The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 152

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 152

Chapter 152. Valuables Must Be Stored in the Warehouse (3)

When Heo Un Scholar—or rather, Heo Un Officer—was formally assigned to the Sang-yu Hall with Yeon Gak-ju’s approval, I had engaged him in light conversation.

“Scholar, what would you say is your greatest strength, or perhaps a talent you possess?”
“Hmm… if I had to name one thing, it would be memorization.”
“Memorization?”
“Yes. I remember everything I see once. I understand it may be difficult to believe.”
“On the contrary, I believe you. I know you are not one to speak falsehoods. It is truly a remarkable talent.”
“You flatter me.”
“To be frank with you, Scholar, given that you lack one leg, you will undoubtedly face certain difficulties in your work.”
“That is likely true.”
“However, should your abilities be recognized, others will cease to concern themselves with such matters. They may even seek you out more readily.”
“…”
“I believe you can become such a person. Since you say memorization is your forte, when you go to the Sang-yu Hall, take time to read through the ledgers there and commit them to memory.”
“I understand.”
“In particular, I would recommend you first examine this year’s ledgers for the goods our trading company primarily deals in—silk, for instance. Those records will prove useful in many ways and provide considerable assistance.”

I chuckled softly, recalling my conversation with Heo Woon Officer.
He had followed my advice and memorized the ledger entries related to silk.
Meanwhile, Yeon Gak-ju asked with a puzzled expression.
“You remember all of that? From what I know, there were about two hundred….”
“Approximately two hundred and ninety pages, if I recall correctly.”
At Heo Woon Officer’s words, Yeon Gak-ju continued.
“Yes, two hundred and ninety pages. But you’re saying you remember all of it?”
The murmuring from those around us did not cease.
Likely because Heo Woon Officer’s claim sounded like mere boasting.
Now it was my turn to step forward.
“Director Yeon, there’s nothing to lose by trying, is there? Why not put him to the test?”
“Very well. Since we need to restore the records anyway, having him attempt it is a reasonable approach.”
Heo Woon Officer took his seat, closed his eyes briefly, and drew a deep breath.
After counting to about twenty,
Heo Woon Officer opened his eyes, picked up his brush, and began writing down everything he remembered onto the paper.
Swish, swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish, swish,
As people watched the content take shape, their eyes widened. Particularly the managers and officers responsible for silk transactions looked as though they might fall backward.
“He… he really does remember it all!”
“Unbelievable!”
Watching this unfold, I smiled with quiet satisfaction.
This was the primary reason I had sent Heo Woon Officer to Sang-yu Hall.
A way for him to make an impression on everyone at once and earn their recognition.
Of course, I also didn’t want to see the officers of Sang-yu Hall suffer.
Even after all their hard work, they hadn’t been able to fully restore the ledgers.
Was that what they meant by sweeping the courtyard and picking up coins?
Heo Woon Officer was the cornerstone of the newly established Information Bureau.
For him to establish himself properly in the Information Bureau, he needed the backing and recognition of multiple people, not just my one-sided recommendation.
Thus, Heo Woon Officer wrote on without hesitation, and the other officers, without needing instruction, quickly replenished the ink and paper beside him.
After nearly two hours, Heo Woon Officer finally set down his brush. Beside him, papers had accumulated in a thick stack.
“I have finished. I have written down everything I can remember.”
The managers and officers verifying it beside him gasped in admiration. Particularly the officer responsible for the earlier mistake cried out with emotion.
“It matches exactly with the ledger I saw!”
However, Yeon Gak-ju did not accept this so readily and ordered further verification.
“You’ve worked hard. But verification is necessary. As I mentioned earlier, request cooperation from the other divisions to gather materials.”
“Understood.”
“And check whether Officer Heo’s written content matches.”

