Catch the Rat (2)
At Hyeon-ok noona's words, Uncle shook his head.
"I understand how you feel, but it's still too soon."
"Too soon?"
"Seo-ho here has come up with something rather interesting."
At Uncle's words, Hyeon-ok noona's gaze turned to me.
Ugh.
Hyeon-ok noona was currently an inner sect disciple of the Emei Sect.
In truth, children of merchant houses entering a sect as inner disciples was for the sake of borrowing that sect's prestige.
Hyeon-ok noona had become one for that very reason, but as I'd thought before, she suited being a martial artist far more than a merchant.
And I knew the future that lay ahead.
A senior expert from the Emei Sect who saw Hyeon-ok noona recognized her considerable talent in martial arts, so later she would learn even the techniques taught to formal disciples, despite being an inner sect one.
In any case, the more she trained in martial arts, the sharper her aura grew day by day.
Of course, if we sparred, I'd win against noona.
But that was beside the point—she was just plain scary.
"Something interesting? What is it?"
At that moment, Uncle spoke up.
"Hyeon-ok, before that, shouldn't you greet Seo-ho first?"
At Uncle's words, Hyeon-ok noona exclaimed, "Oh!"
"Sorry, I forgot to greet you."
I waved it off.
"It's fine. We've seen each other's faces now, haven't we?"
"So, will you tell us that method you came up with?"
There was a man.
His name was Yeong-po.
He was a mid-level employee of the Eunhae Merchant Group Sacheon Branch, serving as the foreman in charge of silk handling.
A fairly high position in the branch.
Having frequented auction houses and sales venues for silk dealings, it was only natural that he'd formed ties with the Dan Merchant Group.
After all, the Dan Merchant Group had also dipped into the silk business.
One day, someone from the Dan Merchant Group approached him, suggesting they have a drink somewhere nice.
He tried to refuse, knowing it would be trouble if anyone saw him carousing with a rival merchant group's man at a pleasure house.
But the Dan man guided him through the "back door," accessible only to those receiving top-tier treatment.
There, they held a lavish drinking party, attended by courtesans so stunning they made his head spin.
Before his eyes lay delicacies from land and sea he'd never even seen before, paired with the finest liquors.
As the courtesans poured his drinks with coquettish charm, cooing and fawning over him, his eyes glazed over without him even realizing it.
But he felt uneasy.
There was no such thing as a free feast like this.
He asked the Dan man who'd brought him.
"So, what is it you want from me? You're treating me like this because you want something, right?"
"Hahaha, what kind of talk is that between us?"
"Just tell me."
When Yeong-po pressed again, the man grinned and said,
"It's nothing much. Just a bit of curiosity about the inner workings of the Eunhae Merchant Group."
"What?!"
As Yeong-po barked in outrage, the man kept smiling.
"Think about it. What's the point of such fierce loyalty to the merchant group? You've brought them millions in profits, but how much has trickled down to you as foreman?"
"……."
He slid a pouch across the table.
"What's this?"
Yeong-po opened it and gasped. It was stuffed full of silver taels.
"I can't take this."
"Did you enjoy the reception today?"
"……."
He couldn't respond.
It had been so heavenly it felt like paradise.
"This kind of pleasure? It's all yours for the price of money."
"……."
"And the higher-ups? They all indulge like this."
"……."
"Oh dear! You're feeling guilty! No need for that. You're just trading the information you already have for some gain. What's the difference from dealing with the Hakmoon?"
"W-Well, that's true, but……."
"Exactly."
Back home, Yeong-po stared at the silver in the pouch, replaying the day's indulgences in his mind.
I want to live like that too.
The next day, he returned to the pleasure house.
Of course, they showered him with devoted service befitting his hefty spending, and he lost himself in the euphoric high, as if floating on clouds.
Pleasure was a terrifying thing.
Before experiencing it, it held no power; but once tasted, severing it required immense resolve—otherwise, impossible.
In the end, Yeong-po allied with the Dan Merchant Group to feed his pleasures and greed.
At first, what they asked for wasn't important: minor details like how many bolts of silk the Eunhae Group needed this time, or where they were shipping them.
But their demands grew bolder, and so did Yeong-po's nerve.
Then one day, a directive came down from the Eunhae Merchant Group's Hubei headquarters.
Monitor the Dan Merchant Group and report any suspicious activity immediately.
Naturally, he passed that along too.
Soon after, one of his team members reported to him.
"Foreman, the Dan Merchant Group's movements are suspicious."
"Is that so? I'll look into it and report up the chain. You focus on your other duties."
"Understood."
Using that as leverage, Yeong-po demanded a generous "gift" from the Dan group.
They complied with more than he'd expected, saying "please take good care of us."
Up to then, he believed his future was secure.
But soon, the Eunhae Merchant Group went on high alert.
Rumors about the self-operating puppets turned sour, causing sales to plummet.
It quickly came to light that the Dan Merchant Group was behind the rumors.
The Sacheon branch chief, tasked with monitoring them, was predictably furious.
A storm of uproar followed, but luckily, Yeong-po's ties to the Dan group stayed hidden.
What if they find out?
Anxiety gnawed at him.
Yet he couldn't abandon the lavish life funded by their gifts.
