I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 188

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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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188 – NBT
188.
The Burnt Yakgwa and Jelly Challenge showed no signs of stopping.
The factory churned out yakgwa all day long,
and shipped them across the nation.
It dominated YouTube,
and conquered online communities.
Whenever people gathered, conversation naturally turned to the Burnt Yakgwa and Jelly Challenge.
They made it, they tasted it.
Each time, absurd laughter erupted.
Those videos kept uploading endlessly.
Though the pattern was identical, it never grew tiresome.
Every moment was entertaining, and it felt fresh each time.
Then came those who drove the final nail into the coffin.
The global idol group NBT.
Among them,
NBT’s eldest member Yoon Si-woo,
main vocalist Kang Ha-jun,
and the maknae Seo Do-yoon sat before the camera.
They occasionally did surprise live broadcasts as fan service.
Their agency would be horrified if they knew, but they occasionally indulged in such rebellion.
Fans adored their candid and honest side.
The broadcast began quietly.
What appeared to be someone’s living room held a gas burner, a pot, and a few cooking utensils.
Yoon Si-woo spoke first, looking at the camera.
“Today we’re going to try cooking. The hottest thing right now—Burnt Yakgwa and Jelly···”
“Hyung. Are we really doing this?”
Then the maknae Seo Do-yoon interjected.
Seo Do-yoon’s voice trembled slightly.
He appeared somewhat apprehensive.
Yoon Si-woo teased the nervous maknae.
“Why? Scared?”
“No… it’s not that I’m scared… it just feels like we shouldn’t be doing this.”
Main vocalist Kang Ha-jun chimed in.
“What do you mean we shouldn’t? Are we doing something wrong? We’re just eating a dessert?”
“Exactly. It’s just a dessert. No need to overthink it. We just eat it.”
Yoon Si-woo spoke reassuringly.
Yoon Si-woo chopped the yakgwa with clumsy knife work.
Large, uneven chunks were visible, but it seemed harmless enough.
“And then we put it in milk, add sugar and spices···.”
The youngest member squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of sugar being poured.
It seemed unbearable.
“Brother, I don’t think this is right. Let’s stop here. We really should stop.”
“Why?”
“This isn’t it, brother. You know I manage my diet. I’ve lived on chicken breast and broccoli since I was fifteen. I’ve never even seen or heard of anything like this.”
Yoon Si-woo paused before speaking.
“Do-yoon, I know you endure well. Pain, hunger—all of it. That’s why you need to challenge yourself now. Only through challenge do you fail or succeed. Challenge is the door that opens a new world.”
“Brother, I think there’s more sugar in here than I’ve eaten my entire life.”
Seo Do-yoon spoke anxiously, staring at the sugar bag.
But Yoon Si-woo paid no attention and spread cream cheese over the thinly rolled pastry.
“You can indulge yourself once in a while. Let’s taste the devil’s flavor. There, almost done now.”
Yoon Si-woo spoke with a wicked smile.
He seemed delighted at the prospect of teasing his younger brother.
He generously sprinkled brown sugar over the neatly rolled cake and began torching it.
Seo Do-yoon turned his head away, unable to bear watching.
Sizzle.
Smoke rose as the sugar caramelized.
The air changed in an instant.
Sweet, yet dangerous.
Seo Do-yoon frowned.
“Brother… I feel like I’m committing a sin.”
Yoon Si-woo extinguished the torch and spoke.
“All done. Try it.”
Yoon Si-woo offered the beautifully crafted crème brûlée.
On the plate sat an elegantly prepared crème brûlée.
Seo Do-yoon shook his head.
“I said try it.”
“Brother, I don’t think I can eat this. I’m grateful you made it, but… I can’t.”
Yet even as he spoke, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the crème brûlée.
Then Kang Ha-jun’s hand reached out from beside him.
“I’ll eat it.”
After taking a large bite, Kang Ha-jun’s mouth began to move.
Pfft.
Pfffttt.
“Now I understand. I understand why people laugh. This taste makes you laugh.”
“Really? Then I should try some too.”
Yoon Si-woo took one and ate it as well.
His reaction was the same.
Pfft.
Pfffttt.
My gaze turned toward the youngest, Seo Do-yoon.
Even as I thought it was a bad idea, curiosity about the taste was driving me mad.
“Then… just… just one bite?”
Unable to resist temptation, Seo Do-yoon reached for the burnt honey jelly.
But he couldn’t bring himself to put it in his mouth so easily.
All those days of dieting came flooding back.
