Monopolizing Fortunes (161)
Monopolizing Fortunes (161)
"You remembered."
"How could I dare forget your order?"
Bae Cheong-dong tucked the envelope into his coat without even reading its contents.
"You said you're fighting the Jammu Society?"
"Yes. Those shit-stain bastards schemed to snatch the gambling houses in our territory! The silver they got their mouths around comes to two hundred eighty nyang!"
No doubt they had hired a skilled gambler and swept the money away.
"If the Jammu Society's leader changes, that wouldn't be bad for Society Leader Wang either."
"That's true, but......"
Bae Cheong-dong gestured at the seat in front of him. Now that he thought about it, Wang Il-seok had been standing this whole time with both hands folded neatly in front of his crotch.
Wang Il-seok sat down at once, and Bae Cheong-dong spoke.
"I'll arrange for the Songrak Society to swallow the Jammu Society."
"What? Surely you don't mean you'll help us yourself?"
If a master of Bae Cheong-dong's caliber stepped in, the fight would be as good as over.
"Why would I get involved in an Underworld fight?"
"R...... right? You're not the sort to wade into a mud pit like this."
"Instead, a strong person will be joining the Songrak Society."
"What? Could it be one of the three we saw at the pleasure house......?"
Bae Cheong-dong shook his head from side to side.
"Someone else. Strong, but perfectly suited to the Underworld."
It sounded sweet, but Bae Cheong-dong had no reason to help him without cause.
"You must want something......?"
"Just help me with a small matter later."
"May I ask what sort of matter?"
Bae Cheong-dong's brow furrowed.
"You want to know right now?"
Suddenly there was a crack! and the corner of the table Bae Cheong-dong had been holding snapped off.
It was a table made of fine birch, the kind that would take five swings of a well-honed axe to break.
"They used weak wood for this. Look. It breaks with no effort at all like this."
Bae Cheong-dong fiddled with the piece of wood in his hand, and the fragment crumbled to powder and scattered.
The powder scattering in the air seemed to say, 'If you ask any more, I'll do this to your head.'
"O...... of course you should tell me whenever it's convenient for you. Absolutely! Of course!"
Bae Cheong-dong rose to his feet.
"Then I'll be going for today. I'll send the Songrak Society's helper within a few days."
"Thank you."
"Ah, and spread some rumors about what happened at the pleasure house last night. Make Merchant Yu look like a fool. Make the nephew look like an even bigger fool."
He didn't know the reason, but spreading rumors was easy enough.
"Understood. By tomorrow, even a passing dog will be sneering at Merchant Yu."
Wang Il-seok followed him outside and bowed so low his nose nearly touched the ground. Only after Bae Cheong-dong had vanished from sight for a good while did a monologue like a sob spill out.
"Fuck, what the hell is going on?"
* * *
"Three hundred nyang of silver?"
Do Tong-dal spoke to the startled Jang Bu-ok.
"Think of it as an investment."
"May I ask what it's an investment in?"
"When you run a business, won't there come a time when you absolutely need the officials' cooperation?"
"Building smooth relations with the officials is certainly essential."
"This is money needed to make the officials ours. A bribe."
"You're going to spend three hundred nyang on a bribe all at once?"
"A bribe is something you have to feed properly when you feed it."
Jang Bu-ok spoke with a worried face.
"The amount is large, but I can certainly raise it. But a bribe has to be used in the right place at the right time, or there'll be trouble later. It doesn't seem like Protector Bae has already opened that sort of route......"
"How about the Luoyang Branch Chief?"
"What? You're going to bribe the Branch Chief directly?"
"It's three hundred nyang of silver. It ought to go into a man like that's mouth."
"Do you really have a connection to the Branch Chief? It hasn't even been a few days since you came to Luoyang."
"I got lucky and found a way. He'll probably come looking for us here around tomorrow."
Jang Bu-ok's mouth fell open.
"He's coming here himself, rather than us going to offer it?"
"No need to be so tense. Think of it as slipping one nyang of silver to some ordinary constable."
"How can you think of the Branch Chief as some ordinary constable? I don't have the nerve for that, so how about Protector Bae meets him instead?"
"If a Protector meets him instead of the Company Head, what will the Branch Chief think?"
