I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 169

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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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169 – Yun Jae-hong
169.
“How is it there?”
Kwon Ju-ah’s voice came through the phone.
– Here? It’s good. I came prepared for medical volunteer work, bracing myself for the worst, but the facilities are better than expected, and everything is clean. It doesn’t feel like the Philippines at all.
Her voice is bright.
Much brighter than when she was here.
Kwon Ju-ah is away doing medical volunteer work.
I sent her.
After regaining her senses at the Townhouse Complex, Kwon Ju-ah immediately said she would return to work at the hospital.
Perhaps it was a natural choice.
For her, the hospital was her daily life and the only place she could escape to.
But I stopped her.
Thinking that Yun Tae-gyeom would use Kwon Ju-ah as a hostage to turn the situation in his favor, I stationed security personnel at the hospital.
Taerim’s security personnel were lying in wait, disguised as patients, staff, and guardians.
Everything was prepared so that the moment Kwon Ju-ah appeared, she could be taken away.
In truth, there would be no problem with Kwon Ju-ah going to work.
A mere handful of security personnel posed no real obstacle.
But it was a hospital.
I didn’t want to create unnecessary conflict and chaos in a hospital.
I didn’t want to show patients who needed stability something shocking.
If we clashed, an incident would inevitably occur.
So I kept Kwon Ju-ah at the Townhouse Complex.
Instead, I thought of another way.
I recalled the scene I’d witnessed when I was hospitalized.
The Hospital Director’s restless demeanor around Dae-hoon.
The image of him desperately trying to maintain the connection came to mind.
The moment Dae-hoon made a single phone call to the Hospital Director, Kwon Ju-ah’s medical volunteer work was resolved instantly.
The procedures and reviews progressed rapidly.
It was confirmed immediately.
Kwon Ju-ah’s destination was Unity Town.
She was doing medical volunteer work in Unity Town.
Unity Town has a hospital, but if one more doctor is added, many more people can receive medical benefits.
Moreover, the experience and skills learned from a medically advanced country like South Korea are added to the mix.
Most critically, Unity Town is safe.
No madman would dare enter Unity Town.
The Rebel Forces guard it.
The crazy Shin Jung-gi is there.
So there’s no need to worry about Kwon Ju-ah’s safety.
As long as she’s in Unity Town, her safety is guaranteed.
I needed that too.
I could focus on my work in South Korea only by separating Kwon Ju-ah from my side for a while.
With her nearby, my judgment inevitably becomes clouded.
I become distracted, and my decisions slow.
And my resolve weakens.
That wasn’t good for anyone.
Not for me, not for Kwon Ju-ah, and not for Yun Tae-gyeom, who would face punishment.
Kwon Ju-ah seemed to be forgetting this place as she met new patients in her new environment.
The Philippines is a place where patients overflow whenever you try to treat them.
Unity Town is fine, but the moment you step outside.
The Philippines is a place where people constantly flock to you when you go out for medical volunteer work.
On top of that, I also asked her to provide emergency first aid and basic medical training for the Rebel Forces.
Gunshot wounds, shrapnel injuries, infections—you name it.
She didn’t refuse either.
Our purpose was the same after all.
To keep Kwon Ju-ah busy.
To overwhelm her with work, leaving no room to breathe.
To give her no opportunity to even think about matters in South Korea.
*******
Taerim Financial Center.
Ten Escalades surged into its entrance in perfect unison.
A speed bordering on a charge.
The spacing between vehicles was precise and uniform.
Even the sound of tires grinding against asphalt was identical.
And in the center of them all stood a single Maybach.
As the vehicles came to a halt, men in black suits descended simultaneously.
Their movements were perfectly coordinated.
Anyone could see they were highly trained security personnel.
Taerim’s security team tensed at the sudden situation.
Radio chatter intensified.
“External vehicles. No entry request on record.”
“Identity not confirmed.”
The agent exchanging radio communications approached the man in the black suit.
“W-who are you?”
