The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 136

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 136

Chapter 136. You Reap What You Sow (6)

The Namho Merchant Leader couldn’t fathom what was happening.
He’d been certain that he’d successfully poached all the clients who’d been dealing with the Migwa Trading Company.
Yet one day, without warning, the Migwa Trading Company slashed their medicinal herb prices dramatically.
Down to forty percent of the original price.
Word had it they were even selling to certain merchant guilds at thirty percent.
Upon hearing this news, the Namho Merchant Leader concluded that the young upstart who’d become acting guild leader had lost his mind.
Most of the clients who’d switched to the Namho Trading Company returned to the Migwa Trading Company, but he wasn’t particularly concerned.
‘It’s just their final desperate struggle.’
Then a voice called out from beyond his office door.
“Guild Leader, it’s Seo Chief Manager.”
“Come in.”
The Seo Chief Manager entered the office and immediately got to the point.
“Guild Leader, our losses are mounting faster than anticipated. At this rate, we won’t even survive the six months we originally projected.”
We continued purchasing medicinal herbs, but since they weren’t selling, the losses were inevitable.
“Don’t worry. The Migwa Trading Company said they’d only sell at these low prices for one month. After that, they’ll return to trading with us.”
The Namho Merchant Leader continued.
“Given their circumstances, it’s impossible for them to sustain such low prices beyond a month.”
“Understood, sir.”

However, when nearly a month had passed since the Migwa Trading Company began selling at reduced prices, the Namho Merchant Leader’s deputy officer came rushing in, his face ashen.
“Guild Leader! Disaster has struck!”
“What is it?”
“Look at this!”
It was a piece of paper with something written on it.

[In gratitude to all who have supported the Migwa Trading Company’s special pricing event, we are extending the special pricing event for an additional month.]

Upon witnessing this, the Namho Merchant Leader felt a sharp pain shoot through the back of his head.
“Ugh!”
He staggered backward, clutching the nape of his neck.
“Are you alright, Merchant Leader?”
“Is this even possible?”
“It appears the Eunhae Trading Company has invested their capital into this.”
“The Eunhae Trading Company! You bastards—! Do you have no conscience? This is crossing every line!”
The Namho Merchant Leader bellowed in outrage, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Watching him, the Deputy Officer muttered silently to himself.
‘Though it was you, Merchant Leader, who acted without conscience first….’
After shouting for some time, the Namho Merchant Leader finally composed himself somewhat, his face darkening as he spoke.
“The new acting leader of the Migwa Trading Company. He’s no ordinary man.”
“Sir?”
“No matter how much wealth one possesses, an ordinary person could never orchestrate something like this.”
“Then you’re saying it was the acting leader, not Eun Jo-san himself, who orchestrated this? I heard he hasn’t even reached twenty years of age.”
“Absolutely. Eun Jo-san pulling off something like this? Nonsense! If that were the case, I would never have started this price war in the first place!”
“….”
He paused in thought before issuing an order to his Deputy Officer.
“Summon Seo Chief Manager.”
“Yes, sir.”
.
.
.
The Namho Merchant Leader sat in his office, exhaling a heavy sigh.
Seo Chief Manager, who had just left moments ago, had delivered a bleak assessment: the company would not survive more than three months at best.
And that was only if the Migwa Trading Company’s special pricing promotion ended this month.
“Three months….”
But the mad acting leader of the Migwa Trading Company would not stop here.
‘In the end, this company must be destroyed for my mind to find peace.’
In a struggle between merchant companies, only one outcome was possible—one of us had to be eliminated entirely.
‘Why did I do this?’
He wanted to beat his past self senseless for starting this fight.
‘It was all because of my greed….’
He had despised the Migwa Trading Company for rejecting his proposal to collude.
And he had wanted to monopolize all the profits from being the middleman for medicinal herbs in Guizhou.
So he had started this war, and the result was catastrophic.
His fatal mistake was underestimating the influence of the Eunhae Trading Company standing behind the Migwa Trading Company.
But there had been reason for that miscalculation.
He knew the pride of the Migwa Merchant Leader all too well.
Surely the Migwa Merchant Leader would have asked for help timidly, saying something like “If you could just help us a little….”
Yet the Eunhae Trading Company remained the Eunhae Trading Company.
The moment they learned of the difficulties facing the Migwa Trading Company, with whom they conducted herb trades, they immediately appointed an acting Merchant Guild Leader.
Of course, this was due to Eun Seo-ho, not the Eunhae Trading Company itself.
In my previous life, the Eunhae Trading Company had failed to respond properly.
But the Namho Merchant Leader, who could not possibly know this, kept chewing on the bitterness of how “the Eunhae Trading Company was the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Sigh….”
He exhaled another deep breath.
“Should I settle the company’s affairs before it’s too late?”
A full day of heartburn and the sensation of blood draining from his veins—he never wanted to experience that again.
At this rate, he wouldn’t live out his natural lifespan.
‘Eun Jo-san must have felt this way too.’
Now that he had experienced it firsthand, he felt an unexpected pang of sympathy.
That was when it happened.
A servant’s voice came from outside.
“Sir, the Merchant Guild Leader… a guest has arrived.”
“A guest? I have no appointments today.”
“Well… they’re from the Migwa Trading Company. They say they’re the acting Merchant Guild Leader….”
At those words, he shot to his feet.
“Who did you say?”

