287 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"Busy?" The day after I met Je Gak Hyang, I spent all morning searching for the elusive Im Ha Yeon, who hadn't been seen since yesterday. "Busy? I'm always busy. Why?" "Gruuunnn." Without turning to look at me, Im Ha Yeon checked the condition of the pigeons as she spoke. Her voice seemed a bit sharp. It might not have been a coincidence that our paths didn't cross after my return yesterday. "It's just hard to see you since yesterday." "..." She finally turned to look at me, revealing her face. Why did her lips seem to protrude so angrily? "Seems busy. Well, nothing can be done then." There's no need to add fuel to the fire. I took a step back, ready to turn away. "What?" Im Ha Yeon stopped me from leaving by calling out. "I was thinking of heading to Seocheon Pyo Guk together." The opening of the Daseogak branch hasn't been confirmed yet, so visiting Seocheon Pyo Guk is necessary for the next steps. "Together, just us?" Her voice sounded like she was contemplating whether to sheathe a knife, sharply honed and sharp. "I could go alone, but... it’d be nice if you could join me." A chance. Im Ha Yeon is essential for today’s task. I need to coax her mood. Scratching my head awkwardly, I added, "Going alone wouldn’t really solve it..." "I'm planning to visit Seocheon Pyo Guk and then confirm the order for the meeting. Your input is necessary and..." "Necessary and?" She approached me closely, glancing up with a slightly dissatisfied expression. Is saying she's needed not enough? What else could work? I have to think quickly. "Besides, I thought we could have a meal together." We missed a meal together yesterday, so let's eat later. I'll treat you to something nice. This should be a fair deal, right? "Hmm... Fine. Wait a moment. I'll get ready." Was that the right answer? Finally, she gave a small scoff and smiled, seemingly appeased. Fortunately, her steps back to her room seemed lighter. --- "Here. This is the parcel from Uichang." Upon arrival at Seocheon Pyo Guk, the escort who recognized me led us to the storage. "What’s all this?" Im Ha Yeon asked, eyeing the box stuffed with sheets of paper, clearly surprised. "They're flyers ordered from Uichang's print shop." If you have printing needs, it's only wise to use the costly printing press, isn't it? I explained to her while showing a sheet. [Fast delivery. Now enjoy meals at home!] [Just send the pigeon, and we'll be there!] [Order now for a free delivery pigeon!] "Flyers? Planning to advertise something?" "Branches will continue to open in far places, won't they? When they do, I'm thinking of putting these up or handing them out for publicity." The more promotional methods, the better. Word of mouth has its limits, after all. When opening a branch, nothing beats flyers for broad-scale promotion. "True, since Muhan is so vast, word of mouth wouldn't suffice for far-off branches. But this must have cost quite a bit in paper, didn’t it?" "I used cheaper paper of lower quality. And anyway, the promotional expenses don’t come out of my pocket." The fund from the plan is all being directed towards franchise fees. Since I run the main branch, it’s beneficial for me to create and spend whenever possible. Of course, convincing the franchise owners of these expenses is crucial. "Goodness... I can't keep up with your business acumen." Im Ha Yeon sighed admiringly. "Haha, I'll take that as a compliment." "Please verify and sign here." Having confirmed the contents, the escort handed over a document. "Yes, everything’s correct." "Sir Kang Gong Ja! If you'd arrived, you should have come to see me first! Come on in!" After completing the parcel verification, the Seocheon Pyo Guk Muhan branch manager cheerfully invited me into the office. "Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule." "Not at all. For Sir Kang Gong Ja, I would make time regardless." "Thank you. It's so lively at the Muhan branch, anything good happening?" "Hahaha. Unlike in Sichuan, our escort services find it tough in Hubei Province, but there's been increased support from above suddenly, allowing us some breathing room." The branch manager looked at me as if seeing a treasure trove. If by "above" he means the Sichuan Tang Clan, is the Muhan branch's support due to me? "I'm glad to hear such pleasant news." Hubei Province, the domain of the Wudang Sect and the Je Gal family, made it hard to gauge their influence. Even the wealthiest in Muhan, the Wanjin Bank owner, was Je Gal family’s in-law. Hence, Seocheon Pyo Guk remained just another escort service in Muhan. Support for the Muhan branch was good news, one of the few means I could rely on in Muhan. "The Korean