I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 74

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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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074-Complaint
74.
“Dae-hun. We need to take over Seoul.”
Cough, cough.
Dae-hoon, who had been eating cold noodles in his hotel room, choked on a strand and coughed.
A strand of cold noodles seemed caught in his throat, and he coughed for quite a while.
“What?”
Still with noodles stuck in his throat, his voice came out hoarse.
Yet I remained unmoved.
“I said we need to take over Seoul.”
Dae-hun laughed at my words with a dismissive snort.
“Just eat your Seoul cold noodles. What do you mean take over Seoul?”
“I’m serious. This is critical.”
“Sir, stop talking nonsense and just eat your noodles. Seoul isn’t like a hamburger you can just grab whenever you feel like it.”
Dae-hun seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
I pulled out the candy I’d taken—or stolen? Or confiscated?—from that college student earlier.
“Job seekers were eating these.”
“What is this? It’s candy, right? Can I have one?”
“Don’t eat it. Unless you want to become a drug dealer.”
“Huh? A drug dealer?”
Only then did Dae-hun look startled.
“It’s candy with drugs in it.”
“Really? Something like this exists? I’ve only heard about it, never seen it before. If you just gave this to someone, they’d have no idea, right? They wouldn’t know it was a drug.”
Dae-hun examined the candy with fascination.
“Exactly. And apparently, these are easy to get now.”
“I’ve heard drugs are easy to obtain these days, but it’s more serious than I thought.”
“If job seekers eat these candies, office workers eat them, housewives eat them—what happens then?”
“Nothing good.”
“Then shouldn’t we stop it?”
“You’re insane. Why would we stop it? That’s what customs, police, and narcotics units do. That’s why we pay taxes, isn’t it?”
“Since they’re not doing their job properly, we should.”
“It’s not that they can’t—they’re just facing difficulties. And In-bae, don’t forget our purpose. We’re gangsters and yakuza.”
“Ha. You’re the gangster and yakuza, not me. I’m just a travel agency employee.”
“Stop messing around. Where’s a travel agency employee who controls half of the Philippines?”
“Controls? I’m just living my life as a guide, that’s all.”
“A guide? Many people in our organization consider you the real boss. I do too.”
“Don’t say that. People will get the wrong idea.”
“Wrong idea? That’s the truth. We were able to establish ourselves like this because of your role.”
“What did I do?”
“I know. I know you’ve worked hard. That’s why I’ll follow what you say.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to take over Seoul.”
“Really? Just like that, out of nowhere? You’re going in without even turning on the lights?”
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I never imagined taking all of Seoul at once, but I was considering a probe into Seoul for expansion purposes.”
“Well, this is perfect timing. We can take over all of Seoul with this opportunity.”
“It’s not as simple as it sounds.”
“We can do it together.”
“Before that, there are some things you need to know.”
“What things?”
“First, it’s going to be damn difficult.”
“Well… I’ll admit that much.”
“No, it’s going to be far harder than you think. Even though we’re a massive organization controlling parts of Jeolla Province and Chungcheong Province, we’re nothing compared to Seoul. We’re only big in size, but we can’t compete with Seoul financially. Even if we consolidate by scale, we’d only be one-sixth of Seoul? Maybe one-tenth?”
“······”
“And taking just Seoul doesn’t mean anything. For money, controlling even one corner of Seoul would be profitable, but to stop drugs, we’d need to control not just Seoul but the entire Seoul Metropolitan Area. We’d have to take Incheon too. We’d have to seize Busan as well. It’s going to be incredibly difficult, agonizing, and there will be days of bloodshed without end.”
“This is no joke.”
“We lack the manpower, funds, and backing to wage this war. It’ll probably be hard to succeed. We might get knocked down right after we start.”
“Is it a money problem after all?”
“Money is part of it, but ultimately it comes down to people. We were lucky to take one district of Seoul. We’ll take damage too. So will Seoul’s guys wait for us to recover? While we’re bleeding, they’ll come running from everywhere, thinking it’s their chance. We don’t have the strength to overcome that. Those cunning Seoul bastards will unite to devour us.”
“It’s not easy.”
“The second point is even worse.”
“What’s the second point?”
“Even if we pull off this mess, we still can’t stop the drugs.”
“What? What do you mean? If we control the Seoul Metropolitan Area, we can stop it, right?”
“Let’s say we control Seoul or even the whole country. All we can stop is distribution to establishments. And even that, only officially. We can’t stop the dealers who stash it in hidden places, or the workers at establishments selling it on the side. We’re not police, we can’t conduct raids, and we’d just end up fighting.”
“Stash it?”
