The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 399

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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 399

Chapter 399. Setting Sail (1)

The one who had followed Namgung Kang was Song Yun, the Small Merchant Leader of Changhae Trading Company.
Yet his expression was entirely different from what I had seen before.
Having received a commission from the Imperial Palace to conduct foreign trade, he should reap considerable profits in the process.
Naturally, he ought to be beaming with joy. Even if not genuinely happy, he should feign delight to avoid drawing the ire of the Imperial Officials.
The weary expression he wore was surely due to Namgung Kang’s presence.
I turned my gaze toward Namgung Kang.
Why had he come here at all?
As far as I knew, Baekcheon Trading Company possessed no ships.
That was why they hadn’t even applied for this announcement.
Could it be…?
For now, a proper greeting came first.
I couldn’t openly display hostility.
“I pay my respects to the Guild Master of Baekcheon Trading Company.”
“Who might this be? Isn’t this the Small Merchant Leader of Eunhae Trading Company?”
He remembered who I was.
Well, considering how many times we had met thus far, forgetting would be truly foolish.
“Thank you for remembering me.”
At that moment, an Imperial Official from the Ministry of Rites entered.
“Is everyone assembled? Then we shall now commence the second meeting.”
Today was the time to discuss which foreign nations each guild wished to trade with.
“Our Eunhae Trading Company shall conduct trade with the Dae-Wol Kingdom.”
“Understood. And next… Baekbuik Trading Company shall be the Marae Seo Kingdom.”
“That is correct.”
“Changhae Trading Company shall…”
Song Yun glanced subtly at Namgung Kang before opening his mouth with a complicated expression.
“Our Changhae Trading Company shall proceed to the Dae-Wol Kingdom.”
.
.
.
Moments later.
After concluding the meeting, we departed from the Ministry of Rites Building.
“Ahem, I shall take my leave now, so handle the rest as you see fit.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Do it properly! Otherwise, I might replace you as well!”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Namgung Kang disappeared along with the guards who had been waiting in front of the Imperial Palace, his bearing full of arrogance.
The representatives from other merchant guilds also took their leave one by one, leaving only Baekbuik Trading Company and us.
“Excuse me, Song Yun.”
Ji Seok-mun from Baekbuik Trading Company approached him and asked.
“What on earth has happened? Why are you being so cautious around that Baekcheon Merchant Guild Master?”
“Sigh….”
At those words, Song Yun let out a deep breath and spoke.
“The guild… has been swallowed up.”
“What do you mean? I understand that Changhae Trading Company isn’t the largest, but it’s a fairly solid establishment.”
“That’s true. However… a debt we borrowed from Baekcheon Trading Company about ten years ago has become a noose around our neck.”
In Song Yun’s voice as he spoke, I could hear deep resentment.
But… it wasn’t resentment about the guild being swallowed up, but rather a sense of injustice?
At this, I carefully asked him.
“Then you haven’t been able to repay the debt from ten years ago until now?”
“No!”
He exclaimed firmly.
“Our Changhae Trading Company definitely repaid that debt at the time! But….”
He clenched his teeth.
“A few days ago, people from Baekcheon Trading Company came and said they never received the money we clearly paid a month ago… and then they swallowed our guild.”
We clearly paid the money, but they claim they never received it….
Something about this seemed suspicious.
“But Changhae Trading Company has been continuously repaying debts all this time, so you wouldn’t have been confused about the recipient, would you?”
“Of course not!”
He spoke with his fists clenched tightly.
“We’ve been going to the same person in charge all this time to repay our debts. When the final payment was due, that person came to us directly and said to give the money to him… so we did… but….”
“Could it be that the person in charge absconded with the money? Something like that?”
At my question, he nodded.
But if that were the case, it made even less sense.
Baekcheon Trading Company is a guild established by the Murim Alliance. That means even if someone runs off with money, it’s useless.
They would be caught quickly.
That person in charge would know that well too.
“Something seems odd. Couldn’t Baekcheon Trading Company catch the person in charge who absconded with the money?”
“No. They came looking a few days later and said they couldn’t find him no matter what.”
This doesn’t make sense.
How relentless Baekcheon Trading Company is, yet they gave up the pursuit in just a few days?
The same people who track those marked as Murim criminals for over fifty years?
A lie.
This is clearly a scheme orchestrated by Baekcheon Trading Company that Changhae Trading Company fell into.

