Chapter 15: The Necessary Network (8)

‘Is this friend trying to distribute Songyi by himself from now on?’

It wasn’t impossible. Being able to supply fresh Songyi outside of its season was a huge advantage since it couldn’t be cultivated artificially. Undoubtedly, So-young must have access to pine forests where Songyi grew year-round regardless of seasons.

This suspicion was natural for Jeon Sung-ryeol. If his Songyi supply were cut off, all the contracts with five-star hotels would fall through.

Handing over the export auction sounded good, but there was no guarantee of success without prior experience. Would So-young use any setbacks or losses as an excuse to cancel their deal?

“Hmm… President Ha, I am confident when it comes to domestic distribution of agricultural products. However, exports are far from my expertise. No, I have no connections there. I am worried whether I can do this properly.”

“You still need to try. We cannot keep such good produce within our domestic market forever. If we sell them to Japan, we could make several times more profit.”

“Is it purely for profit?”

“Yes, why else would I be doing this?” he shrugged while looking straight at him. “Are you under the impression that I am trying to get a cut of your profits?”

“No, th-that’s not…”

“You don’t need to worry about it. Even if we incur some losses at first, I can think of it as gaining experience. If you become an ‘expert on mushroom distribution’, won’t it allow me more freedom to do other things?”

“What other things? What are you talking about?”

Jeon Sung-ryeol’s eyes widened.

Was he planning to quit collecting Songyi and move onto something else? No, then what would happen to his magical Songyi mountain?

“Oh, recently, I have been conceptualizing another project. In the future, I believe I will be handing over all aspects of Songyi distribution to you. That is why I am urging you to gain export experience with Japan now.”

“Handing over everything to me?”

Jeon Sung-ryeol became even more confused by this answer that didn’t match his concerns. What was going through this woman’s mind?

“I won’t become the landlord of Cheongdam-dong by selling Songyi for thousands and thousands of years.”

“What do you mean? Landlord of Cheongdam-dong?”

“It is my dream that I decided to achieve within this lifetime. However, when I did the math, it seems like I’ll only be able to accomplish it just before dying from old age. It looks like I need to find another way.”

“Another way?”

Jeon Sung-ryeol was floundering. Today, Ha So-young seemed like a different person.

“In any case, Sir, ultimately, you will have to take charge of distributing Songyi. If you build your network now, we can easily make money later.”

Jeon Sung-ryeol was confused. Wasn’t this good news?

“In that sense, please seriously push forward with exporting Songyi to Japan. Please handle this well.”

Ha So-young spoke with a smile on his face. Jeon Sung-ryeol was confused as to why he needed him for networking purposes.

“You mentioned earlier that you were thinking about another business venture.”

“Yes, it is true. However, at this moment, it is just an idea.”

“Is it completely unrelated to your current business?”

“No, not yet. Well, eventually, I’ll have to branch out into various industries. From what I’ve experienced so far, diversification is the best way to grow one’s assets. Of course, since I don’t have any seed money right now, all I can do is brainstorm ideas.”

Jeon Sung-ryeol found this absurd. What experience could he possibly be talking about? She had only turned 20 recently.

“So, what’s the new venture you’re currently considering?”

“I want to try cultivating other types of mushrooms.”

“Do you think it will be more profitable than Songyi?”

“The profit per mushroom would be higher for Songyi. However, scaling up production of Songyi is difficult. It is considered a luxury food item, so only people with money consume them.”

“That makes sense.”

“If you want to make big money, you have to earn every cent through hard work. You can’t solely cater to the upper class. If you target both the upper and lower classes, then you’ll really rake in the cash.”

Jeon Sung-ryeol found himself nodding vigorously at Ha So-young’s words, expressing his agreement.

“So what type of mushroom are you planning to cultivate this time?”

“The golden silk umbrella mushroom.”

“Golden silk umbrella mushroom…?” Jeon Sung-ryeol’s expression shifted curiously.

The golden silk umbrella mushroom was widely used worldwide, but it wasn’t very popular domestically. It resembled songi mushrooms, but its stem was longer and thinner than that of songi mushrooms. When dried and then rehydrated with water, they became chewier (even more so than songi mushrooms), which made them ideal for soups. However, the issue lay in their uncertain market value.

Popular varieties like enoki, portobello, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms were affordable enough to use without hesitation. Songi mushrooms, on the other hand, were quite expensive but sold briskly due to their popularity among wealthy individuals.

“Do you think there’ll be any profit left after growing these? The production cost seems high. Are you sure about this?”

On the other hand, there was ambiguity regarding both the preference and price of golden silk umbrella mushrooms.

For example, the average consumer price for 1 kg of shiitake mushrooms is around 20,000 won (approximately $17 USD).

Golden silk umbrella mushrooms were much more preferred than shiitake mushrooms. However, their consumer price easily exceeded 100,000 won ($85 USD) per kilogram.

Despite this, they weren’t considered a delicacy popular among wealthy individuals like songi mushrooms.

The ambiguous level of preference combined with prices too high for most people to casually afford created a unique situation.

“Well, the production cost of that mushroom is indeed problematic. Cultivating them requires significant expenses, which affects sales despite their popularity.”

“If it was impossible to cultivate them, they would sell well despite their high price.”

“Or we need to find a cheaper way to grow them.”

“Yes… Wait? Are you implying something?”

“Oh, I already told you. It’s still just an idea, just an idea.”

Jeon Sung-ryeol quickly started doing some calculations in his head. The golden silk umbrella mushroom had immense potential. Unlike songi mushrooms, there were countless places where these could be used, from home tables to restaurants and even as ingredients for processed foods. All that was needed was a method to lower the cultivation cost.

If he could introduce golden silk umbrella mushrooms at reasonable prices, he could exponentially increase market share within the domestic mushroom industry.

Moreover, golden silk umbrella mushrooms were popular ingredients in high-end restaurants. Due to their lower price compared to songi mushrooms, chefs could use them more freely without any qualms.

As Jeon Sung-ryeol contemplated the potential revenue from distributing these mushrooms, he couldn’t help but salivate at the thought.

‘Could this young man truly be that skilled?’

So-young single-handedly supplied 500 kilograms of wild songi mushrooms per month, even out of season. Might he also know how to reduce the cultivation cost of golden silk umbrella mushrooms?

“He’s still considering it, sir.”

How can I persuade the Silver Ash Tree, no, my father? Should I ask if he’d like to own property in Cheongdam-dong? Considering his ancient nature, material possessions might not entice him… Hmm.

At the Korean restaurant of Baekdu Hotel…

A middle-aged man dressed casually entered alone, and the floor manager greeted him with a smile.

“Welcome sir. Do you have a reservation?”

“My name is Jeong Seongjin.”

“Oh, Mr. Jeong Seongjin. I see your reservation here. Please follow me.”

Jeong Seongjin was Makemira’s Korean name. He lightly nodded as he followed the floor manager. The employees they passed smiled at him, acknowledging his presence with their eyes.

Makemira was a well-known real estate tycoon from Japan, yet no one recognized him as the highest VIP guest of West Sea Hotel. This anonymity suited him just fine.

After briefly glancing at the menu, Makemira looked up at the floor manager.

“I heard this restaurant has premium songi mushrooms.”

“Yes, indeed we do.”

“Do you offer any chef-recommended dishes featuring songi mushrooms?”