CLS-Chapter 64

Chapter 64

“Huh?”

Ha Dae-bung tilted his head with a stupid expression.

“So… Your Excellency the Censor.”

A life lived as a merchant for no less than twenty years.

If you were to discuss what’s most important to a merchant, someone would say trust, someone would say speed, and someone would say investment.

But Ha Dae-bung was someone who had reached a different conclusion in his long life as a merchant.

Cheongeum (清音).[清音 means “Pure Sound”, often used as a graceful name suggesting elegance or refinement.]

Simply put, it means you have to be good at understanding what people say.

In the merchant world where people who twist things this way and that way to make contracts favorable to themselves are rolling around everywhere, to avoid losses and survive, you somehow have to be good at understanding what people say and properly identify the traps hidden in their words.

That was the way to survive in the merchant world where the demons of hell swarmed.

Therefore, Ha Dae-bung was always someone who tried to understand what others said, and until now, he had been able to follow that principle without much difficulty.

But right now, Ha Dae-bung couldn’t understand what the other side was saying at all and was tilting his head.

“Could you explain once more what you mean?”

Then Wei Yan-ho, who was lying almost melted into his chair, made a face that said he was annoyed to death.

‘Then try to understand what I’m saying properly from the beginning.’

Coming to find him in the morning and turning his insides upside down, then spouting incomprehensible words left and right, and then getting annoyed when he couldn’t understand it.

If he weren’t a Censor, he would just… pow!

But who was the person in front of him?

Someone who carried around a golden sword engraved with the symbol of the Censorate. No matter how important the position of Censor was, if they gave out such golden swords as emblems to every Censor, there would be nothing but dust rolling around in the national treasury, and a situation would arise where the Emperor would have to forcibly go on a diet.

So this young punk in front of him must be in quite a high position within the Censorate.

‘Could he be royalty?’

Even if he had learned to read from his mother’s womb and passed the highest civil service exam at ten, the position he could achieve at this age was excessive. Then it would be impossible unless he was royalty.

Even if he wasn’t royalty, he must have risen to an equivalent position. Ha Dae-bung was someone who knew his place well, and he was someone who knew that jumping off a cliff would be an easier way to die than shouting at a Censor suspected of being royalty.

“Hehe, I’m a bit slow to understand.”

“It seems that way.”

“……”

Ha Dae-bung endured the maximum humiliation a merchant could experience and put on a full smile.

‘If it’s dirty, I have to succeed.’

Engraving the eternal truth in his heart again, Ha Dae-bung looked at the small child next to Wei Yan-ho.

‘What’s that again?’

He couldn’t understand why they brought a young child who hadn’t even lost his baby hair yet. The clothes he was wearing seemed to be physician’s robes, but physician’s robes for such a young child?

And what was that restless face about?

‘I can’t understand it, I can’t understand it.’

Ha Dae-bung gave up on understanding and asked honestly.

“Could you tell me once more?”

“Ugh.“

Wei Yan-ho made a groaning sound and continued speaking.

“So, this kid here is the legitimate son of Sacred Hand Hall.”

“Sacred Hand Hall?”

Ha Dae-bung’s head automatically started calculating.

“That… originally a prestigious family with lots of money, but now doesn’t even have money to boil rice porridge, yet still insists on treating patients—that Sacred Hand Hall?”

Thud.

Jin So-ah’s head dropped at a right angle again.

“That’s harsh to say in front of someone.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s an objective assessment.”

“It is accurate though.”

Thud.

Jin So-ah’s head dropped even lower. It was worrying whether his neck might break at this rate.

“So I understand he’s the legitimate son of Sacred Hand Hall, but what brings him here?”

Ha Dae-bung’s face darkened as he spoke.

“If you’re asking me to give this young man a credit loan, absolutely not. No matter how much it’s a request from Your Excellency the Censor, I cannot do that.”

“Really?”

“Taking on debt that cannot be recovered is no different from declaring bankruptcy as a merchant. Even if a knife comes to my throat, I cannot do that. Rather than lend money to Sacred Hand Hall, I’d rather lend money to the Beggar’s Sect.”

“…Is that a worse evaluation than a beggar?”

“Beggars at least beg for alms.”

Thud.

Jin So-ah’s head dropped even further.

“Hey, your neck’s going to break.”

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know what he was sorry for, but Jin So-ah kept saying he was sorry.

“That’s the typical reaction of a debtor. Even though he probably hasn’t borrowed money from anywhere. Tsk tsk, how pitiful.”

What was pitiful was pitiful, but money wasn’t something you dealt with based on sympathy.

“Anyway, well, it’s not because of something like that…”

“Yes.”

“Try investing a bit.”

“…What?”

“In.vest.ment.”

Ha Dae-bung’s face began to rot.

Investment?

How was that different from saying to hand over money legally disguised with good paperwork?

“…That’s difficult, Your Excellency the Censor.”

“Why?”

“I’d rather you just ask me to lend you a certain amount, and I’ll just give it to you. But if I lend money under the name of investment and then can’t recover it, it would tarnish my reputation, and my credibility as a merchant would hit rock bottom.”

“Then just recover it.”

“By what means?”

Ha Dae-bung’s mouth was directed toward Wei Yan-ho, but his eyes were directed toward Jin So-ah.

Looking at the situation, it seemed like they were asking him to lend money to that young punk, but by what means was he supposed to recover money after lending it to that guy?

It was absolutely impossible.

“Tsk tsk, this is why.”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head vigorously.

