The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 412

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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 Eun Hae Trading Company Chapter 412

Chapter 412. The Harvest I Had Awaited (7)

Maechui Madam and I discussed the terms with each other and added them to the contract.
After we both affixed our seals, I paid the amount on the spot with a promissory note.
“Still, both Cheongpa Pavilion Master and Maechui Madam seem reluctant to leave their establishments. Honestly, a thousand silver taels is more than enough to change one’s fortune, isn’t it?”
Maechui Madam answered my question.
“That older sister must treasure the tavern greatly, that’s why.”
Indeed, she had said she built Cheongpa-ru herself.
“Then, what about Maechui Madam….”
“I was sold here at age ten, saved money, and acquired this gisaeng house with my own hands. In other words, this tavern is everything to me—where else would I go?”
Hearing those words, I thought both women were truly remarkable.
For a courtesan to accumulate wealth and establish or acquire a tavern was something impossible for an ordinary person.
“Still, now that you’re transferring this gisaeng house to me, you must feel some regret.”
“My heart aches a little, but what can I do? I have the responsibility to maintain this gisaeng house, and since I cannot fulfill that responsibility, I have no choice but to entrust it to someone else who can.”
She smiled faintly.
“Yet in another way, it feels refreshing to have shed such a heavy burden.”
To her, I presented a promissory note worth five hundred silver taels.
“Please accept this. It should sustain your livelihood through the end of this year.”
“Pardon?”
“The thousand taels I gave you earlier was the purchase price for this gisaeng house. In other words, it belongs to you personally.”
“Oh! Then I’m quite wealthy.”
I smiled faintly and replied.
“Since I’ve acquired this gisaeng house, I must provide the operating funds separately.”
“I will do my utmost to manage this gisaeng house.”
.
.
.
Having thus secured Quyue Pavilion, I returned to Cheongpa-ru with confidence.
“Welcome back.”
Seo-woo Warrior at Cheongpa-ru cupped his fist in salute, showing proper respect.
“It seems even more people are coming to sell information than before.”
“Indeed. It appears word has spread as more people actually receive rice and depart.”
“I see.”
The Branch Manager of the Hao Men Hangzhou Branch must be growing increasingly desperate, his blood running dry.
When will he come to bow his head before me?
I hope it won’t be too late.

