Chapter 90

We immediately dove into the meal.

I took a large spoonful of beef bourguignon and put it in my mouth.

"Whoa!"

The smell of the meat broth hit me.

As I chewed the tender meat, the juices burst out, and the chewy mushrooms added to the flavor.

"Mr. Pil-su... this is insane, isn't it?"

"Hehe, have some pasta too."

"Of course I will!"

I exhaled heavily and started moving my spoon and fork like a madman.

Then,

Lim Su-jeong, who had been silently inhaling the food, burst out in admiration.

"How can a stew taste like this? It's better than last time, it's really amazing. This is insane, insane."

Yeah, it really is amazing.

I nodded vigorously and took another large spoonful.

"Better than last time?"

...I froze.

"Hmm? You made it before?"

"Ah."

When I asked, Lim Su-jeong's fork also stopped.

"You and Mr. Pil-su made it without me?"

"Ah, well... that's..."

Lim Su-jeong's face turned bright red, and Choi Pil-su cleared his throat.

"What... something's off."

The atmosphere was strange.

I immediately sensed the reality.

I had really tried my best to make it good.

No matter how good it was,

the team leader was still the team leader, and the CEO was still the CEO.

The manager was still the manager.

"...Is this the sorrow of being a CEO, huh, sigh."

I forced a laugh and said lightly,

"Haha, no, keep eating."

But who is Pil-su-jeong?

Aren't they people chosen for their honesty and trustworthiness?

Without even asking, Lim Su-jeong started to confess. But,

"Mr. Pil-su made it at my house once... it was better than last time, it's really amazing."

That truth was even more shocking.

Mr. Pil-su cooked at Lim Su-jeong's house?

What's going on here?

Maybe an office romance?

"Then... the two of you?"

I gaped at them in turn.

Lim Su-jeong waved her hands frantically.

"No, no, it's not like that, Mr. CEO! Don't misunderstand!"

"Right? Right, I'm not misunderstanding."

"No, your face says you are misunderstanding!"

Yeah, I am misunderstanding.

"Um... it seems like that. I think I am misunderstanding."

"It's not that! It's not that...!"

Lim Su-jeong shouted but couldn't explain, and Choi Pil-su, who had been listening, spoke up first.

"Ahem, it's not like that. I... I don't know where to start."

"No, no, you don't have to explain. It's all personal, I shouldn't have overstepped."

I waved my hands and buried my face back into the pasta plate.

But, damn.

"I'm close with Ms. Hee-ju."

Choi Pil-su blurted out something unbelievable.

Ms. Hee-ju, as in Lim Hee-ju?

That national actress, Lim Hee-ju?

"Really? Really?"

"There's nothing to misunderstand, we're just close. I happened to cook for her once."

"Ah, I see."

I responded, but my mind was a mess, more chaotic than the rush hour subway during the rainy season.

As if reading my inner conflict,

Choi Pil-su scratched the back of his head and started to explain.

"Hehe, really... that's how it is. Ms. Hee-ju also went through similar pain... we shared stories, and it was a great comfort to me."

Similar pain? What?

Ah!

[ Hehe, I didn't have any special talent, but my wife taught me a lot and helped me. ]

[ Oh, so your wife is a patissier? ]

[ ...Yes, she was. ]

The memory from the interview.

The answer was in the past tense, not the present.

Choi Pil-su, who had lost his wife in France and returned to Korea, unable to bear it alone.

And Lim Hee-ju's story was known to the entire nation.

'I see... I see.'

I felt bad for misunderstanding.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. I was also embarrassed to explain, hehe."

"No, it's embarrassing. It's great that the two of you are close."

"Hehe, yes..."

The one who caused this misunderstanding, Lim Su-jeong, finally interjected.

"It's not just close. My mom and Mr. Pil-su get along really well. I felt left out when they ate together."

"No, no."

"No, no!"

Indeed, Choi Pil-su and Lim Hee-ju.

They really do match well.

"When did the two of you first become close?"

"The day I went to the drama set, we happened to chat... and that's how it started."

Right.

That day, Lim Hee-ju's van was always parked next to our coffee truck, and she kept coming to help us.

'So, helping our cafe wasn't just for Su-jeong's sake?'

This situation was getting interesting.

'Cheer for them, whether they're friends or more!'

I raised my glass.

"Turns out today is a double celebration? Mr. Pil-su must have had a hard time adapting to Korea, congratulations."

"Right! I hope my mom will be well taken care of!"

"No, no, it's not like that..."

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

That's how we silenced Mr. Pil-su with a toast.

Clang──

The clear sound of the glasses.

Soon, the fragrant wine gently enveloped my tongue.

'Good... good.'

Even in places I didn't know,

such good things were happening.

Our Amuse, hooray!

*

Day 2.

Once again, 3,300 bottles sold out in just one minute.

The same for Day 3 and Day 4.

Sold out in no time.

Our cafe's SNS account was in chaos,

and small YouTube channels started posting reviews of the cold brew, praising how hard it was to get.

And on Day 5,

we increased the production staff and raised the production to 5,000 bottles.

[ Amuse x Ilpum Korea Cold Brew 500mL ]

[ The very cold brew that caused an SNS sensation! ]

[ 10,000 won ]

[ *SOLD OUT ]

Even that was sold out cleanly.

I looked at my phone screen and threw a punch.

"Nice!"

After deducting the 30% MarketKiller fee,

the total sales for the first four days were around 90 million.

Finally, today,

we surpassed 100 million.

'100 million in just five days... wow.'

Moreover, if we continue to sell 5,000 bottles every day,

the daily average sales will converge to 35 million.

