Chapter 27

Chapter 27

A Bizarre Sense of Alienation

Seoul, Namgung Wi’s office.

Namgung Wi deeply leaning on the sofa had his gaze toward the large monitor on the wall.

In the screen the appearance of K broadcasting station staff being turned away at the door and chased out at Jin Myeong Gak was being played without rest.

“······.”

A cold sneer leaked between the lips of Namgung Wi who was silently watching the video.

“...Pathetic bastards.”

The chef of Jin Myeong Gak, Jin Myeong is a monster of skill whose taste even he himself finds hard to properly grasp.

Moreover he was one who had a momentum fight without even blinking one eye even against himself.

It was too natural a matter that such a person wouldn’t be swayed by a mere broadcasting station or whatever.

“Really··· it became as chef said.”

Chief Choi beside shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Anyway the cook of Jin Myeong Gak, I really don’t know. No matter how confident in skill, kicking away such an opportunity.”

At that time Cameron sitting in the corner of the sofa suddenly burst out laughing.

“Hohohoho! Rather my insides are all refreshing?!”

Cameron continuously replayed the video on the tablet PC and liked it like a child.

“Honestly speaking I was really irritated by those broadcasting station kids until now! Acting high-handed walking around with a cast on the neck as if they are something, I really hated seeing that! How much I exploded holding it in because we’re in a position working together. But seeing the appearance of even the soul being stripped like that is really satisfying, satisfying!”

When Cameron chattered as if refreshing, Chief Choi freaked out and yelled at him.

“Mr. Cameron!”

“Oh my, surprised! Why yelling and making a fuss! I was startled!”

“Even so they are staff of the program chef appears as main judge. How can you badmouth so openly? What if words leak out by any chance...”

Chief Choi warned with a fully furrowed face, but Cameron rather pouted his lips.

“Oh my! Can’t even say such words, can’t?”

“Do it distinguishing time and place!”

“Here it doesn’t matter anyway!”

“Chef is also here.”

“Chief Choi, why are you so lacking in sense? Chef will have the same thought as me too?!”

“Wha, what?”

“Isn’t that right, chef?”

“...!”

When Cameron asked toward Namgung Wi, Chief Choi turned pale and glanced at Namgung Wi’s eyes.

But.

“······.”

Namgung Wi deeply leaning on the sofa gave no answer at all.

His gaze was still fixed on the large monitor.

And soon one corner of Namgung Wi’s mouth rolled up very finely.

“Che, chef...?!”

“...”

Cameron giggled.

“See! My words are right?!”

Cameron who became full of momentum at Namgung Wi’s agreement raised his chin and continued speaking again.

“Those guys... always at the filming site saying costume concept whatever! How much do they know fashion! This time they should have even been beaten by that large one at Jin Myeong Gak!”

“...Then they’d die?”

“If not even a slap!”

“Huu...”

Chief Choi held his forehead and only let out deep sighs.

But at that time.

Beolkeok!

The office door opened with a deolkeok without even a knock.

“Hahahaha! Everyone has a very good atmosphere? Seeing laughter comes out even after suffering such humiliation, seems there’s still leeway. Indeed ice valley prince, Namgung Wi chef’s mental is different.”

With a sneering voice one man entered inside with leisurely steps.

An impression that looks somewhat light even wearing a luxury suit, hair glossily combed back and an arrogant-looking expression.

Seo Tae-jin, the young master of a leading domestic distribution chaebol family and the main sponsor of the rival cooking program ‘Chef’s War’ that forms a pair with ‘Sura’s Kitchen’.

“······!”

Chief Choi’s face stiffened.

Seo Tae-jin.

He was neither a chef nor a critic but a person who controlled the broadcasting world using money and power as weapons.

Especially he was one whose rumors as trash were widespread inside the broadcasting station due to dirty scandals with female celebrities and high-handed acts.

Such him had long regarded Namgung Wi loved by the public as a thorn in the eye and continuously checked him.

“What’s the matter here.”

Chief Choi blocked the front and revealed a displeased color, but Seo Tae-jin lightly pushed him away and plopped down opposite Namgung Wi’s sofa.

“What’s the matter. I came to comfort our Namgung chef at least.”

Seo Tae-jin giggled while pointing at the Jin Myeong Gak video in the monitor screen with his chin.

“The Namgung Wi of the world got stripped by a countryside Chinese restaurant brat and fled? Moreover this time even the Sura’s Kitchen staff bastards got chased out? The internet is completely chaotic. Hahaha!”

Just when Chief Choi flared up and was about to open his mouth at Seo Tae-jin’s words full of mockery, Namgung Wi spoke first.

“So. What do you want to say?”

“Honestly I don’t understand.”

Seo Tae-jin snorted and crossed his legs.

“It’s just jajangmyeon. That you fled over one such cheap commoner food. Or was it a fixed gostop with the broadcasting station guys to pull topicality? But jajangmyeon is too cheap.”

“...”

Namgung Wi just turned away as if he didn’t even feel the value of answering.

At that ignoring attitude Seo Tae-jin’s brow twitched for a moment.

“Well, anyway it doesn’t matter. Since Sura’s Kitchen is kicking a dung ball because of one neighborhood Chinese restaurant, this time shouldn’t our ‘Chef’s War’ definitely snatch the viewership 1st place?”

Seo Tae-jin made a fishy smile and brought out the main point.

“So this time I specially invited one very big-shot chef from Europe spending tremendous money. Do you roughly guess who? The old man called the tyrant of the French cooking world.”

