I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 49

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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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049-Santa
49.
I activated a burner phone.
And a voice modulator to disguise my voice.
“Chairman Yun Ki-hwan?”
– Who is this?
“Santa?”
– I don’t have the hobby of taking prank calls. I’m hanging up.
“Wait… you’re impatient, aren’t you? I’m someone who gives you what you need, so I must be Santa.”
– How would you know what I need?
“You need drugs, don’t you?”
– Drugs?
– It’s not Christmas, but I’ve left you a gift. I’ve left it at the Hotel lobby, so go pick it up. We can discuss the deal after that.
Yun Ki-hwan immediately sent someone to retrieve the package from the lobby.
“So, how is it?”
“Premium quality, sir. This level of quality is rare to find domestically. If we can continue receiving this product, expanding nationwide wouldn’t just be a dream.”
Top-tier narcotics.
For Yun Ki-hwan, who desperately wanted to escape Gunsan and expand nationwide, it was like a lifeline.
I had to seize this opportunity no matter what.
.
.
.
– I’ve confirmed it. Let’s discuss the details when we meet.
“I’m a shut-in, so I can’t leave my home.”
– I’ll come to you then.
“I was hinting that I don’t want to meet, but it seems my words were too difficult for you to understand. You’re not getting it at all?”
– Hmm. How did you know I was looking for drugs?
“How did I know? You’ve been advertising it everywhere. I’ve dug around here and there. The rumors are all over the place.”
– So how are you planning to handle the transaction?
“How much do you want to buy?”
– Let’s start with 1kg?
“That’s a small amount. Well, since it’s our first deal, I’ll understand. Once you transfer the money, I’ll leave it at the Hotel for you.”
– That won’t work for me.
“Why?”
– You might take the money and run. I don’t know anything about you.
“Ah, I see. I’m such a trusting person that I don’t suspect others, but I suppose you might think that way. I understand. Then there’s no deal.”
– No, we can just meet and do the transaction. Why are you making this so complicated?
“Who’s making it complicated? You’re the one overcomplicating things, sir. We can just do the deal—I give you the drugs, you give me the money. How simple is that?”
– That won’t work. In my dictionary, I never pay first.
“I’ve already shown good faith, but you’re full of suspicion. Fine. I’ll accommodate you anyway. I’m just that kind. Let’s meet in person. But I’ll send a representative. That’s okay, right? I told you—I’m a shut-in.”
– It doesn’t matter who comes. I just need to verify the goods at the scene.
“Understood. I’ll send you the time and location.
.
.
.
I chose Dae-hun as my proxy.
In truth, there was no one else but Dae-hun who could handle things in my stead,
and he represented the last untainted zone beyond the reach of the Geumho Gang.
That said, I had no intention of revealing my smuggling operations to Dae-hun.
I wanted to keep it hidden from everyone.
That’s why I lived as Candy Boy and Alex.
That’s why I avoided meeting people during transactions, using hotels and unmanned lockers instead.
And there was another reason for choosing Dae-hun as my drug trafficking proxy.
I needed to gauge his capabilities.
Whether he possessed the ability to properly complete assigned tasks.
Whether he could adapt and respond when crises emerged.
Whether he could finish operations without being consumed by emotion.
If he succeeded, he would evolve into a partner,
and if not, I’d simply resort to outsourcing through online platforms.
Dae-hun wouldn’t know it,
but for me, this was an essential process.
.
.
.
Dae-hun received a small box from an errand service employee on a motorcycle.
This box contained 1 kilogram of drugs.
All I had to do was hand it over and collect 90 million won in cash.
Simple.
But there were always variables.
I tucked a blade into the back of my waistband.
The wound from the last stabbing had nearly healed, though a faint ache lingered.
Uncomfortable. Unsettling.
But this time, I wasn’t alone.
Geun-su stood beside me.
We drove to a small cafe in downtown Gunsan.
Upon entering, I spotted a face I’d rather not see.
Jo Dong-jin, who had beaten and tormented Dae-hun daily at the Orphanage, sat there.
I’d known Jo Dong-jin was part of the Geumho Gang, but this was the first time seeing his face.
Rage surged at the thought of killing him, memories of brutal beatings flooded back, and a tremor of fear crept in.
