I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 36

< Department Store (1) >

“Each floor will display and sell different items, and the top floor will offer tea and food. In short, we’re bringing the bustling and diverse marketplace streets indoors.”

“Inconvenient and messy? Why? Our marketplace merchants are out at sunrise, cleaning the streets to ensure customers experience no inconvenience. I can confidently say it’s the cleanest place in all of Kaifeng.”

The old man’s tone wasn’t argumentative or dismissive. He was genuinely curious.

“Elder, please take a look around this establishment.”

The old man silently scanned the second floor of the former brothel as Jo Gwangyun instructed.

“Do you know the biggest difference between here and the marketplace?”

“Isn’t it the difference between being inside and outside a building?”

“And?”

“There’s only us here, while the marketplace is full of people… Ah!”

He let out a soft exclamation, as if a realization had dawned on him.

“Yes. There’s only us here. Isn’t the reason you rented this entire place because you didn’t want to be disturbed? What I meant by the marketplace being messy and inconvenient was this: the *people*.”

Nosy housewives haggling over prices, drunks staggering around after a midday drink, beggars pleading for alms, thieves lurking in the shadows looking for opportunities, and young children scavenging through trash for scraps to fill their bellies.

The marketplace streets are overflowing with these kinds of people.

“Young Master Jo, are you referring to the different kinds of people who frequent the market?”

“Let’s just say social classes. The class that can afford silk, and the class that cannot afford silk. I don’t know if you know, but do you know what the most terrible stench is?”

“The smell emanating from lowly humans who have nothing.”

The old man said with a sigh.

“You know it well. We need to block that smell, not just clean to mask it.”

“You’re building a wall like the Great Wall, not just a building. Separating those who have from those who don’t.”

*He understands quickly, so he’s not just an old man who has aged.* Well, he must be leading the silk merchants because he’s an insightful elder.

“But Young Master Jo, what’s the point of building a big wall? People who buy rice, a few pounds of pork, and mountain vegetables will also come inside that wall. They may not have much, but they are also customers.”

“We don’t handle rice, pork, or vegetables. And if anyone even peeks in out of curiosity, we’ll have them escorted away.”

“You don’t handle daily necessities?”

“No. Those are usually bought by servants. Entry to our building will be restricted to those not wearing silk clothes. It means we only cater to wealthy people.”

After Jo Gwangyun’s explanation, silence hung in the air for a moment.

The one who broke the silence was the old man, whose expression wasn’t exactly cheerful.

“It sounds plausible, but I don’t think building a wall will make our business ‘prosper.’ Moreover… haven’t you already sold off a tremendous amount of silk? You said the completion of the five-story building is next spring? You’ve already pulled in the spring customers in advance, so I think only flies will be buzzing around next spring. What do you think?”

“Who have you been selling silk to all this time?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been selling silk for years, even decades, but you still don’t know their habits, so I’m saying this.”

The old man chuckled.

“Tell me. Let me hear what the rich are like.”

“Elder, you eat leftover cold rice for lunch, don’t you?”

“Isn’t that obvious? One must be frugal.”

“If you’ve been in the silk business for decades, you must have made quite a lot of money, so your granary must be overflowing with sacks of rice. But why do you eat cold rice?”

“You have to save to live well.”

“That kind of person isn’t rich. They’re a miser, a skinflint.”

“What? Hehehe. How strange. A young friend I’m meeting for the first time is saying the exact same thing as my daughter?”

The old man burst into laughter.

“A *real* rich person doesn’t eat cold rice. They just throw it away. They throw it away not because it’s old and worn out, but simply because it’s not *new*. So, they’ll come to buy silk again next spring. But, in a completely new place. Because that’s the only way they’ll think it’s a new product.”

“They won’t buy it if we set up stalls?”

“No. If it’s the same place, the same feeling of the store, they’ll think the silk is the same too. Would they bother buying it again?”

The important points had been covered. All that’s left is the decision, but since there’s only one way to survive anyway, there’s no real choice.

Besides, it’s all very promising news, so they shouldn’t have any difficulty making a decision.

However, one big negotiation point still remains.

“I’ve heard your thoughts well. It’s a very interesting idea and a good method. So, what do *you* get out of this? You said you’re quitting the silk business, didn’t you?”

“I think you’ve already guessed it, Elder.”

The old man took a sip of alcohol and slowly opened his mouth.

