I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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101 – Jo Tae-hyun
101
“Good day, valued client. I’m Jo Tae-hyun from the ‘Procurement Office’—we do whatever our clients need.”
A man in a sharply tailored striped suit walked into the office with a smile.
Even at a glance, the office atmosphere seemed heavy and strained,
yet the man acted as though such an atmosphere meant nothing to him, utterly unbothered.
Either he possessed no social awareness whatsoever,
or he believed himself capable of transforming the mood entirely on his own.
I suspected it was the latter.
He carried the unmistakable aura of a seasoned operator who had weathered every conceivable storm.
“Whatever has transpired, I must first apologize to anyone who has suffered inconvenience because of us.”
As Jo Tae-hyun entered, he bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, offering his apology first.
Then he set a plastic bag down on the table.
“I brought some refreshments, worried the atmosphere might feel too stiff. I’m glad I did. Even if we end up arguing later, please enjoy these first. I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer, so I prepared everything—though I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.”
At his gesture, the razor-sharp tension that had pervaded the room seemed to soften slightly.
.
.
.
Jo Tae-hyun came from what people commonly called the private investigation business.
Through high school, he neither studied nor played sports, nor did he engage in anything illicit.
He lived a life doing essentially nothing at all.
The only thing he knew how to do was hang around with friends.
Yet because he excelled at even that, Tae-hyun was surrounded by quite a few people.
Whether they were studious types, delinquents, or school outcasts, Tae-hyun approached them with warmth, struck up conversations, and became their friend.
When Tae-hyun graduated high school and was thrust into society, there was nothing he could actually do.
He couldn’t exactly write “many friends” on a resume.
“Good interpersonal skills” wasn’t an asset in modern society.
That’s when a friend called him.
“What are you up to these days?”
“Just hanging around. I’m going crazy with all the awkwardness. I’m thinking maybe I should go somewhere and learn a trade.”
“How about our office? We’re hiring right now.”
“What kind of company is it?”
“We’re a private service provider.”
“Private service?”
“Never mind the details—just come by sometime. Seeing it once beats ten explanations. Besides, regardless of the job, I need to see your face. We should grab a drink.”
“Sounds good.”
With nothing better to do and curious about what “private service” meant, I visited my friend’s office.
Call it private service, call it concierge service—it was no different from a private investigation agency or a general errand service.
They simply called their errand business “private service” among themselves.
It was similar to how multi-level marketing was called “network marketing,” secondhand reselling was called “resale consulting,” and housekeeping was called “house care direction.”
I went to the office and met a manager there.
We grabbed some Chinese food nearby—sweet and sour pork with black bean noodles.
My natural charm helped me bond with the manager quickly.
“Hahaha. I like you. Join us right away. Even though we operate this way, we’re a company with real prestige—we only deal with the upper class.”
“It’s a bit overwhelming to decide right now. Let me think about it.”
“Well, how about doing some part-time work instead?”
“Part-time work?”
“Yeah. There’s a dog-walking gig here in Buam-dong. Want to try it?”
“Dog-walking part-time work?”
“An elderly couple lives there, and Buam-dong is incredibly steep, you know? The grandfather and grandmother find it hard to walk the dogs with their knees. These mutts run around like crazy. That’s why we hire someone. Walking the dogs is one thing, but it’s tough to even get in a car, and recently they said they returned their driver’s license because driving got too difficult. They just take taxis when they go anywhere. These folks want their beloved dogs walked, but they can’t go out themselves, so they hire someone to do it.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. I’ve never heard of a part-time job like that before.”
“This falls well within the normal range of requests, and if you work here, you’ll get all sorts of bizarre requests. Anyway, will you do it?”
“Yes, absolutely. Where else would you find such a cushy gig? I love dogs, and I get paid just to walk them?”
“Then I’ll give you their contact and address. Call them tomorrow and go visit.”
“Okay.”
So I went to that house in Buam-dong.
They said it was a wealthy neighborhood, and among the tall walls that blocked the view into homes, I spotted a modest house.
‘That must be it.’
Inside the gate was a small garden, and beyond it stood a two-story house.
Living there were a stern grandfather and grandmother.
And two retrievers named General and Barley.
Jo Tae-hyun visited that house every day, walking the dogs and helping the elderly couple with household chores that taxed them.
Then one day.
On that particular day when I stopped by as usual to walk General and Barley.
There was someone I hadn’t seen before.
“Chairman, the negotiations are complete. You just need to sign next week.”
“What are the terms?”
“We got 100% of our conditions reflected. They seemed eager, so they accepted all our terms.”
