The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 183

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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 183

Chapter 183. The Hwari Ship Shop (2)

The moment I learned that the Daegun Trading Company was behind this incident, a memory from my past life surfaced in my mind.
It was autumn.
The season when Dongjeong Lake was crowded with people seeking to enjoy its autumnal beauty.
Since it had occurred just before I became a Small Guild Master in my previous life, I remembered it vividly.
A ship from a certain merchant shop sank less than two hours after it began its voyage.
Thanks to the urgent rescue efforts of those nearby, many people were saved, but sadly, nearly half of the passengers perished.
Because it was such a massive disaster, the Emperor himself ordered a thorough investigation, and the Daegun Trading Company’s Guild Master, along with several other officials, were taken away by the Geumui Guard.
And the truth that was eventually revealed.
They had packed far too many people for the ship’s size, neglected repairs and maintenance to run more frequent voyages, and so on.
It became clear that they had disregarded safety in pursuit of greater profits.
This incident severely shook the Daegun Trading Company’s standing, and they were ultimately expelled from the Hundred Greatest Merchants of the Land.

Knowing of such an incident, I had found it strange when listening to Yeon Gak-ju’s explanation.
The only large ship operation currently running on Dongjeong Lake belonged to the Hwari Ship Shop under the Eunhae Trading Company.
Though I hadn’t known it at the time, the Daegun Trading Company had stolen our most profitable business back then.
Whether then or now, it remains difficult for the Eunhae Trading Company to do much about the situation, but there is one difference.
I am here now.

In any case, I conducted a thorough investigation into the boat operated by Kang Shop Owner and discovered that he was an extreme “safety-first advocate.”
So I felt reassured, but I still couldn’t completely let my guard down.
There was no guarantee that if Kang Shop Owner ever took a reckless gamble, we wouldn’t end up suffering the consequences.
Kang Shop Owner asked my words with a puzzled expression.
“Is that truly all that’s needed?”
“How difficult could that be?”
“Well, it is difficult, but…”
“Swear an oath to Heaven and Earth. That if you ever fail to operate safely even once, you will retire that very day.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m not joking right now.”
At my cold expression, he swallowed hard and nodded.
“Understood. I will swear the oath.”
“Good.”
“By the way, you’ve provided such substantial support, so regarding the financial aspect…”
“Haven’t you still not repaid all the debts you borrowed from the Eunhae Trading Company?”
“That’s true.”
“If word spreads that the Trading Company provided this shop in such circumstances, it would create fairness issues.”
“Indeed.”
Kang Shop Owner’s expression darkened.
“So I have something separate to tell you. This is my personal investment.”
“Personal investment, you say?”
“Exactly as I said—this is an investment by Eun Seo-ho personally, not by the Eunhae Trading Company.”
It’s truly convenient to be able to use such methods when I’ve earned so much money.
And it continues to grow even now.
“Is that possible for you? I naturally assumed the Trading Company’s funds were invested. So I was prepared to accept any demands you might make…”
“I see. In any case, it would be odd for me to invest without gaining anything in return, so I’ll take a tenth of the profits.”
At my words, Kang Shop Owner was startled, his eyes widening in surprise. Honestly, that amount was practically nothing.
“What I desire is for your boat to become the symbol of Dongjeong Lake. To the point that one must ride your boat to truly claim they’ve seen Dongjeong Lake.”
“…Why do you think of me so much? Both conditions you’ve mentioned ultimately benefit me, don’t they?”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
I spoke with a serious expression.
“If you earn more money, won’t there be more funds to send to the Eunhae Trading Company? And only then can we fully repay the debts we borrowed from our headquarters. This is all for our main headquarters.”
Yet Kang Shop Owner didn’t seem to believe my words.
No, I’m being serious.
Well, it doesn’t matter. As long as Kang Shop Owner does his job well.
“Ah! Begin preparing to move here gradually, and at your current location, post a large sign saying [Thanks to all of you, we are expanding and relocating].”
“Understood.”
I smiled wickedly and spoke.
“On the first day of next month. Let’s do some promotion while distributing mooncakes.”
“Understood.”

