Chapter 113

Time passed quickly, and Kang Jin along with his interns reached mid-November. The team gathered around to watch something on Kang Jin’s computer monitor.

The monitor displayed a live broadcast of the sentencing for the villainous criminal. Due to its extreme nature and significant societal impact, this high-profile case was televised nationwide despite some controversy over human rights concerns…but those complaints were drowned out by public outrage.

In any case, the judge on the screen enumerated each crime committed before announcing the sentence:

“I hereby sentence you to death.”

“Yes!”

“That’s good.”

Clap clap clap!

Everyone clapped their hands and nodded upon hearing the verdict. Judging from the applause echoing elsewhere, it seemed other teams were also watching the same broadcast.

Soon, the camera captured the image of the villain. He appeared haggard with dark circles under his eyes. His lips were cracked, and he constantly bit his fingernails, indicating that he hadn’t slept properly for some time.

It was no wonder… Ghosts swarmed around him, menacingly twisting their necks and exposing their entrails.

Kang Jin grimaced at the sight of numerous ghosts on the monitor.

There’s quite a crowd.

Even counting the ones visible on screen seemed impossible, hinting at an unimaginable number within the courtroom. According to Choi Ho-chul, ghosts had gathered from all over the country to torment the villain, preventing him from getting any sleep. Additionally, due to constant ghostly presence, Yin energy accumulated in his body, causing physical deterioration.

“By the way, wasn’t that defense lawyer crazy too? Claiming he was mentally unstable because he could see ghosts…

“No regular lawyers would take his case due to its severity, so they assigned him a public defender. Still, this lawyer tried defending the bastard by claiming mental instability,” Lim Ho-jin remarked bitterly.

Kang Jin softly responded, “According to Professor Yoo, it seems the lawyer had ulterior motives.”

“Ulterior motives?”

“There might have been grounds for arguing mental instability, but…actually, the lawyer aimed to revise the law.”

“Revise?”

“The lawyer’s defense based on mental instability caused quite a backlash, didn’t it? Thanks to that, there is now legislation being prepared in Congress to strengthen penalties without considering mitigating factors even if someone claims mental illness.”

“Ah! So he did it on purpose?”

“That’s why no public defenders wanted to take his case until this guy stepped forward. He figured arguing for diminished responsibility would stir up controversy among the public. Many criminals have claimed insanity before, but this case was different.”

“The intention may be good…but people online are calling him a scumbag lawyer. What if he can’t work as a lawyer anymore due to all the backlash?”

Kang Jin chuckled and shook his head at Lim Ho-jin’s concern.

“He’s a court-appointed attorney.”

“Oh…

Since court-appointed attorneys receive assignments from the government, they don’t need to worry about losing their jobs.

“Still, getting that much hate… Impressive.”

Lee Sangsub clicked his tongue with disappointment at Lim Ho-jin’s words.

“Even if they’re sentenced to death, we don’t carry out executions anymore.”

Although capital punishment hadn’t been abolished, South Korea had not executed anyone since 1997. Criminals sentenced to death during this period remained incarcerated without execution. In essence, receiving the death penalty was equivalent to life imprisonment.

“Tsk! They should just execute them. The thought of my tax dollars feeding those bastards… It makes me wonder why I even bother working.” Lim Ho-jin shook his head as he continued, “Thinking about it just upsets and angers me. Let’s get started on our tasks instead.”

“Agreed.”

After Lee Sangsub returned to his seat, Lim Ho-jin spoke up.

“Kang Jin, Choi Donghae. Let’s check your homework.”

At Lim Ho-jin’s words, Choi Donghae went to his desk and brought back a file folder. It had been almost three months since he started working with the interns, so Lim Ho-jin now comfortably addressed Kang Jin and Choi Donghae informally. Three months was enough time for them to become friendly.

As Choi Donghae approached, Lim Ho-jin asked:

“You’ve decided on your items?”

Choi Donghae opened his mouth in response:

“I think a pepper spray dispenser would be good.”

“And I chose a portable mini-GPS device.”

Lim Ho-jin observed their choices:

“Both are security-related items.”

“Manager Lim asked us to find out which items would sell best during this time period. Choi Donghae and I thought self-defense products would be good since people are currently vigilant against violent crimes.”

