I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 151

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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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15-Townhouse
151.
After concluding negotiations with the Dae-hoon Faction, Mao Qin returned to her lodging.
She closed the door quietly,
and glanced around once more, wondering if anyone might be present.
After confirming no one was there, she finally released the breath she had been holding.
She screamed with unbridled joy.
“Yesssss!”
“I got the contract!!!”
“I got the contract! I did it!”
She bounced around the room.
The elation was overwhelming.
I couldn’t believe this achievement.
A distribution contract for Assand.
And with the Dae-hoon Faction, South Korea’s most powerful organization.
I couldn’t fathom that I had secured a distribution agreement with the Dae-hoon Faction, which was regarded as commanding over half of South Korea’s criminal underworld.
All the hardship I had endured flashed before my eyes like a lantern show.
When I carried Assand around from place to place, I received only cold rejections.
Even bearing the name Triad Society, I was turned away at every door.
The name Triad Society proved utterly useless here.
That’s why the word “surrender” had been circling in my mind.
But this time was different.
I changed my strategy.
Masquerading as Zhonglian Tongda Trade Co. instead of the Triad Society seemed to work.
Claiming it was Assand, which was sweeping through China with phenomenal popularity, rather than something we produced ourselves, proved to be the winning move.
It aligned perfectly.
I was so happy.
I wanted to praise myself for securing this contract.
The entire way back to my lodging, I wanted to scream like this.
It was so difficult to contain my joy.
This was my first achievement since arriving in South Korea.
That’s why it felt even better, and I wanted to savor it even more.
Of course, there were some minor shortcomings.
We hadn’t signed a formal contract yet.
I still had to provide a million samples.
The formal contract would be finalized based on their response.
So it’s still a bit premature to call them partners.
Nevertheless, it’s the Dae-hoon Faction.
There’s no way the Dae-hoon Faction would fail to distribute Assand properly.
Beginning a collaboration with the Dae-hoon Faction was tantamount to guaranteeing success.
I would distribute Assand to every place within the reach of the Dae-hoon Faction.
Assand would spread far and wide.
The one million samples distributed in a flash would be depleted, and orders would pour in.
That’s when the real game begins.
I was actually worried.
Would the factories be sufficient?
I indulged in sweet fantasies about whether I’d need to expand production capacity.
What if Assand became to South Korea what it is to China?
What if South Korea couldn’t survive without Assand?
If that happened, I could control all of South Korea.
How much would I charge then?
Mao Qin’s imagination knew no bounds.
It stretched endlessly forward.
“Ah! Uncle.”
Only then did it occur to me that I needed to inform my uncle.
I had been so thrilled that I’d forgotten about him.
Mao Qin picked up his phone and called his uncle.
.
.
.
“Yes, you did well. Take care of yourself, and let’s talk again.”
After hanging up, Zhang Tian’s expression was dark, unlike Mao Qin’s.
There was nothing to be troubled about.
There were no problems to speak of, yet something felt off.
A corner of my heart felt uneasy.
Concealing the Triad Society and masquerading as a general trading company was good.
Deceiving them with Assand, which was popular in China, was also good.
The Dae-hoon Faction’s reaction had been entirely normal.
Requesting samples for testing before the main contract was reasonable.
Saying they would sign the contract after seeing the test results was perfectly understandable.
One million samples seemed a bit excessive,
but if I pushed a little, it was within acceptable limits.
In fact, if they had suggested signing the contract immediately without such a process,
or if they had requested large quantities right away, I would have been suspicious.
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no problem, yet something felt wrong.
Logically, there was nothing amiss, but my heart kept catching on something.
As if saying this shouldn’t be done.
It felt as though everything fit together too perfectly, as if orchestrated by some invisible hand.
It wasn’t artificial, yet it felt artificial.
In business, things rarely proceed exactly as planned.
Nothing ever goes according to plan.
Fix one thing, and another breaks.
Solve one problem, and a different one erupts elsewhere.
Yet everything is unfolding so smoothly now?
Simply because we changed the company name?
Just because we rebranded from Disand to Assand?
And in South Korea, of all places, where nothing ever worked before?
Unease gnawed at me, but I forced myself to suppress it.
I reassured myself that it was nothing.
That everything was fine, that my doubts were baseless.
I continued gaslighting myself relentlessly.
This wasn’t the time for suspicion—it was time to provide support.
These were the fruits of Mao Qin’s labor, his struggles in South Korea.
I had to push this forward.
If we failed now, Mao Qin would have no place in the Triad Society.
