Chapter 364
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 364
Chapter 364. The Master of Geumgyeru (1)
Ho-gyeong looked at me when I said that.
“The one who did that trick earlier. I thought I had seen him somewhere before, and I just remembered.”
“Where?”
“When I arrived here in Jinan, I was looking around the market and went to a place that was known for its spicy chicken. It was called Geumgyeru.”
Ho-kyung Gong nodded.
“I know where Geumgyeru is. The head chef there is very skilled at cooking chicken. Did you meet the blacksmith there?”
“No, I didn't.”
I continued.
“When I first entered Geumgyeru, the waiter said that the third floor was reserved, so I ate on this floor. Then I went up to the third floor for a moment.”
“....”
“To be honest, I was curious about who had reserved the third floor. Surprisingly, the man I saw earlier was there.”
“....”
“As you know, it costs a lot of money to rent an entire floor, especially the top floor. Does he earn that much?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“He does earn a lot, but not that much.”
“Then I think someone he met must have rented the entire third floor.”
“That must be it.”
He didn't reveal the identity of the person.
It would be much more effective to investigate and find out for himself than to say it out loud.
Baek Yeom Trading Company was capable of doing so.
He couldn't help but smile when he imagined the look on Namgung Gang's face when he found out.
But he wasn't done yet.
“Come to think of it, was it the next day? Or the day after that? I saw you drinking tea with someone at the tea house.”
“Yes?”
“It was a man with a mole on his right cheek... I thought I'd mention it in case you didn't know.”
“Thank you very much.”
“I'll be going now.”
I bowed politely to him and headed for the inn where I was staying.
“Are you back?”
My father greeted me as I entered the inn.
“Yes.”
“How was Cheolgi Bang?”
“It was a very intense place.”
My father nodded at my answer.
“As you said, it is a fierce place. Did you learn anything?”
“Of course. Baekyeom Trading Company is not the world's best for nothing.”
I had carefully observed every corner of the ironware shop earlier, and it seemed very different from my previous life.
Perhaps it was because I had experienced more than I had at that time.
When I told him what I had seen and learned there, my father nodded with a smile.
“You must be tired. Go and rest.”
“Yes.”
Ah!
I almost forgot to tell him.
“Father, actually, there was a little problem at the ironworks.”
“A problem?”
“Yes. One of the blacksmiths at the ironworks tried to kill Mister Ho-kyung, so I stopped him and saved Mister Ho-kyung.”
I continued.
“In order to avoid revealing my abilities, I explained to the others that I had used the tools and that they had reached the end of their useful life.”
That was the truth.
Hmm, that should be enough, right?
It was a dangerous situation where the furnace could have collapsed, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.
“I see. Is Mister Ho-kyung okay?”
“Yes. He wasn't hurt.”
“That's a relief. You did well. Yes, we should help others when we can.”
“I agree. I'll go upstairs now.”
***
Eun Gil-sang looked at Eun Seo-ho's back as he went upstairs.
“Something's strange...”
He narrowed his eyes.
It was because Eun Seo-ho's explanation of how he saved someone was too concise.
It was as if he was trying to minimize it.
Of course, Eun Seo-ho wasn't the type to brag about such things, so it was possible.
However, he was Eun Seo-ho's father.
It wasn't just his mother who had a feeling. His father also had his own intuition.
“I need to ask Chun-il for information.”
However, in the end, there was no need.
The next morning.
When they finished eating, the waiter approached them.
“Sir. The head of the Baekyeom Trading Company is here to see you.”
“What?”
Eun Gil-sang was taken aback.
The head of the world's best trading company had come to see him in the morning.
“Please show him in right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned his head, but Eun Seo-ho avoided his gaze.
“Something is definitely suspicious.”
Soon, Captain Hojo of the Baekyeom Trading Company entered the inn.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
“I am sorry for coming so late, but your son has done me a great favor.”
“Come to think of it, Seoho told me that he saved Mister Ho yesterday. Is Mister Ho all right?”
“He's fine. He's still working hard.”
“I'm so glad.”
“It's all thanks to your son. The molten iron from the furnace almost covered my grandson, but you risked your life to save him. You even sacrificed your own property.”
“...”
Eun Gil-sang was speechless.
“Molten iron? He didn't say anything about that…”
Of course, he knew that Eunseo-ho was not the type of person to do something like that without thinking it through. He was very careful about his own safety.
But that wasn't how his father felt.
“I'll give him a scolding later… I'm not sure if I should pray for him or not…”
He flinched for a moment.
He felt a chill right next to him. That chill was coming from none other than his wife.
“You said that was my son?”
“...”
He muttered to himself.
“Seo-ho. Even I can't stop this.”
***
When I returned to my room, I lay down on the bed.
“Are you all right?”
Pal-gap asked, looking at me.
“No, I'm not.”
I'm on my way back from getting scolded by my mother.
This morning, the head of the Baekyeom Trading Company came to express his gratitude, and he talked about my actions in detail.
Could you please keep that a secret?
Naturally, my mother was very surprised, and as soon as the head of the Baekyeom Trading Company left, she called me and scolded me severely.
“I don't know what to say to comfort you,”
Pal-gap said to me.
“Still, you should be grateful that you have a mother who scolds you.”
“...”
Pal-gap had lost his mother.
He said she had passed away when he was very young.
I sat up on my bed and said,
“I know that. But when my mother scolded me and said I was no good, if I had said that, I would have been a piece of trash.”
