I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 12

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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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012-Yang Jung-won
12. Yang Jung-won
Yang Jung-won did not go to School.
For a delinquent who was usually diligent and earnest, it was a most unexpected action.
Lying in bed, I couldn’t bring myself to get up from the shame.
I’d been beaten like a punching bag by Gong In-bae in front of the entire Classroom.
Three minutes per round. Six rounds total.
What made it worse.
He hadn’t even hit me hard.
Just like shadow boxing, merely assuming a stance.
He tapped me lightly, almost gently.
How lightly he struck—
After taking six rounds of three minutes each, I didn’t have a single mark on my body.
Tap, tap, tap, tap—like hitting a punching bag.
Being struck that way made me furious enough to lose my mind.
So I threw a punch.
But with that strange muttering of “shoulders can’t open,” a one-two and hook came flying in.
Since my attacks weren’t landing, all I could do was raise my guard and endure.
That’s how I took six rounds.
The humiliation hurt more than the pain.
But what I hated most was that I’d become afraid of Gong In-bae.
Honestly, I was terrified.
Gong In-bae’s eyes as he struck me had no focus whatsoever.
They were hollow, devoid of anything at all.
There was no emotion.
It seemed like he was treating it as mere work.
That terrified me more than anything.
.
.
.
Yang Jung-won’s rapid rise as a delinquent owed much to his father’s help.
Former Gangster.
Current construction company president.
This was the profile of Yang Jung-won’s father, Yang Nam-hyuk.
Yang Nam-hyuk’s life philosophy was simple.
Winning was everything.
There were no fouls in life.
Results spoke for themselves.
It wasn’t the strong who survived—it was the survivors who became strong.
Words like contemptible, cunning, wicked, and crafty followed Yang Nam-hyuk wherever he went.
To Yang Nam-hyuk, such words were nothing short of praise.
By hearing such encouragement, I had managed to climb to where I stood today.
A life of survival.
I had to pass down such a life to my son as well.
Yang Jung-won first got into a confrontation with school delinquents in middle school.
The result was a crushing defeat.
He came home absolutely battered.
Seeing Yang Jung-won’s face swollen from the beating, Yang Nam-hyuk grew furious.
Yet he asked calmly.
“Where did you fight?”
“In the classroom.”
“How did you fight?”
“Just with my fists..”
Crack!!
Yang Nam-hyuk’s sharp palm struck Yang Jung-won’s cheek.
It hurt, but Yang Jung-won looked at his father with a shocked expression.
Though he was frightening, his father had always been tender toward Yang Jung-won.
And now that father had struck him.
Struck him quite harshly at that.
Yet Yang Nam-hyuk’s voice remained composed.
“Were there no other objects around?”
“There were. There were chairs, desks, a mop..”
Crack!!!
An even harder slap came flying.
Yang Jung-won couldn’t dodge and took the blow directly.
The pain brought tears to his eyes.
Though tears fell, he was too terrified of his father to do anything but obey.
Yang Nam-hyuk spoke in an expressionless tone.
“Kids can fight. It’s natural for kids to fight. You can hit, and you can get hit. But in the end, you’re the one who needs to be standing. You fought with just your fists? Why? When there were so many weapons around you to attack that bastard with? If fists won’t work, throw a chair, smash a fluorescent light. Why are you stupidly standing there getting beaten?”
Another crack!!!
An even harder slap landed.
“Your mistake wasn’t fighting. Losing the fight isn’t a mistake either. But losing stupidly—that’s a mistake. You must use everything at your disposal.”
“But that’s cheating.”
“Cheating? Who said that’s cheating? Cheating exists only in sports. In sports where weight classes are set and rules are established to see who’s better or worse—that’s where cheating exists. In a street fight, do you have a referee? Do you set weight classes and wear protective gear?”
“When the fight ends, you’re the one who needs to be standing. What you do in that process doesn’t matter. It’s a fight. Otherwise, you die. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand..”
Of course, the next day Yang Nam-hyuk found the boy who had beaten his son and destroyed him.
He even had him transferred schools.