“Good work. When’s the press announcement?”
“Right after you sign, Chairman. We’ll release it that same day.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll contact you again then.”
“Go ahead and head in.”
A few days later, that grandfather appeared on TV signing and shaking hands.
[Next news. Dongsam CoreTech, called a hidden powerhouse in global power infrastructure, announced it has secured a supply contract for the U.S. government-led massive ‘Power Grid Modernization Project.’ The contract spans 10 years with a value of 5 billion dollars—approximately 7 trillion won—marking Dongsam CoreTech’s largest contract ever. Upon news of the deal, Dongsam CoreTech’s stock price surged to its daily limit. Experts analyze that there’s significant room for further gains. The core products Dongsam CoreTech secured···]
Huh?
That man who came and talked about signing was standing behind the grandfather.
Their conversation that day was about today’s announcement, and because of it, Dongsam CoreTech’s stock price skyrocketed.
If I had known beforehand—if I had bought Dongsam CoreTech stock in advance—how much could Jo Tae-hyun have made?
After that incident, Tae-hyun came to understand the importance of information.
I came to realize that every word spoken by a person, every single word, every gesture—it was all information.
Even a simple phrase like “I’m exhausted to death” carries meaning within it.
It could mean someone was genuinely tired from arduous work, or they might say it playfully about something trivial.
Perhaps it stemmed from emotional lethargy accumulated over a long period, or maybe they wanted to end the conversation because it wasn’t going the way they preferred.
Regardless, every word carried significance.
The key was interpreting this meaning and analyzing it with precision.
From that day forward, Jo Tae-hyun deliberately met with many people,
and analyzed their conversations by recording and replaying them.
Fortunately, Jo Tae-hyun’s private service work provided ample opportunities to meet various types of people.
He engaged in conversations with diverse individuals across multiple fields.
Most were trivial personal gossip, but occasionally there were remarks that carried the nuance of valuable information.
He dug into such information repeatedly.
Very rarely did things align perfectly, but most were nonsense or insignificant matters.
Yet Jo Tae-hyun found the work enjoyable.
It felt like assembling a puzzle, or designing the future.
That was incredibly engaging.
As this repeated, at some point I began to perceive the other person’s intentions.
Without words, through body language, eyes, and nuance, the meaning of their communication became visible.
Nonverbal communication—the dialogue conveyed through gestures, posture, gaze, and expression—began to reveal itself.
From that point on, it became easy.
Because I could see the other person’s intentions.
So I scratched where they itched.
I procured what they needed, connected them with the people they needed, and extracted the information they required.
Jo Tae-hyun acted on commissions, but even without them, if he felt something was necessary, he moved first.
Just this time, when I heard whispers of the Dae-hoon Faction and a Construction Company somewhere, my mind began working.
It was common for Gangsters to operate through construction companies.
I took the transaction details of Dae Yeon Development and went directly to the Dae-hoon Faction to provide the information.
I didn’t even ask for an information fee.
But Jo Tae-hyun knew.
If things went well, they would never let it pass without reciprocation.
Even if things didn’t work out, it didn’t matter.
I had made new connections through this opportunity.
I was at least establishing a personal connection.
I had arranged a meeting with Kim Chang-soo, the CEO, whom I had met once or twice at gatherings.
I hadn’t mentioned the word Gangsters, worried it might interfere with the conversation—had that become a problem?
.
.
.
Jo Tae-hyun laid out food on the table in front of the sofa.
“This is entirely my fault. I’ll accept the punishment, so please eat something first. But it’s quite dry in here. Do you have a humidifier?”
Jo Tae-hyun approached Kim Chang-soo, who stood vacant-eyed before the window, pretending to search for a humidifier.
He whispered in a voice too low for anyone else to hear.
“It’s been a while, CEO. But how did things come to this?”
“······”
Watching Kim Chang-soo struggle to speak, Jo Tae-hyun seemed to catch onto something.
“CEO, you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
“Huh??”
“It looks like you tried to force something and got caught in the act.”
“No… I…”
“I understand. I do. But you have to be careful about who you’re dealing with. Those people don’t look like mere gangsters, do they? They’re not. They’re the king of the Gangsters.”
“That… young… that… person?”
Kim Chang-soo quickly covered his mouth, afraid he might misspeak, and corrected his words.
Kim Chang-soo had become afraid to speak.
The image of a sashimi knife was vivid before his eyes.
“He controls half the country, including Seoul, and could control the rest, but there’s no need to, so he leaves it alone. The other side hasn’t said it outright, but they’ve essentially sworn loyalty.”
