Chapter 54: Sanitary Inspection

The next morning at 7 a.m.

Lee Jun-hyuk arrived at the Canning Factory an hour earlier than usual.

He wanted to check for himself whether the perfect condition he and his employees had sweat and toiled for last night had been maintained overnight.

When he opened the heavy iron door and stepped inside, the factory greeted him, spotless as always.

The floor reflected his image like a mirror, and the massive machines shone with the cold gleam of new metal, as if they had just been installed yesterday.

The air was faintly filled with the cool, clean scent of sterilizer.

“You’re here early, sir.”

A voice called from behind.

It was Yu Ilhan.

He, too, seemed to have slept little, arriving earlier than usual.

“Did you have trouble sleeping last night, Mr. Yu?”

“To be honest, I couldn’t sleep well. I kept worrying about what would happen today.”

Without another word, the two men inspected the workroom once more.

The corners, behind the machines, even the pipes on the ceiling. Their eyes swept every nook and cranny like hawks, but

there was nothing to criticize. Thanks to every employee scrubbing the place as if it were their own home last night,

not a single flaw could be found.

Starting at 7:30 a.m., employees began to arrive one by one.

“Good morning!”

“Today’s the day, isn’t it?”

Everyone’s face was marked with obvious tension.

“Don’t worry, everyone.”

Walter purposely raised his voice, speaking with confidence.

“We cleaned so thoroughly yesterday that even if that picky Inspector’s father came, he wouldn’t find a single speck of dust.”

At 8 a.m., they began work as usual.

But everyone moved much more carefully than normal.

They were afraid of dropping ingredients on the floor, or a single drop of oil leaking from the machines.

The factory was filled only with the sound of machinery, not the usual chatter.

9 o’clock sharp.

There was the sound of a car outside.

Vrrrroom.

Everyone froze for a moment.

Looking out the window, they saw the black Ford car Robert had described yesterday parked in front of the factory.

Three men got out of the car.

All of them wore tightly fitted suits.

“This is the Public Health Authority.”

The man in front pulled out his ID from his wallet and showed it.

A middle-aged man, slim and wearing glasses.

It was the very man Robert had mentioned—the one who seemed to be acquainted with the Bancroft Family.

His sharp eyes swept through the factory’s interior like a hawk.

“We’re here for the regular sanitary inspection.”

Though he called it ‘regular’, his voice made it clear this was a ‘special’ inspection.

“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”

Lee Jun-hyuk greeted them politely but with dignity.

“I am Lee Jun-hyuk, the owner of La Choy Foods.”

The Inspector looked Lee Jun-hyuk up and down.

In his gaze was a mixture of contempt and suspicion.

“So it’s true—an Oriental runs this food factory.”

There was not even an attempt to hide the sneer in his tone.

But Lee Jun-hyuk was unfazed.

“Yes. We are operating fully in accordance with the law. Where would you like to begin?”

The Inspector exchanged meaningful glances with his companions.

“Let’s start with the Raw Ingredient Storage.”

Lee Jun-hyuk led them to the Raw Ingredient Storage.

When he opened the door, cool air flowed out, revealing a neatly organized interior. Large sacks of sprout for canning were arranged in perfect order on wooden shelves.

The Inspector, wearing white gloves on his long hands, untied one of the sacks.

Shining his flashlight into every corner of the sack, he checked the condition of the raw materials. Using the temperature gauge, he measured the room’s temperature and humidity meticulously.

He let out a noise that seemed deeply dissatisfied.

But there was nothing to point out.

Both temperature and humidity were perfectly maintained according to regulations, and the raw ingredients were in top condition.

Next was the workroom.

Employees worked at their stations with tense expressions, more cautiously and precisely than usual.

The Inspector sniffed around like a hunting dog, even peering under the work tables.

He was searching for dust.

Wearing white gloves, the Inspector ran a finger along the farthest, most hidden corner under the work table.

Then, as if to show everyone, he lifted his finger.

It was clean.

Not a speck of dust clung to the white glove.

A flicker of surprise and disappointment passed across his face.

He had come determined to find a problem, but now, with nothing at all, he looked even more flustered.

“I’ll check the drains.”

The Inspector’s voice was sharper than before.

The drains—these were always the most problematic areas in any factory. Leftover food, foul smells, or unseen vermin—an ideal breeding ground for trouble.

Yu Ilhan glanced anxiously at Lee Jun-hyuk.

