I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 135

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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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135 – Special Envoy
135.
Toto was now in Unity Town.
While watching short videos, Toto’s heart had been captivated by a place that seemed like paradise where electricity flowed freely.
He wanted to go there.
Electricity was merely a secondary concern.
He loved the peaceful atmosphere that permeated those videos.
It didn’t feel like the Philippines.
To find where that place was, he combined every clue visible in the footage.
Thus he discovered the village: Unity Town.
So Toto simply wrote an email on impulse.
He said he wanted to live there.
And not long after, an invitation actually arrived.
All he needed to prepare was simple clothing.
Everything else would be provided by Unity Town, they said.
He persuaded his mother and went to Unity Town with his younger siblings.
There, they showed him a Container Barracks as temporary lodging.
Compared to where Toto had lived, it was magnificent.
It was state-of-the-art.
There was even a bathroom inside the dwelling.
Just as shown in the videos, air conditioning ran, and electricity could be used freely.
It wasn’t a lie.
All basic appliances were fully equipped.
He paid rent, but it wasn’t much.
Since they had arranged a job for his mother, the rent wasn’t a heavy burden.
With childcare facilities and restaurants available, his mother could leave his younger sibling in their care and go to work.
Everything about Unity Town was wonderful, but the best part was being able to attend School.
Young students in Unity Town must attend mandatory School.
Otherwise, they must attend vocational School.
Toto enjoyed going to School.
He loved the thrill of discovering something new.
When knowledge from different subjects fit together like puzzle pieces, it was transcendent.
So he continued studying.
But attending School, he noticed something odd.
The kids here seemed a bit crazy.
They all went around talking about the Rebel Forces, the Rebel Forces.
They all dreamed of joining the Rebel Forces.
Toto found their behavior strange at first, but only briefly.
Soon after, Toto’s dream also became joining the Rebel Forces.
He dreamed of becoming someone as magnificent as the Rebel Forces—those who created, managed, and maintained this wonderful Unity Town.
Toto wanted to work for Unity Town.
But becoming part of the Rebel Forces wasn’t an ordinary thing.
It was far too difficult.
But that was fine.
What Toto did best was studying.
All he had to do was sit down and read books.
Studying was the easiest thing of all.
.
.
.
Unity Town programming class.
“If you organize it this way, you’re done. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Despite their affirmations, the children’s expressions showed they understood nothing at all.
Watching them, Tian Zihao smiled.
What Tian Zihao taught was hacking.
They’d managed to keep up reasonably well through the intermediate level, but struggled when advancing to the advanced material.
Tian Zihao gently encouraged the children.
“It’s okay if you don’t understand. You don’t have to grasp this. It’s difficult. So if you can’t understand it, it’s better to give up on this quickly and explore something else. If you can’t even understand this much, you won’t be able to touch anything beyond it. Got it?”
Tian Zihao offered his advice to the children with genuine sincerity.
There was no need to be sincere about something unreachable.
There were many professions.
One could work in a Factory, become an office worker, or labor on a farm.
Tourism, retail, or Restaurant work were all good options.
The Rebel Forces wasn’t the only superior profession.
But such words fell on deaf ears with the Unity Town children.
The dreams of Unity Town’s children weren’t celebrities, athletes, or tycoons.
They lived as though the Rebel Forces were their only dream.
The children of Unity Town were quite peculiar.
In everything they did, the primary consideration was whether it would help them become part of the Rebel Forces or not.
From attending classes to taking action, everything was connected to and thought through the lens of the Rebel Forces.
For the Unity Town children, the Rebel Forces had become not merely an aspiration, but a dream.
The adults’ system was responsible for how the Unity Town children had changed.
All the adults, including Simon and Patrick, were concerned.
That the children dreamed of becoming part of the Rebel Forces.
They hoped the children would pursue something other than the Rebel Forces.
They wanted them to freely experience the diverse professions and varied work that existed in the world.
They had the will, the funds, and the programs to support it.
So the consensus narrowed to: try other things, experience everything, and if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll let you join the Rebel Forces.
But if they actually did that, the children might come to look down on the Rebel Forces.
I realized that if there was nothing left to do, becoming part of the Rebel Forces seemed inevitable, so I decided to flip the approach entirely.
Only the best children, a very select few, could become part of the Rebel Forces.
They had to excel academically,
maintain excellent interpersonal relationships,
demonstrate awareness of their surroundings,
and possess upright character.
I made the exams more difficult and raised the cutoff standards for physical fitness tests.
