I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 157

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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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157 – Abuse of Power
157
A luxury hotel on Incheon Yeongjong Island.
I sat across from Mao Qin.
Beyond the glass window, the sea stretched out, and on the table, an untouched cup of coffee grew cold.
“I received the sample from last time without issue.”
“We apologize for the delay in sending it.”
Mao Qin apologized once more for failing to deliver the sample previously.
“That was unavoidable. The entire shipment disappeared—what could we do? We had to understand.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Mao Qin bowed his head slightly.
The tension that had been coiled in Mao Qin’s shoulders seemed to ease at my words.
“Anyway, I ran some tests with the sample you sent.”
“Ah! I’ve been dying to know. How did it perform?”
Mao Qin’s eyes sparkled.
He wore the expression of someone waiting for exam results.
“Heh heh.”
I let out a laugh, paused briefly, then continued.
“Fortunately, the response has been explosive. It’s been remarkable.”
“Really? That’s wonderful.”
Mao Qin’s face brightened.
I’d never seen him smile like this before.
“Indeed.”
“I was genuinely worried it might not suit Korean preferences.”
Mao Qin had truly been anxiously awaiting this result.
“I was concerned too, but the response has been fantastic. We distributed one million units, and they sold out instantly. We’re getting overwhelming inquiries about when the next shipment arrives.”
“Really?”
No.
Not at all.
Nothing has reached the market.
Every sample we received was incinerated at high temperature.
Both what we stole last time and what we received this time.
Not a single unit of Assand has been distributed.
I received it, and I incinerated it.
Not a single unit of Assand has leaked out.
Yet I continue to lie to Mao Qin.
That it’s selling well, that it’s explosive.
That Assand’s effects are excellent.
And I will make a contract as well.
Under very favorable terms.
“So I’d like to formally propose a contract.”
“A formal contract?”
Mao Qin’s eyes widened.
“I’m making a formal request. The price is 8 yuan per unit (1,700 won), and I’m requesting a monthly delivery of 10 million units.”
“T-ten million units?”
Mao Qin was startled by the unexpectedly massive order.
She had anticipated around one million units, maybe two million at most,
but this was ten times her estimate.
The shock of such a colossal volume quickly faded.
Her mind immediately began calculating how much profit could be made.
Eighty million yuan per month—that’s 17 billion won.
With that money alone, the Triad Society could make a comeback.
It could become the foundation for revival.
But there was a major problem.
It was the Triad Society’s factory.
With the factory’s current production capacity, it was impossible to manufacture 10 million units in a month.
Even producing the sample of one million units had been a desperate struggle against time.
And now I needed to produce 10 million units.
It was impossible.
“Isn’t that too much?”
Mao Qin cautiously tried to dissuade me.
But it had no effect whatsoever.
“Too much? This is already a conservative estimate. Actually, I was planning to start with 15 million units, but I decided to take a more conservative approach to gauge market response a bit more.”
“I… I see?”
Mao Qin looked me over once.
My attitude, as if 10 million units were nothing at all, only seemed to make her more anxious.
“Is there any problem with delivery? If it’s not possible, please tell me in advance. If goods disappear midway like last time, it will cause us considerable trouble.”
At those words, Mao Qin’s expression hardened.
Mao Qin’s mind raced quickly.
She deliberated whether to accept this deal or not.
Currently, the factory’s limit was 100,000 units per day.
Running non-stop for an entire month would yield only 3 million units.
The factory could produce 3 million units only if there were absolutely no problems in production.
To produce 10 million units, even a rough calculation showed I’d need to increase production capacity by roughly 3.3 times.
And if the Dae-hoon Faction increased their orders later, I wouldn’t be able to meet the volume again.
At minimum, 5 times.
To be safe, I’d need to expand by 10 times.
With production capacity falling short, I couldn’t simply accept unconditionally.
My heart screamed to accept immediately, but I couldn’t ignore reality.
“I think I need to verify that part. It’s connected to the Chinese side.”
Mao Qin deflected for the moment.
