Chapter 67
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 67
Chapter 67. Fishing for Talent (2)
I searched my memory and soon realized what the scent was.
There was a previous incident where the owner of Yeonhwa-ru tried to deliberately set fire to the Ministry of Finance with the help of the Dao Trading Company.
When I went to Yeonhwa-ru at the time, I thought it was strange that they were building a pavilion there, as they were in poor financial condition.
So, when I went to check out the building, I met a suspicious masked man there.
It was the same scent that came from the masked man who ran away.
Realizing this, I hurriedly looked around.
Where is it?
Where is it? Who is that scent?
Honestly, even if I find that person, all I will get is information about the Martial Alliance.
Or maybe I will find out the identity of a hidden sympathizer of the Martial Alliance.
But why do I feel so strongly that I must find that masked man?
I rushed to the place where I could smell the scent.
But the scent quickly disappeared.
It was over in an instant, and I stared at the empty space with a confused look on my face.
It felt like what just happened was a dream.
“Seo-ho, what's wrong? Is something wrong?”
My brother called out to me with a worried look on his face.
“Young master, are you okay? Why are you acting so strange?”
“Seo-ho.”
I shook my head.
My desire to find the owner of that scent disappeared in an instant.
It was as if I had been doused with cold water.
I let out a sigh.
“It's nothing.”
“You look very tired. Let's go inside.”
“That's a good idea.”
I nodded at my brother and Pal-gap's words.
“I thought you had recovered from your trip, but I guess not.”
It was certainly a bit difficult to return to Beijing just a few days after visiting Sichuan.
“Let's buy a gift for your wife next time.”
My brother's face turned red at my words.
“Your wife...?”
“You're thinking of marrying her, so she's your sister-in-law.”
“Hahahaha.”
My brother didn't deny it.
So, as soon as we returned to the Trading Company, I would propose to her.
We turned toward the residence of the head of the Trading Company. Then, we saw something that caught our eyes.
“You little brat!”
“I didn't steal the dumplings.”
“Where are you lying? I saw everything!”
“I was just trying to tell you that the other kids were trying to steal the dumplings.”
“You're one of them!”
It was a beggar boy being beaten with a broom by his master.
The beggar boy looked truly aggrieved.
There are beggars even in Beijing. That must mean there are many people who have a hard life.
I felt that he was going to kill the boy, so I approached the owner.
“Stop hitting him.”
“Who are you?”
“I'm just a passerby.”
“If you're passing by, then pass by quietly...”
The owner, who had been speaking curtly, trailed off.
It must have been because he noticed that my clothes were made of high-quality silk.
No matter how much you say that it's what's inside that counts, you can't help but care about appearances because of people like this.
"Mister, you don't need to worry about it. I'm just trying to teach this beggar a lesson.“
”What did this child do wrong?“
”Well, he stole five dumplings!“
”I heard there were others as well?“
”While he was distracting me, they stole the dumplings!"
“How many of them were there?”
“There were five of them. I remember clearly that each of them took one dumpling.”
I nodded and said,
“Five of them took one dumpling each... Then this kid didn't get any.”
“They'll share it.”
“You think they'll share their dumplings with this child even though they know who he is? They're more concerned about getting food in their mouths than sharing with him... Isn't that strange?”
“Well...”
That's not just beggars, it's human nature.
You're starving to death, and you're going to share your dumplings with someone else?
Are they even aware that there are other people around?
All they can see is the dumplings, right?
“Do those kids steal dumplings often?”
“They steal them about once every ten days.”
“Then you must know their faces pretty well. Have you seen this child before?”
“...He's a new kid around here.”
“Have you seen him with them before?”
“...”
Then one of the onlookers shouted.
“I saw him being beaten up by another gang before.”
“That's why I helped him.”
The boy's face was covered with old bruises.
That must have happened then.
In any case, the bystanders' words proved that the boy was not part of the gang.
I looked at the boy.
“You said you were trying to tell them that they were stealing dumplings, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you steal the dumplings?”
The boy replied bravely.
“A gentleman does not steal, and a wise man does not rob. No matter how poor you are, it is not right to covet what does not belong to you.”
I was a little surprised.
I did not expect him to say that.
“...How old are you?”
“I am thirteen this year.”
“I see.”
I looked at the owner of the dumpling shop.
“This child seems different from the children who stole the dumplings, doesn't he?”
“Um...”
I asked the boy.
“Would you like an apology?”
The boy shook his head.
“Even though my intentions were good, I caused you a loss. I think I should apologize.”
He bowed politely with his hands clasped together.
“I apologize.”
“No, no. I'm sorry for misunderstanding.”
I handed the coin to the owner.
“Please take it.”
“What is this?”
“An apology requires monetary compensation. This is the compensation.”
“Ah…”
The owner hesitated for a moment, but took the coins and put them in his wallet.
I watched him do so.
After finishing my work, I took the boy to a place away from the noodle shop.
“Are you okay where you got hit?”
“It hurts, but it's okay. Thank you for helping me today.”
“Still, you should go see a physician.”
Jeong-ho nodded in agreement.
“Even a small wound can become serious.”
