“Last test is first come, first served.”
“Loan money and double it up. It’s not even two weeks, just first come, first served. The impossible difficulty froze everyone in the room.”
“When you lend money, you must never use the name of Man Geum Battlefield. Only your own names will do.”
“……”
Man Geum-jeon continued to discuss the exam content, unfazed by the silence.
“If you borrowed money, write down who you lent it to, why you lent it, and how you got it back. Do not write lies.”
“H-Hal-abuji……”
“You must do it solely by your own strength.”
Man Geum-jeon’s gaze shifted not to his grandchildren but to his daughters.
It must be done by the strength of the grandchildren. Your interference will not be tolerated. The meaning behind his stern gaze was clear to Jang Noya’s daughters.
“Right!”
“Father! To ask for double without any help! That’s too harsh!”
They couldn’t even borrow the name of Man Geum Battlefield. And now, they are told not to receive help from their parents.
Man Geum-jeon’s daughters, who had actively stepped up for their children in the first and second tests, were taken aback that they couldn’t even offer that much help.
“Grandfather, could you please give us a little more time?”
“Father! Regardless of it being a test……!”
“Grandfather, it’s not that we can’t do it. But two weeks is just too short to manage anything.”
“That’s right. Please give us a little time to work something out.”
It was the final exam.
They had to create some possibility no matter how pitiful it seemed. Man Geum-jeon’s grandchildren earnestly begged alongside their mothers.
“You lot gathered here to prove yourselves. The time for you to find something to do is within yourselves.”
Man Geum-jeon’s will was firm.
“Impossible!”
“What I have to say to you today ends here.”
“Grandfather!”
“Father!”
If things continued this way, it wouldn’t just be the last chance; everything would come to an end. Both Man Geum-jeon’s daughters and grandchildren seemed ready to cling to Jang Noya’s pants.
“If you’re done with what you have to say, may I be excused now?”
Except for one person.
“Kang Yoon-ho……!”
Kang Yoon-ho skillfully shrugged off the stares directed at him, standing up and brushing himself off.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Father?”
In the moment of bewilderment within the room, a child stood composedly waiting without saying a word. Jang Noya, with a flustered expression, ignored his calling daughter and turned to Kang Yoon-ho.
“What is there to say……?”
Kang Yoon-ho gathered the documents and met Jang Noya’s gaze.
It was the final exam.
He had to gather double the money within two weeks.
They can’t ask for parental help. They can’t use the name of Man Geum Battlefield either. They must navigate it solely by their own strength.
It was certainly a harsh condition.
But.
“I won’t make you wait too long.”
When has he ever delayed? With those words, Kang Yoon-ho turned and walked away.
—
“Everyone has left for their mansion.”
As dusk descended, Man Geum-jeon calmly sipped tea while receiving the Head of Guards’ report.
“Tell the child who left first that the test starts tomorrow. Since it’s late today, say I’ll give them time to think.”
“I’ll convey that immediately.”
“Head of Guards.”
“Yes, Lord Jeon.”
“Did you see how that child left?”
Man Geum-jeon recalled today’s only instance of a smile as the wrinkles appeared not on his brow but around his mouth.
“Yes, I saw.”
“Heh. It’s a kid that makes waiting worthwhile.”
Without hesitation, he turned around.
What on earth went through his mind in that brief moment?
Though it was a question he posed himself, he was desperately curious about what answer the kid had come up with in that fleeting instance.
—
“There are no answers.”
He didn’t anticipate the third test to be impossible as well. Back at the mansion, rolling around in the living room, he muttered.
“Eh?”
“What? Weren’t you so confident about getting out like the second test?”
Miss Zhuge and Gil-san stared at me in astonishment.
“Back then, I found something viable in the list, but this time it’s about solving problems on blank paper. Do you think answers will just pop up?”
“To ask for money copy in two weeks? Am I a human photocopier? Just pop it out right away.”
“Then why didn’t you protest like the others? Why not ask for an extension?”
True. It is a very harsh test. I could have teamed up to request a change in the range of the test or ask for an adjustment in difficulty.
But you know.
“It’s more stylish if I just take it as is.”
“……”
“Ahhh….”
Why? As long as it looks cool, isn’t that enough? Don’t look so dumbfounded. It’s all about dominating the initial stage.
“Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out if you’re a great guy or a con artist.”
“I’m neither great nor a con artist. This time let’s brainstorm together.”
If I were to double the money in two weeks, I must squeeze out some ideas.
“……I guess being a pain in the neck seems to be correct.”
“What?”
“Ugh.”
——
“Typically, when talking about an intensely harsh interest rate that makes you leave your hometown, it comes in at a rate of 50%. But what we’re being asked to bring back is not annual interest, not monthly interest, but double interest over two weeks!”
Before the three of us organized our thoughts, we reviewed the last test.
“O-Oh wow.”
“What was Grandfather thinking when he gave such a test? If a person could double their money in two weeks, then everyone would become rich! Why would he need to pass the Man Geum-young?”
