I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 54



Only Noblemtl

A familiar face

Ring ring ring

“hello?”

-Chef Shin Je-hee? I’m PD Kim. Do you remember? We did Gourmet Road together.

PD Kim is showing his intimacy by narrowing the distance too much. It seems like he has a favor to ask.

“Yes. Nice to meet you. What brings you here?”

-Do we have to contact each other when something happens? We’ve even been on a broadcast together twice.

“Haha. I haven’t been back home in a long time so I’m a bit out of it. So what’s going on?”

-Does it still have a lot of tea?

“I guess so?”

When I laughed lightly, he laughed happily too and then brought up the main point.

– It’s just that we’re filming a special feature this time. But this time, we have a project that we want to film as an educational program rather than entertainment. I’m sure Chef Shin will like it.

“What kind of plan is it?”

-These days, people’s interest in fine food is higher than ever. Did you know this?

“Yes. I feel that way too.”

– Among them, the one that people are most interested in is steak. It is the most basic dish, but it is not easy to make it delicious. I often make it at home, but I feel anxious every time I do it. There are many stories and recipes about which method is the most delicious, but when you actually try it, you are likely to fail.

“Steak is definitely a simple yet very difficult dish.

– So this time, our team is planning a program that will completely end viewers’ curiosity about steak. It’s called Steak Terminator! Of course, it’s a plan that was created with the new chef in mind. Would you accept this?

He explains everything in a desperate voice.

“What exactly do I need to do?”

-Please explain to me how to make a delicious steak at home. Please demonstrate it yourself while explaining it. And there must be many different ways to cook steak, right?

“Of course.”

-I would also like you to introduce various steak recipes. I’m sure there are viewers who want more advanced recipes.

“That would be simple. We’ll need a kitchen, so where will we film?

-We will be filming in a studio with an oven and a fire pit. And we will also be inviting professional panelists. Is that okay with you?

“I am fine.”

-Sigh. I thought you would allow it. Well then, let’s go and finish planning.

Steak terminator.

It’s a grand name, but it’s necessary to properly introduce steak on TV. In this era where YouTube is not yet popular, revealing the theory and recipe of proper steak will be helpful to many people.

* * *

“Soohyun. Are we still far away?”

Minhyuk looks at his watch as if he feels frustrated.

“It’ll be done soon. I suddenly don’t like the shoes.”

Su-hyeon is wearing the clothes and accessories she will wear today at the boutique.

“It’s almost time now. Please hurry up a little so that the host can’t be late.”

“Yes. I’m going out now.”

Soo-hyun looks in the mirror while wearing a red off-shoulder dress and white high heels. Then she puts on the necklace and ring that Min-hyuk gave her and goes out.

“how is it?”

“You’re so pretty. You could be a model for a department store yourself.”

Min-hyuk smiles brightly and says as he looks at the beautiful Soo-hyeon.

“Minhyuk, you’ve been joking around a lot more. When I didn’t know you, I thought you were just a person who was unnecessarily serious.”

Soo-hyun giggles and lightly taps Min-hyuk on the shoulder.

“My sense of humor is only for Soo-hyun.”

“That’s great. Do you have to do it in front of me?”

“Haha. Okay, I understand.”

The two people leave the boutique and get into the car. After a short drive, they get off at the Shinsung Hotel, the venue for today’s party.

As the doorman skillfully opens the door, Min-hyuk gets out first and grabs Soo-hyun’s hand.

“Hey! You’re here?”

Park Hyun-il, the eldest son of Dosung Group, which focuses on power plants, greets Min-hyeok and Su-hyeon by raising his hand.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

Minhyuk smiles brightly and extends his hand to Hyunil to shake his hand.

“We’re always the same. We’re dying because of alternative energy and all that. Please help us a lot.”

“What power do I have? Thank you for coming anyway.”

Minhyuk says hello and moves to continue meeting people.

“Brother. Thank you for inviting me.”

While Min-hyuk is taking a sip of champagne and quenching his thirst, Cha Myung-jin comes and greets him.

“Myungjin, you’re here too? Where’s Myunghwan?”

“My brother is currently on a business trip. He asked me to send him his regards and apologize for not being able to attend. He said we should just accept the invitation.”

“I can’t help it. Thank you for coming.”

Min-hyuk shakes hands with Cha Myung-jin and walks around the party venue, thanking everyone who attended.

Today, invitations were sent out under the pretext of a special party for VIPs from the department store and hotel at Shinsung, but in reality, it was an event prepared by Soo-hyun to invite people to the wedding ceremony with Min-hyeok.

As it was a combination of Shinsung and LK, who have great influence in the business world, even the second and third generation of business people who were nervous about it all attended to see the atmosphere.

“I didn’t know you would leave so quickly, Sister.”

Joo Ha-eun, the granddaughter of the founder of Mirae Motors, speaks to Soo-hyeon with an envious expression.

“I’m over thirty now. What? I’ll go when it’s time to go.”

“Don’t just go, unnie. If you find a good person, please introduce them to me too.”

“Why do you ask when you know full well that there is no such person?”

