I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 158

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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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158 – Return
158.
– Why haven’t you contacted me? You said you’d grab dinner? You said you’d definitely call?
A text message came from Kwon Ju-ah.
“Sorry. I’ve been swamped. How about today? Do you have time?”
I really had been busy.
I’d spent considerable time dismantling the Triad Society.
Lost in the intoxicating pleasure of wielding power, I hadn’t noticed the passage of time.
– Today? I’m busy, but I’ll make time.
“Then I’ll pick you up in the evening. Let’s grab dinner together.”
– Sounds good.
After confirming plans with Kwon Ju-ah, I spoke to Scott.
“Scott.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I have plans this evening.”
“May I ask what kind of plans, sir?”
Scott asked with unusual formality.
“You know that doctor I met at the hospital? I’m going to grab dinner with her. Can you book a decent restaurant?”
“I’ll arrange it right away.”
After receiving my instructions, Scott stepped outside and quietly transmitted a message.
“Code Pink. Code Pink. Repeat. Code Pink. Code Pink.”
The Obsidian Unit was bewildered by Scott’s transmission.
Code Pink wasn’t in the manual.
Their confusion at the non-existent code was brief.
Soon enough, they understood what it meant.
Pink, of all things.
The Obsidian Unit struggled to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape their lips.
Allen transmitted on behalf of the Obsidian Unit.
“Understood. We’ll prepare accordingly.”
.
.
.
Screech.
The car pulled up in front of me for the appointment.
It was the same vehicle I usually drove, yet something felt different.
It gleamed unusually bright.
Had they washed it?
A pleasant fragrance filled the interior as I got in.
It was a scent I’d never encountered before.
“What is this? What did you spray?”
“It’s a natural diffuser that helps relieve stress.”
Scott answered.
“Isn’t that a bit much?”
“It was just time to replace the diffuser, so I did.”
Scott replied nonchalantly.
Something doesn’t feel right about this.
I have a bad feeling.
I think I shouldn’t have mentioned having an appointment.
I should have just gone alone quietly.
I only asked because I didn’t know where to make a reservation, but it seems like I’ve made a bigger deal out of it.
Regardless of my concerns, the car we were in arrived at Kwon Ju-ah’s hospital right on time.
After waiting a moment, Kwon Ju-ah emerged.
Instead of a white coat, Kwon Ju-ah wore a neat knit sweater and coat.
The look suited her beautifully.
I got out and waved at Kwon Ju-ah.
Kwon Ju-ah smiled brightly and came toward me.
I wondered if Kwon Ju-ah had always been this beautiful.
“Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?”
“No. I just got here too.”
Kwon Ju-ah asked with a smile.
“Sorry. Someone asked me to check on something before I left. I was verifying that.”
“It’s fine. Let’s go.”
Kwon Ju-ah looks at me once.
She glances at the car I arrived in.
She quickly scans the security vehicles positioned in front and behind my car.
I had dressed up in formal attire for once.
On the way here, I was forced to stop by a department store because of Scott and bought a suit.
I purchased the car recently.
Before that, I had been renting, but decided to stay in South Korea longer, so I bought a new one.
Allen handled the purchase, mentioning there were things that needed to be reinforced separately for security purposes.
I bought three Maybachs and ten Escalades for security.
Having them parked there did feel different.
The cars are too large.
Kwon Ju-ah seemed to have many questions about me but didn’t ask.
Getting into the car served as her question instead.
.
.
.
“How did you make a reservation here?”
A quiet French Restaurant overlooking the Han River.
I was guided to a seat with a view of the window.
As I sat down, Kwon Ju-ah asked in surprise.
How would I know?
Scott made the reservation.
“Huh?”
“This place is famous for being incredibly difficult to book. I heard there’s a waiting list of several months. How did you manage to get a reservation?”
“Just…?”
Having nothing particular to say, I laughed it off vaguely.
I sat and surveyed my surroundings.
It was an old habit of sorts.
My military service had only lasted four years, but I still hadn’t shaken the habit.
A slight smile crossed my face.
The three tables around me were all Obsidian Unit members.
These guys really need to dial it back.
Why are they deploying as if this is a security operation while I’m just eating?
I don’t understand why they’re making such a fuss while I’m having a meal.
But I decided not to pay attention as much as possible.
I should focus only on Kwon Ju-ah in front of me.
I looked at Kwon Ju-ah again.
Kwon Ju-ah asked, genuinely curious.
“What are you… doing?”
“Huh?”
“What do you do… to live like this? Back in the hospital room, didn’t you say you were working as a guide in the Philippines?”
“Maybe? I guide… and do various things?”
I was somewhat flustered by Kwon Ju-ah’s blunt question.
