Chater 263

Once we started ordering delivery food, we couldn't bring ourselves to go out to eat anymore." "I feel the same way. After working hard all day, it's just easier to order in rather than go out again!" The culture of ordering delivery food using the "Transporter Bell" had firmly established itself. "Order incoming! Three servings of spicy stir-fried pork and one order of Osam bulgogi!" "One jajangmyeon and one jjamppong!" Ahn Sook-soo ran his guesthouse intending to profit from the booming food delivery business. Initially, even if the guesthouse were fully operational, they'd have been forced to half-close the lodging business in the residential area. However, once they started offering delivery, the situation changed. Of course, there were some hiccups along the way. "They're stealing the bowls when we leave them outside." "Switch to simple wooden bowls for deliveries. Ask when they’ll be home if they're not, request that they leave the dishes out." "Boss, the handwriting on some of the order forms is terrible." "That customer only orders the same dish anyway. From now on, create a separate list of frequently ordered items, send it along with the Transporter Bell, and mark it in advance so that even if the writing is bad, they can still understand it." "Yes, sir!" As they navigated through trial and error, the number of customers and sales continued to increase daily. --- "I'm back. What's with the Samgu brothers?" In my office on the third floor, Ha-yeon Im returned from an outing, surprised to see unexpected visitors. "Greetings, Sister-in-law!" "I'm not your sister-in-law. What were you doing?" "The Samgu brothers brought letters from Yichang. Il-gu, any issues at the port lately?" Pointing to the letters that had arrived at the Seocheon Trading Post, I inquired the Samgu brothers about their recent activities. "Thanks to you, Leader, more businesses trust us and are increasing their consignments!" Their volume was enough to burst eardrums. No need to be so rigid like pillars of this house. "All thanks to you, Leader!" "The shipbuilders working at the port praise you every day!" "Good to hear. Any unusual events or noteworthy trends?" Information is precious when conducting business in a foreign place. I asked the Samgu brothers with a glimmer of hope for critical intel. Il-gu and Sam-gu wore puzzled expressions, but Choi Il-gu looked desperate, determined to answer on behalf of his clueless brothers, and finally opened his mouth after much thought. "Well... we were unloading a shipment from a boat that arrived from Yichang today, and a woman emerged from an urn." "A woman from an urn?" A glance at Ha-yeon Im, listening silently beside me, followed my gaze. The Samgu brothers' eyes also turned towards her. "Why are you looking at me?!" It reminds me of old times. "Was she a stowaway?" I asked Il-gu. "That's what we thought too and were excited about the windfall, but then people from Mankum Trading arrived to apologize. They said she was a guest who fell asleep inside because it was comfortable." Choi Il-gu added that they'd even handed over some money to calm them down, thinking they might be deceiving about capturing a stowaway. "Haha. What an unusual woman indeed." I knew a woman who also slept comfortably in an urn. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Ha-yeon Im, perhaps also reminded of old memories, responded in a crawling voice and hung her head low. "Anything else to report?" "No, everything is going smoothly thanks to you, Leader!" "Very well, you may go." "Yes, sir!" "Lady Ha-yeon, did your visit to Haomun go well?" Waving goodbye to the departing Samgu brothers, I asked Ha-yeon, still with her head down, about the purpose of her outing. "The people from Shimin seemed quite surprised by your actions. The Gimon side is still unaware." I had advised against going to Gimon due to the high risk of capture. "So, Shimin hasn't formally acknowledged it yet." It seems I need to expand the business further. I unfolded one of the letters piled on the desk. "Still, it's good that they were surprised. Can I look at these letters?" It can be rude to look at letters addressed to someone else. I nodded and shared news from Yichang with Ha-yeon. "Haomun came by a few more times looking for you. It seems Domun hasn’t figured out your whereabouts yet." The letter detailed how Haomun had toughened up against the Seocheon Trading Post and that they had to bring top practitioners for their final visit. Given it ended with a tense standoff with Haomun's experts, Ha-yeon could have