“Ah… I see. That’s quite unfortunate. We saw tremendous potential in this opportunity, but without sufficient inventory, we might not be able to proceed with sales.”
“···..”
I spoke naturally, but Mao Qin seemed to flinch as if struck by the truth.
Time to apply more pressure.
“Isn’t there another way? It seems like China has plenty of surplus anyway. With billions circulating daily, surely you can manage ten million units a month?”
“We have limitations on what we can bring in, so I’ll verify the quantities once more.”
She shrank further.
“Understood. Let me know once you’ve confirmed.”
“Yes. I’ll inform you right away.”
Mao Qin, who had been visibly deflated, became utterly crumpled.
“You brought Assand with such confidence that I thought inventory would be abundant, so we launched extensive promotions and events. I never imagined we’d face supply constraints.”
“I apologize.”
Mao Qin bowed her head once more, just as she had at first.
Her face held a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, greed and fear.
And I knew, watching her expression, that she would not refuse this contract.
That greed would drive her to build the factory.
That greed would drive her to build the factory.
.
.
.
After parting with Alex, Mao Qin immediately called Zhang Tian, the chairman of the Triad Society.
The moment he picked up, Mao Qin’s voice came through.
“Uncle! Uncle! This is huge!”
Mao Qin’s excited voice came through vividly.
“What’s the big news?”
Zhang Tian tried to suppress his rising excitement and asked back.
“The Dae-hoon Faction sent a formal contract proposal…”
“A contract proposal?”
“Eight yuan per unit, ten million units per month.”
“Really?”
Zhang Tian was also startled by Mao Qin’s words.
The numbers were astronomical.
“Wow~~~~~~ This is really huge, right?”
“This is good. Really good. All that hard work is finally paying off.”
Zhang Tian offered his niece an awkward compliment.
“We can earn eighty million yuan per month.”
“Eighty million yuan?”
This time, even Zhang Tian held his breath.
Ten million candies and eighty million yuan had completely different impacts.
Eighty million yuan felt far more tangible and immediate.
That sum would allow the organization to catch its breath.
It could lay the foundation for a comeback.
I saw hope.
“But…”
“But what?”
Zhang Tian pressed urgently at Mao Qin’s words.
“The factory’s production capacity won’t reach that level. Even running at full capacity, we max out at 3 million units.”
“That’s… that’s right?”
Only then did Zhang Tian grasp the reality of the situation.
There was no room for unbridled celebration.
The current factory’s limit was 3 million units per month.
To produce 10 million units, the factory would need to expand.
If we simply expanded the factory, all problems would be solved.
But the problem was money.
The Triad Society’s financial situation wasn’t favorable.
There were many places money needed to go, yet incoming revenue had shrunk drastically.
The money that should have been coming in wasn’t arriving.
With reduced income, tributes had also decreased.
As the organization distributed less money, the members’ mindset seemed to shift.
They all appeared to be preparing for self-preservation.
I was furious.
When there was money to be made, they invoked the Triad Society’s name to earn it.
But now that the Triad Society was shrinking, these bastards were already thinking of escape.
Not a shred of loyalty among them.
This hadn’t happened when we were in China.
The situation worsened after we relocated our headquarters to Southeast Asia.
Whether due to the vast territory and different cultures, I couldn’t say.
But the power of each nation and region had grown stronger than the Triad Society’s name itself.
The branch leaders in each region, based on their local influence, were eyeing the central power with predatory intent.
It was nearly treasonous.
If the organization had sufficient strength, I would impose appropriate punishment, but we lacked that power now.
That’s how dire the Triad Society’s circumstances had become.
That’s precisely why we were fixated on Assand and South Korea.
Once Assand established itself in South Korea, money would start flowing again.
We could breathe freely and recover our strength.
Then we wouldn’t have to rely on the pittance the branch leaders submitted as tribute.
We could sweep them all away in one stroke.
So no matter what, the Assand factory had to be expanded.
But the Triad Society had no money.
After much deliberation, Zhang Tian decided to liquidate his personal assets.
He would sell off the family fortune.
By any means necessary, the Factory had to be built.
