Chapter 137
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 137
Chapter 137. You Reap What You Sow (7)
He sighed and nodded.
“I accept your offer.”
“Good decision.”
I took another document out of my pocket and handed it to him.
“What is this?”
“It's a document regarding compensation.”
“...?”
“You must compensate the Mi-ga Trading Company for the damage caused by the captain.”
“Ah...”
The compensation did not include the servants and workers who nearly died because of the captain of the Namho Trading Company.
They were working for the Mi-ga Trading Company, which provided good welfare, and it was their greed that caused the accident.
It was enough to save their lives.
What goes around comes around.
Since they saved his money, they wanted him to repay them with money.
“But compensation is 30% of the net profit?”
“Yes.”
“Then... won't the trading company be left with only 40%?”
“I guess so.”
“You're being unreasonable!”
“Are you going to take down the sign?”
.
.
.
That evening.
I returned to the office of the Trading Company.
I told my uncle and Hyung-nim about my visit to Namho Trading Company that day.
“I have reached an agreement with Namho Trading Company. Both companies have decided to withdraw from the price competition.”
“What?”
My uncle asked me.
“What do you mean? Withdraw the price competition?”
“It is exactly what I said. We will withdraw the price competition, and both trading companies will resume charging the original price for medicinal herbs.”
“But why are we giving up now?”
My uncle nodded at my older brother's words.
“Yes, as Jiseo said, why are we giving up now? We are so close to destroying Namho Trading Company.”
I stared at my uncle.
“Then our Miga Trading Company will become the best medicinal herb broker in Gyeongju. Why are we throwing away this opportunity?”
I was speechless.
Oh, no... My uncle.
How could he not have guessed what I was thinking?
I thought I had done the right thing in signing a secret agreement with Namho Trading Company.
“Uncle.”
My voice must have sounded unusual because my uncle looked at me with a nervous expression.
“Did I tell you that I would destroy Namho Trading Company?”
“....”
“I clearly said I would save the Miga Trading Company, not destroy the Namho Trading Company.”
“....”
“Isn't that right?”
“That's right.”
“If we had made one wrong move, it would have been the Miga Trading Company that went down. But now that the situation has reversed, you want me to fight to the death?”
Hyung-nim shook his head.
“Still, I can't accept this situation. Can't we just push a little harder?”
“And then what?”
“As the vice-captain of this trading company, I demand that you give me the position of captain.”
Hearing this, Jin-ho, who was sitting next to me, became furious.
“What? Seo-ho has been working so hard to turn the situation around!”
“This is an opportunity to grow the Trading Company. Are you giving it up? Then you are not qualified to be the acting head of the Trading Company!”
Oh, no... This guy.
How could he not do what I expected?
I knew it from the moment my uncle asked me to take over as captain of the Trading Company and said he had nothing to do and would just read books at home.
It's true that people are different when they go into the bathroom and when they come out.
But I expected this, so it's okay.
People say you can't change a person, but I am the one who proved that it is possible.
And does Hyung-nim know?
That his remark just now made me decide to carry out the plan I had been thinking about.
I was still a little hesitant, but that hesitation disappeared.
I reached out and calmed Jin-ho down.
“Hyung, sit down.”
“But...”
“It's okay, just sit down.”
Hyung-nim Jin-ho must have sensed something in my voice, because he obediently sat down.
However, he still seemed unhappy, frowning.
I asked Hyung-nim Jiseo.
“Are you saying that because you want the position of acting head of the Trading Company? Or did you want the position of head of the Trading Company?”
“Of course...”
“You want the position of Captain, don't you? Your uncle is still alive.”
Hearing this, Hyung-nim Jiseo was taken aback and waved his hands frantically.
“No, that's not what I meant...”
“Yes, I know. You don't trust me, do you?”
“That's right.”
“But you see, this reversal of fortune is the result of my own unreliability.”
“...Hmm.”
Hyung-nim continued.
“We know you've been through a lot. We'll show our gratitude separately, and from now on, we'll take care of things ourselves...”
“So you want me to withdraw? But it hasn't even been six months, and it was you, Hyung-nim, the captain of the Miga Trading Company, who first mentioned terminating the contract. So this is at the request of the Miga Trading Company.”
I continued.
“In this case, the Miga Trading Company should compensate me for my losses. Isn't that right?”
I said with a smile.
“If Miga Trading Company compensates us for the money invested so far, I will withdraw from the contract and return to Eunhae Trading Company right now.”
My cousin and Hyung-nim's eyes widened at my words.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
I stood up from my seat.
I approached the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote down what I had already thought of on a piece of paper.
Then I placed it on the table.
I hoped I would never have to write this contract.
“Please sign here.”
The two men read the contract I handed them.
There was nothing special about the contract.
It stated that Eunjo-san and Eunji-san of Miga Trading Company requested that Eunseoho step down as acting head of the trading company, and in return, Miga Trading Company would compensate Eunhae Trading Company for all expenses incurred thus far.
“If you give me the amount you invested, I will immediately step down as acting head, and the position of head of the trading company will return to my uncle.”
“....”
“And the credit for reviving this trading company will go to you.”
My uncle nodded at my words.
“I understand. I will sign this contract and regain my position as captain.”
“Father! Wait a minute...”
My uncle signed the contract without hesitation, before Hyung-nim could stop him.
Seeing that, I was certain.
Even if my uncle hadn't committed suicide in my previous life, Mi-ga Trading Company would have gone bankrupt anyway.
In any case, thanks to him, my plan was going smoothly.
