The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 24

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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 24

Chapter 24. More Than Expected (1)

Eun Gil-sang tilted his head, still examining the doll she had brought in the box.
The doll, roughly the size of my forearm, was crafted with remarkable precision, dressed in fine silk and adorned so elegantly that it exuded sophistication.
“Actually, this isn’t the first one I made in front of you. My younger sister wanted one, so I made another.”
She smiled as she wound the gears of the mechanical doll.
“Don’t be startled.”
Before her words even finished, the mechanical doll began to dance on its own.
“Gasp!”
Despite her warning, Eun Gil-sang was taken aback.
“I was surprised too, actually.”
She continued with a smile.
“Do you think something of this caliber would be suitable for what Song Merchant House desires… or rather, what the Wife of High Official wants?”
“Of course. And at this level…”
“I know. The potential of this object is immense. So it seems the Merchant Guild Leader will need to exert some influence.”
Eun Gil-sang immediately grasped what Yeon Gak-ju meant.
“You’re saying we need permission from the recipient.”
“Yes, we should avoid offending such high-ranking officials if possible.”
“I understand. I’ll arrange a meeting and handle it.”
Thus they discussed the matters that would follow.
Time passed once more, and the mechanical doll began to dance again.
“Still, for a ten-year-old to create such a device! He must be a genius!”
Yeon Da-mi laughed at that.
“Of course, the boy who made this device is a genius! That’s undeniable. But.”
Her expression soon turned serious.
“From what I’ve seen, the real genius is someone else.”
“…For Yeon Gak-ju to say such a thing! Now I’m curious who you mean.”
“The youngest young master.”
“…What?”
She withdrew a contract from her sleeve and handed it over.
The contract concerned the mechanical doll, and the signature at the bottom was Eun Seo-ho’s.
“Why did Seo-ho sign this?”
“He had already contracted with that craftsman. So the youngest young master is the employer of the Mechanical Doll Craftsman.”
“What?”
She continued, looking at Eun Gil-sang.
“So I had to negotiate with the young master. It was truly difficult. I had to make many concessions. But after the negotiations ended, I found myself thinking something.”
Her voice grew serious.
“If it were Eun Seo-ho, couldn’t he make our trading company the greatest in all The Realm?”

* * *

I arrived at Eunhae Trading Company.
But arriving at the company didn’t mean the escort mission was truly finished.
Everyone had to verify, organize, and report on their respective duties, so all were bustling about with activity.
The work assigned to my division, Jae-gyeong Pavilion, was relatively light.
The escort fees we owed to Changin Escort Agency were substantial, so rather than us delivering them, the agency would come collect directly.
Therefore, all we needed to do was settle the accounts for expenses incurred during the mission.
Of course, before that, I had to give a brief verbal report to Yu Chief Manager, the head of Jae-gyeong Pavilion, that we had returned from the escort mission.
And only after submitting a written report would this escort mission truly be concluded.
Recalling the memory from my past life when I rushed to Father immediately after returning from an escort mission and got scolded, I let out a quiet chuckle.
“Palgap.”
“Yes, sir? You called for me?”
“I need to go to Jae-gyeong Pavilion, so I’d like you to escort Gong the Potter’s family to the Guest Hall.”
“Understood, sir.”
Within the trading company, there was a separate quarters called the Guest Hall, prepared for visitors conducting business or resident scholars.
I wanted them to stay there until I spoke with Father and a suitable residence was arranged for them.
If we let them stay at an inn, there was a risk that some unsavory character might cause trouble.
However, since I wasn’t yet a subsidiary guild leader, I couldn’t make such decisions on my own. So I subtly suggested it to Yeon Gak-ju.

“Even if they’re people who will greatly benefit the company, having them stay in the separate quarters might be a burden, wouldn’t it?”

At my words, Yeon Gak-ju jumped up.

“What are you saying? Of course they should stay in the separate quarters! I’ll speak to the Family Head and the Sefung Director myself.”

Yeon Gak-ju had the authority to do so, and thus they were able to stay in the separate quarters.