Once the Factory was properly constructed, I would eliminate all the regional branch leaders—those cunning old foxes.
.
.
.
And several days later,
a photograph arrived from Mao Qin.
A contract.
A formal contract executed with the Dae-hoon Faction.
A smile crossed Zhang Tian’s face.
Now I wouldn’t need to worry about money for a while.
In that case, I had to eliminate those plotting treason first.
Zhang Tian summoned the Black Incense—a secret organization within the Triad Society.
“From this moment forward, we purge the traitors.”
******
[Sent one million units. Please confirm receipt.]
A text message arrived from Mao Qin.
Upon reading it, I wore a satisfied expression.
The operation was proceeding according to plan.
With the help of Scott, Jason, and Tian Zihao, I had been able to grasp the internal circumstances of the Triad Society.
The situation within the Triad Society was dire.
It was a crumbling organization, existing in name only.
The younger members were watching for any opportunity to escape,
while their seniors who should have been leading them were dwelling on the past and behaving like stubborn old fools.
Conversely, the regional branch leaders were obsessed with building their own factions rather than strengthening the Triad Society.
Captivated by the illusion that they might devour the weakened, vulnerable central branch, they were constantly scheming for an opening.
Had the Triad Society not possessed such a formidable name,
had it not built the pipelines established during its glorious era, it would have collapsed many times over by now.
Now I understood why Mao Qin was so obsessed with Assand.
Why he harbored such attachment to South Korea.
Understanding it, however, didn’t mean I would allow it.
Selling drugs in South Korea?
I had created Assand to block the drugs being pushed in from China,
yet those very drugs were attempting to re-enter South Korea.
But that would never happen.
I would stop it.
In any case,
the Triad Society wanted to supply the drugs, but it wouldn’t be easy.
There are several problems with the Triad Society bringing in Assand.
The first was the factory’s capacity.
The factory was far too small.
Daily production amounted to only around 100,000 units.
100,000 units isn’t a small quantity.
It’s enough to cover the entire population of South Korea.
Yet I placed an order for a staggering 10 million units.
The Triad Society, blinded by greed, has no choice but to accept that order no matter what.
Which means they inevitably must expand the factory.
That expansion will drain the already struggling Triad Society’s coffers.
That’s how desperate the Triad Society has become.
They’re in no position to conduct business with the swagger they once did.
Another problem is logistics.
The Triad Society’s Assand factory is in Cambodia.
There aren’t many direct shipping routes from Cambodia to Pyeongtaek.
Sending a single container covertly would be risky.
If they can’t send it directly, they have to launder it like money, routing it back and forth.
Doing so creates the same theft risk as with the initial sample, and shipping times lengthen.
With each shipment, risks and costs multiply.
The constant need to track the goods is also a headache.
South Korea’s customs is another major obstacle.
I’ve greased the wheels well for now, but given how South Korean civil servants rotate positions, it could change at any time.
Despite the drawbacks, the Triad Society has no choice but to get goods into South Korea.
So the workaround I devised was to split shipments into 1 million units each.
Moving 10 million units all at once would be burdensome in every way,
so they seem to be using the method of splitting it into 1 million-unit batches.
Of course, the newly expanded factory not yet producing goods properly is also a factor.
With insufficient inventory and the burden of moving everything at once, they’re trying to survive by gradually stockpiling goods while maintaining the contract.
The problem is, I can see through all of it.
And I have a way to stop it.
I immediately called Mao Qin.
– Hello. I contacted you about sending 1 million units of goods. Did you receive them?
“Yes. I received them and am calling to confirm.”
– You’ve already received the goods? That was fast.
Mao Qin answers with a smile.
“No, that’s not the important part. What is this supposed to be?”
As if spitting in the face of Mao Qin’s smiling expression, I immediately raised my voice.
– What do you mean by that?
Mao Qin asks, slightly taken aback.
“You didn’t check the contract?”
– A contract?
I explained to the bewildered Mao Qin as if reasoning with a child.
