For a while, the conversation turned to business opportunities in Seoul.
Then the waitress approached with the separately prepared scallion pancake.
She placed it carefully before the guest who had reported the allergy.
“This version was prepared without shellfish,” she explained in English. “The kitchen used separate utensils and verified the ingredients for your request.”
The guest thanked her.
But the billionaire looked up sharply.
“What is that?”
“A scallion pancake prepared for the guest's allergy requirement, sir.”
The billionaire stared at the dish.
“Why doesn't it look like the others?”
“Because it doesn't contain seafood.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh.
“Are you going to explain every plate to us?”
The waitress remained composed.
“I only wanted to confirm the accommodation.”
He glanced around the table.
“Do Americans always make simple things so complicated?”
A few men smiled politely.
The waitress did not respond.
The billionaire gestured toward the platter in the center.
“Just bring the food.”
“Yes, sir.”
As she reached for an empty plate, he spoke again.
This time in Korean.
“요즘은 아무나 고급 식당에서 일할 수 있나 보군.”
Apparently anyone can work in a fine restaurant these days.
The waitress heard every word.
She continued clearing the plate.
The billionaire watched her face.
Because she did not react, he seemed encouraged.
He made another remark.
Then another.
The comments became increasingly personal.
He joked that she probably could not distinguish a business meeting from an ordinary dinner.
He suggested that her polite explanations were attempts to appear educated.
He complained that restaurants were hiring employees who wanted to be treated like professionals rather than servants.
The men around him began looking uncomfortable.
The youngest executive stopped eating.
The restaurant owner appeared briefly in the doorway, but the billionaire had already shifted back to an ordinary discussion.
For several minutes, the waitress considered requesting another server.
She did not need to endure personal insults.
But the room was busy, and the other staff members were handling large parties.
She also knew the owner would support her if she complained.
She decided to finish serving the next course and step away.
Then the billionaire made the remark that changed everything.
He looked at her while she stood beside his chair, holding the leather folder containing the dinner's service details.
“한국말도 못 알아들을 텐데 그냥 접시나 치우라고 해.”