* * *

The next day,
customers visiting the Hwari Ship Shop noticed a large notice posted prominently at the shop’s entrance.

[We are grateful for your continued patronage of the Hwari Ship Shop, which has enabled us to expand and relocate. We thank you for your support. The location of our new establishment is….]

Those customers who knew of the new location were taken aback.
“Isn’t that the incredibly spacious storefront?”
“They’re moving there?”
“Wow! They must be doing incredibly well.”
“Well, they deserve to succeed.”
Everyone congratulated the Hwari Ship Shop on their expansion and relocation.
Kang Seung, the shop owner, had always treated customers well, operated safely, and had accumulated considerable goodwill among those around him.

Meanwhile,
the man who had sold the storefront that the Hwari Ship Shop was moving into was bewildered.
As rumors spread that the Daegun Trading Company was targeting the Hwari Ship Shop, the owners of storefronts around Dongjeong Lake wisely refrained from renting or selling their properties to the Hwari Ship Shop.
There was nothing to gain from falling out of favor with the Daegun Trading Company.
He had felt the same way.
Yet suddenly, something completely unexpected had occurred.
The Hwari Ship Shop had moved into the storefront he had sold.
And then,
“Excuse me, someone from the Daegun Trading Company has come to see you.”
“….”
Just as he had feared, the Daegun Trading Company had come looking for him. It was the Daegun Guild Master’s Deputy.
The deputy fixed him with a sharp glare the moment he arrived.

“Tell me, is there something you’re dissatisfied with regarding the Daegun Trading Company?”
“How could there be such a thing, sir?”
“Then why did you sell your shop to the Hwari Ship Shop?”
“That… I didn’t know about it myself.”
“You didn’t know? Does that even make sense?”
“I conducted the transaction through an intermediary, but the person who purchased the shop was definitely not Kang Seung.”
“Then who purchased the shop?”
“Please wait a moment. I’ll bring the sales contract.”
He hurriedly retrieved the sales contract and unfolded it.
“Hmm…”
The buyer’s name was indeed not Kang Seung.
“Eun Seo-ho?”
The name seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.
In any case, that wasn’t the important matter at hand.
“It’s not too late even now. Cancel this contract immediately.”
“Sir?”
“Return the money you received and cancel it—isn’t that how it works?”
“I’m afraid… that’s impossible.”
“Impossible? Are you truly willing to fall out of favor with the Daegun Trading Company?”
“No, sir!”
“Then why is it impossible?”
“It’s because of this clause…”
With trembling hands, he pointed to a specific section of the sales contract.

[If the seller unilaterally wishes to terminate the contract, they must pay compensation equal to one hundred times the sale price.]

Daegun Guild Master’s Deputy countered with an expression of disbelief.
“A hundredfold?”
“Yes.”
“Why would you agree to such a clause?”
“They requested it be included. And at the time, I had no intention of backing out of the deal, so I agreed without much thought….”
“….”
“When someone offers to buy the shop at a price more than double the market rate, who would even consider withdrawing from such a transaction?”
“…So how much did you sell it for?”
“Six hundred silver taels.”
“Then the compensation would be sixty thousand taels? Ha!”
The Deputy could only click his tongue.
Paying that sum as compensation and backing out of the deal was practically impossible.
The previous owner of the shop certainly didn’t have that kind of money, and the Daegun Trading Company, already stretched thin from purchasing a large vessel, couldn’t afford such an amount either.
He glared at the previous owner of the shop for a moment, then rose abruptly from his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“This isn’t something we can resolve through further conversation. I need to meet the person who bought that shop.”

