I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 80

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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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080-Temporary Shelter
80.
Kim Nam-gi, an operative of the Cheongnyangni Faction, opened his eyes.
His mind was hazy.
He remembered being stabbed by a blade.
He’d heard they were under attack from the Dongdaemun Faction, so he’d rushed out—only to be stabbed.
Two stab wounds to the abdomen.
He’d collapsed helplessly under the blades of his attackers.
And then he’d lost consciousness.
He’d thought he was dead, but apparently he was alive.
His eyes had opened.
He had no memory of how he’d gotten here.
Honestly, he didn’t even know where “here” was.
When he tried to move, pain shot through his abdomen.
Looking down, white bandages were carefully wrapped around his torso.
An IV line was inserted in his arm.
What was going on?
Had someone taken him to a Hospital?
But the interior didn’t look like a Hospital interior.
Where was this place?
His curiosity was short-lived.
He needed to figure out what had happened to the situation.
What had become of the organization,
and where the survivors were.
As he tried to sit up despite the pain, the door opened and a man in a fluorescent yellow vest entered.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You can’t get up. Your wound will reopen.”
“I have somewhere I need to go right now.”
“You can’t. You need to focus on treatment first.”
“I’m grateful for the treatment, but there’s somewhere I absolutely must go.”
“Treatment first. Does it look like I’m asking you?
“Huh?”
“Anyway, let’s focus on treatment. That’s what the manual says. We’ll ask my hyung about the details when he arrives. Until then, even if it’s frustrating, just stay in this room.”
“···..”
“Answer me.”
“Yes..”
The man in the fluorescent vest was kind, but he radiated charisma.
There was no way to say no to him.
Instead, once the man left, I searched the room for a phone.
I needed a phone to contact the outside world, but it was nowhere to be found.
.
.
.
“What’s your name?”
“Kim Nam-gi of the Cheongnyangni Faction.”
As afternoon arrived, a group of men in formal suits entered the hospital room.
The man who appeared to be their leader addressed Kim Nam-gi in a cordial tone.
“Do you know where you are?”
“No. I haven’t been able to leave the room.”
The leader smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this and spoke.
“The boys did their work meticulously. Manager Kim, thank you for your effort.”
“Thank you, sir.”
When the leader spoke lightly to the man beside him, the person called Manager Kim bowed respectfully.
That man appears to be quite high-ranking.
The leader addressed Kim Nam-gi.
“I have a few things I’d like to ask you to keep in mind while you’re here.”
“Yes.”
“Stay here until your treatment is complete. Once it’s finished, we’ll send you on your way. Until then, you won’t be permitted to go outside or contact the outside world. That’s why we’re keeping your cell phone as well.”
“You’re forbidding contact with the outside world?”
“Yes. You know about the situation happening right now, don’t you? We’d appreciate it if you’d stay here until that’s resolved.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“It’s exactly as I said. The war that’s happening now. We’d like you to stay here until that war ends.”
“May I ask why?”
“To minimize casualties. If I release you now, you’ll immediately return to the Cheongnyangni Faction and fight another war, killing someone or being killed yourself. We want to prevent that war. That’s all.”
“It seems like there might be another reason.”
“We simply want to prevent innocent lives from being lost. That’s it.”
“Is that really true?”
“Well, you’re free to speculate, but I’d rather you refrain from making assumptions.”
“What happens if I forcibly escape from here?”
“What are you doing? This isn’t a prison, and we have no desire to forcibly detain anyone who’s unwilling. However, your wound will need treatment, and stab wounds from a knife require mandatory police reporting. You’ll likely need to undergo investigation along with treatment.”
“······”
“If you’re feeling too restless, take a walk. Just don’t climb over the fence.”
.
.
.
It wasn’t long before Kim Nam-gi discovered the true nature of this place.
It was a 【Temporary Protective Facility】 operated by the Dae-hoon Faction.
Whenever conflicts broke out between criminal organizations, the Dae-hoon Faction would intervene and resolve them.
They brought everyone from those locations.
Those requiring treatment received medical care, while those in stable condition were provided with food and lodging, all while being prevented from leaving.
The primary reason the Dae-hoon Faction operated such temporary protective facilities was to prevent conflicts from escalating further.