been captured if she had lingered at the print shop. I chose not to share the details that might make Ha-yeon anxious. "So, if Shimin keeps my whereabouts a secret, we can buy more time." "If the business does well, it might resolve on its own." If my business flourishes, I could gain recognition from Shimin. With their support, they might mediate the conflict between Gimon and Domun. Seeing Ha-yeon smile with a glimmer of hope, she seemed to be thinking the same. "Hopefully, that will be the case. By the way, there are a lot of letters. Do you have that many correspondents?" Perhaps feeling lighter, Ha-yeon pointed at the stack of letters on the table. "Some are for me, but there are also others." I rubbed my temples wearily and shook my head. I had instructed that any letters for me at the Infinity Reception be sent here, but I hadn't expected other letters to be included. "Other letters?" "For Ho-pil, the author." There really isn’t a need to send fan letters to Ho-pil here. "Why are you reading letters addressed to Ho-pil?" Squinting one eye suspiciously, Ha-yeon looked at me incredulously. While it wasn’t entirely a misunderstanding, it could easily become one. I had to choose my words carefully. "I need to make sure they aren’t from someone like Jeon Gil-san." "Ah..." Ha-yeon sighed softly, perhaps recalling Jeon Gil-san's attempt to recruit Ho-pil. "Not all of the letters are pleasant." While most are fan letters, occasionally, some are thinly veiled hateful critiques disguised as advice. There's even feedback claiming the combat scenes endorsed by Sachondang are lacking rigor. "There are a lot of pink envelopes in this stack," Ha-yeon noted, noticing the unusual number of pink letters. "Those are from one ardent fan. They send letters discussing their own drawings of Tang Jeong or how they envision the Poison Space. They even send lengthy analyses about how their impressions change every time they re-read the story." "Impressive dedication." "The pink envelopes stand out, but other readers also frequently send letters. However, I might tell them to stop sending these here as I can check them in Yichang.” Though the letters bring me joy and gratitude, I've got too many issues on my plate, like dealing with Mangum Trading, Ha-yeon Im, and the Joseon Compatriot Association. I don't have the leisure to read through them all. "What are you going to do with the letters addressed to Ho-pil?" "I'll send them back to Yichang and show them to Ho-pil later." Though I'm busy now, I still enjoy reading reader feedback. As I busily sorted letters addressed to Kang Yun-ho and Ho-pil, Ha-yeon watched me silently. Have something to say? After some hesitation, Ha-yeon finally met my eyes and spoke. What's on her mind now? "...Can I write a letter too?" "To Ho-pil?" Did she want to send one now that she knows he reads them? "But you must promise not to read it!" Ha-yeon, blushing slightly like a girl guarding her diary, insisted. "Hmm..." "Promise!" "Alright. I, Store Manager Kang Yun-ho, promise that only Ho-pil will read your letter." "Great! I'll write it before you send the letters back to Yichang!" Bursting with energy, Ha-yeon dashed out of the room, more excited than when discussing Haomun. I wonder what she’ll write. I have to read it. --- "Tell the innkeeper to come out!" While I was reading one of the letters from Yichang, a loud commotion erupted on the first floor. "What seems to be the matter?" "None of your business, barbarian!" "Why are there so many barbarians here anyway?" "Hey! What's a barbarian scum gonna do, huh?" What's going on? As I stood up to investigate the noise, a black-haired servant burst in ahead of me, wearing a frantic expression. "Leader! Some ruffian is asking for you. You need to come down." "Let's go." I responded calmly, contrasting the worried servant, and headed downstairs. Is it a martial artist causing trouble? Martial inns are notorious for frequent fights. I had revamped the guesthouse, enlarging the kitchen and reducing the dining tables to focus on deliveries. Although I hadn’t entirely abandoned the traditional role of dining and lodging, I had reduced their proportion. Was it too naive to think fewer tables would mean fewer fights? While staff might show their unease, the owner should not add to the worry. Keeping a cool head yet moving briskly, I went downstairs. "Call the innkeeper out!" Martial artists, it seems. Even from the second-floor landing, I could see armed martial artists. "I am the innkeeper." Brushing aside the trembling staff, I walked towards the