Heavenly Flow Merchant Group (2)

Heavenly Flow Merchant Group (2)

Dengfeng County, Henan Province.

Among the countless estates and pavilions situated in that gigantic place governed by Shaolin and the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group, one estate boasted the most grandeur.

At the entrance of that estate, the characters "Heavenly Flow Merchant Group" (天流商團) were written in a majestic script that seemed to make the dragons and snakes soar.

In a pavilion located in the heart of the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group.

At the place called the Chief's Hall, Ryu Ji-gwang, the Head of the Merchant Group, read the letters with a stern expression."

"[Comprehensive report on Wuhan, Hubei Province]

[Report on the purchase in Yichang, Hubei Province]

...

[Report on the withdrawal from Lanzhou, Gansu Province]

[Comprehensive report on Tianshui County, Gansu Province]

...

[Comprehensive report on Hejin County, Shanxi Province]

..."

The numerous letters on the table had come from branches of the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group scattered across the central plains.

'Hmmm.'

As Ryu Ji-gwang read through the documents, he furrowed his brow slightly upon reading a letter from the Mianyang branch in Sichuan Province.

And after briefly reviewing the reports that had arrived from other branches in different provinces, he quickly scribbled a few words on a blank sheet of paper with a brush.

'Yang, General Manager.'

As soon as the ink dried on the paper and he sealed it, he called out for the general manager, and a man whose beard was turning white entered the Chief's Hall.

'Yes, Chief.'

"Send the Blue Gold Team (靑金隊) to the Mianyang branch in Sichuan Province and the Hanzhong branch in Shaanxi Province. The details of the investigation are written in this letter, which must only be opened upon arrival."

"Understood, Master."

Ryu Ji-gwang handed the letter to the chief overseer and sighed lightly.

"Playing such foolish tricks."

The Heavenly Flow Merchant Group, one of the five major trading companies in the world, primarily engaged in the transportation business.

As evidenced by the reports piled on his table, the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group had branches all over the continent, buying a variety of local specialties in large quantities and selling them nationwide.

Naturally, the letter sent from the Mianyang branch in Sichuan Province contained numerous items purchased and distributed.

In fact, the reports from the Mianyang branch matched the distribution details of the Hanzhong branch in Shaanxi Province.

However, when comparing information from other regions, the price of a particular item was set higher than the market rate.

"Tsk. The company's size is becoming a problem."

Ryu Ji-gwang clicked his tongue lightly and muttered.

'Should I reinforce the Blue Gold Team...?'

The Blue Gold Team was a kind of inspection team, composed only of those Ryu Ji-gwang could trust.

But he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing that increasing the number of the Blue Gold Team could backfire.

If a local branch chief lied, and the inspection team sent to investigate sided with the branch chief?

To avoid such a disastrous situation, the Blue Gold Team had to be composed of the most reliable individuals with high loyalty to Ryu Ji-gwang.

'If it weren't for the recent strange movements in some local branches, I wouldn't have to worry so much.'

A few years ago, he never felt the Blue Gold Team was understaffed.

But recently, a subtle sense of discord kept bothering him.

The problem was, there were no clear signs or evidence.

Ryu Ji-gwang's keen sense, developed over decades of running the company, was the only reason he sensed something amiss.

"If I deal with the apparent loose ends, I'll eventually catch the body."

Shaking his head, Ryu Ji-gwang turned his attention back to the letters piled on the table.

He couldn't stop working just because of a vague feeling. There were still many documents he had to handle, piled like a mountain on his desk.

After drafting several more letters to address peculiar issues and sending instructions to branches across the continent through his overseers, he finally paused.

"Phew."

Rubbing his sore back and hips from the long hours of paperwork, Ryu Ji-gwang let out a deep sigh.

He had managed to complete the day's tasks. Though it was already past 9 PM, it was relatively early compared to his usual schedule.

Finishing his work, Ryu Ji-gwang stood and headed somewhere. Despite the late hour, he did not head to his quarters.

"Mother, it's Ji-gwang."

He went to the quarters of his mother, Yeon Ga-hee (蓮嘉熙).

"Please come in."

With her permission, Ji-gwang entered the room and looked at his mother with a bitter expression.

It wasn't always that Ryu Ji-gwang finished his work and went to see his mother.

'Sigh. Blinded by work, I've lived without seeing my family.'

For decades since his successorship, he was obsessed with work.

Recently, when he saw his mother walking in the yard, Ryu Ji-gwang felt a pang of guilt.

