I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 38

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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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038-Sandro
38.
“Wash up.”
The first thing I said to Marian as she entered the guest room was to wash herself.
Marian didn’t hesitate and headed straight to the bathroom.
Once the sound of running water reached my ears, I checked the bag.
The reason I’d told Marian to wash was simple—I needed time alone,
time to inspect the bag and place it into my inventory.
The 007 bag was secured with a dual-lock mechanism.
After verifying the bag’s contents, I placed it into my inventory.
Then I sent a message to my contact.
– Received it. But why is it locked?
[Lately there’ve been some guys skimming pills in transit… Would delivery be difficult in this state? If so, I’ll give you the password. Just take out the contents.]
– No problem. Give the password to Lafei instead.
[Oh really? Delivery is possible even like this? That’s impressive. What kind of route did you open up?]
– You weren’t expecting an answer, were you?
[Haha, just surprised. Is it possible to other countries too?]
– Other countries?
[Hong Kong.]
– Of course.
[Then, could I ask you to deliver something? It needs to go express. Originally it had to arrive within a week, but from now that’s tough. Could you do it within ten days? Two weeks?]
– Don’t worry, bro. I’ll deliver it within a week.
[Really? A week? Thanks so much. I was worried sick, but you’ve put my mind at ease. I’ll make sure the express fee is generous. Can you give me your account number?]
– We’ll settle the account after delivery is complete. Let’s do it then.
[You’re really reliable. I’ve never seen your face, but I trust you. Now I understand why Lafei chose you.]
– Let me know once you have the package. You’re not planning to leave it at Esca Hotel again, right?
[Is that a problem?]
– It’s not impossible, but I’d prefer a different hotel if possible. Even better if you use an unmanned package locker.
[An unmanned locker? In the Philippines, the door would be ripped off within ten minutes. You won’t even find a locker with a properly attached door.]
– Really?
[Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll leave it at another hotel and contact you.]
– Got it.
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After finishing my conversation with the contact in the Philippines,
Marian emerged from washing up.
“Get ready. We need to leave.”
“Huh?”
Marian looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
“You said you’d be my guide? Are you just going to stay in the hotel room? Is that what a hotel guide does?”
“That’s not exactly it…”
“I wish you’d get ready quickly.”
Marian looked at me with exasperation, but she began preparing nonetheless.
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Once we left the Esca Hotel, we wandered through Bohol like an ordinary couple.
We explored this place and that.
We rented a car and visited the Chocolate Hills, saw the spectacled monkeys.
We ate at the Loboc River and went ziplining.
I’d started this charade to appear like an ordinary tourist, but
once I actually did it, I found it enjoyable.
There were moments when I’d stand mesmerized, gazing at landscapes I’d never seen before.
The scenery was that impressive.
As for ziplining, it was fun,
but it couldn’t match the thrill of rappelling training or airborne operations.
Marian seemed to be experiencing this kind of travel for the first time as well.
She appeared more excited than I was.
Just as they say more people living in Seoul have never visited Seoul Tower,
it’s hardly surprising that someone living in Bohol hasn’t visited all the tourist attractions.
Especially not in Marian’s case.
We returned to Alona Beach, had dinner, and headed back to the hotel.
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The next day, I used Marian’s help to pack my bag and prepared to leave Bohol.
Three days was sufficient.
Hadn’t I fulfilled my obligations as a tourist?
I told Marian.
“I have to leave now. It’s been enjoyable.”
“I’m grateful too. Thanks to you, I could escape that hellish place for three days.”
Marian’s expression changed.
A sadness—or perhaps regret—flickered across her face, and I couldn’t quite name the emotion.
I can read anger and vengeance with remarkable clarity, but emotions like this are still difficult for me.
Perhaps it’s because I haven’t experienced many farewells.
I didn’t know what to say in this moment.
As I sat in quiet silence, Marian spoke first.
“There’s something I’m sorry about.”
“Sorry? About what?”
Marian spoke hesitantly, as if apologizing.
“That… the Steakhouse, you know?”
“The Steakhouse we went to?”
“Yeah.”
“Why that place?”
