Chapter 260

### It's Time to Rebuild After a Wild Party “If you've had fun smashing things, it's time to start making new ones.” I looked at the wrecked first floor of the inn and spoke to An Taewon. “Hey, little brother. Now that you're the innkeeper and the new local leader, you shouldn't call me brother. Just call me An Suksu. And if it's about tables and fixtures, I know some suppliers. They won't rip you off just because you're Korean.” The market is a battlefield where both sides compete. Living with my black hair in a place where I had no connections, I learned to always assume the other side was trying to rip me off. It’s exhausting. Good to know he has reliable suppliers. “We need to do a major renovation.” “A major renovation? Now that the Black Street gang is gone, isn’t it enough to just continue business as usual?” An Suksu asked with a puzzled look. Sure, we could make a living just by continuing as is. “I want to start a new venture. We need carpenters and laborers willing to do odd jobs. Tell them they will be paid generously and gather some people for me.” But I have a business to run. “Aren’t we supposed to be running an inn?” I heard Im Hayeon's voice from behind. “It's similar but a bit different. Ah!!” “Gasp!” As An Suksu and I turned towards Im Hayeon's voice, we both inhaled sharply. “Wh-What?” “Why are you wearing those clothes?” Im Hayeon was dressed in a black qipao. It was one that mirrored my tastes perfectly, with an exposed neckline and a skirt that was dangerously short. When did she take that from my closet? “Don’t you think wearing a qipao while serving food will attract more customers?” She had a point. But didn’t she realize how embarrassed she looked? Anyone could see that outfit was more suitable for the bedroom than for the establishment. Im Hayeon, blushing, tried to pull down the hem of her skirt to avoid showing her underwear. “Hahaha!” “Oh... I wore it to help!” Im Hayeon frowned, looking upset. It's sweet that she wants to help, but there’s no need to wear that outfit. “Hayeon, I have something else for you to do. Something very important.” There's something only you can do. “Me?” Yeah. I really need your help. --- The recruitment and renovation began swiftly. “You’re planning to expand the kitchen? Wouldn't it be more important to accommodate more guests?” “You want to set up the third floor like this? It’s not impossible, but...” “Gather some diligent kids from the guild? Got it.” “I’m good with wood, but I've never crafted something like this before. Oh, not that it’s impossible! I’ll make whatever you need!” “A dozen agile Koreans to work as waiters? Wouldn’t a couple be enough?” “Master! I’m here to report!” “Promotion? What do you mean? You want me to hold a sign and hand out flyers?” There's so much to do. Even if you have the entire plan in your head, executing it is a whole different story. “Don’t you think you’re too relaxed just looking down?” On the day when the preparations were nearly finished, Im Hayeon came up to the third floor, pouting. She was just on the first floor a moment ago, and now she's here in an instant? Her martial arts are truly incredible. “Just taking a break. I wouldn’t slack off when I’ve given you a task, would I?” I need a breather too. Unlike before, the reduction in physical labor was nice, but managing people and ensuring plans proceeded as intended was mentally exhausting. “Hmph, who's saying you’re slacking off? Here.” Im Hayeon scoffed slightly, then offered me a cup placed on a plate. “What’s this?” “An iced Americano. I thought you might need a pick-me-up.” So that's why she came up. “Thanks a lot.” I smiled at Im Hayeon and picked up the refreshing cup. Though she tried to appear indifferent, her recent behavior had undeniably changed. Previously, she was like a stray cat that would only eat the food left out for her, always cautious and ready to flee. Nowadays, she approaches with a composed demeanor, almost acting familiar. Reflecting on her changed attitude, I took a sip. Refreshing. The strong coffee restored my energy. The professional's potion indeed. Enjoying the coolness of the cup with my palm, I heard Im Hayeon speak. “I've done everything you asked. The third-floor preparations will be done today.” “Then from tomorrow, we can really get things moving.” Given our time constraints, we had to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, but we finished quicker than expected. I looked at the inn’s first floor, now clear of the traces of the fighting ring. “…” “Why the concern?” I asked Im Hayeon, who was staring at me while holding the plate, without saying a