After a war ends, people often seek revenge and start another war, so we detain them until things settle down.
Now is the time to bring this war to a close.
We cannot continue fighting indefinitely.
And there is another reason.
The greatest problem facing the Dae-hun Faction right now.
We are severely understaffed relative to the organization’s scale.
This facility was a kind of school to replenish those numbers.
A temporary shelter created by renovating an old Youth Training Center in Chungcheong Province.
Though situated in the mountains, it was equipped with a dining hall, various recreational facilities, and exercise areas, making it quite comfortable.
Kim Nam-gi walked through the Youth Training Center.
Some wore bandages wrapped tightly around their bodies,
while others moved about looking remarkably unscathed,
and still others exercised, sweat glistening on their skin.
Perhaps they all had brushed against death at some point?
Though they had endured something grave, their expressions seemed peaceful.
Clang, clang, clang.
As the bell rang, people streamed toward the dining hall.
Today’s lunch consisted of spicy stir-fried pork, breaded pork cutlet, and miso soup with dried radish greens.
But Kim Nam-gi ate a patient’s meal—rice porridge and salad.
The food tasted quite excellent.
After lunch, I headed to the smoking area for a cigarette.
I could resist the spicy pork, but not the cigarette.
Several people were already in the smoking area, waiting to light up.
Some of them I had seen a few times before, so they felt rather familiar.
I greeted them with a casual nod and lit my cigarette.
The smoke drifted deep into my lungs before escaping through my mouth.
The pleasant heaviness in my head felt good.
While I was smoking, an announcement came over the speakers calling everyone to gather in the auditorium.
Everyone in the smoking area headed to the auditorium.
Standing on the stage was the older man I had seen in the hospital ward.
“Good afternoon. I am Jung Geun-su, serving as an advisor to the Chairman of the Dae-hun Faction.”
As loud applause erupted from the back, people naturally began clapping along.
“Many of you are receiving treatment and protection here. We have prepared diligently, but there may be shortcomings. I hope you will understand and bear with any inconveniences.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s enough.”
Responses came from various places.
“I stand here because some of you may be trembling with anxiety about the future—wondering what to do now that your organizations have dissolved and you have lost your jobs. I am here for those of you who are worried.”
“After the war ends, many of you likely cannot return to your organizations even if you wish to. A considerable number of organizations have already collapsed and ceased to exist.”
“The Dae-hun Faction needs people like you—those with high loyalty and dedication to the organization.”
“Those who join the Dae-hun Faction will receive the four major insurances, monthly salaries, and performance incentives based on projects.”
“Additionally, while you’re here, I’ll teach you the skills necessary for organizational life. We provide combat training, dietary management, personal training, and foreign language education.”
“Once you join the Dae-hun Faction, we’ll manage you thoroughly so you can become the personnel we need.”
“There are no conditions. All that’s required is the determination to work hard.”
Kim Nam-gi raised his hand without even realizing it.
The Cheongnyangni Faction had been destroyed, or so they said.
He couldn’t remain loyal to an organization that no longer existed.
And he had grown fond of life here.
Unlike his previous organization, the hierarchy between seniors and juniors wasn’t oppressively strict, and they didn’t nitpick over trivial matters.
Between horizontal and vertical relationships, there was respect.
The conditions were excellent too.
Four major insurances and a salary, no less.
They even said they’d provide business cards.
There was no reason to refuse.
So he raised his hand.
“Welcome to the Dae-hun Faction. Now we need to study about our organization, don’t we?”
What they handed over was the “Biography of Seo Dae-hun.”
“From now on, you memorize this thoroughly. There will be a test. If you can’t memorize this, you’ll be running errands for life. Think of Seo Dae-hun’s words as the words of the Lord and study. Don’t miss a single character.”
Kim Nam-gi was given one copy of the Biography of Seo Dae-hun, a blank notebook, and a pencil.
The Seoul University-style study method of reading, writing, and memorizing had spread to the Dae-hun Faction as well.
*******
“Kevin, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
I was reaching out to Kevin for the first time in ages.
I’d never been this frantically busy before.
From morning to evening, I’m receiving reports and giving feedback—the entire day passes like this.