The question was asked cautiously, but there was no response.
It was a complete dismissal.
The Obsidian Unit focused only on the Maybach and the surrounding perimeter.
As if Taerim’s security personnel didn’t even exist, they concentrated solely on their task.
The security agent who witnessed this grew angry.
“Wait… who do you think you—”
Before the security guard could finish speaking, he was already subdued.
He was already lying on the ground before he could even scream.
It was clean.
“The CEO is coming out.”
A low, measured voice.
But it was a command.
The Obsidian Unit focused.
Only then did the Maybach’s door open, and a man emerged.
He wasn’t in a hurry.
Slowly. Slowly.
As if the building were his own space, he walked in slowly.
.
.
.
Taerim Financial Group Chairman’s Office.
As I opened the door, Chairman Yun Jae-hong was standing there.
He was standing by the window,
and it seemed he had been watching us approach.
“You’ve arrived quite ostentatiously.”
The implication was why I’d brought so many people just to get here.
It meant: are you afraid of me?
It was asking why I’d brought so many people because I was scared.
Still the tone of someone who stood above.
In that moment, I understood.
‘That bastard still hasn’t come to his senses.’
He was still a tycoon.
A man who had never fought a losing battle.
Both industry and politics had always sided with Taerim.
When Taerim did something, even illegality wasn’t illegal.
Now I could see it clearly.
Come to think of it, Yun Tae-gyeom wasn’t a psychopath.
He was a thoroughly educated elite who acted according to his education.
He simply behaved as he was taught.
And the architect of that education was standing right before me.
Yun Tae-gyeom’s father, Chairman Yun Jae-hong.
A man who believed that with enough money, right and wrong could be redefined.
A man who saw power as something to be purchased and law as merely a tool for business.
A man whose beliefs had never once been challenged.
That man was Yun Jae-hong.
But what now?
If it’s about money, I have more.
If it’s about power, I’m far superior.
If it comes down to force, I could tear you apart right here and now.
When things reach this point, shouldn’t you be dropping to your knees first?
You can’t even read the situation, your intelligence is lacking—it’s a losing battle from the start.
You have nothing, yet you keep your chin held high.
You stand in your crumbling castle, treading on the ghosts of your former glory.
You’ve survived this long using that method, so the more cornered you become, the stiffer your neck will grow.
You’ll only raise your voice louder.
Maybe it worked until now, but not today.
“There are people trying to kill me these days, so I have no regrets about life, but I’d rather not die from a stray bullet, you know?”
I spoke in a playful tone.
Yun Jae-hong’s eyes narrowed.
“So why did you come here so rudely? Was one son not enough? Do you want to kill me too?”
“Rude? Coming like this is rude? The real rudeness was Yun Tae-gyeom trying to kill me. And I have no interest in your life.”
Yun Jae-hong had heard through his secretary that Yun Tae-gyeom had mobilized the Emergency Response Team.
He’d also heard that the Emergency Response Team was completely annihilated.
He’d heard that his son Yun Tae-gyeom had gone silent.
That’s why Yun Jae-hong couldn’t welcome this man.
This man was dangerous.
Above all, I couldn’t figure out who this man was.
I’d mobilized every line of inquiry to investigate him, but no one could tell me anything about him.
Yet the wealth and power he possessed seemed enormous.
It was difficult even to speculate.
I’d tried to imagine it, but my imagination fell short.
An unknowable man.
Just looking at him made my legs weak and my body tremble.
The way he naturally spoke down to me.
Yet it wasn’t awkward.
It was far too familiar and natural.
Every gesture, every action of his made him even more unknowable.
So I had to end this meeting quickly, no matter what.
Staying here any longer, I had no idea what might happen.
That’s why I had to leave with even more confidence.
If I showed weakness, I might be swallowed whole in one bite.
“Coming without an appointment is rude.”
Yun Jae-hong tossed the words out like a reprimand.
“Ah, my apologies. I made a mistake. I should have made an appointment… I’d like to make one now, if possible?”