Forcing down chicken breast,
the days lived in hunger returned to memory.
Starving through it all.
This single piece was a betrayal of all those days.
Yet the curiosity felt like it would drive me insane.
‘Just one piece. Just one piece.’
I put it in my mouth.
Crunch.
The brown sugar shattered with a clear sound.
And Seo Do-yoon’s face crumbled.
A sweetness and sugary flavor I’d never experienced before flooded my mouth.
I was happy.
The deep aroma of cinnamon and the smoothness of milk.
And the chewy texture.
Even the occasional chunks of honey jelly that caught between my teeth.
It was perfect.
Laughter burst out of Seo Do-yoon without his knowing.
I thought it was a betrayal, but heaven existed here.
Hehehehe.
Hehehehehehe.
Seo Do-yoon’s hand reached for the burnt honey jelly again.
His brothers tried to stop him.
“Just one. Just one.”
“You said you’d eat just one, so eat just one.”
“Brother. Eating just one of these is a sin. I can’t.”
“No. Just one more. Just one more bite.”
His brothers hurriedly swept the plate away, but the burnt honey jelly was already clutched in Seo Do-yoon’s hand.
.
.
.
In the end, Seo Do-yoon devoured every last piece of the burnt honey jelly.
All that remained on camera was an empty plate and the youngest, completely out of his mind.
After that day, the name of the burnt honey jelly changed.
To burnt ‘demon’ jelly.
NBT’s video had ended, but NBT’s influence was tremendous.
Fans scattered across the globe watched the video and learned about Bunt medicine and jelly.
Bunt medicine and jelly became even more famous.
People worldwide searched for Bunt demon jelly.
Orders began pouring in from overseas.
*******
“Yes, yes. Then I’ll ask you to handle it that way.”
Manager Kim hung up the phone and immediately placed the order.
It was a regular order.
The quantities varied slightly each month, but he ordered similar amounts.
The call before ordering was merely a formality.
Just to check if anything had changed.
To confirm whether the volume was sufficient.
All other conditions remained the same.
The route, unit price, and shipping company were all identical.
There was no reason for problems to arise.
About an hour had passed.
The phone rang.
– Mr. Kim. We have a problem.
“A problem?”
At the word “problem,” Manager Kim’s hands froze.
Trade is peculiar.
Problems can sometimes lead to greater profits,
yet trivial variables can also cause massive losses.
The moment I heard the word “problem,” a chill ran down my spine.
I tensed up.
– We can’t secure the cargo.
“Ah~ Can’t secure the cargo?”
Once I heard the details, my tension eased.
Can’t secure cargo.
That’s common.
It happens occasionally.
Sometimes shipping companies have so much volume they can’t accept more.
It’s not ideal, but we can use a different shipping company.
It’s a bit inconvenient, but it’s not a major problem.
“I’ll ask you to arrange with a different shipping company. Even if the cost is higher, please handle it that way.”
– That’s not it.
“Yes?”
– I’ve contacted several other shipping companies, but we can’t secure any cargo heading to South Korea at all.
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean?”
Manager Kim was genuinely flustered.
The cargo couldn’t be secured.
This wasn’t shipment heading to South America or Africa.
Cargo coming to South Korea couldn’t be secured.
– I only found out during the call, but they mentioned something about re-evaluating Korean port risk exposure?
“Risk exposure re-evaluation? What does that mean?”
– I’m not entirely sure myself. They said it’s insurance-related, but… they flatly refused to proceed with anything going to South Korea because the burden was too great.
“I see. Understood. We’ll look into it on our end and contact you.”
It made no sense.
I wanted to ask more, but I couldn’t.
The other party didn’t seem to fully understand the situation either.
They had simply called to relay what they knew.
I couldn’t press them further on that.
Manager Kim felt suddenly helpless.
If I didn’t place the order now, I wouldn’t receive the goods for another two months.
I’d been working in trade for over five years.
I thought I’d experienced every conceivable situation, but this was a first.
Brooding alone wouldn’t solve anything.
I reported the matter to the Team Leader right away.
.
.
.
Conference Room, afternoon.
The Logistics Team, Finance Team, Procurement Team, and Risk Team all gathered at once.
“What’s going on here? Does anyone know the reason?”
The Risk Team Leader asked.
But no one answered.
“There’s no problem with the trading partner, no problem with the vessel, no problem with the port, yet the ship won’t depart?”
The Risk Team Leader asked again.
It was incomprehensible, yet that was the reality.
Then the Logistics Team Leader spoke up.
