Chapter 8: The Necessary Network (1)?

In the VIP room of a scenic restaurant, a middle-aged man sat alone gazing out the window.

Kim Hyosan, impeccably dressed, approached him respectfully and greeted him.

“Welcome, President Makemira.”

“Oh, Chef Kim, good to see you.”

“I’ve prepared the freshest ingredients today as well. You can expect another exceptional meal, sir.”

“Heh-heh, aren’t you making my heart race right from the start? I couldn’t concentrate on work all day just thinking about your cooking, Chef Kim.”

“It’s an honor, sir.”

“On a different note, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Please feel free to inquire.”

“I heard from our Vice-President Park that he enjoyed songi mushroom dishes here last week, even though it’s not their season yet. As you know, I’m quite fond of songi mushrooms.”

“Of course, sir. I’ve been setting aside ingredients daily just for you since I heard about your visit. As luck would have it, we received some prime-quality songi mushrooms today.”

“Thank you. You’re truly one of a kind, Chef Kim.” President Makemira lightly patted Kim Hyosan’s elbow.

“By the way, who’s this young man?” Finally noticing the male chef in his thirties standing behind Kim Hyosan, President Makemira showed keen interest.

“He recently joined our hotel staff. Although he hasn’t had much experience here yet, his skills are already at a level suitable for vice chef. I brought him along to introduce him to you.”

“Oh, so when you’re not around, will he be stepping in for you?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Please take care of him.”

“Yes, indeed. Please take good care of him,” Kim Hyosan replied courteously.

At his cue, Jung Seokwoo stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the chairman.

“My name is Jung Seokwoo. It’s an honor to meet you, President Makemira.”

“The pleasure is mine. By any chance, can I try some of your dishes today?”

“I’ll include two of my dishes on today’s menu.”

“Sounds great.”

Kim Hyosan politely bid farewell once more before leading Jung Seokwoo out of the VIP room.

As they headed towards the kitchen, Jung Seokwoo asked curiously:

“Hyung, who was that person?”

He wasn’t questioning their VIP status but rather something else.

“Why does he speak our language so fluently despite having a Japanese name? His pronunciation sounded completely native.”

“He’s ethnically Japanese, just not by nationality.”

“Just not by nationality?”

“He’s second-generation Korean-Japanese. Both his grandparents and parents are Korean. He achieved great success with real estate ventures in Japan and has a thriving business here as well.”

“Aha.”

“His wife is also Korean. With his Japanese businesses stabilized, he focuses more on his Korean investments now. I believe he spends over half the year in Korea since he owns a residence in Hannam-dong.”

“So he must be incredibly wealthy.”

“Yes, he owns several properties in Tokyo generating about fifteen billion yen annually from rent alone. That translates to roughly one hundred fifty billion won in our currency.”

Jung Seokwoo couldn’t close his jaw at these staggering figures.

“Just the rental income alone amounts to one hundred fifty billion won per year? How much do you think those properties are worth?”

“It’s probably closer to forty or fifty trillion won. And that doesn’t include his current investments here in Korea, which already exceed fifty billion won.”

“…He truly is remarkable. Would you consider him a tycoon?”

“He’s recognized as a real estate mogul for sure. We must do everything we can to avoid any missteps with him going forward. He has a forgiving nature and tends to overlook minor mistakes, but still, we should strive not to make any at all.”

“Yes, understood.”

Makemira excused himself to use the restroom. As he unbuckled his belt to urinate, his face twisted grotesquely. After taking a deep breath, he started peeing, only to experience sharp pain along his prostate and urethra as the stream rushed out.

“Ahhgh…!”

He gritted his teeth to endure the pain even after finishing his business. As he looked at himself in the mirror while washing his hands, he noticed his forehead and cheeks flushed red with sweat. After gently splashing some water on his face, he dried off and returned to the VIP room.

Shortly afterward, Kim Hyosan entered, pulling a cart with Jung Seokwoo in tow.

“The appetizer is a soup made from thinly sliced songi mushrooms mixed with mashed potatoes.”

“It already sounds delicious.”

As Kim Hyosan politely placed the dish down and lifted the lid, he flinched upon seeing Makemira’s reddened face.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Oh, it’s just because I visited the restroom recently.”

“Ah…I see. My apologies.”

Jung Seokwoo found their conversation intriguing but kept his mouth shut.

Makemira picked up his spoon with delight.

“It looks absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to dig in.”

“Yes, please enjoy your meal.”

After politely bidding farewell, both chefs left the room.

As soon as they closed the door, Jung Seokwoo, who had been waiting for this moment, whispered curiously:

“Hyung, what was that about earlier? Why did you apologize when he mentioned using the restroom?”

“The president has a chronic condition. He suffers from severe urinary tract pain.”

“Oh, really?”

“He describes it as feeling like his urethra is being torn apart every time he urinates. Apparently, there’s some parasite in Amazonia or somewhere that invades human urethras by detecting ammonia scent. It feels like these parasites escape through his urethra each time he pees.”

“Wow, that sounds incredibly painful. But can’t he fix it with his wealth?”

“He visited top hospitals in the US for tests, but they couldn’t determine the cause. There’s nothing physically wrong, yet he experiences pain every time he urinates. It drives him crazy! He said it feels like risking his life each time he goes to the bathroom.”

“Hold on. So when he…with a woman…”

“He claimed it would literally be life-threatening. However, he also mentioned valuing his life too much for such risks. Anyway, everyone in our kitchen is aware of this issue.”

“But isn’t he a VIP? Sharing such sensitive information seems risky. If higher-ups find out, there’ll be chaos.”

“It’s okay. The president has already shared his concerns with some chefs beforehand. Once, he even gathered everyone for a team dinner and spoke about it while under the influence of alcohol. Sooner or later, after having soju, he’ll corner you too. You better use the restroom before that happens.”

“Why do I need to go to the restroom?”

“When drinking soju, he tends to repeat his grievances for over two hours. Would you really ask permission to use the restroom in front of him when he risks his life every time he goes?”

“So, you must enjoy drinking often?”

“No, not really. His liver is weak, so he can’t consume much alcohol. Drinking half a bottle of wine leads to a terrible hangover the next day. It’s just a way to distract from the pain below by focusing on the headache above.”

”…That sounds rough.”

As always, the overall quality of the meal was exceptional. The main dish, grilled Songyi mushrooms, stood out as particularly exquisite. Makemira finished his plate and contentedly wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“It seems like you enjoyed the food.”

“It truly was outstanding. I’ve never tasted such remarkable Songyi mushrooms before. Considering it’s not their season, where did you manage to find these?”

“It’s likely frozen Songyi mushrooms. I’m amazed at how they can achieve such superior taste and texture compared to wild ones after thawing them out.”

“You’re right; it’s not the season for fresh Songyi mushrooms, so they must be frozen indeed.”

Except for dessert, every course featured Songyi mushrooms. Makemira felt more satisfied than ever, while Kim Hyosan secretly reveled in his success.

“That was truly delicious.”

“Thank you very much. Please visit us again soon.”

After settling the bill, Makemira returned to his mansion in Seoul. As soon as he entered, he grimaced, feeling an urgent need to use the restroom.

‘I didn’t even drink that much water, yet here we go again.’

Annoyed but with no choice, Makemira hurried to the bathroom, biting his lip tightly as he unbuckled his belt.

And then…

“What? It doesn’t hurt anymore? Honey! Honeeeey!”