In his memory, his mother smiled like a girl even in middle age. Her hair had turned white, and she walked through the yard with a pained expression.

From that day on, whenever he had a small break from his work at the Head Pavilion, Ryu Ji-gwang tried to spend time with his mother and family.

But his efforts seemed too late.

His wife passed away while giving birth to their youngest daughter, and his mother was already elderly.

Moreover.

'Even if I want to see my children, it's not easy to meet them now.'

His two grown sons, each managing a branch of their own, couldn't meet him directly.

Furthermore, just like he did, they were competing to become the next head of the company. Sometimes, Ryu Ji-gwang couldn't help but wonder if they were really family.

But, he couldn't just sit idly by.

Ryu Ji-gwang had come to see his mother today to bring up a story he had been holding back for a few days.

"Mother, did you go to the Shaolin Temple again today?"

He had come to dissuade his mother from going to the Shaolin Temple.

Unable to bear watching his mother, who was not in good health, go to the temple to pray out of concern for her children, Ryu Ji-gwang had come to persuade her.

"Mother, please think about your health. Your son earnestly begs you."

With a sad expression, Ryu Ji-gwang spoke, and the old woman responded with a smile reminiscent of her youth.

"Hoho. You don't need to worry. Head of the company. Besides, today, I went to Shaolin Temple and received treatment."

"...What do you mean, mother?"

Puzzled, Ryu Ji-gwang asked, and Yeon Ga-hee recounted the story of meeting a doctor named Mu-jin at the Shaolin Temple that day.

"He had truly miraculous hands. Unlike the nauseating medicine I used to take, just smelling his medicine is much more effective."

"...So, are you saying you'll go to the Shaolin Temple again tomorrow for that treatment?"

"That's right, Head of the company."

With her mother's answer, Ryu Ji-gwang made up his mind.

"In that case, I'll accompany you to the Shaolin Temple tomorrow."

After personally verifying the treatment by Mu-jin and proving its ineffectiveness, Ryu Ji-gwang intended to stop his mother from going to the Shaolin Temple.

* * *

In response to the old woman's farewell saying she would come again tomorrow, Mu-jin found it hard to even respond properly.

It was because of the sudden emergence of the name "Heavenly Flow Merchant Group."

And the next day.

As expected, the old woman returned to the Shaolin Temple. This time, with a middle-aged man.

Having had some social experience, Mu-jin did not show his confusion and greeted the old woman and the middle-aged man politely.

"Hello. Grandmother! Nice to meet you. I am Mu-jin, the third-generation disciples of Shaolin."

"While behaving rudely towards his mother, Ryu Ji-gwang's expression turned strange as he observed the truly courteous demeanor of the younger person towards himself."

"Ohoho. Isn't our Mu-jin truly cute? Head of the company. Oh, I've been rude to Mu-jin again."

"What are you saying, grandmother! Please speak comfortably!"

Watching the conversation between the two, who seemed like grandmother and grandson, Ryu Ji-gwang felt somewhat flustered. Ryu Ji-gwang's sons. In other words, Yeon Ga-hee's grandsons also did not treat Yeon Ga-hee affectionately.

'If my mother is happy, that's enough.'

Ryu Ji-gwang decided that what he and his grandsons couldn't do, this disciple would do for them.

After organizing his thoughts, Ryu Ji-gwang smiled gently, which looked mild at first glance, like a seasoned merchant.

"I've heard a lot about Disciple Mu-jin from my mother. Did you say you would treat my mother?"

"Is there such a thing as treatment? Hahaha. We're just spending time together."

Answering lightly, Mu-jin, who had perfectly managed his expression, replied.

"That person is the former chief of the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group."

He thought to himself as he recalled such thoughts.

At this point, he was the current chief of the company, but the chief of the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group in the novel he read was a different person.

'Hmmm. If I get closer to the chief, can I delve deeper into the relationship between the Heavenly Flow Merchant Group and the black market?'

If he remembered correctly, Heavenly Flow Merchant Group wasn't exactly in cahoots with the villain in the novel. Rather than being in cahoots, it was more of a contractual relationship.

In addition, it was often mentioned that during the previous head of the company's era, he wasn't as ruthless as he is now.

So, Mu-Jin decided to gamble on the hope that Heavenly Flow Merchant Group hadn't yet fully allied with the villain. Conversely, if they were already allied, he resolved to get closer and find a way to dig deeper.