source of the noise with a composed demeanor. Huh? Why is he here? "Why are you here?" I confronted the ruffian, someone I knew well. "... Jeon Gil-san?" --- "Why is a guy who sold books in Yichang here?" Jeon Gil-san from Mangum Bookstore asked, sitting in my office, his expression one of thinly veiled contempt. "Are you asking because you don’t know, or do you already know and just want to hear me confirm it?" Why on earth am I here? It's because you tattled and whined after getting schooled by me, leading me here in the first place. I didn't hide my irritation as I responded. "Don't know...? Oh-ho! You claimed your maternal grandfather took Away All Books!" "You talk as if it's someone else's problem." He acted as though my loss of livelihood was a trivial matter of the past. "Heh, heh. A fool who dares bite a tiger must be prepared to face the consequences." "What? A fool? Have you said your piece?!" Ha-yeon, unable to stay silent, shouted from beside me. "Lady Ha-yeon." Feel like punching this guy. Honestly, I'd really like to hit him. However, beating him might escalate tensions with Mangum Trading in unpredictable ways. What to do? Pretending to restrain her, I lightly grasped Ha-yeon's sleeve. "Let go. He should be grateful I sent him back to Infinity unharmed. Let's just break his limbs and then talk." A tempting suggestion. "You think you can— Argh!" This bastard wants to draw a weapon in my establishment? Before Jeon Gil-san's bodyguards could fully draw their swords, Ha-yeon, much quicker, closed the distance and slammed one into the wall. Could it be her technique from Geumnasu? She effortlessly subdued the bodyguard with her bare hands. "The one being rude here is you! Do you think we suffer for your amusement?!" The swiftness of it all left the remaining bodyguards utterly dumbfounded. "This wench!" A fight? Count me in. I was ready to jump in. But do you realize that drawing a weapon here will summon endless Joseon reinforcements? Jeon Gil-san, observing the situation quietly, raised a hand to halt his men. "Now I understand, Kang Yun-ho! You lost Away All Books and came to Infinity, investing what little capital you had into this business!" The scoundrel, still smiling as if savoring the chaos, queried. "Get to the point or leave before your limbs get broken." Not worth the answer. "Well, this makes things easier then." Has this rascal already concluded his internal monologue and negotiations? Why is he laughing to himself like he's solved it all? "Honestly, it seems more likely that your limbs will end up broken first." Activating my So-yoon Shim Sang Martial Arts technique, I couldn't exude the aura of a seasoned master, but creating an intimidating atmosphere was a cinch. "Tch. I have a proposal where both you and I can benefit!" Jeon Gil-san clicked his tongue, his brash demeanor somewhat dampened as he raised his voice to proclaim his offer. "A proposal? What kind of proposal are you talking about?" He seemed unaware that I was the innkeeper here. What kind of proposal had brought him to this place? Why cause such a commotion in the inn right from the start? If his offer turned out to be nonsense, I planned on giving him a thrashing, both on behalf of myself, Kang Yun-ho, who lost the bookshop, and also on behalf of Ho-pil. I waited for him to speak. "Let me be blunt. Hand over the business you're running to me." His audacity was amusing but not unexpected. Jeon Gil-san straightened up, eager to see my reaction, but all I could do was stifle a laugh. "That's your proposal? You come here, create a scene, and demand that I hand over my business?" There was no chance I'd give in to such a ridiculous demand. I remained poised, ready to retaliate if needed. "You can't be serious," Ha-yeon interjected, her eyes narrowing at Jeon Gil-san's audacity. "And what makes you think I'd entertain such an absurd notion?" Jeon Gil-san, realizing he had overstepped, quickly continued, "Listen here—" Before he could finish, Ha-yeon stepped forward, her presence brimming with defiance. "You think we'll hand over anything to someone like you? Dream on." Knowing this encounter could turn violent any moment, I prepared myself. If he or his men made any threatening moves, they would regret underestimating me and my allies. "Now, either lay out your so-called beneficial proposal or get ready to leave—one way or another," I declared, making it clear I was done with his antics. As tensions mounted, Jeon Gil-san's bluster seemed to wane. It was evident that this confrontation wouldn't end the way he envisioned.