Chapter 23
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 23
Chapter 23. Martial Artist (3)
Hwang Yeong sighed and picked up his sword. He couldn't stop himself because it was his destiny.
They quietly headed toward Gong Do-gong's house.
At Hwang Yeong's signal, the warriors they had brought with them rushed into the potter's house.
But then...
Bang!
Crash!
Torches lit up the potter's house, and armed warriors came out.
The warriors of the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company were taken aback.
The captain and Hwang Yeong were also confused.
Thud, thud, thud.
Then someone came out of the house.
It was Eun Seo-ho.
* * *
I casually looked at the captain of the Jin-gye Trading Company with my hands behind my back.
He was confused, but soon his anger erupted.
“How could this be... Damn it! It was a trap!”
I shook my head at his words.
“A trap? It was just a precaution. I had a bad feeling about you earlier. So, just in case, I called the warriors and had them stand by, and just as I expected, you came to visit.”
I pointed at the warriors of the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company and said,
“But clothes made of sheepskin and a water jug... Was Captain Jin-gyeong the leader of the bandits?”
“This is...”
The warriors of the Jin-gyeong Trading Company were taken aback by my words and tried to hide the water jug and the water jug, but it was too late.
“How could this be! Captain Jin-gyeong! You were a bandit!”
The constables who had been hiding behind Gong Daegong's house revealed themselves.
Among them was the head constable.
Due to the incident in which the constables who had accepted bribes tried to kill the thieves, the head constable had no choice but to listen to my request.
So, I sent Pal-gap to buy dinner and sent a letter to Jeong-chung and the head constable asking them to come here.
“What do you mean? Outnumbered? No, that's not true. This is just...”
The captain of the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company tried desperately to explain, but the head constable would not listen.
“Shut up! Do you think it makes sense to attack someone in the middle of the night dressed like that?”
The head constable looked around and shouted.
"Handcuff them all!
A fierce battle ensued, but it didn't last long.
The warriors of the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company weren't that strong, and we had more men.
“The history of the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company will end here.”
But I didn't feel particularly sorry.
This was his own doing.
And considering what the captain of the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company had done in his previous life, it was better that he was gone.
I approached the head constable and clasped my hands together.
“Please investigate thoroughly.”
“Don't worry.”
With that, the head constable took the bound Jin-Gyeon Trading Company captain, Hwang Yeong-gaeng, and the warriors back to the law enforcement office.
“Then shall we go back?”
.
.
.
I led Gong Daegong's family to the Yeo Inn.
Master and Jeong Chung were waiting for me in the restaurant on the first floor.
As soon as I entered, Master and Jeong Chung rushed over and asked me.
“What on earth happened? Why did you call the head constable?”
I responded to Jung-chung's words with a polite clasped hands greeting.
“I apologize for causing you concern.”
“No, it's fine. You're back safely. By the way, what happened?”
Just then.
Hee-ee-ing!
Accompanied by the sound of horses, a woman rushed into the inn.
“Everyone is here! Did you find a Palm print maker?”
Even though she had been riding a horse, her hair was perfectly in place.
I was surprised to see Yeon-da-mi, the female leader of the Silver Sea Trading Company.
I had sent a letter to my father about the Palm print maker, but I never thought she would come in person.
Everyone was surprised by Yeon-da-mi's appearance.
“Greetings, Chief!
”Greetings, Chief!“
She walked quickly toward me, and I greeted her as well.
”Greetings, Chief. Did you rush here as soon as you received my letter?"
She nodded in response to my question.
“I couldn't just sit still when I heard that you found the Palm print who could make that doll. So where is he?”
I pointed to the potter next to me, and she brightened up and approached him.
“Ah! This is the Palm print!”
“What? I'm…”
The potter was taken aback, and I shook my head with a smile.
“No, it's not him. It's Yeon Gak-ju.”
“...?”
I put my hand on Gongmil's shoulder and said,
“It's him.”
“What?”
Her face was filled with confusion.
I understood. I would have been confused too if I heard something like that.
If you introduce a ten-year-old child as a craftsman who can make such an amazing artifact, it would be understandable.
However, she was Yeon Gak-ju. She regained her composure and calmly continued.
“I would like to see it.”
“I understand, but it is late. Would it be okay to do it tomorrow since you had a big day today?”
“A big day?”
I explained the whole story to her.
“Oh! I see. I'm glad you're all right. Let's get some rest then.”
It was already past midnight.
We all went to our rooms and went to bed.
However
I had training with my Master again today.
.
.
.
The next day.
After breakfast, Yeon Gak-ju said.
“Now I want to see your Palm print skills.”
“Yes, sir.”
I said to Gong-mil.
“The time has come to show your skills. Can you make the doll I told you about?”
“Yes.”
“What materials do you need? I'll get them for you.”
After thinking for a moment, Gongmil asked,
“Really, anything?”
“Of course.”
“Then...”
He told me what materials he wanted. But there was one unexpected item.
“A piece of silk?”
“Yes.”
Gongmil nodded.
“Actually, I'm making this doll because my little sister wants one. I want to make it pretty for her.”
“I see.”
I immediately asked Pal-gap to bring the materials Gong-mil had mentioned, but Yeon-gak beat me to it.
He asked the two Sang-gak members to bring the materials he had just mentioned.
Soon, the materials were ready.
Gongmil sat down on the floor. He said it was because he was too short to work while sitting at the table.
Gongmil's eyes became serious as he began his work, showing tremendous concentration.
At that age, it is difficult to concentrate for even an hour. However, he remained motionless for an hour, absorbed in his work.
