Chapter 91

The Chinese ghost seemed to sense Kang Jin’s gaze and looked back at him. He appeared to be in his twenties with a neat appearance, unlike other ghosts covered in blood or missing limbs.

Kang Jin subtly avoided eye contact with the Chinese ghost and glanced at the family instead. They seemed like a typical four-member household consisting of an elderly man, middle-aged couple, and a young girl.

“Ni hao.” Kang Jin greeted them in Mandarin, which brought smiles from the Chinese family.

“Ni hao.”

“Ni hao.”

As they continued conversing in Chinese, Kang Jin interjected with a grin:

“Just a little bit. Very little.”

He spoke in fluent Mandarin, catching Yoon Soo-hong’s attention.

“You speak Chinese?”

“I worked part-time with some Chinese people before. I picked up a bit from being around them.”

As Kang Jin mentioned, his proficiency was limited and not enough to brag about.

After hearing Kang Jin’s explanation, Yoon Soo-hong relayed it to their guests, who responded with laughter, greetings, and outstretched hands for handshakes. After exchanging pleasantries, Kang Jin gestured toward the seats.

“Please have a seat.”

The group sat down as Kang Jin spoke in Chinese, looking around curiously with wonder in their eyes.

“The atmosphere here is different from places we’ve been so far.”

“Yes, this is a local restaurant. Hotel food tends to be quite similar everywhere, isn’t it?”

Although Kang Jin didn’t fully understand every word of their conversation in Chinese, he grasped the general meaning and replied:

“When visiting a new place, one must try the local cuisine.”

Kang Jin paused briefly as if searching for the right words and then continued with some hesitation, but his meaning was clear enough that the Chinese nodded in understanding.

As Kang Jin observed them, he noticed the Chinese ghost standing behind the elderly man.

A guardian spirit perhaps?

The Chinese ghost acknowledged Kang Jin’s gaze by giving him a slight bow.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

With this exchange, Kang Jin nodded slightly before heading back into the kitchen. The food had already been prepared, so all he needed to do was serve it onto plates.

While doing so, Kang Jin quietly spoke to Bae Yongsoo:

“The Chinese ghost tried talking to me.”

Bae Yongsoo, who had also been observing the ghost, responded without surprise:

“He must have realized you can see ghosts, so he approached you.”

“How?”

Although Kang Jin had caught glimpses of the ghost several times, he hadn’t spoken to it or revealed his ability directly. So how did the Chinese ghost know that Kang Jin could see them? As Kang Jin pondered this, Sung Yongsoo looked at him.

“Do you think there’s only one Underworld Restaurant in South Korea?”

“That… I suppose not?”

“Every country likely has its own version of the Underworld Restaurant based on their culture. If this ghost from China has been to such a place before, they would know that the owner here can also see ghosts.”

“But how do they know this is an Underworld Restaurant?”

Sung Yongsoo sighed at Kang Jin’s question. “You really don’t know much.”

“Do you know how long I’ve been doing this job?”

Bae Yongsoo nodded at Kang Jin’s question.

“Are you aware that ghosts find their way here using some kind of map?”

“You mean the information provided by JS Finance people?”

“Well…they do provide some info but not our exact location.”

“Then, how do they locate us?”

“The Underworld Restaurant has a unique energy signature. It gives ghosts a warm and satisfying feeling, somehow.”

“Really?”

“Yes, ghosts sense this energy. That’s how this ghost felt your presence as the owner of the Underworld Restaurant.” Sung Yongsoo glanced towards the hall while speaking. “Guests are waiting.”

Upon hearing Bae Yongsoo, Kang Jin carried dishes to the tables.

Smiles spread across the Chinese guests’ faces as dishes were placed before them.

“This looks delicious.”

“It’s more lavish than what we had at the hotel yesterday.”

In response to their conversation, Kang Jin stammered, “I-I’ll bring out some additional dishes.”

The elderly man looked at him, intrigued by his hesitation.

“More food?”

“I’ve heard that Chinese people appreciate generous servings when being hosted,” explained Kang Jin.