* * *

Hao Men Hangzhou Branch.
“Here is the performance report for this month’s submission.”
The Internal Chief Manager handed the report to Branch Manager Yeon-yeon, who unfolded it and examined the figures. Her brow furrowed deeply as she read.
“….”
“….”
The results were disastrous.
Though the Hao Organization claimed each branch operated independently, they remained fundamentally subordinate to the Sect Master’s authority.
That meant submitting performance reports to headquarters every month.
If she submitted these numbers as they stood, headquarters would take only one action.
Replace the branch manager.
It was then that the Internal Chief Manager spoke to her.
“Branch Manager, if I may be frank—our Hangzhou Branch is currently failing to fulfill any of the Hao Organization’s functions.”
“….”
The implication was clear.
Apologize to Eun Seo-ho.
The Internal Chief Manager glanced at Yeon-yeon’s wrists and smiled bitterly.
Ornate gold bracelets adorned her wrists.
‘A proper branch manager would sell her own jewelry to support the branch’s operations….’
Most of the Hao Organization’s liquidatable assets had already been sold, yet the branch manager’s personal ornaments remained untouched.
‘She was never suited for this position from the start.’
What good was ability if her character fell short of even an ordinary disciple’s?
“Furthermore, we have reports that Small Guild Master Eun Seo-ho has acquired four additional taverns and gisaeng houses around West Lake.”
“What?”
Yeon-yeon’s voice turned shrill.
“Four more establishments? He’s acquired four more?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Is money rotting away somewhere? Where on earth is all this capital coming from….”
“As you know, the Eunhae Trading Company ranks twenty-fifth among the Top Hundred Trading Companies of the World. It’s been the most rapidly growing merchant guild in recent years. Surely they possess such capital, do they not?”
“….”
Yeon-yeon fell silent.
The scale of the Eunhae Trading Company had been the first thing she’d investigated when gathering intelligence on Eun Seo-ho, so this was already known information.
In truth, her failure to properly investigate Eun Seo-ho before initiating this conflict was the root cause of her predicament.
“In any case, I will submit this report as is.”
Yeon-yeon, who had been biting her nails in distress, looked up at the Internal Chief Manager’s words.
“Internal Chief Manager, if you submit this report, I’ll be removed from this position.”
“I am aware.”
“You’re aware, and you’re still submitting this damned report?”
“What else can we do? This is reality.”
“Fix it.”
At Yeon-yeon’s words, the Internal Chief Manager’s eyes widened in shock, and he shook his head vigorously.
“What? You’re telling me to falsify records right now? I absolutely cannot do that!”
“Then what do you suggest? If I’m cast out, you’re finished too! Do you think I’ll let you off the hook?”
“Even if I were to falsify the records, don’t you think the higher-ups would notice? In any case, I absolutely cannot do this. Just kill me instead!”
“What? You bastard!”
“That’s why you need to go apologize right now! If you’d just apologized, this whole mess wouldn’t have happened, but instead you dragged it out because of your pride. Who do you think caused this disaster?”
“You….”
“We have nothing left to sell, and we can’t even pay the disciples their monthly stipends anymore. What are you doing right now?”
All the grievances that had accumulated within the Internal Chief Manager erupted.
“Is a branch even a branch if it only has a branch manager? If you’ve become a branch manager, shouldn’t you do whatever it takes to keep the branch running smoothly?”
“How dare an Internal Chief Manager like you speak to a branch manager in such a manner!”
“Shut your mouth and listen!”
He shouted back loudly.
“You’re nothing but greedy! And stop calling everyone ‘this bastard’ and ‘that bastard’! I’m not your son, and I’m old enough to have earned respect!”
“You… you….”
Yeon-yeon was taken aback by the Internal Chief Manager’s defiance—someone who had always obediently complied with his orders until now.
The Internal Chief Manager pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and slammed it onto the wooden table.
Bang!
It was a letter of resignation.
“I hereby resign! And I’m withdrawing from the Hao Organization!”
As the Internal Chief Manager left, Yeon-yeon grabbed his head and cried out.
“What am I supposed to do now!”
Yeon-yeon fumed for a long while before finally calming his anger and rising from his seat.
“This is all because of Eun Seo-ho, that bastard.”
He shouted toward the outside.
“Is anyone out there?”
“Yes, you called for me?”
“Prepare for me to go out. I have somewhere to visit.”
Soon he dressed and set out into the streets. The place he arrived at was the deepest alley in Hangzhou, a place known as the Rat’s Nest.
He found the third building there and knocked on the door. A small window in the door opened.
“What brings you here?”
“I’d like to have someone eliminated.”
“Who’s the target?”
“Eun Seo-ho. The Small Guild Master of the Eun Hae Trading Company.”
A brief silence fell.
“That’s impossible.”
“What?”
“Who do you think this city survives on? You want to eliminate that person? Fool! I’m warning you—if you touch that person, we’ll be the first ones to die!”
Slam!