My words faltered.
Laughter echoed from the surrounding tables.
These bastards are all dead today.
.
.
.
Allen was monitoring the CCTV feeds.
The tables surrounding the Young Boss were occupied by Obsidian Unit members.
Personnel positioned to provide sufficient protection even in the event of a terrorist attack.
These were agents Allen had personally trained and developed.
They were entirely trustworthy.
Honestly, if you asked who the strongest person in the Obsidian Unit was, it would be the Young Boss,
The Young Boss would be safe even without the Obsidian Unit,
But eliminating even the smallest unforeseen risks was the reason for the Obsidian Unit’s existence and their source of pride.
That’s why Allen continued monitoring the CCTV feeds.
It was my duty as a member of the Obsidian Unit to prepare for any contingency.
While monitoring the CCTV, I detected suspicious movement.
A man in his forties was shouting at one of the staff members.
I picked up the radio.
“Table twelve. Forties. Glasses. Business suit.”
“Appears heavily intoxicated. Cat. Handle it.”
“Cat. Copy.”
.
.
.
“Hey, are you ignoring me right now? Huh? Do you know who I am?”
The slightly drunk man was hurling abuse at the staff member.
The people around us frowned, but no one stepped in to stop him.
The staff came out and apologized repeatedly, but the drunk man’s verbal assault showed no signs of stopping.
“How can staff who don’t even know French dining etiquette be serving at a French restaurant? Huh? Should I really be eating here? Huh? Huh?”
The man’s voice grew louder, and his companions turned away in embarrassment.
“I sincerely apologize. We will retrain our staff.”
The manager apologized once more, but the man remained unmoved.
“Get the boss out here! Get the boss out here~!”
As the manager apologized, the man’s voice grew even louder.
He showed no signs of restraint.
Just then, a water glass on the man’s table toppled over.
As it fell, the water soaked the man’s pants.
“Hahaha. So this is what they mean by adding insult to injury? And who are you?”
The man laughs.
The man shouts.
His voice rises an octave higher.
He stands up to express his anger even more forcefully.
“Oh my~ I’m so sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Whimper. What do I do about this.”
A beautiful woman in a black one-piece dress apologized to the man.
The man’s expression changes as he takes in her face.
He appeared angry, but suddenly he’s smiling.
Just moments ago he was shouting, but now his voice carries a measured, composed tone.
Rage transformed into desire, aggression into pretense—it took less than a second.
“Well, these things happen in life. It’s fine. The clothes will dry. Hehehehe.”
As if it were nothing at all.
He casually brushed the water from his pants.
“No, it was my mistake. I’d like to apologize to you.”
“An apology? How so?”
“Well···..”
The woman in the cheongsam stepped closer to the man.
Her perfume was intoxicating.
“I could buy you new clothes, or we could have a conversation and find a solution that works for both of us.”
At her words, the man’s lips curved upward.
“A conversation sounds better.”
The man flashed a sinister smile.
“It’s a bit loud here. Shall we step outside for a moment?”
The woman in the cheongsam whispered seductively into the man’s ear.
“Sure.”
The man grabbed his coat.
He glanced around the restaurant.
No one tried to stop him.
The man left with a victorious smile, following the woman in the cheongsam outside.
The moment they stepped through the restaurant door, the air changed.
A hand appeared from nowhere.
“Wh—”
But he couldn’t finish his words.
A handkerchief covered his mouth.
He wanted to resist, wanted to struggle, but couldn’t.
His arms and legs were pinned down.
His consciousness rapidly faded.
That was all the man could remember.
When the man came to, he was at the Garbage Disposal Facility in Incheon.
.
.
.
Allen, watching the scene on CCTV, complained to Scott.
“See? I told you we should’ve cleared out the entire restaurant.”
Scott scoffed at that.
“You… you inexperienced kid who’s never been in love—you don’t understand women’s hearts. If a restaurant that’s hard to book was completely empty, would the woman be comfortable eating? Didn’t you see how suspicious she was just from the reservation we made?”
Scott deflected Allen’s criticism with ease.
“But the Young Boss ends up distracted by other things. We should’ve blocked it beforehand.”
Allen groaned.
“That’s exactly why you should’ve filtered out guys like that from the start. That’s why this happened.”
Scott raised his voice.
But soon after, he spoke to Allen in a warm tone again.
“Still, you handled it cleanly. Good work, Allen.”
“Hehe. Thanks.”
Allen chuckled.
“But if this happens again next time, you’re dead.”
“You just focus on doing your job.”
Their bickering didn’t stop.
But their eyes remained fixed on the CCTV.
******
Dae-hoon Faction’s Incheon Factory.