'100 million daily sales? Haha, just right.'

Besides, if 1 billion comes in,

how much Glory will I get as a hidden mission reward?

Messages congratulating me were already flashing in my mind.

'Just let the skill manuals drop. I'll buy them all.'

By the way, after buying 「Hot Hand」, a new skill appeared.

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∉ 「Domino」 Tutorial: 20,000G

∉ 「Illegal Compression」 Tutorial: 30,000G

∉ 「Fragment」 Tutorial: 30,000G

∉ 「Airdrop」 Tutorial: 30,000G

∉ 「Bioclock」 Tutorial: 50,000G

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Airdrop, huh.

It already felt good.

'Anyway, let's get the most out of 「Hot Hand」 first.'

I stopped my thoughts, put my phone back in my pocket,

and stood up from the bench.

"Hmm."

The place I came to today is...

As I took a step, appliance stores lined up by brand.

I entered the Jinseong Electronics store right in front.

'Wow, the TV is really big. Almost as big as a door.'

The technology these days is amazing.

The screens are so vivid and clear, it's almost blinding.

Tamcoco, who followed me in, started running around the store, and an employee who didn't know what was happening approached me.

"Customer, are you looking for something specific?"

I'm moving in the day after tomorrow.

The business is going smoothly.

I'll do a little flex.

"Um... I'm looking for everything. All household appliances."

Namdaemun, a great place.

If you have money and leisure,

there's nothing easier to buy than appliances.

The best company is already decided.

The best specs are already decided.

You can buy appliances just by looking at the price tags.

'Just like on the internet.'

[ Appliances are better when bigger, better when higher-end, better when more expensive. ]

[ If you have the means, go for the top-of-the-line, premium models. That's the way to solidify your money and avoid the temptation of new models every year. ]

In my case, I didn't even need to measure the sizes.

There's a system air conditioner in each room, and the built-in furniture in the kitchen and bedroom fits perfectly.

Just buy the best and put them in.

Of course, I thought about buying a lot of old appliances from the junkyard and converting them with 「Quality Conversion」.

But,

'Why go through all that trouble?'

Appliances are so big and heavy.

And there were more important and labor-intensive items waiting.

Furniture, decor, and lighting.

Appliances have standardized specs, so it's easy to know what's the best. But furniture is different.

Appliances are like track athletes, while furniture is like ballerinas.

Track athletes can be judged by their 100-meter record,

but ballerinas require meticulous observation and evaluation.

Manufacturers and designs vary widely, making it hard to choose the best that fits my body and taste.

Moreover, the best furniture is hard to find even if you have money. High-end furniture is often foreign-made and produced in small quantities.

'Searching for them is a job, a job.'

So, I wanted to keep the appliance shopping simple. I thought of buying time and reducing stress with money.

That's why I came here.

HN Yeouido Department Store, Jinseong Electronics Premium Store.

'Wow... wow.'

The TVs lined up along the wall reminded me of Times Square, and the sleek metal refrigerators looked like they could fire laser beams.

And the employee in front of me

was beaming with a smile.

"Hello! I'm Kim Ho-jin, a detailer. You're looking to buy all appliances, right?"

"Ah, except for a few kitchen appliances."

The best house, Saint Han River Forest, wouldn't lack built-in furniture. The refrigerator, kimchi refrigerator, dishwasher, wine cellar, and oven were already installed.

"Ah, I see. I understand. You came to the right place. Shall we start with the TV?"

The employee turned towards the wall of TVs,

but I didn't move a step.

"Customer, this way...?"

"No, no need to see them."

"Excuse me?"

"First, can you look at this?"

I pulled out a memo from my pocket.

It listed the items I wanted to buy.

[ TV, Wash Tower, Styler, Wireless Vacuum, Robot Vacuum, Dehumidifier, Air Purifier, Water Purifier, Audio System, Coffee Machine ]

The employee checked the memo and asked,

"Are you getting married, customer?"

"Not getting married. Just get the best of what's listed and give me an estimate."

"The best... of everything? Including the TV?"

"Yes, the best of everything."

At my words, the employee's expression changed instantly.

From a professional business smile to a 200% genuine grin.

"Please wait a moment, customer! I'll get the estimate right away!"

"Ah, exclude the audio system and coffee machine."

"Of course, of course!"

"But where should I wait?"

"Ah, this way."

The employee looked around and placed a chair in front of the largest TV.

Among the many products, it was clearly the star.

[ 85" NEO QLED 8K ]

"The latest and most premium model. You'll soon own it, so sit and enjoy it. I'll bring you a drink soon! What would you like?"

"Water, please. Thank you."

"No, thank you! I'll be right back!"

I bowed to the employee, who was bowing deeply, and sat down.

Then, the insane TV caught my eye.

'People are really amazing. How do they make something like this?'

The size was so big that I couldn't cover it even with my arms spread.

The resolution was unheard-of 8K.

'Wait, was 8K resolution even a thing? Would it make it easier to play Minesweeper?'

Just then, an elephant appeared on the screen.

The gray wrinkles and every hair on the elephant were so vivid that it seemed unreal.

'Wow...'

If it's more real than reality, it might be an exaggeration.

But if someone was next to me, they would have said the same thing.

'If I buy this, will our house... become Times Square?'

At that moment, the employee returned.

"Customer, here's your water and the estimate."

"Thank you."

I took a sip of water and looked at the estimate.

And I choked.

"Cough!"

"Oops, are you okay?"

"Ah... yes, I'm fine."

This... the amount was much higher than expected.

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Selling Price: 37,485,000 won

Payment: 35,227,000 won

Perceived Value: 27,181,000 won

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