I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 181

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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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181 – Missing Person
181.
“You finished?”
While Baek Dong-hyun laboriously wrote the names of Cheongwha Society members with his left hand, I had gone to watch a variety show.
It seemed like it would take more time than I expected.
It was a simple program about men and women meeting and parting ways, but why was it so entertaining?
Within it swirled desire and jealousy, regret and tears.
Before I knew it, I was absorbed in watching it.
As I entered, Baek Dong-hyun silently handed me the paper.
The A4 sheet was densely packed with names.
Crooked and uneven.
He wrote quite well despite his inconvenient hand.
That’s how desperately he wanted to live.
“That’s all I know. I don’t know anything beyond that.”
“Huh? Why don’t you know? Aren’t you close with them?”
Baek Dong-hyun exhaled with a scoff.
“You fool. Just because you’re alumni doesn’t mean you’re close with everyone or know everyone.”
“I wouldn’t know since I don’t have any alma mater.”
He seemed slightly taken aback by my statement about having no alma mater, but Baek Dong-hyun continued speaking as if teaching me.
“Over four hundred thousand people graduated from Seoul National University, my alma mater. Do you think I know all of them or am close with all of them? It’s the same here. We just become reasonably close with people we happen to meet.”
“Ah, I see. So there’s fun in digging then? Things will come out like pulling a sweet potato.”
I became more amused.
It felt like treasure hunting.
It was like a game of finding hidden collaborators.
But Baek Dong-hyun seemed different.
“What?”
“You just said it yourself. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If we keep digging, couldn’t we eradicate all the collaborators?”
“Eradicate collaborators? Do you think that’s possible?”
“It might be if we keep trying.”
Baek Dong-hyun looked at me as if I were naive.
“Heh heh. You know what? There were many independence fighters among the collaborators. At first, they thought the country should be independent, but as time went on, they thought it would be better to side with Japan. A wise decision. I still think we never achieved true independence. We still need Japan’s help.”
I looked at Baek Dong-hyun while examining the list he had given me.
His eyes truly reflected that belief.
“That’s possible. Thinking that way is entirely your freedom. But my thoughts are different. Why would those bastards have collaborated? Because it was convenient and profitable. But if collaboration becomes unprofitable and life-threatening? Would they still collaborate?”
“······”
Baek Dong-hyun’s lips tightened.
He hadn’t thought of that.
“I understand your loyalty to Japan well. In honor of that loyalty, I’ll scatter your ashes in Japan. Live well there as a ghost. Eating memorial offerings in Japan. Though I’m not sure who’ll prepare them for you… Ah! But before that, there’s something I need to do.”
Baek Dong-hyun’s gaze surveyed the surroundings.
In one corner, I could see someone mixing cement.
Gray powder slowly mixed into the water.
Baek Dong-hyun’s face turned pale.
He seemed to realize that what he was supposed to consume was cement.
“Last time the cement was too thick, so he had trouble swallowing it. That’s why I made it thinner this time. Goes down the throat nice and easy. Well then, have a good trip.”
“What? You weren’t going to let me live?”
Baek Dong-hyun asked in shock.
He must have believed he could survive this.
That’s why he cooperated.
But reality was cement.
“When did I ever say that? I said I would punish pro-Japanese collaborators. I never said I’d let you live.”
“No, you said you’d let me live.”
Baek Dong-hyun insisted stubbornly.
The desperation of a man clinging to life.
“No, I never said that. Stop making excuses. There’s no Cheongwha Society or National Intelligence Service here to help you.”
“No. No, that’s not true!!!”
Baek Dong-hyun thrashed against the chair in protest, but there was nothing he could do.
His hands and feet, bound to the chair, wouldn’t budge.
His broken right arm only brought pain.
“No. You said you’d let me live. You said you’d let me live.”
Baek Dong-hyun screamed and begged for his life.
“Please, save me. Please let me live.”
Baek Dong-hyun’s pleas continued.
Then suddenly he asked why.
Was it an occupational habit from the National Intelligence Service?
Always asking questions.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Because I’m in a shitty mood. If I had to make up a reason, maybe it’s because I don’t like your font. It’s hard to read.”
The sudden mention of fonts left Baek Dong-hyun bewildered.
He’d expected something grandiose, some excuse about the nation or duty, but a font?
He’d even been ready to laugh at it, but a font?
“That’s because I wrote with my left hand…”
“Should I care about that? I only look at results. If you’re done talking, let’s begin.”
“No.”
Baek Dong-hyun screamed, but nothing changed.
A funnel was forced into Baek Dong-hyun’s mouth, and the cement went down.
Because it was thinned out, it went down smoothly.
.
.
.
Hwang On-yu was concerned about Director Baek Dong-hyun, who hadn’t come to work for several days.
It wasn’t concern for his safety.
It felt like I’d experienced this situation before, somewhere in the past.
