I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 86

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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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086-Loan
86.
Dalapaanan, Philippines.
A single light steel-frame structure nestled naturally among the farmlands.
Edward’s laboratory.
Edward had descended into the lab early that morning to examine the samples he’d prepared yesterday.
I needed to verify the crystallization.
To meet this eccentric CEO’s absurd demands, I had to be diligent.
The CEO had laid out impossible conditions.
A healthy drug, he’d said.
It had to possess powerful addictive properties, be convenient to consume, and deliver excellent stimulant effects.
Yet it must not damage the nervous system or the body.
These were the conditions the CEO had set.
Naturally, it was an absurd request.
And yet, I found myself wanting to try.
This CEO who spoke of conquering China amused me.
I appreciated his bold, decisive backing.
I even sensed it might be possible.
I reviewed the countless formulation methods stored in my mind, reconsidering the pharmaceutical approaches.
A drug with strong addictive properties that wouldn’t harm the nervous system.
I labored to create something effective, convenient to take, and with excellent results.
I even employed AI in the process.
Had I asked it how to manufacture drugs, it wouldn’t have told me.
But when I asked how to protect the nervous system, it provided everything.
So this is what they mean by the AI age.
It proved enormously helpful.
And so I began manufacturing the drug.
I requested considerable quantities of materials for testing, and Patrick Mayor procured them without hesitation.
At my previous employer, making even a single such request would have
resulted in constant pressure—why do you need this just to make the drug? Here, it was different.
The environment was excellent.
Before, I’d worked in mountains or remote locations, eating only strange food.
Here, I could eat delicious meals.
I could eat whatever I wanted.
Electricity flowed steadily, water ran clear.
I could even visit the nearby Convenience Store.
Manufacturing drugs in a place where one frequents a Convenience Store.
It was absurd, certainly.
But that’s precisely what appealed to me.
Each day I crafted samples, and once they solidified, I examined the crystallization.
If the crystals turn out well, I’ll mix them with fentanyl to create a new drug.
A drug with all the advantages and none of the drawbacks.
Then I can make the strange drug this eccentric CEO wants.
Today, the crystals came out exceptionally pure.
A peculiar smile played at Edward’s lips.
********
“What do you mean giving me a billion won as pocket money?”
“There were circumstances that warranted it.”
Ana’s nagging began the moment I returned to the Philippines.
That I’d spent a billion won.
Still, the fact that I could move such an enormous sum so easily
and withdraw it without questions was thanks to Ana’s help.
When I went to the Hotel for dinner, I explained the situation to Ana and asked for her assistance,
and she handled it immediately.
After helping me like that, now she comes with complaints.
“If you’d only mentioned it beforehand, I could have arranged much better terms for you.”
“It all happened too suddenly.”
“Even tycoon CEOs don’t hand out a billion won in cash. It’s your money to spend, but if you keep doing this, you’ll end up destitute.”
“I understand. I’ll be more careful.”
“No, I’m not saying don’t spend money. Documentation. Documentation. If you spend money, you need to document it.”
“How am I supposed to document pocket money?”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying you shouldn’t be getting a billion won as pocket money.”
“I get it. I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to document everything next time.”
“At least you handled the Hotel expenses well with a card.
She complained about giving me a billion won in pocket money, but then praised me for charging the Hotel costs to a card.
Which tune am I supposed to dance to?
I gave 300 million won to twenty organizations.
I gave 500 million won to the Haewundae Faction as a meal allowance.
I found another 3 billion won separately and gave it to Dae-hoon.
When an organization is in disarray, rewarding them with money is the fastest and most effective approach.
I kept 500 million won for myself.
Just in case.
“CEO, but these days the card cashing schemes using GoGo Casino are… getting pretty serious?”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said—people are using GoGo Casino for card cashing. They max out their credit cards at GoGo Casino, then convert it to Candy Coin, and then convert that back to cash and disappear.”
“Isn’t that money they have to pay back anyway?”
“The problem is those cards are made using stolen identities.
“They just won’t let people gamble honestly.”
“What should we do? Should we limit the daily charge amount per card? That might help solve it.”