Even now, those cunning old foxes were circling behind him, hoping for his downfall.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Slowly, I picked up the phone.
“Send me the samples.”
*******
“Is this the place?”
I followed Allen to view a new home.
My current residence posed security challenges, so we were searching for a more suitable property.
This location had been carefully selected from numerous candidates as the final choice.
Allen insisted on my approval before making a decision, so I came to inspect it myself.
Truthfully, where I lived mattered little to me.
I could sleep on the streets without complaint, which is why I’d left the decision to Allen—yet he insisted on my consent regardless.
So we arrived in Hannam-dong.
A modest townhouse nestled on the southern slope of Maebong Mountain.
“Yes. With assistance from the Dae-hoon Faction, we examined multiple locations. Considering position, traffic flow, security potential, and convenience, this appears to be the most suitable option.”
“Hmm…”
I surveyed the entire townhouse complex.
Several buildings occupied the center, surrounded concentrically by others.
From above, the layout formed an elliptical shape, like an egg.
The townhouse nestled within the forest as if cradled by it,
and to the south, the Han River stretched into view.
Despite being in Seoul, it felt as though I’d stepped into a forest sanctuary.
The bustling heart of Seoul seemed momentarily forgotten in this serene, tranquil atmosphere.
It possessed ideal conditions for security.
The location was excellent as well.
It was convenient to get anywhere in Seoul, and just a short distance away, there were plenty of amenities like convenience stores and restaurants.
“I like it. The location is excellent, and it’s easy to secure. Let’s sign the contract. But how many units are we talking about? Do we need four or five buildings to accommodate everyone?”
“Actually, we’re planning to lease the entire townhouse complex. That way, we can control who comes and goes more easily.”
“Is that even possible?”
I asked, surprised.
I hadn’t even considered buying the whole thing outright.
Allen had more ambition than I’d given him credit for.
“Yes. Since the complex hasn’t been sold yet, it was easy to arrange. The developer said they’re planning a later sales phase. That’s how we made it work.”
Now that he mentioned it, I could see construction vehicles scattered around—the work was still ongoing.
The fact that it wasn’t finished yet actually felt like an advantage.
It meant we could still customize it to our preferences.
“Additionally, there’s an underground parking lot that connects the entire complex. Movement is possible without any external exposure. That’s a significant advantage. It could be used as a community center or even as a bunker.”
He’d chosen well.
How had he found such a place in Seoul?
“You should see the interior as well. This way, please.”
I followed Allen into the building at the very center of the townhouse complex.
As I opened the door, a spacious foyer and hallway came into view.
Walking along the corridor, I came upon a wide living room with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Han River.
I’d spent time looking out at the Philippine seas, but the view of the Han River was different.
It was more serene, more captivating to gaze upon.
The interior design was still in progress, but the materials and structure alone conveyed a sense of luxury.
It wasn’t excessive—the design was calming and put people at ease.
Upstairs, there were bedrooms and a kitchenette, with a terrace extending beyond.
Above that was an attic.
“I was thinking you could use this building, and we’d give the adjacent one to Dae-hun.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Even as he spoke, I thought of Dae-hoon.
It would be nice to buy him a place too.
“The building behind this one will serve as our central command center. The buildings on the perimeter will be used as quarters for security personnel and for guests when they visit.”
“And this area?”
“Stairs leading down to the basement. It connects directly to the parking lot. We’re considering converting part of the underground parking into a safe room.”
I hadn’t even thought of that, but it was an excellent idea.
As Allen explained further, the picture became clearer.
I could envision how this place would transform.
It was perfect.
The location was ideal,
the buildings were excellent,
and it was perfect for security.
There was nothing more to ask for.
“Does it meet your approval?”
“Yes. Very much.”
If it’s here, I have to buy it no matter how expensive.
You chose really well.
“What’s the price?”
“Since this is a post-completion sale, they said they used quality materials and priced it high.”
“How much?”
“They asked 18 billion won per unit, but I negotiated and got them down to 15 billion won. On the condition that we buy all 20 units.”
18 billion?
Negotiated down to 15 billion?
Even at 15 billion after the discount, it’s not a cheap price.
But with a view of the Han River and townhouses of this size in Hannam-dong.
If we’re the only ones using them, it’s not a terrible price.
I liked the location so much I was willing to pay even more.
And I have a lot of money.
Very much, in fact.
15 billion for 20 units.
300 billion total.
It’s not a small amount, but it’s not a burden either.
Actually, I feel nothing at all.
Somewhere along the way, I’ve become numb to money itself.
Money keeps flowing in, but I have nowhere to spend it.
