Chapter 92 : The Slacker Opens a Clinic (2)

Chapter 92: The Slacker Opens a Clinic (2)

“Isn’t this too good of a deal?”

“What is?”

“Even if Jin Soa spends the next twenty years trying, he couldn’t possibly revive the Sacred Hand Grounds on his own.”

“...Well, that’s true.”

“And while the name ‘Sacred Hand Grounds’ is impressive, that doesn’t mean Jin Soa is indispensable.”

“That’s also true.”

“Yet you’re offering Jin Soa an enormous payment of one tael of gold per year for twenty years just to bring it back to life. Why? It doesn’t seem like there’s anything in it for you, Young Hero Wi.”

“Why wouldn’t there be? I’ll be making money.”

“But you already have more than enough. Do you really think you'll get your investment back after twenty years? A single misstep, and the whole sum could be lost.”

Wi Yeonho drank the cup of green tea before him without responding.

“I don’t believe Jin Soa has any particularly deep connection with you. And there are plenty of other ways to make money without setting up a clinic. I just don’t understand your motives here.”

Wi Yeonho put down his teacup.

“It’s fate.”

“What do you mean?”

“Me ending up here and getting to know that kid—wouldn’t you call that fate?”

“Fate, huh...”

Wi Yeonho answered nonchalantly.

“Anyway, I’m the kind of person who doesn’t want anything more than a place to stay and food to eat. If I have money, why not spend it on something meaningful? Soa is someone who’s meant to do great things. He may be young now, but if he revives the Sacred Hand Grounds and becomes a skilled physician, he could save countless lives. That’s why I think it’s worth putting my trust in him.”

“I can’t say I understand, but if that’s what you believe, Young Master...”

Jin Soa clamped his mouth shut.

Then, making sure his footsteps didn’t make a sound, he quietly slipped out of the building.

‘So that’s how Young Hero Wi thinks of me...’

Just moments ago, he seemed like the very image of a ruthless loan shark, yet who would have guessed those thoughts were running through his head?

Ha Daebung hadn’t been wrong. Even if Jin Soa worked for the rest of his life, repaying the debt of twenty taels of gold and restoring the Sacred Hand Grounds was realistically impossible.

But if he did what Wi Yeonho suggested, then twenty years later, it might actually be possible to clear his debt and become a renowned physician in a rebuilt Sacred Hand Grounds.

‘It was all for my sake...’

He felt sorry for even briefly thinking ill of Wi Yeonho.

“I have to repay him.”

The only thing he could do was to become an outstanding physician. With that resolve, Jin Soa ran back home.

“Did he leave?”

Peeking through the slightly opened door, Ha Daebung saw Jin Soa running off in the distance.

“Yes, he’s gone.”

“Hehehehe...”

A wicked grin appeared on Wi Yeonho’s lips.

“Tricking a kid like that is nothing.”

“...You look absolutely villainous.”

“Do I?”

Wi Yeonho smiled in satisfaction. With this, he had secured a well-behaved, properly motivated, and high-impact slave with ease.

“I can’t believe I got roped into this. And to think I’ve built my life on credibility...”

Ha Daebung looked stunned.

“A fine thing for a loan shark to say—credibility!”

“...I always followed the agreed interest rates.”

“Six-tenths?”

“Four-tenths and five pun.”

Ha Daebung corrected Wi Yeonho and smacked his lips.

“How very righteous of you.”

“I was just born this virtuous.”

“Did you just smear spit?”

“...A moment ago.”

Ha Daebung chuckled awkwardly and continued.

“That aside, I can’t help but feel a little pang of conscience.”

“It’s not a bad deal for Soa either.”

“That’s true, but...”

Half of what he had said earlier was true. The one clear falsehood was that the signboard of the Sacred Hand Grounds wasn’t something you could find just anywhere. That name alone was worth more than twenty taels of gold to Jin Soa.

“So, what will you do now?”

Ha Daebung swallowed hard at Wi Yeonho’s question.

“Even if I keep working like this, it’s unlikely I’ll ever get promoted beyond branch manager. Maybe it’s time for a change.”

“...But why are you offering me the job? Don’t I look to you like nothing more than a parasitic loan shark feeding off the poor? I may not have carried a blade, but what I’ve done isn’t much different from what the Black Land Manor did.”

“That’s exactly why!”

Wi Yeonho clapped his hands loudly.

“The skill to keep a pawnshop running while sucking down that terrifying interest rate! The mental fortitude to trample the heads of desperate people reaching for straws and push them deeper into the water without hesitation!”

“...That’s an insult, right?”

“Anyone with that kind of talent would be good at anything. Oh, absolutely. So, what do you say? I’ll pay you well. Want to start over as the Chief Steward of the new Sacred Hand Grounds?”

“If this were before, I’d have jumped at the rope without looking back...”

But having just seen Jin Soa get metaphorically smacked in the face, he now couldn’t help but wonder if that rope was actually a fishing line.

“Are you sure you’re not tricking me too?”

“You, of all people, shouldn’t be asking that.”

“...So you are tricking me.”

“Come on, I’m not.”

