Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 150



Only Noblemtl

150. Central Plains Merchants’ Association (5)

Looking at the Jinsugwan, I am starting to feel it is real. I am about to meet my past life’s connections in earnest.

It was also a moment that confirmed once again that I was a merchant. These days, I live with so many people that it feels like a dream that I never lived as a merchant.

“Oh, brother. Do you know Prince Jin?”

“What about Confucius? You can’t use such a noble title on just anyone.”

At my words, Jinsugwan’s smiling expression hardened slightly.

In the strange atmosphere that suddenly unfolded, it was Na Hyeon-wi who was rather embarrassed.

My disciples Yu Cha-ryeon and Jo Chung-heon, who had been watching from behind, also looked at me with surprised eyes.

It must have been because they knew that I wasn’t the type of person to pick a fight like this.

“Eh, hehe. Why are you saying that? Jin Gongzi is also one of the four families of Shanxi. He is worthy of being called a Confucius.”

Na Hyeon-wi tried to take care of things later, but Jin Su-gwan shook his head with a smile.

“Okay, hyung. There’s no need to do that. I don’t know why, but it seems like he hates me. Let’s meet inside.”

“Ah, no. Prince Jin!”

Jinsugwan said that and went in. I don’t think anyone else saw it, but I saw Jinsugwan’s face turn completely stiff as he went in.

“Brother! What kind of rudeness is this? Haven’t you heard the saying that you shouldn’t make unnecessary enemies in business?”

“He’s a little different.”

“yes?”

“He already thinks of us as enemies.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ll know once you spend time together. It would be best not to create problems that would make you spend time together.”

“I honestly can’t understand a single word you’re saying.”

“Just think of it simply. The, what should I say. The world’s… … .”

I stroked my chin with my thumb and index finger and chose the right word. Of course, I didn’t have to think long. The answer was obvious.

“Hey, you little shit?”

Na Hyun-wi seemed completely unable to understand why I was showing such hostility toward Jin Soo-kwan. It couldn’t be otherwise. At first, I thought Jin Soo-kwan was a good person because he always smiled, but when I took off his mask, he was a completely different person.

In my past life, there were two people whose true nature I recognized before others: Na Hyeon-wi and Jin Su-gwan.

The difference was that Na Hyeon-wi was in a positive direction, and Jin Su-gwan was in a negative direction.

“Let’s go in first. By the way, when was the official meeting held?”

“Tomorrow or the day after.”

“Every time I come to the Central Committee, I feel this way. I don’t understand why I have to arrive before every meeting and confirm my attendance every day.”

“I know why. Do you want to guess?”

“Well, the elders are busy too, so maybe it’s because they’re worried that their schedules might change?”

“That’s bullshit. These people are old people who read the Hyunhyeon-gi-gyeong (a book of Go explanations) more than the conference documents. Well, if you don’t want to get dementia, you should at least play a lot of Go. There are many people who already seem to have it.”

“Do you usually swear like this a lot?”

“Whenever I come here, I get cussed out all the time. That’s why I don’t want to come here. I’m also someone who wants to live my life saying only good and kind things.”

“Do you come here often?”

“Much more than you think.”

“How can that be? This is not the place for a new owner to come.”

“Why would I lie?”

He looked at me with a look that said, “It doesn’t seem to be Na Hyeon-wi,” and then fell into thought again. However, with his young insight, it seemed like he couldn’t figure out why the old people were asking him to come first.

“Oh, I don’t know. What is it?”

“What the heck? It’s just the old guys trying to discipline the young merchants.”

“Hey, no way. All the elders sitting in this meeting are very prestigious people.”

“That’s why it’s like that. In the past, people were respected and treated as elders and great people even if they just stayed still, but these days, they treat you like an old man in the back room. So, this is just a petty trick to fill up your self-esteem.”

“That can’t be… … .”

Na Hyeon-wi covered his mouth as if he had never thought that his seniors were such ugly people.

“You’re from a prestigious family in Shanxi Province, and your father is a great man, so you’ve never really been treated like that. Now, look.”

Seeing is believing. Rather than going around here and talking badly with my mouth, I think it would be better to show you.

I entered the Zhongshanlian building. The Zhongshanlian building was covered in all sorts of gold and silver, as if they were trying to show off how much money they had. However, my eyes could not be fooled. There were genuine items, but it was a corridor where there were clearly more fakes mixed in.

As we entered the hallway, a beautiful woman with long, slender legs approached us. The beauty was wearing a skirt that was open from the thighs, and it seemed like the old people had dressed her up like that to make her look polite.

“Please tell me your affiliation, position, and name.”

“This is Muk Hwi-young, the head of the Hwiyoung Group.”

“Ah, you are the main character of this meeting.”

The woman looked at me with pity as she spoke. She, too, worked at the Central Military Commission, but it seemed that she had suffered greatly from these old men.

“I didn’t want to be the main character.”

“That’s possible. Follow me. The elders are waiting.”

By the way, who was the chairman now? At that time, I didn’t have a superior, so it was natural for me not to know. In fact, at that time, I didn’t even know there was an organization called the Central Federation of Trade Unions.

I followed the woman. She led us to a one-foot-tall ebony door.

The woman knocked hard on the door. An old, hoarse voice came from inside.

“why?”

“The person attending the meeting the day after tomorrow is coming.”

“Oh. Okay.”

The huge door opened with a creaking sound. The smell of old age wafted from inside the door.