'Yes. According to the old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'

With that in mind, Mu-Jin put on his business smile and spoke.

"It seems like you do a lot of work in a seated position, Head of the company."

"As I often survey from a seated position."

As befitting a seasoned merchant, Ryu Ji-gwang concealed his inner thoughts of 'why are you asking that?' and responded with a gracious smile.

"Because you've been sitting for so long, your hips are misaligned and your back is slightly hunched. Wouldn't it be better to receive treatment with your grandmother while you have the chance?"

Mu-Jin began to pitch his business to Ryu Ji-gwang.

'Oh?'

With Mu-Jin's business smile and his keen eye for diagnosing his own physical condition, Ryu Ji-gwang's eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

"Can I first confirm what kind of treatment this is?"

But Ryu Ji-gwang wasn't one to easily agree. He responded with an intrigued yet indifferent tone.

And Mu-Jin, having already decided to approach Ryu Ji-gwang, decided to go ahead and treat both the grandmother and Ryu Ji-gwang properly.

"Then please follow me for now. Oh! Grandmother, let me carry you! Like yesterday!"

After picking up the grandmother, Mu-Jin confidently led the way through the corridors of the Shaolin Temple.

Where Mu-Jin led the grandmother and Ryu Ji-gwang.

"Mu-Jin? Is this the time for visitors?"

It was none other than Hyun Kwang and Beob Gun's quarters.

Beob Gun, who had asked with a puzzled expression, could guess what was going on when he saw Mu-Jin carrying the grandmother on his back and the middle-aged man beside him.

"Grandmother isn't feeling well, so I thought it would be good to receive treatment together. Master."

At Mu-Jin's words, Beob Gun turned to look at Hyun Kwang. Then, Hyun Kwang, who was sitting on the main porch, nodded with a compassionate smile.

"Hehehe. If your heart desires it, then so be it."

"Thank you. Grandfather! Then wouldn't it be better to have your treatment done now as well?"

At Mu-Jin's suggestion, eventually, treatments for Hyun Kwang, the grandmother, and the head of the company proceeded simultaneously.

First, Beob Gun massaged Hyun Kwang, and Mu-Jin alternated between massaging the grandmother and the head of the company. And once their bodies loosened up a bit, they started Pilates.

Although the equipment was somewhat diverse, each person had only one suitable for their condition, so the three of them used different equipment tailored to their respective areas of treatment.

For example, for the head of the company, whose back was hunched, they focused on exercises for the abdominal and core muscles using the Pilates arc.

For the grandmother, whose muscles were severely stiffened, they utilized the barrel for stretching exercises.

And for Hyun Kwang, who lacked muscle strength, they used the reformer for strength and rehabilitation exercises.

'Maybe this turned out for the better.'

Mu-Jin, who found it awkward enough to conduct Pilates classes with just Beob Gun and Hyun Kwang after teaching them for only a month, thought it might not be such a bad thing to pay more attention to Hyun Kwang's treatment while approaching the grandmother and the head of the company.

Thus, the exercise continued for a while.

"Hehehehe."

"Hohohoho."

The two elders exchanged similar laughter as they progressed through the exercises.

"Is your body feeling somewhat better? This is more tiring than it looks."

"But still, our Mu-Jin disciple wouldn't do anything harmful to the body. Hohohoho."

"…"

While treating just one person like Hyun Kwang didn't feel like much, treating both elders at the same time made Mu-Jin feel like he was in a senior rehabilitation center rather than a Shaolin Temple.

* * *

Over about half an hour, starting from massages and pressure points, progressing to simple stretching exercises and Pilates classes, right after finishing all the treatments.

Mu-Jin found himself in a dilemma.

'If possible, it would be nice to include electrotherapy or heat therapy as well.'

While Hyun Kwang, the grandmother, and the head of the company weren't in the same condition as Hyun Kwang originally, they were in better shape now. They weren't even unable to move on their own.

However, as their bodies had not been managed at all for decades, when Mu-Jin massaged them, he felt stiff muscles here and there.

And Hyun Kwang could immediately sense what Mu-Jin was thinking.

"Hehehe. Mu-Jin, you want to do bioelectric therapy and heat therapy, don't you?"

"Yes, grandfather."

"In that case, there's no need to worry."

As Hyun Kwang responded with a compassionate smile and raised his hands.

Crackle.

Flames.

Natural energy gathered around Hyun Kwang, with lightning in his left hand and flames blooming in his right.

"…"

Speechless, Mu-Jin stared at the scene.