“Really?”
“Chairman Seo Dae-hun is known for being gentle. He’s famous for not laying hands on people if possible, but if Chairman Seo Dae-hun is calling his organization members like this, it means he’s genuinely angry—very angry.”
“Is… is that so?”
“So tell me. What happened? You need to know so you can take a beating, endure insults, or negotiate, right?”
At Jo Tae-hyun’s words, Kim Chang-soo quietly recounted what had happened in the room.
After hearing the story, Jo Tae-hyun looked at CEO Kim Chang-soo with a troubled expression and spoke.
“He has every right to be angry. You went too far this time, CEO.”
“If he’s angry, what happens normally?”
“I don’t know much either. I’ve never seen Chairman Seo Dae-hun angry. But one thing’s certain—if you fall out of favor with Chairman Seo Dae-hun, life won’t be easy.”
“But you said he was gentle? Yet he acts so petty?”
“I think the Chairman will point someone out and have them dealt with. Like how a division commander in the military just points, and soldiers flatten mountains without question—you saw Chairman Seo Dae-hun angry. Do you think his men will just sit idle? Especially the Dae-hoon Faction, which has an almost fanatical loyalty to Chairman Seo Dae-hun.”
“Why didn’t you warn me about this beforehand?”
“I thought you’d sell through legitimate channels as you normally do, so I didn’t think there would be any problem. You’ve always been an honest businessman.”
“···..”
“Anyway, you’re going to sell Dae Yeon Development anyway.”
“Right?”
“Then let’s clean this up neatly while we’re at it. I’ll help you.”
“Should… should we?”
“It’s not a fair price of 10 billion, is it?”
“······”
.
.
.
After finishing his conversation with CEO Kim Chang-soo, Jo Tae-hyun apologized to Dae-hun.
“Chairman, I apologize once more. After speaking with CEO Kim Chang-soo, it seems his greed was excessive. Since the private equity fund’s sales amount directly translates to performance metrics, he crossed the line trying to extract more money. I apologize on his behalf, and CEO Kim Chang-soo also offers his apologies.”
Jo Tae-hyun glanced at Kim Chang-soo, and the CEO immediately bowed his head in apology.
“I sincerely apologize. I seem to have made a poor judgment, blinded by performance metrics. I’m truly sorry for causing you displeasure, Chairman.”
“Sigh… why do you keep apologizing like that? It makes it impossible for me to stay angry. It’s not about the money—if you’d asked, I could have given it to you. The problem is the process was deeply unpleasant. Do you think I’m a con artist? Huh?”
As time passed, the heated atmosphere cooled slightly, and after eating some of the food before me, my anger began to subside.
“You’re absolutely right, Chairman. Kim Chang-soo is deeply remorseful. If you could overlook our recklessness with your generous magnanimity, I assure you this will never happen again.”
“Ah… do I have to be fooled again?”
“However, you should gain something as well, Chairman. We’ve adjusted the terms.”
“How so?”
“We’ve reduced 10 billion to 5 billion—a 50% discount. It’s an impossible price normally, but given the debt we’ve incurred, Kim Chang-soo has made a bold decision. I believe you’ll be more than satisfied.”
“That must be the market price then.”
“… You could consider it the cost price.”
“Fine. If I came to buy something, I should leave with it. I can’t go back empty-handed. Besides, we had to call in our people and put on a show, so we’ve incurred some expenses. The men need to eat too. You should cover at least that much, right?”
“Of course. That’s…”
“Let’s make it 2 billion.”
“Pardon?”
“Excluding the transportation and meal costs for the men, and without any markup—let’s settle on 2 billion.”
Jo Tae-hyun looked at Kim Chang-soo.
Kim Chang-soo shook his head.
2 billion seemed absolutely impossible.
But Jo Tae-hyun’s answer was different.
“Yes, sir. We’ll prepare it that way.”
“Then I’m leaving with just your word.”
“I’ll prepare the documents and visit you. Please take care on your way out.”
After Seo Dae-hun and his group left and the door closed, only then did Kim Chang-soo and Jo Tae-hyun exhale heavily.
“Phew… I thought I was going to suffocate.”
Jo Tae-hyun picked up a glass of liquor from the table and drank it down in large gulps.
“Ugh… and what would have happened if you’d shaken your head there, boss?”
“2 billion is still too low a price.”
“You still haven’t come to your senses. Are you going to nitpick over every detail here too?”
“2 billion really is impossible.”