Looking inside, I saw many people playing Go without even noticing that we had come in.

“Who are you? I’m seeing your face for the first time.”

But there was someone who pretended to know. Judging from his face, he seemed to be the youngest here. Even though he was the youngest, he looked to be well over seventy.

The woman stared at me as if she expected me to introduce myself, and when I said nothing, she hurriedly added.

“Ah. You are the head of the Whiyoung Group.”

“The Lord of the Whiyoungdan? Is that Lord of the Whiyoungdan higher than me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. This is the head of the Whiyoung Group.”

“Yeah, that’s what you should say.”

I had a hunch. I thought it might be the same Jung Sang-ryeon I knew. But this was clearly the Jung Sang-ryeon I knew.

Only when the woman revealed that she was the head of the Whiyoungdan did people’s attention turn to her.

“That guy?”

“Hoo.”

“It looks so cute. Tsk tsk.”

“But is this his first time here? Did he come empty-handed? His eyes are so blurry that he can’t see at all… … .”

The old men playing Go looked at me and started making comments one by one. They were like this in their past lives too. They were judging things as if they were items at an auction house.

“Why are you just standing there blankly? If you’re here, you should at least say hello to each person!”

An old man with a lot of mushrooms on his face shouted at me.

Na Hyeon-wi, who was standing next to him, froze when the old man suddenly shouted. Of course, when Na Hyeon-wi arrived, the big shot Na Han-geol was standing next to him, so the atmosphere wouldn’t have been like this.

In this situation where seniors call you and scold you outright, who wouldn’t be intimidated? Even if you think about it rationally, considering the connections and influence of these seniors, you should at least pretend to be intimidated, even if you aren’t.

But I knew how insignificant they were. There was no reason for me to be intimidated in that situation.

“Can I come the day after tomorrow?”

I ignored the old man’s words and spoke to the woman next to me. The woman looked at me with wide eyes. She probably didn’t know I would react like this.

The atmosphere in the room became cold. The old people had blank expressions as if they couldn’t believe their ears, and the companions who came with them also opened their eyes wide as if they were looking at a crazy person.

“Have you ever seen a guy who doesn’t have that kind of case!”

“You bastard, you idiot!”

The first to react were the elderly. Everyone could see that my words contained deliberate disregard, so the elderly could not help but be furious.

“Wait a minute, that guy next to him. Isn’t that Han Geul’s son?”

“huh?”

Even among the old people with dull eyes, there seemed to be one person who was somewhat bright. Someone recognized Na Hyeon-wi.

“Brother Na! What have you been doing? You’re not here to rub the shoulders of the elders.”

Then someone suddenly stood up and shouted. It was Jinsugwan, who had been out of sight in the corner.

I did expect that he would go in first and try to please the elderly.

“Um, uh… … .”

Na Hyeon-wi looked around as if something was broken, but I quietly told him the answer.

“go.”

“yes?”

“Go away. You have no reason to take my side, right?”

Of course I thought so. If it was a past life, then maybe. Na Hyeon-wi and I aren’t that close now.

But Na Hyeon-wi was a guy who exceeded my expectations, both in his past life and now.

“What is this, elders! How can you treat the gods of the upper world so coldly!”

Now it was my turn to panic. I never dreamed that Na Hyun-wi would take my side here. But Na Hyun-wi was already on a rampage and showed no signs of stopping.

“Even the head of the Hwiyoungsangdan came all the way from Hubei despite his busy schedule, and instead of welcoming and encouraging us in person, he did this! I am truly disappointed!”

“Why is it like that?”

An old man said, and I agreed with him.

“Hey, you! Don’t you think your father did it to me?”

“I can’t see anything! At least my eyesight is better than yours!”

“Have you ever seen such a crazy guy!”

I was going to do it moderately and leave, but I ended up getting blown out because of Na Hyeon-wi. One of the enraged old men picked up the Go board he was playing and threw it at Na Hyeon-wi. When I glanced at the board, it seemed like he was throwing the one he was losing.

The board flew at me along with the stones. Na Hyeon-wi had learned some martial arts, so he probably wouldn’t have been hurt by it, but this time, my hands were faster.

I immediately drew my sword and cut the flying Go board in two.

“Huh?”

The people here are merchants. And they are old people. They probably didn’t even see how my sword was pulled out.

I said this while cutting the board and then taking a sword.

“Listen, ladies. If you invite someone who is busy, let’s bow to them with some dignity.”

“What, what did you say?”

Perhaps because the elders had seen my skills, their voices didn’t have the strength they used to. I turned around and left the room, and my companions, including Na Hyeon-wi, followed me out, keeping an eye on things.

“No. Why did you do that!”

As soon as he came out, Jo Chung-heon shouted. Many merchants thought that the Central Federation was the group behind all the merchants in the Central Plains, and Jo Chung-heon seemed to be one of them.

But most people know that the Zhongshanglian is just a bunch of idiots.

“Okay, let’s go have a drink.”

“Huh? You’re drinking after creating this mess?”

Jo Chung-heon tried to fall backwards, foaming at the mouth. Of course, there was no one to catch him, so Jo Chung-heon had to lean forward again.

“The original headquarters of the Central Federation of Trade Unions is not here.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Follow me. I’ll show you where.”

And the place we arrived at was a place called Beijing Restaurant (北京飯店) with a sign that was falling off.

This is precisely why I accepted the invitation from the Central Intelligence Agency.