Chapter 133
One month later.
Shandong, Yi Family Estate—
"Chairman Yi. A letter has arrived."
"Where is it from?"
"It seems to be a letter that has arrived from the Moyong family."
"Is that so? Give it to me quickly."
As soon as he arrived at his family's estate, he had dispatched a sales plan, contracts, and working-level staff related to the ice spirit stone distribution to Liaoning...
Since it was too early for a reply, Chairman Yi skimmed through the contents of the letter with curiosity.
'He's so thorough. To have already summarized and sent the investment list! Young Hero Jin will never starve to death, even if the world turns upside down. Hohoho!'
The letter was a request for approval of the investment in the Moyong family that Chairman Yi had promised (read as sponsorship, not investment).
The contents were as follows:
「—One. Ingredients for the medicinal water to help the recovery of disciple Yi Baek's fractures and flesh. (Requires the finest quality of tiger bone, balloon flower root, angelica root, jujube, hemp seed, poria cocos, peppermint, akebia quinata, saposhnikovia root, cornus fruit, bupleurum root, wild ginseng, mulberry root bark, and cimicifuga rhizome)
—Two. The finest quality wild ginseng to be used as a raw material for the restorative medicine to boost disciple Yi Baek's vitality. (Requires a large quantity for long-term use)
—Three. A complete set of weapons for disciple Yi Baek to use. A treasured sword, fist guards, armor, joint protectors, etc. (The treasured sword will be made of black steel, and the fist guards, armor, and joint protectors will all be made of vajra heavenly silkworm thread)
—Six. ...
—Seven. ...
...Total: 380,000 silver coins.
We respect your investment decision and hope that this will form a foundation of mutual assistance between our two families.
Moyong Family's Grand Disciple, Jin So-ah's official seal—」
After reading the entire letter, Chairman Yi, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, stared at it with a dumbfounded face for a long time.
But soon.
"Haha... hahaha!"
Didn't he burst into a hollow, mad laugh?
"Kehkehkeh! Young Hero Jin is cunning and meticulous, but on the other hand, he's cute!"
At that sight, the chief steward of the Yi family tilted his head.
Because it had been a long time since he had seen the Chairman like that.
"Chairman. What is the matter?"
"Isn't it funny? I promised to invest in the Moyong family and told them to send the list of necessary items without hesitation! But as if he was being considerate, isn't Young Hero Jin mentioning Baek-ie at the end of every sentence? Look at this! Kehkehkeh!"
Chairman Yi showed the letter to the chief steward.
"Haha. Young Hero Jin is quite cute. It seems he was afraid that the Chairman, having decided to invest, might change his mind, so he mentioned the young master."
"That's it. He has underestimated Yi Kun-hee of the Yi family of Shandong. Hohoho."
"Please understand. A commoner cannot help but not know the heart of a chaebol. Hahaha."
"A commoner? You say that because you don't know. The Moyong family has been accumulating considerable wealth recently. Besides, Young Hero Jin has an outstanding business-like disposition. Through this ice spirit stone distribution, they will be reborn as the most prosperous martial family in the martial world."
At Chairman Yi's words, the chief steward's eyes widened as he asked.
"...Is it to that extent? If it's the most prosperous martial family in the martial world, there are the Namgung, Tang, Zhuge, Ximen, and Yan families. Aren't they all families that play with a thousand gold coins? To surpass them... it won't be easy."
"Of course it won't be easy. Especially in the case of the Namgung, Tang, and Zhuge, they have been accumulating wealth for more than ten generations. They are at a level where they can slap the cheek of any ordinary business family."
"But how..."
"Am I not here?"
"Pardon?"
"The Moyong family has now joined hands with me, Yi Kun-hee. So, shouldn't they become the best among the martial families?"
"Haha! Chairman. My thoughts were short!"
"Chief Steward... I want to bet my middle age on the Moyong family once."
"Chairman."
"I hope you will help me a lot."
"I will keep that in mind."
"Now! Then shall we slowly head out to the marketplace? We have to start today with market research as well."
"Excellent, Chairman!"
Today, Chairman Yi's steps as he set out were particularly light.
***
Henan, Kaifeng Prefecture.
"Lord Bao. It seems that trapping the White Lotus Cult will not be easy!"
