Chapter 71

Moreover, putting aside the product packaging.

For B2B supply, we had to go through a tedious process, including obtaining a sales permit, platform entry review, and HACCP certification for production facilities.

'So, that's why you came to me.'

And the one who could solve all of this at once was none other than Choi Jung-hyun.

The two of them pieced the puzzle together.

"Is it a principle to manufacture at our Ilpum Korea?"

"Yes, that's right. Is there any idle space in one of the Ilpum factories? About 50 pyeong, or even 40 pyeong would be fine."

"Hmm... Yes, there is."

"I'll set up a cold brew production line there. From purification, extraction, sterilization, storage, to packaging. I'll prepare everything without any issues."

"You plan to take everything away later, don't you?"

"Hehe, that's right."

Shin Yu-won scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

After all, it was a win-win situation.

Choi Jung-hyun had no intention of swallowing Shin Yu-won whole.

Unless he was planning to swallow Shin Yu-won as a whole.

"Then, the production facilities will be in the form of a lease from our Ilpum."

"Yes, that's right. And we need to quickly go through the HACCP change certification process for the relevant factory."

Getting change certification from a factory that already has HACCP certification for hygiene facilities is relatively easier and faster.

Choi Jung-hyun asked.

"That shouldn't be a problem. But what about the review fees?"

"Of course, I'll cover them!"

"Hehe."

Shin Yu-won, feeling a bit awkward, scratched the back of his head.

Anyway, it's a win-win.

Choi Jung-hyun had no intention of swallowing Shin Yu-won whole.

Shin Yu-won, who had stood up, stared at her, trying to read the situation.

She smiled and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jin Ye-na, the CEO of MarketKiller."

Before I could introduce myself, she had already taken my hand.

"Amuse Café, right?"

Jin Ye-na winked and sat down on the opposite sofa.

"I heard from Mr. Choi that you're planning to collaborate on cold brew. I looked up your Instagram on the way here."

"Ah, yes."

"Your branding feels quite unique. Did you work in that field before?"

"No."

"Then, you must have a good sense of style. Did you major in art?"

"I graduated from the Design Department."

"Ah, that makes sense! Why did you give up on design? You seem to have both a good sense and business acumen."

"Ah... Well..."

"How did you end up in the coffee business? I heard you said your coffee is top-notch."

"I started my first company in the coffee industry."

"Ah, I see. So, you were learning and suddenly your talent blossomed, right?"

"......That's one way to look at it."

Crazy... It was an endless barrage of questions.

At first, I answered comfortably due to her cheerful and friendly tone, but gradually, it felt like I was being interviewed.

On the other hand, I thought it was a bit rude.

How could she keep prying like this when we just met? I'm not a steak.

However, it was a tricky situation, just on the edge of being too much or not.

"So, you had a good start. You've opened two cafés. But if you're already getting into online distribution... Wow, you must have a natural business sense."

"Things just worked out that way. I was lucky."

"Mr. Choi always says that. You two seem to have a lot in common. How did you meet?"

Ah, right.

Why didn't Mr. Choi break the question chain and just watch?

I looked at Choi Jung-hyun with a half-reproachful gaze, but he just smiled without saying a word.

"......My wife and I are friends."

I didn't want to call Park So-jeong 'wife,' but given the position, I had no choice.

Jin Ye-na, with her curious eyes still on me, asked again.

"Ah, really? University classmates?"

"No. We met at a social gathering."

"Ah, that's interesting. You have such a wide network. Ah! So, this is the cold brew from Amuse?"

Jin Ye-na pointed alternately at the cold brew concentrate bottle and the glass on the table.

"Yes, that's right."

"Can I taste it?"

Caught up in her one-sided approach, I had momentarily forgotten she was the CEO of MarketKiller.

Of course, she should taste it.

"Sure! Just a moment, I'll get a glass."

"No, it's fine."

Jin Ye-na reached out, took my coffee cup, and took a sip.

A brief silence.

I waited quietly, curious about her evaluation.

Jin Ye-na, without taking her eyes off me, slowly tilted the cup for another sip.

When she put the cup down, I asked.

"How is it?"

"Hmm."

Jin Ye-na turned her head to Choi Jung-hyun for a moment.

Her small, black earring sparkled.

"It's definitely delicious. But... it's delicious..."