* * *

I was now at the Namho Trading Company.
More precisely, in the Guest Reception Room of the Namho Trading Company.
Sip.
Mm, this tea is delicious.
As I silently savored the tea, the Namho Merchant Leader asked.
“So, why have you come?”
Instead of answering, I studied the Namho Merchant Leader’s appearance.
Looking at his face, it seemed he had endured considerable mental anguish.

In my previous life, Eun Jung-ho had gone to great lengths to settle this matter.
Our Father, as the Merchant Guild Leader of the Eunhae Trading Company, could not leave his post.
Grandfather had said he would go himself, but Eun Jung-ho went in his stead, fearing the shock might be too much for him.
Later, when I spoke with Eun Jung-ho, the story of that time came up.

“Uncle’s Wife and Ji-seo the Small Merchant Guild Leader… even though they were alive, they seemed as though they weren’t.”

In the end, my Uncle’s Wife and Ji-seo Elder Brother both wasted away from illness and didn’t live long.
Because I remembered that, the Namho Merchant Leader didn’t strike me as particularly pitiful.
I set down my teacup and spoke.
“There’s no need to be so anxious. I’ve simply come to make you a proposal.”
“A proposal?”
“Since we’re both busy, I’ll get straight to the point. Would you consider becoming part of the Eunhae Trading Company?”
At my blunt proposal, the Namho Merchant Leader seemed at a loss for words and couldn’t answer immediately.
“What’s the reason?”
Only after a long pause did his mouth finally open.
Still, as a merchant, the Namho Merchant Leader was better than my Paternal Uncle.
When I asked my Paternal Uncle to transfer his position as Merchant Guild Leader, he immediately shouted back, asking what kind of nonsense that was.
My coming to the Namho Trading Company with such a proposal was already part of a plan I’d conceived.
It meant I’d already received my Father’s permission.
I could have easily destroyed the Namho Trading Company.
If that happened, the Migwa Trading Company would become the only medicinal herb broker in Guizhou.
Honestly, a monopoly structure is dangerous even for the stability of medicinal herb prices and supply.
If something were to happen to the remaining company, merchants in need of immediate medicinal herbs would find themselves in quite a predicament.
And I couldn’t afford to draw the attention of the Murim Alliance.
As someone who must check and ultimately destroy the Murim Alliance, there was nothing to gain from drawing their attention over such matters.
Moreover, a monopolized Migwa Trading Company could become an appetizing target for the Murim Alliance.
From the Government Authority’s perspective, price spikes from monopolies could also be viewed unfavorably.
In fact, in my previous life, the Government Authority had intervened over such issues.
So on the surface, a dual-power structure had to remain.
If my Paternal Uncle had committed suicide this time as he did in my past life, the Eunhae Trading Company would never have forgiven the Namho Trading Company.
But this time, since I intervened beforehand, those events existed only in my memory.
Honestly, I wanted to crush them completely, but I have the goal of becoming the Greatest Trading Company in The Realm.
And the goal of destroying the Murim Alliance.
So I decided to extract maximum benefit from this situation.
Honestly, the Namho Merchant Leader is a man of talent. It would be wasteful to simply destroy him.
So I plan to refine him.
The process will be painful for him, but that’s not my concern.
He’s reaping what he sowed.
Since I’ve already set things in motion, shouldn’t I catch two rabbits with one stone?
And while resolving this situation, I came to understand something.
My Paternal Uncle bore some responsibility for how things had escalated.
Of course, it’s true that the Namho Merchant Leader employed petty tactics and initiated a price war.
But if my Paternal Uncle had abandoned his pride and handled things properly, would the situation have spiraled into tragedy in my previous life?
In my view, the prideful Paternal Uncle and the greedy Namho Merchant Leader were equally at fault.
