The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 353

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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 353

Chapter 353. What Will Come to Pass (4)

The moment the Wudo Censor stepped back from the Emperor’s presence, he sought cooperation from the Jingyeong Great Swordmaster.
“We must immediately go to the Public Works Department to seize the evidence and detain the Construction Merchant who built the structure. I request your cooperation.”
“Understood.”
“But where are those who compiled this report?”
The Jingyeong Great Swordmaster answered the question.
“They are currently confined in my residence. It seemed inadvisable to allow the information to spread.”
“Well done.”
“Then I shall immediately lead my subordinates and the Golden Army to the Public Works Department.”

And half an hour later.
“All officials of the Public Works Department, come out immediately!”
“Cease all work at once!”
“Should you attempt any deception, you will be treated as criminals who have defied the Imperial decree!”
The officials of the Public Works Department were startled by the sharp command and did not know what to do.
They were then driven from the Public Works building like chickens being chased, by the Golden Army soldiers who poured in.
“What on earth is happening…?”
“Could it be related to that incident with the collapsed building?”
“But there were no irregularities in the documentation, were there?”
“That’s right.”
“By the way, why haven’t Son Myung Ju-sa and Pung Do Sa-mu returned from their business trip yet?”
“Could they be enjoying some delicious food?”
“Is Eun Small Merchant Leader the type to do that?”
“…Well, he is.”
Because Son Myung Ju-sa and Pung Do Sa-mu, who had been sent on the business trip at Eun Seo-ho’s insistence, had not yet returned, they were unaware of the detailed circumstances.
Thus they remained ignorant of the gravity of the situation.
At that moment, officials from the Censorate came rushing in. The Wudo Censor at the front affixed a single red sheet of paper with a sharp slap to the entrance of the Public Works Department.

[Sealed]
The characters written on that red paper signified that all related parties were forbidden from entering.
Should anyone attempt entry, they would face severe punishment for defying an Imperial decree.
It was rare for an entire district to be sealed in such a manner.
Only then did the Imperial Official’s staff begin to grasp the gravity of the situation.
From somewhere, I caught the acrid stench of blood.
Sealing an entire district by Imperial decree meant anywhere from a handful to hundreds could perish.
At that moment, a group of men approached that place.
Golden Robe Guard Warriors.
“You there—follow me.”
“….”
Thus they were confined to a pavilion.

The Censorate officials began thoroughly ransacking the Public Works Department.
They did not merely examine documents; they visited each residence with the records in hand to verify whether the completion inspections had been conducted properly.
In the course of their investigation, they discovered one crucial fact.
“The owners of these residences are from the Eunhae Trading Company?”
“Yes, to be precise, they were purchased personally by Eun Seo-ho, the Small Merchant Guild Leader.”
“He acquired all these residences within mere days! Remarkable—his wealth must be considerable.”
“Would he be a Small Merchant Guild Leader of one of the Top Hundred Trading Companies of the World otherwise?”
“Even so, misfortune has not spared him. Inform him that we wish to inspect these properties.”
“Very well.”
The messenger who delivered this message returned shortly after, scratching behind his ear as he spoke.
“It is acceptable, but he requests the inspection take place several days hence.”
“Why is that?”
“He says he is somewhat anxious. He fears another accident may occur, and wishes to allow several days to pass before the inspection.”
“Another accident may occur?”
“It appears that all the residences Eun Seo-ho purchased were constructed during the same period. Moreover, more than half were built by Ogul Construction.”
“What a curious coincidence.”
“During that great fire, were not the residences in this vicinity all constructed at once? It seems he has primarily purchased those built by Ogul Construction.”
“Ah! Now I recall. Yes, such an incident did occur.”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“What shall we do?”
“Hmm, we shall conduct the inspection several days hence, as he suggests.”
In truth, I had intended to simply overlook the matter.
But when the Emperor takes notice of something, there must be reason. Thus they resolved to proceed according to Eun Seo-ho’s wishes.
The next day,
they learned that another residence had collapsed overnight. It was one of the properties owned by Eun Seo-ho.
“The Small Merchant Guild Leader was right.”
“Indeed….”
They discussed the matter as they headed out on their inspection. Today’s destination was near the Collapsed Mansion.
As they examined the site, they clicked their tongues upon discovering discrepancies between the structure and the blueprints.
“This is absolutely outrageous.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“The deviations from the blueprints are glaringly obvious, yet they still issued a completion certificate?”
“Unbelievable! These bastards deserve—”
The Censorate officials began to understand what had transpired.
“Let’s move on to the next building.”
“Which one was next again?”
As they turned toward the next structure.
Crack!
Crunch!
A deafening roar erupted from the adjacent building. And then.
Crash!
A cloud of dust billowed forth, and the Censorate officials’ jaws dropped in shock.
“That building…”
“It’s one of the structures we were supposed to inspect.”
“We could have been inside when it collapsed.”
“….”
They said nothing, but their thoughts aligned perfectly.
‘If we had been inside that building…’
Cold sweat drenched their backs, and the chilling realization of how close they’d come to being crushed to death beneath the rubble quickly transformed into seething rage.
‘I’ll expose every last one of them!’
‘These monsters! They’re all finished!’

