Chapter 16: Exporting Exploitation I

The dining hall manager responded with a bright smile, “Yes, we can adjust the menu according to your preferences. Shall I make those changes for you?”

“Yes, please.”

“Certainly. We’ll include Songyi in every course, starting from the appetizer. Is there anything else you require?”

“No, that’s fine.”

As the hall manager retreated, Makemira took out his smartphone and checked notifications. Moments later, he sensed someone approaching from behind. Turning around, he saw a young woman being escorted by a staff member towards their table.

She was a stunning beauty in her early twenties, with a tall, slender figure, fair complexion, and delicate features exuding an elegant aura.

“Did you have to wait long?”

“Not at all, I just arrived too.”

As the staff member pulled out her chair, she gracefully sat down, glancing back at him.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy your meal.”

“She’s a friend of my father. Originally, she was supposed to be his second wife, but unfortunately, he had me too late, and their engagement fell through.”

”…?” The server was momentarily flustered by this unexpected explanation, while Makemira chuckled softly.

“I just wanted to preempt any gossip about our unusual relationship among the staff. I don’t like being the subject of idle chatter behind the scenes; it’s always been one of my quirks.”

“Oh, r-really? There was no misunderstanding on my part.”

“One perk of working in the kitchen is speculating about relationships between customers. It’s amusing for me to disrupt that enjoyment.” Despite feeling disconcerted, the server maintained their composure and politely excused themselves.

Jung Seohee, a woman with cold eyes, stared at Makemira.

“You haven’t changed your personality.”

“I don’t like people gossiping behind my back.”

“People aren’t as interested in others as you might think.”

“On the contrary, people are more interested than you’d expect. I’ve become quite charming, haven’t I? And so have you, Junghwan.”

“Well, age has taken its toll on my looks compared to before. Still, it’s nice to hear compliments, even if they’re just polite words.”

“You mean, ‘I look rich,’ right? Of course, for me, it’s about appearance.”

“Let’s eat. I ordered for you too.”

Jung Seohee was the daughter of Makemira’s long-time Korean friend. The arranged marriage talk wasn’t entirely false; however, Makemira’s son being too young and living overseas were also true facts.

“Why did you choose Baekdu Hotel instead of West Sea Hotel this time?”

“You’ll understand once you see it.”

Initially puzzled, Jung Seohee soon let out a light exclamation upon spotting the appetizing dish, realizing the reason for their choice.

“So, you’re here for Songyi mushrooms, Uncle Junghwan? But it’s not yet the season for them, right?”

“I find it fascinating too. I’m eager to meet whoever is producing these.”

As they began their meal, Jung Seohee chatted casually while Makemira listened attentively.

“Uncle, there’s something I’d like to ask you.” Her voice took on a slightly playful tone, prompting Makemira to immediately adopt a serious expression.

“No.”

“Oh come on, you haven’t even heard me out!”

“I don’t need to hear it. The answer is still no.”

“Pleeeease, can you at least consider it?”

“Hold on now, Jae-min has full autonomy over how he runs his company. It’s not my place to interfere.”

“But we’ve been friends for so long.”

“In fact, that makes it even more off-limits.”

Jung Jaemin was Jung Seohee’s biological father and a longtime friend of Makemira.

“Then I’ll be the unfortunate daughter of a rich family who loses out on inheritance to my brother and lives in poverty for the rest of her life?”

“Hey, you’re not that wealthy, Jae-min. You only own a few restaurants. If you were considered rich, half of Korea would qualify as well-off.”

“That’s harsh. Dad will feel sad if he hears you say that.”

“Well, if it bothers you so much, why don’t you become my daughter-in-law now? Tell Jin-seok to come back to Korea immediately.”

“Oh no, Uncle! Jin-seok is still in high school!”

“He’s taller than you, and his face looks older too.”

“No way. It still creeps me out.”

“I’ve heard he still has strong feelings for you and keeps singing about wanting to marry you.”

“It’s not that I dislike younger men… Wait, this isn’t what I wanted to discuss with you. Junghwan, can’t you please convince my father? I’m perfectly capable of running the company.”

“Nope. That’s none of my business.”

“Am I destined to be impoverished for life after So-young takes everything?”