Jang Bu-ok clutched his head.
"He'll think we're looking down on him. I'm going crazy."
"This is only the beginning. You can't go crazy already."
Do Tong-dal placed the envelope he had received from Wang Il-seok on the table.
"What's this now?"
"There's a place called the Yu Merchant Company. They deal in silk and tea and the like. No need to start a business from the bottom, right?"
Jang Bu-ok still looked like he didn't understand.
"We'll swallow the Yu Merchant Company and start from there."
"How?"
"This contains rough information on the Yu Merchant Company. Company Head, if you were Yu Chang-gu, the head of the Yu Merchant Company, work out a plan for how you'd run the business. I'll handle ruining the Yu Merchant Company."
Jang Bu-ok's head was spinning. He had been at a loss over how to start the business, and Bae Cheong-dong had cleared the blocked meridian in one stroke.
"You're saying the Yu Merchant Company will really become the property of our Hwangdae Merchant Company?"
"We can't use the name Hwangdae Merchant Company. We'll each need to make an alias."
It was a natural measure, since the Hwangdae Merchant Company had been attacked by the imperial palace. Do Tong-dal rose as he spoke.
"You'll have a few days, so make the plan thorough."
"I'll do that."
After leaving Jang Bu-ok's office, Do Tong-dal headed for the rear garden. The heat of training was blazing there.
"Keep your center in the middle, and the tip of your sword must not waver!"
Between Won Dae-yeon's voice as he instructed Jang Yeon-seon, the sound of sword clashing against sword rang out continuously.
On one side, martial arts were being taught, and on the other, a fierce sparring match was in full swing.
"Honestly, people crazy about martial arts are beyond help."
As he muttered, the thought suddenly popped into Do Tong-dal's head: 'Should I have a bout with Won Dae-yeon?' Startled at himself, Do Tong-dal shook his head vigorously.
'I mustn't get infected too. The martial arts I have are already more than enough for a thug. Yes, absolutely.'
Even so, he couldn't take his eyes off the sparring between Jang Yu-seom and Namgung Seol-rin.
'Both of them have improved a lot in that time!'
If the distance between him and the two of them had once been a handspan, now it seemed to have widened to ten jang.
Even as he thought, 'Well, of course, they're martial artists,' he couldn't suppress the surge of emotion rising in his chest.
It had only seemed like a short time, but the sparring between Namgung Seol-rin and Jang Yu-seom was already over. He realized he had been watching for two ke.
"Master! How was I?"
He had been so busy watching Namgung Seol-rin and Jang Yu-seom spar that he hadn't paid any attention to Jang Yeon-seon's training.
"Huh?"
Do Tong-dal quickly stuck his thumb up.
"Right? I've improved a lot, haven't I?"
"Of course. Whose disciple are you?"
Namgung Seol-rin teased.
"Won Dae-yeon does all the teaching, so how does that make me a disciple?"
Because Do Tong-dal had been so busy running around, Jang Yeon-seon's martial training had been left to Won Dae-yeon. Won Dae-yeon didn't dislike it, and Jang Yeon-seon followed him well, so there was no particular problem.
Jang Yu-seom tactfully changed the subject.
"How is the work going these days? I wish there were something I could help with."
"The plans are all set. I'm just waiting for someone to arrive."
"Who's coming?"
"It's about time......"
Just then, from far off by the main gate, a booming voice rang out: "Brother—!"
"That guy's never going to become a gentleman."
Do Tong-dal hurried out toward the main gate. If he didn't show up quickly, the man was certain to cause trouble.
Sure enough, the huge Wang Du-sik had the worker who had opened the gate by the collar.
"I'm telling you, I'm the little brother of the Protector here named Do...... no, Bae something!"
"Hack! Hack! Th...... then just...... just wait a...... a moment...... gurgle!"
Because of the worker, who looked about to stop breathing at any moment, Do Tong-dal urgently raised his voice.
"Hey! Let go of him!"
Wang Du-sik turned his head at Do Tong-dal's voice, flung the worker aside, and came running.
"Brothe—er—!"
It felt like being rammed by a wild bull wrapped in iron armor.
"Do you know how much I missed you!"
"Ugh...... m...... my ribs......"
