Chapter 373
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 373
Chapter 373. Eternal (5)
In any case, it had already happened, and it was my responsibility to handle it.
I smiled bitterly and said to Pal-gap.
“Please bring that to my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
At my request, Pal-gap took it to my office in the annex.
A moment later.
Returning to my office, I sighed as I looked at the pile of opinion letters.
After hearing my explanation, Miss Seo-hyang asked with a disgusted look on her face.
“So you want me to review all of these?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“It looks even more overwhelming now that I see it all together. We'd better start reviewing them right away. Otherwise, we won't even have room to stand in the office.”
That meant more opinion letters would be pouring in...
There was nothing I could do.
“Pal-gap. Can you call some other guards?”
I needed all the help I could get, but none of my bodyguards could read.
A moment later, six bodyguards entered my office.
“Please read these and sort them. Put the dissenting opinions on the left and the supporting opinions on the right. And put the ones with suggestions in the middle.”
Thus, the review began.
The hands of my bodyguards were not cat hands, but tiger hands.
There is a common perception that those who make their living with swords are uneducated.
However, this is a misconception.
Martial artists must memorize and understand not only various martial arts techniques, but also numerous acupoints and fighting techniques.
It is not enough to be uneducated; one must also be intelligent to become a skilled martial artist.
I was able to confirm this truth once again.
My bodyguards were quickly reading and sorting the opinions.
Needless to say, Miss Seo Hyang was no exception.
There was not a single dissenting opinion.
All of them were in favor, and many included suggestions on how to proceed.
They wanted this so badly.
It was my mistake for not realizing this sooner.
There is no reason not to do this when they want it so badly.
After gathering opinions over three days, we began to move forward in earnest.
First, we had to secure a building.
For the safety of the children and the convenience of their parents, it would be best to have a building within the Trading Company.
Normally, this would be difficult, but it was not a problem for Eunhae Trading Company.
This was because our ancestors had prepared for this in advance, and the trading company had a large amount of land.
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A few days later, in the morning.
I headed to the dining room.
Only those over the age of twelve were allowed to attend our family breakfast.
This is because children under the age of twelve are considered too young to understand right from wrong.
No matter how casual a family meal may be, as long as the Trading Company's captain and vice-captains are present, confidential matters may be discussed.
If such information were to be revealed outside the family, it would cause serious problems.
However, you cannot hold a child responsible for something they did out of ignorance.
Even if you did, how could you hold them responsible?
That is why they are not allowed to attend breakfast in the first place.
“Good morning!”
“Grandfather. Are you coughing?”
The first person to enter was my grandfather.
I am now twenty-two years old, and it has already been seven years since I returned.
During that time, my grandfather has aged considerably.
In my previous life, my grandfather passed away eight years later, when I turned thirty.
On top of that, my father also passed away shortly after, causing much turmoil within the Trading Company.
“Yes, it was your twenty-second birthday not long ago, wasn't it?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“It must have been disappointing not to have a birthday party on your double birthday.”
“No, I know everyone is busy.”
Among birthdays, double birthdays, when the same number is repeated, such as 11, 22, and 33, are celebrated with a bigger party than other birthdays.
“And it's a special time of year.”
His grandfather nodded with a warm smile.
“You are very thoughtful. But I can't just let it go. I have a gift for you.”
A gift?
But it's been more than five days since I returned to Hubei. Why are you saying that now?
“I asked a blacksmith nearby to make it, but it took longer than expected.”
His words made me even more curious.
“It arrived yesterday evening. Come to my room later.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
At that moment, the other family members entered the dining room, and when everyone was seated, the maids served the food.
This morning, we had chicken porridge with sam.
We blew on the hot porridge and ate it, and after a while, it was time to drink tea.
Then Jin-ho said,
“You're working on something again, aren't you?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“I'm creating a place to take care of and educate the children of the Trading Company people.”
My eldest sister-in-law was delighted to hear this.
