I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 165

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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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165 – The Big Player
165.
“I’m Yun Tae-gyeom.”
Yun Tae-gyeom rose from his seat and offered a greeting.
He didn’t bow deeply, didn’t nod his head.
It was precisely how a man from a chaebol family would greet a visitor.
There was adequate courtesy and manners, but it didn’t seem genuine.
Even though I’d brought money, this was the treatment I received.
If I’d come empty-handed, I doubt I’d have been treated like a person at all.
In truth, I’d spread word before arriving.
That a fool with plenty of money was searching for investment opportunities.
I’d circulated rumors that cash was overflowing, but I couldn’t find suitable places to invest it.
Those rumors had created today’s meeting.
Today, I was a big player and a fool coming to invest in Taelim Holdings.
And I was genuinely willing to play the fool.
If it could all be resolved with money.
If it could be settled through conversation.
Without complications,
if I could just throw money at it and resolve everything, spending a bit more wasn’t a problem.
I could spend as much as needed.
Then I’d be happy, and this stiff bastard in front of me would be happy too.
Isn’t that a win-win?
But this guy acts stiff even toward a big player like me.
How does he expect to make a living in this business like that?
“Was your journey here comfortable?”
Yun Tae-gyeom asked out of habit, his voice utterly disinterested.
“I came comfortably, thanks to you.”
I settled onto the sofa and crossed my legs as I spoke.
“Would you care for a beverage?”
“Do you have anything strong?”
Yun Tae-gyeom immediately flashed a look to his secretary as if he understood.
Moments later, the secretary wheeled in a trolley.
Spirits in crystal bottles, ice, and glasses.
Nothing extravagant, nothing lacking.
Yun Tae-gyeom glanced at the bottle briefly, then picked it up.
“Allow me to pour you a drink.”
I quietly lifted my glass.
The glass fills.
But why did the atmosphere grow heavy along with it?
A subtle tension filled Yun Tae-gyeom’s office.
Yun Tae-gyeom spoke slowly.
“I heard you’re considering an investment.”
“That’s right.”
“How much might the investment be, if I may ask?”
Yun Tae-gyeom inquired.
When I gave him a look that said “why would you ask something like that,” he spoke again.
“The portfolio varies depending on the investment amount. If we prepare thoroughly, won’t our clients be able to take home even greater profits?”
“Could you handle about one sheet?”
I slowly rotated my glass, pretending to deliberate,
and answered as vaguely and ambiguously as possible.
Confusion flickered across Yun Tae-gyeom’s face at my response.
He couldn’t quite grasp what “one sheet” meant as a figure.
Of course he couldn’t.
100 million was too small, and 1 billion or 100 billion wouldn’t be called “one sheet.”
But Yun Tae-gyeom’s hesitation was brief.
He decided to just ask directly.
If it was 100 million, he could just send it through the regular counter.
“When you say one sheet, exactly how much are you referring to? It doesn’t seem to be 100 million.”
“A convenience store? 100 million? We start at a baseline of 1 trillion.”
Surprise, confusion, and joy mingled on Yun Tae-gyeom’s face as he heard the word “trillion.”
One trillion.
Though Yun Tae-gyeom had worked in finance for a long time, he’d never met anyone who invested in the trillions.
How much money would someone need to invest 1 trillion?
What kind of total assets are we talking about here?
Yun Tae-gyeom felt like he’d caught a prize fish.
With 1 trillion, there’d be no need to partner with anyone else.
Managing 1 trillion alone would be enough to shake the market.
Substantial profits were guaranteed.
Yet Yun Tae-gyeom didn’t easily show excitement or let it show.
He acted with practiced composure, as though this were an everyday occurrence.
“With a scale like that, I believe we could create a separate portfolio for you.”
“No, forget the portfolio. If you do me this favor, I’ll invest not one sheet, but ten.”
Yun Tae-gyeom barely managed to suppress a gasp that nearly escaped him.
Just hearing the number made him dizzy.
He was already shocked by one sheet, and now he says ten.
Ten sheets meant 10 trillion.
