I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 29
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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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029 – Return from Deployment
29.
Back at the unit, I requested early return.
Using poor conditioning, homesickness, and maladjustment as my excuse.
Maladjustment eight months into deployment—it made no sense.
It was an absurd excuse.
But the truth was, I had zero desire to stay any longer in Congo.
I felt hollow.
Now that vengeance was complete, my heart felt so empty.
Was it really just this?
Did our entire team suffer because of this one bastard?
Not raiding the rebel base, but destroying it completely—
that was why.
I went to the rebel stronghold for my brothers’ sake,
but imagining myself looting the place—
I couldn’t bear to picture it.
So I simply planted explosives everywhere and demolished as much as I could.
Now that Derek Meyer was gone, there was no longer any reason, thought, or will to stay in Congo.
I just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
The Congolese wanted me to stay longer,
but my resolve was too firm for them to press further.
I’d already done what I could,
and the manual alone I’d created was more than enough contribution.
Even they acknowledged this.
They said it was exactly what Congo needed.
They were very satisfied with the manual.
M23 and ADF’s mutual destruction in combat also helped.
Not quite organizational collapse,
but it would take considerable time before they regained their strength.
Both sides had suffered heavy losses.
The mystery deepened—who killed Bacambu, M23’s commander?
Who infiltrated M23’s headquarters?
But no information came to light.
Only speculation ran rampant.
*********
Clearance for return came from both Congo and our military.
I immediately began preparing to leave.
There was nothing special to pack.
Just my gear and military equipment.
But Poapi was the problem.
“There’s no way to make it work?”
“We’re exploring every option we can, but it seems difficult.”
I asked Sung Jun-hee to find a way to bring him to Korea.
Among everyone I knew, he was the only one who could advise me on such matters.
So I made another request of him.
Cost wasn’t an issue,
I just needed him to find a way to bring Poapi.
But the answer remained that it was difficult.
Congo’s adoption procedures and Korea’s legal issues—both were obstacles.
For an unmarried twenty-three-year-old, adoption was impossible to begin with.
And my current status was military personnel.
I still had a year of mandatory service remaining before discharge.
I wanted to bring him as a refugee,
but even that process was complex, and he said there was a hundred percent chance of rejection midway.
I thought how convenient it would be if I could put Poapi in my Inventory.
But that was a futile wish.
It would be no different from smuggling.
There was no way for him to survive even if I got him there.
Maybe it didn’t matter in Congo,
but living in Korea without proper identification was nearly impossible.
Basic social life would be out of reach.
School would be difficult, hospital services and other amenities inaccessible.
When he grew older, became an adult?
Finding employment would be hard, getting credit cards or a phone nearly impossible.
“Poapi, I’m sorry. I want so badly to bring you with me, but I can’t find a way.”
“In-bae, I’m fine. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m a Congolese person.”
“Yeah. You are.”
“I can live well here. Don’t worry.”
“Then what about this—if you want, I’ll take you back to Uvira.”
“I don’t want that. Kinshasa is much better than Uvira. There are far fewer rebels here.”
“Then…”
“Don’t worry, In-bae. There are lots of kids like me here. Kids living without parents. So you don’t need to be concerned.”
“Then I’ll send you money every month. Use it to go to school, study hard. Exercise hard too.”
“In-bae, you don’t have to do that. You’ve already done enough for me. Thank you.”
“No. I brought you from Uvira in the first place. I should see it through to the end, and I’m sorry I can’t. When you turn twenty, I’ll come get you.”
……”
“So go to school. It might be a lot of money for you, but it’s not that much for me. Just be careful of people who might be after that money.”
“Okay.”
I wasn’t worried.
Poapi was clever.
He was like a capybara.
He fit in anywhere,
and he listened well to what others had to say.
Thanks to that, I’d learned a lot of valuable information.
On top of that, his athletic ability was excellent.
He absorbed the techniques I taught like a sponge.
Close combat, marksmanship—everything.
He’d grown to nearly six feet tall.
Whether from eating well or natural growth, he’d developed muscle too.
Six feet at twelve years old.
In our age system, that made him fourteen,
but even so, his development was beyond my imagination.
He fought well,
had excellent adaptability,
and was sharp enough to study well too—Poapi had it all.
I didn’t worry much about leaving him alone.
Still, there were things I needed to prepare.
I’d bought him a house instead of letting him use the current one.
It wasn’t large, but safer than where we lived now.
I’d purchased everything Poapi would need in advance.
“I’ll send money to this account every month. If you need anything else, just contact me.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I’m not okay with it. And like I said—maybe you don’t understand, but it’s not that much money for me.”
“If anything happens, call me right away. Actually, send me a message every day.”
