Chapter 145
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 145
Chapter 145. Cleaning the Front Yard (5)
Ta-eum.
Was it a coincidence that Ta-eum Binghae Shin Gong came to mind as soon as he saw those words?
Before he knew it, the old man from the bookstore had approached him.
“Are you buying that martial arts book?”
“Yes, Elder. But is this a martial arts book?”
The old man nodded slowly.
“Yes, this is a place that sells used martial arts books.”
“You sell martial arts books?”
Aren't martial arts books supposed to be treasured by families and sects?
The old man smiled and explained.
“There are countless martial arts books in the world, but not all of them are rare treasures.”
“That's true.”
“Those books flow around and end up here.”
The old man continued.
“The one you chose is worth four silver coins.”
Four silver coins is the price of a chicken.
“It's a martial arts book, so can you really sell it for so cheap?”
“If no one buys them, they'll just rot away here. And everything here is literally junk.”
Hearing that, I took out four silver coins and paid him.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Good day.”
As we turned to leave, the old man suddenly called us back.
“Wait a minute.”
“...”
“Wait a moment.”
He stared at the arm guard next to me, then took a book from the bookshelf and handed it to me.
“Buy this too.”
“What?”
“The bear-like man next to you will need it.”
.
.
.
A short time later
After eating chicken noodles at a restaurant, I returned to the inn after running some errands and looked through the martial arts book I had bought at the bookstore.
The contents were definitely familiar.
Thinking that my master might know something about it, I put the martial arts book back and took out another one.
It was the martial arts book that the old man at the bookstore had recommended for Pal-gap, saying that he would need it.
Sure enough, the cover was just a blank page.
I flipped through the pages and realized that something was strange about the contents.
“To those who walk the path of the King Slayer...”
Pal-gap seemed to have been born with the abilities of the King Slayer, who was known as the king of assassins.
It didn't seem like a casual recommendation for someone like Pal-gap.
Who was that old man?
I calmly continued reading the martial arts book.
It was a kind of manual.
It covered everything from how to hide your presence and take an opponent's life to the martial arts skills that an assassin must master.
I thought I knew why it had ended up in a secondhand bookstore.
“The moment you think you must not be discovered, everything around you will hide you...”
This was because most of the contents seemed absurd to others.
However, for someone with the innate qualities of a warrior, it was the best secret technique.
Having observed Pal-gap for a long time, I was convinced that he had those qualities.
But I was troubled.
Should I let Pal-gap learn this?
If Pal-gap learned this, he would not die as meaningless as I had.
But if he learned this, I was worried that Pal-gap would no longer be the Pal-gap I knew.
What should I do?
I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn't come up with an answer, so I put the martial arts book back in my pocket.
I felt that I had to discuss this with my Master. As my Master had a secret, he would keep this a secret if I asked him to.
Before that, I had to go back to the bookstore tomorrow.
It was already late in the afternoon.
* *
That evening
After eating dinner with my parents at an inn, I headed for Daejinru.
It was one of the taverns in Luoyang.
“Welcome.”
Pal-gap greeted the waiter, who welcomed us warmly.
“We have a reservation for today.”
When he handed him the piece of paper with the reservation details, the waiter quickly bowed his head.
“Ah, you are the guests for the third private room. Everything is ready. Please have a seat.”
The waiter showed us to our seats.
I had come here to meet Dao Chun-il.
I chose this place because it was much more secretive than other taverns.
As soon as I entered the private room, waiters followed me carrying large trays.
This was the standard meal served when renting a private room.
“Please ring the bell if you need anything.”
They bowed politely and left the private room.
I looked at the food on the table.
The food was very colorful and luxurious, reflecting the affluence of Luoyang.
Even if it was a high-class tavern, it would be difficult to serve such a sumptuous meal if the area was not prosperous.
“Mmm, this is delicious. Please, everyone, help yourselves. The food is quite tasty.”
Pal-gap and the three bodyguards shook their heads at my words.
“No, it's all right.”
“It was fine earlier, but now we are at a tavern. Moreover, it is nighttime, so we need to be alert, and it is difficult to maintain our senses when our stomachs are full.”
Seeing their firm attitude, I did not insist any further.
Was it strange that I was eating so casually?
However, I did not touch the alcohol.
The purpose of my visit was to recruit Dae Do Chunil.
Of course, a few drinks wouldn't cloud my judgment, but there was no need to drink.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
I heard the sound of drums in the distance.
It was the sound announcing the hour of Hai (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.).
He should be here soon.
I deliberately did not tell him which private room I was in. If he was truly the talent I was looking for, he would find me on his own.
Just then,
“My lord, the wall flower is coming in.”
A woman's voice rang out, and the door opened, revealing a beautifully dressed courtesan.
I sensed the energy of the courtesan and smiled, pointing at her with my chin.
“Please sit down.”
“Yes, sir.”
I was amazed at how gracefully she sat down.
First a dancer, now a courtesan.
What an amazing disguise.
I opened my mouth, admiring her in my heart.
“You were right on time.”
“Time is important.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“That's a trade secret.”