At this point, he needed to check if this was some kind of hidden camera prank.
Or verify that this man wasn’t a con artist.
No sane person invests 10 trillion.
With 10 trillion, you could make money doing anything.
Why do people invest?
To make money.
But if you have 10 trillion won, you can make money doing anything.
With 10 trillion won, money flows automatically no matter what you do.
I’ll need to verify it, but if it’s really 10 trillion won, I can’t let it slip away.
I have to seize it no matter what.
“Just say the word and I’ll prepare everything immediately.”
Yun Tae-gyeom spoke with a slightly trembling voice.
“Back off from Kwon Ju-ah. That’s all it takes. Then I’ll invest 10 trillion won in you. How about it?”
Hearing those words, Yun Tae-gyeom was bewildered.
Just Kwon Ju-ah?
Kwon Ju-ah, who’s expendable either way?
Kwon Ju-ah, who can be replaced anytime?
Why would someone with nothing to their name appear here?
I thoroughly investigated Kwon Ju-ah, but I had no idea she had a friend like this.
The finance industry is sensitive to information.
It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not.
People make fortunes from rumors, and they go bankrupt from rumors too.
That’s why we spare no expense collecting information.
Information is that precious.
But where did this man come from?
My intelligence team shouldn’t have missed someone of this caliber.
I’ll verify later.
First, I need to figure out what this man is thinking.
“I had no idea Ju-ah had a friend like you.”
“We keep our relationship rather private.”
“I’m sorry. That’s not a service we provide.”
Yun Tae-gyeom composed himself and adjusted his calculations.
His eyes transformed into those of a predator spotting larger prey.
“Isn’t this place supposed to do anything if you have money?”
“You’ve misunderstood me. That’s a much more expensive service.”
“Hahaha. You’re quite ambitious for someone so young.”
“You look younger than me, though?”
“Maybe I am younger. But in this world, isn’t the one with the most money the boss?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then how much would that service cost?”
“100 billion won would make it possible.”
“100 billion won···”
Yun Tae-gyeom is insane.
Asking for 100 trillion won in return for that.
But it doesn’t matter if I do.
I’m not giving it to Yun Tae-gyeom—I’m investing in a financial company.
Once they receive my money, they’ll invest it in various places on my behalf and bring back profits.
A financial company’s profit rate is like a signboard.
A good reputation attracts more investment.
There’s a chance we could see losses during the investment process, but we won’t deliberately operate at a loss.
No one tries to intentionally go bankrupt.
Even if we lose a bit, it’s fine.
“100 trillion… Ana, is that possible?”
I turned to Ana beside me and asked.
“Yes. It’s more than sufficient.”
“Sufficient, then. Let’s proceed.”
The moment I readily agreed, I felt Yun Tae-gyeom’s shock.
He probably never imagined I’d be holding 100 trillion in cash.
Taelim Financial Group’s total assets are around 150 to 170 trillion.
I’m holding an enormous amount of cash equivalent to 67% of Taelim Financial Group’s assets.
If I combined this with his own assets, it could exceed the Taelim Group itself.
Greed surged within me.
A man willing to pour out 100 trillion just for Kwon Ju-ah.
How much more could he invest?
I was curious.
I wanted to test it.
The odds of failure were high.
But that was fine.
As long as I held Kwon Ju-ah in my grasp, this man would have no choice but to be drawn in.
He’d have no choice but to invest.
A windfall.
I never expected this.
I picked Kwon Ju-ah for her image, but the jackpot hit from an unexpected direction.
I shouldn’t stop here.
I felt like I could extract more.
Yun Tae-gyeom’s eyes changed.
“My apologies. The price has just changed.”
“What?”
“The price has gone up. Tenfold.”
“Kha-ha-ha. You people sure know how to make business entertaining. There’s never a dull moment.”
I laughed genuinely.
He’s more insane than I thought.
“Thank you.”
Yun Tae-gyeom took my sarcasm head-on.
“Is it a DC?”
“It’s a reconnaissance fee.”