In the process, I’ve been putting off preparations I should have made.
Specifically, the medicine to distribute in China.
I needed to prepare that medicine in advance.
There were several reasons I kept postponing despite needing to prepare beforehand.
First, I had no sense whatsoever of how much quantity would be needed,
and second, my financial situation wasn’t particularly favorable.
If I were to distribute medicine in China, I’d need to estimate how much to distribute, but I hadn’t made any estimates at all.
I’m a complete novice in this field.
After putting it off like this, I realized this wouldn’t do, so I decided to just ask.
Kevin is the only medicine distributor I know.
– Candy Boy, it’s been a while. But has the time come for us to receive medicine?
“No, that’s not why I’m calling. Is it possible to receive medicine in bulk?”
– How much?
“I’m not sure. For now, I’d like to receive a huge amount···”
– You don’t know the quantity, but you need an enormous amount?
“That’s right?”
– May I ask why?
“Let’s just say it’s a sample for entering a new market.”
– Then what about building a factory from scratch?
“A factory?”
– Yeah. It’s not as difficult as you’d think. And if we’re going to use samples, we’ll need to test various formulations anyway. Building a factory would be better.
“But I don’t know anything about this field at all.”
– A Chinese restaurant owner doesn’t need to know how to cook every Chinese dish. You just need a proper chef.
“The problem is, I don’t have a proper chef.”
– Want me to introduce you to someone? There’s a rising star in our world right now. Want me to introduce you?
“What’s this person good at?”
– Very versatile. Especially strong with formulations and blending.
“But if they’re a rising star, wouldn’t the competition be fierce?”
– Fortunately, their company went under recently, so they’re freelancing now. We don’t have unemployment benefits, so they’re probably in a tight spot. Why don’t you meet them once?”
“That sounds perfect. Thanks, Kevin.”
This was Kevin showing consideration for me.
He could have supplied the product himself, but he recommended building a factory for product diversity.
He gave up his own profit.
The distribution structure for pharmaceuticals is quite unique.
Every time a drug crosses a border, its price multiplies tenfold.
For example, it costs less than 100,000 won to produce at the factory,
but when Kevin, the distributor, buys it, it’s 1 million won per kilogram.
When I, the courier, buy it from Kevin, it’s 10 million won. When I cross the border and sell it to gangsters in another country, it becomes 100 million won.
Then the gangsters divide that 1 kilogram into 100-gram or 10-gram units and sell them.
Those who receive it then sell it in 1-gram or single-dose units.
Through that process, the price skyrockets.
In other words, the production cost is very low, but because it’s difficult to cross borders and enforcement is strict, the price multiplies tenfold with each distribution stage.
And I have the ultimate weapon—inventory—that allows me to bypass borders and enforcement.
If I build a factory,
I can produce whatever drug I want at an incredibly cheap price in whatever quantity I need.
There’s no middleman distribution process.
I produce it and sell it retail myself.
It’s an enormous advantage.
.
.
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Zamboanga International Airport.
A route between Bohol Panglao and Zamboanga had recently opened.
Flights had started operating.
Before, to get to Zamboanga, you had to go from Panglao to Cebu and then catch a flight to Zamboanga. Now you can go directly from Panglao to Zamboanga.
It couldn’t be more convenient.
Thank you, Patrick.
As I entered a secluded alley in Zamboanga, the promised location came into view.
An old local Cafe.
I walked in and took a seat, with Scott settling at a table behind me.
When the appointed time arrived, a remarkably young man entered the Cafe.
He was so young it would have raised suspicion to call him a chemist.
He glanced at me briefly before sitting down across from me.
“Candy Boy?”
I nodded lightly in acknowledgment.
“You’re building a Factory?”
“I’ve heard about it. I need to hear more—the temperature and humidity have to be right before I move forward. I have no intention of pushing ahead in this rain and wind.”
“Hmm. What do you want to make?”
“A medicine that ordinary people everywhere can enjoy conveniently?”
“Oho~ That’s quite ambitious. I like it.”
“You’ll be even more surprised when you hear where I plan to sell it.”
“Where are you planning to sell it?”
“China.”
The man’s expression hardened.

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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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