Chapter 601
Chapter 601
Chapter 601. Hainan Island (3)
Mu Trading Company.
“And so, I made the contract in that manner.” (Wang Seok)
The company head nodded at Chief Agent Wang Seok’s words.
“Do as you think best, Chief Agent.” (Company Head)
His expression said he had no interest at all in the operation of the trading company.
Because he was nothing more than a scarecrow, and all actual authority over the Mu Trading Company belonged to the chief agent.
As if he had no interest in the contract, he held out his hand.
“Ah, and please give me some spending money. I’m going to go drink with my friends.” (Company Head)
Since the prohibition on alcohol had not yet been lifted, he meant he was going to drink bootleg liquor.
“I have told you again and again, but do not let others find out. If it seems like you will be caught……” (Wang Seok)
“You mean I should sell those fellows out? I know.” (Company Head)
“Now then, please sign this document and this document……” (Wang Seok)
Like that, the company head signed as the chief agent instructed, took the wallet, and left with a giggle.
Even while watching that sight, the chief agent showed no particular change in expression.
Because he had no affection for the company head.
The only important thing was the money he could obtain through the Mu Trading Company.
He said to his guard,
“Prepare a carriage. We are going there.” (Wang Seok)
“Yes.” (Guard)
A short while later, the place the chief agent headed to was the county office.
However, the place he entered was not the county office, but a building behind the county office.
It was a building of the Mu Trading Company.
Entering that place, he informed a servant there of his visit.
After waiting for a while in one of the rooms there, the bookshelf inside the room moved to the side.
The chief agent rose from his seat and greeted him.
“I greet Lord County Magistrate.” (Wang Seok)
“Sit. So, what is the matter?” (County Magistrate)
“As you ordered, we are now about to start wrapping up our Mu Trading Company.” (Wang Seok)
“Did you not say it would be difficult immediately?” (County Magistrate)
“Yes. There are costs involved in winding things down, and it seemed there was more to gain, so I had been thinking of closing it down in about a year, but this time, we caught a big one, so I intend to wrap it up right away.” (Wang Seok)
“A big one?” (County Magistrate)
“We made a deal with the Eunha Trading Company.” (Wang Seok)
He told the county magistrate about the transaction this time.
“You mean Young Master Eun Seoho. But did I not tell you that he is highly likely to be an inspector sent by the Emperor? And yet you made a deal with him?” (County Magistrate)
“After hearing Lord County Magistrate’s words, our side also sent people out and investigated from various angles. As a result, it seems he merely came because he has business on Hainan Island, not because he is moving under the Emperor’s orders.” (Wang Seok)
“What is your reason for judging that?” (County Magistrate)
“What inspector would come so openly enjoying entertainment? And he truly did play well.” (Wang Seok)
“Is that so?” (County Magistrate)
“Yes. And if he were an inspector, would he make a deal with us? If he knew our true identity and did that, he would be directly defying the Emperor’s order, and if he did not know, then a man who should put the Emperor’s order first would be doing something else on the side. Would the Emperor let that pass? And before that, the Royal Guards would make an issue of it as well.” (Wang Seok)
“True, there is reason in what you say.” (County Magistrate)
“We said we would hand over the grain fifteen days from now, so I intend to settle everything before then. Please convey that to those above.” (Wang Seok)
“Understood. Then let us meet at the promised place.” (County Magistrate)
“Yes.” (Wang Seok)
After returning to the Mu Trading Company like that, he headed to his office.
“Have you returned?” (Subordinate)
Two confidants bowed their heads and paid their respects.
“Yes, did you exchange the draft for silver?” (Wang Seok)
“Yes. It is here.” (Subordinate)
Where they pointed, there was a box, and inside it, silver filled it to the brim.
“Good. Then everyone leave.” (Wang Seok)
“Yes.” (Subordinates)
After his confidants left like that, he opened the safe in his office.
Creeeeeak.
A night pearl was embedded in the ceiling of the safe, so the inside of the safe was very bright.
All kinds of gold, silver, and jewels sparkled dazzlingly inside it.
He put the boxes full of silver into the safe.
They were quite heavy, but he somehow managed to move them.
Now, when they came, if he handed this over, his mission would be over.
But he knew.
What he had gathered was not all of the wealth the higher-ups had amassed.
On the one hand, he was curious about where they intended to use so much wealth.
Because it was wealth so vast that everyone who had taken part in this affair could spend their whole lives idling and eating and still have some left over.
But soon he stopped caring.
For him, it would be over as long as he received his promised share.
Creeeeeak. Thud!
After closing the safe door like that, he smiled in satisfaction.
---
That night.
I secretly left the inn.
I wore night clothes, placed a smiling mask over my face, and even wore a face covering over that.
I had thoroughly covered my face so that, even if I was caught, no one could recognize who I was.
I headed to the Mu Trading Company, quietly climbed over the wall, and examined the energy around me.
There are quite a lot of warriors on guard.
