Chapter 153

After having their first round of drinks at a nearby barbecue restaurant, Lim Ho-jin sent most of his team members home while taking Lee Sangsub, Kang Jin, and Choi Donghae with him for another round elsewhere. As they entered Nonhyeon-dong’s bustling downtown area, Kang Jin suggested to Lim Ho-jin:

“How about we go to our place?”

“Let’s just have something light and quick here. I need to get home soon anyway.” With that, Lim Ho-jin turned to Choi Donghae. “Are you okay with this?”

“I’m fine since I’ll be jobless from tomorrow onwards.”

“You won’t be jobless!” Choi Donghae looked puzzled at Lim Ho-jin’s remark, but Ho-jin smiled warmly back at him.

“I meant as a soldier.”

“A soldier?” Choi Donghae questioned, confused.

Lee Sangsub chuckled, clarifying, “He means a soldier in the war against fat.”

“Yes, indeed. Only you understand me, Sangsub.”

“That’s right! My loyalty to you will never waver.”

With Lee Sangsub’s flattery, Lim Ho-jin laughed as they entered a building nearby. They took the elevator up to the sixth floor, where Lim Ho-jin led them into an upscale-looking bar.

“Isn’t this place quite expensive?” Kang Jin hesitated upon entering, feeling uneasy about how fancy it appeared.

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” Smiling, Lim Ho-jin casually sat at the bar and glanced at the bartender.

“You still have that soju Manager Jang Mannam left on hold here, right?”

“Would you like one bottle?”

The bartender smiled familiarly, prompting Lim Ho-jin to look at Lee Sangsub.

“You choose.”

“I’ll have whatever has the highest alcohol content.” At Lee Sangsub’s request, the bartender picked up one of the bottles from among those lined on display.

“It’s Johnnie Walker Blue Label.”

Lim Ho-jin licked his lips as the bartender held up the bottle to show its label.

“Nice choice.”

“Yes, it is. I’m not sure why our chairman doesn’t drink this more often,” the bartender chuckled and set down the bottle.

“Let me prepare some appetizers for you.” He retrieved dried meat, chocolates, and nuts from beneath the bar and placed them on the counter.

Kang Jin discreetly scanned her surroundings, feeling out of place due to the unfamiliar atmosphere. Three male bartenders were engaged in conversations with customers at the bar.

The tables were occupied by people drinking and chatting with each other. Although not empty, the overall atmosphere of the bar was quiet and relaxed.

“You’ve never worked at a place like this before, right?”

“No, sir,” Kang Jin replied.

Lee Sangsub turned his chair to face the bar as he continued.

“This is where I sometimes meet clients for drinks due to its peaceful ambiance.”

Proudly sharing these details, Lee Sangsub received a nod of agreement from Kang Jin.

“It sounds impressive.”

“Having a drink here feels more sophisticated and upscale.”

“But isn’t it too expensive for your salary?”

“I can’t afford to drink here with my own money.”

“Oh really?”

“The company provides corporate cards specifically for places like this.”

“You have a corporate card?”

“I get one from Manager Lim. Drinking here is considered part of our work duties anyway.”

Kang Jin paused mid-pour and remarked, “It’s surprisingly quiet for a bar.”

Usually, bars aren’t known for their tranquility. As people’s voices grow louder while drinking, others raise their voices as well, leading to a cacophony. However, at this establishment, conversations remained subdued, creating a remarkably peaceful atmosphere.

“That’s because people come here seeking a quiet environment. If anyone gets too noisy, the intimidating bartenders escort them out, ensuring proper hydration management.”

The bartender chuckled softly at Lim Ho-jin’s words. “We don’t just manage their water intake; we also ensure our regular customers feel comfortable here.”

Lim Ho-jin smiled and nodded at the bartender’s explanation. “I see.”

“Is there anything else you need?” asked the bartender.

Lim Ho-jin glanced at Kang Jin and Choi Donghae. “Do you want milk or soda?”

“I’ll have milk…”

At Choi Donghae’s request, Lim Ho-jin signaled to the bartender, who retrieved a glass bottle of milk from beneath the bar counter. When the bartender looked back for any further requests, Lim Ho-jin shook his head slightly. The bartender then picked up another cup and began wiping it dry.