Amid it all, rumors of unknown origin began spreading.
Rumors that the self-operating puppets contained souls that brought great wealth to their owners.
Those rumors reportedly revived sales of the puppets.
Then came a message from the Dan group: let's meet.
A secluded manor in a sparsely populated forest.
This was Yeong-po's secret safehouse, prepared in utmost secrecy.
He'd even hired warriors to guard it.
Three warriors stood watch.
"You've arrived?"
"Yes."
He responded arrogantly to the warrior who bowed.
"No issues?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Good work."
He entered the manor, unaware of the hatred burning in the warrior's eyes.
If only I hadn't fed him that poison…….
Meanwhile, inside the manor, Yeong-po clicked his tongue.
Protecting real wealth is no easy task. Hiring three warriors and all.
He was more thorough than he seemed.
The fact that he'd evaded detection this long proved it.
His rapid rise to mid-level employee at a young age was proof of his competence.
The manor brimmed with valuables, so theft was a constant risk.
Hence the hired guards.
But guards could turn on him, kill him, and take everything.
So he'd procured poison and forced it on them during their contract signing.
A vicious toxin requiring an antidote every month, or they'd writhe in agony and die.
Thus, he held their leashes.
The interior was opulent.
Everywhere lay expensive treasures, and just looking at them lifted his spirits.
He hadn't visited this place in ages for no reason.
"Is the foreman here?"
It was his meeting spot with the Dan Merchant Group man.
Soon, an unremarkable-looking fellow entered.
"Hahaha! Foreman Im, you've arrived?"
"Still looking as sharp as ever, I see."
"Flatterer. Work's kept me so busy I haven't rested properly—my skin's gotten rough."
Yet Yeong-po had no thoughts of retirement.
He knew full well: the moment he quit Eunhae, the Dan group would discard him.
Without his insider status, he'd be useless.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"I'm disappointed in you, Foreman."
"Disappointed? What do you mean? I've been nothing but sincere."
"The rumors that self-operating puppets bring wealth—clearly spread by Eunhae. But you forgot to give us a heads-up."
"I'm innocent."
He truly was.
"I know nothing about it. Even our Sacheon branch seems clueless. The branch chief was flustered himself—how would I know?"
"Really?"
"Of course. If I'd known, I'd have messaged you immediately. It's valuable info for gifts, after all."
"Well……."
Foreman Im, a trusted aide to the Dan Merchant Group leader, eyed Yeong-po.
A man fattened on their gifts.
No way he'd sit on such info.
He'd cram more into his own mouth.
He really didn't know.
Seeing eyes clouded by greed, Im smirked inwardly.
The man had talent, despite his station.
Promote to senior level, and he'd yield even more intel.
That's why the Group Leader invests so heavily? To devour Eunhae?
Even at the bottom of the Hundred Great Merchant Groups, it was a juicy prize.
And the merchant world was eat or be eaten.
Eunhae's fault for not catching the rat in their house.
"Here, take this."
He handed over a bundle.
"Feels hefty today?"
"The Group Leader asked us to put in extra effort."
"Don't worry. I'll handle it."
With that, the Dan aide departed.
Back in his room, Yeong-po unwrapped the bundle.
"Ooh!"
The gleaming gold ingots left him entranced.
He failed to notice someone watching from the ceiling.
A few days later.
To cash in the gold ingots, he visited a pawnshop.
His regular spot.
They took a hefty fee for utmost secrecy, but it was safe.
There, he heard something unbelievable.
"Ha! Are you mocking me right now?"
"What? Mocking? Why would I mock you?"
"Then what's this? Bringing me fake gold ingots? You think I'm a fool?"
"F-Fake? What do you mean? It's genuine gold!"
In response to Yeong-po's protest, the pawnbroker scratched the ingot with a needle.
"See? Scrape off a bit, and the gold leaf flakes away, revealing the lead inside."
"……."
Crunch…….
It was real.
Just in case, he pointed to all the ingots he'd brought.
"Th-Those too! Check those as well!"
"Very well."
All but one were fakes.
At first, disbelief; then rage slowly built.
They're discarding me now!
Else, they wouldn't humiliate him like this.
But he couldn't complain anywhere.
It would expose him as the Dan group's rat.
Nor could he confront them directly.
That single real ingot amid fakes screamed: From now on, take this pittance and stay our loyal rat.
Already, the Dan group's collar was around his neck.
If they threatened to expose his betrayal?
He'd be done for.
Self-inflicted doom.
His own doing, but he couldn't just take it lying down.
A few days later.
People from headquarters arrived at the Eunhae Merchant Group Sacheon Branch.
Among them was the merchant group's third son—a strikingly handsome young man.
One day, Yeong-po overheard a conversation between the branch chief and a man named Eun Seo-ho.
"At first, I considered the salt business here in Sacheon Province."
Sacheon had salt and bamboo, key ingredients for bamboo salt, a medicinal product.
"Unfortunately, we shelved it. Intel from above said it was too risky."
Hearing that, Yeong-po knew: this was it.
They think they have my leash, but heh heh heh. I'll make them pay dearly!
When discarded, he had to be the one doing the discarding.
He promptly sent a message to the Dan group: let's meet.