* * *

Namgung Kang made his way toward the Baekcheon Trading Company branch in Beijing. At this moment, he felt like dancing with joy.
‘Impressive! How did he come up with such an idea?’
Namgung Kang had to elevate the Baekcheon Trading Company to one of the Three Great Trading Companies of the World within three years.
If he failed at this, then….
In any case, Namgung Kang had to raise the Baekcheon Trading Company’s standing by any means necessary.
That was why he had devised a scheme to shake the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild last time.
His plan was to inflict a grave wound upon or kill Ho Gyeong Prince, who was called the future of the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild, thereby destabilizing the company.
But it had failed.
From what he heard, Eun Seo-ho had sacrificed his own cultivation base to save Ho Gyeong Prince.
‘Damn it! That bastard is always getting in my way.’
The image of Eun Seo-ho, smiling brightly and greeting him as if delighted to see him, came to mind.
He wanted to eliminate him just as he had Ho Gyeong Prince, but he could not.
That man… is a hero of the Murim Alliance.
In other words, he was someone the higher-ups were watching.
Unlike himself, they did not seem to view him as a target for elimination.
Moreover, with the respect he commanded in the Martial Arts World as a hero, his abilities were formidable.
So here he was, tormented by his own helplessness.
‘Damn it!’
He longed to see that smug face twisted in agony someday, but for now, preserving his own position came first.

While he was gathering information to rapidly expand his merchant guild, news arrived that the Imperial Court was recruiting merchant companies to purchase grain from abroad.
It was an opportunity to engage in trade under the protection of the Imperial Palace.
However, the Baekcheon Trading Company did not possess any large merchant vessels.
When he thought of how vast the wealth to be gained from this opportunity could be, his stomach suddenly ached.
“Guild Master, this is not something to be dismissed as mere stomach pain.”
The Newly Appointed Deputy spoke.
“What do you mean?”
“If we are not careful, our company’s standing could be threatened.”
“The profits are that substantial?”
“Yes.”
“Then what should we do?”
“The best course of action is for us to participate in this trade venture.”
“But our merchant guild does not have large merchant vessels, does it?”
“We do not. However, when one is desperate, there is always a way, is there not?”

And a few days later, that deputy officer devised a scheme so brilliant it was almost breathtaking.
He would exploit the Changhae Trading Company, which was participating in this trade exchange.
They had borrowed money from the Baekcheon Trading Company and had not yet repaid it in full.
“Currently, if they repay just one more installment, all their debts will be cleared.”
“But if they fail to repay that debt, then according to the contract, if they cannot pay the next installment within a month, it constitutes a breach of contract, does it not?”
“Precisely.”
“An excellent method indeed.”
Truthfully, it was the sort of tactic only a disreputable loan shark would employ, but Namgung Kang was in dire straits with fire at his heels.
He had no luxury of being choosy about hot or cold water.
“B-but… if others learn of this, our honor will be dragged through the mud.”
“As long as it remains hidden, that is all that matters.”
“Y-yet…”
“Tsk!”
When Namgung Kang glared, the manager who had offered counsel could only tuck his tail between his legs.
He exhaled a sigh so deep it seemed the earth itself might swallow him whole.
‘Ah… if Heo Won Chief Manager were still here, we would never have descended into such recklessness…’
Even in the past, things were never entirely just or clean, but before Heo Won Chief Manager’s death, matters had never become this chaotic.
Anew, the weight of his passing pressed upon my heart with painful clarity.
I wished with all my being to stake my life and prevent such a decision, yet I could not.
My life was precious to me, and I had no desire to be driven out in disgrace.
Thus I had no choice but to yield and comply with that decision.
“Go and summon the manager overseeing the debt obligations.”

And so the Changhae Trading Company fell into his grasp.
Curious about how the general assembly would proceed, I attended today’s meeting, and throughout the entire proceedings, I had to exert considerable effort to conceal the corners of my mouth from rising.
‘Indeed, acquiring the Changhae Trading Company was the right move. Hehehehe. Through this trade exchange, I can climb even higher.’
Then suddenly, a face flashed across my vision.
It was the face of Eun Seo-ho.
‘Hmm… surely this ominous premonition is merely my imagination.’

