His pupils darted back and forth between Park Seong-ho and me.
It was as if he were looking at an impossible combination, like the Prince and the Pauper or Beauty and the Beast.
‘Then I guess I’m the beggar or the beast?’
“Ch… Chef Park Seong-ho? What are you doing here…?”
Choi Jin-woo’s voice trembled.
To a food columnist like him, the presence of Chef Park Seong-ho seemed to carry the same level of excitement as a first love.
“That is correct,” Park Seong-ho replied calmly.
“No way… You’re really Chef Park Seong-ho. From the Michelin two-star restaurant, Nayeon…”
Choi Jin-woo’s gaze shifted between Park Seong-ho and me again.
Then, he looked at the meat inside the aging room and wore an expression of realization. However, even after grasping the situation, his tone remained incredulous.
“Could it be… are you buying meat from here, Chef?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Park Seong-ho answered simply, looking a bit flustered.
Choi Jin-woo turned to me with a resentful look.
“Seriously, Mr. Jung! Why didn’t you tell me such an important fact during the interview yesterday? That you supply meat to a Michelin two-star restaurant!”
I hadn’t been caught in an affair or anything, yet I strangely felt like I had committed a crime.
“Well… I didn’t think it was polite to talk about my customers without permission.”
“Hey, even so, you should have told me this much. This is a total plot twist…”
Choi Jin-woo turned back to Park Seong-ho with pleading eyes.
“Chef, would you be willing to do a short interview for my content? Just about why you chose the meat here, or what you think of the quality.”
Park Seong-ho looked troubled.
“I’m afraid that might be a bit difficult.”
“Why? You’d be helping Mr. Jung.”
It was an obvious attempt to use me to get Chef Park on his channel. Still, it didn’t come off as particularly malicious.
Park Seong-ho hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“People will gossip because of what happened with CEO Park Jung-nam, and I don’t want to create unnecessary controversy.”
“Ah… Yes, I see…”
“However.”
Just as Choi Jin-woo was about to turn away in disappointment, Park Seong-ho added another word.
“It is a fact that I am buying meat from Mr. Jung Jun-ho, so there’s no need to keep that a secret.”
“Then, does that mean I can mention it in the video?”
“Yes. However, I’m uncomfortable with doing a direct interview myself.”
Choi Jin-woo nodded understandingly.
“I understand. Then, I’ll just mention that the meat quality has been recognized by a Michelin two-star restaurant. Would that be alright?”
“Yes, I think that should be fine.”
Park Seong-ho looked at me with an apologetic smile.
“Mr. Jung, I’m sorry I couldn’t step up directly. I want to help… I’ll make sure to help you with other things.”
“Oh, not at all, Chef. This is more than enough. A famous person like you needs to be careful about these things. Having you use our meat is already a huge help.”
Choi Jin-woo asked cautiously from the side.
“But what exactly happened between you and CEO Park Jung-nam…?”
“It’s an old story. It’ll come out eventually, but I don’t think this is the place to talk about it.”
“Understood. I’ll leave it at that for today and do a separate follow-up shoot with Mr. Jung later.”
Choi Jin-woo said his goodbyes and rushed out. I could tell how excited he was just by looking at his back.
Park Seong-ho shrugged his shoulders once and began the meat selection process again.
“Now, let’s get back to work. This tomahawk is aged exceptionally well.”
Park Seong-ho picked up a tomahawk. But then, his expression turned peculiar.
“This tomahawk… it’s a bit different.”
“In what way? Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s the opposite. The aging is perfect, but… it looks better than the average ones.”
As I touched the tomahawk, information appeared.
[Hanwoo — Tomahawk]
Identification Number: 002452789316
Farm: Hoengseong Cheongmyeong Farm
Pedigree: Sire KPN Top Grade × Dam Champion Line
Breeding Days: 32 months
Intramuscular Fat: 9 (Highest Grade)
Aging: Dry-aged
Special Notes:
Highest Pedigree (Direct descendant of a three-generation champion)
Lowest stress index
Perfect marbling distribution
KPN is an abbreviation for ‘Korea Proven bull Number.’
It refers to proven breeding bulls in Korea. These are breeding males, and among them, this was the highest bloodline. Simply put, this cow’s father was a top-tier breeding bull certified by the state.
What was even more surprising was the maternal side.
The ‘Champion Line’ meant a bloodline that had won the grand prize at the National Hanwoo Competition. It was a competition that comprehensively evaluated appearance, physique, and expected meat quality, and this cow was a direct descendant of a winner.
In human terms, it was like the father was a national gold medalist and a Korean record holder, while the mother was a Miss Korea winner.
There aren’t many cows with this kind of pedigree in the entire country. Naturally, the meat quality had to be extraordinary.
