Chapter 401
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 401
Chapter 401. Departure (3)
Mo-cheong flinched at the voice.
He had no idea who was looking for him, but he had a strong intuition that he would survive if he did as he was told.
It was an intuition born from countless crises he had faced in the past.
“All right.”
“Then I'll be on my way.”
In an instant, his acupoints were pressed. The mysterious man said to him, who was taken aback.
“You need to stop the bleeding, and it's dangerous to move, so I pressed your acupoints. I'll release them when it's safe.”
From that moment on, the scene before his eyes was astonishing.
Although it was dark and he couldn't see well, he could tell that he was being carried on someone's shoulders and that he was getting away from those who were chasing him.
It took only a moment to escape from them.
Was it because he felt relieved that he was safe now, or was it because the fatigue that had built up over time came rushing back?
He fainted in an instant.
When Mo-cheong opened his eyes, he looked around in confusion.
He was in a clean room, covered with a nice blanket.
“Where am I... Ugh!”
He tried to sit up but felt pain and lay back down.
The pain from the wound on his side reminded him that his near-death experience was not a dream.
At that moment, the door to the room opened and a man entered. He was extremely handsome.
Mo-cheong was startled when he saw him. He knew exactly who he was.
“Are you the Captain of the Eun Trading Company?”
“I'm glad you're awake. How are you feeling?”
“More importantly, are you the Captain? Was someone looking for me?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Why are you looking for me...?”
“We need your help with Changhae Trading Company.”
***
It was this morning when Jin Yu Musha brought Mo Cheong to Nanjing.
It was early May.
The timing was perfect.
Mo Cheong was in terrible shape. He had wounds from his escape...
But he had been running away from those guys, so it was no surprise that he was in such a state.
Still, I was glad he was alive.
In any case, I called a physician to treat him, washed him, and changed him into clean clothes.
Then, as soon as I heard that he had woken up, I came straight here.
He recognized me after all.
I have become somewhat famous. Nevertheless, I revealed my face to inspire trust.
If I had concealed my face, you would not have been able to trust me.
My proposal is not a bad one.
When I asked him to help Changhae Trading Company, his face was momentarily filled with pity and anger.
“So... it came to this. I had a feeling something like this would happen when I was attacked on my way back with the money from Changhae Trading Company.”
He stood up.
“Please lie down. Your wounds haven't healed yet.”
“No. I can't express my gratitude while lying down.”
He got up from his seat and bowed his head to me.
“Thank you for saving my life. And I apologize for my late introduction. My name is Mo Cheong, and I am the debt collector for the Baekcheon Trading Company.”
I also bowed my head in response.
“My name is Eun Seo-ho. I am the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company. I would be very grateful if you could help the Changhae Trading Company, which was unjustly robbed of its trading company. And... I am so glad that you are alive.”
At my words, Mo suddenly shed tears.
“Kuh! I lived like this, but my bodyguard... lost his life. To save me...”
I could understand how he felt.
In my previous life, there were many times when bodyguards sacrificed their lives to save me.
That was also the case on the day I died.
“How can I express my grief? Please understand that I cannot comfort you.”
He nodded at my words.
“Then will you help Changhae Trading Company?”
“Yes, I will. I will do that.”
A moment later.
Mo Hyeongsu calmed down and asked me.
“But why would Eunhae Trading Company help Changhae Trading Company? You must be very close.”
“No, we have no relationship.”
“Then why?”
“I like fair competition. I don't feel good competing against someone who has fallen into crisis because of cowardly tactics.”
His expression changed strangely at my words.
What is it? Why does he look like that while holding warm dumplings in the middle of winter?
“You are a good person.”
“A good person? How can a merchant be a good person? I am just a salesman.”
“I think I understand why you are called Captain Eun.”
Ugh!
That name again.
And I'm not really a good person. I'm just trying to get revenge on Baek Cheon Trading Company.
“You flatter me.”
“You're too modest. By the way, how can I help you?”
I replied to his question.
“This situation arose because Changhae Trading Company failed to repay its debt to Baek Cheon Trading Company.”
“So you need my testimony that you received the money.”
“Yes.”
Mo Heung-soo thought for a moment and then spoke.
“There is a better way.”
“What is it?”
Mo Heung-soo explained with his fingers.
“When I record the accounts, I get the signatures of three people after receiving the money from the debtor. Myself, the debtor, and a third party.”
“A third party?”
“In most cases, it is the local magistrate.”
“...!”
“When the debtor comes to Luoyang, I get the signature of the Luoyang magistrate. Then, when I go to the debtor's location, I get the signature of the local magistrate there.”
“Does no one else know about this?”
“Only I can see the ledgers, so no one else knows. I've never told anyone. And the debtors don't know either. They don't get the county magistrate's signature until later. This time, I stopped by the Changhae Trading Company in Qingdao and got the county magistrate's signature on my way back.”
If Changhae Trading Company had known about this, they would have already gone to Jihyeon to appeal their case.
The fact that they didn't means they didn't know about it.
No, they must have been dealt with by Baekcheon Trading Company beforehand.
By the way, if that's why you went to such trouble...
“Were you worried about the debtors?”
He nodded with a bitter smile.
“Looking at the state of Baekcheon Trading Company, it seemed that the debtors needed those ledgers. It's pitiful enough that they have to work themselves to death to pay off their debts, but shouldn't there be something to protect them? But it seems that's not the case.”
He continued with a solemn expression.
“And I hid those ledgers.”
***
Baekcheon Trading Company.
Captain Namgung Kang raised his eyes at a report from a samurai.
“What? You missed him?”
“I'm sorry! Just as I was about to cut his throat, the torch suddenly went out, and when I lit it again, he was gone without a trace.”