At this level, they’d surely give up and pursue something else.
I thought they’d choose a different career path instead of joining the Rebel Forces.
I taught diverse subjects to show them that other professions existed.
I thought that would be enough.
It wasn’t.
Instead, the difficulty only kindled their determination to achieve it.
That determination spread like wildfire.
Only the very best of the best could become part of the Rebel Forces.
The rules I’d created hoping the children wouldn’t join the Rebel Forces ended up fueling their competition.
Failing to join the Rebel Forces was acceptable.
But giving up without even trying was shameful.
The foundation of Unity Town was to challenge the impossible, even if one lacked the skill.
Until that moment, they poured everything they had into it.
No one criticized them for challenging what seemed impossible.
No one told them to settle for reality.
No one advised them to think about the future.
I simply watched the children.
Yet among them, there were those who stood out like awls piercing through cloth.
“Your name is Toto?”
“Yes.”
After class ended, Tian Zihao called Toto aside.
I generally avoided bringing students into the Rebel Forces.
But this child named Toto was too tempting to pass up.
Was this what it meant to understand ten things from learning one?
I wanted to teach more, to show more.
I wanted to converse with him, to hear his thoughts.
Toto was too valuable a resource to let slip away.
So Tian Zihao gathered his courage.
“How are the classes going? Can you keep up?”
“So far, yes.”
“You know what I do, right?”
“Yes. Data center maintenance and management, web page administration, and creating necessary applications and programs.”
“I think I could do that work even better if I did it with you. What do you say? Will you join me?”
After a moment of hesitation, Tian Zihao carefully and thoughtfully extended the proposal to Toto.
“Hmm… would it be alright if I thought about it a bit more?”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“Edward, Ana, and Shin Jung-gi all said the same thing. It’s just hard to decide right now.”
Tian Zihao felt as though he’d been struck from behind.
He’d mustered the courage to make this pitch, only to discover the others had apparently already done the same.
“I see… take your time thinking it over and let me know.”
“If I do choose, do I have to focus only on that? Or can I pursue multiple fields simultaneously?”
“If you’re capable of it, then it’s absolutely possible.”
“Then I’ll think it over and contact you.”
With that, Toto departed, leaving Tian Zihao alone.
Tian Zihao adjusted his mindset slightly.
It seemed his eye for talent wasn’t as exceptional as he’d thought.
Truly exceptional individuals certainly stood out.
He hadn’t originally planned to bring the children over early, but now he felt an urgent concern that he might lose out on excellent talent if he wasn’t careful.
The IT sector genuinely required exceptional talent.
While others certainly needed personnel as well, the IT field truly demanded the best.
Tian Zihao resolved to bring in the necessary talent ahead of schedule.
Fortunately, the children from Unity Town were already at a very high level.
This was because they’d worked so diligently to become part of the Rebel Forces.
Even the weakest among them represented advanced talent that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the Philippines.
That’s how committed the children were to the Rebel Forces.
Any selection would be excellent, but to choose the very best, Tian Zihao’s gaze grew sharp and discerning.
This was the moment Unity Town transformed into a vast talent pool.
********
Kang Pal-chun was bewildered.
It hadn’t been long since he’d begun distributing Disand, and already the Dae-hoon Faction was apparently searching for him.
What? He’d barely distributed any, and they were already investigating the distribution network?
How good was the Dae-hoon Faction’s radar?
How many informants did they have to gather information this quickly?
His amazement at the Dae-hoon Faction’s intelligence network was brief.
He needed to devise a strategy.
A way to survive.
If the Dae-hoon Faction caught him, it would be the end.
The Triad Society’s reconstruction, his future—all of it would vanish.
There was only one option available to Kang Pal-chun: disappear.
He’d need to lay low for a while and gauge the situation.
If Kang Pal-chun went underground, the Triad Society would cause an uproar, but if they grew impatient, they’d move directly themselves.
Honestly, the money wasn’t worth risking his life distributing drugs.
And he didn’t have enough loyalty to the Triad Society to stake his life on it.
I simply wanted to use the Triad Society to grow bigger.
At this moment, the most important thing to Kang Pal-chun was Kang Pal-chun’s own life.
Then my phone rang.
It was Mao Qin.
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“An envoy will arrive in three days?”
“You could have told me in advance.”
“They’re bringing medicine with them?”
“Understood. I’ll make the preparations.”
Mao Qin was always like this until the very end.
Sending an envoy now?
Something must have bothered him.
