God-Given Business Genius

“Boss, is this all the shaved ice machines you have?”

At my question, the shop owner poked his head out and waved his hand dismissively.

“All these are for commercial use~. For home use, go over there.”

“I’m here for the commercial ones.”

“Hmm?”

The owner looked me over, seemingly surprised.

“Oh, really? My mistake. Are you opening a cafe or something? Running a business isn’t easy, you know.”

He must have taken me for a fresh-faced novice trying to start a business without any knowledge. This would only lead to unnecessary chatter.

“I’m already running soup rice and snack shops.”

“Oh my. You’re more capable than you look.”

His attitude changed abruptly when I revealed I was already in the industry.

“But why are you looking for a shaved ice machine? Ah, planning to add it as a dessert menu at your soup rice shop? Shaved ice can be quite labor-intensive though~.”

“I’m planning to open a shaved ice shop too.”

“Shaved ice? All of a sudden?”

The owner asked again, seemingly thinking it was an odd combination. Jo I-ruk probably thought the same.

But that’s precisely why it’s necessary.

“It’s good to have complementary businesses, isn’t it? To stay stable.”

Brand diversification is essential for stable operations.

Soup rice and snacks. While this combination is quite good, having a brand that deals with cafes or desserts would provide even stronger support.

Especially the cafe business, which was quite profitable even before my regression. I should prepare for that soon too.

“Hahaha. Young girl, you talk like a veteran with decades of experience. I wonder how you found this place. Only regulars know about it.”

Well, I used to be one of those regulars.

“These are all the shaved ice machines we have. They perform well~. I even use this one to make shaved ice at home sometimes.”

I examined the machine the owner pointed out. It was a standard shaved ice machine. It would shave ice adequately, and if you topped it with red beans, rice cakes, and syrup, you’d have a typical patbingsu that you could find anywhere.

“Don’t you have anything that shaves even finer?”

“Even finer?”

The owner tilted his head, puzzled.

“If it’s too fine, you lose the crunchy texture, and the shaved ice won’t taste good~.”

Everyone thought like this back then.

That the joy of shaved ice was in crunching the ice. But this common sense would be completely overturned before long.

‘I guess it might be hard to find in the market.’

If that’s the case, there’s only one option left.

“I’d like to place a custom order.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I want the ice to be shaved much finer than this.”

This is why I came all the way to this out-of-the-way place.

Not only are the machines here of good quality and reasonably priced, but the owner of this shop without even a sign, ‘Moon Yu-han,’ is a skilled craftsman who can handle tricky orders with ease.

‘In the past, whenever I requested something for testing, he always made it exceptionally well.’

Though much younger than the Moon Yu-han I remember, his eyes still sparkled with interest at the unusual order.

“Adjusting that isn’t too difficult… How fine do you need it to be?”

“Fine enough that it melts instantly when placed on your hand.”

“What? How would you make shaved ice with that? It would melt the moment it touches your mouth.”

That’s exactly the point.

But there’s no use explaining that to Moon Yu-han.

‘Even before my regression, people initially made a fuss about why anyone would eat snowflake shaved ice.’

I tried telling them that young people these days liked that sort of thing, but it fell on deaf ears. That was when we were on fairly casual terms. If I said such things now, looking like a green rookie to anyone’s eyes, he’d probably just try to dissuade me, saying ‘That’s a surefire way to fail.’

“The ‘why’ isn’t important. Is it possible?”

“Well, I’ll be. You’ve left me speechless.”

Moon Yu-han scratched the back of his head before tilting it thoughtfully.

“I’m not sure. There’s a limit to how thinly it can be shaved….”

“What if we don’t shave it?”

“Hmm?”

Seeing Moon Yu-han’s puzzled expression, I smiled gently and continued.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be shaved, right? Making a huge block of ice is cumbersome to begin with. How about… something like this instead?”

I described in detail the machine I had seen before my regression. As the explanation went on, Moon Yu-han’s eyes sparkled brighter and brighter.

“Oh ho. That sounds interesting. What the heck, let’s give it a try!”

Moon Yu-han had always been someone who enjoyed creating new things.

Hadn’t he often muttered that he enjoyed being around me because there was never a dull moment? Of course, when I made bizarre requests, he’d also swallow curses that were on the tip of his tongue.

Thinking of our old friendship, I decided to casually drop a hint.

“In my opinion, boss,” I said with a grin.

“You might want to replace these machines with the type I just described soon.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

I didn’t bother to explain in detail to the puzzled Moon Yu-han. I shrugged my shoulders, then bowed my head politely.

“Please contact me when it’s ready.”

Moon Yu-han, who had taken the business card I offered, widened his eyes slightly in surprise at the CEO title before looking back at me.

“I’ll be waiting for your call.”

You’ll have to work with me this time too.

Hiding my ambition, I smiled brightly like an agreeable young person.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Rustle, rustle.