Jin Ye-na continued.

"Since I'm not a coffee expert, it might be different, but cold brew is a drink that's really hard to differentiate in taste."

Her clear, bright voice delivered each word and syllable precisely.

"If I could only try one cold brew from the cold brews on our platform, I wouldn't choose this one. Because they all taste similar to me?"

Th... That?

Similar?

"Ahem."

Choi Jung-hyun, seemingly caught off guard, cleared his throat.

His lips twitched, and he seemed to be debating whether to say something.

'Please, say it's delicious!'

I sent a pleading look, but Choi Jung-hyun clenched his jaw and avoided my gaze.

"In my case, I would choose Paul Pierre Coffee. Even if the taste isn't much different, Paul Pierre feels more luxurious, right?"

I had to admit, it was a reasonable opinion.

Paul Pierre is indeed a franchise that exudes a 'premium' feel.

"Mr. Choi."

Jin Ye-na turned her attention to Choi Jung-hyun.

"When you mentioned the collaboration, the first reason wasn't the taste, right?"

"You're right."

"You wanted a product that could create a buzz on SNS and become an issue. If such a product is exclusively sold on MarketKiller, we have no reason to refuse, which is why I'm here."

"Exactly."

Jin Ye-na turned back to me.

"From that perspective, it's lacking. I want a more special cold brew, not just a more delicious one. And your Instagram, too."

"Yes... Yes."

"Your Amuse followers are around 2K, which is a good number for the time you've been active. But 2,000... it's a bit..."

Jin Ye-na pouted and shook her head.

"I have more than 2,000 followers, too."

"......"

"To have a significant impact with this cold brew, you need at least a few tens of thousands of followers."

Jin Ye-na turned to Choi Jung-hyun again.

"Given the current situation, it seems a bit difficult... Mr. Choi, are you really confident?"

Choi Jung-hyun sipped his coffee without answering, and I fell into deep thought.

'This... the atmosphere is strange.'

When Jin Ye-na first walked in and introduced herself as the CEO of MarketKiller, the hopeful circuit in my mind didn't go like this.

If I told her about the cold brew collaboration.

"Oh, that's an interesting plan."

She would taste the cold brew I brought.

"Wow, it's so delicious."

And when I told her about the production plan.

"Let's sell it quickly. I'll clear the banner and popup spaces to match the period."

...But reality was the opposite of my hopeful circuit.

I thought I would grill the MarketKiller CEO to make the project a starting point for daily sales of 1,000.

But the project seemed to be on the verge of collapse after just 10 minutes.

'It's not easy. That's right.'

Indeed, it felt like the front lines of the industry. Jin Ye-na's standards were strict and demanding.

'I need to change the atmosphere.'

I quickly organized my thoughts.

Then I said.

"So, there are two things."

Jin Ye-na and Choi Jung-hyun's gazes focused on me.

"First, create a point of differentiation for the cold brew. It could be the taste, the naming, or the concept. Right?"

Jin Ye-na's black eyes sparkled.

"Right."

"Second, once you've identified the differentiation point, whether it's taste, naming, or concept, you need to effectively promote it on SNS. Aim for at least a few tens of thousands of followers. Right?"

"Right."

I looked straight at Jin Ye-na and said.

"I'll do both."

"Really?"

"Since it will take time to set up the production line, let's have another meeting before that. I'll contact you when both are ready."

"Oh, so you're not just talking big?"

"No, I'm not."

"......"

Jin Ye-na read my eyes silently.

Choi Jung-hyun suddenly stood up and said.

"I'll help actively too."

Finally, you're joining in, Mr. President.

"I'll follow Amuse first, hehe. And we'll send you a proposal for the production line soon."

Sensing that he wanted to wrap up the meeting, I also stood up.

"Mr. Yu-won, I have some things to discuss with Ms. Jin today... Do you have anything else to add?"

"No, I've said everything."

"We'll be in touch separately. Once we assign a responsible person, we'll contact you. Feel free to contact me anytime, regardless of that."

"Yes! I look forward to working with you."

I shook hands with Choi Jung-hyun and said goodbye to Jin Ye-na.

"It's not just talk. I'll keep my promise."

"Sure, I'll be waiting."

But looking at Jin Ye-na's confident and composed face.

"Yes, I'll go first."

A fire ignited in my chest.

