I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 31
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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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033-Macau 2
33.
“Does bartering work here?”
“Bartering?”
“You don’t know? Bartering.”
“I know what it is. But you’re the first person who’s ever tried to barter with me here. It’s actually amusing.”
“Really? So it’s possible?”
“We can try. But if I don’t like what you put on the table, you’ll have a hard time walking out through that corridor.”
Now that I thought about it, the narrow corridor leading in had resembled a tunnel.
It was all deliberately designed.
Cunning bastards.
Three burly men now stood beside the woman in the cheongsam, their eyes fixed on me.
I turned my body and pretended to reach into my jacket, then pulled out a pistol, two magazines, and a box of fifty rounds.
“Will this suit your taste?”
The moment the woman in the cheongsam saw what I’d laid down, her expression changed.
She’d expected me to produce gold or jewels, but instead came firearms.
It was understandable to be caught off guard.
Her mind was probably calculating the value of this gun.
“At least you’ll be able to walk out that door. Kai Hong, check the gun.”
At the woman’s command, Kai Hong took the pistol I’d produced and examined it.
Whether it was a well-made toy or if it actually functioned.
Soon, Kai Hong’s head nodded.
“If you want, you can even test fire it. But this is just a sample. I can procure as many more as you need.”
At my words, the icy expression on her face shattered.
Bringing even a single gun into Macau was difficult.
Macau was surprisingly strict about firearms.
But this was just a sample?
The woman in the cheongsam extended her hand toward me.
“I’m Lafei.”
“Can we skip the formal introductions? That’s so pedestrian.”
“True, names aren’t what matters. What matters is what you can provide. But surely you need some way for me to address you, don’t you?”
“Hmm… Call me Candy Boy. Candy Boy.”
“Candy Boy?”
“Yeah. I have a sweet tooth.”
“It doesn’t suit you, but if that’s what you want, I’ll call you that.”
“Thanks.”
“But how did you manage to bring this in?”
“Heh, why ask something you know I won’t answer?”
“I’m just curious. So how many more of these can you actually procure?”
“How many do you need?”
“Do you happen to have rifles as well?”
“Oh~ you like harder stuff than I expected. Yeah, I’ve got rifles and pistols too.”
“Would you come back here tomorrow with the guns?”
“Haha. You want me to walk into the tiger’s den on my own? Do you think I’d do that? You’re asking me to come back here tomorrow after whatever you’ve set up.”
“That’s not it, but from your position, it’s definitely a reasonable misunderstanding. So how do we handle the transaction?”
“I’ll let you know over the phone.”
I accepted the business card she handed me and pocketed it.
The one Han Min-su gave me had purple coating,
while the one Lafei gave me was black.
The colors were different,
but what was written on them was the same.
The Golden Lotus
This must be the name of the club, right?
A lotus flower, the symbol of Macau, adorned with gold.
She pulled out an envelope identical to the one she’d given Han Min-su and held it out to me.
“That’s the price of the pistol.”
“Shouldn’t I be getting another envelope for the price to be right?”
Honestly, I don’t know drug prices, but I was taught not to just accept whatever’s given.
It was suspicious how readily she was handing it over.
The envelope felt too light.
Hmm.
“One pistol and one envelope like that are the right price. That one envelope is worth almost ten million won.”
“Really? I misunderstood then.”
Something this light is worth ten million won?
Drugs must be an incredibly high-margin business.
Pistols, on the other hand, are hard to get ten million won for no matter how well you negotiate.
In countries where firearms are legal, you can buy a new gun at a shop for about 300 to 600 dollars.
Even though Macau is a country where firearms are prohibited,
and it’s difficult to bring guns in,
there’s no way they’d price a pistol at ten million won.
“I’m not pricing that pistol at ten million won. Think of it as a kind of deposit—my sincerity in saying let’s do good business together.”
“I like that.”
“Our client really wanted this, after all.”
She pulled out another identical envelope and held it out in front of me.
This makes me suspicious again—is it not ten million won but five million instead?
Who casually hands out ten million won envelopes like this?
It’s suspicious.
“But let’s make sure the transaction is solid.”
“Fine. Then I’ll be going.”
“Wait.”
She called out to me as I was leaving.
What? What now?
Just in case, I pulled out my gun from my inventory and tucked it inside my jacket.
Ready to fire at a moment’s notice.
She handed me a box of fresh chocolates wrapped in elegant packaging.
“I eat these sometimes, and they’re really good. I thought they’d suit Candy Boy.”
The chocolate box, about the size of a palm, sat on the bar table.
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy them.”
I picked up the chocolate box and left The Golden Lotus right away.
.
.
.
“Damn it, why are you so late?”
“Dior, are you going to keep doing this?”
“How am I supposed to like you if you act like this?”
The moment I arrived, Han Min-su was cursing furiously, but the instant he saw the package in my hands, he snatched it and rushed into the room.
After that, the difficulty of our security duties dropped exponentially.
