Chapter 9: The Necessary Network (2)

The following evening, Makemira arrived at the restaurant of West Sea Hotel with a reservation.

Kim Hyosan escorted Jung Seokwoo to the VIP room.

“Mr. President, you seem quite cheerful today.”

“I’m excited about tasting Chef Kim’s cuisine.”

“It’s an honor for me. I’m humbled by your presence.” Makemira wore a delighted expression as he continued.

“In fact, something wonderful happened recently.”

“If it’s not too personal, may I ask what that is?”

“That’s actually why I wanted to meet you here. It seems my long-term illness has been cured.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes, since yesterday evening, I haven’t felt any pain while using the restroom. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but even during my next visit, there was no discomfort. Thanks to this, my wife and I enjoyed a relaxing drink together for the first time in ages.”

“That’s truly wonderful news! Congratulations!”

“The hospital mentioned stress or psychological issues as possible causes, and it seems they were right after all. I apologize for calling them quacks earlier.”

“Even Johns Hopkins Hospital couldn’t find any physical abnormalities. It appears that stress was indeed the root cause.”

“It must have been due to the delicious Songyi dish lifting my spirits for the first time in a long while, eliminating my stress.”

“Well then, you should enjoy more of it to stay cheerful. Fortunately, we have plenty of ingredients prepared today.”

Makemira chatted more enthusiastically than usual. Kim Hyosan, feeling his energy, genuinely engaged in the conversation.

“I was so thrilled about my recovery that I ended up drinking heavily with my wife last night! I consumed five times my typical limit, which worried him greatly. However, this morning, I woke up feeling incredibly refreshed, without any hangover symptoms. Not only did I have no trouble using the restroom, but also…ah, we had a delightful time together after quite some time.” Makemira winked, and Kim Hyosan responded with an exaggerated, slightly embarrassed laugh.

“Well then, let me prepare it right away.”

“Thank you.”

“Um…and there’s one thing I need to apologize for.”

“What is it?”

“It’s challenging to incorporate Songyi mushrooms into every course due to their scarcity. I can only prepare one main dish with them.”

Makemira openly displayed his disappointment, and Kim Hyosan bowed apologetically, feeling as if he had committed a sin.

“Oh dear… The soup, salad, and steamed abalone with Songyi were all delicious, but now we have to skip those courses today?”

“My apologies, sir.”

“There’s nothing you can do without the ingredients. When can we expect more supplies?”

“Well, since it’s not the season for Songyi mushrooms, I’ll keep pressing the procurement department.”

“Chef Kim, please contact me immediately when the Songyi ingredients arrive—anytime, even early morning is fine.”

“Certainly, Mr. Makemira.”

With slight disappointment, they proceeded through the meal.

Despite his disappointment, Makemira’s mood improved considerably after tasting the lightly grilled Songyi as the main course. It was simply seasoned with natural salt and grilled to perfection without any additional ingredients like meat. However, its intense aroma captivated his senses, and the texture melting on his palate left him utterly satisfied.

“My Japanese friends would absolutely love this quality of Songyi mushrooms. Please let me know once you have enough prepared. I’ll invite them over for a visit.”

“It would be an honor. I will inform you as soon as they’re ready.” Kim Hyosan’s face lit up.

Makemira rarely brought his Japanese business associates here, since there weren’t many reasons for them to visit Korea. Yet now he planned to bring them just for the sake of trying this dish.

Makemira’s friends were truly part of Japan’s elite, so it was imperative for Kim Hyosan himself to personally entertain them during their stay. After seeing Makemira off following lunch, he rolled up his sleeves and headed straight to the purchasing department.

“What happened with Songyi? Did he still not come back? How many days has it been now?”

“I contacted our supplier, but they said it would be difficult since it’s out of season.”

“Do you know what President Makemira said about the dish? He claimed it was delicious and plans to bring some Japanese associates next time, provided we give him advance notice.”

“Oh, really? President Makemira said that?”

“You know who he is, right? He’s wealthier than even our hotel owner! Do you think I can afford to disappoint someone like him?”

“But if the supplier doesn’t have any ingredients, how…?” Kim Hyosan pounded his chest out of frustration.

“Give me their contact information. I’ll give it a try.”

An inexplicable urinary tract pain had been tormenting Makemira for over five years. He’d spent a fortune visiting top hospitals abroad, but all tests came back normal. There was no cure.

As a result, Makemira endured much frustration and agony during this time. Knowing the cause of his pain would have brought him some relief, but every test showed nothing wrong with him… So why did it feel like his urethra was being ripped apart whenever he relieved himself?

However, now those days were behind him. The pain that had suddenly appeared five years ago vanished just as abruptly one day. Although he didn’t understand how, Makemira felt like he could fly from sheer joy at being free from the excruciating torment that had plagued him for so long.

However, five days later…

“Argh!” Makemira went to use the restroom as usual but screamed when he felt an excruciating pain akin to his urethra being ripped apart once again. The unexpected return of agony caught him off guard and made it feel even more intense than before. He nearly collapsed from the shock but managed to finish his business. With his mind blank, he stared down at the toilet bowl without bothering to pull up his pants.

After standing there for some time, frustration and anger poured out of him. “Dammit…”

He had high hopes for this meeting, but it didn’t go as planned. The food procurement manager, who had been relentless in trying to reach Makemira, showed little interest once they were finally face-to-face at their meeting.

Of course, his reaction wasn’t cold from the start. When discussing songi mushrooms, the atmosphere was quite friendly. It took a turn when Jeon Sung-ryeol casually mentioned supplying other ingredients as well.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. We already have long-standing partnerships with our current suppliers. I cannot exclude them and establish new business relationships with you.”

“Is there really no way?”

“My apologies. Unfortunately not.”

Though he said he was sorry, his expression remained icy. He likely felt no remorse whatsoever and might even be annoyed by the unnecessary request.

Considering he worked at the best hotel in Korea, his attitude wasn’t entirely surprising, but it still irked Jeon Sung-ryeol. As such, he decided to retreat for now.

“I should be able to deliver about fifteen kilograms of songi mushrooms within this week.”

“Really? That’s great news. Thank you very much.”

“My pleasure. It’s an honor that a luxury hotel like West Sea uses ingredients supplied by my company.”

He could’ve threatened to withhold the songi mushrooms unless he accepted other supplies as well, but only low-class people resorted to such tactics. Despite his disappointment, Jeon Sung-ryeol maintained his professionalism and kept any trace of dissatisfaction off his face.

Two days after their meeting, Jeon Sung-ryeol delivered fifteen kilograms of songi mushrooms.

This was just part of the stock purchased from Ha So-young.

‘Should I put West Sea Hotel on hold for now and try other hotels?’

He wasn’t giving up entirely. In business, there were times when one had to pause or take a step back temporarily. Of course, his expectations remained high.

As anticipated, calls started flooding in from the West Sea Hotel.

“When will you supply more Songyi?”

“They’re almost out right now.”

“My apologies, but we also have no inventory at the moment.”

“-Sir, this is problematic. You must secure those songi mushrooms somehow.”

“As you know, it’s not currently their season. We don’t have any stock available. My sincere apologies.”

”-… This really can’t continue like this. It’s causing major issues. I’m going insane.”