Chapter 171: Chapter 171

“A patrol officer?”

“Yes, there were patrol officers deployed everywhere, so we could not do anything.”

The chief manager of the Hunan Merchant Group wiped away his cold sweat and bowed.

Since the bastards who were supposed to complete the order were just idling in the marketplace without doing anything, he was also frustrated beyond measure, but there was no way.

They must not touch the patrol officers.

Since the Hunan Merchant Group was strictly a merchant group, there was nothing good about upsetting the government.

Seeing that a few bold bastards had caused a riot to get money and were captured just like that, it did not seem like the prefect of Yueyang would back down so easily either.

“What if we bribe the prefect and ask him to turn a blind eye?”

“It is impossible. We already sent the children to try, but…… they were turned away at the gate.”

“Sigh…….”

The prefect of Yueyang, Hong Won-chang, had only set numerous achievements because he was lucky; he was not a fair and honorable man.

Since he could not have possibly not known that, Mak Chung-heon frowned.

What on earth was happening?

“What about trying to move the prefect of Jangsa?”

The chief manager nodded and thought.

It was certainly a good idea.

Since the prefect of Jangsa and the Hunan Merchant Group maintained a close relationship, it seemed fully possible if they bribed him to pressure the Yueyang prefect.

If only the opponent were not Hong Won-chang.

“Even though Lord Hong is the prefect of Yueyang, his influence already surpasses even that of the prefect of Jangsa. Since he is an official backed by the prince’s manor, it will not work at all.”

“Then what do you want me to do! Leave them alone?”

Mak Chung-heon frowned and sprang up from his seat.

He could not just leave the Golden Ring Merchant Group alone like this either.

In a situation where they had to crush them somehow, they could not just sit on their hands, could they?

Mak Chung-heon’s gaze directed fiercely toward the chief manager.

His small eyes glared as if to kill.

The chief manager swallowed hard.

At times like this, Mak Chung-heon was quite terrifying.

“If we kill the leader of the Golden Ring Merchant Group, the matter will be solved at once, but…… from what I hear, the expert of the Hunan Dan family has no ordinary skills. In that case, we cannot suppress them with force, so……”

“What is it?”

“We must use another method.”

“So, what is that!”

As he shouted loudly, the chief manager smiled and spoke.

“Right now, the Golden Ring Merchant Group is……”

* * *

Dan Woo-hyun sat in front of Dongting Lake after a long time.

As if testing a newly made fishing rod, he cast it into the lake and was waiting only for a fish to be caught. Beside him, Dan So-mi, tired from fishing, was sleeping soundly, pillowed on Dan Woo-hyun’s lap.

The basket placed beside the child was full of fish.

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun stared at it quietly.

Quite a lot had been caught in Dan So-mi’s basket.

In contrast, Dan Woo-hyun’s basket contained at most one. How could there be such a difference when they were in the same place, not even half a jang apart?

Fishing was truly an incomprehensible thing.

“Haha, not a single bite.”

Namgung Cheon was seen not far away. As if he had also been fishing, he was seen hooking the line enthusiastically with a hearty laugh.

“What on earth is the fun in doing this?”

Having fished for a long time without catching anything, Sa Do-hak threw down his fishing rod as if angry.

He had not felt a single bite for over four hours already.

While a child not even ten years old had caught over ten fish.

The pride of the adults was crushed like a piece of paper.

Sa Do-hak grumbled and looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

What on earth was so fun about continuing to do this?

“It is fun because I am fishing for time.”

“What a load of nonsense. You crazy bastard, is just sitting blankly and wasting time considered fishing for time?”

“…….”

“Ahem…….”

At Sa Do-hak’s harsh words, the two men lost their words.

In fact, although it was called fishing for time, if nothing was caught, it was nothing more than maintaining a state of selflessness and staring only at the fishing rod.

“Not this kind of thing! You know, that kind! Swish and slash! Blood splattering! We should be doing that!”

“Haha, cutting is not the only answer. Shouldn’t we also have this kind of relaxed time occasionally?”

Watching Namgung Cheon laugh heartily, Sa Do-hak scratched his head vigorously. Of course, he did not fail to know that rest was also necessary, but since he had been playing without doing anything for several days already, his body was so bored he could not bear it.

“Weren’t we going to crush either the Chu Gate Family or the Hunan Merchant Group anyway? If we are going to do it, let’s do it quickly.”

He seemed unable to bear it as his body was itching.

It felt like he had to break this and that to relieve this boredom even a little bit.

Watching that, Dan Woo-hyun smirked.

“They will not be able to do anything. That is why they will be frustrated.”

They had also realized by now that there was an expert on this side.

Thus, they would not dare to try pushing through with force, and in that case, they would think that cutting off the funds was the best method.

But even that was not easy.

Since patrol officers were deployed all over the marketplace and Hong Won-chang also visited there occasionally, they would never dare to take action unless they intended to oppose the government.

They must be that anxious.

In the end, they would secretly plot something.

Just then, the sound of someone running urgently was heard.

It was not from the direction of the manor.