Swoosh.
I quickly picked up the contract and said.
“But why didn't you ask me the most important question?”
“The most important question?”
“Shouldn't you ask how much has been invested so far?”
Only then did my uncle realize that something was wrong, and his face turned pale.
Then Hyung-nim let out a sigh.
I smiled slightly and took a book out of my pocket and placed it on the table.
“This is the money invested in Miga Trading Company so far.”
Hearing my words, my uncle and Hyung-nim quickly picked it up and began to look through it.
I chuckled to myself. My uncle's pupils were shaking uncontrollably.
“You invested this much?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“If you don't believe me, check it yourself.”
My uncle must not have known the amount because I deliberately didn't tell him.
If he had been thinking clearly, he would have asked me or counted it himself.
No
No matter how I looked at it, it was hopeless.
I understood why my grandfather sighed whenever my uncle's name came up.
It was a matter of pride, but he must have known about this too.
Hyung-nim was a little better, but considering that he asked me to give up my position as acting captain of the Trading Company, he was no better.
“So, do you have the money to pay me back?”
My uncle replied in a strained voice.
“When the Trading Company makes money in the future, I'll pay you back however much I can...”
“How long are we supposed to wait? We're in the red right now.”
“...”
“And the contract says you have to pay by the end of this month. How do you plan to pay?”
Hyung-nim glared at me.
“You tricked us!”
Hearing that, Jin-ho, who was next to me, said, "Who are you kidding?
“Who's deceiving whom? Seo-ho only told the truth, but it was you who signed the contract out of pride.”
“Kuh!”
My uncle gritted his teeth and said.
“Was this your intention from the beginning when you were appointed as the captain of the Trading Company?”
“No, it wasn't.”
“Where did you get such a lie!”
“I really didn't mean to do this. Not until Hyung-nim told me to step down as acting captain of the Trading Company. I just wanted to work hard to revive the company and then leave gracefully after six months.”
At my words, my uncle glared at Hyung-nim, who remained silent.
“Why did I say six months? I said that because it will take six months to revive this trading company.”
“....”
“It will take me six months, but you think that the two of you, who brought the company to this state, can revive it quickly?”
“....”
“To be blunt, the money you have invested so far is much more than the value of this company.”
“Even so, how can it be worth more than this trading company...”
“Then how much is a trading company worth that is nothing but a shell, with nothing but debt and red ink in the books?”
At my words, the two men's heads dropped lower and lower.
My words, which pointed out the reality of the situation, made the two men face reality.
“The price of medicinal herbs is now lower than the price at which we sell them. That means we have been in the red all this time.”
“If you think that you can raise prices after I step down as captain and ruin Namho Trading Company with your low-price policy, then I'm telling you seriously, you will ruin the company for good.”
Now, Eunhae Trading Company is behind Namho Trading Company.
* * *
Eun Jo-san felt as if he had been doused with cold water.
When he came to his senses, he realized that he had just done something ridiculous.
In the end, his pride had once again tripped him up.
As Eun Seo-ho had said, he had sacrificed his small pride for his big pride.
Eun Jo-san turned his head and looked at his son.
Captain Eun Ji-seo.
To be honest, he felt relieved when his son told Eun Seo-ho to step down from his position as acting head of the Trading Company.
It was what he wanted to say.
With a little more effort, he could become the best herbal medicine dealer in Gyeongju, but to stop here.
He didn't want to miss this opportunity.
But now, he resented his son for saying those words.
If he hadn't said those words, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this point.
But what was done was done.
So he thought about what to do next.
His plan was to push harder, destroy Namho Trading Company, and then raise the price of medicinal herbs.
But Eun Seo-ho, as if he knew what he was thinking, said, "If you do that, you'll lose everything.
If you do that, you'll really ruin everything.
His uncle, who had advised him to put his pride aside, spoke seriously before returning to Eunhae Trading Company.
“It's not easy for me to say this, but I have to tell you because you're my nephew.”
“What is it?”
“You don't have what it takes to be a captain.”
“What?”
“So how about joining Eunhae Trading Company? I can get you a good position.”
“What do you mean?”
“If things continue like this, this trading company will end up in someone else's hands.”
However, he did not even listen to his uncle's suggestion and instead became angry.
He didn't even see his uncle off when he left after working hard for the Mi-Gwa Trading Company for five years.
For some reason, his uncle's words kept echoing in his head.
When he saw Eun Seo-ho, he understood why his uncle said he didn't have what it takes to be a captain.
“If you're talking about what it takes to be a captain, then you must be talking about someone like him.”
Eun Seo-ho asked again.
“So, how do you plan to pay me?”
“...”
He was at a loss.
There was no way he could come up with the money.
Only then did Eun Jo-san remember that the trading company had already been in the red before Eun Seo-ho became the acting captain.
He had mistakenly believed that Mi-ga Trading Company was now back to normal.
His mouth went dry.
“How... Can you give me a few more days?”
Eun Seo-ho replied firmly to Eun Ji-seo's words.
“If that's what you're going to say, you shouldn't have signed the contract in the first place.”
“Did I sign it? My father signed it.”
“Your name is also on the contract.”
“Kuh!”
Then, suddenly, Eun Seo-ho softened his expression.
“But the main debtor is Mi-gwa Trading Company.”
“You mean that if my son and I step down from our positions as head and deputy head of the company, our debt will be forgiven?”
“That's right. If you hand over Mi-gwa Trading Company, we will consider this debt forgiven.”
In the end, the trading company would fall into the hands of someone else, just as his uncle had said.