Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 482: The Foodie Nomads (4)

In one corner of the restaurant, a massive pot of oyster soup[1] was boiling with its rich aroma filling the space.

The scent wasn't fishy at all and only the gentle fragrance of the ocean lingered in the air. The bubbling sound of the oyster soup cooking was so pleasant that people couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

"Wow, that looks delicious."

"The oyster smell is absolutely incredible."

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Everyone was staring at the pot and drooling in anticipation.

Just then, Han In-Sung called out. "Mom! The guests from Seoul are here!"

Han In-Sung's mother stirred the pot with a large ladle and turned her head. "It's almost ready. Tell them to take a seat at the table."

As Han In-Sung was about to ask us to sit down, a man in his 60s entered through the opposite door. He was holding baskets in both hands and steam was rising from the bossam[2] inside them.

Han In-Sung hurried over to take the meat from his father. "Ha ha, you arrived just in time. Come, everyone. Have a seat. When did you manage to make bossam?"

Han In-Sung's father said, "The guests have come all the way from afar. One bowl of soup won't cut it."

"Thank you for the effort, Father."

It made sense now why there was bossam kimchi among the side dishes. It was meant to be eaten with the meat.

At that moment, Yoo Hyun-Ji urgently called out to the crew. "Mr. Choi, get the cameras ready! Quick!"

"Huh? Right now?"

"Yes, right now!"

Yoo Hyun-Ji then turned to Han In-Sung's family.

"Sir, ma'am. We would like to capture this on video. Mr. In-Sung, can we trouble you for some help?"

Han In-Sung tilted his head but nodded. "Sure, what should we do?"

"We'll come back in and shoot, so please just do everything the same as before."

"The same as before?"

"Yes. Mr. In-Sung, you guide us in. Your mother can greet us and your father can come in with the basket again."

Han In-Sung and his parents readily agreed.

At that moment, Yoo Hyun-Ji gave instructions in a hurry. "Everyone except the filming crew, out! Only the camera team stays!"

The staff eyeing the feast looked like they were on the verge of tears. "Ms. Yoo. You want us to hold back and shoot first…?"

"I'm starving too, so let's hurry up, shoot quickly, and we'll eat after!"

At this, the grumbling staff moved swiftly.

"Mr. Jung, please get the actors ready."

"Got it!"

I rushed outside to gather the actors and gave them instructions.

"Tae-Poong, Haru, Miso, and Ms. Yeon-Jin, change into the work uniforms now."

Lee Tae-Poong swallowed hard and asked, "Right now?"

"Yes, right now."

Clearly tempted by the savory aroma of the oyster soup and the rich scent of bossam, Lee Tae-Poong looked as though he was barely holding himself back.

At that moment, the staff came running with the work uniforms in hand.

"Mr. Tae-Poong, here. Just put it on over what you're wearing."

"Haru, take this."

"Ms. Yeon-Jin, quickly, quickly!"

The preparation process was faster than ever. They even managed to find a child-sized work uniform for Miso and handed it to me.

"Mr. Jung, could you help Miso get dressed?"

Taking Miso's pink work uniform, I crouched down. "Miso, hold onto my shoulders."

Miso drooled slightly and grabbed onto my shoulders. "Okay..."

"Put your right leg in."

While looking longingly toward the restaurant, Miso slipped her right leg into the uniform. "Okay..."

"Miso, we'll get to eat soon. So let's finish putting this on quickly, alright? Now, your left leg."

"Uncle Yoon-Ho, the oyster soup looks like it's going to be so good. He he~"

I wiped the drool dripping from Miso's mouth with my sleeve. The amount of drool she had built up left my sleeve damp. "Yeah, I know. That's why we need to get this done, so put in your left leg now, alright?"

Still mesmerized by the aroma wafting from the restaurant, Miso slid her left leg into the uniform.

With Miso dressed, I took her hand and headed toward the restaurant. The four actors stood in line at the entrance as they were ready to go in. The staff clasped their hands together and looked at them with pleading eyes, silently begging for a perfect take without any NGs.

I could hear stomachs rumbling all around.

At that moment, Lee Tae-Poong turned his head and declared confidently, "We'll nail it in one take!"

Haru also caught the mood and clenched his fist in determination. Even the usually composed Bae Yeon-Jin joined in, clenching her fist and tightly holding Miso's hand.

The encouraged Miso set her own resolve. "I'm gonna finish fast and eat two bowls of oyster soup!"

That's when Yoo Hyun-Ji's voice rang out with instructions from the inside. "Scene 25. Let's start shooting! Enter naturally and chat as you come in. Ready~ Action!"

