Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 62: Apply Now!

Is this even real? My eyes trembled as I opened the account ledger and a chaotic swarm of numbers spewed out. I deciphered what I could and ignored the rest.

Anyway, to sum it up We only have just enough money to scrape by right now Bok Man-Chun started, watching my expression carefully.

BAM!

I slammed my hand onto the table in disbelief. How the hell is this possible? I inherited a fortune, not a mountain of debt! Where did all that money go?

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Originally, Old Man Heos inheritance didnt belong to me, but Cheong Cheon transferred the will and its rights to me, making it my personal fortune. Yet, here Bok Man-Chun was claiming that my precious wealth had vanished into thin air.

Could this middleman have embezzled the money I squinted at Bok Man-Chun.

Bok Man-Chun, his senses sharpened by years of freelancing, twitched in protest, I swear I didnt do what you think I did! Werent you the one who told me to invest in various businesses, Young Master!

I did say that, but this still doesnt add up.

Young Master, think about it, Bok Man-Chun pleaded, exasperation creeping into his voice. You gave up on the loan shark business, Old Man Heos primary source of income. Not only that, you ditched the brothels, and all the other shady businesses too. Wheres the money supposed to come from now?

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Were only left with legit businesses like inns, restaurants, bars, and smithies. Im planning to register us as a trading company and an escort agency to cut our taxes, but these were never our main moneymakers. Well have to expand them all. Can we agree on that?

Well, yeah. I nodded, folding my arms. It made sense.

Bok Man-Chun brandished some papers, waving them before me. Now look at this. You recently bought a store in a prime location called the Hidden Dragon Restaurant, splurged on a mansion in front of the Azure Dragon Academy, and poured a fortune into its renovation. Plus, that old geezer you recommended may be a master craftsman, but he only fancies the priciest equipment!

Recalling Wiji Yeols insistence on top-notch equipment for top-notch craftsmen, I sighed inwardly, He did mention something along those lines.

See? Spare cash in this scenario? You mightve started with a fortune, but at the same time, you also need to invest heaps to ensure our long-term financial security.

Still

Fear not, though. Im not the kind of man who would let the businesses go into debt without letting you know beforehand, Bok Man-Chun shamelessly reassured me.

If youre seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

I sighed and stared at him, asking, But emptying the coffers, isnt that a tad excessive?

I swear to my wife and kids, I have not made a single bad investment, Bok Man-Chun declared solemnly. Your inheritance is a hefty responsibility, but Im confident Ive made the right financial decisions. Once your businesses are firmly established, we can hire people to manage them for us, and the steady profits will guarantee that well be able to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. Of course, I wont work in that direction if youre not willing, Young Master.

I locked eyes with Bok Man-Chun. The man possessed the temperament and foresight of a true merchant. He invested generously in the present, not for small short-term profits, but for grand long-term gains.

Hes an honest man, and after our trip to the Freelancers Bazaar, I know that I can trust him with my money.I do feel a bit guilty about hiding my identity and fooling him, but I cant confess when hes burning with ambition like that.

After a brief silence, I collected my thoughts and asked, How long till the business turns a profit?

Bok Man-Chun beamed. Well break even in a year, and then its smooth sailing all the way!

Y arent you reading this at ?

One year. A pain in the neck right now, but a small price to pay for substantial future gains. I nodded and said, Alright, go for it. I entrust everything to you, Administrator Bok.

Thank you. You wont regret it!

As for the trading company and the escort agency

Yes?

Lets name them while were at it.

What names do you have in mind?

How about the White Dragon Conglomerate and the White Dragon Escort Agency? I said, grinning. Establishing the White Dragon Academy was out of the question now, but Id grown fond of the name.

The White Dragon Conglomerate I like it. Sounds like itll become the biggest and richest in the Central Plains one day, Bok Man-Chun chuckled.

Anyway, due to certain personal circumstances Im dead broke right now.

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Huh? Ak Yeon-Hos ears perked up, eager to hear my story.

Wait Does that mean Myeong Il-Oh, who believed I was treating them to food and drinks, tensed up.

Too late, fellas.

So I smirked, gripping their shoulders to prevent them from running away. You boys got any cash on you?

Ak Yeon-Ho choked on his drink. Cough! Cough! Are you a thug?

I wondered why you suddenly offered to treat uswas it a scheme to make us feel indebted so wed lend you money? Myeong Il-Ohs jaw dropped in horror, causing the food in his mouth to fall out.

Please~ Ill pay you back as soon as I get paid next month.

No, where would I get that kind of money?

M-Money has been tight lately

The two Young Masters tried to wriggle out of my grasp and escape, but I clamped down and eyed their plump wallets. After all the time wed spent together, I knew how loaded these two clowns really were. Whats the deal, you two? Ones a scion of the Shandong Ak Clan, one of the Five Great Clans; and the others the heir to the Myeong Clan which owns an escort agency. You cant fool me.

Why arent you reading this at ?

A while later, their pockets felt lighter than feathers.

Sob, your hearts as black as coal. Youre a monster

Im going to starve Why do new instructors get paid so little?

I patted my now-bulging wallet and grinned at them. Relax, dinners on me tonight. Wanna order more food and drinks?

Hows it on you when it was our money in the first place!