Zhan Zhao, who had been trying to track down and annihilate the White Lotus Cult in Henan under Bao Qingtian's orders, had run into an unexpected wall.
"How so?"
Bao Qingtian asked with a face full of worry.
"After great effort, we found the location of the Henan cult branch and raided them, but we were blocked by an unexpected force and failed to arrest them."
"An unexpected force? Where is that place?"
He couldn't help but be surprised.
Who was Zhan Zhao?
In terms of martial arts alone, he had reached the pinnacle and could be said to be the best among the officials.
Then, was there a power in the land of Henan that could stop the officials of Kaifeng Prefecture?
Since that was not the case either, Bao Qingtian had no choice but to have doubts.
But that doubt was soon resolved.
"It is the Eastern Depot, Lord Bao!"
"Hah...! If it's the Eastern Depot!"
"Why are they!"
At Zhan Zhao's answer, Bao Qingtian and his trusted subordinate, Gongsun Ce, simultaneously expressed their surprise.
"As you know, the Eastern Depot is a higher-level organization managed by the imperial court. Therefore, we had no justification or legal grounds to stop them... we could not arrest the leaders of the White Lotus Cult branch, and they have since disappeared. A long period of being away has come to nothing... I have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths."
A sense of powerlessness and emptiness was embedded in Zhan Zhao's voice.
Bao Qingtian patted his shoulder and said.
"No. How could it be your fault? The Eastern Depot is a higher-level organization, so if you had clashed with them, it would have been a crime of insubordination."
"Thank you for your encouragement, Lord Bao. But the reason I couldn't stop them was not just because of their high rank. The Eastern Depot is one of the two major martial forces of the imperial court, composed of top masters. There was no way to stop them physically either."
At that, Gongsun Ce, who had been stroking his beard with a narrowed brow, suddenly spoke up.
"Lord Bao. If it's the Eastern Depot, isn't it Eunuch Han's direct unit? But for what reason did they intervene in the affairs of the White Lotus Cult?"
"I'm not sure, but I suspect it's a matter of vested interests. The Eastern Depot is a group that has implicitly committed numerous corruptions and has extorted unjust profits. Rather than an imperial force, it is more correct to see them as Eunuch Han's slaves today."
"Lord Bao..."
"The Eastern Depot... the matter is becoming serious. Phew..."
As a sigh that could make the ground sink came out of Bao Qingtian's mouth, the hearts of Gongsun Ce and Zhan Zhao also became heavy.
It was even more so because they knew well of Bao Qingtian's usual fairness and spirit, but the [Eastern Depot] was a powerful group that was that untouchable.
But.
Nevertheless, Bao Qingtian had no intention of giving up.
"The White Lotus Cult is an anti-human and evil group that commits human sacrifice. Now that I know of their actions, even if the Eastern Depot protects them, I cannot overlook it."
"Lord Bao..."
"What are you thinking of doing?"
"First, I will meet with the master of the Eastern Depot, Eunuch Han. If words do not work..."
"..."
"..."
"I plan to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor."
Zhan Zhao and Gongsun Ce, looking at Bao Qingtian's tightly clenched lips, were convinced that he would investigate the White Lotus Cult without being swayed by any external pressure.
'Lord Bao will definitely!'
'He will.'
***
Ten days later—
After Chairman Yi Kun-hee left, some time passed...
A person from the Yi family of Shandong arrived at the Moyong family estate.
"Good day. I am Jeong Ju-hyeong, in charge of sales, marketing, and distribution at the Yi family of Shandong."
'He's a younger person than I thought.'
So-ah was inwardly surprised that the working-level staff of the Yi family was a young man who looked to be in his late 20s.
'To have a position in the Yi family at that young age. This man must have great abilities.'
Although he, who had reached the Profound Realm at the age of twenty-two, was not one to think such a thing.
In any case, So-ah's thoughts were correct.
As they say, an outstanding person stands out wherever they go.
Through a few words of conversation, So-ah realized that the working-level staff named Jeong Ju-hyeong was quite skilled in business and had excellent judgment.
A little later.
Yuk Jeong-ran arrived at the Moyong family from the Cheong-a-ru.
A total of four people were present in the room: So-ah, Yuk Jeong-ran, the chief steward, and Jeong Ju-hyeong.
"Then, Lady Yuk, you will be the working-level staff for the Moyong family's ice spirit stone distribution?"