“Actually, it’s not a good restaurant. It’s expensive and tastes bad.”
“Really? I didn’t know since I didn’t eat there.”
I brushed it off casually.
A restaurant could certainly be tasteless and overpriced.
There were plenty of places like that around.
I wasn’t interested.
“But I really wanted to go there once. So I deceived you and took you there. I’m sorry. And thank you for taking me. Thanks to you, I got my wish. Hehe.”
Hearing those words,
I recalled the image of Marian chewing her steak slowly and deliberately.
‘She really wanted to savor that moment.’
I felt a pang of sympathy for Marian.
The way she had marveled at the unfamiliar sights in the tourist area.
The image of Marian continuing to eat even as she said she couldn’t eat much.
For me, it had merely been a task.
I had simply taken her along to conceal myself, to present her instead.
For Marian, it must have been an escape from hell.
Without realizing it, I was calculating how much money I had in my inventory.
Three million dollars brought from the Rebel Forces.
Of that, I gave 2.2 million dollars to my team members.
Of the remaining 800,000 dollars, I spent 100,000 dollars buying a sniper rifle.
700,000 dollars and
50,000 dollars I received from selling a gun last time.
The money I have is 750,000 dollars.
Excluding my salary and Korean currency, purely dollars stored in my inventory.
Could I spend 30,000 dollars for Marian?
Is that the right thing to do?
To buy Marian?
I could keep her in the Philippines,
but I couldn’t take her to South Korea either?
“I won’t forget. I was happy. Really.”
Marian says.
I don’t know if this is right.
But what can I do?
I can’t seem to leave.
It’s not love or romance or anything like that.
How do I put it?
If I had grown up in the Philippines,
if I had been a woman,
would I have ended up like that? That kind of thought?
If thirty thousand dollars could change someone’s life, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to give it a try.
“Get up.”
“Already? Can’t we stay a bit longer?”
Marian asked pitifully.
“Where do we need to go?”
“You don’t even have to take me.”
Marian’s expression grew urgent.
“You asked me to buy it for you. Let’s just go and ask about the price.”
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Not long after Marian stepped out of the restaurant, Mustache Man appeared, pulling up in a car.
Mustache Man stopped the car and was about to pick up Marian when I stood beside it. Mustache Man looked startled.
“I wasn’t trying to scare you, sorry. I have some business in that direction too, so let’s go together.”
Mustache Man looked at Marian, and Marian nodded.
The place we drove to was behind Alona Beach,
only about ten minutes away.
Their headquarters was a single-story Office in poor condition.
As I tried to enter the Office, they frisked me.
While they searched me, I examined the building and the people inside.
There was only one entrance.
Three windows, but all blocked by security bars.
Three people outside.
Still unable to confirm how many were inside.
I went in.
Inside were a few desks and cheap sofas.
And only one person was in the Office.
“Welcome. I’m Sandro.”
The rather stocky man greeted me warmly.
As if I were someone he already knew.
“Hello.”
I smiled and sat on the sofa, crossing my legs.
Sandro naturally sat across from me.
“So, what brings you here? I’ve been in this business for over fifteen years, and you’re the first to come directly to our Office.”
“Really? That’s quite an honor. Is there some kind of benefit for the first customer?”
“That depends on what you’re here for.”
“I came to buy Marian.”
“Oh? Really? Of course it’s Marian. She’s captivated everyone in just three days. But here’s the thing—Marian is our ace, so she’s a bit pricey.”
“How much?”
“One hundred thousand dollars.”
“What? A hundred thousand dollars? You said thirty thousand.”
Marian, standing beside me, cried out.
“When are you talking about? Do you know how much inflation has hit us? I have to factor in the cost of living increase.”
“Wow. That’s way more expensive than I thought. No discount?”
“That price already includes a first-time customer discount.”
“Is that so? Then I can’t afford her. I’ll be going.”
“That won’t do. This isn’t some convenience store you can just walk in and out of whenever you please. I even provided consultation—whether you buy Marian or not, you still have to pay the consultation fee before you leave.”
“How much is the consultation fee here?”