“I’ll have to decline.”
“Haha, that’s amusing. You don’t answer calls, so I came to find you, and now you call me rude… Sigh. This is quite difficult.”
At my lament, Yun Jae-hong turned his head away as if it were none of his concern and spoke.
“I would appreciate it if you would leave now.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
I spoke to Scott and the Obsidian Unit whom I had brought with me.
As I stood up, I issued Yun Jae-hong a warning disguised as casual conversation.
“You just threw away the last chance to save Taerim.”
“What do you mean?”
Yun Jae-hong looked at me with a bewildered expression.
My arrival was unwelcome, but he seemed intrigued by what I had to say about Taerim.
His eyes shifted to something resembling curiosity.
“I hear you price everything here—people, incidents, even accidents—based solely on whether it makes money or not. Yet your eye for people is this terrible, and you expect to run a business? How rude to a savior who came to rescue you. Hah.”
“What?”
A flicker of confusion crossed Yun Jae-hong’s face.
“Scott. Contact China. Tell them to proceed.”
“Yes.”
Scott pulled out his phone and made a call to someone.
“What did you do?”
Yun Jae-hong asked, trying to suppress an ominous feeling.
“Something like that. You’ll see it on the news later.”
“What do you···”
After a brief moment, the Secretary entered through the door.
Upon seeing us, he went behind Chairman Yun Jae-hong and whispered something in his ear.
“You don’t need to whisper. It’s a call from China, isn’t it? Major violations have been discovered in fund management. Punishment is inevitable. Just like that.”
Chairman Yun Jae-hong, who had been startled upon hearing the Secretary’s words, was startled once more.
“How could you… how could you···”
“I told you. It was your last chance. Now they’ll be exiting from everywhere, and if you don’t return the money, you’ll face lawsuits. If this were a domestic matter, you could bury it and play dumb, but I’m not sure if that works with the Chinese. If you try to withdraw money to repay the debt, your subsidiaries will collapse one by one.”
Yun Jae-hong’s expression hardened.
It was precisely what he had been most worried and concerned about.
Yun Jae-hong’s expression changed.
His posture changed as well.
The confidence he had exuded as the master of this house vanished.
He became as servile as someone who had come to borrow money.
“Then if there is a way to save it, please tell me. I will never forget this kindness.”
“Sorry… there is a way, but I can’t speak about it because there’s no prior agreement. We don’t want to become rude people.”
Yun Jae-hong fell to his knees.
“Please save it just once. Taerim is everything I have devoted myself to. Please save it.”
A desperation that had never shown on his face even when he couldn’t reach his son was now vividly apparent.
This family was definitely a family of psychopaths.
Taerim was more important to him than his own son.
“There’s only one way. Give me one dollar. Hand it over to me.”
“What?”
The desperation that had etched itself across his face vanished, replaced by fury.
“That’s already being generous. If you collapse anyway, I can just pick up the pieces for free. If I acquire it now, there will be plenty of expenses. Yet I’m still offering to buy it.”
“Taerim is a major corporation, and you’re telling me to sell it for one dollar. At least say something that makes sense.”
Yun Jae-hong shouted as if the proposal were absurd.
“Wouldn’t it be better to accept this and wrap things up cleanly? Or would you rather rot in prison for the rest of your life?”
“Prison doesn’t make sense. Why would I go to prison? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Yun Jae-hong spoke as though it were obvious.
“You will. And not in our country—in a Chinese prison.”
“I haven’t committed any crimes. Even if the Chinese subsidiary did something wrong, that was done independently by them. It has nothing to do with me. Of course I won’t have to go to prison.”
“That’s what you think. But with the methods you’ve been using, everything connects back to you. Whether it’s conspiracy or direct orders, you’re involved. Soon enough, the Chinese government will file an extradition request. Do you really think our government will protect you when they’re so eager to avoid friction with China? Not at all. They’ll use you as a bargaining chip instead. They’ll think one person is a cheap price to pay to prevent conflict with China. Besides, you’re not making semiconductors, AI, or displays. Does it really matter if a couple of money-shufflers disappear?”