“Damn, that’s expensive. Ana. Can you get 1,000 units?”
Ana checked something on her laptop before responding.
“Getting 1,000 units right now would be difficult.”
“I heard. So it’s not possible.”
“Then should we call off the investment?”
Yun Tae-gyeom asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
“You give up faster than I expected.”
Yun Tae-gyeom returned my sarcasm right back at me.
“What can I do? I don’t have the money. And you say DC isn’t possible either. What I really want isn’t an investment—it’s for you to back off from Kwon Ju-ah. I was just going to hand over some cash and be done with it, but you rejected that.”
“Didn’t I tell you it was expensive?”
Yun Tae-gyeom answered as if he possessed some great treasure.
“It’s not even yours. You’re not doing business with something that isn’t yours, are you? Still, I was willing to buy it from you, and you kicked it away.”
“It will become mine in the future. So it’s rightfully mine.”
“You’re crazier than I thought. I like it. I can do whatever I want to you.”
“Pardon?”
I drained the drink Yun Tae-gyeom poured for me in one gulp.
“Honestly, I didn’t think this would work, but confirming it puts my mind at ease. Buying things with money really doesn’t suit my nature. I tried to be as courteous as possible, but it didn’t work. Consider this conversation a breakdown in negotiations.”
“What else is there?”
Yun Tae-gyeom asked, still wearing a victor’s smile.
“Yeah. There’s plenty left. From now on, all sorts of shitty things are going to keep happening. When they do, blame yourself for kicking away this opportunity today—for rejecting 100 trillion.”
I left those words behind and walked out of Yun Tae-gyeom’s office.
.
.
.
Inside the car on the way back.
Ana sat in the passenger seat.
“What the hell is that guy? He’s a complete asshole?”
Ana unleashed a barrage of curses the moment she got in the car, letting out everything she’d been holding back.
She seemed quite angry at Yun Tae-gyeom’s behavior.
Now that I’d actually dealt with him, I could see he wasn’t an ordinary man.
First, he didn’t get swept up in the atmosphere.
Even when I offered 100 trillion, he didn’t make the deal.
Instead, he’s demanding 1,000 trillion?
Either he has something solid he believes in, or he’s delusional.
He also seems like he can’t handle things not going his way.
In any case, my assessment of him as a madman hadn’t changed.
“Right. That’s why I didn’t want to send Kwon Ju-ah. He doesn’t listen to anyone else’s opinion at all.”
“So what’s your plan now?”
Ana looked at me with curious eyes.
“I tried words and money, but they refused. Now we use force.”
“Should we mobilize the Dae-hoon Faction and the Triad Society? I’ll have the Sandro Group join as well.”
Scott, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke up.
“No. I don’t think that’ll work.”
“Is Taelim Holdings really that powerful?”
Scott was taken aback.
“No, those bastards aren’t afraid of getting hurt. What they fear is losing money.”
Ana’s eyes gleamed at the mention of money.
“You can’t treat creatures like that as human beings. You have to think of them as numbers.”
“Then?”
“We strip them of their money. We reduce their numbers to zero.”
Both Ana and Scott nodded at my words.
.
.
.
Hong Kong Triad headquarters.
Du Man-sik was distributing well-laundered money to his subordinates through Ana.
Or rather, he was practically showering them with it.
Of course, it was Alex’s orders.
To transform the Triad Society into an intelligence organization, they needed channels for information to flow in and out.
They needed places where people gathered, talked, and listened.
Bars, cafes, restaurants, massage parlors, money changers, used car lots, and so on.
Seemingly ordinary establishments, but places where rumors and information circulated.
Alex had ordered all existing establishments to be completely remodeled, and new ones to be built if necessary.
He provided generous funding for all of it.
Du Man-sik distributed money to the new branch leaders and ordered them to open establishments.
The conditions were simple.
Information and tribute.
Alex said he didn’t need tribute payments, but this was tradition and custom.
Tribute was the thread that held the Triad Society together.
Without it, you couldn’t know who was above you, whose favor allowed you to survive in this world.
Without it, the organization couldn’t endure.