The old man chuckled warmly.

“Hao! Hao!”

He seems pleased.

Sensing the delight in the elder’s voice, Kang Jin continued, “Please enjoy your meal.”

Kang Jin served each person at the table and brought out more dishes. After filling the table abundantly, he finally returned with mapo tofu.

“Here’s the mapo tofu.”

Yoon Soo-hong looked curiously at the mapo tofu Kang Jin had served. He requested traditional Korean cuisine, but mapo tofu appeared on the table instead.

The Chinese guests also gazed at Kang Jin with puzzled expressions. They came expecting delicious Korean dishes, yet they were presented with mapo tofu.

Noticing their confusion, Kang Jin explained, “While enjoying local cuisine when traveling is delightful, there’s often a longing for home-cooked meals.”

“Ah… Indeed, even I sometimes visit Korean restaurants when abroad.” Yoon Soo-hong nodded emphatically in agreement.

“Yes, we’ve been craving our native dishes lately,” one of the elderly men chimed in. “Korean food is lovely, but being away makes us yearn for the flavors of home.”

“That’s why I made mapo tofu. It’s similar to Sichuan cuisine from China, but I’m not sure if it will suit your taste here.”

“It looks delicious.”

“Please enjoy while it’s hot.”

As Kang Jin stepped back, the Chinese patrons began eating their meal. While they chatted happily over the food, Kang Jin prepared dessert.

While he worked on that, Yoon Soo-hong peeked his head into the kitchen.

“Mrs. Wang would like you to join her for dinner.”

“Mrs. Wang?”

“The elderly gentleman is Mr. Wang.”

Following Yoon Soo-hong’s words, Kang Jin looked up. Seeing the old man raise his hand, Kang Jin bowed respectfully and turned to Yoon Soo-hong.

“I need to finish preparing the food.”

“But please take a moment to join him.”

Yoon Soo-hong glanced at the hall and whispered quietly:

“He tips generously.”

Kang Jin wiped his hands at Yoon Soo-hong’s words. He mentioned big tips…

There was no reason to refuse a tip. As Kang Jin stepped out from behind the counter, the elderly man smiled and gestured for him to sit down.

“Please have a seat.”

Following Mrs. Wang’s invitation, Kang Jin sat across from them.

“The food is truly delicious.”

“Thank you.”

“Especially the mapo tofu; it tastes even better than the ones back home.”

“Thank you.” Kang Jin smiled warmly.

Indeed, taste preferences vary greatly between countries.

Although he prepared it himself, Kang Jin found mapo tofu too spicy and overpowering. Yet, Mrs. Wang praised its flavor profusely, genuinely enjoying every bite. Observing this, Kang Jin glanced around the table. The dishes were evenly depleted, with the braised short ribs (galbi-jjim) and stir-fried glass noodles (japchae) nearly half-empty, indicating they seemed well-suited to Chinese palates as well.

Kang Jin watched the family enjoying their meal and said:

“Enjoy your meal.”

As Kang Jin made to leave, Mrs. Wang smiled at him.

“Don’t go yet; please join us for dinner.”

“I appreciate the offer, but my role is to host you, not dine with you,” replied Kang Jin.

Mrs. Wang chuckled. “Hosting…you know Chinese customs well.”

“I was told that good hospitality is essential when dealing with the Chinese.”

“Hahaha!” Mrs. Wang laughed lightly before turning to Yoon Soo-hong. “President Yoon, we need a drink.”

“Agreed.”

Yoon Soo-hong glanced at Kang Jin.

“Could you bring us some drinks?”

“Certainly.”

When Kang Jin returned with soju, Mrs. Wang shook her head.

“This doesn’t seem strong enough. Do you have anything more potent?”

“A potent liquor?”

“In China, we drink spirits with alcohol content between fifty to sixty percent. To Koreans, soju is considered liquor, but to Chinese people, it’s more like tea.”

“It still tastes like tea to me.”

“I’m just saying. Anyway, do you have anything stronger?”

Yoon Soo-hong glanced at Kang Jin, who shook her head after checking the refrigerator.