“Let's wash up first.”
I nodded in agreement.
I was tired, but I had saved this boy. I couldn't let him die from his injuries.
I took the boy to a nearby inn.
I couldn't take a boy whose identity was unknown to the Trading Company's mansion.
Pal-gap took the boy to the inn's bathroom, washed him, and brought him back.
The physician arrived just then and treated the boy's wounds.
However, there was a large sword wound on the boy's back.
It was surprising that he didn't die from such a wound.
“Apply medicine for three days, and you won't have to worry.”
“Thank you.”
After the physician left, I said to the boy,
“Let's eat.”
To be honest, it was late, but I knew that the boy had not yet eaten dinner.
His stomach had been rumbling since earlier.
I went downstairs and ordered some food for the boy. It was late, so all they had was dumplings and noodles.
Still, the boy ate it with gusto.
He sure is a happy eater.
Then the boy looked at the dumplings and asked me, “You gave the dumpling shop owner money earlier. Did you do that on purpose?”
“Huh?”
“You know, when you gave him money for the dumplings.”
“Didn't you give the owner money to test him?”
That's right.
But I didn't think he would notice.
I suddenly wondered how he knew.
“Why did you think that?”
“The owner had already misunderstood my apology and said he was sorry, so the situation was over.”
“That's right.”
“In that situation, Mister gave him money and said it was compensation for my apology. I thought that since the situation was already over, he must have had something in mind.”
“That's right. You're correct.”
I smiled and continued.
“By giving you the money, he wanted to see if the dumpling shop owner accepted your apology or if he was just doing it to save face.”
“I see.”
“If you hadn't taken the money, I was going to tell you how to prevent your dumplings from being stolen.”
The boy replied to my words.
“I know that method.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
The boy nodded.
“What do you think it is?”
“The dumplings are spread out too far. Even if you stack them, you need to narrow the radius. Just by doing that, fewer dumplings will be stolen.”
My idea was correct.
There are a few other ways, but this is the one I thought of.
“I don't understand why the owner couldn't think of something so simple.”
I chuckled at his words.
“That's why he took the money I gave him.”
“That's true.”
As we talked, I realized that this child was not ordinary.
Being able to speak like this at the age of thirteen meant that with some training, he could become a valuable asset to a trading company.
“Do you know how to read?”
“...Yes.”
The boy's eyes sparkled. It was the look of a wild animal that had spotted its prey.
“I went to college.”
The boy said.
“Mister, you have a lot of money, right? Then please hire me!”
“Hire you?”
“Yes! I'll do anything.”
I was puzzled by his claim that he had studied the Three Classic Texts up to the Great Learning.
Books are expensive.
Moreover, having studied up to the Great Learning means that he must have had a teacher.
There must be some reason why such a child is living as a beggar.
But it would be difficult to find out what those circumstances were here.
I took the boy, who had finished his meal, back to my room.
“You asked me to hire you earlier, didn't you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How did you end up wandering around alone?”
“Well...”
“I need to know the circumstances before I can hire you, don't I?”
Tears streamed down the boy's face.
“Actually, I was born in Muga.”
I listened silently to the boy's story.
“Then one day, a group of people invaded, and I fainted. When I woke up, my house was already burned down.”
“...”
“None of my family survived.”
“Have you been living like this ever since?”
“Yes. I've been wandering around since last year, and I've been here for about six months.”
“You must have had a hard time.”
When the physician treated the boy's wounds earlier, I noticed a sword wound across his back and wondered what it was, but now I understood how he got it.
“But if you were born into a martial arts family, you would have learned at least some outer arts, so why were you always getting beaten up by your peers?”
“I didn't learn martial arts. I don't have the physique for it.”
I see.
When I was wondering what to do with this boy, Jung-ho said to me.
“Do what you think is right.”
“Huh?”
“You like this kid, don't you? And he's been wandering around for two years now.”
“That's true.”
“You seem to be worried that the Trading Company will suffer because of those who are chasing him, but as far as I can see, no one thinks he's still alive.”
“You're probably right.”
I made up my mind.
I would hire this child.
With his intelligence and knowledge, he would be an asset to the Trading Company if taught well.
“By the way, I haven't asked your name yet. My name is Eun Seo-ho. What is your name?”
“I cannot tell you my name.”
“I understand. But I would still like to know.”
“My name is... Min Ji-ik. However, I chose this name myself to hide my identity. I would like you to call me by this name from now on.”
“I see. So what is the name you chose?”
“Seok Il-song.”
What?
Seok Il-song?
The Demon Warrior Seok Il-song?
The man who was called the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's prime minister in his previous life?
The Martial Alliance had attacked the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult before.
It was a well-planned attack, cutting off all supplies to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in advance.
Everyone in the Central Plains predicted the Martial Alliance's victory.
However, the result was different.
Not only did the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult repel the Martial Alliance's attack, but they also crossed the Xinjiang River and conquered parts of Qinghai and Gansu.
At the center of it all was an administrator.
With his exceptional management skills and foresight, he predicted the crisis and prepared thoroughly, minimizing the damage caused by a shortage of supplies.