The gazes of the three naturally turned to the side. As the figure running quickly through the bushes drew closer, Dan Woo-hyun looked at him with a puzzled expression.

It was very rare for him to visit at this hour.

“Pant, pant……!”

“What is the matter?”

Geum Eunhak stopped in front of Dan Woo-hyun, panting heavily.

Seeing him swallow dry saliva with a trembling gaze, it seemed he had to speak, but was at a loss as to where to begin.

“I asked what the matter was.”

Dan Woo-hyun’s sharp word rang in his ears like thunder. He did not raise his voice loudly, but Geum Eunhak was so startled that the strength left his legs.

Barely maintaining his balance, he spoke haltingly.

“A…… a thief.”

“A thief?”

“A thief broke into the merchant group and took away all the liquor and silk!”

In an instant, Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon opened their eyes wide.

Taking away that much liquor and silk meant it was by no means the work of a single person.

It was a significant amount, and even moving the goods would not have been easy.

“Lord Hong has come now and is personally investigating, but…… he says there are no traces left at all.”

“Is that so?”

Geum Eunhak sat down in despair.

He had thought he finally got the chance to rebuild everything, but it was taken away due to his own mistake.

He could not know at all who moved so many things and how.

Tremble-

Geum Eunhak trembled and knelt before Dan Woo-hyun, then banged his head on the ground and shouted loudly.

“Please…… kill me!”

“Sit up straight.”

“Family head! Please kill me! I really have no face to show you! The task you entrusted to me……”

“I told you to sit.”

Perhaps his guilt would not disappear as Geum Eunhak, who had been crying and banging his head, slowly raised his head at the firm voice.

His eyes met Dan Woo-hyun’s directly.

An expression whose inner thoughts remained unreadable was visible.

“Do not worry too much about it. Since we did not set up proper guards, it was likely that a thief would break in.”

“Buhahaha! That is right! Since there were such precious liquors and silks but not a single guard to protect them. It is rather more amazing that it remained safe until now.”

At Sa Do-hak’s loud laughing voice, Geum Eunhak lowered his head with an embarrassed look.

They did hire guards to protect the merchant group.

However, their skills were not outstanding, and since no thief had broken in while running the merchant group so far, the fact that their numbers were also not that large became the cause of the disaster.

They had targeted the exact moment when the slack guards were not keeping proper watch.

“I…… I am truly ashamed.”

In fact, this was entirely Geum Eunhak’s mistake.

Considering the massive loss, it would not be strange if his head rolled on this spot.

“What about the remaining funds?”

“……There are none.”

“We are ruined.”

“Haha, we are ruined indeed.”

“Ugh…….”

The two old men burst into laughter and patted Geum Eunhak’s shoulders.

How long had it been since they started the resurgence as a merchant group, only to be completely cleaned out by a thief and ruined?

The more they thought about it, the more absurd it was.

“Anyone can fail. I also grew up like that…… but you must not repeat the same mistake twice.”

“Yes…… thank you.”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s gentle words of comfort, Geum Eunhak felt like tears were going to pour out.

Honestly, he had come prepared that he might die.

He had contemplated several times whether to run away or commit suicide.

That was how great his fear was.

However, Dan Woo-hyun spoke as if it were truly no big deal, and his expression did not look angry in the slightest either.

“But we cannot just let this slide.”

Dan Woo-hyun smiled and stood up from his seat.

What was stolen was stolen.

It was already something that happened, and he had no intention of arguing about responsibility for it.

Of course, he also had no intention of just leaving the thief alone.

‘How dare you steal whose things?’

He did not think it was a professional thief at all. This happened a few days after meeting the chief of the Hunan Merchant Group.

No matter how stupid someone was, they could roughly guess whose doing it was.

‘But to come out in this manner…….’

Recalling the face of Mak Chung-heon, the chief of the Hunan Merchant Group, Dan Woo-hyun narrowed his eyes.

Since he was a dull-looking fellow who had lived looking only at money so far, he had thought that if he provoked his temper, he would just try to crush them with money and force.

Yet, this kind of method was quite unexpected.

It seemed a bastard whose head spun quite well was attached to him.

Dan Woo-hyun glanced around.

Namgung Cheon, Sa Do-hak, and Geum Eunhak were visible.

Also, in the manor, there were Hoyeon Ji who knew only liquor, and Gwon Mu-jin and Namgung So-hye who knew only martial arts.

Even including Jang Sam-tae and Ma Janggang who were out right now, the reality was that Dan Woo-hyun was the only one who could use his head.

Dan Woo-hyun pinched the bridge of his nose as if contemplating.

“Bring Gwon Mu-jin and Namgung So-hye.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s words, Geum Eun-hye hurriedly bowed his head.

Running off quickly to share a few words, the two came running in a hurry to where Dan Woo-hyun was.

“What is the matter?”

Namgung So-hye, who had had nothing in particular to do since returning from the prince’s manor, looked at Dan Woo-hyun with an expectant face, her eyes shining brightly.

Because it was an opportunity to escape from being a bored and hard-working kitchen maid.

Her eyes sparkling, she approached Dan Woo-hyun.

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