“Aren’t you coming with us, Young Master?”
Gong Rae asked, looking at me, and I placed my hand on her head as I spoke.
“I wish I could go with you, but I have work to attend to.”
“Then hurry and go.”
“Hmm?”
“The adults said so. That you have to work to be a proper person.”
Gong Rae spoke with conviction, and I let out a soft chuckle.
“Clever girl, thinking such things already. It shouldn’t take too long. When we return from the escort run, it’s customary to grant rest that day to recover from the journey.”
Then I bowed to Gong the Potter.
“I apologize for having to escort them to the Guest Hall.”
“No, we’re fine. Please don’t worry and feel free to go.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
I offered my thanks individually to my Master, Jung Chung, and the others.
The cart laborers and the lower-ranking warriors of the guild were startled and flustered.
“The Young Master is greeting us directly!”
“There’s no need for that!”
Yet offering thanks was absolutely necessary.
Though small, one cannot neglect small matters if one wishes for smooth dealings in commerce.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes, let’s.”
Gong Rae waved her hand.
“See you later then, Young Master!”
I headed toward Jae-gyeong Pavilion with Im Gyeong-bin Officer.
“Young Master and Officer Im have arrived!”
“Have you just returned from the escort run?”
Welcomed by the officers of Jae-gyeong Pavilion, we exchanged greetings.
“Is the Chief Manager inside?”
The officers nodded at my question.
“Yes, he should be.”
“Please go right in.”
We headed toward Yu Chief Manager’s office and entered.
“Unpaid Officer of Jae-gyeong Pavilion Im Gyeong-bin, reporting the completion of the escort run.”
“Special Apprentice of Jae-gyeong Pavilion Eun Seo-ho, reporting the completion of the escort run.”
Only then did Yu Chief Manager lift his head to look at us, prompted by our reports.
Eyes hollow with exhaustion.
And piled on my desk beside him, a mountain of work.
Seeing that, an ominous premonition washed over me for no clear reason.
“You’ve worked hard. Officer Im Gyeong-bin, and Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Are there any matters of note?”
Im Gyeong-bin Officer answered that question.
“There are several, sir.”
“Report them.”
At those words, Im Gyeong-bin Officer promptly gave a brief account of what had transpired during this escort mission.
As Yu Chief Manager listened to the report, he regarded me with a peculiar gaze.
“So you earned merit by suggesting to Jang Chae-ju that he clear the snow from the mountain path and boldly collect the toll?”
“It happened to work out that way.”
The true reason I earned merit lay elsewhere, but I could not reveal it now.
“You say you recruited a master craftsman capable of creating the moving puppet that Song Merchant House requested?”
“Fortune favored us.”
Though I had traveled to Jiangxi for precisely that purpose, I needed to frame it as mere luck for public consumption.
“And you essentially… eliminated Jingyeon Trading Company?”
“That was their own doing.”
Though I had orchestrated certain schemes, had they been an honorable merchant guild from the start, they would not have brought about their own destruction so thoroughly.
“Is there anything else to report?”
At that question, Im Gyeong-bin Officer and I shook our heads.
“There is nothing, sir.”
“Nor is there from me.”
“Sigh… In any case, you have labored well.”
Yu Chief Manager pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose as he spoke.
“Rest today, and tomorrow prepare a written report on this escort mission to submit.”
At those words, I felt a surge of relief.
But then,
“And, Young Master.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It is customary that upon returning from an escort mission, one rests that day and begins duties the following day… however, we have accumulated far too much work. So I would like you to begin working from now.”
My relief evaporated.
Why do my ill premonitions never fail to come true?
“Speaking of which, it seems it is about time they called for you.”
That was when it happened.
From outside came the voice of Jo Young-young, the Vice-Manager.
“The Merchant Guild Leader requests that Yu Chief Manager and the Third Young Master come at once. It appears you must go to Eun-wol Pavilion immediately.”
At those words, Yu Chief Manager rose from his seat and spoke.
“Then let us go.”
.
.
.
Shortly thereafter,
I sat in Eun-wol Pavilion, the center of everyone’s attention.
Father spoke.