That day, I took out all the unnecessary items from my Inventory and placed them in one corner of the house.
After all, once I was back in Korea, I could get anything again.
But here, these items were nearly impossible to find.
Even the Chocolate Bars and Candy I’d stockpiled in mountains—I unloaded all of it.
Poapi would use them far more effectively than I ever could.
I trusted Poapi.
Just to be safe, I also took out a bag containing a Rifle and Handgun.
“You know how to use them, right? Be careful when you need to be, but once you’ve decided, don’t hesitate. That hesitation can cost you your life.”
“Got it.”
“Sanitation isn’t good here, so always boil the water before drinking.”
“Shower often. That’s why I bought the Apartment specifically.”
“Eat properly and get plenty of vegetables.”
“Always dress neatly. It might not seem important, but how you present yourself matters.”
Was I always this talkative?
Did I always ramble on endlessly like this?
Standing in front of Poapi, I kept going, piling on small, petty advice.
Wanting to give him something more, I fumbled uselessly with my Inventory and gear.
But I’d already given everything I could.
I’d even set aside some cash as emergency funds.
“Don’t make a mess living alone, and keep the place clean….”
“You’ve been doing this for two hours, haven’t you?”
……”
“Stop it. Your nagging is getting worse.”
“Sorry. I’m just worried.”
After a brief pause, Poapi asked me:
“By the way, In-bae. Could you get me more of those guns you gave me?”
“Why? You should have enough guns?”
I eyed Poapi as I spoke.
I trusted Poapi, but too many guns would only be a liability for him.
But Poapi’s answer was unexpected.
“I heard there are people in the Middle East selling guns.”
“Huh? But?”
“I thought you’d be able to deliver them easily.”
Poapi laughed lightly.
I was stunned.
Did Poapi know about my ability?
I’d never used it in front of him before.
Caught off guard, I tried to stay composed and asked back:
“De…deliver?”
“Yeah. Delivery. You have a special ability, In-bae.”
How much did this kid know?
Should I pull out a gun?
“A special ability?”
“Well… the things you gave me were a bit strange.”
“Strange?”
“The Chocolate Bar you gave me, for instance. You carried it around Congo’s weather—in Congo’s heat, a Chocolate Bar should melt and stick to the wrapper all over. But the one you gave me was extremely clean. Like it was just made. Yet when I checked the expiration date, it was made long ago. For something like that, it’s in way too good condition. So I thought about it. Doesn’t In-bae have some kind of special ability?”
I never imagined he’d notice such details.
“The things you brought to the house were the same. Judging by the expiration date, quantity, and condition—they were kept in excellent storage somewhere. But you couldn’t have brought them here. We don’t have a car. You’d have to carry them in bags or a trunk through Congo? An Asian carrying such items? You’d probably be threatened by bandits before taking three steps. So I thought—doesn’t In-bae have some kind of special ability?”
“Please don’t misunderstand. I just want to help you. In case you really do have such an ability.”
“I need to make my own living too.”
“Hahahaha. You’ve got quite the imagination. You could be a novelist.”
I joked, but Poapi didn’t laugh.
“Look. I left those Chocolate Bars in a Refrigerator to give to you. And the things I brought to the house—I brought them in a car while you were at school, trying to surprise you. Back in Korea, guys who surprise girls are pretty popular.”
Poapi still didn’t laugh.
It was supposed to be brilliant humor.
“Anyway, I’m leaving. Call me if anything happens. You have my number, right? Email, messages, anything—just contact me.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
“Thanks for what. Let’s see each other again.”
That’s how I parted with Poapi.
I thought I’d done all I could,
but worry for Poapi never stopped.
Congo was that kind of country.
I was that kind of person.
*********
“How’s the Supply Unit?”
“The Supply Unit, sir?”
Back at the International Peace Support Unit, I was meeting with the personnel officer.
I was an unusual person in the International Peace Support Unit.
Someone who’d spent about three of the four mandatory service years in Congo.
A staff sergeant
already carrying multiple commendations,
honored by our government, the Congolese government, and the UN.
Someone whose promotion evaluation was overflowing with bonus points.
A resource who could be utilized through diplomatic channels based on ties with Congo.
Someone who would pass with a free pass if she just applied for long-term service,
but I hadn’t applied for extended commitment.
I wanted to spend the remaining seven months quietly until discharge.
Despite relentless persuasion from the Commander, Deputy Commander, and Master Sergeant, my resolve was firm.
I didn’t want to wear a uniform anymore.
Wearing one brought
too many thoughts.
Good or bad.
So after returning, I’d asked to work in a quiet unit or posting if possible,
and the result was the Supply Unit.
Supply Unit work suited me well.
All I did was receive supplies coming into the International Peace Support Unit and distribute them on time.
