Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Novel - Chapter 64

Chapter 64

“Huh?”

Ha Dae-bung bowed his head with a stupid expression.

– Then… Your Excellency the Censor.

A life lived as a merchant for no less than twenty years.

If I had to discuss what was most important to a trader, someone would say confidence, someone would say speed and someone would say investment.

But Ha Dae-bung was someone who had come to a different conclusion in his long life as a trader.

Cheongeum ().[ means “pure sound”, often used as an elegant name that suggests elegance or refinement.]

In short, it means you have to be good at understanding what people say.

In the mercantile world, where people who twist things around in one way or another to get favorable contracts for them, to avoid losses and survive, somehow you have to be good at understanding what people say and properly identifying the traps hidden in their words.

That was the way to survive in the mercantile world where the demons of hell swarmed.

Therefore, Ha Dae-bung was always someone who tried to understand what others were saying, and so far, he had been able to follow that principle without much difficulty.

But right now, Ha Dae-bung couldn’t understand at all what the other side was saying and was tilting his head.

Could you explain to me one more time what you mean?

Then Wei Yan-ho, who was almost melted in his chair, made a grimace that said he was dead of annoyance.

«Then try to understand what I am telling you right from the beginning.»

Coming to look for him in the morning and stirring his bowels, then releasing incomprehensible words to right and sinister, and then getting angry when he could not understand them.

If I wasn’t a censor, I’d just… go!

But who was the person in front of him?

Someone carrying a golden sword engraved with the symbol of the Censorship. As important as the Censor’s office, if golden swords were given as emblems to all Censors, there would be nothing but dust in the national treasure, and there would be a situation in which the Emperor would have to undergo a forced diet.

So this young punk in front of him must occupy a pretty high position within the Censorate.

‘Could it be royalty’?

Even if he had learned to read from his mother’s womb and had passed the highest civil service exam at the age of ten, the position he could reach at that age would be excessive. Then it would be impossible unless he belonged to royalty.

Even though he did not belong to royalty, he must have ascended to an equivalent position. Ha Dae-bung knew his place well, and knew that jumping off a cliff would be easier to die than shouting at a censor suspected of belonging to royalty.

“Head, I’m a little slow to understand.”

“That’s what it looks like.”

“……”

Ha Dae-bung endured the maximum humiliation a merchant could experience and outlined a broad smile.

“If it’s dirty, I have to succeed.”

“Recording the eternal truth in his heart, Ha Dae-bung looked at the little boy next to Wei Yan-ho.”

‘What’s that again?’

“He didn’t understand why they were bringing a little boy who hadn’t even lost his hair. The clothes he was wearing seemed like a doctor’s gown, but doctor batons for such a little boy?”

And what was the cause of that restless face?

‘I can’t understand, I can’t understand.’

Ha Dae-bung gave up and asked honestly.

“Could you tell me one more time?”

“Wow.”

Wei Yan-ho uttered a groan and continued to speak.

“Then this child is the legitimate son of the Sacred Hand Hall.”

“Sacred Hand Hall?”

Ha Dae-bung’s head began to calculate automatically.

“That… originally a prestigious family with a lot of money, but now he doesn’t even have money to cook rice porridge, but still insists on treating patients, that Sacred Hand Hall?”

Jin So-ah’s head fell back at a right angle.

“It’s hard to say that in front of someone.”

– Oh, I’m sorry, it’s an objective assessment.

“Though it’s accurate.”

Jin So-ah lowered his head even further. He was worried that his neck would be broken at that rate.

“Then I understand that he is the legitimate son of Sacred Hand Hall, but what brings him here?”

Ha Dae-bung’s face was darkened as he spoke.

If you ask me to give this young man a loan, no way, no matter how much His Excellency the Censor asks, I can’t do it.

“Really?”

Taking on an irrecoverable debt is no different than declaring bankruptcy as a trader. Even if I get a knife in my throat, I can’t do it. Instead of lending money to the Sacred Hand Hall, I prefer to lend money to the Beggar Sect.

“Is that a worse assessment than a beggar?”

“The beggars at least ask for alms.”

Jin So-ah’s head fell even further.

Hey, you’re gonna break your neck.

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know why he apologized, but Jin So-ah kept saying he was sorry.

That’s the typical reaction of a debtor, even though he probably hasn’t borrowed money anywhere.

What was regrettable was regrettable, but money was not something to be dealt with on the basis of sympathy.

“Anyway, well, it’s not about something like that…”

“Yes.”

“Try to invest a little.”

“…what?”

“Investment.”

Ha Dae-bung’s face began to rot.

Investment?

How different was that from saying that you had to hand over legally disguised money with good documents?

“…That is difficult, Excellency the Censor.”

“Why?”

I’d rather you ask me to lend you a certain amount and I’d just give it to you, but if I loan you money as an investment and then I can’t get it back, it would stain my reputation and my credibility as a trader would collapse.

“Then just get it back.”

“By what means?”

Ha Dae-bung’s mouth was directed towards Wei Yan-ho, but his eyes were directed towards Jin So-ah.

Seeing the situation, it seemed that they were asking him to lend money to that young punk, but by what means was he supposed to recover the money after lending it to that guy?

It was absolutely impossible.

“Tsk tsk, that’s why this is.”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head vigorously.

