President Park Gyeongjae wore a displeased expression.
The reason for his displeasure was Yuseong’s excited face.
The two of them were at opposite ends of emotion because they had made a bet.
The barrel of Serri Oak was filled with the Macallan 102-Year Limited Edition Whiskey.
However, the whiskey placed on the table was different from the one inside the oak barrel.
It was also a high-quality whiskey but was the 46-Year Whiskey of the same brand.
The question was whether Yuseong could distinguish the scent of that whiskey.
That was the wager the two presidents had placed.
“So, what are the conditions exactly?”
“If you, Yuseong, can recognize it by scent, then President Park will agree not to refuse the food just by smelling it, like last time.”
Lee Woo Do said with a sly smile.
Indeed, Yuseong understood the reason Lee Woo Do had made such a proposal to President Park.
Previously, Lee Woo Do had offered President Park several dishes, but he refused to even put foods like raw oysters or nuts in his mouth.
He only sniffed and said they didn’t suit the whiskey.
Though it was an unfair situation for Lee Woo Do’s side, it was ultimately President Park’s decision, so no one could argue.
“This time, don’t think you can just back out so easily like that!”
“Do you really think I’m scared of that, hyung?”
Two men over seventy engaged in a nervous exchange.
Lee Woo Do was concerned that President Park might refuse Yuseong’s food without even trying it.
It was a calculated move to eliminate that uncertainty.
However, Yuseong didn’t like that at all.
“If I fail to distinguish the whiskey, then what happens?”
President Park’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Well, of course, you just judge as it was before. If it’s not good, there’s no need to taste it.”
He stroked the oak barrel beside him as if it were a treasured possession.
“I don’t know how you see me, but I’ve never stubbornly insisted on anything for the wrong reasons. I genuinely want to find the right food to match my whiskey.”
If Yuseong’s dish was truly exceptional, he would have tasted it without setting conditions.
In Yuseong’s eyes, President Park’s words were sincere.
“Then how about changing the conditions?”
“Hoo…”
President Park showed curiosity at Yuseong’s sudden declaration.
Lee Woo Do didn’t interrupt and quietly observed.
“If you think the food I make isn’t good, there’s no need to try it. You don’t have to eat it.”
He had no intention of forcing anyone to eat something they disliked.
That was Yuseong’s pride.
“But if the food satisfies your expectations, then double the bet.”
“What?”
“I mean, instead of one bottle, let’s make it two.”
Disappointment washed over President Park’s face.
Lee Woo Do merely smiled as he watched the scene.
“You really don’t know the basics of a deal. Why would I accept that proposal?”
“There’s a reason.”
“No, even if I taste the food, I’m not going to lose out. If your food isn’t up to par, I can just discard it. So why should I raise the stakes? My whiskey isn’t cheap. Not by a long shot.”
President Park was a seasoned businessman.
When Yuseong first met Lee Woo Do, he showed a similar reaction when Yuseong requested sponsorship.
To propose a deal, you have to offer something tempting enough for the other party.
“This proposal won’t be a loss for you either, President.”
And Yuseong had a card that would tempt President Park.
“Let me hear it.”
“Why did President Park look for an appetizer? Even risking such a precious whiskey.”
The confident look on President Park’s face stiffened for a moment.
Meanwhile, a smile crept across Lee Woo Do’s lips.
Yuseong’s answer was spot on.
“You decided that you needed a good appetizer to enjoy this whiskey, right?”
“Go on.”
“If what you said is true, then you’re sincerely looking for a matching appetizer. And the appetizers you previously refused really didn’t go well with the whiskey.”
“Not ‘if’—that’s the truth. I’m not lying.”
“Then, at least you thought one bottle of whiskey was worth spending on the matching appetizer, didn’t you?”
“!”
There was no flaw in Yuseong’s reasoning.
If President Park’s statements up to now were true, he had assigned the value of a bottle of whiskey to a suitable appetizer.
“I don’t know how much whiskey is left in the barrel, but even excluding evaporation over time, the Angel’s Share, it should be about 15 to 20 bottles worth.”