“I heard the gist of it from Yeon Gak-ju. You’ve managed to recruit a master craftsman capable of creating mechanical dolls and brought him under your control?”
“Yes, Father.”
At that moment, Jeok Gak-ju of Sefung Division spoke.
“But is it truly possible for a mechanical doll to dance on its own like that?”
Father nodded at the question.
“Seeing is believing. You’ll witness it firsthand.”
At Father’s gesture, Yeon Gak-ju retrieved the mechanical doll from the box.
The mechanical doll that Gong Mil had crafted inside the inn became Gong Rae’s possession.
Though not his first mechanical doll, it was the first manifestation of his imagination—the desire to create something beautiful.
I couldn’t refuse his wish to give it to his younger sister first.
Thus, what lay before us was the mechanical doll Gong Mil had crafted afterward.
Yeon Gak-ju turned the ring at the back of the doll.
“Hah!”
“Ho!”
“Huh!”
As the mechanical doll began to dance, Yu Chief Manager, Jeok Byeong-chul Gak-ju, and Go Il-pyeong were startled.
“What do you think? At this level, it should please him, wouldn’t it?”
Everyone nodded at Father’s question.
“Of course.”
“This is truly marvelous!”
“Yet it seems a waste to use this merely as a tribute.”
Yu Chief Manager, recognizing the true value of the mechanical doll, wore a regretful expression.
At his words, Yeon Gak-ju nodded.
“I thought the same, and the Merchant Guild Leader agreed with my assessment. Thus, we plan to sell these.”
Go Il-pyeong expressed skepticism.
“The doll is certainly curious, but it merely dances on its own… Will it sell well?”
The others seemed to share similar thoughts, nodding in agreement.
Yet having experienced my previous life, I can state with certainty:
They will sell extraordinarily well.
“Father, might I offer a word?”
“Go ahead.”
“Of course, the doll’s only function is to dance on its own. But what if possessing this doll were necessary to maintain one’s dignity?”
“…?”
“This doll will be delivered to Magistrate Po’s Wife through Song Jang-ju. That means it will be seen by other noble ladies. Do you truly think they would remain unmoved upon seeing it?”
“Ah!”
“Once the doll becomes known as ‘the doll that noble ladies are clamoring to obtain,’ what becomes of its value?”
“Indeed! That would be the case.”
Jeok Gak-ju nodded.
“But there is a problem.”
Yu Chief Manager continued.
“The issue concerns those who observe that puppet, replicate it, and sell copies.”
“Ah….”
“That would indeed be problematic.”
At that concern, I let out a quiet laugh.
“Replicate it? Let them try.”
Who could replicate what even I cannot?
“Even if replication were possible, by then the fashion would have already faded, and something new would be in vogue.”
At my words, Yeon Gak-ju’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“Does that mean this young master craftsman will continue creating new designs?”
“As Gong Mil’s employer, I can assure you. You may look forward to it.”
Father smiled at my words and spoke.
“That is indeed a pleasant prospect. However, that is a matter for later—first we must resolve the issue of presenting this to the court. Summon Song Jang-ju, and we shall discuss the commercialization of this tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Yeon Gak-ju nodded.
“And Seo-ho.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You have labored greatly. Thanks to you, Eunhae Trading Company has avoided significant loss and stands to gain considerable profit.”
“I merely did what was necessary.”
Father then immediately began discussing where Gong the Potter’s family would reside.
The conclusion came swiftly.
They would provide one of the Separate Quarters within the company grounds.
“Is there any other matter to discuss?”
“None.”
“Then you may all rise….”
At those words, I hastily interjected. My business was not yet concluded.
“Father, I have something to report.”
“What is it?”
“This matter must be kept confidential.”
Father glanced at the others, and they all nodded in understanding.
Father, along with Yu So-ak the Internal Chief Manager and Go Il-pyeong the External Chief Manager, and the four Gak-ju, were bound together in absolute trust.
And in my previous life, none of them ever betrayed the company or caused it harm.
So I could speak freely without concern.
“What is it?”
“In truth, I have made a secret agreement with Jang Chae-ju of Odongsan.”

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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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