“They hide drugs in places where people can’t see them. Fire hydrants, gas pipes, air conditioning units, flower beds, mailboxes—they hide them beforehand and then send the location when someone contacts them. All communication is done through messengers. So even if they get caught, there’s no evidence, no transaction record.”
“These bastards are incredibly creative.”
“That’s why we can’t stop it.”
“So what you’re saying, Dae-hun, is that Seoul is hard to control, causes heavy casualties, and has low success rates. And even if we somehow endure all that damage and take control of Seoul, we still can’t stop the drugs? Is that it?”
“Exactly.”
This isn’t the picture I had in mind.
I thought controlling just Seoul would be enough to stop drugs, but apparently not.
I figured that even with bloodshed, if we just shut down Seoul, things would eventually settle. But that’s not the case.
Then what’s the point of controlling Seoul?
If we can’t even stop drugs, there’s no reason to shed blood for nothing.
And controlling Seoul is already difficult.
Even if we shut down establishments, customers often trade among themselves.
Waiters often receive money separately and distribute it.
And stashing goes without saying.
Fundamentally, if customs can’t stop it, it’s hard to even track how and where it spreads.
It’s already a covert commodity.
Rather, having the Criminal Organization bring it in bulk and distribute it ensures a solid distribution structure.
It’s easy to track where and how much is being moved.
When peddlers bring in small amounts, there’s no way to confirm how much or how they’re bringing it in.
I need to think of a different approach.
I’m pondering other viable methods when Dae-hun says something unexpected.
“Still, since the Boss ordered it, I’ll do it. Take control of Seoul.”
“What? You don’t have to. Even if you take control of Seoul, you can’t stop the drug distribution, right?”
“You can’t. But can I ignore an order from the Boss? I have to proceed.”
“No. Don’t do that.”
“We’ve been watching for the right moment. Taking Seoul in a short time would be difficult, but if we do it slowly, we might actually find a way.”
“Don’t overextend yourself.”
“Don’t worry. My men’s lives are as precious to me as my own. I have no desire to drive my own people to their deaths.”
“You crazy bastard. That’s exactly why I’m worried.”
“Even if taking Seoul doesn’t completely crush the drugs, we can at least reduce them.”
“Hehehehe. That’s enough.”
“We can’t do it fast. We’ll take it slow.”
“Yeah. I’ll forget about it.”
I hesitated for a moment, then pretended to pull something from my suitcase while retrieving a bag containing a handgun from my inventory.
The bag held several handguns, magazines, and ammunition.
I placed the bag in front of Dae-hun.
“What’s this? It’s not even Christmas. Are you giving me a gift?”
“Am I Santa? Why would I give you a gift?”
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
Dae-hun was startled when he checked the bag.
“This… this. Is this… a gun?”
“You know how to handle it, right?”
“Of course I do. I’ve fired plenty.”
“I know it’s hard. So don’t die. Don’t get your men killed either. If things go south, shoot first and bury them later. It’s better to face police questioning than watch your family get stabbed.”
“There’ll still be problems.”
“If you think about that, you can’t do anything. Isn’t facing questioning better than watching our people get cut down? Once you’ve decided, keep your eyes forward and run. If things go wrong, we’ll deal with it then. And if you can build connections with politicians, do it to the fullest.”
“Politicians?”
“You said it yourself earlier. That there’s no backing. Create backing. Buy them meals. Buy them drinks. Do whatever it takes. Give them everything you can. It comes back to you many times over. Don’t begrudge spending money on politicians. There are politicians who love money—give it to them anyway. It’s still cheap in the end.”
“Will this work?”
“Don’t bet on possibility. Just keep doing it until it works. What did we learn at the Special Forces School?”
“If it doesn’t work?”
“Make it work.”
Seo Dae-hun remembered the motto he’d forgotten.
The motto carved into the peak of the Special Forces School.
Thinking back to that time, my blood boiled with fury.
I had grown complacent, settling into the position of Boss.
Now Seo Dae-hun had become a challenger once more.
*****
Brrring, brrring, brrring. Brrring, brrring.
At the sound of the ringing phone, Lee Gyeong-uk, a sergeant at the Jeollanam-do Provincial Investigation Division, immediately frowned.
Another complaint call, no doubt.
Ever since returning from Seoul, these complaint calls had been pouring in relentlessly.
The moment I put the phone down, it rings again.
I can’t just ignore it either.
If I don’t answer, I could face disciplinary action under the Civil Service Act and the Complaint Handling Act.
If I receive a reprimand now, it will become an obstacle to my future promotions.
I wanted to have a long career in law enforcement.
I wasn’t even aiming for advancement, but I didn’t want to leave a blemish over something so trivial.
I didn’t want even the smallest mark on my record.
Lee Gyeong-uk glared at the Team Leader beside him before picking up the phone.
