Chapter 24
Trading Company's Youngest Son Chapter 24
Chapter 24. More Than Expected (1)
Eun Gil-sang still tilted his head and examined the doll in the box she brought.
The doll, which was about the size of his forearm, was quite elaborately made and dressed in fine silk, giving it a luxurious feel.
“Actually, this isn't the first one I've made. My sister wanted one, so I made another one for her.”
She smiled and wound the doll's gears.
“Don't be surprised.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the martial artist doll began to dance on its own.
“Whoa!”
Despite her warning, Eun-gil was startled.
“Actually, I was surprised too.”
She smiled and continued.
“Do you think this is what Chairman Song wants... I mean, what the wife of the Minister of Justice wants?”
“Of course. And if it's this good...”
“I know. I know that this item has tremendous potential. To do that, the Trading Company's captain will have to use some influence.”
Eun Gil-sang immediately understood what Yeon Gak-ju meant.
“You mean we need permission from the person who will receive the gift.”
“Yes, if possible, we shouldn't upset such a high-ranking official.”
“I understand. I'll arrange a meeting and go there.”
They discussed what to do next.
Time passed, and the wooden doll began to dance again.
“By the way, a ten-year-old made this? He must be a genius!”
Yeon Da-mi laughed at his words.
“Of course, the kid who made this instrument is a genius! That's an indisputable fact. However...”
Her expression soon became serious.
“In my opinion, there is another true genius.”
“...How can you say that, Yeon Gak-ju! I wonder who you're talking about.”
“My youngest son, Dao.”
“...What?”
She took the contract out of her sleeve and handed it to him.
The contract was for a martial artist, and the signature at the bottom was Seo Ho's.
“Why did Seo Ho sign it?”
“He already signed a contract with the Palm print artist. So your youngest son is the employer of the martial artist.”
“What?”
She looked at Eun Gil-sang and continued.
“That's why I had to negotiate with you. It was really hard. I had to give up a lot. But after the negotiations were over, I thought to myself.”
Her voice became serious.
“If it's you, Seo-ho, I believe you can make our trading company the world's best.”
* * *
They arrived at the Eunhae Trading Company.
However, arriving at the trading company did not mean that the escort mission was over.
Everyone was busy confirming and organizing their assigned tasks.
Fortunately, the work assigned to the Finance Department, where I belonged, was relatively light.
The escort fee to be paid to the Changin Escort Agency was a large sum, so instead of delivering it ourselves, the agency would come to collect it.
Therefore, our job was to settle the expenses incurred during the mission.
Of course, before that, we had to briefly report to Chief Administrator Yoo, the head of the Finance Bureau, that we had completed the mission.
Only after submitting a written report would the mission be considered complete.
I smiled as I recalled how I had been scolded by my father as soon as I returned from a mission in my previous life.
“Pal-gap.”
“Yes. Did you call me, young master?”
“I have to go to the Finance Office, so please take Gong Do-gong's family to the guest room.”
“Yes, sir.”
Inside the Trading Company, there was a separate room called the guest room for people visiting for business and guests.
I wanted to tell my father and have them stay there until a suitable place to stay was found.
If they stayed at an inn, someone might steal their belongings.
However, I was not yet a captain, so I couldn't do that on my own. So, I casually mentioned it to Yeon Gak-ju.
“Even if they are people who will be of great help to the Trading Company, wouldn't it be a bit of a burden to have them stay in the guest quarters?”
Yeon Gak-ju jumped up at my words.
“What are you talking about? Of course they should stay in the guest quarters! I'll tell the Clan Head and Se-poong-gak-ju.”
Yeon Gak-ju had the authority to do so, and thus they were able to stay in the guest quarters.
“Young master, aren't you coming with us?”
Gong-rae asked me, and I put my hand on his head and said.
“I want to go with you, but I have to go to work.”
“Then hurry up and go.”
“Huh?”
“That's what the adults said. If you want to be a person, you have to work.”
Gong-rae said firmly, and I smiled wryly.
“You are very smart. You already know that. It won't take long. When you return from your trip, it is customary to rest and recover from your fatigue.”
Then I clasped my hands together in a greeting to Gong Dao.
“I am sorry, but I must take our guests to the guest room.”
“Yes, it's fine. Don't worry about it. You can go.”
“See you later, then.”
I thanked my Master, Jung-chung, and the others one by one.
The merchants and the low-ranking samurai of the Trading Company were taken aback and looked confused.
“Young Master, you're greeting us yourself!”
“You don't have to do that!”
However, it was necessary to express our gratitude.
It may seem like a small thing, but neglecting small things can lead to problems in the future.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes, let's go.”
Gong-rae waved his hand.
“See you later, young master!”
I headed for the Jaegyeong Hall with Lim Kyung-bin.
“Young master and Minister Lim, you are here!”
“Have you just returned from your inspection?”
We were welcomed by the officials of the Jaegyeong Hall and exchanged greetings.
“Is the Chief Administrator in?”
The officials nodded in response to my question.
“Yes, he is.”
“Please go in.”
We headed for Chief Administrator Yoo's office and entered.
“Unpaid Chief Administrator Lim Kyung-bin has returned from his business trip.”
“Special Trainee Eun Seo-ho has returned from his business trip.”
Upon hearing our reports, Chief Administrator Yoo looked up and saw us.
His eyes were tired and sunken.
And next to me was a pile of work.
Seeing that, I had a bad feeling for some reason.
“Good work. Minister Lim Kyung-bin and young master.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Anything unusual?”