“Leave it. Those guys are just trying to make a living, but you know their locations, right?”
“Yes. At first there was only one location, but now there are several.”
“Just send me the locations.”
“Of course.”
At that moment, Edward’s phone rang.
“Young Boss. It’s complete.”
*******
“Hahaha! You bastard, this is beautiful. Here, this is this month’s bonus.”
“Thank you.”
A small office tucked between dilapidated buildings in Namdaemun.
The door of that office bore the name 【Smile Cash】.
Laughter never ceased at Smile Cash.
Pung Jae-hyuk, the CEO of Smile Cash, was in the best mood these days.
When I used the method my subordinate taught me, sales skyrocketed.
Sales increased, and costs decreased.
There was no money leaking away.
I was simply amazed at how my employee came up with such a method.
First, I access the GoGo Casino website.
Then I use the maximum limit of my cards to purchase points.
Next, I exchange the points by linking them with Candy Coin.
On TrustBit, I exchange them for other coins or convert them to cash.
At first glance it seems complicated, but in the money laundering field, this is practically like taking a direct flight on an airplane.
Money laundering is basically about going through several cycles anyway.
And this place has so many advantages, it’s almost ridiculous.
First of all, there are no fees.
What kind of exchange has no fees?
It’s incredible.
Anyway, there are no fees.
So no matter how much I exchange, there’s no money lost.
Fees are wasteful regardless of whether the amount is large or small.
But there are none here.
It’s practically divine grace.
Second, paying with a card for points at GoGo Casino is quite flexible.
Other sites require you to install security programs, verify your identity, all sorts of things.
Here, I can process payment immediately with just a card number.
There’s no limit per transaction either.
So I can make multiple payments on the same site and avoid calls from the credit card company.
And most importantly, my customer base has expanded significantly.
Previously, the method was lending money through Smile Cash and collecting fees and interest,
but now I use the customer’s card to max out the limit at GoGo Casino, deduct my fee, and give them the rest.
It’s called card cashing.
Pung Jae-hyuk didn’t pay a single won in fees, but he collected them from his clients.
Thirty percent each.
Wasn’t this the bare minimum for a loan shark?
A true loan shark had to squeeze every last drop of marrow from the bone.
Just thinking about moving money around today made me happy.
While I was lost in these pleasant fantasies, the door opened and men in business suits began filing in.
“Hey there~~ Pung Jae-hyuk~~”
I turned my head to see Kwon Hyung-won, the gangster who ran this district.
There was a time when I paid protection money under that guise, but after “the War in Seoul” ended, those payments disappeared.
I’d secretly been pleased about it, but it seemed he’d finally come to collect again.
Usually he just sent subordinates; he rarely came in person.
The fact that he came himself suggested he was here to settle something serious.
I wasn’t pleased about it, but I couldn’t let it show.
I had to read the room perfectly.
Loan sharking was despicable, but compared to gangsters, it was child’s play.
Gangsters were the absolute worst of the worst.
“It’s been a while, hyung. Here’s this month’s protection money~”
I smoothly pulled out an envelope.
“And this is for maintaining our hyung’s dignity.”
I pulled out another envelope and placed it on top of the first one.
Kwon Hyung-won laughed heartily at the sight, and I laughed along with him.
“Kahahaha. That’s right. Pung Jae-hyuk. You’re entertaining.”
“I’m just your personal comedian, after all. Hahahaha.”
“I hear business has been good lately—is that true? You’re even preparing two envelopes?”
“No, I’m barely scraping by.”
“Why are you like this~ We already know everything. They say you’re doing money laundering these days?”
“It’s not money laundering exactly. There are just people who struggle with that sort of thing, so I help them out a bit.”
“Right~ It’s good when people in difficult situations help each other.”
“That’s right, hyung.”
“By the way, that site you’ve been messing with. GoGo Casino. That’s our establishment···.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re causing chaos on a site we built for gambling, and that’s not acceptable? You’ve been spreading your know-how all over the place, and it’s made things very troublesome for us.”