* * *

Ogul Construction Company.
The place was in complete chaos.
Two of the buildings they had constructed had collapsed.
The Merchant Guild Leader remembered that place well.
There was no way he could have forgotten it.
It had been a massive construction project, and it was where he had earned the most money in a single venture.
Using the profits he had pocketed through fraudulent materials and designs, he had expanded into other ventures.
Thanks to that, the trading company had grown to become a notable name in Beijing, and the Merchant Guild Leader’s family lived in considerable comfort.
“What should we do about this?”
As Haeng-su fidgeted nervously, the Merchant Guild Leader rebuked him sternly.
“What do you mean, what should we do! It’s been over ten years! How could we possibly prove it was our fault now?”
“But….”
“The Public Works Department will handle it. We’ve already paid them off for exactly this reason.”
“That’s true, but….”
“Unless more than three or four of our buildings collapsed all at once, would that sluggish Imperial Palace even stir?”
“….”
“So we’re completely innocent!”
“Ah, I understand.”
But before even an hour had passed, news arrived that yet another building had collapsed.
‘This is dangerous….’
Since he had personally been involved in the fraud, he knew well the structural integrity of those buildings.
They appeared sound on the surface, but their interiors were thoroughly rotted, so they would crumble under significant impact.
Such as, for instance, the shock of a neighboring building collapsing.
Sensing the omen, he instructed his family to pack their valuables and prepare their luggage in advance.
If necessary, they would have to flee.
But his plan was blocked from the start. The Imperial Guards had surrounded Ogul Construction Company.
“No! Why are you preventing us from leaving?”
“To prevent the flight of those who may currently be suspects in a crime.”
“Suspects? What crime could we possibly be guilty of?”
“Silence.”
“No! This cannot be allowed!”
The Merchant Guild Leader tried pleading, threatened by invoking influential figures, and attempted to bribe them with wealth.
But none of his methods worked.
He felt his lips growing increasingly parched.
‘It seems like we’ve been discovered….’
Otherwise, there was no reason the Imperial Guards would surround Ogul Construction Company.
As the Imperial Guards’ surveillance continued, the Merchant Guild Leader made a decision.
He would use the secret passage he had created for just such an emergency.
As the Merchant Guild Leader of a construction company, he too possessed expertise in building.
Therefore, within his private quarters at Ogul Construction Company, he had secretly constructed a hidden passage as a contingency.
Deep into the night.
He summoned his household members to his chamber and pushed aside the bed.
A wooden door was revealed beneath the bed.
He opened the door and spoke to his family.
“Hurry inside! You as well, come along.”
“Yes.”
They entered the secret passage and descended the sturdy stone stairs carved from rock.
After descending deep underground, they walked by torchlight, step after step.
After a long walk, stairs appeared before them, and they climbed upward.
Soon they arrived at the door leading outside.
“Phew, we’ve arrived. Let’s go out now.”
The Merchant Guild Leader smashed the door’s lock with the hammer he held and pushed it open.
Creeeeak.
Then the fresh, cold night air touched their skin.
“Phew, let’s rest for a moment….”
But his words never finished.
Suddenly, the surroundings blazed with light.
Dozens of torches encircled them.
“I had my suspicions, but it was real.”
A chilling voice reached their ears.
Standing before them was Jin Young, clad in golden armor.
“Gasp!”
At the sight, the Merchant Guild Leader collapsed to the ground.