After that, Yang Jung-won grew stronger.
When he fought, he fought like a madman.
I threw anything I could see and fought with whatever was in my hand.
People who witnessed Yang Jung-won fighting tried to avoid fighting him.
If you fought that bastard, you’d definitely get hurt somewhere.
Yang Jung-won’s father was terrifying, but
Yang Jung-won himself wasn’t just an ordinary madman.
By the time I graduated middle school, nobody dared to touch me.
High school was the same.
I naturally claimed the top position in the food chain.
My sudden growth spurt after entering high school helped me establish myself as the apex predator.
Reigning as a predator for so long,
I had forgotten how to actually fight and only knew how to strike.
Until I got beaten by Gong In-bae.
Naturally, I wanted revenge.
I wanted to beat Gong In-bae senseless.
But that hollow gaze of his keeps haunting me.
Honestly, when I see those eyes, my body freezes.
Chills run down my spine.
If I told my father, it would be resolved easily, but I’d have to be prepared to get beaten myself.
Stand there quietly and get pummeled like a punching bag?
It won’t end with just a few slaps like last time.
Even when I was a middle schooler, I got hit like that.
Now he’ll probably throw punches.
Is there another way?
Looking out the window, I notice my uncles.
Right.
I had uncles.
Uncles who adored me so much and found me adorable,
uncles from the Gangsters.
.
.
.
“That’s the bastard, right?”
“Seems like it.”
“Our young master got beaten by a pretty boy like that?”
“But he’s quite tall, isn’t he?”
“Kids these days grow tall from eating well.”
“Brother, you eat well too, don’t you? You’re just short because of that.”
Jin Beom-gyu lands a blow to the back of my head.
Smack.
“Hey~ you need to eat well during your growth years for your height to increase. At this point, no matter how much you eat, it won’t add to your height. You’ll just get fat.”
“I thought you were eating so well because you wanted to grow taller, hyung-nim. I apologize.”
“Don’t say that. I couldn’t eat much when I was young, so I eat a lot now. Kids who ate well back then don’t have much appetite. Why? Because they think they can eat anytime. Kids like me who were poor didn’t know when we’d eat again, so we just ate without thinking.”
“Didn’t Jung-won say that bastard is an orphan? I thought he’d have no backing since he’s an orphan. But if he’s an orphan, he should have gone hungry, yet he’s grown quite tall.”
Another sucker punch coming my way.
“The orphanage must feed them well. These days, orphanages and schools serve decent meals.”
“That’s right, hyung-nim. My friend got out recently, and he said school meals these days are absolutely amazing.”
“Not that school. Ugh. Never mind. Hurry up and follow him. If we lose him, we’re dead.”
“Yes, hyung-nim. My driving is pretty incredible, isn’t it?”
“Huh? That bastard’s on a motorcycle?”
“Don’t worry, hyung-nim. I’ll catch up and tap the back of his bike to make him crash. Then we’ll offer him a ride to the hospital and take him to the factory instead.”
“Oh, damn, that’s smooth. Logical. Perfect, right?”
“Then I’ll do the job somewhere less crowded.”
A black sedan pursued the motorcycle that Gong In-bae was riding.
As the motorcycle turned into an alley, the black sedan suddenly accelerated.
Then—tap.
The motorcycle’s rear was clipped, and it toppled over instantly.
The two men quickly stopped the car and rushed to the fallen motorcycle.
“Are you okay, kid? Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
The fallen student seemed somewhat flustered but got up obediently.
“I’m so sorry. Does it hurt? Let’s go to the hospital right away.”
“How can we go straight to the hospital? We need to call the police and sort things out here first.”
“What’s there to sort out? Just stand the motorcycle up. We can take our car to the hospital.”
“We need to call the police to document this. Then we can call insurance. The hospital can wait.”
“No, you’re bleeding. We need to go to the hospital first.”
Gong In-bae felt something was off.
It was strange that an accident happened in a place where accidents shouldn’t happen,
and the apology sounded too rehearsed to be genuine.
