Chapter 135: You Reap What You Sow (5)
“What in the world possessed you to do this……”
“Well……”
One of the kneeling men, the row supervisor, hesitated before speaking up.
“We fell for the Nam-ho Merchant Group's leader's temptations. He promised us a fortune if we just did as he said. And even if we got kicked out of Mi-gwa Merchant Group, he'd take us in……”
In short, they'd been bought off.
They confessed everything about their actions.
“We've committed a grave sin worthy of death.”
“Mi-gwa has treated us so well all this time, and we forgot that……”
“We're the most ungrateful scum under heaven.”
They kowtowed repeatedly, begging forgiveness, but Uncle Dang could only remain silent.
I approached Jin-ho hyung and whispered quietly.
“Hyung, I think it's safe to take them out now.”
At my words, Jin-ho hyung led them away with the two guard warriors.
I turned to Uncle Dang.
“Uncle, instead of just yelling at the merchant groups who came to complain, you should have looked into what was really going on.”
“I should have……”
“It's a bit late, honestly, but there's still something you absolutely must do.”
“What's that?”
“Apologize.”
“A-apologize?”
“Yes.”
“But how could I bow my head to them? It would bruise my pride……”
“This whole mess started because you dismissed them out of hand, insisting you wouldn't do such a thing.”
“……”
“You admit it, right?”
“……”
I simply stared at Uncle Dang. Perhaps overwhelmed by my intensity, he finally squeezed his eyes shut and admitted it.
“Fine! It was my fault!”
“Then why did you make such a poor move, Uncle?”
“……”
In his silence, I answered for him.
“Because of your pride.”
“Kuh!”
The Nam-ho Merchant Group's leader couldn't possibly be unaware of Uncle Dang's immense pride.
That's why he'd pulled this stunt.
He knew Uncle Dang wouldn't bother investigating and would just explode in anger.
And that's exactly what happened.
“It's true that Mi-gwa Merchant Group sold herbs mixed with low-quality ones. That much did happen, after all.”
“……”
“So, Uncle, would it hurt your pride more to go to those merchant groups and apologize? Or to let Mi-gwa become known as an untrustworthy outfit?”
I met Uncle Dang's eyes firmly as I pressed on.
“Even if I save this merchant group, without trust, it won't last. You know that better than anyone.”
“……”
“I'm not telling you to abandon your pride. I'm saying sacrifice a little pride for a greater one.”
“……”
“Don't you want to develop the merchant group your ancestors built into Gui-ju's top brokerage house?”
“Well… you're right.”
Uncle Dang nodded.
I chuckled inwardly.
What I'd done wasn't anything grand. I'd just redirected his pride.
From experience, breaking a proud man's pride is tough—and it often backfires.
Better to nudge it in a new direction.
“So starting today, Uncle, go visit those merchant groups personally and apologize. And give them this.”
I handed over the sealed letters I'd prepared in advance.
The head of Mi-gwa Merchant Group's Eunjo-san branch let out a deep sigh inside the carriage.
“What's wrong?”
The man sitting across from him was the senior acting supervisor, someone who'd been with him practically his whole life.
“The thought of having to apologize feels so daunting.”
“Apologizing isn't hard. But for a first-time leader like you, it might be.”
“Are you criticizing me right now?”
“If it sounds that way, then your ears are still sharp.”
“What?”
“I told you to look into their situation, but you didn't listen—that was on you, sir.”
“Urk!”
“And now here we are, having to apologize.”
A brief silence fell.
“Really……”
“Yes?”
“Do you think Seo-ho can really save our merchant group?”
“At this point, we have no choice but to trust him, do we?”
Eunjo-san could only sigh at how things had spiraled.
At first, he'd thought Nam-ho was just undercutting prices.
But before long, over half their clients had switched to Nam-ho.
Finances grew tighter by the day.
They ran out of money for herbs, let alone payroll.
They sold off household goods and let go of excess workers.
Those still here were loyal enough to forgo pay for the group's survival.
Truly grateful souls.
I have no face left for them.
But with no improvement in sight, he'd had no choice but to write Eunhae Merchant Group for a loan.
Too proud to explain the full story.
Unexpectedly, Eun Jin-ho and Eun Seo-ho arrived, proposing an unforeseen condition.
Acting leader for half a year.
And they'd save Mi-gwa.
Honestly, Eunjo-san couldn't fathom Seo-ho's words. He figured it was just his uncle pulling strings with family excuses.
Suddenly, his uncle's words resurfaced.
“Do you know your pride is just like your father's? Truth be told, your father was arguably better at business than me. But my father made me the leader. Know why?”
“No idea.”
“Pride. His was too strong.”
“What's wrong with that?”
“A healthy pride is good. But excessive pride stabs you in the back. A true merchant knows how to bend. Before your pride destroys you, learn to yield a little.”
Those were his uncle's words before returning to Eunhae.
And now, just as predicted, his pride had led to this humiliation.