Dao Chun-il smiled seductively, and I chuckled.
“That doesn't suit you. Don't you think that kind of smile is poison to someone who clearly knows you're a man?”
“You're right.”
Before I knew it, his voice had changed to that of a man with a hint of beauty.
Not only Pal-gap, but also the three bodyguards looked surprised, but they didn't react any further.
“So, now that you've won our fight, what is it you want from me?”
I answered his question directly.
“Our Eunhae Trading Company wants to hire you.”
“...What? You want to hire me?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and continued.
“Aren't you suffering?”
“...”
“Don't you think it's a shitty situation where you hate yourself for stealing but can't stop?”
“I...”
“Don't try to make excuses. Your trembling eyes and the corners of your mouth already tell me that what I'm saying is true.”
“...”
There was a moment of silence.
“Yes, it's true. I hate stealing. But what can I do? This is the life I've chosen.”
He sighed.
“I tried not to steal. But when I came to my senses, I found myself stealing again. So I tied my hands with chains. But... I found myself stealing again with those hands.”
His words were filled with sadness.
“Now, stealing is like a part of my body. I can only stop when I die. But I hate myself for not being able to kill myself.”
He looked straight at me.
“You'll hire me even though I'm like this?”
“Yes.”
“...!”
My firm answer made him look incredulous.
“I intend to hire you as a security advisor for our trading company.”
“Are you asking a sparrow to guard a rice field?”
“That may be true. But it's impossible for you to steal all of our company's goods. Even if you did, you wouldn't have a warehouse to store them in.”
“...”
“And I am the youngest son of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Huh huh huh.”
He laughed at my words.
“I see.”
“But being a security advisor for the Trading Company is just a cover.”
“...?”
He looked confused again.
“To be honest, I was impressed by your elusive disguise.”
“Ah...”
He smiled seductively again.
“I am quite skilled at disguising myself. My master taught me strictly, but I also worked very hard.”
His expression became serious.
“No one has ever seen through my disguise. But you noticed it.”
“...”
“That means it's possible that someone else could see through my disguise... Are you sure you want to hire me? It seems like the reason you want to hire me is because of my disguise.”
“Ah, that's because I'm a genius.”
“What?”
“So you don't have to worry about anyone else noticing my disguise.”
In my previous life, no one had ever seen through his disguise. He even changed his aura depending on his disguise, so how could anyone recognize him?
In his previous life, he wasn't caught because his disguise was discovered.
He turned himself in to the local government office after seeing other innocent people being falsely accused of being thieves and suffering harsh treatment.
That's how weak-hearted the man in front of me was.
I continued.
“And I will let you steal as much as you want.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? You're going to let someone who doesn't want to steal steal?”
Pal-gap and the guards flinched at his harsh words.
But I raised my hand to stop them.
“To be honest, you don't hate stealing itself, do you? That's why you accepted my challenge.”
“...
”So steal information.“
”What?“
”Why do you think stealing money is the only kind of stealing? Money isn't the only thing you can steal."
I continued.
“You can steal people's hearts, and you can steal information. And I'm asking you to steal information for me.”
He looked blank, and I smiled.
The role I expected Dao Chun-il to play was that of an informant.
I needed a skilled informant. My father agreed.
As the Trading Company grew, the importance of information increased, which is why the 100 Trading Companies gathered once a year for a meeting.
I also needed high-quality information in order to deal with the Martial Alliance in the future.
Although we had the Hao Clan, they did not always provide us with the quick and accurate information we wanted, and there was a possibility that they would give false information to our opponents.
In my previous life, I had been operating an intelligence network in earnest since the Eunhae Trading Company entered the top ten trading companies.
Part of the reason I started then was because it required a lot of money, but the main reason was that I didn't have the right people.
However, now I have the perfect people for an intelligence network.
And money is not a problem.
Our trading company is growing steadily, and we will grow even more with this information.
I asked Dae-do Chun-il.
“Stealing information is much more difficult than it is now. Even you would find it difficult.”
At that moment, the veins on his forehead bulged.
As expected, the best way to get to a thief is to gently scratch his pride.
“How is that possible?”
“There's nothing in this world I can't steal.”
“Then there's no reason we can't sign a contract with your trading company.”
I handed him the contract I had prepared in advance.
“Right?”
“All right. Let's sign it.”
Chun-il signed the contract I handed him.
I had caught a big fish.
A very fresh, lively big fish.
I took back the contract and said,
“As stated in the contract, if you steal anything other than information, that amount will be deducted from your salary. In other words, if you steal, you are stealing from yourself.”
He chuckled at my words.
“How much do you think my salary is?”
“Of course! Did you sign the contract without reading it?”
“...”
“It's written here, isn't it? Salaries are paid according to the value of the information stolen. The least valuable information is worth one silver coin, and the most valuable information is worth ten gold coins.”
“...!”
He was surprised by my words and asked, “Really?”
“Would you like to read the contract again?”
He nodded and read the contract again.
Then, he returned the contract with a polite attitude and asked, “When can I start working?”
His honest attitude toward money was very desirable.