I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 141



Only Noblemtl

Episode 141 Welcome, My Lovely Children

I decided to settle down in New York.

The house I had been living in was a 30-pyeong apartment that I had sold 7 years ago. It was spacious and convenient enough for living alone, but it wasn’t suitable for starting a new life as a newlywed.

New York’s real estate market is only now beginning to recover from the subprime mortgage crisis, and it will soon begin to surge and skyrocket.

In New York in the 2020s, there was an area called Billionaire’s Row, a district lined with high-rise residential buildings. These apartments, called pencil towers because they are thin and tall, would eventually become one of New York’s iconic landmarks.

Of course, it’s under construction now, so it only exists in my head, but in just three years, the first residential skyscraper, ONE 57, will be completed. And the year after that, 432 Park Avenue and 220 Central South Park will follow suit.

These apartments were a classic in the early days of sales. Even the lower floors with poor views were priced at over 10 million dollars, and the penthouses were priced at over 100 million dollars, so even the wealthy were skeptical of their value.

But the rich in Russia, the Middle East, China, and Latin America chose these apartments as a means to hide their ill-gotten wealth. Since they went through several shell companies and were paid entirely in cash, there was no way to trace the owners in other countries.

And American billionaires, realizing that there was value in investing in rapidly shrinking properties, joined this huge trend. The previously unsold Pencil Towers were sold out in an instant, establishing themselves as a new symbol of wealth in New York.

About half of these apartments will be empty. No one will live there and no one will know who bought them. Only the management will occasionally come and go to clean. The lower floors, which have no view, will have the kind of high-end amenities you would find in a five-star hotel, but since there are fewer people using them, it will be a comfortable living environment.

I had been thinking about moving in here, but unfortunately, construction is just starting now.

“Where would you like to live?”

Even if we moved later, I wanted to follow her wishes for my first house.

“I want to live in a house with a yard.”

After much consideration, I purchased a single-family home in the Upper East Side, one of New York’s traditional affluent neighborhoods. The building, which was remodeled last year, is a five-story home with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. It has a huge wine cellar and laundry room in the basement, and it is a rare property with a spacious yard and garage.

My stock valuation has already exceeded $500 million. However, I am reluctant to sell stocks that will rise significantly in the future, so I took out a small loan using the stocks as collateral and paid off the remaining balance.

“Do you like it?”

Since the house was recently remodeled, the interior looks sophisticated to me. The first floor has a high ceiling and a wide living room with a clear view to the yard, and if you turn to the side, you will find a dining room. The dining room includes a small powder room and a bar, and the kitchen is fully equipped for full-scale cooking.

The second floor was decorated with a small living room with good lighting, a guest room, and an entertainment space where you can enjoy video and audio. The third floor and above are for the family. The fourth floor had a huge bathroom and bedroom for the couple, which were luxuriously finished with marble and limestone. The rooftop on the fifth floor was finished with windows, and this open space seemed good to use as a study. Joohee is checking the house thoroughly.

“I really like it. Can I do whatever I want with the furniture?”

She seems excited about decorating her new home. At times like this, staying still helps. I would have liked to have just asked a contractor to do it for me like I did in Korea and just received the results, but I didn’t want to take away her joy.

“of course.”

Although the time spent endlessly wandering around department stores and furniture stores in New York was quite painful, I really liked the interior design that was completed that way.

* * *

“Jimmy. Long time no see.”

Jimmy came to see me after work to ask what was going on. He must have something to tell me because Jenny was avoiding his seat.

“I’m sorry I haven’t visited you often. In a way, you’re my benefactor.”

The Tonight Show is increasing its viewership ratings by criticizing various social absurdities based on the credibility it has gained by overcoming the manipulation controversy.

In particular, his broadcast criticizing New York’s tipping culture caused a huge stir in many areas, and he is probably one of the most influential broadcasters in New York today. As a result, tipping, which was treated as an untouchable sanctuary, was forcibly brought to the forefront of society.

“That was purely Jimmy’s ability. I also enjoy watching the show.”

“Do you know what topic is troubling broadcast producers these days?”

Jimmy asks me a question with his signature playful expression.

“Haha. Don’t tell me it has to do with me.”

“Of course it is relevant. You’d be surprised how many people these days contact the broadcasting stations claiming they have absolutely no taste. Our show Secret Ingredients is no exception. The writer said he wanted to unplug his phone.”

Since the success of Master Chef Season 1, the topic of absolute taste has become a hot topic in Korea and the United States. And broadcasting stations will do anything to get viewer ratings.

“So what happened?”

