Chapter 58

The Meat Gangster had given the restaurant a far more generous assessment than Jinhyeok had expected.

With that, his role was complete.

But Jinhyeok decided to make a little more use of him.

After all, he had seen a business card that could prove incredibly useful.

Yuksakkang.

A YouTube channel without a single video.

Although the channel was tied to a painful memory, Jinhyeok saw something rather different in it.

What the restaurant owner needed was confidence.

He also needed to rediscover a reason he couldn't give up.

That was why Jinhyeok had been certain there couldn't be a better solution from the moment he saw the YouTube business card.

As Iseul had demonstrated in Tongyeong, the power of social media was extraordinary.

The media was also what politicians feared most.

And it was the perfect way to take action without Jinhyeok or Seongun having to step into the spotlight.

"Why don't we give it a try today?"

"...What? Give what a try?"

"Your one-point lessons. Isn't that why you created the Yuksakkang channel in the first place? Let's just change the format a little. Instead of a one-point lesson, we'll do a comprehensive consultation. You can analyze the cooking, and I'll analyze the commercial district. What do you think? You seemed quite disappointed when you told me about the channel earlier."

Cold sweat appeared on the Meat Gangster's forehead.

"No, it's just..."

"I'll handle the filming. I'll even do all the editing. You just need to deal with the restaurant owner. As I mentioned earlier, I really can't put myself in the spotlight this time."

"W-Well, you see..."

Jinhyeok frowned as he watched the enormous man fidget.

Don't tell me he's still suffering from the heartbreak of losing his girlfriend.

He introduced the channel himself and even handed out a business card, so I thought he was over it...

Jinhyeok had misunderstood.

The Meat Gangster wasn't hesitating because he was reluctant.

He was simply struggling to contain his excitement at finally being able to do something he'd wanted to do for so long.

"As expected, Team Lea... No, that's not right. President Kang, you really are my benefactor! You're even helping me do something I've always wanted to try. You remember that phone call from back then, don't you?"

Jinhyeok couldn't actually remember what had been said during that early-morning phone call.

All he remembered was how he'd felt that day.

He had never encountered a more troublesome drunk in his entire life.

Having decided to make full use of YouTube, Jinhyeok quickly began organizing his thoughts.

Gaon Charcoal Grill, Balsan Branch.

A restaurant owner who had spent an entire year burning meat while trying to perfect a smoky flavor.

A stubborn man who insisted on receiving whole cuts of meat from headquarters so he could slice them himself.

There was more than enough material for a compelling story.

After two years of hard work, the restaurant had finally begun attracting more customers.

It was just starting to see the fruits of its labor.

Then the dining hall had suddenly become deserted, as though a ghost had appeared.

They wouldn't explain the reason for that change in the video.

Customers who remembered how successful the restaurant had been until a few months ago would spread the story on their own.

The most important thing Jinhyeok wanted to accomplish was to record the owner's determination on video.

Once his words spread online, he wouldn't be able to take them back.

Giving someone a reason they can't give up is far more effective than telling them a hundred times not to quit.

It wasn't a bad plan.

In fact, it was better than that.

The channel created by the Meat Gangster's ex-girlfriend looked as though it would prove useful for a long time to come.

And if the channel became successful enough for her to come looking for him again, that would be even better.

"All right. Look over here, please. Sir?"

The Meat Gangster was sitting in front of Jinhyeok with an extremely nervous expression.

"...I-I'm sorry. I've never done anything like this before."

"What do you mean? You've even appeared on television. There must have been plenty of cameras there."

"Why is this happening? I'm more nervous in front of a smartphone camera than I was in front of all those television cameras."

"Good grief. Do you really think it's because of the camera? It's obviously because this is the first video on your own channel. Don't worry about it. You don't have any subscribers anyway."

Being told not to worry was often the very thing that made someone worry even more.

Even though there wasn't a single inaccurate word in Jinhyeok's explanation, the Meat Gangster couldn't calm his nerves.

"Let's just film it first and see how it turns out. We can edit everything however we want afterward. All right?"

"Understood. Let's begin!"

"Good. Let's keep it natural. We'll start with your introduction. All right! Go ahead!"

At Jinhyeok's signal, the Meat Gangster straightened his shoulders and shouted energetically.

"Hello, everyone! It's been a long time! I'm the man who loves meat, the Meat Gangster!"

