When I Returned to Farming, National-level Big Juniors Flock - Chapter 12



Only Krnovel

12. Strawberry riot

“Ha… So that’s what happened.”

The man in the suit nodded and shook his head.

Park Jeong-tae, a manager at Hankyung Department Store, immediately went to the scene when he heard that there was a problem with the strawberries that were scheduled to be delivered.

And then I saw with my own eyes the erosion phenomenon that appeared in the Yoo siblings’ facility.

“sorry”

“No. This kind of accident is inevitable. I don’t know about anything else, but there is no answer for the erosion phenomenon.”

“Well, then maybe there’s a penalty…”

“Rules are rules. It’s not something I can do anything about. I can only say that it’s unfortunate.”

Park Jeong-tae said it with some sincerity.

Private farms with facilities of this level are rare even nationwide.

He had always delivered cleanly without any problems, but who would have thought that an accident would occur at a time like this?

But there was nothing he could do about the new contract, as the rules were clear.

“Yes… I guess so.”

For a moment, hope appeared and disappeared, but Yoo Seung-soo’s face turned pale.

Even though various stories came and went in the subsequent conversation, his expression during the conversation never seemed to brighten.

***

“…Is this it?”

Park Jeong-tae stood in front of the main gate.

A phone call suddenly came from an unknown number.

It turned out that someone was right next door to the business partner who was having trouble, and he said he could help fill the hole in the strawberry shipment that was missing this time.

‘Honestly, it seems like a waste of time to come here like this.’

At first, I had no intention of meeting.

Since he spoke so confidently, I thought he might be a business partner of the siblings, but when I asked him about it, he said he had no connection to their business at all.

It was disgusting to ask people to use their crops because the neighbor’s farm failed, but it was also absurd to say that to a department store.

But he came here.

A man’s voice and speech that somehow inspires trust.

The point was that I fell into a conversation that strangely aroused curiosity without saying a word.

What on earth was that well-founded confidence?

‘The distance is right in front of you, and if you think it was a useless thing to do, you can just leave.’

Empty!

Park Jeong-tae knocked on the door.

Then, not long after, Oh Hyeon-seong appeared.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“My name is Park Jeong-tae from Hankyung Department Store. Are you the owner of Ohyeon Farm who called you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Oh Hyun-seong nodded with a smile.

“You said you wanted to supply to our department store, right?”

“To be exact, we will only do this until strawberry deliveries from the farm next door can resume.”

Park Jeong-tae snorted inwardly at his words.

I guess that’s true.

Department store food halls, which offer significantly higher unit prices than most other stores, are a coveted spot.

In a rural area like this, they would do anything to plant eggs and take over the farm next door, even if it meant setting fire to the farm.

“Instead, if I can fill it, I would like you to make it so that I don’t suffer any disadvantages for the cancelled quantity.”

“Uh… That’s not possible by regulations. Above all, the food court in our department store is not a place where you can just shove in and patch things up.”

Park Jeong-tae said with a slight frown.

Hankyung Department Store is a symbol of luxury and has the largest sales in South Korea.

In particular, the Gangnam branch in Seoul where he works was locked in a fierce battle with the rival group, Daesung Department Store Jamsil branch, for the title of best department store in the country.

In this situation, the food court located in the department store was one of the areas that the management paid particular attention to.

Because it generates huge sales on its own, attracts really big players, and is also important in terms of external image.

Among these, the natural product corner that Park Jeong-tae himself started planning was gradually gaining response and growing, but he was trying to patch things up by selling crops of an unreasonable quality.

I couldn’t break the board.

“Then I guess it’s up to the person in charge to decide.”

“Okay, let’s take a look at some stuff.”

Thud!

Oh Hyun-seong brought a box full of strawberries.

Park Jeong-tae, who was full of thoughts about catching the strawberry, looked at the strawberry inside and was surprised.

The size, color, and everything else were much better maintained than I expected.

The skills are by no means those of a clumsy beginner who only talks.

However, unless it is grown using custom facilities and special varieties like the siblings’ strawberries, there are inevitable limitations to the taste.

“Stop staring at me like that and try eating it.”

Oh Hyun-seong said, perhaps because he could tell from the way he was looking at me.

Park Jeong-tae, who was embarrassed, cleared his throat and picked up a strawberry.

‘Okay, let’s see how delicious it is.’

A strawberry entered Park Jeong-tae’s mouth.

But the moment I chewed him, his expression changed drastically.

‘What, what is this?’

The sweetness and freshness that burst out at him simultaneously hit his taste buds.

Without leaning to either side, the appropriate acidity provided enjoyment.

Above all, this luxurious softness was exquisite.

It was the best strawberry he had ever tasted, comparable to any other strawberry he had ever tasted.

Could this be a taste that could come from nature?

I can’t help but think that it’s truly amazing.

“Hey, what’s this? I don’t see it around here. Is this grown in a new generation smart farm? Did you bring in some new equipment…?”

“That’s a trade secret. I can’t tell you my secret, can I?”

“Ah… that’s right.”

Park Jeong-tae, who had been excited, stopped and said.

In an age where breed information is so important, it is impossible to ask a business partner for his or her secrets out of the blue.

But just the aftertaste in my mouth made me feel that this was truly amazing.

“So, do we have a contract?”

“Yes, yes! We must! Right now!”

***

‘I’m completely taken aback.’

Oh Hyeon-seong laughed inwardly at Park Jeong-tae’s sudden 180-degree change in attitude.

However, the strawberries that Park Jeong-tae ate were not the first strawberries he had planted.

‘After hearing the news from Seungsu, I expanded and planted the strawberries again. The reason I didn’t take out the strawberries I planted at first was because I needed a ‘downgraded version.’