But Seo-ho had told him:
Sacrifice small pride for greater pride.
Upon reflection, it all circled back to the same truth.
Then the senior acting supervisor spoke up.
“Sir, have you memorized it all? The apology script example that Acting Leader Seo-ho wrote.”
What Eunjo-san held was Seo-ho's “How to Apologize” guide.
It was a paper with dialogue examples—like, if they say this, respond like that.
“Master that, and you won't embarrass yourself during the apologies.”
The next day.
Eunjo-san's group arrived at the nearest one: Geum Clan Merchant Group.
“Is he in?”
“Who might you be?”
“From Mi-gwa Merchant Group.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The gatekeeper sent word inside, and soon someone emerged.
It was the acting supervisor he knew from past dealings.
“Our leader is currently out on business.”
“When will he return?”
“Who knows? He'll come when he feels like it.”
The implication was clear. They were being turned away.
“See yourselves out.”
Bam—!
The gate slammed shut.
“……”
Eunjo-san felt a surge of bile rising in his throat.
“Damn it! To be humiliated like this and still apologize……”
“Did you think they'd open the gates easily after you dismissed them so rudely, sir?”
“……”
“Read what Acting Leader Seo-ho—no, Acting Head Seo-ho—wrote.”
Eunjo-san pulled out the paper from his bosom and read it.
“……Hoo.”
He took a deep breath and said,
“Clear a spot up front for me.”
“Pardon?”
“It's right here. Just wait it out stubbornly. Especially if it rains—stand in it.”
Eunjo-san finally met the Geum Clan leader three days later.
“So, what exactly do you want to say?”
The Geum Clan leader asked Eunjo-san.
“I'm sorry.”
“Sorry for what……?”
“I shouldn't have acted that way before, but this damn pride of mine led to a grave mistake.”
Eunjo-san continued.
“I have two faults. First, I failed to check on my clients' situations. Second, I mismanaged my staff.”
“……”
“That's why I've come to apologize. Truly sorry. And I've brought compensation for the incident.”
Eunjo-san offered a pouch.
“This covers the value of those herbs mixed with the bad ones.”
The Geum Clan leader opened it in surprise and asked,
“I heard you're in dire straits—can you afford this?”
“We are hurting, yes. But this is my pride. I can't take money for subpar herbs.”
“……”
The Geum Clan leader nodded, then revisited the earlier point.
“Mismanaging staff—what do you mean?”
“Truth be told, some employees were bribed by Nam-ho to mix in the bad herbs.”
“Is that true?”
“Sounds like an excuse, but yes. I only found out late and came straight here.”
“I see…… So that's how it was.”
Suddenly, the Geum leader felt guilty.
He hadn't known and had treated Eunjo-san poorly, making him wait three days in the rain for this apology.
While he'd stayed dry inside.
“I accept your apology. I'm the one who's sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for? I'm ashamed it took this long to apologize.”
Then he pulled out a sealed letter.
“What's this?”
“Recently, my cousin's son has been acting head. He uncovered Nam-ho's scheme. He said to give this to you.”
The Geum leader took it, and Eunjo-san bowed and left.
He had many more visits ahead.
Meanwhile,
The Geum Clan leader's heart was softening.
So that's what happened.
Betrayal faded, replaced by pity.
His eyes fell on the letter on the desk.
“A letter from the acting head……”
He tore it open.
“Hm?”
He blinked in astonishment.
It had been four days since I became acting head.
And now, Mi-gwa's front was a chaotic throng of herb buyers.
“Hey, no cutting!”
“Who're you calling a cutter?!”
“You punk!”
Sporadic arguments broke out amid the crowd.
I chuckled at the noise.
My first act as acting head: slash herb prices drastically—but limit it.
One month, first 50 daily.
I'd spread the word via inn errand boys.
Buyers who'd come to Gui-ju for herbs flocked here.
Cheaper than Nam-ho's half-off deals.
And as Uncle Dang's apologies won back old clients, Mi-gwa's atmosphere turned friendly overnight.
“Still, I'm worried.”
“About what?”
I turned to Ji-seo hyung-nim beside me.
“Luring customers with lower prices than Nam-ho is great, but how long can you keep it up? After a month, they'll flock back to Nam-ho.”
“No worries. I don't plan to stop at one month.”
“Huh?”
“Nam-ho's probably holding out hope, thinking we'll quit after a month.”
“Probably.”
“But what if we extend it another month? How'll they react?”
“Eh?”
Jin-ho hyung looked at me and said,
“That's ruthless. You're crushing their hopes completely.”
“They started it—over price collusion refusal.”
Ji-seo hyung-nim said worriedly,
“Funds aren't an issue then? You've burned through so much already……”
“Still good.”
“But sourcing those herbs isn't cheap……”
I'd bought them cheaper than direct from producers—still buying cheap.
From Nam-ho's stock.
So far less than Ji-seo hyung-nim imagined.
And our pre-stocked herbs could fill seven estates—enough for over three months.