Chapter 360
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 360
Chapter 360. Baekyeom Trading Company (1)
I continued.
“The numbers don't add up. Didn't I tell you? I'm a merchant.”
“....
”No matter how I think about it, it's much more profitable to hire you. Is that clear?"
“Yes.”
“Then will you accept my offer?”
At my words, he politely knelt on one knee.
“I understand. I will trust you.”
He raised his head and looked at me.
“To be honest, I didn't trust Captain Eun. My situation is a bit difficult, isn't it?”
“I understand.”
“Those I trusted have betrayed me several times.”
He probably meant that they reported him to the authorities.
“But I have a friend. To be honest, we're not that close. But he's the type who can't just stand by and watch me suffer.”
He continued.
“He said... that you can be trusted. And if you offer me a job, I should accept without hesitation. He said I would earn much more money and be safer than working as a sailor.”
He exhaled and continued.
“That's the only way you can survive and return to your family in your hometown.”
“....”
“I haven't told anyone about my situation. But he noticed.”
He continued.
“I don't think he should remain a sailor. I beg you to hire him as well.”
According to him, he is quite a talented person.
He is quick-witted and attentive to his surroundings, which is not a bad thing.
And if he, who doesn't trust people easily, recommends him, that means he is trustworthy.
Well, I decided to leave the selection of crew members for the merchant ship to him from the beginning.
I helped him up and said.
“Do as you wish.”
“What?”
“I know that in order to operate a ship, everyone must be on the same page. Therefore, I decided to leave the selection of crew members for the merchant ship to you.”
At that moment, Lee Pil and Yeo Eung-am were approaching from afar, carrying their bags.
They came sooner than I expected.
“Then, we have one last hurdle to overcome.”
“What is it?”
“You must meet my father, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company. It would be appropriate to wash up and change into new clothes to show your respect.”
I took him to a nearby inn.
It was a place with private baths where individuals could wash themselves.
There, I had him wash himself thoroughly with incense and put on the new clothes I had bought.
“Hmm, now you look presentable.”
I nodded.
I don't know if it was because clothes make the man or because of his original high status.
“I don't know if I should wear such nice clothes.”
“Don't worry, this is an investment. By the way, have you ever worn silk clothes before?”
“No, I haven't. Before... before my family fell into ruin, I wore silk clothes every day.”
“Then why are you so shy? Hold your head up high and stand up straight.”
I said to him in a strong tone.
“The task is not yet complete. My father is a good man, but he is also a merchant. So approach this with the same mindset as a warrior going into battle.”
“I will remember that.”
His gaze hardened. Good.
“And one more piece of advice: do not lie to my father.”
“What?”
“Just tell him the truth.”
He looked at me, hesitated, then nodded.
“I understand.”
“Let's go.”
I took him with me and headed for the Cheongsan Inn.
“Welcome.”
The large doorman bowed at the door. Yong-eung-wan flinched at the sight.
“Those guys who kicked me out so fiercely just now...”
“That's the power of money.”
“Ah...”
Just then, my father was drinking tea on the first floor, and we approached him.
“Father. This is the person I told you about.”
“Hmm...”
My father looked up, met Yong-eung-wan's gaze, and stood up.
“Let's go upstairs.”
“Yes.”
We went upstairs and headed for my father's guest room.
But suddenly, my father turned around and said,
“Oh, Seo-ho. I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Yes?”
My father took a letter from his pocket and handed it to me.
“It's a letter of thanks for the invitation.”
It is customary to send a letter of appreciation when receiving an invitation from the world's best trading company.
But isn't it usual to send an aide to deliver such a letter?
“I will deliver it to Aide Yoo.”
“Aide Yoo is busy right now, so you take it yourself.”
“What?”
“What are you doing? Why aren't you moving?”
No, Father...
I think he wants to prevent me from eavesdropping.
I have no choice. I'll ask Jin-yu...
“Oh, and I've arranged to have dinner with your mother tonight. So bring her with you on your way back.”
“Yes, sir.”
“In that case, it would be better to have a large escort. Take all six of your guards with you.”
“...”
I sighed inwardly and replied.
“I'll be on my way.”
I left the inn and scratched the back of my neck.
My father had played a trick on me. He clearly wanted to talk to Yong-eungwan alone.
And he didn't want me to eavesdrop.
Ugh.
“Hahahaha! As expected of the Trading Company head.”
Pal-gap looked amused beside me.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Of course I'm on your side, young master.”
“But are you really that amused that my plan has been ruined?”
“Ruined? What do you mean?”
“I was worried that your father might not like Yong-eung-wan, so I wanted to help you.”
“No, that won't happen. The captain trusts you very much.”
Yeo-eung-am smiled and added.
“In my opinion, it's just a father's concern for his son. Hahaha.”
Chang-woon replied,
“How would you know? Only a father knows the heart of his son.”
“How would I not know? I am his father.”
“....”
It is true that only a father knows the heart of his son.
That is why they say, “misery loves company.” Wait, did I just hear something strange?
You just said that. You said you were a father.
So...
I turned my head with difficulty.
“What? Father? No, I mean, you're married?”
Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who was shocked.
The female warrior nodded in response to my question.
“Yes. I've been married for ten years. I have twin sons who are nine years old and twin daughters who are seven years old.”
“...”
“My twin daughters are very lucky! Hahaha! They became my liege's bodyguards shortly after they were born.”
Pal-gap, who was the first to recover from the shock, asked, “Then why didn't you tell us? I thought you were still single.”
“Oh, then why didn't you say so? I thought you were still single.”