laborers you introduced at the port, Sir Kang," The branch manager brought up the Korean workers working at the Yangtze port as he updated me on recent occurrences. "The laborers I referred to? Has there been an issue?" "Haha! An issue? The Korean laborers have been immensely hardworking. No complaints despite having heavy loads, and they even stayed late to unload when a ship arrived behind schedule." The manager couldn’t stop praising the Korean laborers. "They traveled far to this foreign land, determined to make a living." "Initially, some unskilled people murmured about hanging with black-haired folks would lead to losing their wives at night, or ruin their daughters irretrievably. But now they seem happier as their workload has decreased." "Hahaha. I'm glad the misunderstandings have been resolved." The "black-haired" people are very safe, truly. Just a misunderstanding. A typical escort service consists of carriers guarding the goods and porters for transporting loads. However, transportation via the Yangtze River involves dozens of times more goods than usual escorts, thus requiring laborers over porters. "These days, it seems all the success of the Muhan branch is thanks to you, Sir Kang Gong Ja." The branch manager's eyes practically glistened with admiration. "With such words, I feel assured that meeting you today was the right decision." I was pleased by the welcoming atmosphere, especially since I had some important matters to discuss. "Is the reason you asked to meet today regarding the parcel? If so, I won't charge for this delivery." "It's not about the parcel; there’s a favor I’d like to ask." "A favor?" I began to unfold my plans to the branch manager. --- Having visited Seocheon Pyo Guk, it was now time to attend the first meeting of the association. "Am I truly the first on the list?!" The person I visited was Choi Deok Soo, a now-limping escort. Choi Pyo Sa greeted us with a surprised expression in his modest home. "Yes. After much deliberation, I've decided to appoint you as the first franchise owner in our rotation." "You mean, someone like me, a cripple, is really the first in line, ahead of other members? How... how could this be?" Choi Pyo Sa’s voice shook with disbelief as he asked again. "I too pondered for a long time about who should become a franchisee first. Ultimately, I concluded it should be you, Choi Pyo Sa." Projecting an image of a benevolent leader offering a winning lottery ticket out of sheer generosity was crucial. I smiled warmly, as if bestowing a gift without expecting anything in return. "Is it because I'm a cripple?" The first franchisee of the delivery restaurant. Faced with this sudden stroke of fortune, Choi Pyo Sa seemed wary and questioned our motives. "No, not at all." "If it's because I'm a cripple, then please move me from the first to a later position." "Why would you say that?" "It's true that I've been cast out after becoming a cripple while transporting parcels all my life. With black hair, being crippled makes finding a new job incredibly difficult. But I've saved some money over 20 years of escort work. Why not give the opportunity to someone in greater need?" "Darling! What are you saying?! There's a reason our leader chose you!" "Hush, woman! We're not the only ones who need to live!" The voice of Choi Pyo Sa’s wife, who had been listening silently, rang out indignantly, but his determination was unyielding. The rumors of his good character seemed to be true. However, I had no intention of backing down. Choi Pyo Sa was integral to my plan. Speaking with sober earnestness, I addressed him. "I chose you not because you are a cripple, but because you possess martial arts skills." "What? What do you mean by that?" Startled, Choi Pyo Sa responded with a puzzled voice. The reason I've placed him first in the association's rotation wasn't due to his limp. It's a new step to further develop my business. Taking that step, I explained. "I want you to become a martial arts instructor for the Korean delivery workers." Choi Pyo Sa needed to assume the role of martial arts instructor. "What? Are you planning to turn the Koreans into martial artists?" "Close, but not quite. I don't need martial artists; I need delivery workers with martial arts skills." "I'm not sure I follow." I gazed at Choi Pyo Sa, who was known for occasionally teaching martial arts to the Koreans. I wasn't seeking delivery workers who were adept at sword fighting. Reducing trivial squabbles in the taverns. A method to further flourish my business. What I aspire is to create: "A fleet of delivery workers trained in the art of light-footed traveling—essentially, delivery riders with the skills of martial artists."