Young trainees coming to the International Peace Support Unit for training.
Special Forces soldiers arriving for final checks before deployment.
Distributing supplies according to their respective purposes,
logging them, checking inventory—that was all.
Actually, the enlisted men did most of it,
and I and the supply officer just verified things.
Especially since the International Peace Support Unit had a lot of equipment and kits for deployment,
I paid special attention to that part.
Seeing fresh young soldiers just heading out on deployment—
most were actually older than me in reality,
but I wanted to say something more, anything more.
I’d give them almost everything they needed in supplies,
but field conditions often meant military-issued supplies couldn’t do their job.
“Make sure to take good Flashlights—several of them. There are cheap good ones these days. Once the sun sets there, you can’t see anything.”
“Get Goggles and Sunglasses that fit your face. They’ll slip during operations and be a pain.”
“Get durable Gloves and take a few extra pairs. Things we take for granted back home are hard to find there.”
“Bring a Multi-tool too—you’ll use it eventually. If you’re buying one, get a good one. Don’t buy the cheap stuff with broken teeth for cutting rebar.”
“Food actually comes out better than you’d expect, so don’t worry. If not, just pack some gochujang for mixing.”
“Exercise? There’s plenty of equipment left there by guys like you. You don’t need to pack any.”
“A towel? Sports towels are nice, but usually they dry fine. Don’t worry too much.”
I gave a few tips to the soldiers coming to receive supplies.
Nearly three years in the deployment zone.
Few people understood deployment like I did.
Most rotated through in eight-month units.
The guys who got close to me asked what I’d done during my deployment,
but I didn’t answer.
The military had a very convenient excuse.
“Military secrets.”
Checking incoming items, distributing them, verifying inventory.
Nothing special, but it was interesting.
I felt bad for the young soldiers heading out,
so I wanted to give them one more thing if I could.
Doing this job, two months had already crept up.
Until discharge.
I had a lot on my mind.
I’d said I’d discharge, but nothing was really decided.
To make a living, I’d need employment, and it boiled down to three main options.
First was becoming a civil servant.
There were special recruitment options for police tactical units, the Fire Department, Coast Guard, things like that.
Military experience sometimes counted as bonus points.
But I didn’t want to go through organizational life again.
Second was getting a job in security or bodyguard work.
Security firms, celebrity protection, executive protection, event or facility security.
Special forces were preferred here too, so employment wouldn’t be hard, but I wasn’t sure.
Third was going completely civilian.
Becoming a fitness trainer,
getting extreme sports certifications and teaching students.
Things like scuba diving or skydiving.
This field was unfamiliar to me, so I’d need to research more.
PMC was an option too, but I didn’t want to wear a uniform anymore, so I’d pass.
There was the defense industry, but would they hire a high school graduate like me?
I wasn’t confident in paperwork either.
After discharge, I’d have to leave the officer’s quarters and find a place,
but I had no idea where to start.
I’d found a place in Seoul, but what if I got a job elsewhere?
So I should find the job first, then the place.
But where would I find a job?
Should I sign up for long-term service now?
I was troubled.
I graduated high school and enlisted right away.
Aside from school,
aside from the Delivery Part-time Job I’d done for a few months before enlistment,
military life had been everything.
Four years of life,
yet I’d learned, felt, and experienced more than the nineteen years before it.
All the knowledge I had came from the military,
and all the love I’d received came from the military.
Maybe continuing military service was the best choice.
But I couldn’t.
I just couldn’t.
There was also the option of using my Inventory.
But I didn’t really understand it.
Whether I could make money from it.
It was hard to use the Inventory effectively in reality.
The only realistic way to make money with the Inventory was smuggling.
Bringing decent items from overseas and selling them for a profit.
I understood the advantage—tariffs and logistics costs are eliminated, so you can sell at a lower price.
But who would buy such things?
Bringing cheap goods from China and selling them wouldn’t make money anyway,
and selling luxury items would constantly invite counterfeit accusations despite providing certificates of authenticity.
Eventually, I’d have to sell banned import goods that actually turned a profit,
but that seemed even harder.
I didn’t even know what would be profitable.
And handling the money received would be even more difficult.
It was absolutely not easy.
Ring, ring, ring, ring.
My phone rang.
“Long time.”
“Who is it?”
“You don’t know me? That hurts. Make the impossible possible—Seo Dae-hun from Special Forces School.”
“Oh! Dae-hun!”
“You doing well?”
“Yeah. I’m doing fine. Sorry I couldn’t contact you all this time.”
“I heard about it. You were on continuous deployment, right?”
“Yeah. That’s how it worked out. That’s why I couldn’t call.”
“We should meet up~”
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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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honeybee
I’m crying 😭