Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tell Him to Come Himself and Eat It

Late night with silence descended.

Hwaaaaaaak!

Charrrrrk!

Dalgeurak!

Inside the 100-inch large monitor filling the wall.

Namgung Wi was sitting on the leather chair staring piercingly at the shorts videos.

Not only the foreigner’s video that first became a topic but also videos uploaded from various angles by numerous YouTubers and customers who visited the restaurant.

“······.”

Playing and pausing the videos dozens of times.

Namgung Wi’s brow narrowed.

Certainly amazing wok work.

The technique and timing of the moment the ingredients in the pot touch the flame, and the sense of regulating the temperature.

But.

‘No matter how excellent the technique, capturing Chief Choi’s taste with just those materials?’

Namgung Wi absolutely couldn’t accept it.

Chief Choi who has been discriminating only the highest-grade gourmet beside him for several years.

Such a person highly praised saying the neighborhood Chinese restaurant’s jajangmyeon is more delicious than hundreds of thousands of won course cooking.

Even analyzing the screen by cutting in seconds, there was no sign of special secret sauce going in, nor hidden high-grade ingredients being put in.

‘Did I miss something? What on earth is different?’

Confusion floated on Namgung Wi’s expression.

A dish whose taste even he who prides himself on absolute taste absolutely can’t picture.

That unknown realm was stimulating Namgung Wi like crazy.

*

The next day, the recording site of the cooking survival program.

“Okay, next challenger! Please reveal the completed dish!”

A chef with clear signs of tension carefully held the plate and approached in front of the judges’ seats.

Sous-vide hanwoo tenderloin steak accompanied by highest-grade caviar and truffle oil.

Perfect plating that anyone would automatically admire.

“...”

Namgung Wi lifted the fork and knife with an indifferent face.

He cut the meat small and put it in his mouth and chewed slowly.

If it were usual, the moment it touched the tongue he would have sharply analyzed the doneness of the meat, the acidity of the sauce, the harmony of the ingredients and given an evaluation.

But.

“...”

Namgung Wi put down the fork and said nothing.

His gaze that lost focus was wandering somewhere in the air.

‘The combination of chunjang and lard. The texture of the chewing vegetables...’

His mind was completely full of thoughts of Jin Myeong Gak’s jajangmyeon.

Even the flavor of the highest-grade hanwoo and truffle in his mouth was scattering pushed by the imagination of that umami Chief Choi described.

“Th, there······ Namgung chef?”

As the silence lengthened, the flustered main PD carefully called him.

Still no answer.

All the staff and chefs at the recording site froze holding their breath.

Chief Choi’s two eyes standing behind the camera also widened as if they would pop out.

“...!”

It was something that had never happened that Namgung Wi showed such an appearance.

As Chief Choi who knew that, it was a matter to be shocked.

“······Cut! Cut! Stop the camera!”

In the end the director who couldn’t endure declared a halt to filming.

At that sound Namgung Wi who then suddenly came to his senses furrowed his brow and looked around.

“...”

After filming was temporarily halted, the waiting room.

“I really thought my heart would drop!”

Stylist Cameron made a fuss while fixing Namgung Wi’s messed-up collar.

“Anyway our chef seems to have gotten lovesickness hard because he’s too curious about that black noodle. Right?”

“...”

“Then this time just let’s all go eat there together!”

When Cameron giggled and threw a joke, Chief Choi who was watching Namgung Wi cut in with a serious face.

“That’s absolutely something that cannot be.”

Cameron asked back with a sullen expression.

“Why can’t it?!”

“The appearance of chef directly lining up at such an unverified ordinary Chinese restaurant doesn’t look good. If it appears like being played by neighborhood merchants’ tricks, the image built up so far could fly away overnight.”

“No, Chief Choi also made such a fuss saying it was delicious!”

“Delicious is delicious. And am I the same as chef?”

Namgung Wi who was deeply leaning on the leather sofa with both eyes closed slowly opened his eyes.