I shouldve listened to my old man about making bad friends

After griping about their predicament, the two despondent rich kids eventually ordered more food and drinks to lift their spirits.

Huh? Are their heads screwed on right? They spend money to cheer themselves up because theyre upset about being broke? Baffled, I asked cautiously, Guys, you do know that we have to work tomorrow, right?

If youre seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

However, either they pretended not to hear me or they were too far gone to care.

Ahh, who cares, who cares~

Work? What work? Lets enjoy life!

Hahahaha! Lets party till we drop!

Hyung-nim, lets invite Miss Jaegal too!

These two greedy bastards never learn from their mistakes. Theyll be hungover all day tomorrow, cursing tonights binge while their senior instructor works them to the bone, but in the evening theyll throw yet another party to drown their sorrows. Its a never-ending vicious cycle.

I stared blankly at the hopeless drunks. Sigh Why am I hanging out with these morons

A while later, Jaegal So-Yeong joined us. As usual, she sipped her wine quietly at first, then suddenly started chugging it by the bottle. With a red face, she launched into a tirade against her senior instructor, Namgoong welcomes you.

THAT CRAZY WORKAHOLIC BASTARDDDDDD!

Guess they all have work troubles and need to vent.

Anyway, I managed to get Jaegal So-Yeong to chip in financially.

So, because of this and that

You dont have money? I dont have much either but here! Jaegal So-Yeong welled up with sympathy and handed over her entire war chest.

Being a person of conscience, I didnt rob a drunkard of her entire fortune Just half of it.

Dear Miss, please take this back and safeguard it properly, I said solemnly, returning Jaegal So-Yeongs wallet.

Money? Wow, are you giving me pocket money? Hehe! Thank you The flushed girl graciously accepted the bag with both hands, bowing her head.

My conscience pricked me as I cleared my throat, Ahem. You wont remember this, but Ill definitely repay you first.

Hehe! Thank you!

What about my money?

You ought to read this at .

Lets not sweat the small stuff.

Hahahaha! Bottoms up!

The sloshed trio got even worse, and for some reason, my wallet grew fatter as a result. Still, sadly, I couldnt join in on the revelry.

This isnt enough. Its a significant sum, but nowhere near enough to buy elixirs or the stuff Wiji Yeol needs. Like Bok Man-Chun said, long-term investment is the way to go, but for now, Im penniless, and paydays a ways off.

All Ive got is a big house, myself, and two freeloading students.

Sigh

Why the long face?

Money is so easy to spend but so hard to earn.

Suddenly, Myeong Il-Oh, his face puffed up with alcohol, scratched his chin. Hyung-nim, if youre that strapped for cash, how about doing some private tutoring? I know its time-consuming, but

Private tutoring?

If youre seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

Myeong Il-Oh blinked incredulously. You know, one-on-one martial arts instruction for a fee. Youre an Azure Dragon Academy instructor, so there must be loads of folks eager to learn from you.

Huh? Oh yeah, the Azure Dragon Academy entrance exam is just a month away. Nows the perfect time to offer exam prep classes, Ak Yeon-Ho, half-slumped on the table, chimed in.

Bingo! Thats it! Why didnt I think of that sooner?

I pressed Myeong Il-Oh, Have you tutored before? How do you go about it?

Before Myeong Il-Oh could open his mouth though, Jaegal So-Yeong answered, her speech slightly slurred from alcohol, I usually do it a couple times a week, about an hour each. Sometimes I get paid per lesson, sometimes monthly. I wouldnt recommend it, but

Why not?

Jaegal So-Yeong pouted. Private tutoring is mostly for rich kids, so they can be

Spoiled?

Yeah. I did it a few times at the Heavenly Martial Academy

If youre seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

I contemplated Jaegal So-Yeongs words. If it was just dealing with spoiled kids, then tutoring didnt seem too hard. The real question is, can it pay the bills?

I asked bluntly, Whats the tutoring rate?

It varies In this field, every tutors different, so averages dont mean much

Im not concerned with averages. I want to know the top dogs rates. What does Namgoong Su charge?

Jaegal So-Yeongs eyes widened. Namgoong Su wasnt just her senior instructor, he was also the sole Star Instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy. Naturally, his tutoring fees would be sky-high.

Namgoong-oppa should be able to get at least three hundred silvers a month per student?

Three hundred silvers? I gaped. A hundred silver coins could sustain an average family for a year. Three hundred silvers were three times that.

He rakes in that much cash just tutoring martial arts twice a week for a month?

I clicked my tongue, remembering Namgoong Sus aloof demeanor. Hmph, so he was a money-grubber after all.

Why arent you reading this at ?

In any case, it was promising. I grinned absentmindedly, lost in my fantasies. With that kind of money, I can do whatever I please, heheh~

Uhm, Hyung-nim. You mustve missed it, but Miss Jaegal said that new instructors dont make much

What do you mean? If its me, I should be earning more than Namgoong Su. I looked at the three of them in confusion.

What?

How does that make any sense?

Whod pay that much for a rookie instructor!

They looked at me in disbelief.

Y arent you reading this at ?

I smirked at them. Dont worry, my lessons are well worth every cent.

The next day, my two students and I scoured the city, posting flyers everywhere.

Translators Note: This is the 200th chapter on ! Yay! (I know Im slow)