“There’s no way it’s impossible.”
I replied to Gil-san, who seemed vexed.
“What?! Didn’t you just say you had no answers?”
“There are a few methods I’ve thought of. The question is whether they’ll yield results.”
While I had only thought of exiting the testing location stylishly, I came up with some ways on the carriage ride home.
“Kid……! Truly a remarkable guy!”
“……”
“Why?”
“No, nothing.”
Even when it’s a compliment, why does it make me want to hit him?
“Master Kang! What are your methods?”
Miss Zhuge asked with a curious face.
“I have a way to look into merchants who are experiencing a liquidity crisis.”
That was the first method I could think of.
“A liquidity crisis?”
“Wuhan is a hub for Yangtze River logistics. Countless merchants come and go, and numerous businesses are flourishing. There surely must be people needing money.”
“Who doesn’t need money, but the problem is whether they’ll double it in two weeks’ time.”
“To find those experiencing a liquidity crisis among the merchants. For instance, a vessel has sent goods and is supposed to receive payment after a while, but there surely will be someone who needs money right now. Whether for business or personal reasons. We lend money now and receive it back within two weeks.”
Even in Korea, during times when banking was lacking, even the heads of large companies turned to the powerful players in the lending market.
They can make big profits from large businesses, so they can tolerate interest rates.
Wuhan is a commercially developed city, so there should be countless merchants or syndicates facing a liquidity crisis.
“Uh, Master Kang, that’s…”
Miss Zhuge reached for my sleeve looking pale.
She understands the risks.
“Yes, I know it’s tough.”
There’s no need to explain.
“They wouldn’t have any reason to ask me for loans.”
“Ah! It’s because they need to double it in two weeks?”
I nodded and continued.
“If he were a merchant, he would rush to reach out to the lending market. People would be willing to borrow from famous loan sharks. If they nod at my outrageous offer, it could mean they’re either someone who can’t build credit or…”
“Or?”
“Someone who’s only thinking about skipping out on the payment.”
If they’re using a loan shark for a loan with double interest, they must have been in dire straits already. Lending and borrowing both entails huge risks.
“Lending them is a problem, but getting the payment back is also a problem.”
“……”
Two weeks. In this exam, while deciding who to lend money to is crucial, figuring out how to retrieve the money is equally vital.
The first method already has obstacles.
“I-I’ll bring another cup of tea.”
“Please do.”
———
“There’s a way to lend at lower interest.”
While sipping tea, I presented another method.
“Lower interest? But we need to double it in two weeks, what’s the use of low interest?”
“Not a loan for two weeks; it’s a same-day loan. In actuality, the interest is about 0.5% per day. People unwilling to make a sob story to the loan sharks will have their hands outstretched.”
It’s about continuously cycling the funds. Doubling the amount in two weeks is too harsh, but if it’s only about a daily interest of 0.5%, we can pay up quickly and receive it back.
“0.5%? That’s great. Let’s go with that.”
“Master Kang! That…”
I nodded at worried Miss Zhuge.
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“Why’s there another problem?”
“Ah, well…”
She sought help with her eyes as if in distress at Gil-san’s question.
“If anything happens, it cannot fail even once. If someone decides not to pay for a day, or if I can’t find someone to borrow from, it’s all over. This method relies on an uninterrupted flow of money.”
Over the next two weeks, we need to receive the principal and interest a total of 15 times. If we fail to receive even a day, the interest on the next day’s loan will multiply drastically.
“That’s tough. Should we ask our parents for help?”
Gil-san casually inquired.
“Your parents?”
“Just say you suddenly need cash, and then we can return double in two weeks.”
“If that works, the heirs would start borrowing from each other.”
What difference does it make to use their parents’ chances after saying they support me?
“Is that so?”
“The time is short, so we have to decide well for this exam. Let’s think of more ideas together.”
The idea itself is good.
Even though Gil-san has the aptitude to execute as he follows, he’s not good at coming up with ideas. I didn’t expect much from him anyway.
‘Is it indeed impossible to achieve?’
If I was not satisfied despite slowly bringing my methods out, there was only one route left.
I silently gazed at Miss Zhuge.
“Ah, um…”
Could it be that Miss Zhuge has an idea?
Just as I was about to ask with anticipation.
“AH!!!!”
Gil-san suddenly shouted.
“What?”
“Ku! Kukuku!”
“What’s with you?”
This guy, laughing like a third-rate villain about to exit in one scene.
“I just thought of an incredible method.”
Gil-san spoke to me as if he had prepared a secret weapon that would astonish everyone.
“Y-You’re not kidding, are you? Really?!”
“Yang-ya, it was a bit subtly dismissive just now.”
“Ah, that wasn’t it.”
“Indeed, I too am a true descendant of my grandfather, the Man Geum-jeon. I can think of such a thing…!”
Why is he appreciating himself all by himself?
“What is it? Tell me.”
“It’s exactly……”
The plan that Gil-san shared was an idea that neither Miss Zhuge nor I could ever think of.