A trailer laden with an enormous container came to a halt in front of it.
Today was the first.
The official day Zhong Lian Tong Da Trading was delivering ten million units of Assand.
I’d come to the Incheon Factory to verify the delivery status.
A black sedan pulled up behind the trailer,
and Mao Qin kicked open the door and stepped out.
He glanced at me briefly, then spoke with irritation.
“Ten million units. That’s it, right?”
Mao Qin’s tone and expression were seething with anger.
Was it because of our last call?
Could someone with such a volatile temperament actually survive in this world?
He’s the perfect candidate for an untimely death.
Even with two bodyguards standing behind him,
it means nothing.
Right now, I could kill him
with just one finger.
Allen would be watching from far away with a sniper rifle.
The moment I make a gun gesture with my finger and say “bang,” Mao Qin’s head would explode.
But I won’t do that.
Murder isn’t my hobby.
My hobby is abusing power.
“No. Not yet.”
“What? The first of the month, ten million units. That was the condition. I brought ten million units. What’s the problem?”
Mao Qin fired off his words.
I answered slowly while observing Mao Qin’s irritated expression.
“Are you sure this is ten million units?”
“Excuse me?”
Mao Qin’s face twisted in disbelief.
“This is utterly petty. You’re nitpicking.”
“It’s not nitpicking—it’s verification. Does Zhong Lian Tong Da Trading just take people at their word? If I hand you a briefcase and say this is eight million yuan, will you just take it without checking? Of course not.”
“That’s… well…”
“It’s a standard verification process. Dropping off goods without any of this and leaving isn’t professional. We need to verify while we’re both here. That way there are no disputes later. There’s no point in either of us saying ‘it’s short’ or ‘there’s extra’ after you’ve left.”
Mao Qin looked flustered.
“So we’ll conduct a full inspection. Weight, composition—everything. We’ll randomly sample one unit per ten thousand for composition verification. You’ll only receive payment after passing this process. The details are in the supplementary agreement. Check it yourself.”
Mao Qin clutched his head in his hands.
Why can’t we just hand over Assand and take the money?
Why does it have to be so complicated?
Mao Qin glanced over the contract casually.
He didn’t even bother with the supplementary agreements.
He had no intention of reading through the 138-page supplementary agreement.
Even if he did, he wouldn’t understand it anyway.
His alarm was short-lived.
Upon reflection, there was no problem at all.
This was Assand brought from the factory.
There was no possibility of any issues.
He was simply startled.
He’d merely panicked at the complexity of the process.
Mao Qin composed himself.
Whether they conducted a complete inspection or a sample inspection didn’t matter.
There was nothing to worry about.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Until I saw the Dae-hoon Faction’s verification system.
The Dae-hoon Faction brought the Assand removed from the container into the warehouse.
The interior of the warehouse was already filled with machinery.
They poured the Assand they’d brought into a large bin.
The Assand in that bin moved one by one along the conveyor belt and climbed onto a precision scale.
On the precision scale, each piece of Assand was weighed individually.
If it passed, a green light illuminated, but if the weight was insufficient or excessive, a red light activated and it was automatically sorted.
The red-light Assand went into a basket labeled “Returns.”
Witnessing this sight, Mao Qin was astounded.
‘They’re weighing every single one?’
But I explained the process to him kindly.
“We’ve established a verification system for confirmation purposes.”
“What? You created a system?”
“Since it’s such a valuable item, shouldn’t we be thorough? To avoid any misunderstandings between us.”
I answered with a smile.
“But still, this is···”
Her expression seemed to show some fatigue.
You never imagined counting and weighing 1,000 pieces one by one, did you?
Still, don’t get tired already.
We haven’t even started yet.
Even as I spoke, the Assand continued moving onto the conveyor belt one by one.
A considerable amount of Assand was being sorted separately due to weight defects.
“There are quite a few weight defects, aren’t there?”
“Ah··· That shouldn’t be possible..”
Mao Qin started with an excuse.
“Let’s observe a bit longer. Products with no weight irregularities will be packaged separately in units of ten thousand.”
“So they’re distributed in units of ten thousand?”
I looked at Mao Qin as if asking what he meant.
“Distribution? We haven’t even done a component analysis yet.”
“A component analysis?”
Mao Qin flinched at the mention of component analysis.
“Why must you make me repeat obvious things? We can’t taste this directly. Component analysis is essential. Pick one from here.”
I opened one of the vinyl pouches packaged in units of ten thousand.
Mao Qin hesitated.
There was no problem.
It was Assand, manufactured properly at the factory.
But before the verification system, this lie felt like it would be exposed at any moment.
That’s why I was terrified.