“Precisely 17 bottles’ worth.”
“Even better. Trading two bottles for a good appetizer is worth it.”
“You seem to overestimate yourself. Appetizers can be sourced elsewhere or through chefs, but this kind of whiskey can never be replaced.”
“You won’t be able to find my ingredients anywhere else either.”
“What?”
“The ingredients come from the Abyss, so they are just as rare as your whiskey.”
The cheese and butter made from Holstein King’s milk, potatoes from the root of Parmada Camellia, and above all, eggs from the Goldhorn Fowl.
The difficulty of acquiring those ingredients was no exaggeration.
President Park couldn’t hide his astonishment.
And in deals like this, the one who’s thrown off balance is the one who loses.
“Seems you were right. Truly ingredients from the Abyss…”
“Didn’t I tell you? These aren’t ordinary ingredients.”
Yuseong knew this was the moment to deliver the decisive blow.
“If you like the food I make, I will prepare more appetizers for you—not just this once.”
“Heh heh.”
“And if you ever feel the food’s value falls short of the whiskey’s worth, then refuse it.”
If Yuseong’s food had value, he’d receive more whiskey; if not, he’d be refused.
A no-lose situation for both sides.
A win-win game.
“Hyung, this guy—is he really not your biological grandson?”
“He’s treated like one, but sadly, no.”
“Seems so. He’s way below your actual grandsons or sons.”
In the end, President Park threw up his hands.
“Ha ha ha, that’s what I’m saying. You’ve gotten better at talking compared to before, Yuseong.”
Though he disparaged his own family a little, Lee Woo Do seemed genuinely pleased that Yuseong was being praised.
“Alright, if your food is excellent, I’ll gladly give you an extra bottle.”
“An excellent choice.”
“But don’t get too confident yet. My tongue is still sharp.”
With the amount of whiskey at stake doubled, President Park’s standards would undoubtedly be higher.
“So, what dish will you prepare?”
Yuseong answered confidently.
“Potato rosti.”
President Park’s expression darkened.
Lee Woo Do burst out laughing at the sight.
***
President Park’s reaction wasn’t much different from Lee Woo Do’s.
He wondered how potato rosti could possibly go well with whiskey.
Yuseong simply ignored his protests.
There was no need to explain.
Now it was time to show.
Thud.
The first ingredient Yuseong pulled out was a large slab of bacon.
“Oh, thick-cut bacon. The color’s good.”
“This bacon, aside from the seasoning, is the only ingredient not sourced from the surface.”
Yuseong had decided to cook at the banquet hall himself.
President Park was stubborn.
For people like that, it’s best to show them the cooking process directly.
In the middle of the banquet hall, Yuseong set up a table and placed all the prepared ingredients on it.
“If I ever make rosti again, I’ll catch a monster called Metal Pig to make the bacon. It’s better in terms of flavor.”
“Heh heh, you’re already speaking as if you’re confident.”
President Park watched Yuseong handle the ingredients with interest.
Though he enjoyed dining, he rarely saw the actual cooking process.
Yuseong poured the root of Parmada Camellia, that is, potatoes, out of the sack.
“Purple… potatoes? No, sweet potatoes?”
“Not sweet potatoes, but close to potatoes. These are the roots of the Parmada Camellia plant. In Europe and America, they literally call it Purple Potato. Aside from the color, the taste and composition are similar to potatoes.”
Compared to Asia, Westerners were more orthodox in researching the Abyss’s flora and fauna.
Though it was rare for explorers there to eat Abyss ingredients, maybe some, like Yuseong, tried it.
Yuseong picked up a peeler and started peeling the potatoes.
Shu shu shu shu shuk.
It was an astonishing display of skill.
It didn’t take long for him to peel enough potatoes to feed three people fully.
The flesh of the Purple Potato was, contrary to its name, yellow.
Soft and fluffy, it was delicious even steamed alone.
“Potato pancakes are usually firm and sticky. Such soft potatoes wouldn’t suit whiskey at all.”
President Park’s opinion had some merit.