I returned to my office once more.
I couldn’t afford to be away from my post for long.
Since Yeon Gak-ju had ordered additional verification, it would take time for the results to come through.
As the director of Sang-yu Hall, such an action was only natural, so I let it pass without comment.
Besides, Heo Un Officer’s abilities were proven, and once this matter was resolved, Yeon Gak-ju would come to trust his memory as well.
I focused on my work with peace of mind.
.
.
.
That evening.
I went to find Heo Un Officer, but he hadn’t returned home yet.
“Is he working overtime?”
Just then, I heard the sound of a group approaching from afar.
“That’s really impressive. To memorize all of it without a single mistake.”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“Hey, you saved this bastard’s life. No matter how hard we tried, how could we recreate the exact same ledgers? I’m sure after this job was done, Yeon Gak-ju would have half-killed him?”
“Ugh! Just thinking about it is terrifying!”
Amid that conversation, there was another sound mixed in.
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of a cart being pulled.
Soon, two people and a cart came into view.
And riding in that cart was a familiar face.
It was Heo Un Officer.
It seemed that today’s events had left quite an impression on Heo Un Officer.
Seeing them speak as equals, it was clear he had made a new friend.
I smiled gently and spoke to Palgap.
“Let’s follow a bit later.”
“Understood, sir.”

Thus I quietly withdrew from the Guest House, watching as the two officers helped Heo Un Officer down from the carriage and assisted him inside.
Heo Un Officer’s expression seemed awkward, though it was far from displeased.
After confirming their departure, I turned back toward the Guest House.
“Is Heo Un Officer present?”
“Please, come in.”
I opened the door and stepped inside. Heo Un Officer sat before a wooden table.
“Ah! Small Guild Master!”
“Please, make yourself comfortable. There is no need for formality.”
I settled into a seat across from him and spoke.
“Your performance today was magnificent.”
“It was only thanks to your guidance, Small Guild Master.”
“Because of your efforts, the officers of Sangyu Division were spared considerable hardship. As Small Guild Master, I offer my gratitude.”
I clasped my fists in respect and bowed slightly, leaving Heo Un Officer visibly flustered.
“It feels strange somehow, yet… not unpleasant.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. In truth, this is the first time I have ever received such recognition from others.”
He scratched behind his ear as he continued.
“I am pleased to discover that I can be of use.”
At that moment, a question suddenly occurred to me.
He must have accomplished some work at Baekcheon Trading Company, so why had no one recognized such a monstrous memory before?
“Did the others at Baekcheon Trading Company not know of this memory of yours?”
“I never told them.”
“What?”
“My father instructed me never to reveal it carelessly. He said I might face envy from others, and that when the time came, I should make it known.”
“When the time came, you say?”
“He said I would come to understand it myself. And when the ledger incident occurred, I realized it. I recalled how you had once asked about my talents, Small Guild Master, and I felt that this was the moment my father had spoken of.”
“But you revealed it to me before that, did you not?”
“That was…”
Heo Un Officer answered with a smile.
“Even if I only met my father in dreams, you were someone who believed in me and gave me employment. I wished to repay that trust.”
“…”
In any case, Heo Won Supreme Master, Heo Un Officer’s father, had known.
He had known his son would be cast out from Baekcheon Trading Company.
Moreover, he could not abide his son’s talents being used for Baekcheon Trading Company’s benefit.
“However, as I watched you memorize and rewrite all those ledgers just now, a question arose.”
“What might that be?”
“What are the limits of this memory of yours?”
“That is…”
His expression grew troubled.
“In truth, I do not know myself. I have never yet encountered its limits.”
“Pardon?”
“When I worked at the Baekcheon Trading Company, I had no choice but to examine all the ledgers in the archives. The fact that I still remember every detail of them speaks volumes.”
“That’s remarkable!”
Wait.
Something about this story felt off, didn’t it?
Had I misheard?
“You’re saying you remember the contents of every single ledger in the Baekcheon Trading Company archives?”
“Yes.”
“….”
I had assumed Heo Won Supreme Master kept it secret because he didn’t want his son’s talents to be used for the Baekcheon Trading Company.
But that wasn’t it at all.
When organizing ledgers, one inevitably sees their contents. If the others at the Baekcheon Trading Company discovered he could memorize all of it, and word reached Namgung Kang’s ears—what then?
Namgung Kang would certainly choose one of two paths.
Either forcibly keep him bound to the Baekcheon Trading Company.
Or kill him.
But given his nature, the probability of death was far greater.
So Heo Won Supreme Master had demanded secrecy to save his son’s life.
Having served beside Namgung Kang for so long, he would know his temperament well.
“What’s wrong?”
As I fell silent, frozen in place, Heo Woon Officer tilted his head curiously.
“Oh, it’s nothing. But have you eaten dinner?”
“Yes. I ate with my fellow officers earlier.”