“We don’t carry any strong alcoholic beverages…”

Hearing this, Yoon Soo-hong stood up.

“Then I’ll go buy some elsewhere.”

“What about them…?”

“They came here for a meal, didn’t they? Let them enjoy their food.” Yoon Soo-hong addressed Mrs. Wang in Korean, “I’ll be back shortly to purchase some drinks.”

“Much appreciated,” replied Mrs. Wang, and Yoon Soo-hong bowed before leaving the restaurant.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Kang Jin looked at the Chinese family as she hesitated to join them. Just as she was about to stand quietly aside, Mrs. Wang smiled and offered her chopsticks.

“Eat with us.”

Guess I have no choice.

Kang Jin had declined several times already, but Mrs. Wang’s insistence put him at ease as he picked up his chopsticks.

I hope they won’t expect me to give them a discount for letting me eat here.

With that thought, Kang Jin started enjoying the dishes he prepared.

Definitely…delicious.

The beef short ribs were exceptional. In truth, it had been ages since Kang Jin last tasted this dish. He remembered having it during holidays when his parents were alive, but not once after their passing. Beef short ribs tend to be expensive, so Koreans typically reserve galbi-jjim for special occasions like hosting guests or celebrating holidays.

That’s why Kang Jin hadn’t enjoyed this meal since losing his parents.

And…there was no chance of having beef ribs at the orphanage either.

Kang Jin relished every bite of the ribs.

*It tasted delicious back then too…

Seeing Kang Jin enjoying his meal, Mrs. Wang smiled and said,

“I guess it’s tasty even though I made it myself?”

“Good food is good regardless of who prepared it.”

Mrs. Wang looked at Kang Jin for a moment before taking out her notebook from her pocket.

She carries a notebook with her.

With pen in hand, she wrote something on the page:

Wang Kangshen (王康愼)

Kang Jin nodded as he read what she had written. He took the pen and added his name beneath hers: Kang Jin-i (康晋一). Then, he drew large circles around the character ‘kang’ shared by both their names.

“We seem to have similar tastes,” Kang Jin said with a nod.

Mrs. Wang agreed enthusiastically, “Yes! Yes!” She laughed heartily and pounded her fist on the table before suggesting, “Let’s drink some soju.”

Kang Jin got up at Mrs. Wang’s suggestion and brought over a bottle of soju. Mrs. Wang poured two full glasses, then pushed one towards Kang Jin.

That’s quite a lot.

Despite his thoughts, Kang Jin accepted the glass. In turn, Mrs. Wang filled another glass beside it, holding it steady until it nearly overflowed. With both hands, she quickly downed the liquor.

Gulp! Gulp!

Having finished it in one shot, Mrs. Wang tilted the empty glass towards Kang Jin to show its contents.

Is she indicating that I should do the same?

In South Korea, people often flip their empty glass upside down after finishing their drink to indicate they’ve emptied it completely.

Kang Jin noticed his glass was refilled with soju again. As he moved to take a sip, Sung Yongsoo leaned out from the kitchen and spoke up.

“You have to finish it all.”

Surprised, Kang Jin glanced at him.

“It would be fine if you mentioned your low tolerance before accepting… But when someone senior offers you alcohol, you must down it in one shot.”

Kang Jin stared resolutely at the drink.

All of this?

As if reading his thoughts, Bae Yongsoo smiled reassuringly.

“This tradition might stem from Chinese culture, where they use small glasses but high-proof liquor… Anyway, just finish it. Mrs. Wang poured it for you because she likes you.”

Kang Jin pursed his lips, considering Yongsoo’s words. He had worked with Chinese people before, but never shared drinks with them, so he wasn’t familiar with their drinking customs.

I wasn’t sure about that aspect of Chinese drinking culture. In any case, Kang Jin observed Mr. Wang carefully before he discreetly raised his glass and took a sip.

Gulp! Gulp!

Kang Jin was not much of a drinker, but he could at least down one shot as a courtesy. Seeing this, Wang appeared pleased and nodded continuously.