I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 16

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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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016-International Peace Support Unit
16. International Peace Support Unit
The International Peace Support Unit, located in Incheon Metropolitan City.
Abbreviated as the International Peace Support Unit.
A military unit deployed overseas to conduct United Nations peacekeeping operations and multinational peace activities.
In other words, it’s a unit designed for overseas deployment rather than domestic operations.
The International Peace Support Unit was based in Incheon,
a place where personnel stood ready and prepared for immediate deployment at any moment.
This was where the most exceptional elites gathered.
So I never expected it, but honestly, I was quite surprised when I was selected.
My ability to speak a little English must have been a slight advantage.
Attending English Academy turned out to be helpful.
Indeed, private education pays off.
Actually, I seem to have a talent for private education.
“In-bae? Gong In-bae?”
“Sergeant. Gong! In! Bae!”
“Haha, what’s with the rigid military bearing? Don’t do that. You don’t need to. Just relax. Be comfortable.”
“No, sir!”
In the military, when someone tells you to relax and be comfortable,
if you actually act that way, you’ll be uncomfortable for the rest of your service.
A moment of comfort now means discomfort throughout your entire military career.
Still, contrary to what I felt, I responded with a denial.
This was the right answer.
Twenty-eight weeks of military experience proved it.
Our team consisted of twelve members.
A platoon commander and a deputy platoon commander.
And a senior operations officer in charge of intelligence operations.
Two demolitions specialists, two weapons specialists, two medics, two communications specialists.
And me.
The person speaking to me now was our platoon commander, Sung Gyu-tae.
A captain.
He was tall with an impressive build.
Well, this was a special forces unit after all.
Everyone was tall and well-trained, with excellent physiques.
My height was measured at 187 centimeters during the physical examination,
and by the time I graduated, I was considered very tall at school,
but here I was almost average.
Most seemed to exceed 180 centimeters.
However, the platoon commander possessed more than just that.
Despite his tall frame and solid build, he had a gentle face.
Most special forces soldiers have sharp, intense features, but he possesses delicate, refined facial features instead.
He looks like a young master from a wealthy family.
His expression seems to carry a perpetual smile even in repose.
There’s not a trace of hardship etched across his face.
Raised with constant affection, he shows no shadow of struggle whatsoever.
Perhaps because of this, his tone of voice is remarkably gentle.
If not for his sun-darkened complexion and short military haircut, one would struggle to believe he’s a soldier at all.
I had a brief meeting with the company commander.
“So you were first in the Special Forces School?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You must be exceptionally skilled.”
“No, sir. I simply followed the instruction I was given, and it seems to have resulted in good grades.”
He does exactly as ordered, without question.
Apparently, this is the Seoul National University approach to education.
“You know what kind of unit we are, right?”
“I understand we’re a unit responsible for overseas deployments, sir.”
“You’re well-informed. There’s nothing scheduled right now, but if deployment orders come down, you may need to leave the country within three days. Always be mindful and manage things so there are no personal issues that could complicate your departure.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
“I have high expectations. I’m counting on you going forward. If anything becomes difficult, come talk to me anytime. And if you ever develop personal concerns, come see me. I’m not just saying this.”
“Yes, sir. If any issues arise, I’ll come to you.”
“Come see me even if no issues arise. We can have a cup of coffee together.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Good. Go rest now. You haven’t met the other unit members yet, have you?”
“No, sir. I haven’t seen them yet.”
“Take your time with introductions. They’re rough around the edges, but they’re not bad people. Try to get along well with them.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
After finishing my brief meeting with the company commander, I headed to my quarters.
A barracks dormitory room.
A single room—incredible.
Larger than a goshiwon but smaller than a one-room apartment.
About seven pyeong, I’d estimate.
Upon opening the entrance door, the bathroom is immediately visible, and beyond the bathroom lies a bed, a desk, and a multi-purpose storage cabinet capable of holding clothes and various other items.
Some might call it cramped.
Others might say it’s shabby.
But to me, it appeared more beautiful than any place in the world.
This is the first space I’ve ever truly called my own.