Han Min-su and Kang Ye-eun didn’t leave the hotel room.
With our client staying confined to their suite, we had nothing to do.
Only one of us stood watch while the rest took a break.
We bodyguards were neither guardians nor teachers.
We didn’t concern ourselves with what our clients did, nor did we interfere.
We simply protected their lives and safety.
“It’s your first time in Macau—want to head out for a bit? We have about three hours.”
“Then I’ll go out for a while and come back.”
At the Team Leader’s suggestion, I was able to leave the hotel.
I had intended to tell the Team Leader about today’s transaction, but fortunately he’d mentioned it first, and I was grateful.
The moment I stepped outside, I contacted Lafei using a public phone, and we were able to communicate through a messenger app.
I had no choice but to show Lafei my face, but I didn’t want to reveal my name or phone number.
Twenty rifles and thirty handguns.
Magazines and ammunition included.
It was the quantity Lafei wanted.
Was she planning a war?
Three million won per rifle.
One and a half million won per handgun.
I packed the magazines and ammunition appropriately.
Are you trying to start a war?
A rifle costs 3 million won per unit.
A handgun costs 1.5 million won per unit.
I packed enough magazines and ammunition.
I’d used them when I killed Derek last time, given some to Poapi, and after selling the rest,
what remained were five rifles and about ten handguns.
In truth, even this quantity was more than sufficient for me, so I wasn’t particularly concerned about the reduction in firearms.
When would I ever need to use guns in South Korea?
Rather, I was relieved to finally clear out the weapons that had been cluttering my inventory for so long.
They’d been nagging at me, if I’m being honest.
I received payment in drugs and dollars.
Twenty rifles at three million won each came to sixty million won.
Thirty handguns at 1.5 million won each came to forty-five million won.
A total of 105 million won, but I agreed to receive half in dollars and half in drugs.
The transaction was straightforward.
I just had to hide the goods and inform the other party of their location.
I cleverly concealed a bag containing the guns in a corner of the underground parking lot of a nearby hotel—not ours—and sent a photo.
Shortly after, I received confirmation that they’d retrieved it, and instructions to go to the London Hotel lobby and ask for someone named Candyboy, who would hand over a bag.
I immediately took a taxi to the London Hotel.
When I mentioned Candyboy’s name in the lobby, they handed me a 007 bag.
I sat in an empty chair in the first-floor lobby, cracked open the bag halfway, and verified its contents.
It contained bundles of dollars and several paper envelopes I’d received from The Golden Lotus.
I quietly placed the bag into my inventory in a secluded area, then returned to the hotel.
On the way back, I sent Lafei a message saying it had been a good deal.
Lafei agreed it was a good deal and expressed hope that we could do business again in the future.
I told her to contact me anytime if she needed help, and we concluded our first transaction smoothly.
The morning of our departure.
Those two still hadn’t left their room.
The occasional room service that went in was the only evidence they were alive.
We’d need to leave soon,
but there was still no word from inside the room.
Just as I was thinking I should probably check on them,
the door opened and Han Min-su appeared, looking haggard.
“Let’s go to the hospital. I need an IV.”
“An IV? Right now?”
“There was a good hospital around here, but I can’t remember where… Call Choi Secretary and ask. They’re good with IVs.”
We were supposed to head to the airport, but at Han Min-su’s suggestion to get an IV at a hospital first, the Alpha Team members’ faces darkened.
There was a set schedule, but Han Min-su, the director, was the type to do whatever he wanted regardless of such trivial plans.
Then again, he’d probably be the one cursing if things didn’t go according to schedule.
Bae Hyun-seok, the Team Leader, stepped in front of the frustrated team members’ faces.
“I’ll confirm and escort you, sir.”
Bae Hyun-seok quickly pulled out his phone, called Choi Secretary to relay the request, and arranged to receive the relevant information by text.
“We’re moving out.”
We immediately pulled the vehicle up to the entrance and completed our preparations to depart.
Since we had used the Hotel’s vehicle, we had to explain the situation to the Hotel staff as well.
All of this fell on our shoulders.
If Choi Secretary had been there, he would have handled it.
Now I understood why Choi Secretary had slipped me that envelope.
“We’re heading to the Hospital.”
Since Macau itself wasn’t large, it was only about ten minutes to the Hospital.
Whether Choi Secretary had made arrangements or not, we were able to get an IV as soon as we arrived.
Seeing him lying flat in the Hospital bed, already asleep with the IV in his arm, irritation surged through me.
On top of that, there wasn’t much time left before our departure.
About thirty minutes to the airport.
One hour until the flight took off.
“We’ll finish the remaining IV in the car and head out.”
We explained the situation to the Hospital staff and began moving to the car with the IV still inserted.
The faces of the Hotel staff driving showed clear signs of anger.
There was nothing for it but to slip them cash.
Barely, frantically, we arrived at the airport.
We managed to complete the check-in and board the plane.
As the plane took off, all the strength drained from my body.