“You really have an eye for this, Chef.”
I began my explanation.
“This specific head was specially managed at Cheongmyeong Farm in Hoengseong. Looking at the pedigree, three generations are all competition champions.”
“You even know the pedigree?” Park Seong-ho asked in surprise.
“I checked the identification info thoroughly at the auction house. Especially this one—its stress index was nearly zero at the time of slaughter.”
“Stress index?”
“Management during the 72 hours before slaughter determines the meat quality. This farm maintains a comfortable atmosphere before slaughter and switches to a special feed.”
I pointed to a cross-section of the tomahawk.
“Look. The intramuscular fat is spread as evenly as marble, right? This is determined seventy percent by genetics and thirty percent by the rearing environment.”
Park Seong-ho was impressed.
“How do you know all of that?”
“And this part.”
I pointed to a specific section of the tomahawk.
“The color here is slightly different, right? This part is the most tender. If you grill it to an internal temperature between 52 and 53 degrees Celsius, it will provide the best flavor.”
“52 to 53 degrees?”
“Yes. A 1-degree difference changes the juice retention rate. This specific head is particularly sensitive to temperature…”
Park Seong-ho picked up another tomahawk.
“Then what about this one?”
As soon as I touched it, information popped up.
[Hanwoo — Tomahawk]
Identification Number: 002156002567
Farm: Hongcheon Pureundeul Farm
Pedigree: General High Quality
Breeding Days: 30 months
Intramuscular Fat: 8 (Excellent)
Special Notes: High physical activity
“This one is from Pureundeul Farm in Hongcheon. It was a very active animal, so the muscles are firmer. It’ll have more of a chew than the previous one. You should serve it to customers who enjoy a chewy texture.”
“Oh… You can even tell how much it exercised?”
“Ah, you can tell by looking at the direction of the muscle fibers. Here, do you see these grains? If activity is high, these grains become more distinct.”
Park Seong-ho was sincerely impressed.
“Mr. Jung. I’m amazed every time I see you. You’re the best butcher expert I’ve ever met.”
“Oh… not at all.”
“You know that too much modesty can come off as arrogance, right? Pedigree, rearing environment, even the slaughter process… with this level of knowledge, you’re practically a scholar.”
Park Seong-ho asked seriously.
“Did you study this specifically somewhere?”
“No, just… I naturally learned it after looking at a lot of meat.”
It was a lie I had no other way of explaining.
“I’ve prepared all forty-eight servings at the highest grade.”
“Of course, I trust you. I’ll take what you’ve prepared today. There really was no need for me to even come down here.”
Park Seong-ho added with a grave expression.
“I’ll be rooting for you in your fight against Mega Meat, at least in my heart. Even if I can’t step forward publicly.”
“Thank you, Chef. That means a lot.”
His support felt genuine. I didn’t know the full story between them, but his feelings toward Park Jung-nam seemed complicated.
***
After finishing the selection, Park Seong-ho checked the shipping packaging with his sous-chef.
“This is good. Even the VIPs will be satisfied with this.”
“I hope the event goes well.”
Park Seong-ho was about to leave, then stopped and turned back.
“Ah, Mr. Jung. There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“There’s a friend who used to work under me as a head chef, and he’s moving down to Busan to open his own restaurant. He’s going independent.”
“Oh, really?”
“His name is Kang Min-seok, and I can personally vouch for his skills. He’s preparing a fine-dining establishment, and I recommended your aged meat to him.”
Park Seong-ho asked tentatively.
“If you don’t mind the distance to Busan, could I introduce him to you?”
“Oh, absolutely! Thank you, Chef.”
I was sincerely grateful. A recommendation from someone in Park Seong-ho’s position carried a lot of weight.
“Busan is a bit far, but I’ll make it work.”
“He knows it’s far. But he said that for good ingredients, distance isn’t a problem.”
Min-jae spoke up confidently from the side.
“We can even set up a dedicated delivery system.”
Park Seong-ho smiled and nodded. He grabbed the doorknob again, then looked back one more time.
“Ah, where is my head? One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Next month, Nayeon is hosting a social event for people in the food industry. It’s a gathering of chefs, sommeliers, and food suppliers.”
“Oh…”
“I’d like to invite you, Mr. Jung. If you have time, please attend.”
I was surprised by the sudden offer.
“Is that a place I can really go to?”
“Of course. Since I’m personally inviting you, don’t feel pressured.”
Park Seong-ho took out a business card and wrote the date on it.
“It’ll be at Nayeon on the 15th of next month at 7:00 PM. The dress code is business casual, so just come as you are.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to attend.”
“Great. I’ll give you a proper introduction then. I’m sure many people will be interested in you, Mr. Jung.”
Park Seong-ho added with a meaningful look.