“Jeollanam-do Provincial Investigation Division, Sergeant Lee Gyeong-uk speaking.”
– “It sounds like there’s a fight at the house next door. They’re cursing at each other, shouting about killing and living. Can you send someone?”
“Yes, understood. I’ll transfer you to 112.”
– “Why are you transferring me to 112? Can’t you just handle it from your end?”
“Yes, I apologize, but that’s not under our jurisdiction. The police will be dispatched from 112. I’ll transfer you now.”
– “You people go to Seoul eating bean sprout soup and gallivanting around, while citizens like me are trembling in fear and anxiety. And you’re transferring my call? Are you hoping I’ll get tired and give up? What if I develop PTSD from this fear? What if I get hurt from the fight next door—will you take responsibility?”
“That’s not—”
– “I’m very displeased with this consultation. I’m filing a complaint.”
“Yes, yes. I apologize. I’ll transfer you to 112 now.”
– “Never mind.”
The moment I hung up, the phone rang again.
“Jeollanam-do Provincial Investigation Division, Sergeant Lee Gyeong-uk speaking.”
– “There’s a broken-down vehicle here, and I’d like to report it.”
“I’ll transfer you to the Traffic Division.”
– “Can’t you just dispatch someone directly from there?”
– “You go around eating soup but can’t handle a broken-down car?”
– “How do you even work as a civil servant with this mindset?”
“Yes, yes. I apologize.”
After barely ending the call from someone threatening to file a complaint, Lee Gyeong-uk glared at the Team Leader and stepped outside the office to smoke a cigarette.
Brrring, brrring, brrring. Brrring, brrring.
The phone rang again.
Team Leader Moon Gang-su remained in the office, but he didn’t answer the phone.
His expression was vacant and hollow.
He simply sat in his chair with his back against it, as if he had no desire to do anything.
These days, not just the members of the Violent Crimes Unit Team 3, but the entire Jeollanam-do Police Agency viewed Moon Gang-su with eyes full of hatred.
It was all because of the complaint calls.
Ever since the day I met with Seo Dae-hun, complaint calls had poured into the Jeollanam-do Police Agency.
They weren’t prank calls either.
They were genuine complaints.
But they didn’t call 112—they called the Jeollanam-do Police Agency directly.
Isn’t 112 where people usually report incidents?
We resolved the complaints we could handle, but many were difficult to resolve directly.
Since the distance was far, direct dispatch was impossible, and when we said we’d transfer them to 112, those bastards eating kalguksu in Seoul got angry instead, saying the complainant was suffering—couldn’t we even come this far?
At first, I didn’t understand what they meant.
But it didn’t take long before I realized Moon Gang-su had caused an incident.
The Jeollanam-do Police Agency was at a point where proper work was impossible because of the complaint calls.
Some departments even proceeded with work after disconnecting their phone lines, only to be caught by the surprise inspection team and enter disciplinary procedures.
That inspection team also responded after receiving complaints, apparently.
Still, the calls kept coming endlessly.
Work was paralyzed by the complaint calls, and the number of police officers facing discipline increased.
So the other officers’ gazes could never be favorable.
That was why they looked at Moon Gang-su like garbage.
.
.
.
Moon Gang-su felt wronged.
I’ll be honest about it.
It was a bit of a stretch, I won’t deny that.
But there’s no visible crime, so who knows what might come out if we dig?
Even those seemingly noble conglomerate chairmen—bring them in and shake them down for just a few hours, and anything comes out.
Once you’ve got them on something, you keep pressing during the investigation and more keeps coming.
This is basic investigation procedure.
Everyone does it that way.
Honestly, Gong In-bae is suspicious.
I saw him bowing at the funeral parlor back then.
There’s definitely something there.
Nothing’s known about it, but treating someone that way just because they’re a fellow recruit doesn’t make sense.
Then he should have treated all 216 recruits who entered with him the same way.
The two of them even served in completely different places during military service.
And he treats him like that because they’re friends?
I can’t believe it.
That’s why I wanted to dig deeper.
It was just a hunch.
If I followed him around a bit, it felt like I could uncover something big.
Yet instead, I ended up being cornered myself.
To be honest, when Seo Dae-hun said he’d create trouble, I laughed it off.
What could that punk possibly accomplish by stirring things up?
He’d just cause scattered incidents here and there, maybe get into a few scuffles.
If he created minor disturbances, I’d actually be grateful.
I planned to use it as an opportunity to round everyone up at once.
Once I had them in custody, I figured something would turn up during interrogation.
But complaint calls? That never crossed my mind.
I never saw it coming.
Fine. I can tolerate complaint calls.
But the cold stares from my fellow officers—that’s truly unbearable.
In an instant, I became the police department’s headache.
I was seriously contemplating whether I should quit the force.

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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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