Black Incense’s help was invaluable in selecting new branch leaders and rebuilding the Triad Society.
Having pledged his loyalty, Black Incense became even more keen and sharp.
He moved about like an inspector, restoring discipline to the crumbling Triad Society.
He eliminated those who treated the Triad Society’s name lightly.
He instilled fear, saying that while you’d be happy inside the Triad, the moment you left or betrayed it, the Triad would become your enemy.
He drew a clear line, stating that a traitor’s only fate was death.
Instead, I showed them how comfortable and cozy it could be to enter the Triad Society.
How satisfied one could become.
The work progressed faster than expected.
Du Man-sik marveled once again at the greatness of Alex hyung, who had planned the work this way.
Du Man-sik opened the Biography of Seo Dae-hun to touch his bare head and offer a prayer.
For him, the prayer was sincere.
Beside Du Man-sik stood someone who had similarly shaved their head and offered prayers together.
As Du Man-sik’s status changed, people began to follow him.
Du Man-sik handed them the Biography of Seo Dae-hun.
They too, like Du Man-sik, removed all body hair and chose the same faith.
That was when it happened.
While Du Man-sik was praying, a call came through.
It was from Alex, the CEO.
Du Man-sik greeted loudly into the phone before answering.
“Understood. I’ll handle it.”
Du Man-sik’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
.
.
.
Vice President Yun Tae-gyeom sat in his office, staring at the door through which the man had left.
He felt a slight regret.
Should I have accepted the deal?
One hundred trillion—an astronomical figure.
Looking back, regret consumed him.
At that moment, he had completely lost touch with reality.
Perhaps if it had been ten billion or one hundred billion, he would have accepted.
But because the number was so abnormally large, Yun Tae-gyeom too had lost his sense of reality.
It felt like playing a game.
The money had vanished at some point,
and only the confrontation with that man remained.
I didn’t want to lose.
Honestly, Kwon Ju-ah didn’t have to be my marriage partner.
It didn’t matter.
We had only met face-to-face once at the matchmaking meeting.
I decided to marry her because I liked her image.
But now someone was trying to take Kwon Ju-ah from me.
Someone wanted to buy her.
That didn’t sit right with me.
Suddenly, the unremarkable Kwon Ju-ah seemed extraordinary.
She had become someone I could never let go of.
I need to have Kwon Ju-ah in my grasp to pull that man in.
With Kwon Ju-ah, I can manipulate that man however I want.
I called for the Secretary General.
“Kwon Ju-ah. Bring her here.”
“······”
“I don’t care what method you use. Whether you escort her or kidnap her.”
The Secretary General hesitated.
“Why?”
“Kwon Ju-ah’s whereabouts have been untraceable for the past two days.”
“What?”
“After she left Home two days ago, we can’t confirm where she went.”
The Secretary General answered, at a loss for words.
“Just track her phone.”
“It’s turned off.”
“Find her no matter what. Search all of Seoul and bring her in.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Yun Tae-gyeom issued the command forcefully.
That was when it happened.
The head of the Investment Division rushed into the Vice President’s Office.
“Vice President, we have a serious problem.”
“What’s with all the fuss?”
Yun Tae-gyeom spoke sharply, his mood already soured by the news of Kwon Ju-ah’s disappearance.
“The Philippines has terminated the ‘Taelim Global Opportunity Fund.'”
“What?”
“They’ve done a partial withdrawal. Within the range where we can exit without losses.”
The Philippines withdrawing from the fund?
It was strange.
The Philippines had been the most enthusiastic country in that fund.
Yet they’re withdrawing?
Spitefully, they’d only withdrawn up to the point where they wouldn’t take losses.
More than the financial loss, the implication bothered me.
In that moment, a phrase from that man echoed in my mind.
‘From now on, a series of shitty things are going to keep happening.’
I’d thought it was just a common curse, but now a creeping dread seized my entire body that it might be something more.
A chill ran down my spine.
I had become a major player in the black market through my Inventory.
165 – Big Player
E-book Publication
/ January 7, 2026
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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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