At the same time, it was clear that Gong-mil was having a lot of fun.
I turned my head and looked at Yeon-gak.
She couldn't hide her surprise.
When I called Gong-mil a master craftsman, she must have doubted my words.
But when she saw Gong-mil making the doll himself, she couldn't help but be amazed.
A ten-year-old master craftsman!
It was an unprecedented event.
An hour and a half passed, and Gong-mil looked tired but smiled broadly and said,
“It's finished.”
The doll he handed me was completely different from the ones he had made before.
They were made of wood, but the wood was of much higher quality, giving them a natural look, and they were dressed in silk clothes, making them look like high-class dolls.
“This doll dances by itself when the time comes?”
“Yes.”
Gong-mil nodded.
“When the axle of this wheel turns, these protrusions touch the axle, causing the wheel to move...”
He explained at length.
“This doll is small, so the axle of the wheel is also small. That's why we had to set it to dance once every hour.”
“So it dances once every hour?”
“Yes.”
Gong-mil wound the spring behind the doll.
And when a moment passed.
The puppet really started dancing on its own. Everyone watching was surprised to see it dancing with its arms alternating.
Well, not everyone.
Except for Gongmil, Gongrae, and me.
I had seen that puppet countless times in my previous life.
I wanted to know how it worked, so I bought one and took it apart to study it.
I was curious to know how someone could make something like this.
However, I couldn't figure it out.
The elasticity of fish bladders, which were used to transmit power to the gears, was impossible to replicate.
If I couldn't do it, there was no way anyone else could.
Even though there were many fake versions, no one could replicate the dolls sold by the Trading Company.
Now I think I understand why.
How could people who only cared about money imitate the result of my hard work for my sister, even though we were not well off?
As everyone was talking about it, the dancing doll stopped.
“Is this doll going to dance again?”
“Yes.”
Gongmil nodded and pointed to the wheel.
“If you turn this wheel once, it will continue to move on its own for about half a day.”
Yeon Gakju's eyes flashed with madness.
Ugh!
Seeing that look in her eyes, he remembered her name.
Eunho (Silver Fox).
It means a fox from the Eunhae Trading Company.
Her specialty is her ability to determine how much money a product can make.
The fact that her eyes were shining with madness meant that she recognized Gongmil's value.
“You! Let's sign a contract with our trading company!”
Gongmil smiled shyly and replied to her words.
“I already have a contract.”
Her face was filled with confusion at his answer.
“What? With whom? When? No! Who was the one who made the first move?”
“It was me.”
I raised my hand slightly and replied.
“...What?”
I took out the contract from my pocket and showed it to her.
“I already signed a contract with him.”
The employer on the contract signed by Gongdui Dao yesterday is not Eunhae Trading Company.
It is me, Eun Seo-ho.
That was the result of my deliberation.
Having started my life anew, I realized that the future would not necessarily unfold as I had experienced it.
Therefore, I needed to prepare for the possibility that things might not go as planned.
That's why I decided to make him my personal employee instead of an employee of Eunhae Trading Company.
That way, the profits would be mine, not the company's. Of course, I would sell the goods through the company, so the company would still make a profit.
That meant I would have more personal funds to use.
That was the only way I could easily accomplish everything I had in mind.
I can't use the Trading Company's funds as I please. Besides, the Trading Company's funds are too exposed to the outside world.
“So, Lord Yeon, you can negotiate with me.”
A smile appeared on Lord Yeon's face at my words.
“Negotiate with me? Are you sure you can handle it, young master?”
“I will approach it with a willingness to learn as much as I can.”
The negotiations began immediately.
The negotiations were fierce, with both sides pushing and pulling.
In my previous life, I had experience in various negotiations and had led the Trading Company to victory, but Yeon Gak-ju was not an easy opponent.
In fact, it was Yeon Gak-ju who taught me about negotiations.
After an hour of negotiations, I was finally able to get 70% of what I wanted.
I would be working as a temporary employee, but there was one thing I refused to compromise on.
That was guaranteed commuting time, meal time, and study time.
I was only ten years old.
I needed to eat well, sleep well, study, and learn in order to grow up.
After the negotiations were over, we exchanged contracts.
“You are quite skilled, young master.”
Yeon Gak-ju smiled happily.
“It's been a long time since I've been pushed so hard.”
“It was very difficult for me too.”
“You say that, but you look very pleased. Hehe.”
“Hahaha.”
“It's rewarding to teach you. I look forward to the day when you will be working at our Sangyugak.”
And the look in his eyes as he looked at me was even more intense than before.
Why did that look make me break out in a cold sweat?
Yeon Gak-ju stood up and said,
“Let's get ready to leave.”
“Yes!”
At Yeon Gak-ju's words, everyone immediately sprang into action.
* * *
The headquarters of the Eunhae Trading Company in Songyang County, Hubei Province.
After finishing his work in Geumseon Village, Yeon Da-mi immediately headed to the headquarters of the trading company, Eun Gil-sang.
“Ah! Yeon Da-mi, how did your errand go?”
In response to his question, Yeon Da-mi entered the trading company president's office and placed the box he had brought with him on the table.
She sat down in front of him and said,
“He was ten years old.”
“What? What are you talking about? Ten years old?”
“The palm print maker. He was only ten years old.”
“What?”
“I'm not crazy, and I'm not joking. I saw it with my own eyes.”
She opened the box she had brought with her.
“This is a doll made by a ten-year-old martial artist. It dances on its own... It's a zamu doll.”