Of course, I had a home before,
but strangely, I never felt any affection for that place.
Of course, I had a home too, but
I don’t feel drawn to that home for some reason.
No electricity, no water, no gas—what kind of home is that?
So I pitched a tent and lived in the wilderness.
Is this the first home I’ve ever acquired?
The feeling was extraordinary.
People say securing your own place is so difficult,
but I wondered if I deserved to obtain one so easily.
It looked clean to the eye, but I decided to clean it anyway.
After all, this would be where I continued to live.
Whoosh~
I drew back the curtain to begin cleaning.
Huh?
Why is there an unfamiliar man behind the curtain?
Damn—a spy?
I’d heard that spies often approach junior officers.
Has my information already been leaked to the North?
Is this the prestige of ranking first at the Special Forces School?
This person must have recognized me and been lying in ambush.
Not just outside the base—he’d infiltrated the compound itself.
This is no ordinary operative.
But I’m not someone who yields so easily.
No—
Rather, I should capture you and rack up some achievements.
I immediately drove into the man’s embrace.
The man tried to say something,
but with my treacherous three-inch tongue unable to form words, I sealed his mouth with my right hand while
my left hand struck hard at his right flank where the liver sits.
A proper liver shot makes it difficult for anyone to remain standing.
The tingling sensation in my left hand told me I’d found my mark.
The reverse strike had connected perfectly.
Sure enough,
I felt the spy’s body suddenly lose its strength.
But the spy endured it.
He didn’t collapse and somehow clung to consciousness.
Tough bastard.
With a hit that solid, he should have gone down,
but I realized this man was no ordinary operative either.
The North must put their operatives through rigorous training too.
Still caught off guard, I grabbed him and immediately threw him to the ground with a back suplex.
Since it was a cement floor, the impact would be considerable.
The man seemed to lose consciousness for a moment.
I forced the fallen man’s face toward the ground and pressed my knee against his back.
To restrain him, I bound his hands behind his back.
I wanted to tie them properly, but I had nothing to use, so I hastily unfastened my belt and cinched it tightly around his wrists.
Then I reached for my phone to call it in.
The front door swung open, and a cake with lit candles appeared with a flourish.
A cake?
For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
None of this made sense.
Did they already know I’d caught a spy and come to congratulate me?
Live-streamed?
But the person holding the cake looked just as bewildered as I felt.
They seemed utterly lost.
Everyone who filed in after them wore equally confused expressions.
How many people were coming in?
And the face entering last.
What’s with that handsome face?
Wait, I know that face.
The platoon leader?
The platoon leader looked at me and the man pinned beneath me with an expression of utter disbelief, alternating his gaze between us.
Eventually, the platoon leader addressed not me, but the fallen man.
“Hey, Sergeant—Sergeant—are you okay?”
What?
Are you defending the spy?
Should everyone be dragged to the National Intelligence Service for questioning?
The spy bastard, who had lost consciousness briefly from all the commotion, quickly came to.
He glanced around to assess the situation.
“Hey! Untie this. Damn, you tied it so fucking tight.”
The man spoke, and one of the dumbfounded men unfastened the belt that had bound his hands behind his back.
The man stood up, rotated his arms, tested his body with light movements, and finding no serious injuries, settled onto the bed.
I haven’t even sat down yet.
These spy bastards are truly ruthless.
The platoon leader, who had been peeking out from the narrow shoe rack, emerged and asked.
His gaze was on the man, not me, but I answered first.
“What? What’s going on?”
“A spy came in, so I subdued him.”
“A spy?”
“Yes. When I opened the curtains, there was a man hiding. I immediately called it in…”
“You don’t need to report it.”
“Sir?”
“He’s part of our team. He’s our team’s senior handler—intelligence operations specialist. So he’ll be your mentor. He’s Sergeant Lee Won-jun. Introduce yourself.”
“What?”
In that moment, I felt a sharp pang of regret about my military service.
To summarize, it was a kind of surprise party.
They were waiting for an opening to restrain me from behind, and once I was pinned down and shocked, a cake would supposedly appear with a flourish.