But Lee Jun-hyuk remained calm.

Last night, every employee had even lifted the drain covers and scrubbed them perfectly with brushes.

The Inspector personally lifted the drain cover.

And shone his flashlight inside.

He peered inside for a long time.

Moving his head this way and that, he checked every nook and cranny.

“Take a look at this.”

The Inspector called his colleagues over.

Lee Jun-hyuk’s heart skipped a beat.

Could it be—they had missed something?

The other Inspectors came over and peered into the drain.

“It’s clean.”

One of them spoke in astonishment.

“It really… it looks like it was just installed.”

The Inspector’s face flushed red.

Not because he had found a problem, but because it was so spotless that he had called over his colleagues just to see.

Trying to hide his embarrassment, he cleared his throat.

“I’ll check the hygiene status of the employees.”

The Inspector hastily changed the subject.

The employees stopped their work and lined up.

All wore perfectly laundered work uniforms, sanitary caps, gloves, and aprons.

Their nails were trimmed short and neat as per regulations.

The Inspector checked each one with sharp eyes.

Again, there was not a single issue.

“Let me see the Production Log.”

This time, he requested the paperwork.

Yu Ilhan, already prepared, brought the Production Log.

Daily production volume, records of raw material intake, workroom temperature, and employees’ health conditions—all recorded carefully by date.

The Inspector flipped through the pages rapidly, eyes full of suspicion.

But, unable to find anything noteworthy, his finger began tapping the table nervously.

“I’ll have to check the product myself.”

He spoke as if this were his last resort.

Walter brought over one of the freshly produced cans.

The can, glistening in the morning sunlight, looked immaculate.

The Inspector picked up a can and examined it thoroughly.

Checking if the label was even a hair off, if there was an invisible dent, if the weld was perfectly sealed.

“I’ll open one.”

Yu Ilhan handed over the can opener.

Click.

The can opened, and the fresh, savory aroma of sprout filled the air.

The Inspector stirred the contents with a spoon.

He checked the color, smelled it, even checked the temperature.

“I’ll have to taste it myself.”

He picked up a strand of sprout with chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

Crunch.

The crisp sound rang clearly in the tense workroom.

The Inspector’s expression shifted subtly.

He tried to hide his enjoyment, but even the faint tremor in his eyes couldn’t be concealed.

“Mm… hmm!”

He cleared his throat dryly.

“For now… there’s no issue with the taste.”

For over an hour, he scoured every corner of the factory as if searching for lice, but he could not find a single fault.

The Inspector’s face gradually hardened.

His fellow Inspectors also exchanged awkward looks, as if at a loss.

They had surely been promised something by Bancroft, but having found nothing, they were now in a bind.

“Where’s the restroom?”

The Inspector suddenly asked.

This too could be a trap.

The restroom most clearly showed a factory’s hygiene standards.

“This way.”

Lee Jun-hyuk calmly led the way.

As he opened the restroom door, a fresh scent of sterilizer greeted them—not overpowering, but pleasant.

The floor was dry, and the toilets shone white like new.

“Soap and clean towels are perfectly stocked.”

One of the other Inspectors commented, genuinely impressed.

“There’s even a poster explaining proper handwashing.”

It was true.

It was a poster that Yu Ilhan himself had drawn late last night, clumsily but with care. ‘Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap before handling food’—the words were accompanied by an easy-to-understand illustration.

The Inspector clenched his teeth.

It was perfect.

So perfect that it was almost infuriating.

“Is there no refrigeration facility?”

It seemed this was his final attempt.

“Not yet,” Lee Jun-hyuk replied frankly.

“But we receive all our raw ingredients daily, and use them on the same day as a strict principle.”

“Still, for a food factory to have no refrigeration facility…”

The Inspector was desperately trying to find some fault.

At that moment, Walter stepped forward.

“By law, a refrigeration facility is not a mandatory requirement for general canning factories, Inspector.”

He spoke firmly.

“I have worked in this industry for thirty years. I probably know the regulations more precisely than you do.”

The Inspector glared at Walter with eyes full of anger.

But he could say nothing more.

Walter’s words were simply true.

“The inspection results report will be sent within a week.”

The Inspector spoke coldly, as if clinging to his last shred of pride.

“Until then, keep this place in perfect condition.”

The trio left the factory with nothing to show for their trouble.