With each turn of the pages, I could see Jo I-ruk’s face growing paler. When I pretended to ponder with a “Hmm~,” he fidgeted nervously, chewing on his fingernails.

Perhaps I should stop teasing him now.

Thud.

“H-how is it?”

As soon as I put down the documents, Jo I-ruk pounced on them.

“Well done.”

“I’m sure there are many shortcomings… Pardon?”

“I said, well done. You selected these sites after visiting them in person with Boss Lee In-cheol, right?”

At my question, Jo I-ruk, who had been standing there blankly for a moment, seemed to come to his senses and hurriedly answered.

“Yes, sir! A few days ago, the CEO made time, and we thoroughly scouted the surrounding area.”

“How was it?”

“How was it, you ask….”

“You’ve read a lot of books about locations, but this was your first time seeing it in person, right? How did it feel when you actually saw it?”

I scrutinized Jo I-ruk’s face closely.

Jo I-ruk seemed too busy pondering his answer to even gauge why I was asking such a question.

“Well… At first, it was fascinating. As you said, it was my first time seeing it in person. Actually looking around various shops, I realized each had its own pros and cons, which made the decision quite challenging.”

But the story, which had started hesitantly, was now flowing steadily.

The signs of nervousness gradually disappeared, and Jo I-ruk calmly unfolded his own narrative.

“I’ve always just been in study rooms. But even though we went out during the day, there were so many people. Everyone seemed busy in their own way. It had been a while since I’d been in such a crowded place, so I was a bit nervous, but I was grateful that Boss Lee In-cheol made me feel comfortable.”

Oh ho. Boss Lee In-cheol?

How did he manage not to grumble and be so kind-hearted? Well. Despite appearances, he’s soft-hearted, constantly joking around with types like me but gentle with frozen types like Jo I-ruk.

“That vitality of people moving about, the location of the shops, the interior designs, and even the nearby amenities and residential facilities…. It all seemed to come into view at once.”

As expected.

“It was a strange feeling. I’m not sure how to express it, but it felt like my mind was clearing up? When I was studying for the bar exam, I rarely felt anything like that. It always felt like I was wandering in a hazy fog…. But this time was different.”

Jo I-ruk said, pushing up his glasses. Behind his half-rim glasses, his eyes shimmered with emotion.

“It was like a light bulb suddenly turning on in my head. I could feel it right away.”

Jo I-ruk pointed to the first location reported on the top page of the document.

“I felt that this place would work, that it would be good, like that.”

As he spoke, Jo I-ruk’s face was filled with conviction.

‘He’s got it.’

Jo I-ruk’s ‘intuition’!

This intense premonition of a big success always hit the mark. He was a person with keen intuition.

‘The places Team Leader Jo pointed out as viable always turned out to be spot-on. It had always been like that. As if he’d received some divine revelation.’

Of course, we shouldn’t put too much faith in such baseless imagination. Nevertheless, its accuracy was so remarkable that it couldn’t be ignored.

‘It was like that back then too. Right before signing the contract with Hyeonmu.’

A bitter fragment of the past flashed through my mind.

-Oh, Team Leader Jo. What brings you here? Isn’t today your field day in Jeonju?

-…I know it’s rude to say this before a big contract, but I just can’t shake this bad feeling.

He caught me just as I was about to leave the company. I was startled by his gloomy complexion.

-What’s this? You’re scaring me when you act like this, Team Leader Jo. That intuition of yours is incredibly accurate, you know.

-…….

-But there’s no need to worry. You’ve reviewed everything too, right? There’s nothing problematic, and it’s actually a good opportunity for us. It’s not often we get to collaborate with such a large company.

-…I know. I attended the meeting and looked over everything too. I know there’s nothing that should be a problem. But… No, never mind.

Jo I-ruk shook his head and pressed his lips tight.

The matter had already been decided through the board meeting. Neither I nor Jo I-ruk could overturn that decision at this point.

Seeing this rare display, I too felt a surge of anxiety, but I hid it and instead put on a bold smile.

-Don’t worry. I’ll be the only exception to that intuition of yours, Team Leader Jo. You trust me, right?

-……Haha. Of course, CEO. After all, you’re none other than CEO Song Woo-yeon.

-I’ll be off then.

-Yes. Take care.

I headed to the conference room, leaving behind Jo I-ruk who bowed politely. Even right after signing the contract, I foolishly thought everything was going well.

There was even a time when I congratulated myself on being the only exception to Jo I-ruk’s intuition.

How foolish.

‘That’s all in the past now.’

Calming my churning stomach, I examined the first location among the sites Jo I-ruk had selected.

It was the cream of the crop among prime locations that I had discovered after extensive legwork even before my regression.

This skill of his is truly remarkable. Our Team Leader Jo.

“Let’s go with this one.”

I pointed to that location without hesitation.

“We’ll expand and relocate the main branch here.”