Oh Hyun-seong made the newly planted strawberries less susceptible to the spirits’ touch.

Unlike previous lettuce and potatoes that were completely free from the influence of turbidity, this one is made to be exposed to turbidity to some extent by requiring less management.

As a result, strawberries that had lost half of their flavor appeared, just like they do now.

They are much less sweet than strawberries grown normally, and their texture is also lacking.

But despite these negative factors, it was incomparable to the strawberries currently on the market.

That’s why such a reaction occurs.

Since it is a downgraded version, it may not have the huge ripple effect that he was worried about that would turn the country upside down, but it could still create a big ripple effect in society.

“By the way, I forgot to mention the most important thing. What is the delivery price?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll tell you right away.”

In response to Oh Hyeon-seong’s words, Park Jeong-tae began to talk with great care, even about things that had not been asked.

The current average wholesale price in the general market is approximately 20,000 won per kilogram.

However, it is said that the premium wild strawberries purchased at Hankyung Department Store are priced at a whopping 180,000 won per strawberry.

This is the portion that goes directly to the farmer, and the department store adds its own share to it and sells it.

For the common people, the prices are truly terrifying.

But rich people are still willing to spend money.

Unlike the past when everything tasted good, the demand for high-quality ingredients is enormous in today’s world.

In the past, stories about luxury fruits such as Senbikiya melons costing 300,000 won a can or luxury mangoes costing 1 million won were only heard in neighboring Japan, but now they have become stories all over the world, including Korea.

What’s scary is that it has become so common that you can see it commonly in department stores in any region.

“It’s difficult to make a big difference in the unit price, but we will try our best to accommodate it.”

“Okay. Then I won’t be greedy from the beginning. I think I can get about 60 for this level of taste and quality.”

“Huh? Uh… Six hundred thousand won?”

Park Jeong-tae’s eyes widened.

The appearance of an unexpected amount of money.

“We can’t match that price range. Of course, they are really delicious, but… I think the public still has a bias against wild crops. If we raise the price that much, no one will even touch them.”

“Is that so? But I have stated my minimum line, and I do not wish to continue trading below that price.”

“That… that…”

Sweat dripped down Park Jeong-tae’s forehead.

That’s an outrageous request.

But I personally felt that the taste was just as absurd.

As he was a strong proponent of natural parts, he absolutely did not want to miss out on this product, so he was at a loss as to what to do.

“Okay. Then take your first quantity at a price range near that. Sell it once, and then we’ll talk about it.”

“Excuse me?”

Park Jeong-tae was delighted by his decision to suddenly agree to it so readily.

It is somewhat higher than the unit price supplied from other farms, but not by that much.

However, a contract was signed only for a small first batch.

“Instead, you may regret it later.”

You have regrets.

Park Jeong-tae didn’t understand what Oh Hyeon-seong was saying.

If the department store can get the goods at a reasonable price right away, see the response, and then renegotiate, there will be no loss.

But for some reason, even as he finished the contract and left, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Okay, see you in a few days.”

What would happen next was only known by Oh Hyeon-seong, who was smiling and waving his hand.

***

“Huh? What kind of wild products did you bring into the department store?”

Two women, each holding a large number of luxury shopping bags, stopped in front of the natural products corner.

I was walking around the food section of Hankyung Department Store.

“This has been around for quite some time. It’s a collection of only the finest lines of wild varieties. Is this the first time you’ve seen this?”

“I, I usually only go to Daesung Department Store?”

“Huh? You were gone for a while, and now the strawberries are back.”

The woman came closer, blushing.

She has been eating wild strawberries from Hankyung Department Store often since before.

But her friend looked at her as if he didn’t understand her.

“Why would you eat something like this? There are synthetic strawberries that are produced through a clean process, not the dirty ones that are made with dirt on them.”

“I don’t like that subtle artificial taste. And I think that even though natural strawberries taste a little less sweet, they are better for the body. I would say they feel a little healthier. Plus, the strawberries here are just as tasty as the high-end ones.”

She picked up a pack of strawberries.

Although it was wrapped in luxurious packaging, it contained only a few strawberries.

In contrast, the price was considerable.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I can get wild strawberries at this price.”

“These days, there are quite a few people who look for natural products for wellness? Anyway, it’s because I’m so slow at reading trends.”

“What’s the trend? You’re the only one around me who eats wild strawberries. I’d rather pay more and eat Black Label strawberries than eat those.”

My friend snorted and stuck his tongue out.

The ‘Black Label’ she mentioned is the most famous luxury strawberry line produced by the global food company DiSanto.

DeSanto’s synthetic strawberries were already famous, but Black Label was the best of the lot and boasted an unrivaled taste.

The price was equally outrageous, but there was no way that these lowly wild strawberries could compete with it.

Even if it is just a Purple Label, other companies’ products will be incomparable.

However, no matter what her friend said, the woman took the order to the cash register and paid.

“Wow, it’s pretty! The pictures come out really well.”

When she returned home, she exclaimed when she took out the strawberries.

The bright red strawberries were showing off their appearance, combined with the luxurious packaging.

It looked bigger and prettier than what I usually eat.

Thinking that she had done well in the lottery, she thought about uploading the picture she had taken to social media.

Turup!

She took a bite of the strawberry.

Then he looked down at the strawberries with a blank expression.

“…uh?”

She ate the strawberries one by one, and when she came to, only an empty package was left.

She jumped up as if possessed by something and went back to Hankyung Department Store to buy more strawberries.

But when I entered the grocery store, the stand that had been filled with strawberries was already empty.

With people venting their anger on all sides.

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