Ha Suyoung shrugged his shoulders.
“Last time, I spent an entire month gathering and only managed to collect 50kg. It wouldn’t look good to show up with just 12kg at a first meeting, right? You need at least 50kg to make it seem decent.”
“Oh, you gathered 12kg in a week?”
“Yes, I think I can secure that amount consistently in the future.”
Jeon Seongryeol subtly mentioned the word “gathered,” but Ha Suyoung pretended not to notice and responded with “securing the amount.”
I can’t tell if he’s pretending not to know or if he just answered absentmindedly. With that kind of expression…
No matter how much he thought about it, it wasn’t the season for matsutake mushrooms.
Where on earth did these mushrooms come from?
Jeon Seongryeol’s curiosity surged again, but he decided not to probe further.
“So, 12kg consistently every week?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m thinking of placing a bet based on your word. Is that okay? If you’re not confident, tell me now.”
“A bet?”
“The hotel I supplied the mushrooms to last time had a great response. They said they want the entire supply next time, but I told them I’d check first.”
Ha Suyoung listened intently, filled with curiosity.
“As you know, I mainly supply high-end ingredients to hotels, upscale restaurants, and department stores. I don’t even deal with things like rice or potatoes.”
“I know. That’s why I came to you in the first place, President.”
“Actually, the hotel we supplied to this time was the first one we managed to break into. It’s called the West Sea Hotel; you might have heard of it.”
Ha Suyoung was familiar with the name.
“Of course, it’s one of the top three hotels in the country. It’s also an affiliate of the number one conglomerate in Korea.”
“Knowing that makes the conversation easier then.”
“So, the West Sea Hotel wasn’t a regular client of yours?”
“The West Sea Hotel has its own supply line. There’s a guy who’s been supplying them for over ten years. As you know, the West Sea Hotel is the most popular in the country. It’s also incredibly expensive, so they have quite high standards.”
“Even if you supply all their branches nationwide, the margin isn’t that high. But it serves as great publicity. If you say you supply the West Sea Hotel, upscale restaurants in Gangnam and Jongno trust you and place orders. That’s where the real profit is.”
Ha Suyoung seemed to understand what Jeon Seongryeol was getting at.
“So, you kept failing until you finally managed to supply them this time—with my matsutake mushrooms?”
“Embarrassingly, yes. They were stunned and accepted them right away, wondering how I got fresh mushrooms that weren’t even in season.”
“That’s the class of a top-tier hotel. They immediately recognized the quality of my mushrooms.”
“Even if it’s not a top-tier hotel, they’ll recognize it. Anyway, if you can consistently supply the mushrooms, I plan to use that as leverage to supply other items to the hotel.”
“Of course, that’s not your only goal, right?”
Ha Suyoung’s expression seemed to suggest that he would be disappointed if it was just a half-hearted attempt.
Jeon Seongryeol chuckled inwardly.
This guy really had the knack for business.
“If I’m going to get involved, I might as well sweep it all up, right?”
“What should I promise you?”
“How consistently can you promise the supply?”
For Jeon Seongryeol, this was a gamble.
Securing a consistent supply of something like matsutake mushrooms, which could only be gathered 100% naturally, from a single individual was no easy feat.
What does it matter? It’s not like it’s a hotel I originally supplied to. I wouldn’t have another chance to break in if not for this opportunity.
Since it was a gamble with little to lose, Jeon Seongryeol could hold his cards without much burden.
However, he still wanted to gauge the odds of success.
“Under the condition that you maintain the current price and properly reflect market rates, I promise 50kg a month. At least for a year, there won’t be any issues.”
“Does that mean there will be issues after a year?”
“No, it’s just that you never know what might happen. After that, we’ll see how it goes. If there are no problems, a year could turn into two, two into five, and then maybe even ten or twenty years.”
“I like the way you talk. Have you ever been married?”
“No, I haven’t. And I don’t plan to.”
“Good thinking. Someone like you shouldn’t get married like me. Just live alone and enjoy dating.”
“Is your wife quite the nagger?”
“The nagging is bearable, but her parents live ten minutes away. Since getting married, I haven’t had a day to myself. My mother-in-law comes and goes as she pleases, like it’s her own home, haha.”
“…That must be tough.”
“Haha, can a young guy like you understand the feelings of a man who’s been married for 25 years?”
“I’ve never been married, but I can tell just by looking at your expression. I’ll take it to heart.”
“You guys… sigh. Let’s stop here.”
Momentarily lost in reminiscence, Jeon Seongryeol quickly returned to reality.
“I’m meeting with the West Sea Hotel’s food management team leader tomorrow. I’ll ask again, are you sure about this?”
“Of course. But can you really set up a meeting by tomorrow?”
“That guy is really anxious right now. He’s been calling non-stop, asking when your mushrooms will be available again. Oh, I just got a text from him.”
“As expected of a top-tier hotel, they must have many distinguished guests who appreciate the value of premium mushrooms.”
“Seems like it. Thanks to you, I’m really enjoying life these days. Do you know how picky and high-nosed those people working at top-tier hotels can be?”
“I can only imagine.”
“When that guy half-bowed and asked if I could get more mushrooms, it was such a thrill. You probably don’t know that feeling. Haha, I’ve spent my life bowing to people like that.”
“No, I understand. You don’t have to experience something to know how it feels.”
“I really like you.”
Jeon Seongryeol laughed heartily for the first time in a while.
“I’ll keep my promise. Don’t worry. And if anything changes, I’ll let you know in advance, so you can prepare.”
“Haha, I like that attitude even more.”
* * *
Kim Hyosan was the head chef at the West Sea Hotel.
He was scolding the purchasing department from early in the morning.
“What about the mushrooms, the mushrooms? We have no stock right now. We only have the emergency reserve left. Because of that, we can’t even take any more VIP reservations.”
“I’m sorry. We’re talking to the supplier, but since it’s not the season for mushrooms…”
“When was it ever the season that we could get them so easily? Whether they’re frozen or fresh, just get them quickly.”
Kim Hyosan, frustrated, opened his phone to show the text message history.
“President Park from Samil Electronics asked if he could make a reservation today, but with tears in my eyes, I had to tell him we couldn’t because we didn’t have the ingredients. You do know we’re not actually out of stock, right?”
It wasn’t that they had no stock—just not enough.
They had already turned down over ten reservations from regulars and executives of mid-sized companies like Samil Electronics.
“What are you going to do if they get really disappointed? The President won’t just sit back and do nothing.”
The purchasing department’s manager felt wronged.
How was he supposed to get out-of-season mushrooms?
The supplier kept saying it was difficult and to wait.
“Chef, President Makimiya just arrived.”
“What? Got it. I’ll go see him right away.”
Kim Hyosan’s expression brightened as if he had never been frustrated.
He quickly tidied his chef’s hat and uniform and hurried out.