As soon as the door closed, everyone inside let out the breath they had been holding.

“We did it! We really did it!”

Yu Ilhan clenched his fists like a child.

“That was a truly flawless defense!”

The employees hugged each other and high-fived in delight.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work.”

Lee Jun-hyuk bowed deeply to his employees.

“It’s all thanks to everyone’s sweat and effort last night.”

“Boss, it was only natural for us to do it.”

A young female employee said.

“This is our factory now, all of ours. We have to protect it.”

The factory was filled with warm camaraderie and solidarity.

But Lee Jun-hyuk knew.

This wasn’t the end. Bancroft would surely come up with another scheme.

“All right, let’s get back to work!”

Walter clapped his hands and called out.

“This afternoon, we have the historic first delivery to Manhattan’s ‘Gourmet Deli’!”

That’s right.

Today was also the first day they would enter the Manhattan market.

The employees returned to their stations.

The machines began turning again.

The conveyor belt moved, and cans of sprout were produced one after another.

By 10 a.m., one hundred cans were prepared for delivery to ‘Gourmet Deli’.

They were packaged with even greater care than yesterday.

Each can was wrapped in a clean cloth and placed in sturdy, clean boxes.

“Look at this, sir.”

One employee tied a pretty gold ribbon around a box.

“Since it’s going to the finest shop in Manhattan, the packaging should be the very best, too.”

The boxes, tied with gold ribbon, really did look like gifts for someone special.

“That’s a wonderful idea.”

Lee Jun-hyuk smiled sincerely.

As lunchtime approached, the office phone rang.

Lee Jun-hyuk answered.

“La Choy Foods speaking.”

“Mr. Lee? This is Pierre.”

It was the owner of ‘Gourmet Deli’.

“Hello, Mr. Pierre. What can I do for you?”

“If possible, could you deliver a bit earlier today?”

It was an unexpected request.

“Is there some special reason?”

“Well… I mentioned your La Choy canned sprout to a few close friends yesterday, and they all became extremely curious. So I decided to hold a small tasting event at the store at 2 p.m. today.”

A tasting event?

“So if possible, it would be wonderful if you could arrive by 1 o’clock…”

“Of course. Don’t worry. We’ll be there by 1 o’clock sharp.”

After hanging up, Lee Jun-hyuk explained the situation to Yu Ilhan.

“A tasting event—this is an amazing opportunity!”

Yu Ilhan was excited.

“If Mr. Pierre’s friends are coming, they must all be members of New York’s elite or famous people…”

It was true.

The network of someone who ran the top gourmet store in Greenwich Village would surely include people with tremendous purchasing power.

“Boss, I must go with you.”

Yu Ilhan said.

“For a tasting event, there should be a professional explanation of the product.”

At noon, they loaded the truck.

The boxes tied with gold ribbon were placed with utmost care. To keep them from shaking, they were wrapped once more with soft blankets.

“We’ll be back soon.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said goodbye to the staff.

“Boss, bring back some great news!”

Walter gave him a hearty thumbs-up.

The truck set off.

Leaving Brooklyn and heading toward Manhattan, Lee Jun-hyuk gazed out the window, lost in thought.

That morning’s sanitary inspection—

It had been a close call.

The Inspector had clearly come with malicious intent, but thanks to everyone’s united effort, they had gotten through unscathed.

But he couldn’t relax just yet.

Bancroft would not give up.

Surely, they would come up with even sneakier and dirtier tricks.

“But we won’t just sit back and take it anymore.”

If today’s entry into the Manhattan market was successful, La Choy’s standing would become far more solid than before. No one would dare look down on them anymore.

“There it is!”

Yu Ilhan pointed.

The elegant sign of ‘Gourmet Deli’ came into view.

But in front of the store, there were far more people gathered than usual.

“It looks like the guests are already here.”

The truck stopped in front of the store.

Pierre himself came out to greet them.

His face was full of a pleasant smile.

“You’ve arrived at the perfect time!”

He gestured toward the shop.

“All my friends are waiting for you. They’re all intensely curious about this mysterious can from the Orient.”

Lee Jun-hyuk and Yu Ilhan carried the boxes into the shop.

Inside, there truly were many people.

They were all gentlemen and ladies dressed in the finest attire.

Their gazes—full of curiosity and a bit of suspicion—were all focused at once on Lee Jun-hyuk, Yu Ilhan, and the wooden box they carried.