But this was business, nothing more.
I just need to hand over the goods and collect the money.
I suppress the anxiety rising in my chest.
It’s simple. Nothing to it. Just act natural. Act like nothing’s wrong.
Repeating this mantra in my mind over and over, I walk to Jo Dong-jin’s table and sit down.
Jo Dong-jin sits alone at the table, but behind him are several men who look like they belong to the Geumho Gang.
There are probably a few more outside as well.
“Oh~ who’s this? Isn’t it Seo Dae-hun? Damn, it’s so good to see you.”
“Forget the pleasantries. Let’s just do business.”
Seo Dae-hun responds curtly.
“We haven’t seen each other in ages and you’re so tense. And you—you see your hyung but don’t even greet him?”
“We’re not the kind of people who would smile and exchange pleasantries when we meet, are we?”
“Heh. You bastard. You’re still holding a grudge over getting hit a few times back in school? Your body grew up, so your head should’ve grown with it. How’s a man going to get anywhere being so petty?”
“I’ll worry about myself. Let’s just do the business. The Geumho Gang must have great benefits—they get paid even when they’re just lounging around in cafes like this. We need to grow as fast as the Geumho Gang so we can lounge around and still get paid too.”
“Kahahaha. You think I came here to lounge around? I came to work.”
“Then let’s work. And shut that mouth of yours.”
At Dae-hun’s words, Jo Dong-jin’s expression hardens.
He’d still been thinking of Seo Dae-hun from high school, but he could sense something had changed about him.
“You bastard. We’ll settle this later.”
“Damn, you talk a lot. Are we doing this or are we setting up house here?”
“Fine. Let’s do it. Show me the goods first.”
“Why the money first?”
Jo Dong-jin speaks with annoyance, glancing back slightly.
“Bring the bag.”
One of his subordinates sitting behind him brings a small bag and hands it to Jo Dong-jin.
Jo Dong-jin slides the bag directly toward Dae-hun.
“Count it.”
“It’ll be right. I’m not so stupid that I can’t count.”
Dae-hun speaks without even checking the bag.
But Geun-su, sitting beside him, seems to think differently.
He opens the bag and verifies the money.
Geun-su nods his head.
“You’ve picked up some foul language habits since we last met?”
“I learned it from some idiot at the Orphanage. How to talk like shit.”
“Hahaha. You’re not going to walk out of here clean today. Take out the goods.”
Dae-hun pulls out the small box he’d received earlier.
“Check it.”
Jo Dong-jin takes out a prepared drug test kit.
“Let’s see, let’s see.”
He opens the packaging and examines the substance.
After confirming with the drug test kit that it’s genuine, Dong-jin breaks into a wide smile.
“That bastard’s got the goods for sure.”
“We don’t pay people to slack around—you’ve got to do the work right.”
Dae-hun started to stand.
“You’re leaving already? We barely see each other. How about a shot of soju before you go? My treat. Let’s get some sashimi too.”
“I’m swamped with work. Please enjoy the sashimi yourself, and buy the younger guys some too.”
“You’re a pain right to the end.”
“I’m going. Let’s not cross paths again.”
“Hey!”
Jo Dong-jin called out to Dae-hun.
“Don’t get cocky. Live humbly. The fact that we’re leaving you alone isn’t because we can’t crush you—it’s because we need you. But if you push your luck further, you could end up dead. Remember that.”
“Sure, sure. Yun Ki-hwan will spend his whole life groveling beneath you like a dog. I wonder if Yun Ki-hwan will even get dog treats. Heh heh.”
Dae-hun stood and left the cafe.
Jo Dong-jin watched his retreating figure.
He wanted nothing more than to throw him down right then and beat him to death,
but the Chairman had ordered him to close the deal no matter what.
Beating Dae-hun down would be easy enough,
and stealing the money in his hand would be even easier,
but doing so would cost him the hard-won business connection.
That’s why he’d endured Dae-hun’s insults and managed to close the deal.
He could settle things with him later.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Grab the merchandise.”
One of his subordinates picked up the box containing the drugs.
The moment they stepped out of the cafe, a motorcycle came flying toward them at insane speed.
Everyone froze, their bodies going rigid from the sheer velocity.