“Empty everything from your pockets, and that’s your consultation fee.”
I pulled a twenty-peso bill from my pocket and placed it on the table.
“That’s all I have in my pocket. Well then, consultation complete. Thanks for the consultation.”
“Hahahaha.”
Sandro burst into laughter at my action.
“Hahahaha. This is hilarious. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in years.”
“Fun?”
“Yeah. Really fun. I’ve never met anyone like you. But you’re telling me you only have twenty pesos in your pocket?”
“Yeah.”
“You came to buy Marian with just twenty pesos? You expect me to believe that?”
“I’m not an idiot. Did you really think I wouldn’t expect you to pull something like this? Of course if the price is right, I’d withdraw the money from a bank. Would I carry that much cash all the way here?”
“Fair point. Then I guess I should be collecting ransom instead of a consultation fee.”
“What?”
“You’ve just been kidnapped. You’ve seen it on the news before, right? People going missing in the Philippines. That’s what you’re becoming today.”
“You’re committing a serious crime over twenty pesos?”
“Whether it’s twenty pesos or two hundred thousand dollars depends on what happens next. I’ll take your phone and contact everyone in it. If someone pays, great. If not, well, can’t be helped. From now on, you’re my lottery ticket. Let’s see if you hit the jackpot.”
“Now I understand why you work in such a shabby place.”
“What?”
“Your method of making money is just taking me hostage? Isn’t that a bit outdated? There must be better ways.”
Sandro drew a gun from his waistband and pointed it at me.
“I’d appreciate it if you called it classic. Besides, this actually makes money. And cleanup is easy.”
“Hahahaha.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just because this situation is kind of funny. An idiot pointing a gun at a customer who came to make a deal.”
Offended by being called an idiot, Sandro fired a shot toward the ceiling.
Bang!
“Do you think this is a joke? Just because I’m smiling while talking, you think you can laugh too? Huh?”
Sandro approached me with the gun still trained on me, and
The thugs who heard the gunshots rushed into the building.
“Whoa, whoa… calm down. I’m a hostage and a client, aren’t I? You need to treat me with a bit more care.”
“I’ll handle that myself, so just shut your mouth.”
Sandro swung the gun’s grip toward my head,
but I had no intention of taking that blow.
I stood up from the sofa, embraced Sandro, and spun around once.
In an instant, Sandro was standing in front of me like a shield, and the gun that had been in his hand was now in mine.
I didn’t hesitate
and fired at the three thugs standing in front of the door.
Bang, bang, bang.
They collapsed instantly, and Sandro in my arms dropped his jaw in shock.
“Now, shall we have a conversation?”
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I laid down the men who had been shot and stopped their bleeding.
“I’ve stopped the bleeding. Once the blood flow stops, their lives won’t be in danger.”
Since I’d shot them in the thigh, there was no risk to their lives.
The men who had been shot seemed to have no will to fight, as if they’d never been shot before.
They were simply trembling in fear.
In contrast, Sandro was struggling against the rope binding him.
But even that struggle looked pathetic.
“Untie this. When the Criminal Organization’s people arrive soon, they won’t leave you alone.”
“Oh, how scary. Then I should kill you quickly and get out of here before they arrive.”
He thought I would be frightened,
but he hadn’t considered that he might die,
so Sandro was startled and flustered by my words.
“Mind if I look around a bit?”
Regardless of Sandro, I began searching through the shabby Office.
“Don’t, don’t search, if you don’t want to—”
“Don’t touch it.”
Sandro continued to shout something,
but I paid no mind and kept checking what was inside the desk and cabinets.
The cabinet was full of various documents, bankbooks, identification cards, and stacks of cash.
“Wow, you guys really do everything.”
“You’re quite versatile.”
“Do you forge identification cards too? Could you make a couple for me?”
“So you launder money as well?”
“You guys seem to be quite useful.”
“Damn it, just touch it. I won’t let you off easy.”
“Why are you just standing there watching?”
In truth, I wasn’t merely watching.
I’d already gathered everything worth taking.
As I collected the items, an amusing thought occurred to me.
“Sandro. How about we become business partners?”

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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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