107: Chapter 107 About Hot Pot Flavors

It was still December, and the scent on the floor of the R&D center had become complex. Anyone passing by daily could smell it: Sichuan peppercorns today, star anise tomorrow, and beef tallow mixed with chili the day after.

The cleaning lady had already started complaining to Kim Young-jun, saying the smell on the mops wouldn't wash out.

When Chairman Wang Shunyi pushed the door open and entered, Kim Tae-ho was squatting in front of the lab bench, stirring a bowl of sauce with a glass rod. The cuffs of his white lab coat were stained with a ring of red oil, though he remained completely oblivious.

Nearby, two researchers were adjusting a packaging machine. They couldn't get the sealing temperature right, and the bags kept coming out with wrinkles. Kim Tae-ho glanced up, had no time to deal with it, and told them to keep trying slowly before lowering his head to continue stirring. After stirring for two minutes, he pulled out the glass rod and took a lick.

"Chairman."

He stood up and cleared the spot. Two rows of sample bowls were arranged on the lab bench, six in each row, numbered one to six from left to right. On the left was the Hot Pot flavor, and on the right was the Chongqing Noodles flavor. The noodle thickness, sauce concentration, and types of garnishes in each bowl were different; some had an extra handful of crushed peanuts, some had an extra spoonful of sesame oil, and some had the chili powder ratio increased by half a gram.

Kim Tae-ho handed over a pair of disposable chopsticks and a glass of plain water, telling him to rinse his mouth first. "Chairman, today's order is from left to right. You need to rinse with water after each sample, otherwise the flavors will mix."

Chairman Wang Shunyi started with Hot Pot Flavor No. 1. The sauce for No. 1 was too thin and wouldn't coat the noodles; he took one bite and put it down.

No. 2 had too much Sichuan peppercorn flavor, numbing his lips as if they'd been hit by an electric current.

No. 3 had plenty of beef tallow flavor, but the spiciness was insufficient. After swallowing, there was only a lukewarm, dull ache on the tip of the tongue, without that burning sensation that pushes up from the throat.

He didn't speak, and Kim Tae-ho didn't ask, simply recording notes in a notebook. When he reached No. 5, he paused, took another mouthful with his chopsticks, and this time he chewed for much longer.

"The balance between the beef tallow and spiciness in No. 5 is good. Suppress the numbing sensation a bit more; reduce the Sichuan peppercorns by 0.5 grams."

Kim Tae-ho wrote rapidly in his notebook. Then came the Chongqing Noodles flavor, eaten from right to left.

The crushed peanuts in No. 4 were too coarse and grated against the teeth.

The red chili oil in No. 3 was scorched and tasted bitter.

The noodles in No. 2 were too soft; they turned into a soggy mess after soaking for less than two minutes. No good.

The sauce in No. 1 was too dry and wouldn't mix.

When he got to No. 6, he put down his chopsticks.

"Regarding the recipe for No. 6, who formulated the noodle block?"

A young researcher standing nearby raised his hand. Kim Tae-ho glanced at the man, flipped his notebook to a new page, and handed it over.

"Write down the formula and bring it to my office tomorrow."

The young researcher took the notebook, his hands trembling slightly.

Chairman Wang Shunyi rinsed his mouth with water and wiped his lips.

"Use the formula for Hot Pot Flavor No. 5 as the benchmark, but lower the numbing intensity by one level. For Chongqing Noodles, use No. 6. Archive the noodle block formula separately; it is not to be copied for other flavors in the future."

After finishing his notes, Kim Tae-ho added a question: "Chairman, do you think the 15th would be a good date for the launch?"

"Ah, that works. When is Nongshim's hot pot noodles coming out?"

"Reporting to the Chairman, our intel says the end of the month—either the end of this month or the beginning of next. They are stuck on the packaging design; they haven't decided on the font for the words 'Korean-style Hot Pot' yet."

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't comment on that, only saying: "Let them be slow; we'll release ours."

In the afternoon, Lee Jung-hoon came in with a thick stack of marketing plans. The folder cover was printed with 'Hot Pot Flavor and Chongqing Noodles Flavor New Product Promotion Plan,' stapled in three places for fear of loose pages.

Chairman Wang Shunyi told him to sit. He opened the plan and first reported the launch times and locations. On the Korean side, it would be on December 15th at a boutique hotel in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam District. On the Chinese side, it would be the same day at a convention center on the Bund in Shanghai. The two events would be synchronized with a one-hour time difference; the Shanghai launch would start an hour earlier than Seoul's, so the Seoul live broadcast could cut over just in time to connect.

Three members from TWICE would be at the Seoul site: Im Nayeon, Yoo Jeong-yeon, and Minatozaki Sana. They would arrive at the hotel at 10:00 AM for rehearsal, and the event would officially begin at 2:00 PM, with the duration controlled within an hour.

"What about the launch event in China?"

"We've invited three food bloggers. Two are on Douyin and one is on Xiaohongshu, all with over a million followers. They will do live tastings and sales, and the platforms have provided featured resource slots."