“Chief Choi’s words are right.”

“...”

“There’s no need for me to go find that shabby alley with my own feet.”

“...Then?”

“Call to Seoul.”

“······Yes?”

“Bring him. Make him make that cooking in front of my eyes.”

Chief Choi’s eyes widened.

“Make him write a confidentiality agreement, so as not to be exposed. All expenses coming up to Seoul, the highest-grade hotel to stay, and three times··· no, three times the expected profit that restaurant would earn in one day as compensation, tell him. With that level there would be no justification or reason to refuse.”

Chief Choi paused for a moment.

“Th, is there value to go that far···?”

It was ridiculously enormous cost and effort to pay just to taste one bowl of jajangmyeon.

But Namgung Wi’s eyes didn’t shake.

“Didn’t you boast that it had that much value.”

“Th, that’s true but...”

“So bring him directly.”

“...”

***

Late night.

Jin Myeong Gak.

On the entrance door a sign saying ‘ingredients exhausted, business closed today’ was hung early.

“Aigo, my waist··· but today was more hectic than yesterday.”

The mother who was wiping the hall floor with a large mop let out a faint sigh.

The body was heavy as a thousand pounds but an unconcealable smile was spreading on the corner of her mouth.

“During the day some foreigner shouted thumbs up! and I was so surprised. I really heard that word after a long time. But what country language was that?”

“Brazil, Brazil. It was popular in the past.”

“If Brazil, is it Portuguese?”

“Anyway these days foreigners come so much, shall I learn some English. Even simple things.”

“Right.”

The parents continuously continued pleasant conversation recalling the things that happened during the day today.

“Honey, I think we need to find one part-timer for hall serving by putting up flyers tomorrow right away. You’re also busy pulling noodles and assisting the kitchen, and helping the hall too would be too much.”

“Yeah, I was thinking that too. Our Jin-myeong is suffering like that, we can’t become a burden.”

The parents’ gazes headed to one side of the hall.

“...”

Jin Myeong sitting crookedly leaning on the chair was piercingly looking only at the smartphone screen with blank eyes no different from usual.

A peaceful appearance considering he was busy all day.

But Jin Myeong’s inside was tautly heated with energy completely different from the outer appearance.

Jin Myeong was precisely drawing up the qi gathered weakly from deep in the dantian and circulating it along the meridians of the whole body.

Every time he breathed once, he felt the turbid qi inside the body finely escaping and the fatigue fading.

‘Tsk. To be this slow.’

Jin Myeong’s brow who roughly clicked his tongue inwardly furrowed minutely.

Gathering internal energy in the turbid air of modern times was truly a arduous and frustrating thing.

Just when he was operating qi and letting the parents’ conversation flow past his ears like that.

Ding!

The firmly closed restaurant glass door opened and a light bell sound rang.

“Ah, customer! Sorry but today the ingredients all ran out so business is over!”

The father who reflexively greeted hurriedly approached and waved his hands.

He thought it was a late customer who entered without seeing the sign on the door.

“I didn’t come to eat.”

It was a man who looked in his mid-30s in a neat suit.

“Then, for what matter...?”

The man entered the hall and slightly lowered his head.

“Sorry for coming suddenly at a late time. I am Chief Choi, the general manager of a fine dining located in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.”

Chief Choi took out one luxurious business card from his inner pocket and handed it to the father with both hands.

“General manager···?”

The father received the business card with a dazed expression.

Letters engraved in gold foil on luxurious matte paper.

“Not for any other reason, our chef said he definitely wants to meet the chef of this Jin Myeong Gak once, so I came risking this rudeness.”

At those words the parents were surprised and looked at each other’s faces.

A high-end restaurant chef in Seoul wants to meet their son.

The mother carefully asked.

“Our son? Who on earth is that chef...”

Chief Choi answered with a leisurely smile on the corner of his mouth.