If there was an accident, you’d normally take photos of the scene and sort things out, but they showed no intention of doing any of that.
They didn’t even call the police, let alone insurance—they just wanted to go to the hospital first.
Anyone could see something was wrong.
Uneasy, I tried to call the police and refused to go to the hospital.
The man beside me pretended to help me up, but his short, sharp jab made my body stagger.
I had no defense whatsoever,
and he was a professional—someone who knew how to snap short punches with power.
The punch landed, and my body went limp instantly.
In that moment, the car’s rear door opened, and I was shoved inside before it sped off.
As soon as I got in the car, fists came flying.
Vicious punches.
A professional?
Unable to resist, I kept my head down and just guarded.
“So you roughed up Yang Jung-won? Well, today you’re going to get the beating of your life.”
Yang Jung-won?
I’d heard Yang Jung-won’s father was a former gangster.
The kid seemed so mild-mannered for someone from that background that I thought it was a lie, but it’s actually true?
Growing up in such a harsh environment and turning out that decent—that’s genuinely impressive.
I suddenly felt sorry for Yang Jung-won.
But setting that aside, what am I supposed to do about this situation?
While I was worrying, the man next to me received a phone call.
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Is it about the delivery?”
“Should I head out right now?”
“No problem. I can leave immediately. I should arrive in about twenty minutes.”
Jin Beom-gyu, who had been beating Gong In-bae in the back seat while taking the call, spoke to his younger brother who was driving.
“Young-gi, the Chairman is looking for us. We’re heading to the office right now.”
“Understood, hyung. I’ll head to the office immediately.”
The car, which had been heading toward Seoul Outskirts, changed direction and entered Seoul proper.
.
.
.
Mujin Construction Headquarters Underground Parking Garage.
“Hyung, what do we do with this bastard?”
“Tie him up. We’ll leave him secured here, make the delivery, then head to the factory.”
“Understood, hyung.”
Opening the glove box in front of the passenger seat, several pieces of equipment, including rope, tumbled out.
He pulled out the rope and bound Gong In-bae tightly.
Worried he might scream, he shoved a dirty glove-like object into his mouth, then sealed his lips shut with tape.
“Stay quiet. This is our company parking garage. A place where guys like us come and go. If anyone here sees someone like you, they’ll kill you just for fun. So don’t bother hoping someone will save you—abandon that hope right now and stay still. We’ll be back soon.”
The two of them left Gong In-bae bound in the back seat and drove off somewhere.
Gong In-bae tried desperately to escape from the car, but it wasn’t easy.
His hands were tied behind his back, his legs were bound, and the rope was connected to the passenger seat.
If only his hands had been tied, he could have somehow opened the door and fled, but with his legs bound as well,
and the rope connected to the front seat, he couldn’t escape without completely freeing himself from the restraints.
The glove shoved in his mouth reeked with a nauseating stench.
Gong In-bae writhed and twisted his body, trying to escape.
But these guys were clearly professionals.
They’d tied him up really well.
Were they Boy Scouts or something?
The knots were immaculate.
They’d utilized the knots perfectly for the situation.
There was absolutely no way to break free.
A moment later, the car door opened and the two men who had left returned carrying a Boston bag.
The younger-looking one attempted to place the Boston bag in the car trunk.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Put that in the back seat.”
“But there’s this bastard in the back seat?”
“This guy can’t move a single finger anyway. Don’t worry about it and just put it in the back seat.”
“Yes, understood, hyung.”
Gong In-bae sat in the back seat behind the passenger seat, while the Boston bag was placed on the back seat behind the driver’s seat.
“We’re departing now, hyung.”
The two men started the engine and drove off.
The man who appeared to be the older brother spoke.
“I’m sorry we’re running two jobs like this. Just wait a bit. I’ll be back from a delivery soon. Then I’ll give you a proper beating.”
“We’re heading to a factory on the Seoul Outskirts, and since there aren’t many people around, no matter how much you scream, nobody comes. That’s the nice part.”
“Hyung, isn’t the floor there made of epoxy?”
“That’s right. So no matter how much blood spills, it cleans up incredibly well.”
