Chapter 62 of 100

Chapter 62

9 min read2,173 words

## Chapter 62. Inquire Now!

'This can't be real.'

My eyes, which were looking at the ledger, were shaking violently.

Bok Man-chun, noticing my reaction, said,

"Look here, and you'll see..."

The moment he opened the ledger, a grand display of countless numbers appeared.

I understood what I could and skipped over what I couldn't.

So, the final conclusion is this.

"Even if I wanted to eat and die, there's no spare money. Not a single coin."

Bang!

I slapped the table in disbelief.

"Does this make any sense? The inheritance I received wasn't just a few coins. You're telling me all that money is gone?"

The vast inheritance I received from Old Hu.

It wasn't originally my money, but since Qingtian transferred the will and the rights to me, it was now my blood money.

But now, Bok Man-chun was telling me that my blood money was all gone.

'Could this guy have embezzled it...'

As my eyes narrowed at Bok Man-chun, he, who had become incredibly perceptive from years of wandering, jumped up.

"I swear I didn't touch it! It's all because of the investments in the business. Didn't you tell me to aggressively invest in various businesses before?"

"I did say that, but this still doesn't make sense."

"Master, please think about it."

Bok Man-chun argued, filled with indignation.

"During Old Hu's time, the biggest source of income was usury. We stopped that, closed down the profitable brothels and taverns, and also stopped all illegal activities. Where else would the money come from?"

"..."

"We only have legitimate businesses left, like inns, restaurants, taverns, and blacksmiths. We also have a trading company and a security firm, which are just names to avoid taxes. We need to expand these, and I'm sure you agree?"

"Hmm. Yeah."

As I listened, I realized he was right, and I nodded with my arms crossed.

Bok Man-chun brought a few documents and waved them in front of me.

"Look at this. We recently bought a restaurant called 'Hidden Dragon' in a prime location, a large estate in front of the Qinglong Academy, and spent a fortune on setting up the blacksmith. And that old man, he only buys the most expensive equipment, even though he's skilled!"

"True, he is a bit like that."

Thinking of Wei Zhiye, who always argued that the best tools were necessary for the best craftsmen, I couldn't help but sigh.

Bok Man-chun, seeing this, said confidently,

"In this situation, how could there be any spare money? We need more investment to expand."

"Surely not..."

"Don't worry. I'm not so foolish as to take on debt without your permission."

His brazen answer made me sigh and look at him.

"Even so, you've really cleaned out the coffers."

"Master, I swear on my wife and children that there isn't a single losing investment here."

Bok Man-chun leaned in, his face serious.

"Master, I'm confident. Once our business here is firmly established, we'll expand the trading company and even start a security firm. Of course, only with your permission."

After gulping down the tea in front of him, Bok Man-chun continued.

"The inheritance you received is a vast sum. If you just deposit it in the Central Plains Bank and live off the interest, you could live comfortably for the rest of your life. If you want, I can sell everything and recover the principal."

"..."

I looked Bok Man-chun straight in the eye.

Indeed, this man had the qualities of a businessman.

He invested without hesitation for future gains, rather than focusing on short-term profits.

'He's not the type to run off with the money.'

After traveling the wandering market with him, I trusted his character and entrusted him with the management of my inheritance and businesses.

'Even though this result is a bit shocking...'

Bok Man-chun's eyes burned with the ambition to succeed as a merchant.

After a brief silence, I asked, having organized my thoughts.

"Manager Bok, so, how long do you think it will take for the business to turn a profit?"

At my words, a bright smile appeared on Bok Man-chun's face.

"One year to recover the investment! After that, it's just a matter of sitting on a pile of money!"

One year.

It would be tough in the short term, but considering the potential earnings afterward, it was a manageable time.

I nodded and said,

"Understood. Proceed as planned. I'll continue to trust you with everything."

"Thank you. You won't regret it!"

"And about the trading company and security firm you're preparing..."

"Yes!"

"Let's give them new names."

"Do you have any names in mind?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Let's call the trading company 'White Dragon Trading' and the security firm 'White Dragon Security.'"

Although the White Dragon Academy didn't come to fruition, using the same name for the trading company and security firm didn't seem like a bad idea.

"White Dragon Trading... It sounds like it could become the best trading company in the Central Plains."

Bok Man-chun, clearly pleased with the name, chuckled.

* * *

"So, after all that... I'm completely out of money now?"

"..."

"Surely not..."

As I drank and ate the food I bought for them, Aek Yeon-ho and Myeong Il-oh's expressions hardened, and a sense of unease crept in.

Guys, it's too late now.

"So, what I'm saying is..."

Swish.

I put my arm around their shoulders to prevent them from running away and smiled.

"Do you guys have any money on you?"

"Cough! Cough! Are you a gangster?!"

"Why did you buy us drinks all of a sudden... You were just trying to collect money, weren't you?"

Aek Yeon-ho choked on his drink, and Myeong Il-oh put down his food, looking at me in disbelief.

"Please, just a little. I'll pay you back next month when I get my salary."

"But we don't have any money!"

"We're not doing well these days..."

As they tried to back away, I tightened my grip on their shoulders.

"Why are you guys like this? One of you is from the Shan Dong Ake family, which rivals the Five Great Clans, and the other is from a wealthy family that runs a security firm."

Through our frequent interactions, I had become well-informed about their family situations and financial conditions.

A moment later, their money pouches, now as light as feathers, made them look miserable.

"Sniff. You're not even human..."

"Sniff. Just to buy a little bit of pocket money..."

I patted their now fuller money pouches and smiled at them.

"Come on, I'll treat you today. Eat your fill. Want more drinks and food?"