I patted my swollen stomach.
I patted my satisfied belly.
Was my contentment due to acquiring five taverns and gisaeng houses near West Lake?
Or was it from the dinner I’d just consumed?
Perhaps it was because of the person who had come to meet me.
“So, where is he now?”
“I’ve shown him to this floor.”
Shop Attendant Dong-a guided me, and I made my way upstairs. Soon I spotted a middle-aged man seated before a table, sipping tea.
Dong-a had given me a hint about his identity.
Hwang An, the Internal Chief Manager of the Hao Men Hangzhou Branch.
As I approached, he rose from his seat and cupped his fist in salute.
“I greet the Small Guild Master.”
“A pleasure. So you are indeed the Internal Chief Manager of Hao Men. You’ve recognized me without even an introduction.”
“Of course. You are quite the notable figure in this city, after all.”
He continued speaking.
“However, I am no longer the Internal Chief Manager of Hao Men.”
“Pardon?”
No longer the Internal Chief Manager of Hao Men?
“An hour ago, I was still the Internal Chief Manager, but I submitted my resignation.”
“I see.”
So he’d come to me within an hour of resigning?
The momentum of it made me chuckle despite myself.
And I began to understand why he had come.
“That is precisely why I’ve come here.”
Thud.
He dropped to his knees before me.
“Please employ me!”
Just as I’d suspected.
“I understand your bewilderment. But I assure you, I am useful.”
He earnestly explained his credentials to me.
Watching him, I let out another silent chuckle.
For an Internal Chief Manager to abandon his organization like this meant he had nowhere left to fall.
Yet he hadn’t come to apologize—what was that about?
Regardless, his arrival was fortuitous for me.
According to Cheongpa Pavilion Master and Shop Attendant Dong-a, Hwang An was quite an accomplished administrator.
Since I now owned Cheongpa-ru, they had no reason to lie to me—this was reliable information.
A talent like this had fallen into my lap; only a fool would kick him away.
I bent down and grasped his hand as I spoke.
“There’s no need to say more. How could I not recognize the capabilities of Hwang, the Internal Chief Manager?”
“I’m grateful for your kind words.”
“I can see from your gaunt and withered appearance that you’ve endured considerable hardship.”
“I’d rather not speak ill of the man I once served… but yes, it was difficult.”
“Very well. I’ll hire you as my Internal Chief Manager.”
“Is that truly so?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Then let’s negotiate your monthly salary.”
.
.
.
Thus, Hwang An, the Internal Chief Manager, came to work under the Cheongpa Pavilion Master.
And from him, I obtained several pieces of valuable information.
The most crucial was that Yeon-yeon Branch Manager had attempted to falsify reports being sent to the Hao Organization’s main headquarters.
Would someone plotting to falsify reports truly refrain from doing so simply because the Internal Chief Manager had submitted his resignation and departed?
That was impossible.
Thanks to this knowledge, I was able to devise a plan to eliminate Yeon-yeon Branch Manager in one decisive stroke.
“Jin Yu Warrior.”
“Yes.”
“Are there any Hao Organization disciples here in Hangzhou?”
“You’re not referring to the ordinary information brokers of the Hao Organization, are you?”
“No.”
The Hao Organization disciples I spoke of were not branch disciples, but rather disciples of the Hao Organization’s main headquarters.
In other words, they were fundamentally different from the courtesans and shop attendants who merely gathered and sold information.
The disciples of the Hao Organization’s main headquarters possessed formidable martial prowess and exceptional skill in concealing their identities.
However, Jin Yu Warrior had ascended to the realm of Salseon, granting him an extraordinary ability to detect those who concealed themselves.

A spot in Hangzhou.
An inn in Hangzhou.
The Shop Attendant who once worked with four others now stood alone with just one companion.
The customer flow had diminished that drastically.
They moved about busily, watching their Shop Manager’s expression. Then a group entered the inn.
“Welcome!”
“Please, sit wherever you’re comfortable.”
The group consisted of five people.
One of the Shop Attendants’ eyes gleamed. He had recognized who had just walked through the door.
That Shop Attendant was Sixteen Ho.
His true identity was a disciple of the Hao Organization’s Main Compound and one of those known as the Hundred Eyes and Ears—the Sect Master’s direct unit.
‘The most famous Small Guild Master Eun Seo-ho in this Hangzhou, and the Internal Chief Manager Hwang An of the branch. What business brings them here?’
As Sixteen Ho tilted his head in curiosity, Eun Seo-ho and Hwang An exchanged words.
“Is this the place known for preparing the finest West Lake Vinegar Fish, Hangzhou’s specialty?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
West Lake Vinegar Fish was the signature dish of West Lake, abundant with freshwater fish—the fish was steamed and dressed with a sweet and tangy sauce.
“Thanks to you, Small Guild Master, I get to enjoy such delicious food.”
“Please, don’t say that. It’s thanks to you, Internal Chief Manager, that I learned of this fine establishment.”
“Yet you haven’t even tasted it, and you speak so highly of it?”
“I trust the discernment of a former Internal Chief Manager of the Hao Organization.”
At those words, Sixteen Ho’s ears perked up.
‘Former Internal Chief Manager of the Hao Organization? Former? Does that mean he left?’
He maintained his composure, took their order, and began bringing out the dishes one by one.
“By the way, submitting your resignation! That must have been quite a difficult decision.”
“Indeed. But it was unavoidable. They’ve now begun falsifying even the reports sent to the Main Compound. I didn’t wish to die.”
“I understand.”
“With you welcoming me so warmly, I’m glad I left.”
Falsifying reports sent to the Main Compound was a grave crime worthy of execution.

I was at a point now.
I was now at an inn.
And one of the Shop Attendants was subtly focusing their senses on us.
The Shop Attendant that the Jin Yu Warrior had mentioned—the one who came to sell us information.
By the way, the West Lake crucian carp here… it’s genuinely delicious.
It tastes even better than the restaurants specializing in West Lake crucian carp that I frequented in my previous life.
So this place also failed in my previous life.
Then I should acquire this place as well.
Anyway, seeing that Shop Attendant wear a meaningful expression at our words, it seemed our operation was working perfectly.
I shouldn’t have delayed coming to apologize to me.

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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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