The motorcycle snatched the box of drugs with precision and sped away.
“Hey! Grab that bastard! Get him!”
Jo Dong-jin’s rough voice echoed out, and only then did his subordinates scramble to the car and start the engine.
But the motorcycle was already out of sight.
.
.
.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
Jo Dong-jin lay sprawled on the ground, taking golf club strikes from Yun Ki-hwan.
The dull thuds echoed, but not a sound escaped Jo Dong-jin’s lips.
He clenched his teeth, enduring it all.
Yun Ki-hwan grew tired of swinging and tossed the golf club aside carelessly, then sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette.
An old Zippo flared to life.
“I asked you to bring one box of drugs. You couldn’t do that? You lost it because you’re incompetent?”
“I apologize, Chairman.”
Jo Dong-jin had already dropped to his knees.
“So they took the money and the drugs both?”
“It appears Seo Dae-hun orchestrated the whole thing. The moment we stepped out, a motorcycle was waiting as if on cue.”
“So you’re telling me you couldn’t even anticipate that much, you blockhead.”
“I apologize, Chairman.”
“The 90 million won you gave to Seo Dae-hun. The 90 million won in drugs you lost. That’s 180 million total. How are you going to handle this?”
Something about the math didn’t quite add up, but Jo Dong-jin couldn’t make excuses.
“I apologize. I’ll repay it no matter what.”
“How exactly are you planning to repay it? You’re not thinking about interest? Haven’t I worked in the capital division before? Do you think life’s problems get solved just by running your mouth?”
“I’ll sell my organs if I have to and repay you.”
“Even if you sold your organs, it wouldn’t cover that… How am I supposed to recover this money…”
Just then, Yun Ki-hwan’s phone rang.
“Yeah, Police Chief Kim. What about the CCTV? Did you check it?”
– We confirmed the motorcycle went into the waters off Gunsan.
“Fine about the motorcycle, but what about the bastard driving it? Did he go in too?”
– Yes, the driver went down with the motorcycle.
“Find that bastard. I want him caught.”
– We’ve deployed divers and we’re searching now, but visibility is poor so it’ll take some time.
“Police Chief Kim. Use whatever means necessary to find him. Understood?”
– Understood.
He hung up the phone.
Turning back to figure out how to recover the money from Jo Dong-jin, another call came through.
– We received the payment just fine. Thank you for the transaction. Valued customer.
“That’s not how it went on our end.”
– Pardon? What do you mean? I asked our representative and he said your people completed the transaction properly, though your guy’s tongue is pretty foul-mouthed.
“We got robbed the moment we stepped out of the cafe.”
– Oh my. How terrible. This Gunsan is quite dangerous. I thought South Korea had good public safety, but apparently not Gunsan. You should really be more careful, Chairman.
“This was your doing, wasn’t it?”
– Why would I do such a thing? I prefer having stable trading partners.
“You’re the only one who knew the location and details. You’re telling me not to suspect you?”
– Why do you think only I knew? You knew as well, Chairman. The people who came for the transaction knew too. Wouldn’t it have been more convenient for them to prepare on their end anyway?”
“What?”
– Think about it. In Gunsan, can anyone pull off a robbery without the Geumho Gang’s permission? What madman would do such a thing? If you look at it that way, it’s not us—it’s the Geumho Gang staging a false flag operation. They’re hiding the goods somewhere and now they’re cooking up a scenario to demand we pay since we didn’t receive the merchandise, aren’t they?
“What the hell is this bastard saying?”
– And since we’re on the subject, the transaction went smoothly, so why are you blaming us for losing the goods? If we lost money on the way back and asked you for a refund, would you give it to us?
“Well… that’s…”
– So let’s not waste energy on something that won’t stick either way. Think of it as a valuable life lesson. Don’t you agree?
“Still…”
– Don’t try to pressure me. You should focus on tightening internal security. You need to figure out where the information leaked from.
“That’s true.”
– So we’ll trade again?
“Do you have more product?”
– The Chairman was cautious on the first deal, so we kept it modest. But we can supply as much as needed.
“Can you do 3 kilograms?”
– As much as you want.
“This time I’ll come myself, so you come in person too.”
– Why do you keep saying that? I told you I’m a shut-in. I have social anxiety and can’t leave my house.
