The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 415

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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 415

Chapter 415. A New Beginning for Yangyang Martial Hall (1)

Sung Jun’s mood had been terribly unsettled these days.
It was because the tavern business he had pursued with such ambition had ended in utter failure.
Never had there been such a complete collapse.
“Lord Sung, if I may.”
“What is it?”
The Internal Chief Manager approached him cautiously and asked.
“Regarding the wages for the family’s employees this month… what should we do?”
At those words, Sung Jun felt the back of his neck tighten.
“Tell them to wait a little longer.”
“Understood, my lord.”
After the Internal Chief Manager left, Sung Lord rose from his seat and irritably opened the window.
The suffocation was unbearable.
But then…
Of all places, an eight-story building appeared in the distance beyond that window.
That building was none other than the tavern he had built—Gahorou.
His insides churned with fury as he slammed the window shut.
When he first built Gahorou in defiance of his father’s wishes, he had been brimming with hope.
He had thought he would rake in money like the other lords who owned businesses around West Lake.
But contrary to his expectations, Gahorou had few customers.
To discover the reason, he had paid a considerable sum to the Hao Organization for information.

“They say there is no reason to go there since West Lake is not even visible from that location.”
“Yet West Lake is visible from the eighth floor.”
“Most tavern patrons dine on the lower floors. And visitors from foreign lands who came to see West Lake would go to establishments closer to West Lake—why would they come to Gahorou?”
“…”

Upon hearing the direct information relayed from the Hao Organization, Sung Lord finally seemed to awaken from a dream.
Now that I thought about it, many people had warned against the Gahorou venture.
Not only his family members and the Internal Chief Manager had cautioned him, but even the Manor Lords he was close with had advised against this business.
Yet he was a man who trusted his own judgment, believing that other Manor Lords were simply jealous of him.
In any case, he couldn’t afford to fail from the start, so he swallowed his tears and drastically cut prices.
As a result, customers with lighter purses began trickling in one by one, but it wasn’t long before a drinking ban was imposed.
For Sung Lord, it was enough to drive him mad.
He had exhausted his family fortune to build Gahorou, but far from recovering his investment, he was dying trying to cover operating costs.
Just then, the door opened and an attendant entered.
“My lord, what shall we do about today’s gathering?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, today was the gathering day.”
There was a gathering formed by nearby Manor Lords. It was called the Myeongju Society, named after a legend where two immortals created a famous wine that split into West Lake.
He recalled the last gathering.
These days, hardship wasn’t limited to Sung Lord alone.
As the poor harvests persisted, civil unrest erupted in various places, and with the drinking ban imposed, Manor Lords with businesses around West Lake were struggling under mounting deficits with gloomy faces.
Though his own nose was three feet long, it was amusing to see those arrogant Manor Lords looking so miserable.
“I shall attend. Make the preparations accordingly.”
“Yes, my lord.”