The fact that he’s even sending someone to oversee things says it all.
A good idea suddenly occurred to Kang Pal-chun.
It seemed like he’d found perfect bait to throw to the Dae-hoon Faction.
Kang Pal-chun naturally informed his subordinates that a Triad Society envoy was coming.
He told them to secure a luxury hotel and make restaurant reservations.
He instructed them to treat the envoy with utmost care.
He firmly ordered them to prepare for a meeting at a small port in Incheon.
He even provided the location and time.
There would surely be leaks here too.
Someone would talk.
.
.
.
Du Man-sik received a special order from Mao Qin.
The distribution of Assand in South Korea wasn’t going as well as expected, so he was to go to South Korea, assess the situation, and provide consulting.
He received orders to advise Kang Pal-chun, who was the Korean branch director, on how to proceed.
He was granted full authority over all Korean operations.
He’d even heard that if things went well, he might be given the position of Korean branch director.
Mao Qin’s orders were sweet.
Du Man-sik accepted them readily.
He thought this was finally his chance to prove his worth.
And so, carrying Assand with him, he arrived at Incheon Port.
As if they knew he was coming, men in black suits were waiting for Du Man-sik.
“Are you from the Triad Society?”
One of the men asked.
“That’s right.”
“I see. Hey—grab him!!”
As the man in the black suit spoke, dozens of men surrounded Du Man-sik.
.
.
.
Screeeech
Outside a warehouse in Incheon.
A large sedan came to a halt.
As Secretary General Geun-su, who had been waiting, opened the rear door, Seo Dae-hun, the Boss of the Dae-hoon Faction, stepped out.
“Welcome, Boss!”
The moment Dae-hun appeared, the warehouse erupted with the thunderous greetings of the organization members.
“Yeah. You’ve all worked hard.”
Dae-hun returned their greeting with a nod.
After exiting the vehicle, Dae-hun walked straight ahead, and the Dae-hoon Faction members followed in his wake.
Where they stopped, a man hung suspended by ropes, bound tightly.
It was Du Man-sik, the Triad Society’s special envoy.
A gag was stuffed in his mouth, and his upper body was bare.
Beside him sat a bag filled with candy.
“This bastard?”
“Yes. We apprehended him on the spot.”
Geun-su answered Dae-hun’s question.
While tracking the candy, the Dae-hoon Faction had obtained information that a transaction was about to occur.
Upon hearing that a high-ranking official from the Triad Society, the supplier, would bring the candy, they had set up an ambush.
But the designated meeting place had been empty.
The people scheduled to make contact never showed up.
I thought the information had been leaked and the plan had changed.
Just as we were about to give up and leave, a boat appeared in the distance.
On a hunch, we waited.
Bingo.
“He hasn’t said anything?”
“You instructed us to leave him be, so we simply kept him bound.”
“Good work. This should be entertaining. Did you prepare what I asked for?”
“It’s right here.”
Geun-su handed over a baseball bat as he answered.
As Geun-su passed the bat, he seemed uneasy and questioned further.
“Boss, but surely we can handle such rough work. There’s no need for you to get involved personally.”
“Heh. I know. But if we can’t even handle this ourselves, how could we ever face Alex?”
“That’s true, Boss.”
“That’s why I’m doing this myself today.”
“But isn’t a baseball bat too weak for this, Boss?”
“Kekeke. I know, I know. But suddenly today, I got nostalgic for the old days—back in middle school when I’d swing a bat in street fights. I’ve been missing that feeling in my hands. So I thought I’d start with the baseball bat.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“This is going to take some time. I’m planning to take it slow and draw it out. Go grab some food and come back.”
“No, sir. I’ll wait.”
“Really? Then order something. We can eat while we work.”
Dae-hun stretched his body like he was warming up, then swung the baseball bat through the air a few times.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The sound of air being split rang out menacingly.
Dae-hun stood beside the bound man and spoke to him with a tone tinged with curiosity.
“You know what? I really love moments like this. The world’s become so smart these days that there’s rarely a need to use your body. It’s been a while, so I’m getting excited. Even if I get a bit rough, I hope you understand.”
“······”
“Try not to say anything if you can. Really, I’m asking you. That way this moment can last longer. If you start rambling on about everything, I lose my justification to hit you. The justification. Well then, let’s begin.”
Dae-hun began striking the bound man with the baseball bat.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The baseball bat mercilessly battered the man.
Each swing of the bat produced a heavy, dull sound.
“Nngh… ugh.”