“It’s not that it won’t depart. The cost has gone up.”
“Pardon? The cost went up?”
“Insurance premiums have quadrupled.”
“But nothing has changed. Why would insurance premiums change? The cargo is the same, the distance is the same, yet the insurance goes up? How is that even possible?”
The Risk Team Leader spoke with evident frustration.
“I’m not certain, but I’ve heard something—apparently, the reinsurance side is re-evaluating the terms for Korean routes.”
“Reinsurance?”
The Risk Team Leader’s eyes widened as if hearing this for the first time.
International maritime insurance operates somewhat differently from what we typically assume.
Auto insurance is straightforward—a single insurer bears full responsibility.
I purchase a car and take out a policy with Company A.
If an accident occurs, Company A handles the claim.
Simple and clear.
But maritime insurance operates entirely differently.
When a major incident occurs, the losses are catastrophic—beyond what any single insurer can absorb.
If one insurance company tried to shoulder it alone, they’d collapse.
Take, for example, the incident years ago when a vessel ran aground in the Suez Canal.
It remained stranded for six days, blocking passage for hundreds of ships.
The Suez Canal Authority demanded compensation, of course,
and all those waiting vessels claimed losses from the resulting logistics delays.
The initial insurance claim exceeded one billion dollars, but it was eventually settled for around five hundred million.
Another example: a container ship that lost power and collided with a bridge in Baltimore, completely destroying it.
The damages from bridge reconstruction, port closures, and loss of life reached approximately four billion dollars—a catastrophic event.
It was significant enough that reinsurers from around the world convened in London to develop countermeasures.
Following that incident, reinsurance premiums rose by an average of five percent or more.
A single maritime accident can result in losses exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars.
That’s why maritime insurers must distribute risk through reinsurance.
I take out coverage with Company A, but Company A spreads the risk across Companies B, C, D, E, and F.
There are firms that specialize exclusively in reinsurance.
It’s fundamental—basic industry practice.
“The reinsurers announced they’d reassess the exposure level for Korean routes, so the insurers started changing their terms.”
“What exactly is exposure level?”
The Finance Team Leader asked.
The Finance Team Leader found this discussion somewhat unfamiliar.
“It’s a metric measuring how much risk is involved. Based on that assessment, insurance premiums and coverage limits are determined.”
“So they won’t provide insurance?”
“No, they will—technically. But the catch is they won’t guarantee one hundred percent coverage if an accident occurs. Ship owners can’t operate without insurance, so they’re in a bind.”
The conference room fell silent again.
“So they’re reassessing the risk for every route coming into Korea? That’s why premiums are rising, and even with higher premiums, they won’t guarantee full coverage, which is why ship owners are hesitant to operate?”
“Precisely.”
Everyone sighed as the reality sank in.
There was nothing they could do about it.
“But we still need to receive the goods, don’t we?”
“We do. But would shipping companies operate without insurance?”
“What if we told them we won’t hold them liable for damaged cargo—just bring it anyway?”
“It’s not that simple. We can only waive responsibility for the cargo itself, but we can’t guarantee coverage for their vessel or third-party damages, can we?”
Now that made sense.
If I ship something via courier and their vehicle gets into an accident,
I might not hold them liable for my goods,
Vehicle repair costs, other delivery items that were in the vehicle,
and though I couldn’t fathom why the accident occurred, if it had collided with another vehicle, there was no way we could cover that vehicle’s repair costs either.
“Is there no other way?”
“I’ll look into it.”
The air in the conference room grew heavy.
I said I’d look into it, but there was nothing we could do.
This wasn’t something an individual or a company could handle.
.
.
.
Tokyo
Minase, the chairman of the Seiwakai, sat in the garden sipping tea.
Shortly after, Akiyama, his secretary, entered.
As always, she made no sound, approaching quietly and bowing her head to Minase.
“Chairman. We received word from Kuroda that the ‘gift’ you mentioned has been sent to South Korea.”
“What did he send as the gift?”
“He blocked the reinsurance side, it seems.”
“Hehehehe. He struck quite a painful nerve, didn’t he? How are the Koreans reacting?”
Minase rarely showed expression,
but now he laughed aloud.
“They don’t seem to have grasped the situation properly yet.”
“Tell Kuroda he’s done well.”
Minase continued sipping his tea.
Yet a faint smile was etched at the corners of his mouth.
Through the inventory, I became a magnate of the black market.
188-NBT
E-book Publication
/ February 3, 2026
Author
/ Black Card
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/ Son Je-ho
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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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