Evening arrived.
Sung Lord headed toward the appointed meeting place.
This gathering’s venue was Woljurul, owned by Man Jangju, who belonged to the same society.
“Welcome.”
“Ahem, is everyone here?”
“Yes. They are on this floor.”
As Sung Lord climbed to this floor, he tilted his head in confusion.
Everything looked so different from when he had last visited.
Things that had been left unrepaired despite their deterioration were now neatly fixed or replaced with new items.
As soon as he reached this floor, he spotted Man Jangju.
“Man Jangju, you said you had no money and weren’t fixing anything, so what happened suddenly? Did a gold nugget fall from somewhere?”
“Ah, I didn’t repair it myself.”
“What do you mean? If you didn’t repair this tavern, who else would?”
“The new owner of this tavern had it repaired.”
“A new owner?”
“I sold this tavern not long ago.”
Now that he mentioned it, all the worry that had been etched on Man Jangju’s face had vanished completely.
It looked as though a troublesome tooth had been extracted, leaving him somehow relieved.
But given the current times, he surely hadn’t received a good price.
“So you sold this fine tavern at a pittance? How could you?”
“Eh? At a pittance? No, that’s not it.”
He waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.
“Truth be told, the price I quoted was a pittance. But the person who purchased this tavern wouldn’t accept such a meager offer and paid a fair price instead.”
“Where does one find such a fool?”
Someone behind him spoke with evident displeasure at his words.
“A fool? How dare you refer to our benefactor in such a manner.”
“Ahem! That person is not accustomed to hearing such language.”
Sung Jang-ju blinked his eyes wide.
‘What in the world have these people collectively consumed?’
Now that he looked closer, the worry that had previously etched their faces had vanished entirely.
‘Could it be?’
Sung Jang-ju posed a question to them.
“Did you perhaps also transfer your businesses to that per… no, to that person?”
“Indeed.”
“At an excellent price, too.”
“It was worth rushing to Cheongpa Tavern the moment we heard Man Jangju’s words.”
At that, Sung Jang-ju turned to Man Jangju with a tone of reproach.
“This is most unfair. Why did you not inform me of this?”
“How could I tell you such a thing? When I previously asked whether you would sell if a suitable buyer appeared, what did you say? You flatly declared that there was no chance of that happening with you, Sung Jang-ju.”
“….”
He found himself at a loss for words.
“That is why I did not inform you. Do not take offense at this.”
At that, Sung Jang-ju cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Ahem, so who did you sell to?”
“You must have heard of him—Eun Seo-ho, the Small Guild Master of the Eun Hae Trading Company.”
“Ah! That Seon Hyeop Mi-rang?”
“Indeed.”
“But once the famine ends, these businesses will generate substantial profits again… won’t you feel considerable regret later?”
“That is possible.”
“But isn’t extinguishing the fire at our feet the priority right now?”
“And there were conditions that we found quite satisfactory.”
I was curious what conditions could warrant such remarks. Whether they noticed my unspoken question or simply wished to boast, the lords readily opened their mouths.
“He promised to give us one-tenth of the profits from the businesses we transferred for the next ten years.”
“One-tenth, you say?”
“Indeed. For us, it is complete satisfaction. We extinguished the immediate crisis and can receive additional profits for ten years.”
“But if he is willing to forfeit one-tenth of the profits, surely that condition must be….”
“The condition was not particularly difficult. To provide protection for the Yangyang Martial Hall!”
At those words, Sung Jang-ju’s face contorted visibly.
This was hardly surprising, as the relationship between the Yangyang Martial Hall and Sung Jang-ju could scarcely be called favorable.
“By the way, I hear he is actively acquiring additional businesses.”
At that remark, Sung Jang-ju’s ears perked up.
I couldn’t determine what connection existed between Eun Seo-ho and Yangyang Martial Hall, but if the situation was that favorable, it seemed Gahorou would also purchase it at a good price.
My heart suddenly began to race with anticipation.

* * *

“With this contract, you have now acquired a total of twenty-two establishments.”
I nodded at Seo Hyang’s words.
“Is this amount sufficient?”
Palgap answered my question.
“Well, Young Master, that’s something only you would know. How could we possibly say?”
He had a point.
Twenty-two establishments meant I had acquired nearly half of all the businesses in the vicinity of West Lake.
The fact that no one had approached me despite the rumors spreading far and wide suggested they had no intention of selling their establishments.
Or perhaps they had already been sold elsewhere.
I had no intention of monopolizing all the businesses here, and this amount was more than sufficient.
That was when Seo Hyang spoke.
“From what I can see, you appear to have acquired nearly all the major establishments.”
Just as she said, by timing my acquisitions to when the larger businesses were struggling most, I had been able to secure the majority of the quality establishments.
“Then let us conclude the acquisition of establishments here.”
“Understood.”
By the way, wasn’t yesterday the gathering of the Myeongju Society that Sung Jang-ju belonged to?
Since Hao Organization had begun operating normally, I no longer purchased information, but the intelligence I had gathered thus far allowed me to understand much.
A considerable number of the Manor Lords who had sold me their establishments belonged to an organization called the Myeongju Society.
If that were the case, having heard my story, they would surely be thrilled at the prospect of selling Gahorou to me, their hearts racing with excitement.
How troublesome.
I had no intention of purchasing Gahorou.
In any case, it was time to begin wrapping up my affairs in Hangzhou.