Screams leaked through the teeth of the gagged man.
“Ooh~ nice impact. Looks like you work out. Don’t worry. I won’t hit anywhere that’ll break. Just bruises and contusions? I’ll only hit places that’ll swell and discolor. Don’t feel disappointed if it tickles. Think long-term. This is just the appetizer. We have plenty of time, so let’s slowly savor the main course.”
Dae-hun’s bat swung again.
The bound man writhed in agony, but uttered nothing but faint screams.
“Hahaha. Good. I like this very much.”
Dae-hun was quite satisfied.
The bound man, instead, glared at Dae-hun.
“That look in your eyes is impressive too. I wish we could have worked together. I like people with eyes like that. But people with eyes like yours don’t realize how dangerous that look is. They don’t understand that look costs them their lives.”
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
The baseball bat swung once more.
After beating him for a while, Dae-hun finally tossed the bat aside.
“Ugh, I’m getting tired. I can’t keep hitting. How can I have gotten this exhausted after just a few swings? How do baseball players swing these things hundreds of times a day?”
“It’s a profession, isn’t it? People do anything for money.”
“I suppose. The bat seems sufficient. What else do you have?”
“We have knives ranging from sashimi knives to machetes, and for power tools, we have drills, cutters, and grinders.”
The bound man, who had maintained his expression through the bat strikes, began to flinch in fear at the mention of sashimi knives and electric drills.
“You all use electric drills a lot these days, don’t you?”
“They’re quite effective. There’s no risk of injuring yourself with the tool, it requires less effort, and the wounds are deep—quite efficient. Plus, they’re versatile. There are drills, and cutters in various sizes, making them convenient to use.”
Dae-hun’s expression turned satisfied.
“Right. People must keep learning and developing like this. That’s how you survive. But is there anything other than blood spray? I don’t really want to see much blood today.”
“How about this?”
Geun-su handed over a torch.
With a click, a strong flame burst forth.
“Oho~ You use these nowadays too? You have plenty of butane canisters, right?”
“We have boxes of them.”
“Then shall we start? Where should we begin?”
“Wouldn’t starting with the sensitive areas prevent him from feeling pain?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’d be over too quickly. We need to start with the least sensitive areas. Places where pain isn’t felt. But places where, once the pain does register, it’s already unbearable. Like this, for example.”
Dae-hoon pressed the torch against the man’s heel.
The pain was so intense that he screamed.
“Ahhhhh~~~~ Ahhhhh~~~~”
The bound man seemed to be saying something continuously.
But the gag in his mouth made it impossible to hear clearly.
Was it the torch?
The smell of cooking flesh wafted through the air.
“Mah-huh-hah-geh.. Mah-huh-hah-duh”
The man kept screaming.
“Boss, it sounds like this bastard is trying to say something?”
“No. You’re hearing things. Keep going.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Mah-huh-hah-duh!!”
The bound man desperately cried out something, but Dae-hoon and Geun-su did not stop.
.
.
.
Du Man-sik felt deeply wronged.
He could have told them everything.
There were no secrets he wanted to hide.
He knew nothing more than what he’d already said.
He wanted to speak immediately, but they’d gagged him the moment they saw him.
No matter what he tried to say, they wouldn’t even pretend to listen.
Bound in the warehouse, the Boss had arrived.
Upon arrival, he’d said the night would be long, told him to look forward to it.
He was terrified.
So very terrified.
Yet he was grateful for one thing.
The weapon the Boss had picked up was a bat.
That much he could endure.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
No.
He was wrong.
It hurt far too much.
So he looked at the Boss with eyes that pleaded for him to stop hitting.
Eyes full of reverence.
What was that?
My eyes are striking?
Eyes worth trading my life for?
No.
I have no such intention.
Du Man-sik is not a man of such conviction and principle.
No matter how much I tried to shout, the gag stuffed in my mouth prevented any coherent words from escaping.
They had shoved cloth deep into my mouth, sealing it completely.
Now they were pulling out a knife, then an electric drill.
This is absolutely not happening.
This cannot be allowed.
I resisted with every fiber of my being.
They spoke among themselves about progress and efficiency.
And then, finally, they produced a torch.
No.
This cannot be.
My body was beginning to burn.
Every hair on my body was charring away.
The acrid stench of burning flesh filled the air.
I’m telling you to stop this.
I’ll tell you everything.
Please, just remove this gag from my mouth.
Du Man-sik’s desperate plea was finally answered very late that night.
Or rather, in the early hours of dawn.

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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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