Chapter 494 - 328: Can I Call You Oppa?

"Wow..."

The soft skin and fat of the pork knuckle melted in her mouth. The unparalleled aroma of meat and grease, combined with a steamed bun soaked in the savory broth, created an ultimate yet simple delicacy that made her exclaim in spite.

That single "wow" instantly transported Lin Chen back to his days of watching Korean variety shows.

That tone, that exclamation, that exaggeration—yep, she was definitely Korean!

She took a bite of the broth-soaked bun, then shoveled in a few mouthfuls of rice steeped in the stew, mixed with tender vermicelli and potatoes. The flavor was simply beyond description.

Hearing the series of exaggerated sighs, Erica blinked, looking at Jin Meiyan with some confusion before turning to Lin Chen with a questioning gaze.

"You'll get used to it. Koreans are just that dramatic in daily life. They amplify all sorts of emotional feedback to make each other more comfortable. It's a kind of social skill."

Erica nodded in understanding. Suddenly curious, she mimicked the action, dipping a steamed bun in the stew, piling on some meat and vegetables, and taking a big bite.

Though she didn't let out such an exaggerated exclamation, she had to admit it was a much more delicious way to eat.

After serving everyone, Lin Chen finally got a bowl for himself. He added some rice and began slurping it down noisily.

After shoveling down seven or eight mouthfuls, he felt it needed an extra kick and ladled a few spoonfuls of chili oil into his bowl, stirring it in.

The moment he added it, the whole bowl of stew transformed, turning a vibrant, appetizing red. The heat also released the fragrant aroma of the chili oil, which began to fill the air.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about that!"

Having already tasted the wonders of the chili oil, Erica's eyes lit up. She quickly added a spoonful to her own bowl, then looked toward Jin Meiyan.

"Do you want some? It's not too spicy. It's chili oil that Lin made himself. It's very fragrant!"

"Yes, please. Thank you~"

"Koreans can handle their spice pretty well. Things like fire chicken noodles and spicy chicken feet... you'd take one bite and your mouth would swell up, so don't get too cocky."

"Really?" Erica looked at Jin Meiyan skeptically. The latter smiled and nodded. "It's true. But the normal level of spiciness isn't that hot. Some internet-famous shops make their food ridiculously spicy to attract tourists—the kind that gives you a stomach ache. Very few people actually order that."

"In most cases, our Korean food isn't that spicy. The spiciness is generally based on the level of kimchi."

"Oh! Kimchi! I've had that. It's sweet, spicy, and a little sour. It's really not that hot."

The three of them chatted idly, quickly finishing the food in their hands.

"I never knew pork belly could be this good without being made into bacon. That feeling of taking a big bite of meat and having the fat melt in your mouth is just wonderful. You just can't eat too much of it, or it starts to feel a little greasy."

"And that pork tail... it has much less meat than oxtail. It's all skin. Way too rich for me, not my cup of tea."

"The pork knuckle was really good, though. Cut into thin shreds in the stew, you get meat in every bite. It doesn't get greasy as fast as the pork belly, but it's not as satisfying as eating a big piece of meat."

Erica gave her opinions while wiping her mouth, and Jin Meiyan nodded in agreement beside her.

"I've never had cubed pork belly stewed until it's this tender. Back home, we usually boil a whole strip, then slice it and eat it wrapped in various kinds of kimchi and lettuce. Or we barbecue it."

"Ah! Right, speaking of barbecue, Lin is already planning to open a barbecue restaurant! There will also be hot pot. Do you know what hot pot is?"

"Hot pot?! Of course I know about it! Haidilao is super famous in South Korea right now. A lot of celebrities go there to eat. I've been a few times myself. It's super delicious! And the atmosphere and service are much more interesting for a get-together than going to a soup-and-rice or fried chicken place!"

'Hai... Haidilao? What's that?'

Erica's face was a blank slate as she instinctively looked toward Lin Chen.

"It's the brand name of a hot pot company, famous for its great service. It's a global chain now."

After a brief explanation, he asked curiously, "Besides Haidilao, what other Daxia Cuisine have you tried? I don't mean the ones that have always been famous in Korea, but the ones that have gotten popular recently."

"In recent years..."

Jin Meiyan tilted her head and thought for a moment, counting on her fingers. "First, there's tanghulu. It was super popular a couple of years ago, and there was even a song about it, but the hype has died down. The hottest thing right now is milk tea. A lot of people have switched from drinking coffee every day to drinking milk tea every day. You could say the arrival of milk tea has almost completely changed the tastes of the younger generation."

"Then there's hot pot and lamb skewers. These are the most famous right now. A lot of other new restaurants serving Daxia Cuisine have also opened recently, but since I haven't been in the country, I haven't had a chance to try them. I've only heard about them from my friends. Personally, I've only tried the four I mentioned."

"I don't know if it's because I'm always seeing my friends post pictures of all kinds of delicious food, but it's been driving me crazy with cravings. But while traveling abroad, I have no idea where to find good Daxia Cuisine, so I can only go to Michelin-starred Western restaurants or famous old establishments."