Lee Sangsub couldn’t help but ask, “Excuse me, I’ve been wondering about something.”

“Please feel free to ask me anything.”

“I don’t come here often, but every time I do, you bartenders seem to be constantly wiping glasses… Why is that?”

The bartender glanced at the glass he was cleaning and then picked up another one while answering Lee Sangsub’s question.

“Isn’t cleanliness always top priority?”

“Well, yes, but…these look clean already. Shouldn’t you take a break instead?”

The bartender smiled at Lee Sangsub’s suggestion.

“In truth, all these glasses have already been cleaned.”

“Then why keep wiping them?”

“It would be embarrassing for me to just stand here idly watching customers.”

“Oh!” Lee Sangsub nodded as if it made sense now. The bartender chuckled at his reaction.

“Our president always says that bartenders aren’t just there to pour drinks but also to ensure customers can enjoy their beverages comfortably.”

“I see.”

“And if I don’t do this, people will joke about me getting paid for doing nothing.” With a smile, he bowed his head and continued drying glasses.

The bartender would usually engage solo patrons in conversation, but since they were with others, he didn’t want to interrupt their discussions.

Meanwhile, Lim Ho-jin inspected the bottle of soju before opening it.

“What mixer do you prefer?”

“Beer.”

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

“You wouldn’t want to mix such fine liquor with beer.”

“Oh no?”

“You should either dilute it one-to-one with water or add ice cubes—”

“You can drink it on ice or mix it with soda water or oolong tea.”

“How do you prefer to enjoy this, Manager Lim?”

“I like it straight up.”

“Then I’ll have it that way too,” Kang Jin replied.

Lee Sangsub raised his hand as well. “I’ll also have mine neat.”

Lim Ho-jin nodded and poured shots for them accordingly before adding a large cube of ice to Choi Donghae’s glass.

“Donghae doesn’t hold his liquor very well, so he needs to let it melt slowly first.”

“Thank you.” Choi Donghae accepted his glass.

With everyone served, Lim Ho-jin poured himself a shot as well. As he watched, Kang Jin spoke up.

“But Manager Jang, is it okay to drink this like this?”

It seemed likely that the bottle belonged to Director Jang Mannam… hence her concern about opening it.

“Well, he paid for it with his company card anyway, so no harm done,” explained Lim Ho-jin.

Kang Jin eyed the bottle apprehensively at Ho-jin’s response. Although she wasn’t well-versed in liquor, even she could tell by looking that it was expensive… and surely more so when served at a bar like this.

Lee Sangsub chuckled at Kang Jin’s reaction. “We meet many people as part of our job, but directors often have to entertain high-ranking clients from other companies, don’t they?”

“Yes, I imagine so.”

“If someone important enough for the president to personally host them comes here, would you dare drink from their kept bottle or open a new one?”

Kang Jin nodded as he understood what Lim Ho-jin was getting at.

“You must have quite a collection of reserved bottles then.”

Presidents often entertained clients over drinks, so they couldn’t just serve whatever was left from previous encounters. They had to open a fresh bottle every time…which led to accumulating numerous reserved bottles over time.

“That’s right. And this gentleman doesn’t really care for traditional rice liquor. He prefers drinking soju with instant noodles from street vendors instead of having formal business dinners.”

“He sounds like a friendly guy.”

Lim Ho-jin nodded in agreement.

“He secretly drinks it when I’m not around.” Lim Ho-jin took another shot of soju and popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth. “I find whiskey tastes better with chocolate.”

Following Lim Ho-jin’s lead, Kang Jin gulped down some soju as well. The harsh liquor burned its way down his throat, prompting him to quickly chew on a piece of chocolate afterward.

“Ugh! It’s bitter yet sweet at the same time.”

“That’s why I love chocolate,” Lim Ho-jin said with a grin before turning to Choi Donghae. Donghae was alternating between sips of soju and milk.

“Donghae, you speak English and Chinese, right?”