That’s what bothered me.
Before Hwang On-yu became Team Leader, Gong In-bae had said this.
‘I should make you Team Leader.’
After those words, Park Do-jin the Team Leader disappeared.
And Hwang On-yu became Team Leader.
Back then, the National Intelligence Service was embroiled in a corruption scandal,
and with various positions changing hands, no one suspected anything unusual.
But not long ago, Gong In-bae said, ‘Should I make you Director?’
And with those words, the Director disappeared too.
We can’t even figure out where he went.
This situation is eerily similar.
What if In-bae is kidnapping those people for me?
It was dangerous.
Far too dangerous.
Yet I felt grateful.
That he would go this far for me.
I’ve done nothing for In-bae,
yet I’m grateful that Gong In-bae does this for me.
But this method won’t work.
There are far too many potential problems.
And I don’t want to become Director this way.
If it’s a promotion, I should be able to achieve it through my own accomplishments.
That’s what I want to believe.
In-bae kidnapping people, and me taking their vacant seat.
I can’t knowingly accept that.
Whether it’s the Director’s position or any other position.
I need to stop In-bae.
That’s when the breaking news appeared on television.
A missing persons report.
A high-ranking official from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
An official from the Board of Audit and Inspection.
University professors and others were being reported as missing one after another.
The police were forming a dedicated investigation team and launching an investigation into the continued disappearances, according to the broadcast.
.
.
.
Internet community.
[Common Traits Among Recently Disappeared Persons]
(Kim Do-hyun / Ministry of Economy and Finance Director) – Funneled budgets to pro-Japanese organizations.
(Park Sang-woo / University Professor) – Stirred controversy claiming the Japanese colonial era was a blessing for our nation.
(Choi Min-seok / Prosecutor) – Cleared all suspects in cases involving pro-Japanese organizations.
(Yoon Tae-gyun / Journalist) – Praises Japan. Regularly publishes columns advocating we learn from Japan.
(Han Jae-ho / Webtoon Artist) – You know this one without me saying, right? He’s famous.
Starting to understand?
Everyone who’s disappeared was a pro-Japanese collaborator.
I studied under Professor Park Sang-woo back in university, and that man was relentless.
He’d constantly say we need to emulate Japan.
Japan’s existence is why our country exists.
We owe them our gratitude.
It was absolutely nauseating.
But what could a mere student do against a professor?
I just had to endure it.
Then I saw the news about these disappearances and checked it out of curiosity, only to discover every single missing person was a pro-Japanese collaborator.
It’s strange to say, but honestly, it feels refreshing.
These were people no one could touch.
That’s how I feel about it.
____________________________________
A post appeared online.
A post claiming to reveal the common thread among the disappeared.
They were all pro-Japanese collaborators, Japan loyalists, or history distortionists.
The post spread rapidly across the internet, and reactions were intense.
Comments exploded.
– Honestly, it feels so satisfying.
– All those pro-Japanese bastards need to be rounded up.
– Pro-Japanese collaborators aren’t even human.
– Since the law can’t do it, I’m grateful someone is.
└ I support this. Don’t get caught.
– Looking at the list, it’s really impressive. Each one is a gem.
└ The list is well-curated. True pro-Japanese aces.
Those in support.
– No matter how you frame it, it’s still a crime.
– Vigilante justice? In the 21st century? That’s absurd.
└ The authorities can’t do it, so who will?
– Still, this doesn’t seem right. We should follow proper legal procedures and due process.
Those in opposition.
– I’m staying neutral for now. I’ll judge once I see how this unfolds.
– Honestly, how do we even know if they’re missing or just lying low?
– There must be some reason, right? Would a madman just kidnap someone for being pro-Japanese without cause?
And there were those who simply shifted into neutral and waited.
– But why is it that no one expresses sympathy for the kidnapped victims?
└What’s there to sympathize about? It’s their own karma.
└It proves what kind of life they lived.
– That professor was absolutely the worst back in school. I don’t know how he’s still teaching.
– Yoon Tae-gyun’s column is absolutely infuriating. Link.
Even in that moment, the pasts of the missing persons continued to be excavated.
The more they dug, the more rumors emerged, and complaints poured out.
Public sentiment was flowing increasingly positive.
It was heading toward the level of supporting a kidnapper whose name they didn’t even know.
.
.
.
“Cough… You… do you know who I am?”
“No. Don’t need to know.”
The middle-aged man with a protruding belly still hadn’t grasped the situation, continuing to shout.
Demanding if I knew who he was.
Bellowing that I was making a mistake with him.
Shouldn’t he come to his senses after getting hit a few times?
Why hasn’t he regained his senses yet?
“You think you’ll get away with this?
“Yeah. I think I will. So stop worrying about me and worry about yourself instead.”
“What?”
Judge Lee Ki-chul felt as though this situation were a dream.
A nightmare.
