I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 124



Only Noblemtl

Episode 124: Mom, I’m Not Angry

It was the first day of opening, so I was mentally prepared. I couldn’t predict what kind of accident would happen. But I didn’t think I would receive complaints about the food.

‘Did I not do a proper inspection?’

I went to the table the staff had told me to with a trembling heart. When I got to the table, the main dish had just been served. Next to it was a half-eaten pasta.

“Sir, I heard there is something wrong with the food. I am the executive chef, Shin Je-hee.”

They were a young couple who looked to be in their early 30s. The woman was pointing at the pasta with her chin and crossing her arms as if she was dissatisfied with something.

“The pasta is too thick. I like spaghetti with soup, but when I asked the waiter to change it to that, he just said no. Shouldn’t you cook it according to the customer’s taste?”

Segreto can change the details of a course. She seems to have changed the pasta to carbonara. I apologized to the guest and took a bite of the pasta with a fork. It was definitely Segreto’s carbonara.

People’s tastes are subjective. Just because something tastes good to me doesn’t mean I can force my taste on everyone else. Perhaps she likes a hearty carbonara made with milk and cream. Maybe it’s the first time she’s had an authentic Roman carbonara.

“First, I would like to apologize. I think our food is different from the pasta you have eaten so far, so you may feel a sense of alienation. Most of Segreto’s menus are made with recipes that I have devised. I serve dishes that I think are the most delicious. If that suits the taste of our customers, that would be great, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. Each customer will have their own favorite style of dish and ingredients.”

I thought about how to respond, but it was a question with no answer. I decided to honestly explain to them how I felt.

“Then wouldn’t it be okay if you cooked it according to the customer’s taste?”

Is she a black consumer? Or is she just an ordinary person with a strong sense of self? I decided not to look at them with colored glasses. Segreto’s course is too expensive to visit simply for the purpose of complaining.

“Of course you can do that. But let me ask you the opposite question. If we have 100 guests with different tastes, should we cook 100 different recipes? No.

Even aside from the practical problem of how difficult it is to run a kitchen like that, that kind of management method does not fit my philosophy. I cook what I think is the most delicious food. Customers who sympathize with that and enjoy it will visit our restaurant often. However, I also know that not everyone can do that. I think those customers should leave and find a restaurant that suits their tastes, which is unfortunate.”

Was this an unexpected answer? She opens her eyes wide. And nods.

“Okay, I see. Now that I think about it, you’re right, Chef. I’ve been rude a lot when I’ve told you to change the recipe.”

The woman bows her head and apologizes. But the man in her company seems to think differently.

“At a restaurant, all you have to do is cook whatever the customer asks for. The chef’s philosophy is a piece of crap.”

When I turned my head at the sudden verbal abuse, I saw a young man in an expensive suit looking at me with a sly grin.

“Excuse me. What did you say?”

What was the worst verbal abuse I have heard in my eight years of work? I remember the hurtful words I often heard from Romeo. Also, the comment I heard from a professor during my time at the CIA, “You’re not even a good dish for a bird,” was the most heartbreaking.

“If you’ve already heard this, why are you asking? The service industry has to provide service. If you’re paying a lot of money to eat, should the customer be concerned about the restaurant’s opinion?”

He seems accustomed to bullying. His haughty posture, confident expression, and arrogant gaze toward service industry workers suggest that he comes from an upper-class family.

“Of course, we are in the service industry. It’s just that what you asked for doesn’t fall within the scope of the service we provide. I’m sorry you didn’t like the food. I won’t charge you for it, so please leave now.”

I think it would be best to send it. There is nothing more stupid than fighting with a guest.

“Who are you to tell me to come and go? If you grab me whenever I want, I’ll go on my own.”

I crossed my arms and looked at them. The woman was flustered and didn’t know what to do. The man was glaring at me with one corner of his mouth raised. His behavior was excessive. Was he trying to look strong in front of the woman? I don’t think so. Then what was his intention? A thought occurred to me. I immediately took out my cell phone and dialed 112.

“This is Segreto in Sinsa-dong. There is a customer who is causing trouble inside the restaurant. Please arrive immediately.”

I finished the call and hung up. Was this a more aggressive response than he had expected? He frowned.

“Okay, I’ll just go. Oh my! It’s dirty.”

Kaa hoo!

He gets up and spits on the floor.

ping.

My reasoning suddenly broke down. As I took a step toward him, Jonghyun sensed that the situation was not normal and grabbed my arm. He shook his head. My head slowly began to cool down.

“Why? Are you picking on me? Charge the cleaning fee here.”

He threw down a business card and left. I bent down and picked up the business card he had left behind.

[Sejin Infrastructure Managing Director Jo Sang-Hyeon]

I’ve heard of this company. It’s a mid-sized company that mainly manufactures heavy equipment. Judging from the fact that he’s sitting in the executive position at a large company at such a young age, he must be related to the founder. Now I understand the arrogance that was ingrained in him.

“Chef.”

Jonghyun closes his eyes tightly. He has only worked overseas, so this must be his first time experiencing bullying in Korea.

“Don’t worry. Just relax.”

I patted his shoulder and headed back to the kitchen. Then, as if nothing had happened, I accepted a customer and finished business for the day.

* * *

“Brother. Why did you do it so badly? The food was delicious.”

The woman looks at Sang-Hyeon with worried eyes as she gets into his Benz.

In fact, she had no complaints about the food. It was true that she liked the carbonara with its rich sauce, but the pasta she had eaten today was too delicious for her taste. But she couldn’t help but do as he asked.