But I couldn’t say that directly.
I smiled slightly and spoke.
“I wanted to give the Merchant Guild Leader a chance.”
“….”
“The problem is that the methods you employed this time were underhanded.”
“Hmph, hmph….”
I continued.
“Whether you’ve received reports or not, the Haeng-su and workers you bribed for such petty schemes have vanished, haven’t they?”
“….”
“They’re under my protection now. I saved them from the Black Blade Warriors who were sent to kill them on someone’s orders.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Come now, you know exactly what dirty tricks you’ve used. Don’t play innocent.”
“….”
“Why do you think the merchant companies that cut ties with the Migwa Trading Company recently resumed business with them? Surely it wasn’t just because of lower prices?”
I pressed on.
“And I am someone who meets regularly with His Imperial Majesty.”
“The Emperor? Where did you come up with such a lie!”
“If it sounds like a lie, then investigate a little. Simply inquire with the Daeseong Trading Company, the salt retailers here in Guizhou, and you’ll immediately know it’s the truth.”
“…So what are you trying to say?”
“What do you think would happen if His Imperial Majesty learned that the Merchant Guild Leader employed underhanded methods and attempted to eliminate those he used for such schemes?”
At my words, the Namho Merchant Leader’s face turned deathly pale.
“I doubt you’d meet a pleasant end.”
“Is this… blackmail?”
At that question, I smiled faintly.
“Blackmail? No, this is a bridle. And how one pulls the bridle depends entirely on the will of the one holding it, doesn’t it?”
It was the same thing, really, but the word “bridle” sounded more refined than “blackmail.”
“I came all this way because I thought the Namho Trading Company would be more useful to me if it remained intact.”
It had to appear legitimate on the surface, after all.
“If you won’t accept my proposal to become part of the Eunhae Trading Company, then so be it. We’ll simply see this through to the end.”
I left those words and rose from my seat.
Then the Namho Merchant Leader urgently grabbed my arm.
“Wait! I have one question.”
“What would you like to know?”
“Then, can this Namho Trading Company be saved? Can the people working here continue to work?”
I sat back down and spoke.
“You seem concerned about them.”
“Though you committed unjust acts, they are still those who worked at this company.”
“Then why did you do such a thing?”
“Kgh!”
“The Namho Trading Company will continue to operate under the name Namho Trading Company.”
I continued.
“Your position as Merchant Guild Leader won’t change either, provided you uphold the principles that the Eunhae Trading Company pursues, done properly and by the book.”
I pulled out the contract I had prepared in advance and handed it over.
“Take a look.”
I knew the Namho Merchant Leader wouldn’t be able to refuse my proposal.
Reporting his petty schemes to the Emperor was nothing short of a bridle.
A bridle to prevent him from fleeing elsewhere.
From his position, he had no choice but to take my hand.
He knew full well that if things continued as they were, the company would truly collapse.
“I understand the dismissal rights for the Merchant Leader and Small Unit Leader. And I understand the quarterly financial audits. Following the Eunhae Trading Company’s counsel—well, that’s my fault. But what is this?”
The Namho Merchant Leader spoke while looking at the back page of the contract.
It was a hidden clause.
Written there was that thirty percent of the Namho Trading Company’s monthly profits must be sent to me.
“Ah, that’s my consultation fee.”
“Your consultation fee?”
“Actually, my Father ordered me to remove the Namho Trading Company’s signboard immediately.”
Gulp.
“But I barely—barely managed to persuade him. That’s why we’re having this negotiation in the first place.”
I continued with a slight smile.
“Then shouldn’t something come my way as well?”
“But thirty percent of the monthly profits… that’s excessive.”
“Would you prefer I remove the signboard instead?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————