The four walked into the restaurant with smiles on their faces.

Moments later, Yoo Hyun-Ji's voice echoed triumphantly. "Cut! Cut! Cut! Perfect! OK!"

The staff erupted into cheers, louder than they had been during any previous performances.

"Finally, oyster soup time!"

***

Slurp, slurp.

"Ah, it's so hot but so good~"

"Phew~"

"Ahhh, this is incredible."

"Feels so warm."

"So refreshing!"

The sounds of people devouring hot oyster soup and their exclamations of delight filled the air.

The soup prepared by Han In-Sung's mother carried the expertise of thirty years of making oyster soup. The rich broth brimming with flavor was loaded not only with oysters but also a variety of other seafood.

The oysters were piled high as it outweighed the rice, leading everyone to dig in by sampling the oysters first.

I, too, scooped up a spoonful of oysters and put them into my mouth. As I bit into the tender, well-cooked oysters, the deep essence of the sea spread throughout my mouth. There was no trace of fishiness and only the pure and rich taste of the ocean remained.

Next, I took a spoonful of the steaming broth.

Slurp.

The spicy and slightly tangy flavor of the broth was so comforting that it felt like heaven in a bowl.

Then came the bossam that Han In-Sung's father had brought in. I picked up a piece of the tender pork belly with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth. The meat had no unpleasant porky odor, and its quality made it feel like biting into premium ham.

As I chewed, the pork and fat melted together, releasing a savory and slightly sweet flavor that filled my mouth.

The staff couldn't contain their admiration either.

"Everything tastes heavenly!"

"Oyster soup and bossam! Sir, you should turn this into a franchise."

Miso sitting next to me nodded enthusiastically with her cheeks puffed full of food, clearly agreeing with the sentiment.

As I brushed a grain of rice off Miso's cheek, I asked her, "Is it good?"

Miso replied enthusiastically while holding her spoon and grinning happily even with her mouth full of food. "Uh huh! It's the best! I'm going to eat another bowl, Uncle Yoon-Ho!"

Seeing how much joy Miso was feeling, I thought coming here had been an excellent decision.

After a while, the staff and actors who had finished their meals leaned back in their chairs.

Everyone looked drowsy after devouring hot oyster soup and piles of bossam with a wave of food coma spreading across the group.

It was then that Bae Yeon-Jin finished her meal and carefully spoke up. "Uh... Mr. Jung."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for earlier."

I smiled at her gratefully. "Of course, it's only natural. You're my actress now, after all."

At that moment, the flustered Bae Yeon-Jin asked with her cheeks flushed slightly, "R-really?"

Miso chimed in with her belly protruding like a little tadpole. "Auntie Yeon-Jin! Uncle Yoon-Ho is good at everything! He'll protect you, so you don't have to worry about anything from now on!"

Miso raised both her thumbs and beamed with confidence as if to reassure Bae Yeon-Jin.

Bae Yeon-Jin smiled and replied, "Alright, Miso. I'll do as you say."

"Yup!"

I patted Miso on her head and smiled. "Thanks, Miso. Were you scared earlier?"

Miso grinned bashfully. "A little."

"What about now?"

Miso gave a big grin and patted her belly, which made a drum-like sound. "My tummy's so full that I don't remember anything anymore!"

The warm hospitality from Han In-Sung's family and the delicious oyster soup had washed away all the bad memories of the day.

I couldn't help but feel I needed to repay their kindness somehow.

***

As everyone finished their meal, manners were forgotten and burps began erupting from all

The embarrassed staff rummaged for digestive tablets while exchanging compliments.

"Wow, ma'am. Your cooking skills are amazing!"

"Seriously. I haven't eaten this well in ages."

"Did you see? Our cinematographer had two bowls!"

Conversations about the food echoed across the room, showing how everyone was visibly satisfied.

Han In-Sung's mother smiled warmly upon watching the staff. "Oh my. In that case, I'll prepare even more for tomorrow."

Suddenly, everyone panicked and waved their hands.

"Oh no, no, it's more than enough already! We've eaten so much we can't even buckle our belts!"

It was then that Yoo Hyun-Ji hesitantly asked, "Ma'am, could you possibly share the recipe for this oyster soup?"

"Recipe? What's that?"

"Ah, I mean how you make it. The method, the cooking process."

"Oh, sharing how to make it is easy. It's putting the heart into the flavor that's tricky."

CK Foods, the main sponsor of The Foodie Nomads, had the plan to commercialize standout recipes. However, if they received a recipe for free, they would likely brush it off with a few gift certificates as compensation. After all, that was a common practice in the broadcasting industry.

