I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 21

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“Congratulations on becoming the Chief. Is that right?”

“Shouldn’t you be showing more respect?”

Jo Gwang-yun extended his hand.

“What’s this?”

Ok Gang-il stared blankly at Jo Gwang-yun’s outstretched hand.

“Take it.”

As Ok Gang-il cautiously took his hand, Jo Gwang-yun shook it vigorously.

“Let’s greet each other like this from now on. It signifies that I don’t have any hidden weapons in my hand.”

Ok Gang-il frowned and shook off his hand.

“You’re the type to hide weapons in your heart. Spare me the useless gestures.”

“It’s the truth, but I can’t force you to believe me.”

“I’m telling you in advance, I have no intention of starting a war with the Green Blood Clan. Don’t even think about sacrificing our men to expand your power.”

“That’s Chief Ok’s decision to make.”

Jo Gwang-yun waved his hand dismissively.

“Just keep providing the tribute money every month as you do now. I don’t want anything more.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. However, if Chief Ok wants to increase revenue, you’ll have to expand your territory, and to do that, you won’t be able to avoid fighting the Green Blood Clan, right? This is also your choice. No matter how much the Five Dragons School earns, just maintain the current tribute.”

It was the same promise he made initially. It’s only natural to want more when the situation changes and you’re in a more advantageous position… Ok Gang-il’s gaze remained suspicious.

“So, now we just do our own thing?”

“No. Chief Ok still has to clean up my messes. Wasn’t that our agreement?”

“If you don’t break your promise, I’ll keep mine too. Why? Do you need me to clean up after you already?”

“Not yet. It’s something I’ll need in the future. First, find me some people.”

“People?”

“Yeah. Find about a dozen kids around the age of ten. Smart kids who are quick on their feet.”

“What are you going to do with the kids?”

Ok Gang-il asked, surprised by the request, but Jo Gwang-yun only smiled.

“Just as I don’t interfere with your business, don’t interfere with mine.”

* * *

Sixteen skinny young boys, their skin tanned dark by the sun, glanced around nervously, watching Jo Gwang-yun.

“These kids used to run errands at our gambling dens and brothels. They’re quick-witted and favored by the customers, so they should meet your standards.”

Jo Gwang-yun led the kids outside, and Ok Gang-il suppressed his curiosity and began to observe what he was planning to do with them.

“See that tree over there? It’s about two hundred paces away.”

The children widened their eyes and began to look at the tree Jo Gwang-yun was pointing at.

“You guys are going to run to that tree and back. The first one to come back will get this…”

Jo Gwang-yun showed the children a silver coin, tossing it lightly. Their eyes widened and sparkled with desire.

“The next five to come back quickly will be fed well and have a comfortable place to sleep.”

Eat well and sleep comfortably.

There was no better reward for the children than this. They all clenched their fists, burning with the desire to win.

“Okay, everyone line up.”

The children, with expressions more solemn than athletes in the Olympic finals, waited for the starting signal.

“Star…t!”

As the children ran off, kicking up dust, Ok Gang-il asked.

“What the hell are you doing? Are you raising fast kids to use as messengers or something?”

Jo Gwang-yun ignored Ok Gang-il’s question and said.

“They’ve worked in a brutal environment, so they must have some guts, right?”

“They’re as good as most adults. Guys who lose money in gambling dens and lose their minds even start fights with knives. They don’t even blink an eye when blood splatters next to them from a knife fight; they just pick up the money that fell on the floor first.”

*That* level of guts is enough.

Jo Gwang-yun watched the children running back towards him.

The first two were ahead, and the rest were close behind, making it difficult to determine the winner.

“Oh ho!”

At that moment, something unexpected happened.

The guy who was chasing the leader by a narrow margin grabbed the leader’s hair and knocked him down.

The guy who fell didn’t just take it; he tripped him, and the two guys started fighting on the ground.

As Ok Gang-il clicked his tongue and tried to grab the two guys, Jo Gwang-yun stopped him.

“Let it go. Let’s see who wins.”

While the two children were rolling around in the dirt, the rest of the children had all arrived and were breathing heavily. Even when these children’s breaths returned to normal, the two guys’ fight did not stop.