* * *

Upon returning to the Beijing Branch, I headed straight to my office.
Since Seo Hyang had not followed me today, she was working in the office.
“You’re back?”
As I entered the office, she rose from her desk to greet me.
“Yes. Is there anything you need to report?”
“There are three matters in total.”
I received the documents from Seo Hyang, listened to her account, and handled the matters accordingly.
“Then, I’ll take a brief walk.”
“It seems you have something on your mind.”
How did she know?
She smiled and saw me off.
“Take your time.”

I left the office and began my walk.
Palgap, Seo-woo Warrior, and Myeong-jong Warrior followed silently behind me.
In my previous life, hadn’t all those who participated in this trade grown tremendously?
Trade with foreign lands was an opportunity to reap such substantial profits.
One of them was Changhae Trading Company.
Though I didn’t know their faces, I had at least heard their name.
They hadn’t entered the Top Hundred Trading Companies of the World, but they were positioned to aim for entry into that tier.
Yet if things proceed this way, it appears we’re merely inflating Baekcheon Trading Company’s sails.
Baekcheon Trading Company’s ranking could skyrocket, elevating them to the Three Great Trading Companies of the World.
That cannot happen.
For the sake of vengeance, Baekcheon Trading Company must not rise further.
Moreover, I could never condone gaining profits through such contemptible methods.
And it seems my influence played a role in Changhae Trading Company’s predicament as well.
As I repeatedly obstructed Baekcheon Trading Company, Namgung Kang was now walking a precarious tightrope between dismissal and retention.
So in my previous life, he had been content merely supplying goods to trading companies that ventured into commerce, yet now he was resorting to such desperate measures to elevate his company’s standing.
And in the process, Changhae Trading Company suffered the consequences.
Then it was only natural that I should help them.
If anything, I needed to resolve this before they set sail.
The method to resolve this matter was actually simple—it would be solved if I could merely prove that Baekcheon Trading Company had properly received payment from Changhae Trading Company.
So I needed to find the person in charge of Baekcheon Trading Company’s accounts.
According to Song Yun’s account, after collecting the money, that person vanished immediately.
I turned my head toward Seo-woo Warrior and spoke.
“Are you perhaps skilled at finding people?”
“Pardon?”
“There’s someone I need to find.”
In response to my words, Seo-woo Warrior replied.
“For something like that, Jin Yu Warrior would be more suited than I.”
Well, that’s certainly true.

I returned to my office immediately and summoned Jin Yu Warrior.
“You called for me?”
“Yes. There’s something I need you to do.”
“Command me. I will stake my life on whatever you ask.”
No, there’s no need to stake your life on this…
I told him about the debt manager I had learned about through Song Yun.
“You must find this person. And there are two possibilities regarding his whereabouts.”
I extended my fingers as I spoke.
“First, the possibility that Baekcheon Trading Company has hidden him. Second, the possibility that Baekcheon Trading Company has eliminated him.”
“Considering Baekcheon Trading Company’s methods, the latter possibility is more likely.”
“I agree. If this matter leaks out, Baekcheon Trading Company’s reputation will plummet. Honor is something they value ten thousand times more than human life. So what would it matter to them to kill a single manager who has served them loyally for so long?”
Jin Yu Warrior nodded in agreement at my words.
After all, he was the one who had carried out “unofficial executions” on behalf of the Murim Alliance.
“If he is still alive, bring him here. If he is dead, find evidence of his death.”
“Understood. How long do I have to search?”
“The sooner the better. At the latest, you must find him two weeks before the merchant ship sets sail.”
“Understood.”
I handed Jin Yu Warrior a token.
“With this token, you can receive support from any branch of the Eunhae Trading Company. Whenever you need money, goods, or people, simply show them this token.”
“I—”
“Don’t bother thanking me. I’m assigning my own work to my own people, so naturally I should provide this level of support.”
At my words, Jin Yu Warrior clasped his fist solemnly.
“Understood.”
There’s really no need to be quite so solemn about it…
As he took the token I offered and placed it in his robe, I added one final word.
“In fact, the reason I’m asking you to search for this debt manager is because there’s one more possibility regarding his whereabouts.”
“What is that?”
“The possibility that Baekcheon Trading Company attempted to eliminate him but failed, and he is still on the run.”
Since he had worked as Baekcheon Trading Company’s debt manager for over a decade, it was highly likely he had made preparations for such contingencies.
“Personally, I believe this possibility is the most likely.”

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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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