But rosti was different from ordinary potato pancakes.
“Don’t worry. The texture will complement the flavor.”
The stickiness of potato pancakes comes from the starch in the potatoes.
The process of making rosti includes removing much of that starch.
Yuseong picked up a long knife.
Then his hands moved swiftly.
Tak tak tak tak tak.
The potatoes were sliced thinly, about 1mm thick.
An amazing knife skill.
In the past, unless you were a master chef, such skill would have been difficult.
But with the many achievements and enhanced physical abilities Yuseong had gained, it was a routine task.
After slicing, he julienned the potatoes again.
Rather than using a grater, he cut the potatoes painstakingly himself for a simple reason:
Cutting to 1mm thickness brought out the best texture.
The more care given, the better the food.
He then soaked the cut potatoes in ice water.
Just by putting the potatoes in, the water turned milky white from the starch.
He drained the potato strips thoroughly and wrapped them in a dry cloth.
This step absorbed excess moisture.
Meanwhile, he prepared the bacon.
He diced it into bite-sized pieces and put it into a hot pan.
Sizzle.
The smoky aroma filled the air.
Cooking meat naturally whets a gourmet’s appetite.
The crackling sound stimulated the ears, and the savory scent teased the nose.
Yuseong saw President Park swallowing his saliva.
He probably hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so his hunger was gradually rising.
Yuseong took out his secret weapon.
“Swiss-style potato pancakes. Rosti, if we were to put it simply. And when you think of Switzerland, you think of the Alps, and with the Alps, dairy products. That’s the core of rosti.”
“That is…”
“Butter and cheese. I made them myself.”
Yuseong brought out a large chunk of butter and some mozzarella cheese.
“Made?”
“There’s a monster called Holstein King. Literally, it means ‘King of the dairy cows.’ I made the butter with its milk.”
The spot on the eighth floor.
The butter was made from milk from that speckled cow.
Holstein King’s milk was richer than normal milk.
Naturally, the butter made from it was equally rich.
He gently mixed the soft butter into the well-drained potato strips.
He sprinkled a little salt and pepper and pressed the mixture into a shape that was easy to eat.
He removed the slightly crispy bacon and wiped the fat from the pan, then placed the potato strips in.
Sizzle.
A more powerful aroma than the bacon filled the air.
The butter was slowly cooking the potatoes to a golden yellow.
As the unique scent of the butter spread, President Park looked at Yuseong’s hands as if spellbound.
Yuseong flicked the pan.
The rosti made a full circle in the air and landed back in the pan.
“Oh!”
The golden, crisp rosti looked delicious just by sight.
“It’s not over yet.”
Yuseong smiled.
President Park, forgetting etiquette, was already standing up from his seat.
Yuseong’s plan to show the cooking process had succeeded.
“What’s that? Looks like a golden egg!”
Yuseong produced the Goldhorn Fowl Egg.
A key ingredient in the rosti.
All the ingredients obtained in the previous raid would be used in this dish.
It felt as if a grand flow was guiding Yuseong toward the legendary whiskey.
“The Goldhorn Fowl. A monster that’s so hard to find in China. It’s poisonous, so you can’t eat the meat, but the eggs are edible.”
Yuseong skillfully cracked the egg with one hand.
He gently placed it atop the cooking rosti.
“Lastly, cheese.”
He sprinkled mozzarella cheese evenly and turned off the heat.
Sizzle.
Because of the residual heat, a delicious sound continued.
The egg on top slowly began to cook, and the cheese melted, starting to brown at the edges.
“Hurry, hurry and eat!”
President Park couldn’t wait any longer.
“Weren’t you going to refuse it if you didn’t like it?”
“Damn it, are you trying to make a fool of me? You showed me this, how can I not eat it?”
President Park realized he was getting drawn into Yuseong’s trap.
But he couldn’t resist.
“This doesn’t mean it suits the whiskey yet. Let’s try it first!”
“Y-yes, yes, sir.”
President Park wiped his mouth with a tissue provided by Yuseong.
No matter what, he wouldn’t be able to resist tasting it now.