Chapter 399
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 399
Chapter 399. Departure (1)
Following behind Namgung Gang, the head of the Silver Sea Trading Company, was Song Un, the deputy head of the Changhae Trading Company.
However, his expression was completely different from what he had seen before.
He had been commissioned by the imperial court to trade with foreign countries, so he would surely reap considerable profits in the process.
If that were the case, he should be smiling from ear to ear. Even if that weren't the case, he should at least pretend to be happy so that the officials wouldn't take notice of him.
The reason why he looked so gloomy was obviously because of Captain Namgung Kang...
I turned my head and looked at Captain Namgung Kang.
Why on earth did he come here?
As far as I know, Baekcheon Trading Company doesn't have any ships.
That's why I didn't apply for this announcement...
Could it be?
For now, I should greet him first.
I can't show my hostility openly.
“Greetings, Captain of the Baekcheon Trading Company.”
“Who is this? Isn't this the vice captain of the Eunhae Trading Company?”
He remembers who I am.
Well, we've met several times before, so he'd be a fool not to remember me.
“Thank you for recognizing me.”
At that moment, an official from the Ministry of Rites entered.
“Is everyone here? Then let's begin the second meeting.”
Today was the time for each company to discuss their desired trading partners.
“Our Eunhae Trading Company will trade with Daewoong.”
“Understood. Next... the Baekbu Trading Company will be with the Kingdom of Mare.”
“That is correct.”
“The Changhae Trading Company...”
Song Un glanced at Captain Namgung Kang and opened his mouth with a complicated expression.
“Our Changhae Trading Company will go to the Kingdom of Daewoo.”
.
.
.
A moment later.
After the meeting, we left the Ministry of Rites building.
“Hm, I'm going to leave now. You take care of the rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do it right! Otherwise, I might have to replace you too!”
“Yes, sir. I will keep that in mind.”
Captain Namgung Kang left with his bodyguards who were waiting in front of the imperial palace, acting all high and mighty.
The other captains also said their goodbyes and left one by one, leaving only Baekbuik Trading Company and us behind.
“Hey, Song.”
Jiseokmun, the captain of Baekbuik Trading Company, approached him and asked.
“What is going on? Why are you watching Baek Cheon Trading Company?”
“Huh...”
At that, Song Un let out a deep sigh and said.
“The trading company... has been taken over.”
“What do you mean? I thought Changhae Trading Company was a fairly large and stable company.”
“That's true. But... about ten years ago, we borrowed money from Baekcheon Trading Company, and now they're coming after us.”
The voice of Song-woon, the captain, was filled with resentment.
But... rather than resentment over the trading company going under, it seemed more like a feeling of injustice.
So I asked him cautiously.
“So, is it because you haven't been able to repay the debt from ten years ago?”
“No!”
He exclaimed firmly.
“Our Changhae Trading Company paid off the debt at that time! But...”
He gritted his teeth.
“A few days ago, people from Baekcheon Trading Company came and said that they hadn't received the money we paid a month ago... And then they took over our trading company.”
They clearly paid the money, but they didn't receive it...
Something was fishy.
“But Changhae Trading Company has been paying off its debts all this time, so they wouldn't have confused you with someone else, would they?”
“Of course not!”
He said, clenching his fist.
“We have been visiting the person in charge to pay off our debts. When the last debt remained, the person in charge came to us and said that we could pay him the money... But...”
“Did the representative run away with the money? Is that what happened?”
He nodded in response to my question.
Then it makes even less sense.
Baekcheon Trading Company is a trading company established by the Martial Alliance. That means it's useless to run away with the money.
They would catch him in no time.
The person in charge would know that very well.
“Something is strange. Baekcheon Trading Company couldn't catch the person who ran away with the money?”
“Yes. They came looking for him three days later, but said they couldn't find him.”
This doesn't make sense.
Baekcheon Trading Company is known for being relentless. How could they give up the search after only three days?
They've been tracking down martial artists for over fifty years?
