

That's right.

It's not easy to convey curses with just your eyes.

Thanks to his background of knowing nothing about the food industry, Do-kyung was perfectly expressing the emotions viewers would feel through his expressions. Some people would surely find satisfaction in that.

"Anyway. We help each other out."

"Oh? I-I see."

Do-kyung smiled faintly.

It was a pleasing sight befitting an idol, but I was more curious about something else.

"By the way. What about Lee Hyo-soon?"

"Why ask about the Owner?"

"You would have seen her reaction in the situation room after I left."

Scrub scrub.

After applying soap one more time, I sniffed my forearm. The rotten smell seemed to have finally faded.

"Well...... She just seemed to be standing there blankly. For quite a while."

"Hmm."

I wonder what that means.

Perhaps she was suppressing her anger, thinking how dare this young upstart talk back to an adult so brazenly.

Or maybe she was retracing her past actions and feeling regretful.

Only Lee Hyo-soon herself would know.

"It was shocking even for us watching, so it must have been quite a shock therapy for her too, don't you think?"

"I'm not so sure."

Although Do-kyung cautiously brought it up, I still felt skeptical.

"People don't change that easily."

"That's true, but...."

"You must have seen a lot. People are similar in any industry."

I didn't think people in the entertainment industry would be that different. There must be rotten elements here too, and reforming them would be as difficult as moving heaven and earth.

Do-kyung's expression suggested some trainees must have crossed his mind.

"That's how it is. It's not that I particularly distrust Owner Lee Hyo-soon. It's just that changing people is inherently difficult."

Of course, with the exception of a very few exceptions like Kim Jong-chun, who still sends me check-in photos every morning.

Other than that, have I seen any counterexamples? Even after pondering for a while, no one particularly came to mind.

'Ah, perhaps Ji Sang-woo? He received good evaluations during the recent franchise undercover inspection.'

Before my regression, he was someone who begged for another chance, using his mother's liver cancer as leverage.

Fortunately, after my intervention, he seems to be thriving without any ulterior motives.

'But it's hard to call this a true reformation.'

Rather, it's more fitting to say I nipped the problem in the bud. How many franchisees had I seen before my regression?

It was right to consider it virtually impossible.

'Unless it's an extremely rare case.'

I spoke while wiping off the water with a tissue.

"Well then, shall we move on to the next restaurant?"

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"Oh my goodness! Owner. Why are you standing like that?"

The owner of the neighboring Japanese tonkatsu restaurant, who was just entering her shop, was startled to see Lee Hyo-soon.

Lee Hyo-soon was standing in the middle of the kitchen as if nailed to the spot.

"Oh, oh. I'm a bit out of it...... What brings you here?"

"Song Woo-yeon just came to our restaurant! I heard we were selected, but I never dreamed he'd come today! She really does make surprise visits, wow......."

The neighbor spoke in a tone still full of excitement. She went on to explain in detail what Song Woo-yeon had said and done at her restaurant just moments ago.

However, Lee Hyo-soon couldn't hear any of it due to the other thoughts filling her mind.

-Could you eat this?

Those eyes, cold as frost!

The moment their eyes met, it felt as if her ugly inner self was being exposed, making even eye contact feel overwhelming.

'In all my years, I've never seen a girl with such viper-like eyes.'

Even to Lee Hyo-soon, who had met all sorts of people in her long life, Song Woo-yeon seemed to have a special aura.

'She's the type to make waves, one way or another. It'll be either a big hit or a complete flop.'

But the reason she had been standing here alone for so long wasn't because of the thrill of meeting such an extraordinary person.

Rather, it was the opposite.

'......When did it start? When did I begin serving food I couldn't even eat myself?'

Lee Hyo-soon hadn't always been like this. Running a restaurant was hard and tiring work. It was common to collapse into bed after barely finishing closing, only to have to wake up at dawn.

Cleaning gradually took a backseat, and getting through each day with an aching body became the daily goal.

When an order came in after ingredients had run out, not wanting to cancel the rare order led to using eggs slightly past their expiration date, which led to this disaster.

Little by little.

This carelessness had been eating away at Lee Hyo-soon from the inside, without her even properly realizing it at some point.

-Look at it properly.

But the moment she was forced to face the reality she had been avoiding, the shock was indescribable.

'The kimchi had gone bad. It had completely rotted and fallen apart.'

That's why she involuntarily screamed when Song Woo-yeon picked up the kimchi with his bare hands.

She knew it had gone off a bit, but thought it would be fine since kimchi is a fermented food. She didn't realize it had rotted and disintegrated completely in the refrigerator.

Lee Hyo-soon had no choice but to face her true self without warning.

That's why she had been standing there blankly.

'What on earth have I been doing all this time.......'

There were no words to describe her miserable state of mind.

"...so, she told me to think about a new menu item. But I can't think of anything at all. Sigh, it's troubling."

It was just as the neighbor's ramblings were coming to an end. Lee Hyo-soon knew very well what she needed to do first.

Lee Hyo-soon put on rubber gloves first.

"Owner?"

The neighbor looked puzzled.

"Why the rubber gloves? Are you doing dishes now? There's not much piled up."

"No."

Lee Hyo-soon replied in a firm tone, then put on a resolute expression. She then flung open the freezer door.

"I need to clean."

"What? Clean? Now?"

The neighbor asked in a bewildered tone. Understandably so, as it had been ages since anyone had seen Lee Hyo-soon properly clean this restaurant.

But Lee Hyo-soon shouted like a thunderbolt.

"Right now! So stop being a nuisance and get out of my way. I'm going to deal with this freezer and refrigerator once and for all today!"

The neighbor stepped back with a startled expression.

As Lee Hyo-soon began taking out the pork that filled the freezer, she muttered to herself.

'You need to clear out the old to make room for the new.'

Lee Hyo-soon resolved to clean out the freezer thoroughly.

Along with her past.

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And on a winter day that came a bit earlier than expected.

The Fair Trade Commission's investigation results were announced.