But the kind hearted parents of Han In-Sung, true to their generous nature, were willing to share the recipe without asking for anything in return.

'I can't let this go unrewarded.'

Having been treated to such wonderful food, I couldn't just walk away without offering something in return. It was the perfect opportunity to repay their kindness.

I interrupted Yoo Hyun-Ji and spoke up. "Ms. Yoo, just a moment."

"What is it?"

"With food like this, getting the recipe for free doesn't seem right. Does it?"

Yoo Hyun-Ji understood what I was getting at in an instant. "Um… Are you thinking of turning this oyster soup into a product?"

"Yes. The home meal replacement market is booming these days. This is a dish she has perfected over decades, and I'd like to help properly commercialize it."

Yoo Hyun-Ji looked hesitant. "But CK Foods is one of our affiliates, so I'm not really in a position to negotiate..."

"I'll handle it. Just turn a blind eye for now."

After a brief moment of thought, Yoo Hyun-Ji whispered, "Alright... but let's pretend I don't know about this, okay?"

When I winked and shrugged, Yoo Hyun-Ji stepped aside with a smirk.

Now, it was time to help the kind and generous Han In-Sung make some serious money.

***

Han In-Sung asked, "You want to make money from oyster soup?"

"Yes. If you share your recipe for oyster soup, you could earn anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions annually."

"No matter how great it is, selling something like that for money feels a bit..."

"Mr. Han, you'd be selling the result of your mother's thirty years of dedication. You should get proper value for it."

While bossam would also make a great product, oyster soup seemed more suitable for the home meal replacement market.

Han In-Sung hesitated for a moment, glancing at his aging parents and the employees who worked with them for decades at the processing site. They all seemed happy and harmonious, but no one could guarantee what the future held. The facilities were old and worn, and any sudden halt in operations could result in significant losses.

After some thought, Han In-Sung turned to me. "Then can you handle this for me, Mr. Jung? I may be the boss, but all I know is oyster farming. I'm clueless about this kind of thing."

"In that case, please sign a simple letter of delegation for me."

"Delegation? Why?"

"To negotiate with CK Foods, I'll need to officially act as your representative."

"Hmm, alright."

I quickly pulled out my tablet and presented him with an electronic contract I had prepared in advance. In exchange for handling the deal, I secured a commitment for a pot of oyster soup and received authorization to negotiate the recipe's sale.

Then I called Yang Eun-Jung, the promotion director at CK Foods.

Yang Eun-Jung answered with curiosity.

-Mr. Jung, I heard it really was norovirus. Is that true?

"Yes, we were able to confirm it thanks to Mr. Park. I appreciate your help."

-Oh, there's no need for thanks. Just treat me to a drink next time you're in Seoul.

"Of course. By the way, I have something to share with you."

-What is it?

"The oyster soup made by Mr. Han's mother here is just incredible. Chef's kiss."

Yang Eun-Jung took the bait right away.

-Is it really that good?

"Absolutely. It's delicious. I think it would sell amazingly well as a product. Naturally, I thought of you first."

Yang Eun-Jung quickly agreed to my suggestion.

-Well, I trust your taste. Alright, I'll contact the food development team and send someone over. If it looks promising, I'll propose product development to the president.

"Great. How much will they get for this?"

-As you know, since CK Foods is the main sponsor of The Foodie Nomads, the rights to any recipes featured on the show belong to us. We could offer them some gift certificates as a token of appreciation.

As expected, they intended to take the recipe for free. Then it was time to start negotiating.

"I'm sorry, but that won't work."

-Pardon me?

"Business is business. Please relay this to your higher-ups: we've found an exceptional item for the home meal replacement market, but it won't come for free."

-Wait a minute. Are you suggesting we pay for the recipe?

"Yes. They're asking for 0.3% of the sales revenue."

Yang Eun-Jung's voice turned incredulous.

-You must be kidding. Don't you know that all the menu items created for The Foodie Nomads belong to us?

"This site wasn't part of any sponsorship or advertising arrangement. The filming location was found by us, and no appearance fees or usage fees were paid. There's no obligation to hand it over."

-Wait, Mr. Jung! Why are you suddenly negotiating on their behalf?

"Because I am their representative. The letter of delegation has already been signed, and I'll send it to you via chat right now."

After receiving the document, Yang Eun-Jung's tone shifted into serious negotiation mode.

-Alright, I got the document. But what if I decide not to accept your proposal? The home meal replacement market is big, but CK Foods isn't exactly desperate.

Yang Eun-Jung came out strong from the start, but I had a bait she wouldn't be able to resist.

It was time to reel her in.

1. Oyster Soup ☜

2. Bossam ☜