After listening, Chairman Wang Shunyi flipped through a few pages of the plan. For the marketing gimmick, the word Lee Jung-hoon used was 'Authentic.' Authentic Chinese Hot Pot flavor, Authentic Chongqing Noodles flavor—not a modified Korean version.

He remarked: "The word 'Authentic' works in the Chinese market; consumers believe in it. Nongshim is doing a Korean-style hot pot flavor, so the paths are different and won't directly conflict."

"Chinese consumers recognize 'Authenticity.' Whichever brand shouts this word first gains the upper hand. Nongshim does Korean-style hot pot flavor, while we do Chinese-style hot pot flavor. We're not in the same lane, so there's no direct competition."

Chairman Wang Shunyi closed the plan, handed it back to Lee Jung-hoon, and added one more thing.

"But you must remember, after shouting 'Authentic,' the product must live up to those words. For the Chinese launch, prepare several extra crates of noodles for the tasting segment. If it's not enough, even if you have to fly them in from Korea, make sure they are replenished."

Lee Jung-hoon left clutching the folder, but turned back at the door to ask, "When can we give the samples to TWICE? They need to appear with the real products when they film the commercials."

"Kim Tae-ho will have them ready tomorrow. Use temporary versions for the packaging and swap them for the official ones two days before the launch."

At six in the evening, just as Chairman Wang Shunyi got off work, Park Min-ji sent a message saying dinner was almost ready.

"I'll be there soon."

While putting on his overcoat, his hand brushed against that scarf on the rack. The dark gray cashmere scarf he'd left at her house last weekend; she had sent it to be cleaned and returned it the day before yesterday, neatly folded in a dust bag.

He took it out and wrapped it around his neck. The scarf still carried the scent of laundry detergent—not the scent of her body. Once washed, it was no longer there.

When he arrived at her place, Sister Lee had already left. There were fewer dishes on the dining table than usual, only three: Korean BBQ, kimchi stew, and a dish of cold bean sprout salad. She sat at the table, a bowl of rice in front of her untouched, only picking up her chopsticks once he arrived.

"I tasted two new types of noodles today."

He picked up a piece of grilled meat, dipped it in sauce, and wrapped it in lettuce. "Minji, the Hot Pot flavor took six versions to finalize. The noodle block formula for the Chongqing Noodles has been locked away by Kim Tae-ho; it can't be used for other flavors in the future. It was made by a young researcher named Lim Ji-hoon, a graduate of Gyeongju University who's only been with the company for six months. He did a good job on the noodle block."

She asked him, "Does that count as finding a hidden gem?"

"Haha, yes, it does."

"TWICE is coming to the launch? Is that right? Im Nayeon has great stage presence, and Minatozaki Sana has a good sense for variety shows. Product exposure is high on the shows she attends."

He looked at her and said, "You even know who has a good variety sense? Oh right, you're a fan of theirs."

"Yeah, my ringtone is a TWICE song, you remember."

After eating, he helped clear the bowls, but she wouldn't let him. He sat on the sofa watching her wash dishes when his phone rang. It was a confirmation letter for TWICE's attendance at the launch sent by Kim Young-jun, with the three members' names and ID numbers listed.

He forwarded the list to Lee Jung-hoon with a note attached:

"Send me their movement schedule tomorrow."

She came out of the kitchen wiping her hands after finishing the dishes. Seeing him still sitting on the sofa, she said, "Being so well-behaved today?"

"I'll sit for a while longer."

She sat down beside him and turned on the TV. A documentary channel was airing a special on Sichuan hot pot. The camera panned through the streets and alleys of Chongqing, showing red oil bubbling in large iron pots at roadside stalls, with chilies and Sichuan peppercorns floating and sinking on the surface. She watched intently from the side, telling Chairman Wang Shunyi that it looked delicious.

"I'll take you to Chongqing to eat next year."

She turned to look at him, but his gaze was still on the TV screen. The hot pot shop owner was pouring beef tallow into the pot, and white smoke rose to obscure the camera; he didn't look at her. She smiled and said nothing, leaning her head on his shoulder. Someone in the documentary was talking about the history of Chongqing noodles in a soft voice, which eventually cut to a commercial, the volume suddenly jumping several levels. She shifted her position slightly, her head still resting on his shoulder.

He smelled the scent of shampoo on her hair; it was different from what she used before. She'd changed brands. He didn't ask, and she didn't mention it. The commercial on TV ended and cut back to the documentary, with the night view of Chongqing spreading across the screen, the lights of Hongyadong glowing a fiery red.

"Minji."

"Yeah."

"The scarf was washed. It doesn't have your scent anymore."

She raised her head to look at him, her eyes shimmering in the flickering light of the television.

"Then wear it again next time."

She leaned her head back again. The documentary finished, and the end credits slowly rolled up. No one turned off the TV; the screen stayed lit, automatically skipping to the next program.