Left with no choice, Do Tong-dal set his hand like a blade and struck Wang Du-sik on the crown of the head.
There was a thwack!, but Wang Du-sik didn't even flinch. Instead of pain, a sad expression appeared on his face.
"Brother, you must have had a hard time. Why have you gotten so weak?"
"Want me to crack your skull open!"
Only after he shouted in a burst of anger was he able to free himself from Wang Du-sik.
"That ignorant bastard with nothing but strength. Nearly killed me."
Won Dae-yeon laughed heartily.
"Your frame's gotten even sturdier since I last saw you."
"Who's this old fart talking down to me the moment he sees me? You wanna die?"
Thwack!
Wang Du-sik spun twice on the spot and blacked out, and only after having cold water dumped on him did he come to his senses.
"Ah! It's you, sir. I forgot you were in disguise."
Namgung Seol-rin clicked her tongue.
"How could you forget that?"
"And who's this wench...... Ack!"
He had gotten a lot tougher, but he had taken a full-power kick from Namgung Seol-rin to the jaw, so there was no way he'd be fine.
Only after another dousing of cold water did he come around.
"Hmph! Then I don't recognize......"
Wang Du-sik bowed deeply toward Jang Yu-seom, who was speaking.
"It's been a while, Brother!"
Jang Yu-seom felt somehow shortchanged. But he couldn't exactly hit the man.
Since there were many eyes watching, they moved to a room.
"By the way, who's this cute little squirt?"
Jang Yeon-seon shot back.
"Who's this thug-looking mister?"
"A thug."
"Ah—! So you're Master's underling."
"Master?"
Jang Yeon-seon grabbed Do Tong-dal's arm and declared proudly.
"I'm Protector Do Tong-dal's disciple!"
"Ohh! You really are a lucky kid! To serve my brother as your master! I knew there was something different about your look from the start. I'm Wang Du-sik, Tong-dal's one and only little brother! Call me Uncle from now on!"
"They say there can be a young uncle, but never a young little brother......"
"I'm two years younger than Tong-dal."
"What? Pfft, no way. You look at least ten years older."
"Heh heh heh...... thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Wang Du-sik ignored the words "That wasn't a compliment."
"So, Brother. Why did you call for me?"
Do Tong-dal met the expectation gleaming in Wang Du-sik's eyes.
"You did well last time. It must have been pretty painful. So I'm going to give you what you want."
Wang Du-sik's face lit up.
"No, I was really fine! Their torture was nothing more than a mosquito bite! I could have kept my mouth shut the whole time, but Brother told me to talk at the right moment, so I only talked! To be given a reward for doing such a trivial thing......!"
By the end, his voice trembled as if he might shed tears. Do Tong-dal said quietly.
"There's another thing you like."
"What? Besides eating and drinking my fill at a pleasure house, what else are you giving me?"
"It's smashing things. Think you'll like it?"
Wang Du-sik's mouth stretched from ear to ear.
"Like it? I'd love it! Who do I beat to death?"
"No, don't kill anyone."
"As long as I don't kill them, it's fine, right?"
"Well, I suppose......?"
* * *
Do Tong-dal had to show his martial arts to be frightening, but the newcomer was frightening just to look at.
Do Tong-dal introduced the giant who had come with him to Wang Il-seok.
"This is my little brother, Wang Du-sik."
"Ah...... hello. I'm Wang Il-seok, leader of the Songrak Society."
Wang Du-sik stared blankly at Wang Il-seok. As the silence stretched on, Wang Il-seok squirmed with discomfort.
Then Wang Du-sik abruptly asked Do Tong-dal.
"Brother, this guy's an Underworld thug, right?"
"Hey now! 'This guy'? I told you to address him respectfully as Society Leader."
"But he's so weak he'd die if I just flicked my finger."
"That's exactly why you call him Society Leader, not Brother."
Wang Du-sik let out a long sigh.
"Having to serve under someone weaker than me. Damn it!"
Wang Du-sik merely struck the table with his palm—thwack! Since Do Tong-dal had broken the one made of birch, this time they had brought in a marble table.
But that marble cracked—crack!—and collapsed—crumble! The three-hundred-geun marble table came down with a thunderous crash.
* * *