And then
they were going to say things like “Welcome to hell.”
But the senior officer who was supposed to restrain me ended up being restrained instead.
Everyone was bewildered.
And to make matters worse, I was standing there holding a phone, about to report that I was a spy.
Thanks to the handsome company commander’s mediation, both the senior officer and I finally calmed down.
And our team exchanged an awkward welcome.
“… Welcome to the team.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Me too, welcome.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get along from now on.”
“Thank you.”
My chaotic first day at the International Peace Support Unit passed in a blur.
Life at the International Peace Support Unit wasn’t particularly different from the Special Forces School.
We trained and studied.
The difference was that I now had a rank.
There was the handsome company commander, the senior officer who had restrained me,
and teammates.
But no junior personnel under me.
The training was far more intense compared to the Special Forces School.
The Special Forces School taught the fundamentals needed when deployed to the field,
but here we synchronized detailed movements with each other.
Like filming a movie,
we coordinated our actions.
For example, during an operation, we opened a door to enter somewhere.
So who goes in first?
By age, since this is a country that respects hierarchy?
Or by height?
Alphabetically?
No.
There is no single answer.
It depends on the situation.
But what’s certain is that if we don’t establish a proper plan
and practice it, everyone could die in front of that door.
So we used hand signals to determine the method,
Whether entering with a cross or
a button hook.
Depending on the method, I must enter smoothly and fluidly.
Before entry, my team waits in a single line at the door, and I assess the situation and take the lead.
Number two covers the direction I don’t take, while number three covers the rear, then enters quickly to form a crossfire field of vision.
Number four moves or maintains vigilance depending on the situation.
I repeat the same training, rotating positions for practice.
This round I took position three, next I’ll do position two, then four.
I keep going until it becomes second nature.
Just at doorways? No.
I practice scenarios involving building entry, stairwells, vehicles, buses, ships, aircraft, underground spaces, markets and shopping malls, obstacle courses, night operations, and more.
Elevators, barricades—the obstacles are endless.
Why train like this?
Fundamentally, it’s about subduing the enemy, but
before that, it’s about protecting my teammates and completing the mission safely.
I train for myself,
but if I push harder, my teammates’ chances of survival increase proportionally, and
conversely, if my teammates work hard,
I too move further from hell.
We entrust our lives to each other.
Training time ended.
We gathered together for dinner.
Tonight’s menu was grilled pork belly.
The company commander, the senior operations officer, Explosives One, Communications One, Communications Two, and myself—six of us gathered.
“Our youngest is quite skilled, isn’t he? Must be because he’s from the top-ranked academy?”
“Sergeant Gong In-bae. Thank you, sir.”
“Wow, rank and name? Still haven’t shaken off the military discipline. Isn’t the team leader being too strict with discipline?”
Im Deok-su, Explosives One, spoke.
“No, a sergeant stating rank and name is standard procedure. That’s not about discipline.”
Lee Won-jun, the senior operations officer, said.
“Haha. Sergeant Lee, are you still holding a grudge about that suplex from last time? Grumbling like this?”
“What are you talking about? I was just careless that time. One-on-one, it’s a three-second knockout.”
“Really?”
Sergeant Lee glanced slightly at the company commander.
“I know, I know. Sergeant Lee is a master of special forces martial arts. Let’s drink.”
At the company commander’s words, we all raised glasses filled with soju
and clinked them together in the center of the table.
A clear ring sounded,
and as the glasses struck, some liquor spilled onto the grill,
but no one minded.
Is this what happiness feels like?
Training together, then sharing grilled pork belly and soju in the evening.
Recounting what happened during the day,
offering encouragement and pointing out areas for improvement.
Teasing each other, joking around.
Giving sincere advice.
Is this what a team truly is?
The people sitting at this table.
Though they all appear thoroughly intoxicated,
their expressions shine with contentment.
Nothing particularly funny seems to be happening,
yet they laugh uproariously.
They laugh again.
And again.
So I joined in their laughter.
I worried my smile might seem out of place,
but no one remarked on it.
And so the night deepened outside the barracks.

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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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