“We were also excited. Viewers go crazy for special people. But when we checked, they were all scammers without exception.”

Jimmy sighs.

“We called them to the broadcasting station and gave them a simple test, but not a single person passed.”

“How did you test it?”

“It’s a simple test. Just guess the drinks. I prepared Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Fanta, and Diet Coke, put them in a tumbler, covered the color, and had them taste it with a straw. The results were surprising.”

“How was it?”

“The accuracy rate is less than 20%. Why on earth do we eat certain products? We can’t even tell the difference in taste.”

“That’s an interesting result. But I don’t think you came here to tell me that….”

“Those people must have applied to Master Chef, where Chef Shin appeared. There are bad rumors coming out. If you get a call from Fox TV, you should be careful. They don’t get good ratings these days. Then they naturally look for provocative material to turn things around. I know from my experience.”

“Thank you. I was already contacted by MasterChef, so I’m glad I found out about it in advance.”

Jimmy took the time to come here because he was worried about me. But I’m not the kind of person who would fall for such a foolish trick.

* * *

“Eugyagya.”

Soyoung turns her wrist and makes a strange sound. Her muscles hurt because she always uses a knife and lifts heavy objects.

“Are your hands not feeling well?”

Ella holds Soyoung’s hand and gently presses it, checking for any injuries.

“This is something that everyone experiences.”

For chefs, carpal tunnel syndrome is an unavoidable guest-like disease. Although the degree may vary, most chefs experience the same difficulties. She has been taking care of her wrists by visiting the hospital early on, following Jehee’s advice.

“What are you going to eat?”

Segreto’s staff apartment is located just a 5-minute walk from the restaurant. Fine dining uses only the best ingredients, so there is a lot of food waste, but Jehee was considerate enough to let the staff take it. Thanks to this, the chefs were able to save on food, transportation, and even rent, and they were having the strange experience of seeing their bank balances increase even though they live in New York, where the cost of living is murderous.

“I’ll make it today. Is pilaf okay?”

Soyoung confirms Ella’s intention. At first, all the staff living in the dormitory took turns preparing meals, but Soyoung could not bear to eat the food prepared by the hall staff. After discussion, they decided to each prepare their own meals.

“Okay. Then I’ll be in the living room.”

Ella sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV. Then she heard a familiar voice narrating. Soyoung turned her head without realizing it and looked at the TV.

[This is the Master Chef Kitchen, the dream stage for every amateur chef in America.]

Strange contestants are cooking in the kitchen wearing chef’s uniforms. Soyoung glances at Ella. She is looking at the screen with a wistful expression, as if reminiscing about her school days.

[After the last three missions, only 10 contestants have survived. And even more difficult challenges await them. Who will survive to the end and achieve glory?]

Gordon Ramsay looks at the contestants with his arms crossed.

“You’re slow, Kelly!”

“Shut up! I’m faster than you!”

“What? This ■■!”

The contestant’s harsh profanity is filtered into an electronic sound. Soyoung watches the scene blankly as if she has lost her mind, then looks at Ella and asks.

“Ella was like that too?”

“There were some people who spoke a bit harshly back then, but not to that extent. I can’t even imagine what goes on there.”

Ella’s eyes also widened in surprise.

“You may not have had any problems so far because you only had to cook your own food in the missions. But as I say many times, teamwork is key in a real kitchen.”

Gordon Ramsay continues his speech, gathering the participants together.

“Do you think you can stand in the kitchen with this mindset? Maybe. But at least in my kitchen, I’d like to decline. You have a flawed mentality. You need to quickly realize that the contestant next to you is not your real enemy to become a real chef.”

The contestants lower their heads at Gordon Ramsay’s words. Then Joe, who was next to Gordon, steps forward and continues the story.

“We have prepared a special mission for you guys.”

The screen flashes upward. Then the camera descends and passes the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. The place where the camera quickly stops is a place that is very familiar to them.

“It’s Segreto!”

Soyoung screams.

[Segreto, Earning 1 Michelin Star in the Shortest Period]

The screen changes to a large headline from the New York Times with subtitles.

[Segreto, ranked 91st in the world by The Restaurant]

The Guardian’s article is also broadcast on the screen with sound effects.

[Contestants will be pushed to their limits at this restaurant, which has the absolute support of New York’s foodies.]

A participant is shown crying while cutting a knife.

[And this guy.]

The camera moves into Segreto’s darkened kitchen. Lights begin to turn on one by one as the camera pans. And as the last light on the chef’s table comes on, a silhouette of someone is revealed.

Jehee opens his eyes, which he had been closing. Then he opens his mouth and says his lines.

“Welcome, my dear children!”