Manbok flinched and took half a step backward.

The voice of the man who had been stammering a moment earlier was now so loud that it echoed throughout the dining hall.

"I've finally started my own YouTube channel! I'll be visiting restaurants that work incredibly hard but somehow just can't seem to succeed. Together, we'll think about what's going wrong and figure out how to fix it. Hahaha! Now, shall we meet the very first restaurant owner to appear on my channel?"

Jinhyeok slowly turned his smartphone to the side.

Manbok appeared on the screen, standing with both hands tightly gripping his apron.

He seemed terribly nervous.

"Sir, please introduce yourself."

"Ah... Yes. Hello. I'm Oh Manbok, the owner of the Gaon Charcoal Grill Balsan branch."

His voice was so quiet that it was barely audible.

Jinhyeok briefly stopped the recording.

"Don't be nervous. Just act the way you did during our practice. This is only a YouTube channel that's just getting started. Hardly anyone will be watching."

Jinhyeok reassured the owner with words he didn't actually mean.

It was true that the channel currently had no viewers.

But he certainly wasn't planning to make a video that nobody would watch.

Once Manbok had gathered himself, he introduced his restaurant again in a slightly louder voice.

And with that, the first recording for the Yuksakkang channel began.

Sizzle.

Manbok expertly grilled the rib meat.

The Meat Gangster looked genuinely impressed as he began his commentary.

"Now, everyone. Did you hear that sound? That's today's star. Shall we give it a taste? This is something I can evaluate properly. Some of you may already know this, but I have a history of spectacularly running the Gaon Charcoal Grill Gangnam branch into the ground! This brand and I go way back. You could even call us sworn enemies! Hahaha!"

Jinhyeok smiled, pleased to see the Meat Gangster treating the painful experiences of his past as memories he could now laugh about.

The Meat Gangster continued his polished performance.

"Huh? Did you receive this meat in whole pieces instead of having it sliced? The cuts look a little different."

"...Yes. I did a little extra work on it myself. It tastes better that way..."

"Could you explain exactly what you did?"

Manbok glanced toward the kitchen.

Yeongseok was standing by the doorway with both fists tightly clenched.

Beside him, Manbok's wife silently formed words with her lips.

Slowly.

Encouraged by his wife, Manbok took a breath.

"...I look at the grain. If you cut rib meat along the grain, it becomes tough."

The owner's voice gradually grew quieter.

He didn't seem to realize how much his efforts had improved the meat.

"Hahaha! That's an excellent decision. Cutting the muscle fibers into shorter lengths makes the meat much more tender. It also exposes the cut surfaces, allowing the marinade to penetrate deeper."

The Meat Gangster continued speaking on behalf of the embarrassed owner.

"Did you hear that, everyone? Normally, headquarters sends this meat already sliced. But this owner receives it whole and cuts it again himself. That's no small amount of work."

Manbok gave an awkward smile.

"I-It's really not that impressive."

"It is impressive. Incredibly impressive! I failed because I couldn't do what you're doing."

The Meat Gangster looked directly at Manbok with absolute conviction.

"What about the oakwood aroma? How long did it take you to get it to taste the way it does now?"

"Th-That took about two years..."

Remembering all the times he had almost given up, Manbok continued in a trembling voice.

"If the charcoal temperature gets too high, all you get is a burnt smell. I must have thrown away an entire truckload of meat because it tasted bitter. I couldn't possibly serve it to customers back then. After all the employees went home, my wife and I would..."

The owner stopped speaking.

His wife, who was watching from a distance, was pressing her apron against the corners of her eyes.

Noticing what was happening, the Meat Gangster quickly stepped in and brought the food portion of the recording to a close.

"Everyone, this is the result of all that hard work. I can confidently say that the owners of the other Gaon Charcoal Grill branches should come here and learn from this man. No, that's not enough! Headquarters should pay him for the right to use his recipe! Hahaha!"

With the Meat Gangster's enthusiastic praise, the filming of the food was complete.

"Excellent work. All that's left is the final interview."

It was the very reason Jinhyeok had arranged this recording.

Manbok and the Meat Gangster sat facing each other.

"I really enjoyed the meal today. This is the very first restaurant I've visited for my channel, and I couldn't find a single problem with the food. Hahaha."

"Th-Thank you."

The Meat Gangster checked the note Jinhyeok had given him before beginning the interview.