I told Heo Woon Officer to rest and left his guest house.
That fool Namgung Kang.
What he had discarded was no mere treasure. It was a treasure beyond measure.
After all, the ledgers were what trading companies most desperately wished to hide from their rivals.
The ancients said a gentleman does not laugh at another’s misfortune.
But I suppose I’m no gentleman.
Not when I can’t stop smiling.
“Young Master, has the wind gotten into your lungs?”
Palgap said it with such concern.
“It’s still not too late. Let’s go see Gong Mil.”
I had conceived an idea watching the other officers load Heo Woon Officer onto a cart earlier.
What if we attached wheels to a chair?

* * *

The Eun-wol Pavilion meeting convened the following morning.
The discussion centered on the ledger loss incident from the Sang-yu Hall the previous day.
Since this matter did not require immediate action, it was customary to address it as an agenda item during the regular meeting.
As I had anticipated, Father showed considerable interest.
“Is this true?”
“Yes.”
“Remarkable! A talent with unexpected capabilities.”
And he glanced at me, his expression suggesting, ‘So you brought him knowing this!’
I smiled wryly.
I knew, certainly, but I did not bring him solely for that particular talent.
“Keep a careful eye on him. Such an ability would prove invaluable in the newly established Information Bureau.”
“Understood.”
Father understood as well. He knew how crucial memory was in handling information.
“Now, let us move to the next matter.”
“Next is our Eunpung Corps.”
The External Chief Manager continued.
“Chun Il brought to our attention certain vulnerabilities in our company’s security. We granted him ten days to prepare his findings, and he presented them yesterday evening.”
“Well, what did he say?”
“Indeed, the saying ‘it takes a thief to catch a thief’ proved accurate.”
The External Chief Manager explained the vulnerabilities Chun Il had identified—the management of ventilation holes, the structural risks posed by the roof design, and other theft hazards.
“Here is the report.”
He presented a scroll to Father.
Seeing the neat calligraphy, I could discern whose hand had written it.
Hyung-jin was working diligently.
“These all seem reasonable. Discuss the repairs needed with the Sefung Director.”
“Understood.”
“I shall do so.”
.
.
.
After the meeting concluded, I returned to my chamber.
The meeting had ended early, leaving me with some free time.
I lay upon my bed, lost in thought.
Security, then…
Thanks to Chun Il, I would be spared losses from theft in this life.
But how was I to manage this?
Beneath the very bed on which I now lay rested the night-luminous pearl I had brought from Luoyang.
Winter would soon arrive, and we would place braziers filled with charcoal beneath the bed for warmth, but before then, I needed to find a secure place to store the pearl.
And for the artifacts I would acquire in the future, I would need a warehouse of considerable size.
I could not carry them all in my pockets and move about freely.
There are limits to what a purse can hold.
“First, I need the blueprints….”
I rose from my seat and sat before the wooden table. Then I poured water into the inkstone and ground the ink stick.
It was an inkstone the General Store Elder had given me as a bonus when I purchased Bi Eun-si, a gift from Eun Jung-ho for his Small Guild Master appointment ceremony.
The sensation of grinding the ink felt pleasant.
Indeed, quality ink is quality ink.
I murmured to myself as I ground the ink.
“A warehouse… how should I construct it… but more importantly, where should I build it….”
That was when it happened.
The inkstone’s color shifted to a pale jade luminescence.
“…!”
A cold wind mixed with chill blew from beside me.
When I turned my head, I saw a white door manifesting in the empty air.
“Ah! You startled me!”
I was already shocked by the inkstone’s sudden transformation, and now a suspicious door had appeared out of nowhere in mid-air.
That was when Palgap entered.
“What is the matter, sir?”
“Uh, ah, no… a door suddenly appeared in the empty air….”
“Pardon? What are you saying? A door?”

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