* * *

The highest inn overlooking Dongjeong Lake.
The inns here grew more expensive the higher they were positioned with a view of Dongjeong Lake.
I gladly paid the premium price to secure this guest room for the sake of beholding the beauty of Dongjeong Lake.
I wanted to show Palgap, who had stood by me through death itself, and my loyal companions the magnificent sight of that beautiful lake.
And by securing a guest room, everyone could enjoy the scenery comfortably without burden.
Now that I think about it, Jin Yu Warrior comes to mind.
I’ll have to save showing this view to Jin Yu Warrior for another time.
“Wow! It’s incredibly beautiful!”
Palgap marveled at the landscape visible through the window.
“Compared to Hwangho Lake in Luoyang, which do you think is more beautiful?”
“Young master, that’s quite a foolish question.”
“Hmm?”
“Hwangho Lake has its own charm, and Dongjeong Lake has its own. To compare them is to insult the will of the Creator who made this world.”
“Ah….”
I was startled by this unexpected answer I hadn’t anticipated.
“Why do you ask?”
“When did you become so wise?”
“I’ve always been wise. That’s why I was selected as your attendant, isn’t it?”
“That’s true enough.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
“You’re right. Everything has its own beauty in its own way.”
At that moment, I heard someone approaching my guest room, and soon a familiar voice reached my ears.
It was the voice of the Shop Attendant who had guided us here.
And following that came the voice of Lee Pil Warrior.
“Master, there is someone who wishes to see you.”
I had a sense of who might be seeking an audience with me.
.
.
.
A short while later.
The Shop Attendant led me to a small room on this floor of the inn.
Being a high-class establishment, this floor had several intimate chambers suitable for conversation.
“This is the person.”
Inside the room stood a man who rose from his seat and introduced himself.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am O Jin-chuk, Deputy of the Daegun Trading Company Master.”
“I am Eun Seo-ho.”
“Please, let us sit and converse.”
Officer O gestured to a seat, and I settled into the one across from him.
“I shall be direct. Would you have any interest in reselling the storefront you recently purchased to us?”
“I would not.”
“We would offer you double the price.”
At Officer O’s words, I let out a soft chuckle.
“I have no such intention. If you offered ten times the price, then perhaps I would consider it.”
“Ten times? You speak without regard for merchant ethics.”
Had Cheon Dae-in truly insisted that the location where Hwari Shop would establish itself be sold at ten times its market value?
It must have been an order from the Daegun Trading Company.
Yet when I named ten times the price, he accused me of lacking merchant ethics—the audacity was staggering.
“It seems you, being from abroad, are unfamiliar with matters here. Should you fall out of favor with our Daegun Trading Company, life will become quite difficult for you.”
“Is that a threat?”
“A threat… Yes, if that is how it sounded to you, then so be it.”
“….”
“In truth, the Daegun Trading Company intends to inherit the business that Hwari Shop was conducting. We believe that such a significant enterprise on Dongjeong Lake should be managed by us, who control the commercial sphere around this lake, not by a branch of a trading company from another region.”
His words were persuasively framed.
To speak plainly, they were simply envious of the profits being made.
“Therefore, either sell that storefront to us, or ensure that Hwari Shop does not establish itself there.”
“But I have already promised that location to Hwari Shop. Are you asking me to break that promise?”
“Truthfully, the fear of breaking a promise stems from fear of future consequences, does it not? Have no worry. Our Daegun Trading Company will protect you.”
Protect?
How amusing.
They would be stripped bare within a month.
Still, I was deeply disappointed that they held such a shallow understanding of trust.
This should be enough for me to use the token the Emperor granted me.
“The Daegun Trading Company treats trust lightly, it seems. My perspective differs. Trust is a virtue a merchant must hold until the very end, and it is the final lifeline that will protect a merchant in their darkest hour.”
I rose from my seat.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Eun Seo-ho. I am the Small Guild Master of the Eunhae Trading Company, to which Hwari Shop belongs.”
At my introduction, Officer O’s face drained of all color.
“I thought my name had gained some renown, but it appears I still have much to accomplish. I must redouble my efforts.”
“….”
“And yet you dared to threaten the Small Guild Master of the Eunhae Trading Company. How remarkable.”
“That, well, that was….”
“I have no interest in hearing your excuses. Now, take your leave.”
At my cold dismissal, Officer O hesitated for a moment before departing as instructed.
I wonder if he will report today’s events accurately.
If he misrepresents what happened—that he threatened me—he cannot know what punishment awaits him.
But it matters not.
I intend to collect interest in full for this transgression.

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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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