I spend most of my time in Mindanao.
Even if I wanted to spend money, there’s nowhere to spend it.
There’s nothing there.
At best, a kimchi stew restaurant.
If not Mindanao, then the Emerald Resort in Bohol.
The Emerald Resort itself is an all-inclusive resort.
They provide food, beverages, and alcohol—everything for free.
Not just for me, but for all guests.
So there’s nowhere to spend money.
Meanwhile, money flows in so easily.
When we started with Candy Tour, we were thrilled to earn 10 million won a month.
After acquiring the resort and opening the casino, profits grew exponentially.
By revenue alone, the resort was the largest, but GoGo Casino had the best profit margins.
Gambling-loving Chinese guests boosted our revenue.
But all of that is ancient history now.
After Assand appeared, everything became chasing Assand’s scraps.
Number one, top tier, strongest, unrivaled first place, peak tier, apex, final boss, one of one.
All of these terms referred to Assand.
Assand makes somewhere between 300 and 400 trillion won a year.
I used to be happy when the Casino was bringing in hundreds of billions, but now I’m making over a trillion a day.
A few hundred billion is barely money anymore.
Three hundred billion?
I can spend it without hesitation every single day.
While I’m in South Korea, I might as well do some shopping.
Ana had been pestering me relentlessly to spend more money anyway.
The hardest part about earning so much money was Ana.
She had to manage it all.
Ana’s solution was to make the money disappear.
Whenever I received payment from China, all of it went to the Cayman Islands.
She invested in hundreds, thousands of companies.
And those companies would then invest in several other companies, investing again and again.
Through multiple layers, the money scattered.
Round and round it went.
And all the investments by those investment companies failed.
The companies that received the investments shut down.
All those amounts became losses.
The companies collapsed from the losses.
They closed down.
The money that disappeared in that process accumulated cleanly in my account.
This was the system Ana had created.
But now that the amount had grown so massive, even Ana was flustered.
She was exploring other methods.
So I had actually created some real companies for situations like this.
To use them when needed.
I’d get new business cards made.
Then I could just purchase under that company name.
“Let’s go with this one. This looks nice.”
“Understood. I’ll proceed immediately.”
“Talk to the Dae-hoon Faction and pick up a few buildings if there are any decent ones available.”
“Yes, understood.”
Just as I thought the business was finished, my phone rang.
It was Mao Qin.
What could this be about?
– It’s me. Mao Qin from Zhonglian Tongda Trade Co.
“Yes, hello. What’s the matter?”
The Triad Society’s Mao Qin had called.
His voice sounded bright.
Something good must have happened.
– The factory sent samples. I wanted to let you know about them.
“That’s perfect. I was wondering when you’d arrive. How many days will it take for us to receive the goods?”
– About ten days? You should expect at least that long.
“Even coming directly from China, it takes quite a while?”
I asked as if I knew nothing, but the truth was I understood perfectly.
There was no way this could come through normal channels and legitimate procedures.
They’d manufacture the Assand somewhere in Southeast Asia, make stops here and there to forge documents, then smuggle it in.
That’s why it takes ten days.
– Ah… it’s far away and the procedures are somewhat complicated.
Mao Qin began making excuses, sounding flustered.
I had to understand at least that much.
“I see. We’re all set on our end. I hope it arrives soon.”
– Yes. I’ll send it as quickly as possible.
“Thank you.”
After hanging up, I glanced at Scott behind me.
“Scott. Can we find out where these bastards’ product is coming from?”
“The Assand made by the Triad Society?”
“Yeah.”
“We might be able to find out if we ask Jason, who’s smuggling it.”
“Then casually probe him about it.”
“Why? Should I tell Shin Jung-gi to prepare the suicide boats?”
“No, no, that’s not it. It’s just no fun if it arrives without incident.”
“Then?”
“We intercept it on the way.”
“Intercept it?”
My plan was simple.
Intercept the shipment midway.
Then whine to Mao Qin that we never received the sample.
The Triad Society would have no choice but to send the sample again.
We’d use that as leverage to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
I’d push things a bit unfairly.
I wanted to show them what a K-contract really meant.
Scott’s face broke into a peculiar smile upon hearing my plan.
“Hehehehe. This should be fun.”
I had become a black market magnate through the Inventory.
15-Townhouse
E-book Publication
/ December 22, 2025
Author
/ Black Card
Publisher
/ Son Je-ho
Publisher
/ Munpia
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/ Doosan Landmark Tower 12F, 308 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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© Black Card, 2025
This e-book is
Munpia
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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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