Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1329

“This doesn’t taste right, I’m telling you!”

“Boss, as you know, mass production is…”

“Mass production or whatever, if you roast it with a machine like this, it won’t taste right. I’ve tried everything, and in the end, nothing beats the human touch.”

Hwang Min-soo looked at Kang Yu-hwan with a troubled expression.

They were currently at the newly established coffee factory. An automated factory was essential to ensure a stable supply of coffee beans to the cafes that would be opening nationwide.

However, a huge obstacle was already looming over Hwang Min-soo from the start.

‘What a stubborn mule…’

Come to think of it, he seemed to have experienced this ridiculous stubbornness before.

‘Like father, like son, I guess.’

Hwang Min-soo sighed deeply.

Seriously, this isn’t some traditional gochujang [Korean chili paste] -making place. What kind of artisan spirit is needed to roast coffee beans for a cafe?

“Boss, isn’t there any other way?”

“Finding a way isn’t my job. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do, boss?”

He had a point.

“It’s not like I’m stupid or thoughtless and opposing automation. I know very well that it’s inevitable.”

“Ah…”

“But it just won’t taste right that way.”

“The taste is that…”

“Not important.”

“Huh?”

“I said it’s not important.”

Hwang Min-soo’s eyes trembled.

What on earth was this guy talking about?

Kang Yu-hwan chuckled at Hwang Min-soo’s expression. That subtle smirk somehow resembled Kang Jin-ho.

“The taste of coffee isn’t that important. There are many cafes that make much better coffee than franchise coffee shops. But people prefer franchises.”

“That’s true.”

“They’re convenient, the interiors are pretty, and the facilities are clean. In fact, there’s no need to go to a private cafe just for the taste of coffee.”

Every word was right.

“No, then why…”

Kang Yu-hwan narrowed his brows.

“Do we have any element to compete with large corporate franchises?”

“It’s not like we’re spending a lot of money to make the interior amazing.”

Thud.

“And it’s not like our service is exceptional.”

Thud!

“And it’s not like we have a groundbreaking strategy.”

Thud!

Each word felt like a dagger stabbing him in the side. As Hwang Min-soo was reeling from the relentless blows, Kang Yu-hwan opened his mouth in a cynical tone.

“Then we need to have some other unique feature. Even if we advertise that our cafe’s coffee is on a different level, it has to be good enough that no one can challenge it. But with these machines, we’ll just be producing mass-produced goods.”

Hwang Min-soo stared at Kang Yu-hwan, speechless. He had thought that Kang Yu-hwan was just stubbornly sticking to his pride in the taste of coffee, but that wasn’t it.

Kang Yu-hwan was definitely thinking about the business.

“But boss, it’s not like we only have one or two cafes… We can’t roast coffee one by one. There will inevitably be problems with quality control. And it’s not like you can manage the quality of all those cafes yourself, right?”

But Hwang Min-soo couldn’t back down either.

In running a business, the most important thing for Hwang Min-soo was delivery and schedule.

Some might think it’s quality and service, but those are just problems that arise when you actually face customers. When running a business, various problems are bound to occur. If you keep delaying the schedule every time you have to replan, it will take an endless amount of time.

‘We can’t have problems already.’

He had to meet this schedule no matter what. At least, he had to show some results before Kang Jin-ho returned to Korea so that he would have something to say.

Kang Jin-ho didn’t seem to think so, but Hwang Min-soo still thought of himself as a mercenary. A mercenary has to show results to be recognized as family.

“Then do you have any ideas? It’s realistically impossible to manufacture different machines with our own technology. It’s not like we have that kind of know-how.”

Kang Yu-hwan said nonchalantly.

“We have to compromise.”

“Compromise?”

“Yes.”

Kang Yu-hwan frowned slightly as he looked at the large coffee roasting machine.

“I can handle the blending of the beans and the roasting. The problem is that machines can’t capture those subtle nuances. It’s better to do it manually.”

“M-Manually?”

“Yes. If people roast coffee in large quantities, it seems like we can compromise. Then, if we just manage the people, the quality control will be somewhat manageable.”

“W-Wait a minute, boss.”

Hwang Min-soo was horrified and tried to stop Kang Yu-hwan.

“Y-You’re going to do this manually? That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“Roasting isn’t something you can just do by watching. From what I see, you seem to prefer high-heat roasting, but enduring that much heat and roasting beans all day is not something a person can handle.”

Kang Yu-hwan narrowed his brows.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The heat… Even if we create a good working environment, they’ll quickly burn out. And it’s not like they can just endure it. How many people can maintain their concentration and do high-intensity labor for more than eight hours a day…”

“I can solve that problem.”

At that moment, a firm voice came from behind them.

