I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 191

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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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191 – Busan Port
191.
Yeouido, Seoul.
Taerim Insurance Conference Room.
I attended the meeting—an unusual occurrence for me.
Normally I wouldn’t go in person,
but this felt like something I needed to handle myself.
The situation was urgent and critical enough to warrant my direct involvement.
Ana, who served as CEO of Taerim Insurance, was certainly trustworthy,
yet I felt compelled to oversee this personally.
I’d told the President it was nothing serious,
and we were certainly capable of managing it,
but one misstep could isolate South Korea from the international community—a genuinely dangerous situation.
This was critical.
So we had to proceed with both caution and urgency.
There were no logistics problems yet.
The ships arriving now had already completed their insurance before this crisis.
The problem lay with the incoming vessels.
The shipping companies were refusing to send those ships because of insurance complications.
To ensure these ships arrived on schedule, we needed to move fast.
Once insurance was approved, everything else would fall into place.
A little urgency and the ships would arrive as planned.
The door opened.
Ana and I entered the conference room.
About thirty executives sat around the table.
Their expressions were peculiar.
‘Who is this person?’
‘An intern? Why is an intern in here?’
‘Is this someone the CEO’s been bringing around lately?’
I could feel their skepticism and disdain radiating toward me.
But I had no time for such distractions.
We needed to move quickly.
“We’re beginning an emergency response meeting now,” Ana announced.
Ana started the meeting.
But no one was paying attention.
No one turned their gaze toward her.
Some yawned,
others checked their phones,
and a few still stared at me with suspicion.
What was this?
Has Ana been working in an environment like this all along?
Being disrespected by the executives?
Come to think of it, Ana was a money laundering specialist, not a business manager.
I simply entrusted her with the role because she was the only person I could trust among those involved in finance and money matters.
Her monthly performance reports weren’t bad, so I didn’t pay much attention—but it seems the territorial harassment was severe.
From the executives’ perspective, they had every reason to look down on her.
A new CEO brought in when the company’s major shareholder changed.
A woman, and a foreigner at that.
Someone who knew nothing of Korean business culture.
They saw her as a temporary CEO just passing through.
Still, this was uncalled for.
“Ana? Has the atmosphere here always been like this?”
I asked quietly, leaning in close.
“I apologize. I thought as long as the results were good, it would be fine. Attitude has nothing to do with performance. When my contract expires, I won’t renew it···”
“Goodness. Ana must have had a rough time. Speak up.”
“No, I’m sorry.”
As we whispered back and forth,
a few of them snickered.
“Did you bring your boyfriend?”
“Why are they whispering like that?”
Man… this is infuriating.
These guys, old enough to know better, were pathetically petty.
“Today’s agenda items are···”
As Ana tried to resume the meeting by taking the floor, someone interrupted.
“Shouldn’t we introduce who the person sitting next to you is before we start the meeting?”
“That’s right. There has never been an outsider attending Taerim Group’s executive meetings.”
“If he’s your boyfriend, you should take him home.”
“Introduce yourself.”
Their words irritated me intensely.
I was already busy enough.
With so much to do,
these bastards were wasting time on petty power plays instead of reading the room.
I cracked my neck side to side.
Crack.
The sound of bones popping echoed through the quiet conference room.
All eyes turned toward me.
I leaned back in my chair and propped my feet up on the table.
I adopted the most arrogant posture I could manage.
“Me? Major shareholder.”
At the words “major shareholder,” the executives’ momentum faltered ever so slightly.
“No matter how large a shareholder you are, you can’t do this. Exercise your authority through the shareholders’ meeting.”
He spoke as if admonishing me.
I hated the sight of him.
“I placed Ana as CEO through the shareholders’ meeting, yet you won’t listen to me? Then shouldn’t I step in myself?”
“That’s absurd. That would be an overreach of authority. This is a position only for executives and employees.”
Damn it. I was getting furious.
I wanted to fire him on the spot, but I didn’t have time for that.
I had no time to waste arguing with these bastards here.
The Philippines and China were both fully prepared, yet we were stuck like this.
South Korea, the nation of rushing, was losing momentum.
I picked up the phone.
“Scott. I’m giving you five minutes. Get every single one of these bastards on their knees. Exactly five minutes.”
Before the call even ended, Scott and the Obsidian Unit entered.
Expressionless men in black suits walked in and headed toward the executives.
“Hey. What? Get out of here?”
“Security!! Security!!! Where are you!!”
“How dare you come in here. Get out!”
The executives shouted in protest, but the Obsidian Unit silently began subduing them.
Grab, press, and one strike to the back of the knee—it was over.
The executives collapsed helplessly.
Thirty executives were lined up on their knees on the conference room floor.
“Don’t get up. If you get up now, you’ll live as a cripple for the rest of your life.”
At Scott’s single word, the executives fell silent.
Anyway, they don’t listen when you talk.
Some of the executives looked panicked,
while others looked wronged.
But they remained on their knees.
Not a single one dared to stand up.
“Four minutes thirty seconds. Oh~ getting better every time.”