And every single one of them has the energy of the Black Path, reeking of blood.
In the past, everything I had eaten for dinner would have come back up…… but now, it was not to that extent.
First, I should examine that man called the chief agent.
No matter how I look at it, he is strange.
Ordinarily, it is normal for such a large-scale contract to proceed under the leadership of the company head.
But the company head was not even present, and he used even the company head’s official seal.
The answer is obvious.
The company head is nothing more than a puppet put forward outwardly, and the actual work is handled entirely by the chief agent.
In my previous life, the head of the Mu Trading Company was found hanging from a beam.
I heard that because they were investigating whether it was suicide or murder, why he died, and so on, they failed to find those who had fled.
Avoiding the guards, I headed toward the chief agent’s office.
After confirming that no one was inside, I snuck into the office and called Geumryeong.
* Geumryeong. (Eun Seoho)
* Kkui! (Geumryeong)
* Do you smell money in here? (Eun Seoho)
* Kku! Kkui! (Geumryeong)
Huh, seeing Geumryeong happy, that means there are things in here that are extremely valuable besides silver.
Geumryeong scurried over and tapped the bookshelf.
This must be the secret safe.
Having seen so many secret safes like this, I was able to figure out how to open it right away.
Creeeeeak.
After opening the safe and entering, I could not help but grow angry.
Because real gold, silver, and jewels were piled up like a mountain.
These sons of bitches!
I barely held back the killing intent that almost burst out without me realizing it.
* Kku, kkui…… (Geumryeong)
Geumryeong drooled, but I quickly grabbed Geumryeong, put him into my sleeve, and said,
* Sorry, but not today. I’ll give you one piece of silver later. (Eun Seoho)
* Kkui……. (Geumryeong)
The reason I came into this place today was not to rob the money inside.
The ultimate goal was indeed to recover these things, but robbing this place right now would be the folly of beating the grass and startling the snake.
This place would be robbed by others on my behalf.
There was a reason I came in here today, on the day they exchanged the draft I had given them at the money house for silver.
Because I needed a place to hide the object I currently had.
Even if I hid something among the silver that came in today, even that would be recognized as something new, so they would not notice it.
I took the items out of the vault and buried them well inside the box that held the silver.
Then shall I leave now?
Like that, as if nothing had happened, I came out, closed the safe, and returned to the inn.
“You’re back?” (Seohyang)
“You have not gone to sleep yet?” (Eun Seoho)
But Miss Seohyang had still not slept and was waiting for me.
“If I slept first, I thought you would sleep on the floor again.” (Seohyang)
“Hahaha.” (Eun Seoho)
I laughed awkwardly.
Suddenly, the first night at this inn came to mind.
Since we had decided to act as husband and wife, we could not use separate rooms, so we ended up using the same guest room.
Even so, we could not sleep in the same bed, so I gave her the bed and tried to sleep on the floor.
But then.
“Isn’t the floor too cold?” (Seohyang)
“It is fine. This much is not even cold.” (Eun Seoho)
“Even so, it looked much too hard.” (Seohyang)
“Compared to sleeping outdoors, it is a silk blanket.” (Eun Seoho)
“If you are doing this because of me, then I will sleep on the floor.” (Seohyang)
“You must not! If Lord Administrative Commissioner finds out, I will die.” (Eun Seoho)
Besides, it was not as if I was keeping her with me for free, and I was receiving compensation punctually in exchange for taking care of her.
“It is not that I do not understand your intentions, Young Master, but it makes me uncomfortable. I will make a boundary with a blanket, so please sleep on the bed.” (Seohyang)
“It is fine……” (Eun Seoho)
“If someone were to see it and think of me as a wicked wife, would that not be bad?” (Seohyang)
“…….” (Eun Seoho)
And so, in the end, I too ended up sleeping in the same bed as her.
Of course, as she said, we placed a blanket in the middle and each covered ourselves with separate blankets.
On the first day, I could not sleep well, but now, well…….
Once I gave up, it became comfortable.
And since it also meant she trusted me that much, I was grateful for it.
But if she had been sleeping first, I had intended to just sleep on the floor, and it seemed she had understood that thought of mine.
Perhaps she may have seen the future.
“Ah, and there is one thing I need to tell you.” (Seohyang)
“Please speak.” (Eun Seoho)
“The person called the Royal Guards’ contact will visit tomorrow.” (Seohyang)
If Miss Seohyang deliberately mentioned the future, there was a reason worth doing so.
“Is he someone problematic?” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes.” (Seohyang)
She nodded with a hardened face.
“Because he must not learn of your plan, Young Master.” (Seohyang)
“…….” (Eun Seoho)
Only now did I think I knew who the traitor was.
Since those operating here had to continue staying here, someone had to convey news or orders from Beijing to them.
But it seems the contact was not conveying news only to the Royal Guards.
Circumstantially, it was certain there was a traitor, but strangely, I could not feel the energy of the Black Path.