What? Just average taste?

Only 2,000 followers?

We'll see.

I'll make you beg to let us into MarketKiller.

The first plan came to mind.

I had just realized why the 'Lucky Letter' was called the 'Lucky Letter.'

As soon as I left the Ilpum headquarters, I called a food truck rental company.

*

The representative office, now with just the two of them.

Choi Jung-hyun took a sip of the cold brew and said.

"Indeed, it's always entertaining to watch. The scene of Ms. Jin pushing someone is."

Jin Ye-na, with a much softer tone than when she was dealing with Shin Yu-won, replied.

"Not pushing, just getting to know each other."

"Few can match Ms. Jin in how quickly you dig into someone's profile."

"Guess that's part of my job."

It was a core principle Jin Ye-na had developed from meeting countless partners at MarketKiller.

People over products.

The value of a product is temporary, but the value of a person is eternal.

When reviewing entries, the key criterion was the person.

What kind of person runs the company?

What kind of people make and manage the product?

By doing so, she could avoid indigestion and unforeseen issues.

The habit of assessing people.

The tendency to apply stronger pressure the better the first impression.

"Then, what do you think? I'm curious."

Choi Jung-hyun, who knew her tendencies well, asked first.

To him, Jin Ye-na's pressure today seemed stronger than usual. There were moments when he considered intervening.

But he just watched, curious about Shin Yu-won's reaction.

Jin Ye-na, looking at the seat where Shin Yu-won had sat, said.

"As you know, I don't like people who only put on airs without concrete plans."

"Right."

"But he's a bit different."

Jin Ye-na recalled Shin Yu-won's eyes.

"He seems reliable. To be able to summarize and accept feedback on the spot while being attacked one-sidedly. That's not easy."

"Hehe."

"Usually, it's one of two things. They either get angry or lose confidence."

"He's not that kind of person. And the cold brew wasn't bad, right?"

"It was delicious. Not cliché."

Choi Jung-hyun nodded, and Jin Ye-na, resting her chin on a small fist, replied.

"I like the vibe. It seems promising."

"Good. Then, I'll trust you, Ms. Jin, and push forward with the collaboration product. And the promotion for the Ilpum RTC product line this time."

"Ah! Mr. Choi, I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Does he have a significant other?"

Jin Ye-na asked quite calmly.

Choi Jung-hyun, seeing through her intentions, deliberately stalled.

"I'm not sure if he's seriously dating anyone... but he has a strong rival."

Jin Ye-na chuckled and replied.

"I've never had a strong rival in my life."

*

A few days later, early morning.

Vroom──

A van painted entirely purple stopped in front of Amuse Shinchon branch.

Shin Yu-won opened the driver's door, hopped out, and ran to the café, opening the door with a wide smile.

"The coffee truck has arrived!"

Park So-jeong and the others welcomed him like relay runners, maintaining a distance.

"Are you here?"

"Good morning, boss!"

Lim Soo-jeong was in front of the refrigerator.

Choi Pil-su was at the center of the café bar.

And Shin Yu-won was at the café entrance.

This was the so-called 'Cold Brew Transport Operation' formation.

"Boss, shall we start?"

When Lim Soo-jeong asked, Shin Yu-won nodded and shouted.

"Let's start! Hygiene is life!"

"Hygiene is life!"

"Freshness is king!"

All the Amuse employees moved the cold brew boxes in rhythm with the slogans.

From the refrigerator to the café bar.

From the café bar to the café entrance.

From the café entrance to the coffee truck refrigerator.

"Careful, Mr. Pil-su, be careful with your hands!"

"Sure, I feel younger these days."

"Then, you need to be even more careful!"

As the slogan suggested, hygiene was life for cold brew.

Because it's extracted with cold water without a heat sterilization process.

Moreover, it was now summer.

With the high humidity and the heat from the food truck, a moment of carelessness could lead to disaster.

That was the reason for this chaos.

Even more so because the people who would drink this cold brew were Yi Seong-gye, Yi Ji-ran, Jeong Do-jeon, King U, Choi Young, and even Kil Bang-won... the members of the previous 'Wihwado Retreat'!

It wasn't just any coffee truck.

It was a special food truck Shin Yu-won had prepared to aggressively promote on SNS.

Lim Soo-jeong, who had finished the transport, was the first to notice.