"There's something I'm curious about. Some restaurants deviate from the head office's recipes to lower their costs, but I've never seen one do the opposite. Why have you gone to such lengths?"

Manbok, who had struggled to hide his nervousness throughout the filming, looked down at the grill and answered more comfortably.

"...Because if the food tastes good, customers come back. When someone who's visited once comes back again, I feel happy for the entire day."

"..."

"That's really all there is to it."

Jinhyeok's hand trembled for the briefest moment.

For just an instant, he had felt as though he were looking at his own father.

The Meat Gangster nodded and gave Manbok one final instruction.

"Sir, why don't you say a few words to the people who'll be watching this video?"

"...M-Me?"

"Of course. Isn't this your restaurant? You should at least give the closing remarks."

Manbok drank several glasses of cold water in succession before looking directly into the camera in Jinhyeok's hand.

He looked at it as though there were real customers standing before him.

"...Our restaurant has been going through a difficult time lately. It's a little inconvenient for customers to get here."

The owner lowered his head for a moment.

But when he looked back at the smartphone camera, his eyes were completely different from before.

"Even so, if you come to visit us, I promise I'll do my absolute best to serve you. I'll always prepare our meat with the same dedication and care. That's something I can promise."

Manbok's voice gradually grew firmer.

"And..."

He paused.

After a while, the words Jinhyeok had been waiting to hear finally came out.

"...I'm going to stay right here. Our customer numbers have fallen recently, and I even considered closing the restaurant. But I'm going to hold on. So please, come and visit us, even if it's just once!"

Manbok's determination burned brightly.

The Meat Gangster placed his large hand over Manbok's.

"Well said. I'll help you too, so let's get through this difficult period together."

Jinhyeok slipped his smartphone into his pocket.

Now it was time to give the restaurant owner a proper consultation, one worthy of a commercial district analyst.

I dragged my exhausted body into the Halbaekase building.

Has Father become completely obsessed with that icy noodle broth?

I was curious about how he was doing, especially since he hadn't called me even once.

Instead of going up to my room on the third floor, I sprawled out on the second-floor living room floor and called him on speakerphone.

-Oh, Jinhyeok? What's the matter at this hour?

"I just felt like calling. Everything's all right, isn't it?"

-Of course. Everything else is fine, but the old lady is working me to the bone. She keeps going on about how I need to hurry up and learn everything so I can go home and open my restaurant. Hahaha.

Father's hearty laughter came through the speaker.

I liked hearing him sound so cheerful.

His voice was completely different from the one I remembered just a few months ago.

I want to protect that happiness.

The easiest solution would be to leave the Balsan branch alone and run away.

But I couldn't spend my entire life avoiding difficult situations.

Especially when innocent people would end up suffering because of them.

And that wasn't something my father would ever have wanted either.

After all, I was very much my father's son.

"...I'm glad everything's going well."

-What's wrong with your voice? Did something happen?

Oops.

It seemed my voice had grown unusually quiet without me realizing it.

"No. I'm just lying down while we're talking, so my voice sounds a little hoarse. Anyway, when are you coming back?"

-I'm not sure. Probably over the weekend. The old lady keeps telling me to stop getting in the way of the time she spends with her son. She's making quite a fuss about it. But why do you keep asking? You're acting a little strange today.

No matter how hard I tried, it seemed impossible to fool my father.

So I decided to get out of the situation by mixing in a little sincerity.

"I just miss you a little, that's all."

-Hahaha. What kind of grown man says something so embarrassing? Tsk. All right! I'll come back as soon as I can! You'll be able to taste icy noodles exactly like the ones here this weekend.

Father sounded completely confident.

That's right.

My father only needed to keep living each day to the fullest, just as he always had.

I would take care of everything that threatened to stand in his way.

After ending the call, I opened my smartphone again.

The red entries that had filled the screen.

The entry that had been at the very top had disappeared.

It was the record saying that the owner of the Balsan branch would give up on everything next Tuesday.

The next entry was dated Friday, July 3.

It described the emergency safety inspection conducted by the district office and the resulting closure of the Gaon Charcoal Grill Balsan branch.

But I wasn't worried.

During the consultation following the YouTube recording, I had helped the owner prepare countermeasures for every possible situation.

The owner of the Balsan branch had become so determined that nothing could break his resolve.

That meant it was finally time for me to start making my move.