That's a lie.
This is clearly a ploy by the Baekcheon Trading Company, and the Changhae Trading Company has fallen for it.
* *
Namgung Kang headed for the Baekcheon Trading Company branch in Beijing. He felt like dancing with joy.
“How admirable! How did he come up with such an idea?”
Namgung Kang had to make Baekcheon Trading Company one of the three largest trading companies in the world within three years.
If he failed, then...
In any case, Namgung Kang had to raise Baekcheon Trading Company's ranking somehow.
That was why he had devised a plan to shake up Baekyeom Trading Company last time.
He planned to shake up Baekyeom Trading Company by seriously injuring or killing Ho-kyung, who was called the future of Baekyeom Trading Company.
However, he failed.
He heard that Eun Seo-ho sacrificed his own equipment to save Ho-kyung.
“Damn it! That guy is always getting in my way.”
He remembered Eun Seo-ho's smiling face as he greeted him as if he were an old friend.
He wanted to get rid of him like he did with Ho-kyung, but he couldn't.
He is... a hero of the Martial Alliance.
That means even the higher-ups are watching him.
Unlike him, they didn't seem to see him as someone who needed to be eliminated.
Moreover, he was skilled enough to be revered as a hero in the martial arts world.
That was why he was the only one agonizing over this.
“Damn it!”
He wanted to see that smug face distorted one day, but first, he had to secure his position.
While he was gathering information to rapidly grow the trading company, he heard news that a foreign country was recruiting a trading company to purchase food.
This was an opportunity to engage in trade under the protection of the imperial family.
However, Baekcheon Trading Company did not have any large merchant ships.
When he thought about how much profit he could make from this opportunity, he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.
“Captain, this is not something we can just ignore.”
The newly appointed second-in-command said.
“What do you mean?”
“If we're not careful, our trading company's ranking could be threatened.”
“Is the profit that big?”
“Yes.”
“Then what should we do?”
“The best thing would be for us to participate in this trade.”
“But our trading company doesn't have any large ships, does it?”
“No, we don't. But where there's a will, there's a way, right?”
A few days later, the assistant came up with a brilliant plan.
They would use a company called Changhae Trading Company, which was participating in this trade.
They had borrowed money from Baekcheon Trading Company and had not yet repaid it.
“If they pay one more installment, all their debts will be cleared.”
“But if they fail to pay, according to the contract, they will be in default within a month and will have to pay the next installment, right?”
“Exactly.”
“That's a great plan.”
Honestly, it was something only a shady loan shark would do, but Namgung Gang was in dire straits.
He had no time to be picky.
“But... if someone else finds out about this, our reputation will be ruined.”
“As long as no one finds out.”
“But...”
“Shut up!”
When Namgung Kang glared at him, the servant who had given him advice had no choice but to back down.
He sighed deeply, wishing the ground would swallow him up.
“Ha... If Chief Executive Heo Won were here, he wouldn't have acted so recklessly...”
Things weren't always fair and orderly in the past, but at least before Chief Executive Heo Won died, things weren't this chaotic.
Once again, he felt the pain of his death.
He wanted to risk his life to stop the decision, but he couldn't.
He valued his life and didn't want to be driven out miserably.
Therefore, he had no choice but to step down and follow the decision.
“Go and call the executive in charge of debt.”
That is how he got his hands on Changhae Trading Company.
He attended today's meeting because he was curious about how the meeting would proceed, but he had to make a considerable effort to hide the smile on his face throughout the meeting.
“I did well to get Changhae Trading Company. Hehehe. This trade will allow me to climb even higher.”
Suddenly, a face flashed before his eyes.
It was Eun Seo-ho.
“Hmm... It must be my imagination that I have a bad feeling about this.”
* * *
When I returned to the Beijing branch, I headed straight to my office.
Miss Seo Hyang didn't follow me today, so she was working in her office.
“Are you here?”
When I entered the office, she stood up from her desk and greeted me.
“Yes. Do you have anything to report?”