At those words Chief Choi standing beside’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“Seo, by any chance··· are you talking about Antoine Rochefort chef?!”

The main host of the world-famous cooking survival broadcast ‘Hellfire Kitchen’.

He was highly infamous for crazy eccentric acts such as throwing the stock the challengers made onto the floor with the pot saying it’s like garbage.

Moreover the matter of pouring twin curses close to personality insult at the sous chef during the broadcast and making him leave on the spot was talked about like a legend in the industry.

He had the skill of Michelin 3 stars, but a chef with a messed-up personality full of arrogance and impurity.

At Chief Choi’s shock-filled reaction Seo Tae-jin shrugged his shoulders and answered arrogantly.

“Yeah, right. I brought that great Antoine old man promising a large appearance fee and special treatment. Cooking skill you guys will know better so no need to say twice.”

Seo Tae-jin looked straight at the still expressionless Namgung Wi and said as if provoking.

“Next week recording that Antoine chef will appear as main. How is it? Namgung chef, won’t you come out once as a special guest on our broadcast too?”

“Why would I go there?”

“To evaluate once the cooking of that eccentric Europe’s best chef with that god’s taste you so boast. Because it’s already perfect cooking that even the high-nosed picky gourmets of France highly praised.”

Malice flowed from Seo Tae-jin’s eyes.

He intended to pull Namgung Wi into his program then make him kneel in front of the foreign chef’s cooking with no place to pick faults.

“Well, if confidence dropped from getting stripped by neighborhood jajangmyeon you don’t have to come. I have no intention of forcibly dragging.”

Blatant provocation.

But Namgung Wi let out a long sigh toward Seo Tae-jin.

“...Seo Tae-jin.”

“Why?”

“The vulgarity of seeing cooking only as a tool for shallow viewership business and pride fights is the same.”

“What did you say?”

Namgung Wi’s gaze containing contempt slowly scanned from the top of Seo Tae-jin’s head to the tip of his feet.

“I fled?”

Namgung Wi continued speaking with a sneering expression.

“Far from it. I just retreated myself because I couldn’t find the answer. A fellow like you who has never experienced the shock of true taste won’t understand even if dying and waking a hundred times.”

“What did you say?!”

“You are just a vulgar human who has lived counting only the number of Michelin stars all your life.”

At Namgung Wi’s bone-hitting words Seo Tae-jin’s face stiffened for a moment, then soon his lips began trembling.

“This··· this bastard really···!”

“Antoine?”

Namgung Wi burst out a hollow laugh as if pathetic.

“I didn’t know your broadcasting station situation was that desperate to the extent of having to import even such a thug clown. Well, with your shallow eye what you can put forward is only up to there.”

“Namgung Wi!! You daring···!”

“Yeah. That kind of broadcast, I’ll gladly go out.”

“...!”

“That great Antoine’s food. I’ll evaluate it properly.”

“...!”

Seo Tae-jin only roughly pushed out breath with a face turning red and blue.

His whole body trembled from anger and shame, but he was completely pressed by Namgung Wi’s momentum.

“Yeah···! Good! Let’s see if that mouth can chatter well even in front of Antoine!”

In the end Seo Tae-jin panted and burst out the office door as if chased.

Kwang!

The door closed roughly.

Watching that appearance Cameron frowned and clicked his tongue and said.

“Tsk, that problem customer! Seeing he has some money he seems to think he’s some great gourmet. Chef, don’t deal with that kind of human at all!”

At that time Chief Choi intervened with a worried face.

“Are you really thinking of going there? If it’s Antoine chef··· it’s a different dimension from the domestic chefs chef usually dealt with. Moreover with that personality that extremely hates others’ evaluations, if chef gives even a slightly critical evaluation who knows what crazy act he’ll commit during the live broadcast. Especially in a situation like now...”

“Antoine?”

A hollow laugh burst between Namgung Wi’s lips.

“The sight of a chef rampaging isn’t something seen for a day or two.”

“Ha, but the counterpart is a world-class master! If careless sparks might fly to chef···”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Madness brushed Namgung Wi’s pupils.

“Rather it makes me curious. That well-spoken Michelin 3-star cooking···”

“······!”

Namgung Wi looked back at Chief Choi.

“Chief Choi.”

“Yes, chef.”

“Contact the ‘Sura’s Kitchen’ production team. Say I’ll return right from the next recording.”

“...Yes?!”

Chief Choi’s two eyes widened round.

“Continuously leaving the seat empty is also a ridiculous matter. Moreover··· this bizarre sense of alienation circling on the tongue after eating that jajangmyeon...”

“...Sense of alienation? What...?”

“Nothing. Anyway there’s something to confirm by going out on the broadcast.”

When Namgung Wi showed motivation, a bright pleased color turned on Chief Choi’s face for a moment.

“Ah, understood! Right now! I’ll contact the main PD right now!”

Chief Choi rejoiced as if he would jump and hurriedly took out the smartphone.

“Oh my my! Our chef is finally sortieing again? Then I also have to set the next week broadcast costumes amazingly!”

Cameron also got excited and made a fuss then immediately took out the tablet PC from his cross bag with a swish.

“Let’s see~ To definitely kill the French old man’s spirit, a cold and sharp ‘cold-blooded’ concept will be perfect! Lululala~ au, exciting!”

Cameron began looking into the design sketches in the screen even humming a tune.

Thanks to that the heavy air flowing inside instantly cleared and vitality began to turn.

“...”

Namgung Wi deeply leaned his body on the sofa again and smiled coldly.

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