Business Meeting (1)
Shortly afterward, two men appeared.
“Hyeona, Hwa.”
“Yes, Father.”
“From today on, you’ll be living with this man. Grant his requests within reason.”
Dang Hogyeom drew a brief breath.
“However, if you judge that he poses a threat to us… then do not hesitate. Eliminate him at once.”
The siblings lowered their heads.
“Yes.”
“How terrifying.”
He brushed it off with an easy grin.
“From now on, you’re all my subordinates. Don’t take it too hard. Think of it like a high-paying part-time job.”
“…Part-time job?”
The word meant nothing to them.
“Anyway, it’s late, so let’s sleep first. We’ll get down to real work tomorrow.”
Dang Ihyeon spoke up. “There’s no spare bedroom.”
“Is there a library?”
“A library… If you mean the book depository, then yes.”
“I’ll stay there. I might as well start learning the local knowledge while I’m at it. Just get me some bedding.”
“…You’re staying in the book depository?”
The siblings looked to their father.
Dang Hogyeom gave a silent nod.
Baek Wontae strolled off toward the depository without a care in the world.
Just before he crossed the threshold, he tossed out a remark.
“Oh, right. You two should read the contract too. The clan head signed it in your place, but… it’s still good to check.”
Dang Hogyeom called the children to the main hall.
A short while later, several sheets of paper were laid out before the siblings.
The moment they began reading the clauses one by one, their faces gradually stiffened.
They were utterly flustered.
* * *
Dang Ihyeon carried a blanket and pillow into the book depository.
Under the lamplight, Baek Wontae was reading a book.
“You can put them on the floor.”
“….”
Dang Ihyeon set the bedding down and approached him.
“You know this much, don’t you? The reason you’re still alive is because I let you live.”
“Because you wanted something from me, right?”
“I don’t trust you completely. I merely trust the potential you’ve shown.”
His gaze sharpened as it struck.
“I’ll keep every word written in that contract. But just as boldly as you promised it… you’ll have to earn it.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll bring in more money than you’ve ever seen in your life.”
Baek Wontae tilted his head.
“By the way, how old are you?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m the one making the money here, but you keep talking down to me in this weird way… Come on, we’re partners, aren’t we? We should at least know each other’s ages.”
“I’m not talking down to you—”
“The clan head said you were around your early twenties. So, twenty?”
“…Twenty-one.”
“Really? And your younger sister?”
“Twenty.”
Baek Wontae nodded lightly.
He held up three fingers.
“I’m thirty.”
Dang Ihyeon’s eyes wavered.
“I’m not asking you to use honorifics, but you should at least show your boss a little respect, don’t you think?”
Baek Wontae smiled with pointed meaning.
“Want me to drop the polite speech?”
Dang Ihyeon left the depository without a word.
“Well, since we’ve signed a contract, he probably won’t try to kill me right away.”
His finger turned the page.
* * *
Morning.
Baek Wontae opened his eyes to the blue light seeping through the window.
It was still early, before sunrise.
The dynamic events of the previous night, the uncomfortable bedding—he’d been too tense, and in the end he’d woken before dawn.
“Haaah—”
He straightened the blanket.
Then he stretched, trying to loosen the knots in his stiff muscles.
“Ghk.”
Blood rushed to his head, and his skull throbbed.
Staggering, he braced himself against the desk.
…Damn. So I really am alive.
He headed for the door.
The moment he reached for the handle—
Drk.
The door opened first.
“Oh.”
Dang Ihwa.
Her face was washed in the pale light of dawn.
He hadn’t gotten a proper look at her yesterday because everything had been such a blur, but now she was clear as day.
Skin like white jade.
A straight nose and small, delicate lips.
Her lovely face suited the silky black fall of her hair.
But those eyes she shared with her family—sharp enough to cut.
“….”
Neither of them moved.
They simply stared at one another.
In her arms was a basin of water.
“You’re up early.”
She quietly stepped into the room.
She set the basin and towel on the table.
“Wash water. Be careful not to wet the book. When you’re done, come to the main hall.”
“Why the main hall?”
“Because it’s time for breakfast.”
“Ah… breakfast.”
Breakfast.
It wasn’t a familiar part of his life.
Most days, he ate fewer than two meals.
Usually he got by on bread or instant food.
True meals were rare enough to count on one hand.
She closed the door and left.
The basin remained behind in the silence.
Baek Wontae stirred the water with his hand.
Warm ripples brushed his fingertips.
He scooped up a little and splashed it over his face.
Then he left the depository and headed for the main hall.
At the dining table, the clan head and the siblings were already seated.
What do people eat here?
What Chinese dishes were there again?
Peking duck? Dongpo pork?
Since this was the Sichuan Dang Clan, maybe they’d serve Sichuan food.
He looked down at the table with faint anticipation.
Steam curled up from the dishes—
greens.
vegetables.
mushrooms.
What kind of revenge is this if I don’t even have money to die eating properly?
Baek Wontae snorted inwardly and greeted them.