“That's a wonderful idea. It's not easy to raise children and work at the same time.”
“I gathered opinions and found that many people welcome this idea. In fact, it's for the benefit of our trading company.”
I looked at my grandfather and said, “But I haven't decided on a name for the school yet. I would like you to name it.”
“By the way, we haven't decided on a name for the educational institution yet. I would like you to name it.”
My grandfather asked me in response.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
My father added, “Of course, you should name it. You are the eldest member of our trading company.”
“Hmm, I'll think about it.”
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After breakfast, I headed to my grandfather's quarters.
He had asked me to come see him today.
I soon arrived at my grandfather's quarters and announced my arrival.
“Come in.”
“Yes.”
When I entered, my grandfather invited me to sit down.
I sat down in front of the table.
My grandfather took a box from the table and placed it in front of me.
“Open it.”
It was a box of moderate size.
I opened the box with anticipation.
“...!”
Inside was a dagger.
However, it was slightly different from other daggers. It was very thin and sharp, resembling a hidden weapon.
“Your father told me that you never stay in one place for long.”
“Yes, it just happened...”
"If you keep doing that, there will come a time when you need a weapon but don't have one. That's why I asked Master Yeom to make this for you."
No wonder it looked so well made.
Master Yeom is a skilled craftsman who made Jin-ho's spear.
He always made items that were worth the price.
This must have cost him a fortune.
“I made it so that it can be hidden anywhere on the body without being discovered.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
I sincerely thanked my grandfather.
I could feel his desire for my safety, no matter where I was.
“Oh, and about what I mentioned earlier this morning. I've been thinking about it. How about calling it Yeongneungwon?”
“Yeongneungwon?”
“Yes. It means that flowers will bloom and leaves will grow lush without incident.”
“That's a good name.”
“And in terms of details, I think it would be more efficient to divide the facilities into those that provide care for infants and those that provide education.”
My grandfather's words made perfect sense.
“It would be good to combine all of that and call it Yeongyeongwon, and then divide it into smaller sections called Yudang, Sodang, and Cheongdang.”
That is how the name Yeongyeongwon came to be, and the project I was promoting began to take shape.
I took the box containing the dagger my grandfather had given me and headed for my quarters.
“Young master, does that mean we need to hire nannies and tutors now?”
“Yes. And we must hold public interviews.”
“Interviews?”
“Yes. We must assess their character. We cannot have them taking their frustrations out on the children.”
“You are correct.”
The next day, Eunhae Trading Company posted a notice.
It was a notice to recruit nannies and tutors.
As the building was still under construction, they allowed plenty of time for the interviews.
Before I knew it, it had been almost half a month since I returned to the headquarters.
Outside, winter was setting in.
“It must be very cold in Beijing.”
I nodded in agreement with Pal-gap's words.
“I'm sure it is.”
As we walked along, talking about this and that, I saw a familiar face.
“Ah! Master!”
The person who greeted me with a bright smile was Master's eldest son, Kwak Hyung-jin.
When I first met him, he was a twelve-year-old boy, but now he was a nineteen-year-old young man.
Seeing him standing there tall and handsome, I felt a sense of pride that I couldn't quite explain.
“It's been a long time. But don't call me Master. Just call me Captain.”
“But Master sounds better, doesn't it?”
“That's why I'm telling you. It's too much of an honor for me.”
Gwak Hyung-jin smiled at my words and said, “Then I'll call you Captain.”
“Then I'll call you Captain.”
“Okay.”
As time passed, Jung-ho became the official head of the Trading Company, and from then on, he was called Hyung-nim instead of Captain.
Now, I call him both, but it doesn't really matter.
They are all names that refer to me.
“By the way, how have you been?”
He nodded in response to my question.
“Yes, I've been doing well.”
“It looks like you're leaving work.”
“Yes.”
Kwak Hyung-jin works at Eunpungdae and is considered to be the second in command.