Minister Lim Kyung-bin answered the question.
“There are a few things.”
“Report.”
Upon hearing this, Im Kyung-bin immediately gave a brief report on what had happened during the trip.
As he listened to the report, Chief Administrator Yoo looked at me with a strange look in his eyes.
“So, you suggested to Boss Jang that he clear the snow from the mountain road and collect tolls without hesitation, and that's how you earned his gratitude?”
“It just happened that way.”
There is another reason why he became a benefactor, but I cannot reveal it now.
“You recruited a Palm print who can make moving dolls, as requested by Chairman Song?”
“I was lucky.”
That was the purpose of my trip to Jiangxi, but I had to make it look like luck to the outside world.
“So you wiped out the Jin-Gyeon Trading Company?”
“They brought it upon themselves.”
I did do some work behind the scenes, but if they had been a proper trading company in the first place, they wouldn't have destroyed themselves like that.
“Is there anything else to report?”
Im Kyung-bin and I shook our heads in response to that question.
“No, there isn't.”
“Me neither.”
“Well... Anyway, good work.”
Chief Administrator Yoo pressed his fingers firmly between his eyebrows and said.
“That's all for today. Go home and rest, and write a report on this trip tomorrow.”
I cheered at his words.
However
“And young master.”
“Yes.”
“Normally, after returning from an inspection, you would rest that day and start work the next day, but there is too much work piled up. So, I would like you to start work now.”
It was good news, but then it turned bad.
Why do my bad premonitions always come true?
“By the way, it's about time they came to call us.”
Just then
He heard the voice of his assistant, Cho Yeong-yeong, from outside.
“The Trading Company Captain is calling for Chief Administrator Yu and Third Young Master. You should go to Eunwolgak now.”
Upon hearing this, Chief Administrator Yu stood up and said,
“Let's go.”
.
.
.
A moment later
I was sitting in Eunwolgak, with everyone's eyes on me.
My father said.
“I heard the story from Yeon Gak-ju. You recruited a Palm print master and got him under your wing, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
Then, Se-pung Gak-ju said.
“But is it really possible to make a Palm print that can dance by itself?”
My father nodded in response to that question.
“Seeing is believing. Take a look for yourself.”
At my father's signal, Yeon Gak-ju took the wooden doll out of the box.
The wooden doll that Gong-mil made at the inn became Gong-rae's.
It wasn't the first wooden doll he had ever made, but it was the first one he had made with the intention of making it beautiful.
He couldn't refuse his sister's request to give it to her first.
In other words, what we have in front of us is the Jamo doll that Gong-mil remade.
Yeon Gak-ju turned the ring behind the doll.
“Wow!”
“Ho!”
“Huh!”
When the Zhamu doll began to dance, Chief Administrator Yu, Chief Administrator Jik Byeong-cheol, and Chief Administrator Go Il-pyeong were surprised.
“What do you think? I think he will like it.”
Everyone nodded in response to his father's question.
“Of course.”
“This is truly amazing!”
“But it's a shame to use these only as gifts.”
Yoo, who recognized the true value of the dolls, looked disappointed.
Jang nodded in agreement.
“I thought so too, and the Captain agreed with me. So we plan to sell them.”
Go Il-pyeong, the Chief Administrator, was skeptical.
“Those dolls are interesting, but they just dance on their own... Will they sell well?”
The others nodded in agreement.
However, having experienced my previous life, I can say with certainty.
They will sell like hotcakes.
“Father, may I say something?”
“Yes.”
“Of course, all that doll can do is dance. But what if having that doll would help you save face?”
“...?”
“That doll will be delivered to the wife of the Minister of Justice through Song Jang-ju. That means it will be shown to other noblewomen. Do you think they will just stand by and watch?”
“Ah!”
“If this doll becomes something that noblewomen are clamoring to get their hands on, how much will it be worth?”
“Indeed! That's right.”
The enemy commander nodded.
“But there is a problem.”
Chief Administrator Yu continued.
“It's a problem with those who will see this doll and make copies to sell.”
“Ah...”
“That is a problem.”
I smiled at his concern.
“Replicated? Let them try.”
Who could replicate something that even I couldn't?
“Even if they could replicate it, by then it would already be out of fashion and something new would be popular.”
My words made Yeon's eyes light up.
“Does that mean that the young Palm print artist will create something new?”
“As his employer, I can guarantee it. You can count on it.”
My father smiled at my words.
“That's wonderful news. But that's a problem for later. First, we need to resolve the issue of investigating the truth. Call Chairman Song and let's discuss commercializing this tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yeon Gak-ju nodded.
“And Seo Ho.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Thank you for your hard work. Thanks to you, Eunhae Trading Company has avoided a huge loss and will also make a large profit.”
“I only did what I had to do.”
My father immediately began discussing where Gong Dao-gong's family would live.
The conclusion was simple.
He decided to give them one of the annexes within the Trading Company.
“Are there any other matters to discuss?”
“No.”
“Then you may leave...”
At those words, I hurriedly spoke up. I still had something to say.
“Father, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“This is confidential.”
My father looked at the others, and they all nodded.
Not only my father, but also Chief Administrator Yoo So-ak, Chief Administrator Go Il-pyeong, and the four provincial governors were all thoroughly on the same page.
And in my past life, they had never betrayed or harmed the Trading Company.
That's why I could speak freely.
“What is it?”
“Actually, I made a secret agreement with Boss Jang of O Dong-san.”