“If I tell them the story of how you beat Mega Meat, they’ll find it even more interesting…”
“That’s not quite settled yet…”
“Haha, I’m joking. But most of the people at that gathering have experienced the tyranny of large corporations. Regardless of the outcome, they’ll be rooting for you.”
The sous-chef cleared his throat, signaling to Park Seong-ho that it was time to go.
“Well, I’ll be off. I’ll let you know how the event goes.”
“Yes, have a safe trip.”
After Park Seong-ho left, Min-jae spoke in an excited tone.
“Hyung! A social event at Nayeon!”
“I know… I never expected that.”
“The introduction to Chef Kang Min-seok is huge, too. If we get a client in Busan, our business will grow significantly.”
I watched Park Seong-ho’s car drive away through the window. His words were an expression of trust that went beyond a simple transaction. I was grateful.
In 2157, things like this didn’t happen easily. Back then, most transactions were determined by algorithms. The system would automatically match things based on a comprehensive calculation of quality, price, and delivery efficiency.
Deciding on a transaction because you wanted to support or trust someone was considered inefficient and irrational. Only productivity and efficiency were meaningful pieces of information.
In 2025, imperfect humans still make decisions based on emotions, help each other for irrational reasons, and create accidental opportunities from seemingly meaningless meetings. That uncertainty and randomness were what made the twenty-first century so rich.
In the perfect system of 2157, almost everything was predictable. But because of that, there was no longer any accidental hope or excitement.
The people living in this era might deny it, but to me, the twenty-first century is an age of romance.
***
Just then, the phone rang. It was CEO Yoon.
“Yes, CEO Yoon.”
“Tomorrow is the farm visit day. I’ll pick you up at 7:00 AM. It’ll be easier if we travel in the same car.”
“Ah, you don’t have to go that far…”
“No, it’s on the way anyway. Plus, there are some things I want to discuss beforehand.”
“Discuss?”
CEO Yoon lowered his voice unnecessarily.
“The owner of the first farm is a bit of a prickly person. He doesn’t give straight answers, and whatever you do, do not bring up the topic of Mega Meat.”
“But why are you going there, CEO Yoon? Isn’t that a Mega Meat contract farm…?”
“Ah, that…”
CEO Yoon laughed as he spoke.
“The farm owner isn’t an idiot. It’s because Mega Meat is squeezing them so hard.”
“Squeezing them?”
“Mega Meat uses the excuse of high-volume contracts to buy at ridiculous prices. The unit price per kilogram is only about 70% of the market rate.”
“That cheap?”
“So the farm owner uses his head. He sends the low-quality ones to Mega Meat and sells the good ones to people like me.”
Now everything clicked.
“Anyway, it’s not something to talk about over the phone. I’ll see you tomorrow at 7:00 AM, so don’t be late.”
“Yes, I’ll see you then.”
I hung up the phone.
70% of the market rate… It was a shocking number.
They were buying regular pigs for 3,500 won per kilogram when they should have been buying them for 5,000 won. That alone was a massive margin, but on top of that, there were the sows.
Sows go for less than 1,500 won per kilogram. If they were selling that as regular pork belly… considering that a typical butcher shop operates on a 20% to 30% margin, it was an insane profit rate.
So this was the secret to how Mega Meat was able to build a national chain so quickly. An overwhelming margin. They were using that money for aggressive expansion.
The self-made myth, the innovative distribution structure, the efficient management. All those things the media praised were actually sandcastles built on deceiving consumers. What was scarier was that this might not even be the end of it.
‘I might only be seeing the tip of the iceberg…’
***
As soon as the call with CEO Yoon ended, Min-jae was fumbling with his phone.
“Hyung! We have to watch Choi Jin-woo’s video.”
“Oh? Right.”
“He said he uploaded it last night. The view count is insane.”
We sat down and played the video.
[Title: Mega Meat VS Neighborhood Butcher Shop, The Shocking Results of the Blind Test!]
The view count had already surpassed 110,000. Min-jae scrolled down.
The video began.
Choi Jin-woo spoke while looking into the camera.
“Hello, this is Choi Jin-woo with Flavorful Reviews. It’s been a hot topic on social media lately, right? That place called the ‘Attention-Seeker Butcher Shop.’ It became even more of a sensation because of Mega Meat’s CEO, Park Jung-nam.”
Captures from social media scrolled across the screen like a panorama.
“A banner saying they’ll give you pork belly if you bring a Mega Meat receipt… Is it because they’re truly confident in their taste? Or is it just noise marketing taking advantage of Mega Meat’s fame? Opinions have been divided.”
Choi Jin-woo continued with a smile.
“Flavorful Reviews, who can never resist a taste they’re curious about, went there personally!”