Choi Donghae nodded in response. “Just conversational Chinese for now.”

“I studied Chinese more during my dieting phase and also picked up some Spanish.”

“Spanish?”

“Spanish is as important as English and Chinese globally. Approximately four hundred million people speak it, and about twenty countries use it officially. It’ll be useful to know.”

After pondering Lim Ho-jin’s words for a moment, Choi Donghae responded, “Understood.”

“And whenever you come across any promising news items, try drafting business plans on your own.”

“Business plans?”

“If you don’t apply what you learned during your internship, you’ll forget it quickly. To prevent that, practice creating business proposals independently and visualize how things would progress.”

“I understand,” replied Lim Ho-jin.

Lee Sangsub chimed in. “If you come up with something good, send it to me via email. If I think it’s usable, we’ll put it to work.”

“For free?” Kang Jin asked incredulously.

Lee Sangsub laughed at his question. “It will be great experience for Donghae. Hands-on training…”

“Hyung, that’s just unpaid labor disguised as passion!”

Lee Sangsub grimaced at Kang Jin’s comment. He had genuinely meant this as part of Donghae’s training, but considering what Kang Jin said…it did sound like exploiting someone’s passion for no pay.

Lim Ho-jin chuckled and added:

“When you come up with good items, send them to me. Later, when Donghae applies for jobs at other companies, these items can be added to his resume as achievements. They’ll serve as valuable assets regardless of where he applies.”

Lee Sangsub agreed wholeheartedly with Lim Ho-jin’s suggestion.

“Yes, that’s true. I think it’s a great idea too.”

Choi Donghae nodded in response to their conversation.

“I’ll email you whenever I remember something interesting.”

“Sounds good.”

Following Choi Donghae’s agreement, Lim Ho-jin and Lee Sangsub offered him additional advice. Kang Jin would continue running the restaurant and see them frequently, but they weren’t sure when they’d meet Choi Donghae again after this farewell.

Kang Jin smiled as she watched Lim Ho-jin and Lee Sangsub offer advice to Choi Donghae.

I’m truly blessed.

Both Lim Ho-jin and Lee Sangsub were not only excellent bosses but also great mentors for life. Kang Jin silently acknowledged this while taking a sip of soju, wincing immediately afterward.

Soju doesn’t agree with me.

The mere thought made her grimace, so she took just a small taste before putting down the shot glass.

Meanwhile, Lee Sangsub observed Lim Ho-jin talking to Choi Donghae and turned toward Kang Jin.

“You’ll keep visiting our store regularly, right, Kang Jin?”

“I hope you continue patronizing us.”

“There’s no reason not to when your food is both delicious and affordable. By the way, will you be running it alone?”

“Well, there’s been some issues with two of our employees…”

“Is it due to their salaries?”

“That and…”

As Kang Jin trailed off, Lee Sangsub shook his head.

“The food is delicious, and the location is prime. Even just focusing on lunch service, you could make good money, right?”

Kang Jin nodded at Lee Sangsub’s observation.

“I’ve had several customers ask when we’d start serving lunch.”

“It’s unfortunate that your internship will be over soon, but I’m personally looking forward to having lunch there starting next week… Others must feel the same way. But managing all those guests by yourself might be challenging, wouldn’t it?”

Lim Ho-jin’s concern was valid. Running a solo operation meant handling only five tables simultaneously would already stretch her thin. Since office workers typically have similar lunch hours, once the rush began, every table would quickly fill up.

Even with just five tables, it would be overwhelming for him alone. Since lunch hours tend to overlap among office workers, once the rush starts, all the tables will fill up quickly.

Kang Jin had nearly burned out during the weekend when they sold Seonji hangover soup previously. Although he appreciated earning money, having a full house every day meant no breaks as he rushed around serving customers and preparing food nonstop.

Fortunately, since there was only one item on the menu, whenever guests arrived, Kang Jin merely needed to serve them bowls of the same dish. Had each customer ordered something different, not only would Kang Jin have been unable to handle the workload, but the customers might’ve grown impatient waiting for their meals, leading to potential business failure.

Hmm… I need to find a solution.