I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 52

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

052-Bullet
52.
– Who is this? It’s not Inbae, is it?
“Jose, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
– We’re in Congo~ Just being alive counts as doing well.
“That’s a relief. How’s Poapi?”
– Poapi’s doing well too. He’s quite the student. Works hard at sports as well.
“Thanks for looking after him.”
– At first I watched over him because you asked, but now he feels like my own son. Anyway, what’s going on? Are you coming here?
“Well… I have something to ask first. Can you get bullets?”
After receiving Lafei’s request, I’d hesitated for a moment.
Could I even obtain bullets?
It’s not like they sell them at convenience stores.
So I couldn’t give Lafei a definite answer and only told her I’d look into it.
That was the best response I could manage.
I’d sold a gun to Lafei before, but I didn’t have any legitimate distribution channels.
That gun was merely something I’d obtained by chance from the Rebel Forces in Congo.
I had no routes to acquire weapons in my current situation.
I couldn’t go back to the Rebel Forces and ask for bullets either.
The only person who could acquire weapons was Jose, who operated L’Oasis in Congo.
The one who’d gotten me a sniper rifle.
So I reached out with the thought of at least asking.
If he could get them, I could take the opportunity to visit Congo and see Poapi’s face after so long.
– What caliber?
“9mm Parabellum and 5.56mm NATO rounds.”
– Standard specifications. I can get those without any problem.
“Then get them for me. I’ll come pick them up.”
– You’re going to come all the way here just for some bullets? Aren’t you a South Korean?
“What choice do I have? You’re not going to deliver them, are you?”
– That’s true. Crossing borders is the hardest part with this kind of thing. Wait a moment. Let me look into it. You might not need to come all the way to Congo.
“Really?”
– We don’t manufacture bullets here anyway. Those bullets are purchased from somewhere and distributed. Let me check into it.
“Thanks~”
– Don’t mention it. I’ll be in touch.
*******
Kang Jae-ho approached with a weary expression, tablet in hand.
“Young Boss, the design draft is ready.”
Kang Jae-ho extended the tablet toward me.
The moment I saw the tablet, I knew my choice had been correct.
Emerald Canyon unfolded across the screen.
There was no Emerald Canyon anywhere, yet the moment I saw it, Emerald Canyon came to mind.
A skeletal structure stripped bare,
a drab concrete edifice now draped in emerald-hued nature.
It looked mysterious and noble.
“Wow~ it’s so amazing? You did such a better job than I expected?”
I was admiring the tablet when Sandro walked in.
“What are you doing? What are you looking at?”
“Sandro, look at this.”
Sandro’s expression changed as he looked at the tablet.
“What? What is this? Is this that? That… that one?”
Sandro was flustered, his words tumbling out incoherently.
“Yeah. The resort currently undergoing final construction.”
“Did the Young Boss here design this?”
“That’s right.”
“It looks completely different from this angle, and the design turned out so well?”
“That’s why I was admiring it too.”
“It’s so impressive. We could move right in as is, couldn’t we? Patrick.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Contact the interior designers and get them ready right away.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Kang Jae-ho designed this as well, but he’s from an interior design background. A complete veteran. So if we give him full authority as supervisor and overseer, the quality will improve even more. He’s quite skilled. There’s nothing he can’t do. Kang Jae-ho, is that alright with you?”
“I’ll do my best if you entrust me with it.”
“Patrick, did you hear?”
“I’ll take care of it right away.”
Kang Jae-ho was overjoyed that his design was being recognized.
This was the life Kang Jae-ho had always wanted.
What I imagined and envisioned becoming reality.
And I was achieving it here in the Philippines.
The young Young Boss before me had made it possible.
“Young Boss, I’m truly grateful. I’ll do my very best.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Kang Jae-ho and Patrick left to discuss the details, and I remained with Sandro.
“What should we name that resort?”
When I asked, Sandro answered.
“The resort name is already decided. The moment I saw it, only one name came to mind.”
“What is it?”
“Emerald Resort.”
“Ah~ that’s perfect. Why didn’t I think of that?”
Hearing Sandro’s answer, I felt a twinge of self-reproach.
I was embarrassed at myself for thinking of names like “Candy Resort Panglao” because it was Candy Tour.