Everyone nodded at Pal-gap's question. The female warrior scratched her neck and said, “There was no need to say anything... You didn't ask.”
“....”
The military records of the Eunpungdae warriors did not include their marital status or family relationships. This was to prevent the records from being leaked for malicious purposes. However, if I wanted to find out, I could have done so.
The military records of the Eunpungdae warriors did not include marital status or family relationships.
This was to prevent the records from being leaked for malicious purposes.
However, it would not have been difficult for me to find out if I had wanted to.
Moreover, judging from her reaction, I think she would have easily understood if I had just brought it up.
So that means I'm trash, right?
Huh...
I apologized with a sorry look on my face.
“I'm sorry. I should have asked you first...”
“No, it's fine.”
The Yeongam warrior shook his head as if to say it was okay.
“I'm grateful for the raise you gave me before. Thanks to that, I was able to get a new house.”
No, if you say that, I... I...
Ugh.
“I'll be more careful in the future.”
I looked at the bodyguards and asked.
“Are any of you married or have children?”
At that moment, Seo Woo raised his hand.
“Go ahead.”
“It's not that important, but my wife is pregnant.”
“What?”
So... Hong Geum-so's wife is pregnant?
No, that's very important news!
Why didn't I know about this?
“She's probably due this winter.”
Then she must have conceived in February or March of this year, and when she found out, she was in Lanzhou.
“You must have received a letter.”
“Yes. When I returned, a letter informing me of her pregnancy had arrived.”
“Congratulations.”
Hearing me, the others also congratulated Seo Woo-musa.
“Thank you all for your congratulations.”
I realized once again how thoughtless I had been as a liege.
Well, I'd better stay in Hubei Province this winter.
“Let's go to Baekyeom Trading Company first.”
“Yes.”
By the way, will Yong-eung-wan do well?
He'll be fine as long as he remembers my advice...
* * *
At that moment.
In the room of Eun Gil-sang, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company, were Eun Gil-sang, his bodyguard, and Yong-eung-wan.
There were only three people there.
In fact, Eun Gil-sang wanted to talk to Yong Eung-wan alone, but his bodyguard refused to budge, so he had no choice.
The reason he wanted to talk to Yong Eung-wan alone was because he was worried about Eun Seo-ho.
So far, Eun Seo-ho's personnel decisions had been excellent.
However, trade through navigation is a difficult task. If Eun Seo-ho was disappointed by a wrong personnel decision...
That was why he wanted to see for himself.
‘Besides, they could be forces trying to undermine our Trading Company...’
Recently, forces seeking to check the power of the Eunhae Trading Company had been waiting for an opportunity.
“What is your name?”
“I am Yong Eung-wan.”
“...You are not a citizen of this country.”
Yong-eung-wan flinched at the question, but nodded obediently.
“Yes.”
He remembered Eun Seo-ho's advice. His father had told him not to lie.
He had told him to trust himself and speak honestly.
“Where are you from?”
“I am from Daewook.”
“Daewook... I see. But how did someone from Daewook come to the empire?”
“It's because I was a slave and had the chance to escape by accident.”
“...”
Eungil-sang was silent for a moment before speaking.
“You were a slave?”
“Yes.”
He told him his entire story truthfully.
“...And while I was waiting for my next job on a ship, the Captain came to me. He said he would pay my family's debt if I helped him.”
“So you decided to do as Seo Ho said?”
“At first, I didn't believe him. I had been betrayed many times before. But then... I found out that he was the man known as Seonhyeom.”
Eun Gil-sang asked in response.
“So you believed him?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“I asked him, ‘You know about me, so why didn't you report me?’ He asked me how much I would get if I reported him.”
Yong Eung-wan chuckled.
“He said that if he gave me fifty nyang, that would be all he would get, and that it would be a loss for him to go down there to accuse me.”
“And that's why you decided to trust him?”
“Yes.”
“Knowing your situation, he could have gotten angry and talked about money, but he didn't.”
“He convinced me in the best way possible.”
“....
”If he had said something like he wouldn't report me because he felt sorry for me, I wouldn't have believed him. What's more realistic than profit than petty sympathy and recognition?"
With those words, Eun Gil-sang felt like he understood Yong Eung-wan.
He was a colder person than he had thought.
Perhaps the past years had made him that way.
“If someone offered you more money to work with them, what would you do?”
“How can I answer that now? I can't give you a definite answer.”
“Still, wouldn't it be polite to say no?”
“This meeting wasn't arranged to test my manners, was it?”
Eun Gil-sang suddenly had a thought.
“He's a bit like Seo Ho.”
All of the people Eun Seo-ho had brought with him so far were a little like him in some way.
“Do you only bring people like that, or are they like you?”
He didn't know the answer.
In any case, he wasn't a bad person, so that was good.
“I see.”
He nodded.
“Seo Ho recommended him with confidence, so his abilities must be reliable.”
Eun Seo-ho didn't know this, but in fact, according to the books passed down from generation to generation of the Trading Company, the head of the Trading Company would ask one question to those who would be in charge of trade.
“If I give you 10,000 grams of tea, what would you buy with the money from selling it?” The answer of someone who was suitable for trade was...
Eun Gil-sang asked Yong Eung-wan.
“If I gave you 10,000 kilograms of tea, what would you buy with the money from selling it?”
“That's not a valid question.”
“What?”
“You didn't say how much tea you would give me, nor did you say where I should sell it.”
[He will say that the question is invalid.
Eungil-sang nodded.
“As expected of Seoho. He chose the right person.”
However, Yong-eung-wan's answer did not end there.