“Let’s go, Hana!”
“Yay!”
I cheered and quickly clung to Maru’s back. To others, it might look like a mother and daughter, or maybe an older sister and her youngest sibling. Of course, both assumptions were wrong.
Since we moved buildings, there was no reason it should take an hour to get downtown. If we pushed a little, we could even walk the distance. Compared to the past when it took an hour just to get downtown, this was a huge improvement. No wonder people want to live in the prime areas of Seoul.
People living in Gyeonggi-do or the outskirts of Seoul spend a significant part of their lives on subways or public transport. At least now we have mobile phones; I wonder how people waited back in the day without them.
Spending hours in a car, just zoning out? Now, with a phone, you can watch fun videos or do all sorts of things.
“Hana, why did you get interested in LEGO instead of dolls?”
I wondered how Maru would react if I said, “Because I’m a guy, of course!” But even if I did, Maru would probably just laugh and tell me to stop joking. I mean, with this appearance, it’s not like I’m some adult guy who turned into a kid after taking a suspicious potion from a comic book.
“Just thought building stuff looked fun…”
“Really? So you have to finish it, right? No giving up halfway.”
“Trust me, Maru!”
I wasn’t some kid who’d cry and look for Bora, Haru, or Maru if I couldn’t build the LEGO. Plus, LEGO sets these days come with great instructions, so even if I got stuck, it wasn’t a big deal. And if all else failed, I could just watch a YouTube tutorial.
In this age of information, there’s no need to struggle like in the old days. LEGO building used to be tough, but now it’s way easier.
As we chatted, we arrived at the large supermarket. After parking the car, I dashed out. I always get excited at the supermarket—it’s packed with things I love, from food to all sorts of stuff.
I was ready to bolt out like a bullet, but Maru quickly caught up and grabbed my hand tightly. It’s like parents holding their kids’ hands to avoid losing them in the store.
I wasn’t some kid who couldn’t communicate, and I had my phone. The chance of me getting lost in the supermarket was close to zero. But Maru’s hand was warm, so I didn’t mind holding it. We weren’t here for anything else—today was all about buying LEGO.
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“Whoaaa…”
The idea of just buying LEGO had long vanished from my mind. I was staring at a wiggly rabbit. The white rabbit inside the glass enclosure was overwhelmingly cute. It was on a whole different level compared to the balloon rabbit I saw last time. That balloon rabbit just looked like a rabbit, but it couldn’t compare to the real thing.
I pressed my face close to the glass, as if I could enter. The rabbit seemed to notice my gaze and stopped eating to approach me. I locked eyes with the rabbit. What was it thinking? But something interrupted my thoughts.
*Scratch scratch!*
The rabbit, as if welcoming me, started scratching the glass with its short paws. I wanted to take it home, but raising a rabbit didn’t suit my nature. People who keep pets need the right mindset, right? Some bad people even abandon their pets on the streets.
I never kept pets from the start. I guess I’m more of a watcher. I enjoy healing by watching animal videos on YouTube, but I don’t have the courage to raise one myself.
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James felt a thrilling addiction after eating the beef made by Starlight Food. This addictive flavor was a rare find from Starlight Food.
And James had been traveling the world in search of hair loss products. Maybe that’s why he could eat various meats from around the world without skipping a day. He tried not just beef, but also chicken, goose, pork, and meat from all sorts of animals.
Of course, while living in Korea, he had naturally tried Hanwoo (Korean beef). However, Hanwoo, tailored to Korean tastes, wasn’t exactly James’s cup of tea. James preferred beef with the fat completely trimmed off. Having grown up eating American beef, it was just the way he was.
But this beef was different. It had a flavor so addictive that even someone like James, who grew up in the U.S., couldn’t resist. He had tried various types of beef in his life, but nothing came close to this. It was revolutionary.
Even Layla, who was usually the first to oppose anything, fell silent. She must have been feeling the same way as James. The real issue was that beef this good wasn’t being distributed widely.
“How is it? Good enough to break into the U.S. market, right?”
Kim Sehee laughed as she watched the two of them in awe. It was the reaction she had expected. Even she had made a similar face when she first tried this beef. It was so good it felt like heaven.
“Absolutely. But is this beef the only special one…?”
James couldn’t help but trail off. What if only a few cows were raised with such care, and the rest turned out mediocre? Kim Sehee quickly dismissed his concerns.
“No matter which cow we slaughter, the flavor stays consistent. I understand your concerns, but that won’t happen.”
“Really?”
As business partners, there was no reason to lie. Starlight Food was already selling Tangle through Walmart. James visibly relaxed.
“This beef will definitely sell in the U.S. Why not expand the livestock scale and distribute it nationwide?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“How many cows are we talking about…?”
The number of cows raised in the U.S. was staggering—over 30 million. The vast land allowed for such a scale. Kim Sehee honestly shared the numbers she hadn’t even told the civil servants.
“I’d love to raise a million, but Korea’s terrain doesn’t allow it. Based on our calculations, we’re thinking of raising 50,000 to 100,000 cows.”
James stroked his chin. The scale was smaller than expected. With that number, even Walmart’s distribution might struggle to keep up. Americans consumed more beef than anyone else in the world. Compared to the U.S. cow population, it was only 0.1%. But that was actually a good thing.
“Then we can market it as premium-grade beef instead of regular beef.”
James knew exactly how to sell beef at a higher price. The moment you slapped the word “premium” on it, the price would skyrocket. And given the taste of Starlight Food’s beef, consumers would definitely buy it. Americans loved their beef, after all.
But even James had to address the most sensitive part. No matter how premium the beef was, the price had to be reasonable and not too high. Based on the quality of the beef they just tasted, it could easily be priced at the top of the premium line.
Even if the beef was expensive, the average American salary far exceeded it. In terms of GDP, the average American annual income was around $70,000 to $80,000.
Compared to Korea, where the average annual income still hovered around $30,000 to $40,000, the U.S. had a completely different level of consumption.
A slightly higher price was acceptable, as long as it wasn’t too expensive.
“The price won’t be as high as you might think. We’re aiming for a reasonable price.”
“Is that so?”
With that, James had no reason to turn down the offer.