The next day,
I set out for Yangyang Martial Hall early in the morning.
“Welcome.”
Yeom Chief Manager greeted me with a beaming smile.
“Your name, Small Guild Master, has been on everyone’s lips.”
“Haha, I suppose I did conduct my affairs with considerable flair.”
“Then you’ve obtained everything you desired?”
I nodded at his question.
“Of course. I’ve acquired far more than I initially hoped for.”
“How fortunate. Ah, and the food you sent was delicious. Truly exquisite.”
“I’m glad it pleased your palate.”
I continued.
“Do you have time today?”
“Nothing pressing comes to mind.”
“Then come with me. We must reclaim the Yangyang Martial Hall’s land.”
I headed to Sung Lord’s Residence with Yeom Chief Manager.
The Gate Keeper who saw us inquired.
“What brings you here?”
“We’ve come to see the Manor Lord.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“We do not.”
The Gate Keeper shook his head and replied.
“The Manor Lord is a busy man. Please arrange an appointment and return another time.”
I answered him.
“Very well. Then please inform the Manor Lord that Eun Seo-ho of the Eun Hae Trading Company will visit again in half a year.”
With that, we returned to Yangyang Martial Hall. Yeom Chief Manager tilted his head and asked me.
“Half a year? Is that truly acceptable?”
“Yes, it’s fine. It’s Sung Lord who’s desperate enough to lose his mind right now. He’ll certainly come within three days.”
By saying half a year, I intended to make him even more anxious.

* * *

After Eun Seo-ho and his party departed, the Gate Keeper reported to Sung Lord’s Attendant.
“A guest came just now and asked to see the Manor Lord, inquiring whether there was a prior appointment. Since there wasn’t one, I turned them away.”
“Well done. Wanting to see the Manor Lord without any prior arrangement! The audacity of some people!”
“He said he would return again in six months.”
The Attendant pulled out a schedule from his sleeve and unfolded it as he spoke.
“Six months from now… that would be December of this year? Yes, who was it?”
“He said his name was Eun Seo-ho from the Eun Hae Trading Company.”
“Eun Seo-ho from the Eun Hae Trading Company…”
In that instant, the Attendant’s body went rigid.
He barely managed to lift his head and asked.
“What did you just say?”
“Eun Seo-ho from the Eun Hae Trading Company. He came with the Yeom Chief Manager from Yangyang Martial Hall…”
“You cursed fool! Have you lost your mind wanting to see the Manor Lord dead?”
“Sir?”
The Gate Keeper stood bewildered, his mind reeling at the sudden reversal from praise to rebuke.
“That man is the Manor Lord’s lifeline!”
“Sir?”
Six months from now!
Six months of mounting deficits piling upon the Manor Lord’s already burning rage—it would be a truly dreadful ordeal.
The Attendant hurried toward the Manor Lord’s office.

* * *

Yangyang Martial Hall’s Reception Room.
Yeom Chief Manager and I stood facing Sung Jang-ju.
Yeom Chief Manager’s mouth hung open as he looked at me.
His expression seemed to ask how I could be so remarkably prescient.
I smiled and answered with my eyes.
You see? I told you he would come within four days.
Though it seems he was far more impatient than that.
Four days?
The very next day—today—he appeared at Yangyang Martial Hall, which speaks volumes.
“I must apologize for the unpleasantness caused yesterday by our Gate Keeper.”
His manner was extraordinarily deferential.
“Please, think nothing of it. The Gate Keeper was merely fulfilling his duty, was he not?”
“I am grateful for your understanding. Might I ask… have you come to acquire Gahorou?”
Oh, Sung Jang-ju.
Your eagerness is truly something to behold.
I wore an apologetic expression as I spoke.
“I’m afraid that is not the purpose of my visit.”
“Pardon?”
“As of yesterday, I have completed all acquisitions of enterprises around West Lake. I was merely preparing to depart.”
“I beg your pardon?”
His complexion darkened as if he could never have imagined such words.
“What… what do you mean? Are you saying you will acquire no more establishments?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then what in heaven’s name did you wish to see me for?”
At his words, I withdrew documents from my breast and unfolded them.
“This is a contract executed between the late Sung Ji-myung and the late Yangyang Martial Hall Master.”
“A contract? What could possibly—”
As Sung Jang-ju muttered thus and examined the contract, his pupils began to tremble violently.

This is the genuine contract regarding the lease of five hundred pyeong of land located at ×× between Sung Ji-myung of the Hangzhou Sung Family and Baek Eul-ji of Yangyang Martial Hall.
I, Sung Ji-myung, pledge to permanently lease this land to Yangyang Martial Hall for five silver taels annually, in repayment for the debt of life-saving grace.
Should my descendants break this promise and order evacuation, at that moment all rights to the land shall transfer to Yangyang Martial Hall, and the obligation to pay the lease fee shall likewise cease.

His expression was one of disbelief.
“This document has already been notarized by Ji Hyeon Dae-in, so its authenticity is beyond question.”
“…”
“Furthermore, there is clear evidence that you ordered evacuation from Yangyang Martial Hall and have relocated, making it equally clear that all rights to the land have transferred to Yangyang Martial Hall.”
I continued.
“Therefore, you must return the land now.”

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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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