Lim Ho-jin nodded at Kang Jin’s response.

“That’s right. Whenever there is a major incident or accident, even if it isn’t one, related items tend to sell well.”

After the Bad Guy case was reported, Lim Ho-jin had tasked Kang Jin and Choi Donghae with finding items that could potentially sell well. Of course, he didn’t mention any connection to the Bad Guy case. Instead, his request focused on identifying items relevant to current social issues.

“It might seem wrong to sell items related to this incident, but it’s our job to provide products that can prevent such occurrences from happening again. It’s like selling life jackets after news of drowning or masks when air pollution is severe. People need to be prepared for these incidents and accidents.”

He had a point. Just as one sells umbrellas during rainstorms, providing relevant products helps people prepare for potential issues.

“I understand.”

Lim Ho-jin then turned to Choi Donghae.

“This applies to you too.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ll be busy with work, but make sure to keep up with the news.”

Choi Donghae nodded at Lim Ho-jin’s advice.

“Understood.”

“So what did you find?”

Lim Ho-jin asked Choi Donghae and Kang Jin to explain their chosen items.

Choi Donghae’s item was a pepper spray launcher that shot out liquid like water from a squirt gun. This had the advantage of being less affected by wind compared to traditional sprays, allowing him to deliver larger amounts directly onto his target.

Kang Jin opted for small earbud-type GPS devices connected to smartphones. In case of emergency, pulling on one side would send rescue signals with location data to five pre-selected phone numbers. If no action was taken on the smartphone within a minute, it would automatically alert emergency services at 112 along with the wearer’s coordinates.

On Saturdays, Kang Jin aimed high for lunch sales.

There’s only one month left in my internship.

The internship officially ran from September through December, but precisely, it wasn’t just four months; rather, it spanned three and a half months until December 10th.

Kang Jin’s internship period lasted until December 10th. Therefore, he planned to work diligently during weekend lunch and dinner hours as well as evening shifts after his day job ended. This would allow him to fully focus on running his restaurant once the internship concluded.

Consequently, apart from Bae Yongsoo, no ghosts were present at the shop; their presence often deterred customers.

Kang Jin was writing something on an acrylic board.

“Changing the menu?”

“Just adding separate operating hours.”

As Kang Jin spoke, he held up the acrylic board for display:

Operating Hours

Sat-Sun: 11 AM - 2 PM & 5 PM - 8 PM

Weekdays: 6 PM - 8 PM

We will prepare whatever you’d like.

Kang Jin hung the acrylic board outside the shop before re-entering.

“Let’s start by checking the ingredients.”

With that thought, Kang Jin opened the refrigerator and inspected today’s fresh ingredients. Although he always checked, Shin Soo-yong consistently supplied high-quality produce.

While examining the contents, his eyes landed on a jar of kimchi. As he removed it from the fridge and lifted the lid, the tangy aroma of well-aged kimchi wafted out. However, there were only a few pieces left inside the jar.

“Oh! Kimchi!” Realizing his oversight, Kang Jin opened the separate kimchi refrigerator nearby.

Inside, there was one remaining jar of kimchi. He carefully took out the heavy jar, opened the lid, and examined its contents. The mouthwatering, refreshing scent of aged kimchi made him close the lid with satisfaction. Resting his arms on top of the kimchi jar, he pulled out his phone.

“I need to order more kimchi.” Muttering to himself, Kang Jin dialed Shin Soo-yong’s number.

“Do you need anything else?”

“We’re out of kimchi.”

“Ah! Ah!”

The repeated “ahs” from Shin Soo-yong sounded uneasy to Kang Jin’s ears.

“Um, is there any problem?”

“No issue at all. It’s just that my mother used to personally make kimchi, doenjang, and ganjang herself.”

“Oh!” Kang Jin couldn’t help but echo Shin Soo-yong’s exclamation. What he had just mentioned implied…

“So, I have to ferment the kimchi and sauces myself?”

[I’ve been supplying most ingredients until now, except for fermented sauces like those.]

“But we have plenty here…”

[By now, they might be running low.]

Following Shin Soo-yong’s words, Kang Jin glanced at the jars on one side of the kitchen. There were separate jars containing red pepper paste (gochujang), soybean paste (doenjang), and soy sauce (ganjang).