When Wei Yan-ho, with a face full of dissatisfaction, glared at him, Ha Dae-bung flinched and bowed his head.

“Excuse me, ajeossi.”

“I’m a bachelor.”

“What? Your age?”

Ha Dae-bung burst out shouting.

“What does age matter! If you’re not married, you’re a bachelor!”

“Why are you throwing a tantrum?”

“I’m sorry. It’s a sensitive topic…”

Wei Yan-ho nodded with a face that said he understood everything.

“Anyway, because ajeossi is doing that now, you’re just being a branch manager of this small branch.”

Ha Dae-bung’s face trembled.

Branch manager of a small branch?

The branch manager of the Milky Way Trading Company’s Hubei branch was in a position that couldn’t be ignored in the merchant world. To call such a position a small position?

No matter how much he didn’t know about the merchant world, if he had even a little thought, he couldn’t say such a thing.

“You seem to not know, but someone in that position is actually quite recognized in the merchant world.”

“Still, he’s just a salaried worker.”

“…Are you looking down on salaried workers right now?”

How many people in the world work for monthly wages!

“With that experience, with that ability, isn’t it ridiculous to work for other people’s money? Looking at how you suck the blood of common people, if you had done business with that money, you probably would have made big money, right?”

Ha Dae-bung closed his mouth tightly without answering.

It was the matter that had been troubling him the most recently.

Even though he was bringing in money that didn’t fall behind the branches in big cities like Hebei, Gaifeng, or Luoyang, his position was inferior to theirs. Moreover, no matter how hard he worked, all the money he earned just filled the company’s belly, while his salary didn’t increase much—this was also a source of dissatisfaction.

“Look. Do you see this kid?”

“I have eyes too.”

“What do you see him as?”

“A quack physician kid?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head firmly.

“No. He’s a lump of money.”

“Your Excellency the Censor.”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes lit up as he spoke.

“Listen to the end.”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho raised his hand and pointed at Jin So-ah.

“Of course, this kid looks like he doesn’t know anything, looks clumsy, and actually looks like he has nothing…”

“…Does he look like that?”

Jin So-ah bowed his head deeply with a face that said he was deeply hurt.

“Of course, he does look a bit like that!”

But Wei Yan-ho was merciless.

“But if you think about it, this kid is the legitimate son of the Sacred Hand family that has been passed down for generations, a prodigy who reached the level of medical arts at a young age, and a true physician who has worked hard for patients without taking care of himself or receiving money.”

“Well, that’s a good thing.”

Ha Dae-bung pursed his lips sullenly.

It was indeed a good thing, but it had nothing to do with Ha Dae-bung. He was trying to make money, not do charity work.

“And ajeossi is…”

“I’m a bachelor.”

Even in the midst of important words being exchanged, Ha Dae-bung didn’t miss the sensitive word.

“Someone who has spent decades in the merchant world and is skilled at sucking money from poor people. Even if you search all over the world, you won’t easily find someone as ruthless as ajeossi. I guarantee that.”

“…Thank you for the compliment.”

He couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or an insult, but it certainly wasn’t wrong. Even among his colleagues in the merchant world, he was known as a ruthless person with a human face but a beastly heart.

Wei Yan-ho pointed at both of them simultaneously.

“Separately, they’re trash…”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

“But when you put them together, the combination is outstanding.”

“What?”

Ha Dae-bung tilted his head.

What did he mean by the combination being outstanding?

“Think about it. If ajeossi had taken over and operated Sacred Hand Hall, would it be in this state now?”

“No way.”

Ha Dae-bung shook his head vigorously.

The power that the name Sacred Hand Hall possessed couldn’t be ignored. No, to be precise, the power that name had was tremendous.

Limited to Hubei, the medical family was Sacred Hand Hall, and Sacred Hand Hall was the medical family. Even speaking of the entire world, it was a place with recognition that could easily be counted within ten fingers.

There was no way such a place could be ruined under normal circumstances. Just running it roughly would feel like money was pouring down from the sky.

“This side has medical skills but no management ability. Management ability is, well, almost… um, what should I say, that…”

“…That’s enough.”

Jin So-ah couldn’t bear to hear what would come next and stopped Wei Yan-ho’s mouth.

He had already been hurt enough. No more, thank you.

“But instead, he has medical skills and recognition. If that’s combined with ajeossi’s management ability?”

Ha Dae-bung’s eyebrows began to twitch.

He was beginning to smell money in Wei Yan-ho’s words.

“Certainly…”

He couldn’t grasp the exact concept, but this was definitely profitable. If he couldn’t smell that, he couldn’t make a living as a merchant.

“It’s a profitable story.”

Ha Dae-bung’s face became serious.

Ha Dae-bung, who had instantly become a merchant’s face, met Wei Yan-ho’s eyes.

“I understand what Your Excellency the Censor is saying.”

“As expected.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded while lying down.

He had thought Ha Dae-bung would understand, and sure enough, he understood properly when given just a hint.

Ha Dae-bung spoke with a full smile on his face.

“So how about the capital?”

“Capital?”

“Yes. The initial investment. With just that, it seems like the picture would work out.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded as if it were obvious and said.

“We don’t have any.”

“…What?”

“Ajeossi has to provide that.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Looking at Wei Yan-ho, who was smiling without a trace of doubt, Ha Dae-bung also smiled pleasantly.

“It was nice meeting you. I won’t see you out.”

And then he disappeared.