“…Director Lee?”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled brightly.

“Fortunately, I know quite a few people like that. People who can endure a harsh working environment while maintaining their meticulousness.”

“Huh? You know people like that? And quite a few?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-joo shrugged.

‘Well, that’s what the training process is like.’

The warriors of the Assembly had lived their entire lives doing just that. Maintaining concentration even during harsh training that felt like their bodies would break was part of a warrior’s training.

It was an extremely harsh task for ordinary people, but it was everyday life for a warrior.

“Is that true? But those people…”

“They’ll be grateful if you give them the job. But you’ll have to guarantee a certain level of salary.”

“Of course. Anyway, the cost of this machine isn’t cheap, and the cost of running it is huge. Even if we replace it with high-quality manpower, it’s not a losing proposition. But do those people really exist?”

“How many do you need?”

Hwang Min-soo narrowed his brows.

‘First, I need to recalculate the capacity…’

After discussing with Kang Yu-hwan and confirming the time it would take for roasting, Hwang Min-soo made a rough estimate.

“I think we’ll need about five for now… We can manage with just one for now, but the volume will increase quickly.”

“I can get about five by tomorrow.”

Hwang Min-soo blinked, looking dumbfounded.

Finding manpower was not an easy task. For any company, securing capable talent and manpower that can be used in the right place is always a difficult task.

‘But it’s not like Director Lee is a liar…’

Although he hadn’t known her for long, he had already figured out that Lee Hyun-joo was someone who took responsibility for her words.

Which meant….

Lee Hyun-joo smiled slightly at Hwang Min-soo, who still didn’t understand.

It was hard to understand.

How could Hwang Min-soo know?

That Lee Hyun-joo was surrounded by social misfits who had the strength of gorillas and the tenacity of camels.

Kang Jin-ho had started the franchise business to address that situation, but it wasn’t enough to save everyone from the Assembly.

Basically, those who had only learned martial arts in the Assembly lacked social skills, and many of them found the very idea of having to face strangers every day to be burdensome.

That was why some people hadn’t even participated in the business briefing, and some had given up even after receiving the proposal.

If they were offered this job, they would all rush to do it. If it was a job where they just had to use their bodies without having to worry too much about other people, it was the perfect job for them.

Moreover, what if they were given a sufficient salary and allowed to use their inner energy [qi] within the factory?

For warriors, it would be a top-tier job.

‘The competition rate will be over 20 to 1.’

It was something that ordinary people couldn’t understand, but warriors had their own world.

“Is it really possible?”

“Yes, boss. You don’t have to worry about that part. They’re very diligent and sincere workers.”

Of course.

Even if Kang Jin-ho, Lee Hyun-soo, and Lee Hyun-joo didn’t step in, if these people couldn’t do their jobs properly and the supply was lacking, the store owners would come to the factory themselves.

And then they would torment people like jailers from hell.

They would have no choice but to work hard to avoid that.

“T-Then…”

Hwang Min-soo’s face brightened.

If possible, this method was the best. They could achieve both quality and speed at the same time.

“Then tomorrow… no, can you have them come to the factory by the day after tomorrow?”

“It’s possible. Can’t it be tomorrow?”

“There are things to prepare. We need to return the machine and prepare a dedicated one. Even if we order a large roasting pot right away, it will take another day. And it will take some more time to set up the heat and everything.”

“Then I’ll have five people start working by the day after tomorrow.”

“Great. If you can do that, I couldn’t ask for more. What do you think, boss?”

Kang Yu-hwan also nodded.

“If they just work diligently, I can teach them the rest.”

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun-joo exclaimed, and Hwang Min-soo tilted his head.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

Hwang Min-soo looked at Lee Hyun-joo with a puzzled expression.

‘I forgot that the person who’s going to train them is his father.’

Everything else was fine, but if they found out that they had to be trained by the Assembly Head’s father, most of them would run away.

But he still thought there would be applicants….

‘If not, well, I’ll have to enforce it.’ That’s how the world works, isn’t it?

You can’t just live doing what you want.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they come to work by the day after tomorrow, no matter what.”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled gently.

But Hwang Min-soo and Kang Yu-hwan felt something eerie in that smile and nodded awkwardly.

“T-They’ll do a good job, right?”

“Y-Yes, of course.”

Kang Yu-hwan quietly turned his head and looked out the window.

‘Why are all the women around my son so scary?’

This is also a blessing, a blessing.

Kang Yu-hwan had nothing more to wish for in life. His only wish in his twilight years was to get a kind daughter-in-law and see his grandchildren, but that wish didn’t seem to be coming true.

‘Better to die than suffer. Ugh.’

Kang Yu-hwan sighed deeply.