‘Indeed, there’s not much left.’

“Does that mean I need to make more kimchi and fermented soybean paste?”

[There is already enough for daily use…but you’ll still have to ferment them. Kimchi and soybean paste taste best when they’re fully matured. The ones currently available here are three years old.]

“Oh!”

Following Shin Soo-yong’s explanation, Kang Jin slowly withdrew his arm from the kimchi jar. He thought it tasted good but didn’t realize it was aged for three precious years.

“But what do you mean by ‘already prepared for ten years’ worth of kimchi and soybean paste’?”

[My mother had fermented large quantities of kimchi and soybean paste, storing them in caves within the mountains. With those reserves, we should have enough supply for the next two years.]

“The mountains? Caves?”

[At One Meal Restaurant in Gangwon-do, we have underground storage similar to yours. Whenever you have time, let’s visit together.]

“I’d appreciate that.”

[Should I bring some kimchi and soybean paste for you then?]

“Can’t I make them without having to ferment them?”

[If you plan to run your business for four years, there’s no need to ferment now.]

Kang Jin sighed at Shin Soo-yong’s playful tone.

“I guess I should still ferment them.”

[Don’t worry too much; you won’t be doing it alone.]

“Will someone else help me?”

[I have several aunties who assist with fermentation every year.]

“Really?”

[Once you decide on a date, I’ll contact these aunties separately.]

“When would be a good time to start fermenting?”

[Why don’t we choose a day convenient for you, sir?]

“There must be specific dates for fermentation…but I’m not familiar with them.”

[How about… next Sunday?]

“Next Sunday?”

[I happen to have a cabbage field ready for harvest that week, and they’re quite good.]

“Then…how many should I make?”

[My mother used to pickle around a thousand cabbages.]

Kang Jin was momentarily taken aback by the number “a thousand.”

“A thousand cabbages?”

[It’s enough kimchi to last a year. Moreover…] Shin Soo-yong paused before continuing. [Won’t you be selling it not only to ghosts but also humans, sir?]

“Yes.”

[In that case, you’ll need more than a thousand.]

“More than a thousand?”

“Even though your mother traded with ghosts, she still needed one thousand heads of cabbage. You’ll need more for humans.”

“Then…how much?”

“That’s up to you, President Kang.”

“Well then…two thousand heads?”

“As many as you prefer.”

Kang Jin sensed amusement in Shin Soo-yong’s voice and hesitated before responding.

“Alright, three thousand…heads it is.”

“You’ve made a wise decision. And…you’ll also need to prepare meju bricks.”

“Meju bricks?”

“To make kimchi, meju bricks are essential. Typically, they are prepared from late November to early December, and the kimchi-making process begins around March.”

The complexity of this information gave Kang Jin a slight headache.

“By any chance, did you help with making the meju too?”

[Well, when my mother was alive, we used to gather together for it.]

“So…”

[When my mother was still here.]

Kang Jin nodded, understanding Shin Soo-yong’s intention before he asked directly.

“I see. Then…for starters, please send the ingredients needed to make the meju just like you did for the kimchi.”

[Ah!]

“And…your ‘Ah!’ makes me nervous.” Kang Jin chuckled at Shin Soo-yong’s response.

[Can I store three thousand jars of kimchi at your shop?]

Kang Jin glanced around her store after hearing Shin Soo-yong’s request. The sheer number, three thousand jars, overwhelmed her. Even she thought it would be impractical to store that much kimchi within her small shop.

“Then where should I soak them?”

[I know a place where the aunties reside. There is also a pit there, so you can make kimchi and transfer it to the pit. Tomorrow, I’ll bring some kimchi and fermentation starter for immediate use. Then, next Monday at 6 AM, I will pick everything up.]

“Thank you.”

Kang Jin breathed a sigh of relief after ending the call.

“Kimjang…”

After pondering briefly, Kang Jin opened her cooking practice room. Fortunately, detailed instructions were provided for making kimchi and fermenting meju blocks.

The problem was…the quantity required was enormous.

‘Three thousand cabbages… How am I going to handle all this?’

Preparing just the ingredients would take an entire day.