He’d been drinking at a cozy bar and heading to a second location.
He thought he’d dozed off for a moment, but when he woke, he was in a warehouse.
His body was bound tightly.
It was treatment he’d never experienced in his life.
Since childhood, he’d only received praise for studying well and scoring high on exams,
and had only been treated with respect as a judge.
Never having experienced such treatment, he absolutely believed this couldn’t be reality.
Kidnapped?
He’d never even considered it.
He’d never imagined there could be a madman in South Korea who would kidnap a judge.
Kidnapping a judge results in harsher punishment than other crimes.
Other judges wouldn’t let the perpetrator who kidnapped a judge go unpunished.
An additional charge of contempt would be added.
A single phone call would be all it takes.
One phone call and the Police would come rescue Lee Ki-chul and haul that bastard away.
Countless phone numbers stored in Lee Ki-chul’s phone.
From the Police Chief to the Prosecution—they’d all come running.
But he was bound and couldn’t make a call.
He didn’t even know where his phone was.
Unlike Lee Ki-chul, whose body trembled with fear and dread, the man before him remained utterly composed.
I had to change the atmosphere.
I had to survive.
Only then could I sweep away these garbage bastards.
Once I got out, I’d eliminate them all at once.
For that, being submissive for a moment was acceptable.
“Let’s talk this through. Please, let’s talk. What do you want to know?”
“I don’t want to know anything.”
“You must have a reason for kidnapping me. A judge of South Korea!”
“Oh~ You know you’re a judge of ‘South Korea’?”
“Of course.”
“Then why did you hand down all your verdicts like that? A judge of South Korea.”
“What?”
I listed the verdicts Lee Ki-chul had handed down one by one.
“You rejected the Pro-Japanese Asset Recovery Act, claiming it violated private property rights. You dismissed compensation for forced labor victims. You rejected the injunction to ban the sale of history-distorting books. And in the case of someone marching through downtown Seoul with the Rising Sun flag, you sentenced them to one year—no suspended sentence. For tearing up a single flag.”
Lee Ki-chul’s eyes wavered.
“That’s because… it could spark national disputes…”
“National disputes?”
“Right. If a Japanese person tore up our Taegeuk flag, wouldn’t you be angry?”
“The Rising Sun flag isn’t Japan’s national flag.”
“It’s not the national flag, but it symbolizes Japan…”
“You’re not doing this because you like Japan—you’re just watching Japan’s face.”
At my words, Judge Lee Ki-chul flared up in anger.
“I don’t mix personal feelings into trials. What do you take me for?”
“What do I take you for? A dog. Look at your verdicts. Judges speak through their rulings, don’t they? But your rulings stink. So you’re a dog… actually, I apologize even to dogs.”
“We always act based on the law…”
“Go find the law you like in your courtroom. It’s not needed here.”
“What?”
“Here, I’m the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorney.”
“How can there be such a thing? This is a crime. You’re committing a crime.”
Lee Ki-chul grew agitated.
His voice rose.
“I know. I’m committing a crime. And I know what I’m doing. And I won’t repent. You’re king in your courtroom, but here, I’m king. So I’ll do as I please.”
“This can’t be. How can such a thing exist?”
“Here? Now. I recommend the death penalty for the defendant Lee Ki-chul. Defense attorney, present your argument. No objections. Then I shall render my verdict. I sentence the defendant Lee Ki-chul to death.”
I played a one-man show with three roles.
Prosecutor, defense attorney, judge.
I rendered a verdict through proper legal procedure.
Of course, it was my own law.
Lee Ki-chul’s face turned pale as he watched.
“This is insane. There’s no evidence, no proper procedure. This is absolutely insane.”
“Now then. I shall carry out the execution.”
Lee Ki-chul’s body trembled violently.
Even bound, I could see his body shaking.
A thick rope wrapped around Lee Ki-chul’s neck.
“No!! Please, no. Save me. I’ll do anything you tell me to.”
Lee Ki-chul was truly groveling, as if he would lick the floor itself.
His eyes pleaded desperately for life.
“Unfair?”
“······.”
“The people tried in your courtroom felt the same way. So when you go to hell, apologize to them.”
The rope around Lee Ki-chul’s neck pulled taut.
Lee Ki-chul was dragged upward, still bound to the chair.
.
.
.
My curiosity was about this.
If he liked Japan so much, why not just go live there?
Then he could live proudly as a Japanese citizen.
I couldn’t understand why he went through the trouble of maintaining South Korean citizenship just to help Japan.
That part truly baffled me.
With money and social status, living in Japan wouldn’t be difficult.
That part doesn’t make sense to me.
Is there a thrill in being a traitor?
Then I too have the pleasure of catching him.
Let’s see how far I can go.
Through my inventory, I became a black market magnate.
181 – Disappearance
E-book Publication
/ January 26, 2026
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/ 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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