word. “You've almost depleted the funds. If this fails, you could lose everything.” Her voice was filled with worry and guilt. Was she regretting that I was going to such lengths for her? “For people like us with nothing, one failure means the end. We don’t get second chances.” For someone like Jeon Gilsan, a failure was just an experience. But for someone like me, a single failure means falling into an inescapable abyss. One-coin clear. Though losing a single coin might be trivial for some, for me, it's a matter of giving my all. “You know that, yet...!” “But sometimes, to save someone, you have to stake everything.” I looked at that someone, wearing the expression of a person burdened with a grave responsibility. “...!” Touched? Her eyes trembled. The truth is, this is also a gamble to spread my wings, but it’s important to you too. I need your help in this. You’re not just a bystander watching my one-coin clear. You have a responsibility here. Rather than saying a hundred words, showing that I'm giving my all will make you truly understand. "Don’t worry too much. Miss Hayeon, you were clapping in approval when I explained my plan a few days ago, remember?" I mentioned this to alleviate Im Hayeon's worries. "Do you really think it will work?" "It will succeed. Both the wealthy guild and the poetry guild will be satisfied with the results. So trust me." I moved so close that our faces were nearly touching and smiled at her. "O-Okay, I'll trust you." Im Hayeon nodded, albeit still unable to meet my gaze. Alright. Let's kick off our business from tomorrow. --- "You're finally here!" "Aren't you late?" "Sorry about that. Are you already dealing the tiles?" In a residential area of Mu Han, a man who worked as a security escort arrived late to a room where his close friends were waiting. "We can only start the mahjong game once all four of us are here. You think it’s easy to gather four people?" "I said I’m sorry. But we should be careful about playing mahjong, you know." The escort spoke quietly, covering his mouth with one hand, worried someone outside might hear. "What's the matter?" "I think there are some suspicious characters lurking around. They might be constables, so we should be careful." Today, they were playing a gambling game of mahjong, staked with money. Although it was just for fun among friends, heavy gambling was regulated by the state. There was no benefit to getting tangled up with the constables. "Sakkat? Oh, you mean those Koreans." "Koreans?" "They're wearing those hats to cover their hair so as not to attract trouble while wandering around the neighborhood." "Is that what it was?" Embarrassed by his needless suspicion, the escort made an awkward face. "Well, now that you're here, join us, and let's deal the tiles." "Given that I'm already embarrassed... I might as well..." "And now what?" "Don't you all feel hungry? How about we have lunch first? As a penalty for being late, lunch is on me." Having overslept and skipped breakfast, the escort felt his empty stomach grumble and suggested this to his friends. "Are you really going to buy lunch?" His friends exchanged knowing looks, wondering what his angle could be. "Of course. I just got my escort salary, so I'll treat you to a good meal." Racking his brain, the escort thought to himself that he’d skip any expensive restaurants and inns, opting for something cheap. "Alright then. Have a seat." But the next words out of his friend’s mouth were completely unexpected. "Huh? Aren’t you guys supposed to get up if we’re going to eat? Why would I sit down?" "This guy must've just come back to Mu Han and doesn’t know about the latest sensation in town!" "Ridiculous. How could you not know about it?" "What on earth are you guys talking about?" The escort looked at his friends, utterly perplexed. "Bring it out!" To answer his question, his friend brought something out from a corner. "Huh? Is this box the town's new sensation?" A wooden box? Could there be food inside? The escort thought that if it contained field rations like the jerky he detested, he’d give each of his friends a smack upside the head and drag them out forcefully. But there were no rations inside the box. When the box was opened, the escort’s eyes detected some slight movement. The contents of the box were distributed by the Koreans. The core of Kang Yunho’s strategic plan. The very thing requiring Im Hayeon’s help. Its name was— "Yes, this is Qiwu Xiujiu (氣悟秀鳩), the Enlightened Pigeon." Within the box was Im Hayeon's carrier pigeon, an exceptional bird, spiritually endowed. Kang Yunho’s secret weapon, set to disrupt Mu Han's culinary scene.