“There are three cases in total.”
I took the documents from Miss Seo Hyang, listened to what she had to say, and then got to work.
“I'm going for a walk.”
“You seem to have something on your mind.”
How did she know?
She smiled and saw me off.
“Have a good walk.”
I left my office and started walking.
Pal-gap, Seo-woo, and Myeong-jong followed me silently.
In my previous life, those who participated in this trade grew greatly, didn't they?
Trade with foreign countries is an opportunity to reap great profits.
One of them is Changhae Trading Company.
I don't know their faces, but I've heard their name.
Although it did not make it into the top 100 trading companies, it was still good enough to aim for a spot in the top 100.
However, if things turned out this way, it would only benefit Baekcheon Trading Company.
Baekcheon Trading Company's ranking would skyrocket, and it could even become one of the top three trading companies in the world.
That cannot be allowed.
Even if it is for revenge, Baekcheon Trading Company must not rise to the top.
Furthermore, I cannot tolerate them gaining profit through such despicable means.
And I think I also had some influence on the Changhae Trading Company ending up like this.
I repeatedly interfered with the Baekcheon Trading Company, so Captain Namgung Kang was walking a tightrope between being dismissed and remaining in his position.
That's why he, who was satisfied with just supplying goods to trading companies in his previous life, is now trying to raise the company's ranking by taking such reckless measures.
In the meantime, Changhae Trading Company has suffered damage.
In that case, it's only natural for me to help.
I should have resolved this before they set sail.
The solution was actually quite simple. All I had to do was prove that Baekcheon Trading Company had received the money from Changhae Trading Company.
So, I had to find the person in charge of debt collection at Baekcheon Trading Company.
According to Songwoo, he had come to collect the money and disappeared immediately after receiving it.
I turned to Seo Woo and said, “Do you happen to be good at finding people?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Huh?”
“I need someone to find.”
Seo Woo replied to my request.
“If that's the case, Jin-yu would be more suitable than me.”
He was right.
I immediately returned to my office and called Jin-yu.
“You called me?”
“Yes. I have a task for you.”
“Yes, sir. I will do anything, even if it means risking my life.”
No, you don't have to risk your life...
I told him about the debt collector I had learned about through Song-woon, the Captain of the Purple Mist Pills.
“We must find him. There are two possibilities for his whereabouts.”
I spread my fingers and said.
“First, there is the possibility that Baekcheon Trading Company is hiding him. Second, there is the possibility that Baekcheon Trading Company has eliminated him.”
“Considering the methods of Baekcheon Trading Company, the latter possibility is more likely.”
“I agree. If this gets out, Baekcheon Trading Company's reputation will be ruined. They value their honor a thousand times more than human life. But what's the big deal about killing one loyal servant?”
Jin-yu Musha nodded in agreement.
He was Jin-yu, a martial artist who had carried out an “unofficial execution” by the Martial Alliance.
“If he is alive, bring him here, and if he is dead, find proof of his death.”
“Yes, sir. How long do I have to find him?”
“The sooner, the better. You must find him at least two weeks before the ship departs.”
“Understood.”
I handed Jin Yu Musha a card.
“With this card, you can receive assistance from all branches of the Eunhae Trading Company. If you need money, supplies, or people, show this card at any time.”
“Go...”
“No need to thank me. I'm just doing my job, so I think it's only natural to provide this much assistance.”
At my words, Jin-yu Musha clasped his hands together with a solemn expression.
“I understand.”
“Um... There's no need to be so solemn...”
I added one last thing as he took the card I handed him and put it in his pocket.
“Actually, the reason I'm asking you to search for the debt collector is because there is one more possibility regarding his whereabouts.”
“What is that?”
“Baekcheon Trading Company tried to eliminate him but failed, so he may still be on the run.”
He said he had worked as a debt collector for Baekcheon Trading Company for over ten years, so it is highly likely that he made preparations for such an eventuality.
“Personally, I think this is the most likely possibility.”