Yun Jae-hong seemed taken aback by my facts.
In truth, he already knew.
That there was no escape from this situation.
All Taerim did was invest other people’s money and pocket the fees.
Plenty of people could do that besides Yun Jae-hong.
It wasn’t a company with any unique technology.
I added one more spoonful of truth to the mix.
“You don’t know what Chinese prisons are like, do you? Instead of names, they call you by numbers—same as here, so that doesn’t matter. But there’s no such thing as human rights there. If they’re in a bad mood, they beat you first and ask questions later. Hygiene? If you can even wash your face without showering, consider yourself lucky. The food is even worse. The biggest problem is your cellmates. Though I’m not sure if you can even call them that.”
Yun Jae-hong’s face went pale with fear.
If he reacts like this to what I’ve told him, the reality is far crueler.
I’ve already softened it considerably.
“There has to be another way, right? Tell me. What is it?”
“If there is, find it yourself. I don’t want to be disrespectful anymore, so I’ll be going now.”
“Wait… Even so, one dollar is… If you’re going to acquire Taerim, couldn’t we negotiate the specifics…?”
“I have plenty of time anyway. I can wait until you collapse and take it for free. The creditors will clean everything up and present it nicely. I just find that process tedious, so I’d rather pay a bit more and take it now.”
Yun Jae-hong collapsed helplessly into his chair.
He never imagined the empire he’d built over forty years would crumble so easily.
He’d bent the rules here and there, shuffled money between subsidiaries, but he never thought it would become a problem.
Wasn’t breaking the law to some degree just a normal part of business?
“Choose. Either Taerim collapses and you go to prison, or you sell Taerim and live an ordinary life.”
Yun Jae-hong’s eyes wavered.
His expression showed he couldn’t bear to let Taerim go.
“Please, give me some time. Just one week. No, five days.”
Yun Jae-hong made one last stand for his pride.
“Fine. Then.”
And I allowed him that much dignity.
.
.
.
In the end, Yun Jae-hong chose to sell Taerim Group for one dollar.
It wasn’t really a choice—it was the only option available.
Taerim Group was already nothing but an empty shell.
The debts were tangled in a complex web, and the cash flow between subsidiaries had reached its limit.
There were almost no remaining assets.
It was a time bomb waiting to explode at any moment.
But what we saw in Taerim Group was different.
While there were no visible assets, the organization possessed decades of accumulated expertise, personnel, and systems built through years in the financial industry.
That system was something money alone couldn’t buy.
We hadn’t simply purchased a company for one dollar.
What we bought was the system and experience.
Taerim Group was a bomb, but we knew exactly how to defuse it.
After all, we were the ones who created that bomb in the first place.
We could detonate it, but we could also disarm it safely.
The fund managers who had requested an exit would recalculate their positions given the changed circumstances.
Once China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore shifted their stance, the others would follow suit.
Rumors create truth.
I never intended to acquire Taerim Group from the start.
Ana was sufficient for my needs.
My funds were managed well enough by Ana.
But my goal is to reduce their numbers to “zero”.
I will ensure they have nothing and can do nothing.
I will file another lawsuit against those who handed Taerim Group to me.
On charges of embezzlement.
After reviewing the documents, I will sue them for embezzlement and breach of fiduciary duty.
Whether I win or lose doesn’t matter.
I will drag it out for as long as possible.
They can no longer use the company’s Legal Team.
They’ll have to hire private attorneys, which will cost them dearly.
Just as Yun Jae-hong slowly bled others dry,
I will engage in a prolonged legal battle against Yun Jae-hong.
Until Yun Jae-hong and his family have nothing left.
Until they are completely reduced to “zero”.
Through the Inventory, I became a major player in the black market.
169 – Yun Jae-hong
E-book Publication
/ January 12, 2026
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/ Black Card
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© Black Card, 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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