“He won’t take everything. He’s giving you the building he owns in Chungdam-dong. Take care of it and use it as your dowry when you marry Jin-seok.”

“I want to inherit Dad’s company! I’m confident I could do better than So-young.”

“You need to talk to Jae-min about that, not me. No matter how much you nag me, there’s only one thing I’ll say: Our dear Jin-seok…”

“How could you be so cruel?”

Despite Jung Seohee’s repeated pleas, Makemira remained steadfast.

“The building Jae-min is giving you isn’t as valuable as JM Foods, but it’s collateral-free and clean. Perfect for a dowry.”

“It’s not just less valuable—it’s worth much less than that.”

Jung Seohee failed to persuade him, but she wasn’t disheartened.

“Just wait and see. One day, I’ll build my own empire from scratch and make it even bigger than JM Foods.”

“From ‘scratch’? What bullshit… Selling the Chungdam building alone would net you fifty billion won! And how exactly do you think Jae-min became a tycoon? He barely gets by with his handful of tiny restaurants.”

“Don’t keep calling it just any restaurant. It’s one of the top three food companies out there.”

“Yes, not even ranked among Korea’s wealthiest conglomerates, and they’re perpetually number two or three within the food industry itself.”

After finishing their meal, both men stood up from their seats. Makemira asked while settling the bill, “Should I give you a ride home?”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“It’s been a while since Jae-min and I had a drink together too.”

“While we’re at it, let’s persuade my father…”

“Forget about your father, Inseok.”

The duo exited the hotel lobby, where Makemira’s secretary had already parked his car near the main entrance.

“Let’s go to Seo-hee’s place.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

The car pulled onto the main road after leaving Baekdu Hotel. It took approximately thirty minutes to reach Jung Jaemin’s residence.

Jung Jaemin, his longtime friend, greeted him warmly dressed casually.

“What brings you two here together?”

“I just treated my future daughter-in-law to dinner for the first time in ages.”

“Oh, then I guess it’s time to start preparing for the wedding.”

“She says she won’t marry Jin-seok.”

“Seo-hee, if you marry Jin-seok, eventually, multi-billion-dollar buildings will be yours. Are you really against that?”

“Dad, why must you always think materialistically? Right, Mr. Makemira?”

“That’s precisely why we’re still friends,” Jung Jaemin chuckled as he led Makemira to the living room while Jung Seohee went straight to her bedroom on the ground floor.

Makemira removed his jacket and carelessly draped it over a sofa before sitting down.

“How is Kang Jin doing?”

“At work. She hasn’t left yet.”

“Studying hard for her role as the successor, I see.”

“She puts some effort but lacks motivation.”

JM Foods was a food manufacturing company producing dried goods, seasoning sauces, oils, noodles, and processed agricultural products. It belonged to the top three domestic food companies of considerable size. Some referred to them as one of the Big Three while others called them perennial third-place finishers.

Makemira nonchalantly remarked, “Well, the food industry isn’t Kang Jin’s cup of tea. Is she still singing about semiconductors?”

“That foolish girl can’t seem to grasp reality even at her age. What chance does she have with semiconductors in this country? If that’s what she wants, she should’ve been born into the Suhae Group instead.” Jung Jaemin opened a can of beer before asking, “How’s your health lately?”

“It has improved.”

“How is that possible? Suddenly, after Johns Hopkins couldn’t help? Any ideas?”

“Yes, but even I think it sounds crazy. Jae-min, can you listen without laughing at me?”

“I’m ready to laugh, so go ahead and tell me.”

“Lately, I’ve been enjoying songi mushrooms, and they seem to be helping with my illness.”

“Songi mushrooms?”

“Yeah, there’s this exceptional variety of mushrooms. They were briefly available at the West Sea Hotel, but now they’re only supplied to the Baekdu Hotel…”

“Hold on, Baekdu Hotel?” Jung Jaemin furrowed his brow as if something struck his mind. He then continued, “Now that you mention it, I received a strange report today.”

“What kind of report?”

“It seems a distribution company from our country is exporting one ton of songi mushrooms to Japan. At first, I thought it was nonsense since these mushrooms aren’t in season right now.”