“You two have probably seen him at least once on TV. He is Namgung Wi chef, the judge of the cooking survival program and a famous person in the domestic cooking world.”

At that moment.

“······!”

The finger of Jin Myeong who was sitting in the corner looking at the phone and quietly operating internal energy stopped dead for a moment.

Namgung Wi.

As soon as he heard the name, the energy of the dantian began roughly fluctuating like a waterfall.

“Na, Namgung chef? That famous...!”

The mother freaked out and covered her mouth with both hands.

Her heart pounded as if it would burst that such an amazing person was looking for her son.

“Why is that person looking for our Jin-myeong...”

“Our chef felt very great interest in the chef’s cooking. So he wants to taste the cooking directly and have a conversation.”

Chief Choi slowly turned his gaze toward Jin Myeong sitting in the corner of the hall.

“Of course, it’s not saying just come. All expenses coming up to Seoul and the highest-grade hotel stay will naturally be borne by our side, and we will compensate three times the expected profit occurring from closing the shop door for one day.”

A groundbreaking condition.

At those words the parents froze in place.

“Yes, the expected profit... three times?!”

“...!”

“Ah, no... the highest-grade hotel in Seoul, and all expenses too? Why on earth that far...”

The father stammered in fluster.

The fact itself that the amazing person Namgung Wi from TV was looking for the son was hard to believe, and when such unrealistic monetary conditions were hung, rather fear came first.

Whether he was trying to take the son who doesn’t know the ways of the world and make him a laughingstock on broadcast or somewhere absurd, or whether there was some scheme.

On the other hand, the reaction of Jin Myeong sitting in the corner of the hall was calm.

The name that hadn’t left his mind for even a moment for the past few days suddenly popped out.

Jin Myeong’s indifferent gaze reached the face of Chief Choi standing politely.

“...”

Looking closely, it was a familiar face.

The gaze that was strangely examining him while sitting in the hall.

And the presence that secretly examined even the trash site behind the shop, Jin Myeong had already noticed.

At that time he just thought maybe it was someone who came to spy to steal the secret method from another nearby Chinese restaurant since business was good.

‘So that fellow is Namgung Wi’s subordinate.’

The situation fit like a puzzle at once.

That fellow must have tasted his jajangmyeon and reported that taste to Namgung Wi.

In an instant a strange emotion swirled in Jin Myeong’s chest.

It was the moment he was pondering how to make that Demon Tongue kneel at his feet.

But Namgung Wi’s side first recognized his existence and even sent his person down directly.

‘You were also watching me.’

Is the connection between the two this tenaciously entangled even in another world.

A thrilling sensation as if the blood of the whole body was boiling hot while bizarre swept through the whole body.

The corner of his mouth twisted strangely.

Jin Myeong who slowly stood up from his seat walked in front of Chief Choi.

“...?”

The pupils of Jin Myeong who approached closely were sunk deep and cold.

The proposal of Chief Choi just now circled in his mind again.

He will cover all expenses and loss money so come up to Seoul and cook only for Namgung Wi one person.

The Central Plains of his previous life.

It was the same as the way absolute beings like Blood Demon Dokgo Pae or Martial Alliance Leader Namgung Wi used him.

The life of a slave-like chef who comes when powerful people with nothing lacking say come and goes when they say go.

But the current Jin Myeong was different.

Even if only a frail body with disappeared internal energy remained, he had no intention of prostrating under anyone’s feet anymore.

There is no absolute being he must serve in this world.

Jin Myeong spat out toward Chief Choi in an indifferent voice.

“Go and tell.”

“···Yes?”

At the sudden words Chief Choi was flustered and asked back.

Killing intent flashed in Jin Myeong’s eyes.

“If you want to eat my cooking, don’t act arrogant saying come and go, come here yourself and eat it.”

“······!!”

Chief Choi’s two eyes widened as if they would tear.

The parents beside also opened their mouths wide as if their jaws would drop and were surprised.

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