"But it's great now. With a real-life Great Xia chef right here, I'll definitely get to eat lots of delicious food that even my friends haven't tried!"

"Couldn't you just go to Chinatown?" Erica asked, puzzled.

"Theoretically, yes. But I prefer to film food review videos with the most authentic reactions. Plus, since I'm by myself, I can't eat that much, so I just never went."

Lin Chen said, "Listening to your accent, it doesn't sound like you're a native-born Korean. You must have spent a long time in North America, right?"

"Yes, I was born in the United States, but because my parents are both Korean, my home life was very culturally Korean. I became obsessed with idols back then and started learning to dance. Later on, I went back to South Korea for school to chase my dream."

Seeing Lin Chen ask Jin Meiyan one question after another, the two of them chatting animatedly with no signs of stopping, Erica found she could barely get a word in.

Erica narrowed her eyes, her thoughts unreadable.

A dozen seconds later, she silently turned around, packed up the remaining food from the thermal container, and began to clean up the trash, collecting the empty lunch boxes from the workers.

"Oh my, this is so embarrassing. You went to the trouble of cooking for us, and now you're cleaning up too. Please, leave it. We'll do it ourselves next time."

Seeing this, Wang Jun couldn't just sit there. He quickly stood up to help clean.

When even the boss got up to work, the workers couldn't remain seated either. They all quickly gathered their own lunch boxes and stacked them together.

Lin Chen, who had been about to help, relaxed when he saw this. He stayed where he was and continued chatting with Miss Jin.

'She's a guest from afar, after all. As the host, it's my duty to entertain her personally. Besides, after watching Korean variety shows for years, I'm genuinely interested in Koreans. It's a shame I was always stuck in the back of the kitchen and never had a chance to meet any.'

'This woman is a genuine influencer who built her career from scratch, completely different from a nouveau riche like me. I was thinking of building a good relationship first and seeing if I could learn a thing or two from her. It would be best if we could collaborate on something.'

'Like a whale-watching video, for instance.'

Jin Meiyan was clearly also very interested in this young, star chef from Great Xia, not just because of the food. She also asked many questions about wilderness survival.

"Hearing you say that, I'm really getting impatient to experience what it's like to survive in the wild. Last night, I specifically looked up video clips of you online. The most famous ones are from Alaska—being surrounded by a wolf pack, shooting the Black Bear, and the later episodes where you hunted the Musk Ox!"

"Just the thought of being stared down by that pack of wolves gives me goosebumps, but you managed to turn the tables and win. That's so amazing!"

"Uh... haha, my archery wasn't very good back then. It was pure luck. To be honest, I'm not even sure how I made the shot."

Lin Chen rubbed his nose and gave an awkward laugh, still a bit unused to being praised to his face by a beautiful stranger.

Perhaps because they had been chatting for a while and felt a bit more familiar with each other, Jin Meiyan glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, then mustered up the courage to ask.

"Um, since you've seen a lot of Korean variety shows, you probably know that the senior-junior culture over there is pretty intense. Even though I'm an American and don't really care about that stuff conceptually, I've gotten used to it after living in the country for so long. So... is it okay to ask what year you were born?"

"Me? I'm twenty-five."

"So you were born in 2000? I was born in '01. What about the month?"

"December. Oh, wait, I almost forgot it's already April. I'm actually twenty-six."

"So, '99..."

Jin Meiyan nodded with a hint of disappointment. Her casual attitude immediately became more tense, and she leaned forward slightly. "Theoretically, it shouldn't be this soon, but I feel like we get along really well. And since we're in North America where things are more relaxed... can I... call you Oppa?"

'Oppa?'

Lin Chen froze. He never imagined that this word would one day be directed at him.

Even though female guests on variety shows seemed to call everyone Oppa, he had actually looked it up before. It wasn't a word you could just call anyone. Usually, it was reserved for one's own older brother, male cousins, or a very close older male acquaintance.

A senior, meaning they had to be at least a full year older. Anyone within a year was considered a peer.

They had only known each other for less than half an hour. According to Korean tradition, she should theoretically be using formal language with him.

But then again, he couldn't understand Korean, and English doesn't have such distinctions, so you could say they were already speaking informally.

Seeing Lin Chen's strange expression, Jin Meiyan quickly waved her hands and explained in a panic, "I-I-I just wanted to get closer to you quickly! After all, if we're too distant during the shoot, the results won't be good. If you found it offensive, I apologize!"

As she spoke, she subconsciously moved to bow, but Lin Chen swiftly stopped her.

"Don't be nervous, that's not what I meant. In Great Xia, we have a tradition of respecting our elders and caring for the young, but it's not as extreme as in South Korea. We're pretty casual. We only really use a respectful tone and attitude toward elders who are twenty or more years older than us."

"I just never thought I'd hear someone call me Oppa, so for a moment, I didn't know how to react."

"Phew... you scared me to death."

Jin Meiyan patted her chest, a look of lingering fear on her face. "In South Korea, if you dare disrespect a senior, you'll probably end up being targeted. I couldn't stand that atmosphere, which is why I quit my job to become a freelance vlogger."