“Now that you mention it, you're right.”
He did it on purpose.
In fact, the main reason my mother scolded me was because I did something so dangerous.
But Mother.
I'm sorry, but I can't achieve my goal by living such a safe life.
So please forgive me for causing you worry and for continuing to cause you worry in the future.
By the way, the failure of that mission must have already reached the ears of Captain Namgung Kang.
I'm getting pretty angry.
Thinking of him, something suddenly came to mind.
It was the spicy chicken stew at Geumgyeru.
I should go there for dinner today to apologize to my parents, who were so shocked.
“Pal-gap.”
“Yes?”
“We've reserved the third floor of Geumgyeru for tonight.”
.
.
.
It was time for dinner.
I headed to Geumgyeru with my parents right on time.
“Are we having dinner together today, paid for by our son?”
“Yes.”
I scratched the back of my neck and said.
“I did something wrong... And when I eat spicy chicken stew there, I think of you two.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. That's why I thought I should bring you there sometime.”
My mother looked touched by my words. My father also smiled happily.
Seeing them, I felt a little embarrassed.
Soon we arrived at Geumgyeru.
“Welcome. Are you the ones who reserved the third floor?”
“Yes, we are.”
“I will show you to your room.”
We followed the waiter and went up to the third floor.
“Oh my...”
My mother exclaimed in admiration as she looked at the view from the third floor.
I was also captivated by the beautiful scenery, which was more beautiful than I had expected.
Geumgyeru was located slightly outside the city.
That meant we could see the bustling streets of Jinan.
And it was just about the time when the lights were turning on in the city.
The view from up here was spectacular.
“Isn't it a beautiful view?”
When I turned around, a woman was approaching us with a smile.
She seemed to be a lady of high class, so she probably wasn't a waitress.
Could she be the owner of this place?
“I fell in love with this view and built this pavilion.”
“I see. It's a really nice place.”
“Thank you. My name is Jang Yeon-ok, the owner of Geumgyeru.”
“I am Eun Gil-sang, the head of Eunhae Trading Company. And this is my assistant.”
My mother bowed her head slightly in response to my father's introduction.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, the junior captain.”
I also greeted him.
“I heard that you have reserved the entire third floor today, so I came to greet you. Your food will be served shortly.”
“Thank you for welcoming us in person.”
We sat down at the table, and soon the waiters began to serve the food.
The others who came with us sat at other tables surrounding the table where we sat.
My bodyguards, my father's aide, the Vice Captain of the Eunpungdae, and the employees and servants of our Trading Company.
“Please enjoy your meal and have a pleasant time.”
“Thank you.”
Jang Ok-ru greeted us after the food was served and then left.
“Father, Mother. Enjoy your meal.”
“Yes, eat well.”
“I will.”
We picked up our chopsticks and began to eat the spicy chicken dish.
“Huh?”
“Oh my!”
As expected, my parents were impressed by the fantastic taste of the spicy chicken stew.
“This is really delicious!”
“I've never had chicken stew this delicious before.”
Seeing them enjoy the food made me glad I brought my parents here.
After eating some of the food, I put down my chopsticks and bowed my head.
“Father, Mother.”
“...?”
“I'm sorry again. I didn't mean to cause you any worry.”
My mother shook her head.
“No, I'm sorry too. In fact, saving someone's life is the right thing to do... I should have praised you instead of scolding you.”
“No, I know you were just worried about me, that's why you said that.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
The atmosphere became harmonious.
After all, eating delicious food is the best way to lighten the mood.
“Hmm.”
My father seemed embarrassed by the atmosphere, so he pulled the cord to call the waiter.
“Yes, sir?”
“Would you mind calling the head chef of Geumgyeru?”
“Yes? The head chef?”
“The food was so delicious today that I would like to thank him personally.”
“I'll ask him.”
The waiter went downstairs and returned a moment later with a man.
The man was younger than expected, looking only about thirty years old.
“This is the head chef of Geumgyeru.”
At the waiter's words, my father stood up and introduced himself.
“I am Eun Gil-sang, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“I am Hwang Seok, the chef at Geumgyeru.”
“I was very impressed by Chef Hwang's cooking today. I asked you to come here so I could express my gratitude for the delicious meal.”
My father continued.
“Of course, I should have gone to thank you myself, but I understand that outsiders are not allowed to enter the kitchen.”
“That is true.”
“That is why I asked you to come here.”
“I see.”
Hwang Seok spoke softly.
“I am at a loss for words after receiving such high praise for my cooking.”
He smiled shyly and asked for our understanding.
“I am sorry, but I have more orders coming in, so I cannot stay long.”
“Ah! I didn't think of that. Thank you again. You may go now.”
“Then I'll be going.”
Hwang Sook-soo went downstairs, and we resumed our meal.
At that moment, my head was spinning for a different reason.
The man who introduced himself as Hwang Seok was undoubtedly a martial artist.
When I visited this place in my previous life, Geumgyeru was already gone.
No, the building itself was gone.
That means this building was completely burned down, right?
What on earth happened?
Even though it was made of wood, it wouldn't burn down completely even if a fire broke out.
In most cases, it would burn and then go out.
There is only one way for it to burn down completely. Someone must have deliberately set it on fire.
That raises another question.
Who burned down Geumgyeru?
Did they burn it down themselves? Or did someone else do it?
This is difficult. There are no clues...