The report was given in a trembling voice by a samurai of the escort who had been ordered to kill Mo Cheong-haeng.
“It's just a matter of getting rid of a single guard who isn't even that strong. How could it be so difficult?”
“I'm sorry.”
“Saying you're sorry will solve the problem? Don't just talk, show me some action!”
“That's... He's so good at hiding, like a mouse...”
“Enough. Get out.”
The guard left the office in a hurry, annoyed by Namgung Kang's harsh words.
“Useless...”
His aide, who was standing next to him, asked,
“Shouldn't we come up with a plan?”
Namgung Kang shook his head.
“I know Mo's personality well. He is a timid man who is afraid of getting hurt. If he doesn't want to die, he won't show himself.”
“But...”
“It's fine. Don't worry about it. Right now, trade with Daewook is more important. Is the selection of goods for shipment going well?”
“Of course. Jihang is doing a good job.”
But he knew.
Jihang had selected goods from the Trading Company that would fetch a higher price.
The reason he kept his mouth shut was simple.
He had agreed to give him a cut.
At that moment, something very important came to mind.
“What was it? There was something very important related to Mo-cheong...”
***
Having learned of the ledger's existence through Mo-cheong, I immediately sprang into action.
First, I had to find the ledger.
Hmm, should I send Jin-yu again? I feel like I'm overworking him...
“What are you thinking about?”
“Huh?”
“You seem to be thinking about something.”
I nodded at Pal-gap's words and told him about my concerns.
Pal-gap replied as if it were no big deal.
“What are you so worried about? You have Geum-ryeong, don't you?”
“Huh?”
“The ledger can't be that heavy, so Geum-ryeong can find it and bring it back.”
“That's a good idea! You're so smart, Pal-gap!”
Pal-gap responded to my admiration with a displeased look.
“To be honest, I don't like how Geum-ryeong keeps climbing up to me, but I'll give him credit where credit is due.”
Palkap, hey?
I don't think Geum-ryeong is climbing up to you. He's just teasing you.
And he doesn't care about rank or anything like that. He just wants money. I think you're the one who's misunderstanding him...
But even if I say that, Pal-gap won't hear me.
“Then go get something from Mo-haeng.”
A moment later, Pal-gap brought back the clothes Mo-haeng had been wearing.
I tapped the sleeve of the clothes and said,
“Geum-ryung, come here.”
“Kui?”
“Do you want some silver coins? Run an errand for me.”
“Kui!”
At the word “silver coins,” Geum-ryung's eyes began to sparkle.
“The owner of these clothes had a book. Bring me that book.”
Geum-ryung sniffed the clothes and quickly disappeared through the window.
And Geum-ryung returned... just an hour later.
Wow, she's really fast.
“Kui!”
Geum-ryung placed what she had in her mouth on the desk.
Hmm... Could the book be slightly damp from her saliva?
“Why did you bother carrying it in your mouth? You could have just put it in the chest.”
“Kui! Kuku! Kui!”
So, you can only enter the storage room if I accompany you or give you permission?
If I told you to keep it in the storage room, you would have done so?
You say it was hard to carry it here?
It's my fault.
I scratched my neck and said.
“In the future, if something like this happens, just keep it in the box and bring it to me. Understood?”
“Kui!”
“Here, take this silver coin.”
Geum-ryeong swallowed the silver coin I handed her and disappeared into my sleeve with a satisfied look on her face.
I opened the ledger and looked through its contents.
Wow, this is more than I expected.
This is a list of people who owe money to Baekcheon Trading Company, which means they have close ties with Baekcheon Trading Company or cannot refuse their requests.
Therefore, this information is invaluable to us, as we will have to keep an eye on them and confront them in the future.
And in that ledger, I found what I was looking for.
It was proof that Changhae Trading Company had paid off its debt in full.
I got up from my seat and headed toward Mo Haengsu.
“I found it here.”
I entered the guest room where Mo Haengsu was staying and handed him the ledger.
Mo Haengsu took the ledger and said haltingly.
“This... Did you find it so quickly?”
“I'm just very capable.”
“That's amazing. I thought it would take at least five days, even if I worked as fast as I could.”
“This ledger is the one you were talking about, right?”
“That's right.”
“Then let's get down to business. Oh, and if you don't want this, I'll keep your whereabouts a secret.”
“It's fine. But please do so.”
Those words contained countless meanings.
I nodded calmly.
“Yes.”
As I left Mo Hyung-soo's room, I said to Pal-gap.
“Ask Song-un, the captain of the Changhae Trading Company, to see me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And I need to meet with Lord Jihyeon.”
That evening.
I met with Captain Songwoon at a nearby tavern.
It didn't matter if others saw us together.
It was common for members of the Trading Company to meet for dinner.
After waiting for a while, Captain Songwoon entered the room I had reserved at the tavern.
“Come in.”
“It's good to see you.”
Song-un's face was badly bruised. No wonder, considering the mental anguish he must have been going through.
“Please sit down.”
He sat down, and soon food was served.
“I would like to offer you a drink, but I am not allowed to drink alcohol. Please have some tea.”
“Thank you.”
His throat must have been dry, because he drank the tea in one gulp.
“What's been going on lately? I haven't seen you around.”
He sighed and said with a dark expression, “It hurts to see the Changhae Trading Company, which I devoted my entire life to, falling apart.
I can't bear to watch, so I'm not even looking.”
“I see.”
“What can I do? Things have already come to this...”
His words were tinged with resignation.
“Anyway, thank you for remembering me, who is now nothing, and calling me here.”
“Why do you say that?”
I smiled.
“Actually, the reason I asked to see you was because I found something very interesting.”
I opened the ledger and handed it to him.
“Doesn't this handwriting look familiar?”
When Song-woon saw it, his eyes widened.
“This is...!”