Most matters are relayed to the Captain of Eunpungdae through him.
Thanks to Kwak Hyung-jin, the warriors of Eunpungdae no longer put off paperwork, so the clerks who do paperwork like Jae-gyeong were even more fond of Kwak Hyung-jin.
“Ah! My father will be back in a few days. I received a letter saying that he is returning after completing his mission.”
“Really?”
As soon as he returned to Hubei, he planned to meet his master, but his master was on a business trip, so he couldn't meet him.
If it had been a business trip for Eunhaesang Trading Company, he would have known when his master would return, but since it was a business trip to another place, he had no idea when his master would return.
In that situation, he was very grateful for the news about his master that Kwak Hyung-jin told him.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered that Kwak Hyung-jin was a prodigy who was on par with Seok Il-song.
“Hyung-jin.”
“Yes?”
“Did you see the announcement? It's for recruiting instructors for Yeongyeongwon.”
“Yes, I saw it.”
“Are you interested? You seem to be qualified.”
Gwak Hyung-jin shook his head in response to my question.
“But I am an employee of Eunpungdae. I want to be loyal to Eunpungdae.”
If that is what he wanted, there was nothing I could do.
Moreover, I wanted to give him high marks for his sense of responsibility.
“I see. That is admirable.”
“What?”
“Your attitude of not neglecting your duties. If Captain Eunpung heard you, he would have praised you greatly.”
Captain Go Il-pyeong really liked that kind of responsible attitude.
“Hehe. Is that so?”
Kwak Hyung-jin was embarrassed by my words. Then he looked up at the sun in the sky and said, “I'm sorry, but can I leave now? Il-song is waiting for me.”
“Excuse me, but may I leave now? Il-song is waiting for me.”
He seemed to have an appointment with Seok Il-song.
“Oh, I guess I kept you too long. You go ahead.”
“Then I'll be going now. Good day.”
Kwak Hyung-jin bowed with his hands clasped together and left.
Hmm... Should I bring Seok-il-song to the training ground?
I thought about it for a moment, but quickly shook my head. If I brought Seok-il-song, Chief Administrator Yoo would definitely oppose it.
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Two days later, I woke up early in the morning.
My master had finally returned, and I had received word that training would resume today.
After preparing for training, I went out to the courtyard, where my guards greeted me with a clasped hands greeting.
“Good morning.”
Then Young Mistress Seo appeared.
She had been training with me recently.
However, I had not yet formally taught her martial arts.
The martial arts I was going to teach her was the Heavenly Sword Technique of Gakcheon, the martial arts of Gwak Hoon.
However, I had not yet received permission from my master, so for the time being, my daily routine was to run around the courtyard to build up my physical strength.
This was not just a way to kill time, but a necessary task. Learning martial arts requires physical strength.
“Then let's start running. I'll do some breathing exercises.”
“Yes.”
Seo Hyang began running around the spacious courtyard of the annex, and I began practicing my breathing exercises.
When I finished and stood up, my master entered the annex.
“Greetings, Master. How have you been?”
“I am well. I am glad to see that you are doing well.”
“Yes. And I have someone to introduce to you.”
I called Seo Hyang, and she stood beside me.
“This is Seo Hyang, whom I mentioned earlier.”
“Nice to meet you, Master Kwak.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Kwak Myeong-hyun.”
After exchanging greetings, Master looked at me and said, "I need to talk to you first.
“I will talk to the young mistress later. First, I need to talk to the Captain.”
“Yes. Then, please continue your training, Young Mistress.”
At my words, Seo Hyang began running again on the training ground.
My master asked cautiously.
“Captain... Could it be that you have reached the highest level of martial arts?”
He noticed my level after all.
“Yes, that's right.”
When I nodded, Master sighed.
“Then it is time for you to make a decision.”
“What? A decision?”
What kind of decision is he talking about with such a serious expression?