You Reap What You Sow (6)
Namho Merchant Group leader couldn't believe what was happening.
He had thought he'd successfully lured away all the clients who used to trade with Mi-gwa Merchant Group.
But one day, out of nowhere, Mi-gwa Merchant Group slashed their herb prices dramatically.
To four-tenths of the original price, no less.
Rumor had it they were selling to some merchant groups at even three-tenths.
Hearing this, Namho Merchant Group leader figured the young upstart acting as interim leader had lost his mind.
Most of the clients who'd switched to Namho went right back to Mi-gwa, but he wasn't too worried.
'Just their last desperate gasp.'
Then a voice came from outside his office.
"Leader, it's Chief Officer Seo."
"Send him in."
Seo entered and got straight to the point.
"Leader, our deficits are growing faster than expected. At this rate, we won't last even the half-year we projected."
Of course—they kept buying herbs that weren't selling.
"Don't worry. Mi-gwa said they'd only sell cheap for a month. After that, they'll come back to us."
Namho Merchant Group leader continued.
"There's no way Mi-gwa can keep dumping herbs at those prices for more than a month, given their situation."
"Understood."
But as that month was nearly up, his aide rushed in, pale as a ghost.
"Leader! Big trouble!"
"What is it?"
"Look at this!"
In appreciation of your support for Mi-gwa Merchant Group's special price event, we are extending the special price event for one more month.
Seeing it, Namho Merchant Group leader clutched the back of his neck in pain.
"Ugh!"
He staggered, grabbing his nape.
"Are you all right, Leader?!"
"How is this even possible?"
"It seems Eunhae Merchant Group has injected funds."
"Eunhae Merchant Group! You bastards—! Have you no shame? This is going too far!"
Namho Merchant Group leader bellowed in fury.
His aide thought to himself,
'You're the one who started with the shameless moves, Leader...'
After a long bout of shouting, Namho calmed a bit and scowled.
"Mi-gwa's new interim leader. Not your average punk after all."
"Pardon?"
"No normal person would pull something like this, no matter how much money they have."
"So you're saying it wasn't Eun Jo-san, but that interim leader? I heard he's not even twenty yet."
"Has to be. Eun Jo-san pulling this? Ridiculous! If he could, I never would've started this price war in the first place!"
"......"
He thought for a moment, then ordered his aide.
"Call in Chief Officer Seo."
"Yes."
.
.
.
Namho Merchant Group leader sat in his office, sighing deeply.
Chief Officer Seo, who had just come and gone, had given a pessimistic outlook: they wouldn't last more than three months at best.
And that was if Mi-gwa ended their special pricing this month.
"Three months..."
But Mi-gwa's mad interim leader clearly had no intention of stopping there.
'He won't be satisfied until this group is ruined.'
In a fight between merchant groups, one had to fall for it to end.
'Why did I ever start this?'
He wanted to give his past self a good beating.
'All because of my greed...'
He couldn't stand seeing Mi-gwa reject his cartel proposal.
And he wanted all the profits from herb brokering in Guizhou for himself.
So he'd started the war, and the results were disastrous.
His mistake? Underestimating Eunhae Merchant Group lurking behind Mi-gwa.
But he had reason to.
He knew Mi-gwa leader's pride.
Mi-gwa leader must have timidly asked, "Could you just help a little...?"
Yet Eunhae was Eunhae.
They'd installed an interim leader the moment they learned of Mi-gwa's herb troubles.
Of course, it was all thanks to Eun Seo-ho, not Eunhae per se.
In Eun Seo-ho's previous life, Eunhae hadn't handled it well.
But Namho, unaware, bitterly chewed on the thought: 'Eunhae is Eunhae.'
"Hoo..."
He sighed deeply again.
"Should I liquidate the group before it's too late?"
He never wanted to endure another day of gut-wrenching agony and parched terror.
At this rate, he might not die of old age.
'Eun Jo-san must've felt this too.'
Having experienced it himself, he felt unexpectedly sorry.
Then a servant's voice came from outside.
"Uh, Leader... A guest has arrived."
"A guest? I have no appointments today."
"Well... It's from Mi-gwa Merchant Group. The interim leader..."
He shot to his feet.
"Who?!"
* * *
I was at Namho Merchant Group right now.
More precisely, in their reception room.
Ho-rook.
Mm, this tea's good.
As I savored my tea in silence, Namho Merchant Group leader asked,
"So, why are you here?"
Instead of answering, I studied him.
His face showed plenty of recent suffering.