Whether the man in front knew Mao Qin’s thoughts or not, he urged him on.
“Go ahead.”
Mao Qin reluctantly pulled out a candy.
I handed the candy directly to the inspector beside me.
The inspector removed the wrapper and placed it in the grinder.
The candy transformed into very fine powder, and the analyzer began running.
Moments later, numbers appeared on the monitor.
“Oh no. What do we do? The efficacy is significantly reduced. This is defective. All products in this pouch must be returned.”
With one sample deemed defective, the entire pouch containing ten thousand units was marked for return.
That way, we extracted Assand one by one from pouches containing ten thousand each and analyzed their components.
Each time numbers appeared on the monitor, the inspectors explained the reasons.
“The active ingredient retention rate is 19% below standard.”
“The sugar content is 54%, which is 8% below the standard of 62%.”
“The moisture content is too high. It will deteriorate during storage in this condition.”
“The crystal structure has collapsed.”
“The cooling process was not uniform. The crystals are uneven.”
“The melting speed varies. The perceived effect is inconsistent.”
“The aroma has dissipated.”
“The seal is defective.”
Before long, every pouch bore a return sticker.
Not a single pouch passed testing.
All ten million units were returned.
The inspector who saw this spoke.
“We suspect complete batch defect. It appears the problem wasn’t with the sample, but with the manufacturing process itself.”
Mao Qin couldn’t lift his head.
It wasn’t shame.
It was fury.
I’d thought that if I just sent Assand, I could rake in 80 million yuan—17 billion won—and use it as a springboard to make my comeback.
I’d been counting down the days, waiting for that moment. And now they’re talking about returns.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
I sent them in batches, and they complain about batches being sent.
So I brought 10 million units on the 1st, exactly as the contract specified.
And they weigh every single one of the 10 million units individually.
They randomly sample units, run defect inspections, and demand returns.
This is absurd.
I need to push back on this.
“How can you just accept returns on a whim like this?”
“When did I ever accept returns on a whim? The contract clearly states that returns are permitted only when units fall below or exceed specifications according to the component analysis report. So why do you keep saying I’m doing this arbitrarily? Isn’t it you who’s being arbitrary, Team Leader?”
“What?”
“You brought defective units and tried to force them through, and now that you’ve been caught, you’re throwing a tantrum.”
Mao Qin felt as though he’d been struck on the back of the head.
From Mao Qin’s perspective, it was unfair, but from the Dae-hoon Faction’s standpoint, all the units were defective.
Mao Qin had been trying to deliver them anyway.
But I couldn’t back down.
“What did you just say? Are you done talking?”
“No, not at all. I have plenty more to say. We’ve shown Zhong Lian Tong Da Trading considerable consideration. And this is the result? It’s truly disheartening.”
I spoke with an expression of utter exhaustion.
“But where in the world do you find a place that conducts component analysis before accepting goods? It doesn’t make sense.”
“So what you’re saying is—defective units are fine, but conducting component analysis isn’t allowed? Is that what you mean?”
But Mao Qin still couldn’t accept the situation.
He kept pushing back until the very end.
“No… that’s not what I meant… this is just too much.”
“What exactly is too much? Could you explain that? Because I’d like to have an actual conversation here.”
But Mao Qin had nothing to say.
Everything mentioned was in the supplementary agreement that Alex had presented.
Mao Qin’s signature was emblazoned across it in large letters.
Far from earning 80 million yuan through Assand,
I’d only incurred massive costs—factory expansion, logistics, labor, raw materials—without earning a single yuan.
Mao Qin did the math in his head.
How to make money from the returned Assand units.
While Mao Qin was running futile calculations in his mind, I issued him a warning.
“Just to be clear, don’t forget that the Dae-hoon Faction holds the exclusive distribution rights for Assand within South Korea. I’m mentioning this because I’m thinking of just dumping these returned units on the market. If that happens, I’ll be moving forward with contract termination in mind. Right now, I’m holding back because we’re contractual partners. This is a warning.”
Terrified by Alex’s chilling warning, Mao Qin’s face went pale.
Unlike Mao Qin, I remained composed.
Experience and learning truly matter.
We know all too well how South Korea’s conglomerates crush small and medium enterprises.
In truth, the standard playbook when expanding a factory is to have them take out massive loans, get the recipe, break the contract, then buy up the company cheap when it collapses. But I didn’t need that factory or the recipe, so I just kept things moderate.
So next time you do business in South Korea, be careful of large corporations.
I didn’t realize it, but the Dae-hoon Faction is a large corporation too.
Through Inventory, I had become a magnate of the black market.
158 – Returns
E-book Publication
/ December 30, 2025
Author
/ Black Card
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/ Son Je-ho
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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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