Chapter 183: Huarim Ferry Pier (2)
I immediately recalled an incident from my previous life the moment I learned that the Daegun Merchant Group was behind this.
It was autumn.
The time when Dongting Lake bustled with people eager to savor its autumnal charm.
It had happened just before I became a branch manager in that past life, so the memory was still vivid.
A ship from one ferry pier had sunk less than an hour after setting sail.
Thanks to the frantic rescue efforts of those nearby, many lives were saved, but tragically, nearly half the passengers perished.
The accident was so massive that even the Emperor stepped in, ordering a thorough investigation. The pier's operator—the head of the Daegun Merchant Group—and several key figures were hauled away by the Gold Guard.
And the truth that eventually came to light?
They'd overloaded the ship beyond its capacity, skimped on repairs and maintenance to run more frequent trips—all to squeeze out extra profits at the expense of safety.
The scandal shook the Daegun Merchant Group to its core, ultimately knocking it out of the One Hundred Great Merchant Groups of the Realm.
Knowing all this, I'd been puzzled even during Yeon Gakju's explanation.
The only operation running large ships on Dongting Lake right now was our Eunhae Merchant Group's Huarim Ferry Pier.
I hadn't known it back then, but even at that time, the Daegun Merchant Group had snatched away our prime business.
The situation was just as tough for the Eunhae Merchant Group then as it was now—we couldn't offer much help. But one thing had changed.
Me being here.
In any case, I'd meticulously investigated the ships run by Branch Manager Kang Seung and confirmed he was an extreme 'safety-first' zealot.
That put my mind at ease, but not entirely.
If he ever pushed too hard, we could end up in the exact same mess.
Branch Manager Kang Seung looked puzzled at my words.
"Is that really all you need?"
"You have no idea how tough that is."
"Of course it's difficult, but..."
"Swear it to heaven, earth, the gods, and spirits. If you ever fail to operate safely even once, you'll retire that very day."
"Pardon?"
"I'm not joking."
He gulped at my icy expression and nodded.
"Understood. I swear it."
"Good."
"That said, with support like this, what about the financial side...?"
"Haven't you fully repaid the loan from the Eunhae Merchant Group yet?"
"That's true."
"If word spreads that the main group handed you this branch too, it'll raise issues of fairness."
"Fair point."
His face darkened.
"That's why I have something else to say. This is a personal investment from me."
"Personal?"
"Exactly. Not from the Eunhae Merchant Group, but from Eun Seo-ho himself."
Having made a fortune made tricks like this possible. And the money kept rolling in.
"Is that even allowed? I assumed it was the merchant group's funds, so I braced myself to accept any demands..."
"I see. Well, investing without any return wouldn't make sense, right? So I'll take ten percent of the profits."
Branch Manager Kang's eyes widened in shock. Honestly, it was practically free money.
"What I want is for your ships to become the symbol of Dongting Lake. The kind where riding them means you've truly experienced the lake."
"...Why go so far for me? Both conditions you mentioned ultimately benefit me."
"Don't misunderstand."
I said sternly,
"The more money you make, the more you can send back to the Eunhae Merchant Group, right? And only then can you fully repay what you borrowed from us. This is all for our main branch."
Even so, he didn't seem convinced.
It really is, though.
Whatever. As long as he did his job well.
"Oh! Start preparing to move here soon, and plaster a big sign at your current spot: '[Thanks to all of you, we're expanding and relocating!]'."
"Got it."
I grinned.
"On the first day of next month, we'll hand out mooncakes and do some promotion."
"Understood."
Thanks to your generous support in patronizing Huarim Ferry Pier, we are expanding and relocating. We are deeply grateful for your encouragement. The new location is...
The next day, visitors to Huarim Ferry Pier spotted the large poster plastered at the entrance.
Those in the know about the new spot were stunned.
"Isn't that the huge shop over there?"
"They're moving there?"
"Whoa! They must be killing it."
"Makes sense—they deserve it."
Everyone congratulated Huarim Ferry Pier on the expansion.
Branch Manager Kang Seung treated customers well, ran safe operations, and had built up plenty of goodwill with the locals.
Meanwhile,
the man who had sold that very shop panicked.
Rumors had spread that the Daegun Merchant Group was targeting Huarim Ferry Pier, so savvy owners around Dongting Lake had wisely refused to rent or sell to them.
No one wanted to get on the Daegun Merchant Group's bad side.
He'd thought the same.
But then, like a bolt from the blue,
news hit that Huarim Ferry Pier was moving into the shop he'd sold.
And then,
"Sir, men from the Daegun Merchant Group are here."
"..."
As expected, they came looking for him. It was the Daegun Merchant Group leader's deputy.
The deputy wasted no time, snapping sharply,
"Do you have some grudge against our Daegun Merchant Group?"
"N-no, of course not!"
"Then why sell to Huarim Ferry Pier?"
"I didn't know."
"Didn't know? Does that even make sense?"
"I dealt through a broker, and the buyer definitely wasn't Branch Manager Kang Seung."
"Then who bought it?"