Unlike us, whose mental state had collapsed,
Han Min-su and Kang Ye-eun, having received their IVs and recovered their condition, had begun
laughing and joking again.
Damn it, I can’t stand the sight of them.
I felt like feeding them something bitter.
That way, I wouldn’t get tangled up with these bastards again.
As I pondered this, I pulled out a small paper envelope containing drugs from my inventory.
.
.
.
Incheon Airport arrival hall.
Han Min-su and Kang Ye-eun rushed out as soon as the plane landed.
What was their hurry?
The Security Team followed behind them.
But not long after, the airport detection dog began barking and chasing after Han Min-su,
and the airport Police Officer approached Han Min-su.
“Hello? This is the Airport Police. Under the Aviation Security Act, I need to conduct a brief inspection.”
“What? An inspection? Who gave you the right to inspect me?”
“Sir, you can’t act like this. If you refuse, we’ll have no choice but to arrest you by force.”
“Arrest? Look at these bastards. Hey, which organization are you with?”
Bae Hyun-seok, the Team Leader, stepped forward as he observed the situation.
“What’s the matter?”
“Under the Aviation Security Act, we need to conduct an inspection. Since you’ve refused, we can proceed with immediate arrest.”
“Why are you trying to inspect me?”
“Our detection dog caught a scent and barked. We have a duty to verify it.”
“So you just need to do a simple search, correct?”
“Yes. If there’s nothing suspicious, we’ll let you through right away.”
Bae Hyun-seok Team Leader approached Han Min-su and spoke in a voice too quiet for anyone else to hear.
“Director, do you happen to be carrying anything you shouldn’t be bringing in?”
“Anything I shouldn’t be bringing in?”
Han Min-su paused briefly before shaking his head and answering.
“Nothing like that. I’m clean. All I have is this one small bag.”
Han Min-su held up the small bag in his hand.
“Would it be alright if we took a look at this?”
“You just need to check this?”
“Yes.”
“Then show it and let’s finish this quickly.”
As the bag opened, a familiar paper envelope emerged from inside.
The moment Han Min-su and Kang Ye-eun saw that envelope, their faces drained of all color.
The airport police officer opened the paper envelope and immediately radioed in.
“Suspect caught in possession of narcotics. Proceeding with immediate arrest.”
Then he placed handcuffs on Han Min-su.
“You’re under arrest as a current offender for violation of the Narcotics Control Act. You have the right to retain a lawyer, the right to make a statement, and the right to file a petition for review of arrest and detention at a later time.”
The airport police officer recited the Miranda rights.
But it didn’t end there.
Kang Ye-eun, who was standing nearby, and we from the security team were all dragged away for questioning.
With narcotics cases, since groups often use together, the entire party undergoes drug testing.
As we were being moved, we immediately contacted Choi Secretary and informed him of the situation.
The rest would be handled on his end.
“I don’t know that person. I just happened to sit next to him on the plane. Please let me go.”
“You don’t know him.”
“No. After urine, hair, and blood tests, we’ll send you on your way. Don’t worry.”
Kang Ye-eun continued insisting she didn’t know the person.
She’d never seen him before. They’d only met on the plane. She kept repeating this, but
the police simply replied with straightforward reassurance—don’t worry, just take the test and you can go, there’s no problem.
Among us, Kang Ye-eun had the darkest expression.
Han Min-su would be fine anyway since his family had resources to cover this up,
and our security team hadn’t used anything and we were security personnel anyway.
But Kang Ye-eun was different.
She was an entertainer.
A rising newcomer.
Someone who survived on public attention.
If caught as a drug offender in the act, not only would I be written out of the drama currently airing, but the likelihood of being completely blacklisted from the entertainment industry was extremely high.
So by any means necessary, I had to draw a clear line between myself and Han Min-su.
“That bastard? I don’t know him. First time seeing him. But why did you drag me in too?”
“What the hell, can police just arrest innocent people? Huh?”
“What’s your name? I’m reporting all of this.”
That’s what Han Min-su said.
Kang Ye-eun was too soft-hearted, which made this a real problem.
Even puppies can’t be separated from her.
But Han Min-su separates from her just fine.
For three nights and four days, the two of them barely spent an hour apart.
Now he claims he’s never met her before.
Kang Ye-eun, who can’t even separate from puppies, separates from Han Min-su without any trouble.
They seem like a match made in heaven.
I hope they’re doing well.
Our team was able to leave the airport after a simple preliminary screening.
Not before receiving a stern warning that we could be called back depending on the results later.
As I stepped through the airport doors and felt the cold air hit my face, my mind cleared instantly.
It was a brief but impactful project.
If every project was like this, I’d seriously have to consider quitting.
I pulled out the chocolate Lafei had given me from my pocket and took a bite.
The smooth and rich flavor of the ganache filled my mouth completely.
It’s delicious.
I offered the chocolate to my teammates beside me, but they all shook their heads.
More for me then.
I popped another piece of chocolate into my mouth.
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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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