In my previous life, Jeong Ho hyung had cleaned up this mess.
Father couldn't leave as Eunhae leader.
Grandfather offered to go, but to spare him the shock, Jeong Ho hyung went instead.
Later, chatting with Jeong Ho hyung, the story came up.
"Uncle's wife and Ji-seo seemed half-dead even while alive."
In the end, Uncle's wife and Ji-seo hyung lingered and died soon after.
Remembering that, I felt little pity for Namho Merchant Group leader.
I set down my cup and said,
"No need to be so tense. I just came to make you a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"We're both busy, so straight to the point: How about joining Eunhae Merchant Group?"
At the blunt offer, he was speechless for a moment.
"What's your angle?"
Finally, he spoke.
At least better than Uncle, who would've yelled first.
Coming here with this proposal was part of a plan I'd already considered—and gotten Father's approval for.
I could've ruined Namho anytime.
Then Mi-gwa would've monopolized Guizhou's herb brokering.
Honestly, monopoly was risky even for stable prices and supply.
If something happened to the last group, merchants needing herbs would be screwed.
Plus, we couldn't draw Murim Alliance attention.
As someone aiming to check and dismantle them, extra scrutiny was the last thing I needed.
A monopolized Mi-gwa would look tasty to the Alliance too.
Officials might dislike price gouging from monopoly.
In my previous life, they had intervened.
So outwardly, it needed to stay a two-group balance.
If Uncle had suicided like before, Eunhae wouldn't have forgiven Namho.
But I'd intervened early, so that timeline existed only in my memory.
I wanted to crush them flat, but I had goals: world's top merchant group, and toppling the Murim Alliance.
So I'd maximize gains here.
Namho leader had talent as a merchant. Killing him off was wasteful.
Better to absorb him.
It'd be rough, but his problem.
Self-inflicted.
Since I was moving, why not catch two rabbits?
And solving this revealed Uncle bore some blame too.
Yes, Namho's petty tricks and price war were vile.
But if Uncle had swallowed his pride and handled it well, would it have ended so tragically before?
To me, proud Uncle and greedy Namho were two peas in a pod.
But I couldn't say that.
I grinned.
"Giving you a chance."
"......"
"Though your dirty tactics are the problem."
"Ahem, ahem..."
I pressed on.
"Heard the report? The foremen and workers you bribed for your schemes vanished."
"......"
"They're under me now. I saved them from Black Path warriors hired to silence them."
"What are you talking about?"
"Come on, I know your dirty tricks, no need to play dumb."
"......"
"Why did those groups resume trading with Mi-gwa? Not just the prices, right?"
I continued.
"And I meet His Majesty regularly."
"His Majesty? What nonsense!"
"Investigate if you doubt. Ask Dae-seong Merchant Group, Guizhou's salt retailers—they'll confirm it."
"......So what are you getting at?"
"If His Majesty learned you used petty schemes and tried to murder your pawns, what then?"
His face drained of color.
"You wouldn't die easy, I'd wager."
"Blackmail...?"
I smiled.
"Blackmail? This is a leash. And how tight it pulls is up to the holder, right?"
Same thing, but "leash" sounded classier.
"I came because saving Namho before it's too late lets me use you best."
Needed them looking intact outwardly.
"Refuse Eunhae's fold, and we'll go all the way."
I stood to leave.
He grabbed me desperately.
"Wait! One question."
"What?"
"Can you save this Namho Merchant Group? Can everyone here keep working?"
I sat back down.
"Worried about them?"
"I did wrong, but they're my people."
"Then why the dirty play?"
"Kuh!"
"Namho will keep operating as Namho Merchant Group."
I added,
"Your leader position stays too—if you follow Eunhae's proper ways."
I pulled out the prepared contract.
"Read it."
I knew he'd accept.
Tattling his dirt to the Emperor was the leash.
Preventing any bolting.
He had no choice but to take my hand.
He knew ruin awaited otherwise.
"I get dismissal rights for leaders. Quarterly financial audits, fine. Following Eunhae's advice—my fault anyway. But what's this?"
He pointed to the back page.
The side agreement.
It required sending me three-tenths of profits monthly.
Namho Merchant Group shall remit three-tenths of monthly profits to Eun Seo-ho.
"Ah, my fee."
"Your fee?"
"Father wanted your signboard down immediately."
Gulp.
"But I barely convinced him. That's why we're negotiating."
I smiled.
"Something for me too, right?"
"Three-tenths monthly... Too much."
"Want the signboard down then?"