“You think I believe that?”
– Believe it or don’t, doesn’t matter. So are we trading or not?
“We are. I’ll come in person this time.”
– Understood. Since the Chairman is coming personally this time. And since you mentioned losing some merchandise, I’ll give you a discount. It’s 270 million, but I’ll take 250 million. I’ll accept payment in Bitcoin.
.
.
.
[Bitcoin received. Yami Island Dock. 7 PM. The Daepung-ho. I’ve included a little gift. Merry Christmas – Santa]
Yun Ki-hwan came personally to avoid any mistakes.
He brought quite a few organization members and headed to Yami Island Dock.
Being out in the field again after so long, my blood was pumping with excitement.
As darkness fell and 7 PM arrived precisely, a fishing boat appeared as if on cue.
The Daepung-ho, written on its hull.
The subordinates went out first to greet the boat.
The person operating the boat said nothing and simply unloaded the goods before disappearing again.
“Check it.”
At Yun Ki-hwan’s command, the subordinates stepped forward to inspect the merchandise.
3 kilograms of drugs and 2 handguns were inside.
Yun Ki-hwan’s expression turned satisfied.
‘The bastard talks like shit, but the deals are clean.’
“Let’s go.”
We maintained strict vigilance.
Just in case there was an ambush like last time.
We were cautious, then cautious again.
As we drove back to Gunsan, a van suddenly blocked the road ahead.
“What the hell is that?”
Yun Ki-hwan, growing uneasy, issued an order.
“Turn the car around. Make a U-turn and go.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
But a car blocked us from behind as well.
We were trapped front and back.
We had to escape.
But it’s not easy.
Yami Island, where the Yami Island Dock is located, is an island, but it’s connected to the mainland by the Saemangeum Dike.
A dike is a embankment built in the sea to protect reclaimed land.
In simple terms, it’s like a bridge.
The sea stretches out on both sides.
There’s no escape route.
Detectives pour out from the vehicle blocking the way ahead.
“Police! Hands up and get out of the car.”
I’ve been completely trapped.
For Yun Ki-hwan, this was a crisis unlike any I’d faced before.
Caught on the spot, and with drugs no less.
Even a handgun on top of that.
If I’m arrested, there’s no way I’m getting out easily.
No matter how good a lawyer I hire, I’ll have to serve several years in prison.
“Damn it, do something. Do anything.”
“Go block them. Block them now.”
“Damn it, where’s that gun we got earlier? Shoot with that.”
“Dump the drugs. Throw the drugs in the sea.”
Yun Ki-hwan screamed at the top of my lungs, but the Geumho Gang members were just as panicked.
The Geumho Gang, which had enjoyed protection from all law enforcement in Gunsan, had many members who’d never been in a real fight.
They’d just show up, intimidate people, throw some chairs around, and everything would be resolved.
But not today.
The police smash the car window with their batons.
I need to fight back, but I’m terrified.
Everyone in the car froze, unsure what to do.
“Damn it, get out there and fight. What are you doing?”
Yun Ki-hwan threatened the members from behind with a gun.
Frightened by the sight of the weapon, a member scrambles out and starts attacking the detectives.
Scuffles break out here and there.
In the chaos, Yun Ki-hwan jumps into the sea without anyone noticing.
Since it’s a dike rather than a bridge, it’s not very high.
Fortunately, it seems no one saw me jump in.
Submerged in the seawater, I assess the situation through my eyes and ears, remaining motionless like the dead.
My entire body is immersed in the cold seawater, with only my head barely above the surface.
It’s freezing, but there’s no choice. To survive.
How long have I been in the water?
The police seem to have subdued and arrested all the Geumho Gang members.
The area has gone quiet.
Once I confirm the police have left.
Only then does Yun Ki-hwan carefully emerge onto the shore.
My body trembles uncontrollably.
I’ve been in the frigid water far too long.
Carefully, I haul myself onto the Road.
The moment my feet touch solid ground, relief washes over me.
Then—a deafening roar erupts from somewhere.
A dump truck materializes in the distance, not far away.
The dump truck barrels toward Yun Ki-hwan with terrifying speed.
I need to flee, but my body has gone rigid—I cannot move.
Damn it.

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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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