If he were a traitor, he must have been in continuous contact with them, so the energy of the Black Path should certainly have stained him.
But if the contact was the traitor, then that was understandable.
“Does he perhaps know my identity as well?” (Eun Seoho)
That would be serious, would it not?
“I am not sure about that either. Still, I think it would be best to be careful.” (Seohyang)
“Understood. Thank you for telling me.” (Eun Seoho)
I immediately called Palgap and summoned Master Jang Won, and he quietly entered my guest room.
“Did you call for me?” (Jang Won)
“I apologize at such a late hour.” (Eun Seoho)
“It is all right. It will be time to wake up soon anyway.” (Jang Won)
That is right.
Before I knew it, I had ended up staying awake all night.
Huh? Then that means Miss Seohyang stayed awake all night too, does it not?
This makes me feel truly sorry.
“What is the matter?” (Jang Won)
“Ah, it is nothing else. When does the contact who conveys messages here arrive?” (Eun Seoho)
“Gapja came and went last time, so this time it is Eulja’s turn to come. He will probably arrive sometime today.” (Jang Won)
Gapja? Eulja?
“Are there perhaps two of them?” (Eun Seoho)
“There are three. Because the road from Beijing to this place is long, three of them take turns conveying news or orders.” (Jang Won)
Those words meant the traitor had not yet conveyed my identity to them.
But that did not mean it was safe.
If he was a contact, there was a high possibility he knew my identity.
Then that meant I had to prevent him from meeting them.
“There is something I would like to request your cooperation with, Master.” (Eun Seoho)
“Please speak.” (Jang Won)
---
Eulja arrived in Seomun County.
In his breast pocket, he carried an order document to deliver to Haega Inn in Seomun County.
He had a real name as well, but while doing this work, he was only called Eulja.
After being selected as a Royal Guard, he had been extremely swift of foot, and he was assigned the duty of contact.
But he had no loyalty toward the Emperor.
Because the reason he had become a Royal Guard was the authority he could wield as a Royal Guard.
However, he had just been growing tired of that as well.
At that time, an unknown person approached him and made one proposal in exchange for considerable wealth.
Naturally, if he refused, he would die.
Would he fulfill his loyalty as a Royal Guard and die?
Or would he receive money and hand over information?
His choice was naturally the latter.
As a result, he ended up betraying his comrades, and because of that, several of his comrades died.
However, he did not feel much guilt.
‘Those fools were stupid for trusting me.’ (Eulja)
And this time, he came to learn a very important fact. It was the news that the Emperor had dispatched Eun Seoho to resolve the matter of Hainan Island.
At this point in time, Eun Seoho should already have crossed over to Hainan Island.
He had to hurry.
Since Eun Seoho was an extremely capable person, there was a high possibility he would uncover their corruption.
If that happened, it would be a serious problem.
Because he would absolutely not be able to die peacefully.
But before that, he had to stop by Haega Inn and obtain the letters they were sending to Beijing.
Only then could he read them and deliver additional information to those people.
Thus, he came to Haega Inn first.
“Jang! A guest is here!” (Innkeeper)
At those words, Jang Won approached the guest.
“You will be staying, yes?” (Jang Won)
“Yes.” (Eulja)
“I will show you to your room.” (Jang Won)
Jang Won guided him to a guest room, and Eulja held out a letter to him.
“It is a letter sent from above.” (Eulja)
“Thank you for delivering it.” (Jang Won)
“I am only following orders.” (Eulja)
Eulja looked at Jang Won as he received the letter from him.
He was fairly high-ranking among the Royal Guards, so he could not be removed carelessly.
Instead, he had been using Jang Won and Haega Inn.
After reading the letter, Jang Won pondered for a moment, then said to him,
“There is something I must convey to Beijing through you. But since this requires utmost secrecy, this place will not do…… Follow me for a moment.” (Jang Won)
“Understood.” (Eulja)
At that, Eulja thought he had caught hold of a solid one. In other words, it meant information that would become money.
Because those people paid him according to the importance of the information he brought them.
They left the inn and entered the nearby forest.
After going somewhat deep inside, Jang Won stopped walking.
“At about this point, there should be no passersby, and there should be no risk of anyone eavesdropping.” (Jang Won)
“That is so. What on earth is the matter?” (Eulja)
“Phew…… In truth, this should be written in a letter and submitted to the higher-ups, but in case someone were to intercept the letter, I have no choice but to convey it verbally like this. So do not be surprised when you hear it.” (Jang Won)
“Understood.” (Eulja)
“The thing is……” (Jang Won)
When Eulja strained his ears to listen to Jang Won’s words, in that instant, he felt an impact at the back of his neck.
Thwack!
Thud.
He fainted and pitched forward, and the person who revealed himself from behind him was Warrior Seo Wu.
He had secretly approached and struck the back of Eulja’s neck, knocking him unconscious.
And beside him, Eun Seoho revealed himself.
“You have worked hard. Then, shall we take him apart piece by piece?” (Eun Seoho)