“If you look at Article 12 of the contract, it states that ‘the goods must be delivered to a location designated by Party A on the 1st of each month in quantities of 10 million units.’ Didn’t you check it?”
– Ah.. that’s because we brought it in together when we were importing other goods. I sent it early thinking you’d be happy to receive it quickly.. Was it inconvenient?
Mao Qin hastily made excuses.
It sounded like a prepared alibi.
That made me even angrier.
I spoke with a sarcastic edge.
“So what are you saying—just sending goods without any prior notice? You didn’t consider our circumstances? Is it fine as long as you send things whenever it’s convenient for you?”
– I apologize. I hadn’t thought that part through. I sent it early thinking you’d be pleased.. I’m sorry.
“It’s not fine at all. It only creates problems. One million units? Who gets them? Who doesn’t? Or do we split it into ant-sized portions?”
– I apologize.
As I raised my voice, Mao Qin kept apologizing.
I spoke firmly to Mao Qin, who only apologized without offering any corresponding solution.
“Take it back and send 10 million units on the 1st.”
– .. that’s···
“What?”
– I’m sorry, but would it be possible for you to receive it in smaller batches like this?
Mao Qin pleaded as if begging.
“Excuse me?”
– Wouldn’t this be more convenient than receiving it all at once? In exchange, we’ll handle the delivery ourselves, even to remote areas.
I didn’t smile.
Instead, my voice turned cold.
“Team Leader. This joke has gone too far.”
– ···.. This isn’t a joke—could you please consider it seriously?
“Pardon? What did you say?”
– ···..
At this point, I let out a hollow laugh.
“This is absurd. If you’re going to do whatever you want, why write a contract in the first place? Why negotiate?”
– .. Ah, I’m not saying we’ll continue like this indefinitely, just for a while. How about we do it this way for just a temporary period?
I had anticipated Mao Qin’s excuses to some degree.
His response fell within the range of what I’d expected.
But hearing it anyway made my blood boil.
“Honestly, I’m deeply disappointed. It makes me reconsider whether signing this contract was the right decision.”
– ······.Receiving goods in smaller batches isn’t that difficult, is it?
Did Mao Qin just raise his tone slightly in response to my words?
Huh? Is his Triad Society nature showing?
The habits of someone who lived without law are surfacing.
Then I’ll have to suppress him with law.
South Korea is a nation of law, after all.
“I’m someone who values promises and contracts. If you had mentioned this when we were signing the contract, I would have been more than willing to accommodate it. It’s not a big deal, after all. But changing the terms after we’ve already signed? That’s a different matter entirely. What’s to stop you from altering different clauses next time? Will you ask me to raise the unit price because logistics costs have increased? Or will you request a reduction in volume because your factory’s production line encountered problems?”
“No… surely that’s too much of a leap? I don’t think there’s any reason to be this upset.”
Mao Qin wasn’t about to back down either.
“Now you’re trying to control not just the contract, but my emotions as well? I’m deeply disappointed. Part of me wants to terminate this contract entirely. However, unlike you, Team Leader, I’m someone who takes contracts very seriously. So I won’t be terminating it. I’m asking you to do the same. Please, I’m earnestly requesting that you honor nothing more and nothing less than what’s written in the contract. That’s all.”
Click.
I hung up the phone.
Before cutting the line, I thought I heard something coming through the receiver, but what of it?
Why should I care?
After unloading on Mao Qin, my stomach felt satisfied despite having eaten nothing.
It felt as refreshing as drinking soda.
I nearly let out a burp.
I wanted to show Mao Qin the terror of contracts.
I intended to demonstrate just how devastating a single line in a contract, the ambiguity of a single word, or the pressure of a single grammatical particle could be.
This is Korean-style corporate bullying from a conglomerate.
The Dae-hoon Faction is the conglomerate of the gangster world.
Since we’re Korea’s conglomerate, we should act like one.
I wanted to show Mao Qin and the Triad Society exactly what that meant.
Welcome.
Is this your first time experiencing K-style corporate bullying?
I became a black market magnate through my inventory.
157 – Corporate Bullying
E-book Publication
/ December 29, 2025
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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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