“Are you saying you want a price for using the building?”

“Let’s just call it a management fee.”

“How much are you going to take?”

“Ten percent.”

“Ten percent? What do you mean by ten percent?”

“Ten percent of the sales.”

Whether it was because they were dumbfounded or because the old man had told them to keep their mouths shut, everyone was silent.

Ten percent of the sales is a significant portion of the profit. It means at least half of their profit will be reduced.

“There’s one more thing. I will exclusively supply the silk from now on. I will supply it at the same purchase price as you have been paying, so don’t worry about the price.”

Jo Gwangyun didn’t explain the benefits of mass purchases that he would enjoy in the future.

At the same price, it’s not a big problem, and right now the silk merchants are only focused on the number ten percent.

“Let’s do that.”

It didn’t take long for them to accept it willingly.

The old man pushed back his chair, put his hands together, and bowed.

“Please take good care of us in the future, Young Master Jo.”

Jo Gwangyun was more flustered because it was unexpected. He quickly got up and bowed as well.

“I will do my best for the prosperity of the merchants.”

Everyone except the old man and Jo Gwangyun had stiff faces.

“Then please send us the detailed contents. We will all sign it.”

“Yes. Then I will return first.”

There was no offer to have a hearty drink to commemorate the end of the negotiations. Jo Gwangyun also realized that the old man needed time to persuade the other merchants, so he was giving them space.

As expected, before Jo Gwangyun had even descended the stairs from the second floor, dissatisfied voices erupted.

“Elder! Ten percent!”

“Brother, this isn’t right. What’s left for us if we give away ten percent?”

The old man sighed and calmed his colleagues.

“Everyone calm down and remember one thing. Young Master Jo has brought us a plan for mutual benefit.”

“Is this mutual benefit? Just sitting still and taking ten percent of our money?”

“Then should we refuse? What if Young Master Jo builds that building and sells silk alone? Do you think we can compete?”

The new business method that Jo Gwangyun mentioned sounded good.

Women wearing silk clothes and lots of expensive accessories always entered the silk store with their noses covered and frowning, because of the commoners they had to encounter on the street.

It was obvious which place they would choose: their own store or Jo Gwangyun’s clean building where commoners were not allowed to enter.

Isn’t wanting to associate with their own kind a characteristic of the rich?

“And it’s not a fixed amount. He’s saying he’ll take it as much as we do business. If business is bad, we pay less, and if it’s good, we pay more. Isn’t that somewhat reasonable?”

However, the wise old man hasn’t yet realized that they could be kicked out if they don’t perform well.

“Don’t grumble anymore. Isn’t it fortunate for us that Young Master Jo didn’t try to do everything himself?”

Everyone closed their mouths tightly and didn’t express any more complaints, so the old man seemed satisfied and offered them alcohol.

“Come on, we’ve found a way to survive with this. And don’t be too disappointed. If we endure, won’t there be a time when we are in a superior position?”

* * *

A few days later, the documents that Jo Gwangyun brought were quite a bundle.

“Why are there so many? It should be simple content?”

“It includes the terms and conditions.”

“Terms and conditions?”

“Yes. From now on, not only silk but also items, accessories, and luxury goods that wealthy people will like will all be included. You could say it’s a unified contract.”

The silk merchants, including the old man, carefully read the contents of the terms and conditions, but later, they focused only on the important clauses related to money, as if they were annoyed.

“But Young Master Jo. Is this the name of the building you’re trying to build? Department Store (百貨店)?”

“Yes. I named it that because it sells more than a hundred kinds of good things [the Chinese characters literally mean ‘hundred goods store’]. What do you think?”

“I see. The name represents the characteristics of the place. Is Jo named after your last name?”

“It’s a bit bland to just call it a department store. At first, I named it Shinsegae Department Store because it’s a place where a new world opens… But the word ‘world’ is the same as the Central Plains, and the Central Plains is ruled by the Emperor, so it could be heard as disrespectful. So, I just named it Jo Family (趙家) Department Store after my last name. Do you not like it?”

Jo Gwangyun asked cautiously, and the old man waved his hand.

“No. It’s your building, so of course, you should put your name on it. It’s fine.”

*Would it be just the department store? Starting with Kaifeng, various businesses with the name Jo Family will be established throughout the Central Plains.*

This is just the beginning of a big step.

< Department Store (1) > End