"Please wait a moment. I'll fetch the sales contract."
He hurriedly brought the contract and spread it out.
"Hmm..."
Sure enough, the buyer's name wasn't Kang Seung.
"Eun Seo-ho?"
The name rang a faint bell, but he couldn't place it right away.
Not that it mattered now.
"It's not too late. Cancel the deal right now."
"Pardon?"
"Just return the money and void it."
"Th-that's... difficult."
"Difficult? Are you really willing to make an enemy of the Daegun Merchant Group?"
"No!"
"Then why?"
"Because of this clause..."
His trembling finger pointed to a line in the contract.
If the seller unilaterally seeks to void the contract, they must pay compensation equivalent to one hundred times the sale price.
The deputy from the Daegun Merchant Group stared in disbelief.
"One hundred times?"
"Yes."
"Why include such a clause?"
"They insisted on it. And back then, I had no intention of backing out anyway, so I agreed without a second thought..."
"..."
"They offered more than double the market price—who'd dream of canceling?"
"...How much did you sell it for?"
"Six hundred fifty nyang."
"So the penalty's sixty-five thousand? Hah!"
The deputy could only click his tongue.
Paying that as compensation to void the deal was practically impossible.
The previous owner didn't have that kind of money, nor did the Daegun Merchant Group, already stretched thin buying a large ship.
He glared at the former owner for a moment before storming to his feet.
"Where are you going?"
"This isn't something I can settle talking to you. I need to meet the buyer."
The tallest inn on Dongting Lake.
Here, the higher the vantage overlooking the lake, the pricier the rooms.
I gladly paid top nyang to secure this suite for the view.
I wanted to share Dongting Lake's beauty with Palgap, who had served me unto death, and my loyal retainers.
And only in a private room could everyone relax and take it in without reservation.
Come to think of it, that reminded me of Jin Yu Warrior.
Showing him this view would have to wait.
"Whoa! What a stunning sight!"
Palgap marveled at the scenery beyond the window.
"Compared to Luoyang's Yellow River, which do you think is better?"
"Young master, what a foolish question."
"Huh?"
"The Yellow River has its own charm, and Dongting Lake has its own. Comparing them insults the intent of the Lord of Creation who shaped this world, or so I believe."
"Well..."
I was caught off guard by the unexpected wisdom.
"Why the surprise?"
"When did you get so smart?"
"I've always been smart. That's why you picked me as your attendant, right?"
"Fair enough."
I chuckled.
"You're right. Everything has its own unique beauty."
Then I heard footsteps approaching my room, followed by a familiar voice.
It was the pageboy who had shown us in.
And then Im Pil Warrior's voice.
"My lord, someone wishes to see you."
I had a good idea who it might be.
.
.
.
A short while later,
the pageboy led me to one of the small private parlors on this floor.
True to a high-end inn, there were several such rooms for discreet conversations.
"This is the gentleman."
A man inside rose and introduced himself.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm O Jin-chuk, deputy to the head of the Daegun Merchant Group."
"Eun Seo-ho."
"Please, have a seat."
Deputy O gestured, and I sat across from him.
"To the point: Any chance you'd sell that shop you bought back to us?"
"No."
"We'll double your money."
I smirked at Deputy O's offer.
"Not interested. Make it ten times, and maybe."
"Ten times? That's hardly merchant ethics."
Was it his idea to demand ten times market value for the spot where Huarim Ferry Pier now stood?
No—the Daegun Merchant Group's orders, surely.
Yet here he was, calling my counter unethical. Infuriating.
"You seem new around here, but crossing the Daegun Merchant Group will make life miserable."
"A threat?"
"Threat... yes, if that's how you hear it."
"..."
"Truth is, we planned to take over Huarim Ferry Pier's business. A major operation like that on Dongting Lake belongs to us, who dominate the local markets—not some out-of-town group."
Sounds noble.
Boiled down: it made them money, so it hurt.
"So sell us the shop, or keep Huarim Ferry Pier out."
"You're asking me to break a promise I've already made?"
"Fear of breaking promises stems from repercussions, doesn't it? Don't worry—we'll protect you."
Protect?
These guys who'd get stripped bare in under a month?
Trust meant so little to them. Disappointing.
This was justification enough to play my Emperor-granted card.
"The Daegun Merchant Group treats trust lightly. I don't. To a merchant, trust is the virtue to cling to until the end—the final lifeline that saves you in your darkest hour."
I stood.
"Allow a proper introduction. I am Eun Seo-ho, branch manager of the Eunhae Merchant Group, to which Huarim Ferry Pier belongs."
Deputy O's face drained of color.
"I thought my name carried some weight, but apparently not enough. I'll have to work harder."
"..."
"Threatening a branch manager of the Eunhae Merchant Group? Bold."
"Th-that was..."
"Spare me the excuses. Leave."
At my cold dismissal, Deputy O hesitated, then slunk away.
I wondered if he'd report today's events accurately.
Misrepresenting a threat against me could mean harsh punishment.
But it didn't matter.
I planned to collect interest with interest anyway.