"More? You're buying it with our money!"

"Sniff. When my father warned me about making bad friends, I should have listened..."

Despite their complaints, they eventually ordered more drinks and food.

Since their pockets were already empty, they decided to eat and drink to their heart's content.

"Hey, you guys have to work tomorrow, right?"

I raised this point, but they seemed to ignore it.

"Ah, forget it, forget it~"

"Work? Eat this first!"

Human greed knows no bounds, and they repeat the same mistakes.

Tomorrow, they would suffer from hangovers, be scolded by their senior instructors, and regret today's drinking session.

And tomorrow, they would come out to drink again.

"Ha ha ha! Let's eat and die today!"

"Brother! Let's invite Miss Zhuge too!"

I watched the two of them getting drunk, feeling somewhat satisfied.

"Ugh... Where do I keep meeting such fools..."

A short while later, after finishing her overtime, Zhuge Xiaoying joined us. As usual, she started drinking politely but soon began to talk nonsense.

In no time, she had drained several bottles, her face turning red, and she started cursing her senior instructor, Nan Gong Shou.

"Really, he's a madman!"

...It seems they all had a lot of pent-up frustration from work.

In any case, I was able to get a significant financial boost from Zhuge Xiaoying.

"So, in short..."

"Money... is... gone...?"

After hearing my story, Zhuge Xiaoying, on the verge of tears (for some reason), handed over her entire money pouch, saying, "This isn't much, but please take it..."

Of course, as a person with a conscience, I didn't take the entire pouch from a drunk person.

I took just half and returned the rest.

"Miss, keep this."

"Money? Wow! You're giving me pocket money? Hehe. Thank you..."

She bowed her head politely, her face red, and I felt a pang of guilt, leading to a forced cough.

"Ahem. Even though you won't remember this, I'll definitely pay you back."

"Hehe! Thank you!"

"Hold on! What about our money?"

"Let's overlook the small stuff."

"Ha ha ha! Drink more!"

The drinking session became more chaotic, and my money pouch grew thicker.

But I couldn't just be happy about it.

'This is still far from enough.'

The money I borrowed from the three of them was considerable, but it was impossible to buy the level of spirit medicines I needed with this amount.

Moreover, I still needed to buy the equipment and materials Wei Zhiye requested.

'No way to earn money, but plenty of ways to spend it.'

The inheritance from Old Hu was being used to expand the business, and I hadn't received my instructor's salary yet. As a new instructor, it wasn't much anyway.

All I had now was a large estate, my body, and two disciples who lived and ate at my place for free.

"Phew."

"Why are you sighing so much?"

"There are many ways for money to leave, but no way for it to come in."

As I sighed deeply about my financial worries, Myeong Il-oh, his face flushed from the alcohol, scratched his chin and said,

"Brother, if you need money so badly, why not try private tutoring? It might be tough to find the time, but..."

"Private tutoring?"

I looked at him as if I had never heard of such a thing, and he seemed surprised.

"Exactly. One-on-one martial arts instruction for a fee. Since you're a Qinglong Academy instructor, there should be many people who want to learn."

"Hmm. Now that you mention it, the Qinglong Academy entrance exam is in a month. A preparatory class would be perfect right now."

Aek Yeon-ho, who was half-slumped on the table, lifted his head and added,

"Oh, right!"

Why hadn't I thought of that before?

I asked Myeong Il-oh for more details about private tutoring.

"Have you done it before? How does it usually work?"

Zhuge Xiaoying, who was tipsy, answered.

"Typically, you teach twice a week for about an hour. You can charge per session or monthly. I don't really recommend it, though..."

"Why not?"

Zhuge Xiaoying pouted and said,

"Private tutoring is mostly for high-ranking officials' children or rich families. The kids can be... a bit spoiled."

"Rude?"

"Yes. I tried it a few times at Tianwu Academy..."

I thought about what Zhuge Xiaoying said.

Doing private tutoring itself isn't difficult.

The question is whether it would earn enough money...

I asked straightforwardly,

"How much do you usually charge for tutoring?"

"It varies. The pay for instructors in this field can differ greatly, so the average isn't very meaningful..."

"I'm not interested in the average."

I wanted to know the highest pay in the industry.

"What about Nan Gong Shou?"

At my sudden mention of Nan Gong Shou, Zhuge Xiaoying's eyes widened.

Nan Gong Shou was not only her senior instructor but also the only one-star instructor at the Qinglong Academy.

Naturally, his tutoring fees would be the highest.

"Nan Gong Shou... could charge over three hundred silver taels per student per month, I think."

"Three hundred taels?"

My eyes widened.

One hundred silver taels could support an average family for a year.

Three hundred taels was three times that.

Earning that much just by teaching martial arts twice a week for a month?

I recalled Nan Gong Shou's cold expression and clicked my tongue.

"Tsk. He looks so indifferent, but he's making a fortune."

In any case, it was a good development.

I had been wondering how to earn the money needed for the spirit medicines required to advance my Reverse Heaven Martial Art, as well as the equipment and materials for the blacksmith.

A satisfied smile appeared on my face.

"If I can charge that much, I can earn enough to meet my needs."

"Brother, as Zhuge Xiaoying said, new instructors don't earn much..."

"What are you talking about?"

I looked at the three of them, puzzled.

"I plan to charge more than Nan Gong Shou."

"Huh?"

"How can you charge more than a one-star instructor?"

"Who would pay a new instructor such a large sum?!"

The three of them stared at me in shock.

I smiled at them.

"Money? I'll make them pay."

The next morning, I went around the city with my two disciples, posting flyers everywhere.