“You cheeky brat. Who are you to be so stubborn? I was going to apologize to you and remake the dish, but you dare try to teach a guest a lesson. Those guys deserve to be scolded.”

He had not liked Shin Je-hee from the beginning. It must have started with his father’s nagging.

-What the hell are you doing? Even though I send you abroad to study, you fail, and even though I send you to work, all the employees are screaming that they’re going to die. I’ve even heard people say that it would be more helpful if you didn’t come to work.

-sorry.

-Who’s that chef on TV these days? Yes! Shin Je-hee. I found out that she’s an orphan. Look at how she came to America alone and became so successful. She’s the same age as you, but what’s wrong with you that makes you look like this?

-Comparing me to that chef is a bit…

-That chef? This guy still hasn’t come to his senses. If the environment is better than those who started from scratch, you should be grateful and put in effort. How long are you going to waste your time like that?

-I will do better in the future.

-It’s not unusual to be fooled by that kind of talk. If I hear something like that again, be prepared.

From that day on, whenever Je-hee appeared on TV, Sang-hyun felt an inexplicable anger. It was unreasonable for an orphan with nothing to be so successful and receive such recognition. This world doesn’t work that way.

‘Even so, I’m just a restaurant owner.’

Sang-Hyeon succeeded in making a reservation at Segreto through his staff and called a suitable woman to complain about the food on purpose. He wished she would have been a little more open, but instead, he was persuaded by his words and even apologized, which made him angry and he ended up taking action himself, which was different from his original plan.

‘I guess you can just throw me one hundred.’

He was happy to wait to see how much Shin Je-hee would charge for the cleaning fee.

* * *

bang.

I tried not to pay attention, but I guess I was angry. I slammed the door roughly without realizing it.

I sat on the sofa in my office and thought about what happened today. It hasn’t happened yet, but the culture of bullying among the upper class in Korea will soon become a world-famous thing. From the ramen boss to the peanut revival, the excessive tyranny of some upper class people has been featured in the New York Times and the BBC, so it’s pointless to talk about it.

At the time, I would mutter to myself, “What pathetic people…” and click my tongue and let it go, but now that I have become the target of bullying, my thoughts have changed. Even if I am the owner, who will compensate for the humiliation that my employees must have felt?

If you want to continue doing business in Korea, this is only the first time, and certainly not the last. I racked my brain. Then I took out my phone and searched for Sejin Infrastructure.

Market capitalization 300 billion, last year’s sales 320 billion. PSR (Price Sales Ratio) is over 1. It seems to be running the business quite well. It is a company that mainly manufactures heavy equipment and is one of the strongest companies in the industry.

If you look at the corporate structure, you can get a sense of how to punish them.

‘Do I really have to go this far?’

I thought about it for a moment, but I couldn’t forgive myself for spitting in the restaurant. Why didn’t they understand my desire to live quietly as a chef? I looked at my watch and saw that Bill was up at that time. I called him.

“Bill. Are you awake?”

-Haha. Jehee. It’s been a while. Do you need a report?

“Not today. I was wondering if Korean stocks are traded as well.”

-I’m not there, but I can introduce you to someone in charge of Asia.

“It’s not something that grand. I just want to learn about a company and acquire shares.”

-I can provide that much as a service. You are my biggest customer.

“I will send you the company information by email. Please tell me the maximum amount I can collect, including the cost.”

-This is a rare case, so it seems like a company with great investment value.

“It’s a promising company. Of course, that’s not the only reason.”

-Haha. Okay, I see. A week should be enough.

I hung up the phone and stretched.

“Ah. That feels good. I really can’t live like this.”

After drinking my coffee, I felt refreshed and savored the aroma while looking at the scenery outside the window.

* * *

Joohee is cooking while humming a song.

The fetus is greatly influenced by the food that the mother eats. The child will like the food that the mother eats during the fetal period. She cooked with various ingredients every day because she did not want her children to be picky eaters.

“Don’t be a picky eater. Mom will make delicious food for you, so eat it and be healthy.”

Joohee speaks in an affectionate voice and caresses her stomach.

Today’s menu is beef vegetable porridge. Joohee starts frying ground beef in sesame oil in a pan. Once the meat is fully cooked, she adds finely chopped carrots, onions, celery, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms and fry them together. Now it’s time to add rice. She puts in the pre-soaked rice and pours olive oil over it.

After cooking for several years, Joohee has discovered the joy of cooking. Thinking about her loved ones enjoying the food she has made and smiling makes the difficult process of cooking enjoyable.

Profit.

You can hear the sound of rice being cooked deliciously. Joohee stir-fried the rice until it became transparent, then poured water and covered it. Now, just stir it once in a while to prevent it from sticking and it’s done.

“How was your day, oppa?”

Since Jehee became independent, Joohee has been receiving daily reports from one of Segreto’s employees. She couldn’t just sit still, worrying about whether there were any problems at the restaurant or whether Jehee got hurt while working.

The employees who were initially reluctant to accept the offer eventually cooperated after she convinced them that this was not a betrayal but rather a help to her. Of course, from his perspective, it would mean more work, so he is giving them a small reward.

Jehee never talks about how hard things are for her. Even if she gets hurt or has trouble at work, she is the type of person who will somehow solve the problem on her own.

Joo-hee, who was expecting a report that the opening was successful, reads the email, but her eyes waver. Then, her breathing becomes rapid.

“It’s okay, kids. Mommy’s not mad.”

She read the email again to make sure she hadn’t misread it.

Joohee’s face turns cold.