It was too rough to call it a children’s fight. Their faces were already covered in blood, and they were so exhausted that they couldn’t even lift their clenched fists properly.

“If you’ve enjoyed watching enough, let’s end it. One of them will get seriously hurt if this goes on.”

Ok Gang-il walked towards the children and kicked the guy who was on top and punching.

“Stop!”

At his roar, the two children stood up as if they hadn’t been exhausted just a moment ago.

No matter how hard it was, the violence that followed when they acted slowly must have been more frightening.

“Have you chosen everyone?”

Ok Gang-il asked, and Jo Gwang-yun nodded.

“Only take the six who are completely behind. I’ll keep the rest for the time being.”

“What about the two who fought?”

“Of course, I have to take them. Hehe.”

Ok Gang-il was curious about Jo Gwang-yun’s scheme for taking the children, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He remembered their agreement not to interfere in each other’s affairs.

Ok Gang-il said to the children standing side by side.

“This person is your master now. He’s scarier than me, so keep your wits about you.”

Ok Gang-il, after threatening them, disappeared with the children who had fallen behind.

Jo Gwang-yun moved to the inn with the ten children.

The children’s eyes shone brighter than when they saw the silver coins when they saw the food piled up on the table.

It was only natural, since they had never eaten their fill because of Wi Dal’s idea that they should always be hungry to listen to him.

“Don’t be shy, don’t fight, and eat. You can all eat your fill today.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the children devoured the food. Jo Gwang-yun watched silently until the children had filled their stomachs.

When empty plates and bowls piled up like a mountain on the table, the children’s chopsticks also stopped.

Jo Gwang-yun picked up a silver coin and pointed to a child.

“You, come here.”

That child was the one who started the fight by grabbing the hair first.

Among the ten children, three’s expressions changed.

Not only the one who was named, but also the one who had his hair grabbed while running in the lead, and the one who had taken first place by chance.

Jo Gwang-yun said to the one who had his hair grabbed first.

“You were robbed of the lead for whatever reason. So you don’t deserve to receive this silver coin. And you.”

The guy who became the leader by chance stood up.

“You would have been third if these two hadn’t fought. If you didn’t earn it yourself, it will be taken away again at any time. Keep that in mind. Lastly, you. The owner of this silver coin is you.”

The guy who started the fight by grabbing the hair bowed deeply and took the silver coin.

Jo Gwang-yun said to all the children.

“I said I would give the silver coin to the one who came in first. Except for this guy, all of you only ran. Why didn’t you think of pulling down the guy running ahead of me like this guy did? It’s a game with money on the line. You have to do everything you can. If you think and act like everyone else, you can never get the money.”

The children may not have understood the exact meaning, but they kept one thing in mind: that they could do anything to get money.

“Okay. Now, I’ll tell you what you have to do.”

The children perked up their ears. These children also vaguely guessed. They didn’t know what it was, but if they did well, they could eat their fill and make money like now.

“You have to train every day until you can run twenty or thirty *li* [approximately 6 to 9 miles] without stopping. That’s all.”

The children blinked, not understanding what it meant. They just give you food for just running? It’s too easy and simple compared to what they’d done so far.

“You, you, come out here.”

Jo Gwang-yun called the two children who had fought and divided the children who were sitting facing each other at the table into two groups.

“I’m dividing you into two teams. You four are on a team with this guy, and you four are on a team with this guy.”

The children began to check each other’s faces to see who their teammates were.

“From now on, you will compete every day to see who is faster, just like today. However, this time, you will compete as a group. The losing side will starve, and the winning side will eat their fill like now.”

There is no easier way to dominate than to divide people into teams under the guise of competition and make them fight each other. Isn’t this a very old trick, but it works regardless of the era?

“And later, when you can run thirty *li* [approximately 9 miles] without stopping, you will have a final match. At that time, everyone on the winning side will get five silver coins each. Do you understand?”

If you can run thirty *li* [approximately 9 miles] without stopping, you can run the first ten *li* [approximately 3 miles] very quickly. If that happens, these children will turn Gaebong upside down and will never be caught.

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