I shouldn’t have volunteered to name it in the first place.
“Then let’s call it Emerald Resort for now. It suits it perfectly.”
“Yeah. I like it.”
We’d agreed on the name, but Sandro seemed to have more to say.
“Alex. I have a question about Emerald Canyon.”
“What is it?”
“Emerald Canyon is empty during the day, right?”
“That’s right.”
Both Emerald Canyon and Lumina Lake sit vacant during daylight hours.
That’s how the tour route is structured.
Group land tours depart in the morning, and by the time those tours conclude, Candy Tour’s exclusive tours begin.
So while the group tours are running during the day, no one is at Emerald Canyon.
Until 4:00 PM, when the group tours end and exclusive tour guests arrive at Emerald Canyon, the canyon remains empty.
That’s why I’ve stationed guards there.
To prevent anyone from showing up during the day and causing trouble.
“Doesn’t it feel wasteful leaving it empty during the day?”
“It does feel a bit wasteful…”
“What about selling a package to travel agencies?”
“Wouldn’t that make it too crowded? These are people seeking relaxation—if it becomes packed, they’ll be disappointed.”
“I have two ideas. First, create an exclusive tour program for five-star hotels and above, available only through those hotels. Skip Lumina Lake—just visit Emerald Canyon during the day and return.”
“That doesn’t sound bad.”
“The other idea is to add Emerald Canyon to the existing tour program. But change the order—see Emerald Canyon first. No matter what happens, we leave by 4:00 PM.”
“Hmm… that would require completely restructuring the program. We can’t just tack it onto the existing tour.”
“Exactly.”
It was a good idea.
We could earn money by utilizing the empty Emerald Canyon,
and showcase it to more people.
But I didn’t want Emerald Canyon to become crowded.
That was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.
“Then let’s start with the hotel program first. Create a new product by mixing it with the existing tour program. And let’s keep it exclusive to us. We’ll need to adjust the hotel discount rates too, right?”
“Of course. I’ll handle that. Hehehehe.”
Seeing Sandro grin mischievously made me uneasy.
I know he’ll do well, yet I can’t help but feel anxious.
I’m curious what he’ll bring back this time, yet worried he might cause trouble.
I need to make sure he doesn’t bring a gun.
Suppressing those feelings, I spoke to Sandro.
“Thanks, Sandro. I’m counting on you again.”
********
Jose contacted me.
– I found wholesale distributors in the Philippines and Thailand. I’ll leave you their IDs—try reaching out to them.
[Thanks. I transferred a little referral fee to your account.]
– I didn’t tell you that to get paid.
[I know. I know, but I wanted to give it anyway. I owe you so much.]
– If you’re that grateful, come visit sometime.
[Got it. I’ll make time and definitely come.]
– Alright. See you then. Take care of yourself.
[You take care of your health too.]
I left messages on the two IDs Jose had given me.
I wanted to purchase some ammunition.
The Thai wholesaler said they didn’t sell ammunition separately,
and the Philippine supplier said they did, but only in bulk—a minimum of ten thousand rounds.
Ten thousand sounded like an enormous quantity,
but it was actually two hundred boxes, each smaller than a palm, containing fifty rounds each.
I figured I could use the surplus myself, so I decided to buy generously.
The weight would be substantial, but I had my inventory, so it wasn’t a problem.
Handgun ammunition: four hundred boxes, twenty thousand rounds.
Rifle ammunition: four hundred boxes, twenty thousand rounds.
A total of eight hundred boxes, forty thousand rounds, was what I decided to purchase.
The issue was the meeting location.
The transaction would take place in Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island.
Zamboanga City.
A port city at the southwestern tip of Mindanao Island, near Basilan Island.
Rebel Forces still operated there, and it had been the site of frequent terrorist attacks and kidnappings in the past—a dangerous city.
Over the past few years, the Philippine military and police had conducted large-scale crackdowns, significantly improving security,
but armed groups still operated in the area.
It was even designated as a travel-restricted zone by South Korea.
In short, it was an extremely dangerous place.
A place where anything could happen at any moment.
Scott and I moved to Cebu,
and from there, we boarded another flight and arrived at Zamboanga International Airport.
Scott’s movements as he walked beside me had improved considerably.