Ha Daebung stared at Wi Yeonho’s ambiguous expression, lost in thought.

He’d met many cunning figures in his time in the world of commerce, but never had he met someone so unreadable. Everyone gave off at least a hint of their feelings or intentions when scheming something—but Wi Yeonho gave away nothing at all.

Even now, he was slouched in his chair with the same expression as if he had seen everything life had to offer and couldn't be bothered with anything. How was one supposed to read intentions off a guy like that?

“Hmmmmph.”

Ha Daebung let out a long sigh.

‘Whether it’s a lifeline or a fishing line, one thing is certain—this could be a new opportunity.’

He’d already been feeling disillusioned with the pawnshop business.

That’s what pawnshops were like. All one could do was run them—no room to expand, no new ventures to attempt. The best he could do was sit there with his mouth wide open and snap shut when someone wandered in.

While Ha Daebung had a natural knack for this industry, his thirst for something new—something he could plan and move forward with—had been growing stronger.

“Will you let me run things my way?”

“I can’t promise you full authority, but I’ll try not to interfere as much as possible. Besides, as you can see, I’m not the kind of person who’s good at meddling, even if I wanted to.”

“...That does seem to be the case.”

After all, meddling requires knowledge, and to gain that knowledge, one has to move around. From what he’d heard, Wi Yeonho sounded like the type to not leave his room for half a month or more. How would someone like that know how a clinic operates, let alone interfere?

‘He’s hardly reliable, but...’

Judging by the man’s ability alone, one couldn’t deny he was impressive.

‘It’s definitely a fishing line...’

But the bait was just too tempting. With bait that enticing, taking a bite didn’t seem like such a bad idea. It came down to a choice: starve to death without biting or take the bait and leave the consequences to fate.

“I’ll do it.”

Ha Daebung nodded with resolve.

Wi Yeonho grinned and reached out his hand.

Ha Daebung took Wi Yeonho’s offered hand in a firm shake.

“I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, likewise.”

Thus began the revival of the Sacred Hand Grounds—a storm soon to sweep across the medical world of Hubei.

“The first thing we need is a building.”

“A building?”

“No matter what, the building has to look grand. That way, people think, ‘If I go to this clinic, saving my life must be no big deal.’”

“I see.”

Wi Yeonho also nodded.

Whether it’s people or businesses, appearance matters. If his master hadn’t looked like a sage with wind-swept grace, he wouldn’t have been fooled so easily back then.

If only it hadn’t been for that crimson-red face and those unnaturally white eyebrows!

“Swindler.”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Wi Yeonho shook his head vigorously. Just thinking about his master made his stomach churn.

“I think there’s a suitable building.”

“Something you already own?”

“Not exactly... but I think I can get one without paying—one that doesn’t have an owner or anyone claiming to be one.”

“And where would that be? Is there really such a place?”

“The Black Land Manor.”

“......”

Ha Daebung stared at Wi Yeonho blankly.

Was this lunatic seriously suggesting they set up a clinic in a building that had been used by a notorious black-market faction?

“Perhaps you should reconsider?”

“Why? It’s big, it looks impressive, and it’s near the center of town. You don’t find locations like that often in Wuhan.”

“That’s true, but...”

As far as location goes, there was no need to argue.

It was just in the middle of Wuhan, right on the main road. Anyone who lived in the city would know where the Black Land Manor was. Location-wise, it was unbeatable.

But public perception wasn’t so simple.

What good was securing a prime spot if it destroyed the clinic’s reputation?

“...No one builds a restaurant on top of a cesspit, even if it’s cleaned out.”

“Come on, wouldn’t it be a symbolic shift? A place that once harmed people becoming one that saves them?”

“That’s just wishful thinking.”

“Well, let’s set that aside for now.”

“And the second most important thing is hiring skilled physicians.”

“Hmm...”

“Even if we announce the grand opening of the Sacred Hand Grounds with fanfare, if those who visit in the early days receive poor treatment, they won’t return. Word of mouth is critical.”

“True.”

“And lastly—rumors.”

Ha Daebung brought his hand to his mouth, mimicking a whisper.

“No matter how good a clinic is, it’s worthless if no one knows about it. The rumors must spread quickly and clearly.”

Wi Yeonho nodded.

“You truly are my strategist.”

“Hehehe.”

“So you must have a solution for all these matters, right?”

“......”

Ha Daebung fell silent like a mute with honey on his tongue.

Why did he have to be the one with the solutions?

“Me?”

“Didn’t you ask to be allowed to run it your way?”

“I did.”

“And now you expect me to handle all this while you sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor? Leaving all the hard work to others?”

That wasn’t his intention, but the way things were going, he was starting to look like a shameless leech.

“N-no, that’s not it.”

“Then you must have a plan.”

“......”

“If not, come up with one. By tomorrow.”

Ha Daebung could feel something going terribly wrong, but he was already in too deep to back out. Wi Yeonho was like a swamp—once you fell in, there was no climbing out.

“Can I still retire?”

“Only thing stopping you is death.”

“...Mother.”

Moisture welled up at the corners of Ha Daebung’s eyes.

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