When Wei Yan-ho, with a face full of dissatisfaction, looked at him, Ha Dae-bung shook and bowed his head.

“Excuse me, ajeossi.”

“I’m single.”

“What, your age?”

Ha Dae-bung started screaming.

If you’re not married, you’re single!

“Why are you making a tantrum?”

“I’m sorry, it’s a delicate subject…”

Wei Yan-ho nodded with a face that said he understood everything.

“Anyway, because Ajeossi is doing that now, you are only the manager of this small branch.”

Ha Dae-bung’s face trembled.

Branch manager of a small branch?

The manager of the Hubei branch of Milky Way Trading Company held an undeniable position in the commercial world. Was such a position insignificant?

No matter how much I didn’t know about the mercantile world, if I just thought a little bit, I couldn’t say such a thing.

“You don’t seem to know, but someone in that position is quite recognized in the commercial world.”

“Even so, he’s just a salaried worker.”

“Are you underestimating wage-earning workers right now?”

How many people in the world work for a monthly salary!

With that experience, with that skill, isn’t it ridiculous to work for someone else’s money? Seeing how you suck the blood out of ordinary people, if you’d done business with that money, you’d probably have made a lot of money, wouldn’t you?

Ha Dae-bung closed her mouth with unresponsive force.

It was the thing he had been most concerned about lately.

Although his income was not lower than that of branches in large cities such as Hebei, Gaifeng or Luoyang, his position was lower than that of these. Moreover, as much as he worked, everything he earned only filled the company’s pocket, while his salary barely increased; this was also cause for dissatisfaction.

Look. You see this kid?

“I also have eyes.”

How do you see it?

“A child doctor charlatan?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head firmly.

– No, it’s a money.

“His Excellency the Censor.”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes lit up as he spoke.

“Listen to the end.”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho raised his hand and pointed to Jin So-ah.

“Of course, this boy seems to know nothing, he seems clumsy and, in fact, he seems to have nothing…”

“…Does he look like him?”

Jin So-ah bowed his head deeply with a face that said he was deeply wounded.

“Of course it looks a little like that!”

But Wei Yan-ho was ruthless.

But if you think about it, this child is the legitimate son of the Mano Sagrada family, which has been passed down from generation to generation, a prodigy that reached the level of medical arts at an early age, and a real doctor who has worked hard for patients without taking care or receiving money.

“Well, that’s a good thing.”

Ha Dae-bung frowned her lips hoscaly.

It was a good thing, no doubt, but it had nothing to do with Ha Dae-bung. I was trying to make money, not do charity works.

“And ajeossi is…”

“I’m single.”

Even in the midst of the exchange of important words, Ha Dae-bung did not overlook the sensitive word.

Someone who has been in the business world for decades and is expert in swindling poor people. Even if you look all over the world, you will not easily find someone as ruthless as Ajeossi. I guarantee it.

“…Thank you for the compliment.”

He did not know if it was a compliment or an insult, but certainly not bad. Even among his colleagues in the mercantile world, he was known as a ruthless person with a human face but a beastly heart.

Wei Yan-ho pointed to both simultaneously.

“Separately, they’re garbage…”

“That’s a little hard.”

“But when you put them together, the combination is outstanding.”

“What?”

Ha Dae-bung bowed his head.

What did you mean, the combination was exceptional?

If Ajeossi had taken over and operated on the Sacred Hand Hall, would he be in this state now?

“No way.”

Ha Dae-bung shook his head vigorously.

The power possessed by the name Sacred Hand Hall was undeniable. To be precise, its power was tremendous.

Limited to Hubei, the medical family was the Sacred Hand Hall, and the Sacred Hand Hall was the medical family. Even speaking of the whole world, it was a place with a recognition that was easily counted on ten fingers.

It was impossible for such a place to be ruined under normal circumstances. To manage it abruptly would be as if the money rained from heaven.

This team has medical skills, but not management skills.

“…that’s enough.”

Jin So-ah couldn’t bear to hear what would come next and plugged Wei Yan-ho’s mouth.

No more, thank you.

But, on the other hand, he has medical skills and recognition. What about that, along with Ajeossi’s management ability?

Ha Dae-bung’s eyebrows began to move.

I was starting to smell money in Wei Yan-ho’s words.

“Certainly…”

I didn’t understand the exact concept, but this was definitely profitable. If I didn’t perceive it, I couldn’t make a living as a trader.

“It’s a profitable story.”

Ha Dae-bung’s face became serious.

Ha Dae-bung, who had instantly become the face of a merchant, met Wei Yan-ho’s eyes.

“I understand what His Excellency the Censor says.”

“As expected.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded as he lay down.

He had thought that Ha Dae-bung would understand and, indeed, understood correctly when he was given only one clue.

Ha Dae-bung spoke with a broad smile on her face.

“What about the capital?”

“Capital?”

Yeah, the initial investment, with just that, looks like the photo would work.

Wei Yan-ho nodded as if it were obvious and said.

“We have none.”

“…what?”

“Ajeossi has to provide that.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Looking at Wei Yan-ho, who smiled without a trace of doubt, Ha Dae-bung also smiled pleasantly.

It was nice meeting you, I won’t walk you out.

And then he disappeared.