When we went to Seoul together last time, he was so clumsy and in the way that I taught him.
How to provide protection.
How to shield the client without overlapping their movement patterns.
I made him memorize it and drilled it repeatedly.
Classic Seoul National University study methods, after all.
The results were fast.
We got off at the airport and rented a car.
Having Scott around was convenient for things like this.
Being a local, he handled everything naturally.
I figured out how to rent a car and drove myself.
Wait, now that I think about it, I’m Filipino too? My name’s Alex.
I arrived at Sulu Sea Hotel, our meeting place.
Pick up the weapons from reception, sleep one night, and head back tomorrow. Simple.
It was straightforward.
I sent Scott to reception to retrieve whatever package had arrived under Candy Boy’s name.
Scott went to the front desk and said something, and the male staff member checked on something before gesturing for him to follow.
I watched the scene unfold, then quietly trailed behind them.
The hotel staff member opened the back door and stepped outside.
Of course, I had no choice but to follow them out.
Forty thousand rounds of ammunition.
The volume wasn’t enormous, but the weight was substantial.
Nearly five hundred kilograms.
Even divided into multiple shipments, it would be difficult to carry.
Handing it over at the reception desk would be impossible.
A car-to-car transfer made the most sense.
The hotel staff member guided Scott with surprising courtesy.
They went to a van parked in the corner of the lot and opened the sliding door in the middle.
Scott leaned in to verify the contents.
It was amusing to watch.
Scott wouldn’t recognize it anyway.
I’d never told him what the package contained.
I’d only instructed him to pick up the item from reception.
That’s when it happened.
The hotel staff member struck Scott’s head with a blunt object.
Scott crumpled and collapsed.
The hotel staff member loaded Scott into the van and drove off somewhere.
I quickly started my car and followed him.
Quietly and discreetly, without drawing attention.
All those driving drills during security training were finally paying off.
The van gradually headed toward the outskirts of the city.
I had to gradually increase the distance between us.
There were no other cars on the road.
If I stayed too close, he’d definitely notice.
As I followed the van, I couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
I’d just come to buy some ammunition.
I’d only sent Scott in my place because I was being cautious.
I had no idea why they’d knocked him out and abducted him.
Right now, my only priority was rescuing Scott.
That’s all that mattered.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem intent on killing Scott.
If they wanted him dead, they would’ve handled it right there.
The fact that they went through the trouble of knocking him out and kidnapping him meant they had business with him.
They probably kidnapped him hoping to squeeze more money out of him.
.
.
.
After driving for over thirty minutes, we arrived at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Zamboanga City.
As the hotel staff member’s car pulled in, men emerged from inside the factory, opened the door, and took Scott inside.
These bastards seemed far too practiced at this—clearly not their first time.
And without anyone saying a word, the fact that men came out from inside the factory meant someone was watching from within.
I needed to be careful.
I parked the car nearby and circled around to the back entrance.
I peered through the glass window on the opposite side to get a glimpse of the factory interior.
About a dozen men stood there, and Scott lay collapsed in front of them.
And a man who appeared to be the Boss sat in a chair, watching them.
When the Boss nodded, someone brought a bucket of water and splashed it on Scott.
Scott struggled to regain consciousness.
“Ugh… ugh…”
“You coming to?”
Scott still seemed disoriented, his eyes darting around the space.
“Where is this? Who are you guys?”
“That doesn’t matter. Why do you need bullets? If you bought a gun along with them, I’d understand. But why order so many bullets without a gun?”
“What? Bullets? What bullets?”
Scott’s expression turned serious as he spoke, and the Boss seemed momentarily taken aback.
“What the hell, you bastard. Are you an actor? Did you go back to acting? You almost had me fooled. Damn method acting.”
“I seriously don’t understand what’s happening here.”
“Oh, you’re good at this. If you don’t understand, then I’ll help you understand. You guys.”
Before the Boss could finish speaking, the men standing behind Scott surrounded him.
Just as they were about to beat Scott down.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Gunshots from somewhere.
When I checked what happened,
three men were already bleeding and collapsed on the ground.
Seeing this, everyone panicked and scrambled to hide.
The Boss hid as well.
“Who… who is it?? Who the hell are you~”
“It’s me, you bastard.”

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————