When Jeong Ju-hyeong asked Yuk Jeong-ran, she nodded.
"That's right. Along with the chief steward here. I am not a person of the Moyong family, but I am currently supporting the overall business of the Moyong family. A cooperative relationship, shall we say? The Chairman is not interested in business, and the grand disciple who actually started the work is busy with public and private affairs."
At the same time, Yuk Jeong-ran glared at So-ah once.
Sting—
So-ah felt as if he had been pricked by a needle.
As Yuk Jeong-ran said, he was the one who had planned and pushed for everything, but he had ended up leaving the actual work to her and the chief steward.
As if she had noticed his inner thoughts, Yuk Jeong-ran smiled again and patted So-ah's shoulder.
"Hohohot! But thanks to that, I can also make a lot of money, so isn't it a win-win situation? It is the logic of the market that if we pursue each other's interests, we will coexist. In that sense, let's proceed with the contract review."
As soon as her words fell, the Yi family's working-level staff, Jeong Ju-hyeong, took out the contract, and the four of them simultaneously reviewed each and every detailed item.
The gist of the contract was simple.
If the Moyong family provided the ice spirit stones, the Yi family would process them into products and distribute them throughout the Central Plains.
Of the total sales generated in this way, the Yi family would take 20% and the Moyong family would take 80%, and the two families would continue to hold regular discussions and do their best in good faith to maximize each other's profits.
Anyone could see that it was a contract that was unilaterally advantageous to the Moyong family.
Seeing that, Yuk Jeong-ran's eyes sparkled with surprise and admiration for a moment.
'Young Hero Jin is truly a person whom the heavens help. To have taken the second son of the Yi family as his disciple and hit the jackpot! Kehkehkeh. Getting on the same boat as the Moyong family was a godsend.'
It was not unreasonable for Yuk Jeong-ran to think this way.
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed that So-ah was born with heavenly luck.
Just obtaining the exclusive rights to the ice spirit stone was a fateful opportunity, and to have also formed a connection with a top chaebol family like the Yi family, what else could it be but heavenly luck?
But...
'No matter how much heavenly luck comes, a person who is not prepared cannot catch it. In the end, it is as if Young Hero Jin's intelligence has created the opportunity. Hoho.'
Yuk Jeong-ran considered herself to have obtained heavenly luck by meeting such a So-ah.
A bright smile bloomed on her face.
"Then, with this, the contract between the Moyong family and the Yi family is completely concluded. In the future, if there is anything to discuss, I would be grateful if you could let us know through the chief steward and Lady Yuk, Chairman Jeong."
After the contract review was over, So-ah extended his hand to Jeong Ju-hyeong for a handshake.
Jeong Ju-hyeong grasped that hand with both of his hands and, lowering himself, said.
"Chairman is too much. I would be grateful if you would call me Chief Steward Jeong from now on. I will do my best for the interests of both families, so please take good care of me in the future!"
The more he saw him, the more he was a young man with a good-natured impression.
The passion and intelligence that filled his two eyes were a bonus.
'Are all the people of the Yi family this passionate? Kya! I have a good feeling, a good feeling!'
So-ah's heart swelled with anticipation.
Because, as they say, all things are half begun.
***
The next day—
A noble guest visited the Moyong family estate.
So-ah's eyes, having confirmed the identity of the guest, sparkled with delight.
"Oh! Isn't it Lady Myo-seon, an official of the Martial Alliance?"
"Haha. Don't be so flattering, Jin So-ah!"
The guest was none other than his childhood friend, Myo-seon.
"What brings you here? Weren't you at the main office?"
"Yes. I received a mission and stopped by Liaoning for a while."
"What mission?"
"The maintenance of the Martial Alliance's Liaoning branch."
"Then... did you become the Liaoning branch leader?"
"That's right."
"Wow! You've made it big."
"What do you mean, made it big? Hehe. And it's only a temporary authority. Besides, the Liaoning branch is the smallest branch, so there aren't many people."
"Aww! Still, that's making it big. It feels like just yesterday that we were training pathetically as cadets."
"Yeah. Thanks to you, I had a good experience of hell. Hoho."
"How about some training after a long time? Just some simple physical training?"
"No thanks, Young Master Jin?"
"Haha."
"Hahaha!"
So-ah led Myo-seon to the reception room.
(End of Chapter)