“Huh. That’s right. Everyone is so upset. They can’t even steal my stocks.”

“That’s because you don’t manage the business. Why don’t you do something?”

“I’m stupid, so I can’t do that. I’ll just live off the dividends.”

“Good idea. You have good judgment in important matters.”

“I also saw and learned something, so that’s why. By the way, unnie. Do you know Chef Shin Je-hee?”

“Yeah. But why?”

When Soo-hyeon’s story about Je-hee comes up, she looks at Ha-eun with a questioning expression.

“We’re having a party this time, could you please cook for us?”

“You don’t know? I don’t know how much Shin Chef’s wealth is, but I don’t think it’s much less than yours. He even turned down Jennifer Lopez’s request to cook for a charity party, so he must be doing well.”

“Really? Oh my. I told my friends to call me Shin Je-hee.”

“Speak nicely. You’re not so young anymore.”

Su-hyeon looks at Ha-eun with a pitiful look and shakes her head.

As the pianist plays a quiet ballad, people laugh and chatter, congratulating Soo-hyun and Min-hyeok. The two also respond with bright faces and express their gratitude to the people.

* * *

Today, I got invited to a party I couldn’t miss, so I dressed up and arrived at the hotel with Joohee.

As we got out of the car and walked through the lobby, a man with a familiar face passed us by. I knew him for sure, but I couldn’t remember him.

“Joohee, can you go first for a moment?”

I had a bad feeling, so I followed the man. He went through the lobby and toward the women’s bathroom. He then opened the door to the emergency staircase next to it and went in. I opened the door slightly and listened to hear what was going on.

“So… So you’re saying that all I have to do is go and tell Minhyuk oppa and his fiancée the truth?”

A frightened woman’s voice is heard.

“That’s right. If you do as I said, we’ll keep our promise. Just think of it as acting once at the audition. Since you’re half-retired these days, why don’t you make a big severance pay and leave?”

As Joohee passed by, Minhyuk hyung said that the woman he briefly dated was an actress, and I think it was her. I quickly took out my phone and pressed the record button.

“But if I do this, rumors will spread and it will be difficult for me to live in Korea anymore. You have to give me double this amount.”

“You’re being too greedy. Think of it as a performance bonus. If it can ruin your marriage, I’ll pay more than that. Have you prepared the photos?”

“Yes. I found all the pictures I took with Minhyuk oppa and developed them.”

“These are composite photos we prepared. Please distribute these as well.”

“This…this. If I spread something like this, I might get arrested.”

The woman’s eyes shake as she looks at the photo. It appears to be a very malicious composite photo.

“Don’t worry. They’ll never make this public. You have to make it big in front of Kim Soo Hyun so everyone can see it. It’s not like they broke up a few years ago, but like they’re two-timing each other now. You get it?”

“Okay. Just keep your promise.”

The woman puts the envelope in her bag as if she has made up her mind. I quickly leave the place and pretend to talk on the phone. The man comes out.

There can only be one person who would do something like this.

I remembered. That man is one of Royal Group’s Choi Sung-jin’s secretaries. I must have seen his face in my past life, so I felt familiar with him. I waited for him to go far away and then went into the emergency stairs.

“hey!”

A woman sitting on the emergency stairs with her head in her hands looks at me with blurry eyes.

“I’m sorry, but signing is a bit difficult right now.”

I think I was mistaken as a fan. My mascara is smudged, as if I was crying. I don’t want to talk for long, so I played the recording file.

-······It’s hard to live in Korea. You have to give me double this amount.

Click

“Wh..what. Why are you doing this to me?”

“I’m the one who wants to ask. What grudge do you have against Seo Min-hyeok that you’re doing this?”

“This has nothing to do with you. Delete the file immediately.”

“You know that’s not right. But I think it’d be fun if I took that photo to the police station. You said you were an actress, right?”

“What do you want?”

“Go to the police station and confess to everything you were incited to do. Including the photoshopped photos you received. If you won’t do it anyway, I will. It will hurt even more then.”

“I have no future. I’ve reached the end of my rope, so I don’t get any roles and I have no money. They said they’d give me 1 billion won, but what are they going to give me?”

She still seemed to think she had a choice. I approached her and whispered in her ear.

“Listen carefully. They’re a conglomerate, so they might be able to get away with it somehow. But you’re not.

You know what I’m going to do first? I’m going to file a criminal complaint against you. Once you file a criminal complaint, you will be banned from leaving the country. Don’t even think about fleeing abroad. The trial will take years. It will also be a good story for reporters.

After that, no matter how many years it takes, I will search through everything around you and expose and report everything that is against the law.

Do you think that’s the end? Then the civil case begins. We’ll hire the most expensive law firm and we won’t let you go until you dry up and die.”

She looks at me, trembling with fear.

“Do you know what to do now?”

She nods.

“I’m waiting until you contact me.”

I took her business card and went out, leaving her staring at me blankly as if she had lost her mind.

Choi Sung-jin crossed the line. I didn’t want my sister to get involved with him, so I left her alone, but I don’t think it can go on like this.

────────────────────────────────────

────────────────────────────────────