“You bought Dae Yeon Development for 190 billion and have already extracted over 300 billion from it, yet you’re risking your life over 3 billion?”
“Huh?? How did you know that?”
“Why wouldn’t I know? If we’d sold it for 5 billion and he’d discovered through due diligence that we’d overcharged him, he might have made you cough up an arm or a leg instead of money. How are you so naive about how the world works? I just saved your life. You should be thanking me.”
“…”
“Still… 2 billion is…”
“I’ll find you another company to buy. This time, we’ll just do 2 billion. Otherwise, you can spend the rest of your life on crutches.”
“I’ll do it. 2 billion.”
********
[Do you have more Assand? We’d like to receive additional quantities. – Beijing]
[The response has been incredible. Can you provide 10 million units? Payment can be transferred immediately. – Shanghai]
[5 million units ordered. – Guangzhou]
‘These bastards are absolutely thrilled, thrilled.’
The messenger app keeps ringing at all hours.
Don’t these guys know what 9-to-6 means?
No manners. No manners at all.
I turned off the notifications on the messenger app.
I have no idea how these guys are selling Assand, but sales have skyrocketed.
Don’t they ever lay low?
Are they meeting in person and selling directly?
Do they want to get caught and executed?
How can they sell so recklessly?
No matter how large China’s population is, this quantity shouldn’t be depleted so quickly and easily.
Worry takes precedence.
Ah, of course it’s my worry.
Whatever happens to those bastards is none of my concern.
I’ve encountered a real problem.
I have no inventory.
There’s no stock whatsoever.
The warehouse is completely empty.
Running the Factory produces roughly 1 million candies per day.
After a week of production, my inventory is full.
Then I load those candies into inventory and head to China.
A round trip usually takes about ten days.
By the time I return, there’s already more than enough production to fill the inventory again.
So I load it again and make another trip.
Meanwhile, candy production continues.
I return, load again, make another trip, load again, make another trip—an endless cycle.
There was no problem whatsoever.
But things changed once I started sending containers.
Inventory depleted rapidly.
Production capacity was insufficient.
Even running 24 hours a day, including night shifts, production fell far short of meeting orders.
The new Factory is under construction, but there’s still a long way to go before completion.
On top of that, Edward seemed to be struggling with development.
I assigned Shin Jung-gi, who’s supposedly sharp, to work with him, but I’m not sure if they’ll have good synergy.
So until Edward finds a solution and the Factory is completed, I’ll continue to suffer from this supply shortage crisis.
This is why I’m worried.
I should buy Edward some chicken and beer so he can research comfortably.
******
Marshall Ling, the Boss of Beijing’s major Yakuza organization, the Heishi Bang, was smoking a cigarette with an uncomfortable expression.
Recently, Assand has been sweeping across China.
For candy no bigger than a fingernail, it commands an astronomical price of ten thousand won per piece.
Despite this, it sells like wildfire.
Social media overflows with testimonials claiming that a single Assand can help you rediscover your lost self.
Everywhere you look, there’s nothing but Assand verification posts.
Whenever people gather, they talk about nothing but Assand.
In this climate, selling Assand alone could rake in enormous profits.
A path of flowers unfolds before us.
Yet we cannot obtain Assand.
I’ve had my subordinates investigate through every possible channel, but we’ve only managed to secure a handful of pieces.
Today, I called another meeting to explore ways of acquiring Assand.
“So what you’re telling me is that we can’t obtain any Assand at all?”
“My apologies. I will secure some within a short timeframe.”
“But we can obtain it, right?”
“… I will do my utmost to acquire it.”
“We’re not talking about buying a few pieces for ourselves. We need to establish a distribution route for sales. Can you do that or not?”
“In truth, it’s not easy. We can’t even figure out how it’s coming in. With a trend this massive, we should have detected the supply chain by now, but there’s nothing—absolutely nothing.”
“What, did it fall out of some magic bag?”
“I have no idea.”
“So you’re just going to sit back and watch? When Assand is doing this well?”
“I’ll investigate immediately.”
One of my subordinates spoke up cautiously.
“But boss, what if we just made it ourselves?”
“What?”
“Honestly, candy like that is quick to manufacture, isn’t it? We could make it and sell it ourselves. That way we save costs, produce without restrictions, and obviously make far more profit.”
“Huh? Why didn’t we think of that? But can we actually make it?”
“We’re in China. The kingdom of counterfeit goods—we can replicate anything. We manufacture phones, so this candy would be child’s play.”
“Really? Then let’s proceed with it.”
A satisfied smile spread across Marshall Ling’s face.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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