* * *

After breakfast, I returned to my office and found myself lost in thought as I gazed out the window.
Had he been captured by now?
In my previous life, the Ogul Construction Company’s Merchant Guild Leader and his family had fled in the dead of night.
And it was later revealed that a secret passage existed.
So this time, I had given Jin Young Great Swordmaster a hint about the secret passage.

“From my experience in the merchant business, I’ve learned that those with such shameful secrets always create an escape route.”
“An escape route?”
“Yes. And it’s usually in their area of greatest expertise.”
“Since he has considerable skill in construction… Ah! A secret passage!”
“That is my assessment as well.”

I don’t know the exact location, but Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster would have handled it well on his own.
A voice broke through my thoughts.
“These documents have been organized, sir.”
“Ah, thank you.”
As expected, Ja-ryeong—no, Seo Hyang’s capabilities were truly remarkable.
“Master. A visitor has arrived.”
At that moment, I tilted my head at the voice of Seo-woo Warrior, who stood guard outside my office.
“A visitor?”
The door opened and Seo-woo Warrior entered.
“The Gyeong Family Patriarch wishes to meet with you.”
Where is the Gyeong Family?
After a moment of thought, I recalled that they were the original owners of one of the residences I had purchased.
What could this be about?
“Show him to the Guest Reception Room.”
At my words, Seo-woo Warrior bowed and left, opening the door.

I adjusted my robes and made my way to the Guest Reception Room.
“Welcome. My apologies for the delay.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who’s sorry for calling you away from your busy schedule.”
We exchanged courteous greetings, and a maidservant in the reception room poured tea before me.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard news. That the residence I sold to you has collapsed.”
“Ah, yes… that’s correct.”
“In a sense, didn’t I sell you a defective property? So I thought I should return at least half of the money I received for it.”
“….”
For a moment, I was rendered speechless. It was something I had never anticipated.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“I… just didn’t expect this. It’s my first time meeting someone like you.”
He nodded as if he understood.
“Human greed exists, after all. But my family and I survived because of the Small Merchant Guild Leader’s warning to vacate quickly. In a way, I owe you my life. How could I not come? I’m even sorry I can only return half instead of everything.”
What I learned while in the Upper Realm was that the larger the sum of money, the greater one’s greed becomes.
The Ogul Construction Company was the same.
With such a massive construction project, their greed must have been even greater.
The residence I bought from him cost one thousand silver taels.
It was originally worth five hundred taels, but I paid double the market price to have him vacate urgently.
Half of one thousand taels would be five hundred silver taels.
A considerable sum, and he was offering to return it?
He withdrew a promissory note from his pocket and placed it on the table. It was the note I had given him.
Such a person exists in this world.
I don’t truly know his heart. After all, there’s a saying: you can fathom ten fathoms of water, but not one fathom of the human heart.
It’s possible he genuinely believes this and is returning the five hundred taels to me, or perhaps he’s preemptively addressing potential future issues from selling a flawed property.
Sigh, I suppose I’m also at fault for being unable to accept goodwill at face value.
But that’s only because there are so many people ready to exploit any opening they find.
Still, I couldn’t help but be moved.
Regardless of his reasons, the fact that he actually followed through with the action itself is remarkable.
And people like this are worth knowing for a long time.
What was this man like in his previous life?
At that time, there was no room for anything else, and with so many grievances from the bereaved, the Emperor himself conducted a joint funeral ceremony.
There was one particular place where an unusually large number of people came to pay their respects.
It was where the ancestral tablet of the Gyeong Family Patriarch, now sitting before me, had been placed.
And people cursed the heavens, wondering why such a good man had to die in such an accident.
Back then, I had no connection with the Gyeong Family Patriarch before me, so I didn’t know, but now I understood why people spoke of him that way.
If someone is this good, I should certainly grow closer to him.
I slid the receipt toward him and spoke.
“No, sir. Please keep this.”
“Heh heh, this fellow. No, you must take it.”
“I cannot accept it. You were aware the property had defects, were you not?”
“I wasn’t. If I had known, I would have withdrawn immediately.”
“Exactly.”
“But my conscience won’t allow me to simply keep all of it.”
“No, sir. Please take it back.”
We went back and forth like this, but no easy conclusion was reached.
“Then let us do this instead. I will treat these five hundred taels as an investment in our trading company.”
With a man of such character, his wealth is certainly worth multiplying.

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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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