“You’re all up early.”
“Sit.”
He took the empty seat beside Dang Ihyeon.
Dang Hogyeom was the first to pick up his spoon.
The others followed his lead.
Baek Wontae lifted his chopsticks and picked up some seasoned greens.
The moment he put them in his mouth—
“…Hm?”
It tasted better than he’d expected.
Right. If all you’ve got is grass, at least make it taste good.
* * *
After breakfast, Baek Wontae gathered everyone in the main hall.
“Let’s get down to business.”
Dang Hogyeom spoke first.
“Before that, there is something I wish to ask.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I understand the medicine’s effects are extraordinary. It seems likely to sell well. But the important thing is… whether that is truly the case.”
“You mean, what if it doesn’t sell?”
Dang Ihyeon immediately added, “Exactly. The money we’re investing in you is a major sum for us. If this fails, then never mind our lives—the entire plan will collapse.”
Dang Ihwa quietly put in, “Would there really be people who’d buy such a drug? Drugs like Monghon medicine or aphrodisiacs don’t exactly circulate freely.”
Baek Wontae let out a short laugh.
“Well, when you invest, sometimes you lose everything.”
Whoosh!
All those sharp eyes turned on him at once.
They were already fierce enough; focused like this, they were downright intimidating.
Baek Wontae raised a hand to calm them.
“There’s no such thing as this not selling. Not even a chance.”
“On what basis are you so certain?”
“You said it yourselves yesterday. Proper Monghon medicine and aphrodisiacs are expensive because the ingredients are costly and the process is complicated. But this? Crush it, mix it with water, boil it, strain it, reduce it, and you’re done. As for the effects… the clan head proved those himself. In price and in efficacy, the other drugs don’t even get to compete with my product.”
“You’re awfully confident.”
Baek Wontae snorted.
“The premise that it won’t sell doesn’t even exist. I could sell it anywhere in the world. Back where I came from, there were plenty of countries where you couldn’t buy it legally, but there wasn’t a single country where it didn’t sell. Once someone touches it, they end up needing more. And besides…”
He grinned.
“If this place doesn’t even have a law against narcotics? I can’t even imagine how much money we’ll make.”
Dang Hogyeom’s eyes went cold.
The siblings had frozen in place.
Baek Wontae said it as calmly as if he were discussing the weather.
“I’ll show you. Just how much I can bring in.”
“…I hate to admit it, but I think his methods are what we need.”
Dang Ihyeon was not a wicked man.
But if it was for his family, he was prepared to walk the path of evil.
Dang Ihwa asked, “But this medicine—what’s it called?”
Baek Wontae thought about it for a moment.
In his old world, this drug already had a name.
But here, this was another world.
Strictly speaking, it was an invention.
Another world, another ego.
Baek Wontae’s lips curled.
“Baekhyang. White Fragrance.”
At that, Dang Hogyeom’s expression tightened slightly.
“So that is the name….”
“Let’s get back to the main point.”
He tapped the table with his finger.
“To start a business, I need the base information. I’ve only been in this place for a little over a day, so from here on, I need your help.”
“I’ll tell you what I can.”
“Good. For business, there are three main things: resources, manpower, and market information. First, what’s the very first thing you need to make medicine?”
“Herbs.”
“Correct. You need raw materials.”
Baek Wontae pointed toward the flower garden.
“But this Hyeonrihwa here isn’t nearly enough. The petals have already fallen, so even if we plant more now, the harvest won’t come for months.”
“Then we won’t be able to make the profit you promised within the contract period.”
“Exactly. Which is why I’m asking—Hyeonrihwa is used as a medicinal herb even among commoners, right? That means there must be other people growing it besides this house. We buy the Hyeonrihwa with the petals already gone from them. In bulk, if possible.”
He paused and tilted his head.
“…Though if we suddenly start sweeping up all the Hyeonrihwa in the area, won’t that make people suspicious?”
Dang Ihyeon answered, “No. People know we run a medical clinic, so they won’t suspect much.”
His expression soon hardened.
“But… buying in bulk will be difficult.”
Dang Ihwa nodded. “Hyeonrihwa is used as a common medicinal herb, but it’s not like licorice or ginger, something used everywhere. At most, people divide up small amounts for fever reducers or pain relief. It’s not exactly a lucrative herb, so not many people cultivate it in large quantities. It’ll be hard to get enough.”
“Hmm….”
Baek Wontae sank into thought.
“Is there nobody at all who grows Hyeonrihwa on a large scale?”
“There are some, but….”
Dang Ihwa let the words trail off.
“But?”
The children couldn’t bring themselves to continue.
They kept sneaking glances at their father instead.
Baek Wontae shook his head and sighed.
“What is this, some kind of dramatic pause? If you’ve got something to say, say it all.”
Then Dang Hogyeom moved.
Without a word, he took a sheet of paper, picked up a brush, and wrote swiftly across it.
A moment later, a single document was held out before Baek Wontae.
“This is….”
* * *