“Epoxy really is the best, hyung.”
“That’s why our young master should have just taken the beating. A few hits and it would’ve been over, but he couldn’t endure it, so his life got twisted.”
“Do you know how important patience is in life? They say if you endure three times, you can even escape murder.”
“Hyung, that’s impressive. I didn’t know you knew such things. I respect you.”
“It’s basic knowledge. That’s why you should keep reading the newspaper. The whole world is in the newspaper.”
“Yes, hyung. I’ll read diligently too.”
While the two men spouted useless words.
Gong In-bae was curious about the bag they had left behind.
Chairman.
Delivery.
Those were the only clues,
but judging from such words, there was a high possibility that something valuable was inside.
I couldn’t just let this good opportunity slip away.
If my hand could just reach it, I could immediately put it in my inventory.
But with my hands tied behind my back, I couldn’t reach the bag on the footrest of the back seat behind the driver.
Gong In-bae wondered if perhaps my feet could do it.
I carefully shifted my body slightly toward the center of the back seat.
The two were still explaining the meaning of the proverb about enduring three times to escape murder, calling it impressive and giving thumbs up.
In the meantime, Gong In-bae quietly lifted his feet and gently placed them over the bag.
Since my feet were also bound, I had to move carefully.
Go in, go in, go in, go into the inventory.
Gong In-bae shouted inwardly,
and in an instant, the bag disappeared.
Done.
Once again, Gong In-bae sat quietly in the back seat, pretending to know nothing.
Shortly after, the two men stopped the car as if they had arrived.
“So I just need to deliver this to Kim Councilman and come back?”
“Don’t go to Kim Councilman directly. Kim Councilman’s car will be in the parking garage. When we get there, the driver will open the trunk for us. We just slip it in and leave.”
“Understood, hyung.”
The two men turned off the engine and opened the rear door to retrieve the Boston bag.
“Hyung. Did you happen to bring a separate bag?”
“Huh? No, I didn’t.”
“The bag is missing.”
“Missing? What do you mean?”
“I’m certain we loaded the bag here. But it’s not here.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Hyung urgently opened the door and checked the back seat.
In the back seat, there was only the bound Gong In-bae—no bag in sight.
“Hey, damn it. We loaded it properly earlier, right?”
“Yes. I’m certain of it.”
“Hey. Heo Young-gi. Look at me straight. We loaded the bag properly, right?”
“Yes, hyung. If you doubt me, I’m really wronged. I’m not going somewhere alone—we’re going together. How could I possibly steal it while we’re both here?”
Heo Young-gi had a point.
There were cases of someone skimming while making a solo delivery, but never when two people moved together.
Jin Beom-gyu knew this, but asked anyway, just in case.
Both their gazes turned toward Gong In-bae.
“Hey, what happened? You were here, so you’d know.”
“Mmmmgh-nngh-nngh”
“Damn it, what are you saying? Take that thing out of his mouth.”
Shortly after, the younger guy came over and roughly ripped the tape off Gong In-bae’s mouth.
Gloves that reeked of vomit came off with it.
The moment the tape came off, Gong In-bae answered in rapid-fire succession, as if he’d been waiting.
“I’m sorry. I was too scared to open my eyes. I had no idea what was happening. I was just so frightened that tears kept flowing… Sob sob sob. I’m sorry. Wail wail wail.”
The two men checked the ropes binding Gong In-bae.
The ropes were taut, just as they had been when first tied.
Gong In-bae was bound and helpless.
The two men searched the back seat and trunk thoroughly once more.
Still finding no bag, they turned the car around and headed back to the company parking garage, wondering if they’d left it there.
On the way, they called someone else to check if the bag was in the parking garage, but the answer wasn’t good.
As they drew closer to the company, both men’s faces grew increasingly pale.
Upon arrival, they searched the parking garage for the bag, and when they couldn’t find it, they headed up to the Office.
I found myself in the same situation as before.
Bound and abandoned in the back seat of the car.
The only difference was that there was no gag in my mouth.
“Siri. Call 112.”

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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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