“It’s nothing special.”
After giving Scott a slight compliment, I sat on the edge of the desk.
I rested one foot on the chair.
Swinging back and forth.
In front of me, about thirty executives were on their knees.
“You asked earlier, didn’t you? Who am I. You told me to introduce myself. Anyone here who knows me? Raise your hand.”
“Earlier you said… major shareholder.”
Someone answered cautiously.
“Screw major shareholder. I’m a gangster.”
At the word “gangster,” several of them looked startled.
“Your company was acquired by a gangster company. Haven’t you heard that story?”
Now that I think about it, there were rumors like that circulating before.
But after the acquisition, there hadn’t been the slightest hint of it, and once the female CEO arrived, the executives were consumed with power struggles and jockeying for position.
But a thug? Really?
The majority shareholder is a thug.
“These bastards won’t listen to reason. They only snap to attention and obey after getting their asses kicked, right?”
Everyone just lowered their heads in response to my words—no one answered, no one reacted.
Did they think if they just endured for a moment, this would blow over?
These fuckers forgot my temperament… Damn it, this is our first meeting.
In situations like this, you just have to take action.
“Those bastards who were doing other things while the CEO was speaking. The ones on their phones. All of you—bow your heads.”
But they just blinked at me, staring blankly.
They didn’t understand what I was saying.
They never imagined I’d order head-bowing—something they don’t even do in the military—in an executive meeting.
Of course, they never thought I’d be the one doing it either.
“Scott. That one, that one, and that one. Cut off their fingers.”
Ana pointed at two or three executives who had been looking at their phones while she was speaking.
“Yes.”
Scott answered and drew a blade from his jacket.
The razor-sharp edge made the conference room turn cold.
Only then did the executives understand.
This wasn’t something passing by.
This wasn’t a bluff.
They could actually lose their fingers.
The targeted executives jumped in shock and immediately bowed their heads.
Proper, formal bows.
The remaining executives weren’t comfortable either.
The conference room had become a place filled with terror.
They couldn’t leave.
The Obsidian Unit was guarding the exit.
Scott stood beside them with his blade drawn.
I sat at the desk in front.
“You lot are blessed. Our company has excellent benefits.”
“Want to hear about our company’s benefits?”
“Our company has no resignations. It’s a lifetime position. We pay salaries until death.”
“We don’t fire people either. Usually they’re dead before that happens.”
“We keep it simple. Performance metrics? KPIs? OKRs? We don’t need any of that. If you’re loyal, we move forward together. If you betray us, that’s where it ends.”
“Your career? No—your life. Your life ends there.”
“We don’t handle mistakes the normal way. No written warnings? No reprimands? No pay cuts? We don’t do that. What would you do with those anyway? We take payment in lives.”
“So now, are these actions of yours loyalty or betrayal?”
No one answered.
I was simply trembling.
“This is your last chance. From now on, you’ll do exactly as I say without complaint and work hard. Fall out to the right and bow your heads. Begin.”
“Begin!!!!”
At my command, those old foxes snapped into the discipline of fresh recruits.
Without exception, every single one of them fell out to the right and bowed their heads.
“Can you do well from now on?”
“Yes, we can!!”
My words, spoken like a Drill Instructor, drew an owl-like response.
“Your voices are too quiet. Can you do well from now on?”
“Yes, we can!!!!!!!”
A roar erupted from the Conference Room as if it might lift off.
Satisfied.
Now I was pleased.
“Very well. Let us begin the meeting.”
The executives remained bowed as the meeting commenced.
*******
8 AM at Busan Port.
The wind was blowing with unusual ferocity today.
Winter seas always brought wind.
But today’s wind seemed anything but ordinary.
Checking the anemometer, it fluctuated between 15 to 16 meters per second.
Once wind speeds exceeded 20 meters per second, crane operations would cease.
Today was far from ideal for work.
Which meant it was perfect for making a mistake.
[Work Commence]
A brief vibration accompanied a message sent to the crane operator.
There was no sender ID.
The crane operator, mid-operation, glanced at the phone mounted on the control panel,
then grasped the lever as if nothing had happened.
.
.
.
A visitor had come to Park Ki-chun, who operated the gantry crane at Busan Port, several days ago.
“It’s nothing difficult. Just topple a few containers for us.”
“No one will get hurt.”
“The punishment will be at most a salary suspension.”
“You know as well as anyone—accidents can happen anytime.”
“You need to cover your wife’s hospital bills and arrange your daughter’s wedding, don’t you?”
“Retirement? You can retire.”
“We’ll guarantee that much for you, easily.”
‘I just need to knock over a few containers.’
‘No one gets hurt, I’m telling you.’
‘You don’t need to worry.’
‘Three hundred million won just for toppling a few containers. Not bad, right?’
‘Load them onto the ship, then drop them in the sea—five hundred million.’
‘That’s the picture that looks good.’
‘Five hundred million. Not bad, is it?’
The mysterious man’s covert proposal hung in the air.
Park Ki-chun asked for a reason, but the man refused to answer.
He simply demanded a yes or no.
Honestly, I didn’t want to do it.
Though not the best at Busan Port, I took pride in my crane work.
Staring through the glass floor all day, moving containers was grueling labor,
yet I found meaning in the work itself.
I lived believing I was someone who contributed to this nation’s exports.
But now they wanted me to deliberately make a mistake.
To drop containers into the sea.
I wanted to refuse flatly—it made no sense.
Yet even that wasn’t so simple.
Retirement loomed near.
One more year and I’d have to retire.
After retirement, there’d be no more income.
I’d either have to find another job,
or live off my savings—except I had none saved.
Only debt remained.
My wife lying in the Hospital had drained our finances with medical bills.
And thinking of my daughter, about to be married, made the hunger for money acute.
I wanted to give her a proper dowry, despite having done so little for her.
That thought seized Park Ki-chun.
The need for money was desperate.
Yet three hundred million won just for knocking over a few containers.
Five hundred million if I dropped them in the sea.
It was too tempting.
No one would be injured.
Insurance would cover the goods.
No one would suffer a loss.
I convinced myself this way.
That no one would be harmed.
With that thought, my heart eased slightly.
In the end, I decided to do it.
I received 100 million won in cash as an advance payment.
I put it in a shopping bag and stored it safely at home.
.
.
.
Work instructions came down today.
The wind was blowing hard.
It was the perfect condition to pass it off as an accident.
Park Ki-chun climbed onto the gantry crane.
I loaded containers onto the ship.
Carefully, one by one.
I moved the containers with even more care than usual.
And the outermost one.
The container on the very edge of the ship, the part touching the sea—I placed it slightly to the side.
About 10 centimeters.
It should have caught on the twist lock.
But it didn’t.
When a container is placed properly, the twist lock engages and secures the containers together.
But Park Ki-chun didn’t do that.
I deliberately placed it slightly to the side.
It was so subtle that no one could tell from the outside.
And from there on, it’s easy.
Just move the containers normally, as usual.
Once I stack three or four more like this, the wind will push them overboard into the sea.
I just need to look surprised and apologize.
Say the wind was too strong today to work safely.
Shed a few tears.
I was moving containers while even practicing the expression I’d need to wear if caught,
when suddenly the crane control room door burst open.
Unfamiliar people rushed in.
What kind of lunatic climbs onto an operating crane?
A curse escaped my lips.
“Who the hell do you think you are, getting on an operating crane like that—”
“Police Officer. Park Ki-chun. You are under arrest on suspicion of violating Article 4 of the National Security Act and Article 98 of the Criminal Act for espionage. You have the right to retain an attorney, and you have the right to refuse to make statements that are disadvantageous to you. If you believe the arrest is unlawful, you may file a petition for review of legality—”
Park Ki-chun was shocked by a situation he’d never imagined.
A spy? An arrest? An attorney? Words he’d never encountered in his life were suddenly placed before Park Ki-chun.
“Excuse me? A spy?”
“Don’t move. Put on the handcuffs.”
“Yes.”
Cold metal handcuffs were fastened around Park Ki-chun’s wrists.
“By warrant, I’m confiscating your phone and personal belongings as evidence.”
And so Park Ki-chun was dragged down from the crane.
.
.
.
“But how did you figure it out?”
Hwang On-yu and I watched Park Ki-chun’s arrest from one side of Busan Port.
Park Ki-chun was dragged out, and people swarmed around.
The gantry crane operation came to an immediate halt.
“What? That guy took money?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“What is?”
“The Japanese are targeting workforce aging, right? But would it work if someone in their twenties or thirties caused an accident?”
“It wouldn’t work, would it?”
“Then obviously it’d be someone older, someone close to retirement, and among them, someone who desperately needs money would be the most likely candidate, wouldn’t they?”
“Exactly!”
“I narrowed it down to a few people and stuck with them, and it came out right away.”
“Oh~ You’re pretty good. I’m seeing you in a new light.”
“This is something you could figure out even with just an elementary school education, isn’t it?”
Hwang On-yu looked at me with a strange expression as I stated the obvious matter-of-factly.
“Then one more thing. How did you know they’d topple the outermost container?”
“Because the visuals are better.”
“Visuals?”
“If they’re going to use this, they’d be filming it from somewhere. A container hitting the ground with a ‘thud’ versus one crashing into the sea and creating a massive ‘splash’—which one looks better? Which one has more impact?”
“Obviously the splash?”
“So it had to be the outer one.”
A brief silence.
Hwang On-yu spoke slowly.
“So we’ve caught our breath for now?”
“Caught our breath, sure.”
“What else is there?”
I smiled slightly.
“If you’ve received something, you have to repay it. That’s what it means to be human, isn’t it?”
Hwang On-yu, seeing my smile, turned away as if he’d witnessed something he shouldn’t have.
Busan Port was still filled with nothing but fierce winds.
I had become a major player in the black market through my inventory.
191 – Busan Port
E-book Publication
/ February 6, 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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