“Ah. Is that so? I really didn’t know. If I’d known it was a site you were running, I absolutely wouldn’t have done it. I’m truly sorry, hyung. I didn’t do it knowingly—I genuinely didn’t know. I just found the features interesting and used them a bit. I won’t do it anymore.”
“Good. That’s the right attitude.”
“Thank you, hyung.”
“So shall we settle accounts now?”
“Pardon? Settle accounts?”
“Since you say you won’t do it anymore, I won’t hold you responsible for that part. But shouldn’t you take responsibility for your past actions?”
“That is···.”
“Do you want punishment? Or do you want to compensate? I rarely give people a choice, but I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let you choose.”
“I… I’ll compensate you.”
“Good choice. Hey, you got our commission calculated, right? Bring that over.”
At Kwon Hyung-won’s words, the organization member standing behind him pulled out a meticulously calculated document and handed it over.
“Let me see… Hmm, this isn’t just helping someone in need, is it? This is corporate-scale. Corporate-scale.”
The gangster’s document clearly showed when and how much money Pung Jae-hyuk had purchased as points and when he’d converted it back to cash.
“You guys take 30% commission, right? We’re not unscrupulous loan sharks like you, so we’ll go with 20%. We have a strong sense of legal compliance, you see. The legal maximum interest rate is 20%, so we take 20%.”
Just then, the organization member behind him whispered something to Kwon Hyung-won.
“Oh! Commission and interest are different things? Then I can take more? Well, since I’m in a good mood, I’ll take just a bit more. How about 25%? That’s fair, right?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m telling you to pay the commission for all the money laundering you’ve done up until now. 25%. Is that hard to understand?”
“…”
“Goodness, that’s 900 million, 89 million, 239,800 won. So the commission would be 247 million, 309,950 won. Since we have a connection, I’ll round up the last digits and you just pay 248 million won.”
Normally you’d drop the last digits, wouldn’t you?
And what kind of calculation method rounds up like that?
“What kind of calculation is that…”
“If you don’t like it, should I change it to a beating instead? To match 248 million won exactly, it’d be pretty rough. At 100 won per hit, how many hits would that take? Prices have really gone up though. Back in my day it was 10 won per hit. A tenfold increase, no less. You really feel the inflation now.”
Pung Jae-hyuk immediately realized Kwon Hyung-won wasn’t joking.
“No, sir. I’ll get it for you right away.”
Pung Jae-hyuk opened the safe, took out the money, and respectfully handed it to Kwon Hyung-won.
“Our Pung Jae-hyuk really communicates well, which is nice. Some people drag it out till the end even though they’re going to pay anyway, get beaten, and hand over the money with a bruised face. That’s awkward for everyone, you know? Bad feelings all around. But our President Pung handles things cleanly without any of that. I like it.”
“No, sir. It’s thanks to your generous understanding.”
“Well then, our business is done, so I’ll be going.”
“Yes, sir. Please be careful on your way.”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot about that. Log into GoGo Casino.”
At Kwon Hyung-won’s words, Pung Jae-hyuk logged into GoGo Casino using the PC in front of him.
Upon logging into GoGo Casino, a popup appeared and a gift box opened.
【We’re giving you 1,000,000 gratitude points.】
“See? What’s there?”
“There are gratitude points.”
“Now you’re going to use all those points.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t you know? This is a casino site. You should gamble honestly on a casino site, not launder money. Why don’t you try it this time too?”
“Pardon??”
“Don’t know how? Want me to teach you?”
“… I know how to…”
“Then do it.”
And so the casino began, half-forced.
“There you go, you’re doing well.”
“Hey, look at this bastard—he’s already winning money!”
“Ohhh, you’ve got talent.”
“Already made that much?”
“The win rate’s solid.”
“This bastard’s a real gambler. He’s got that killer instinct when it counts. Strategically brilliant.”
“Damn, this guy’s got hands like nothing else.”
“Timing’s everything. Timing.”
“Keep pushing forward. Can’t fold now.”
Pung Jae-hyuk began gambling at the casino, buoyed by the gangsters’ cheers.
He hadn’t wanted to do this, but they’d insisted on watching until he burned through all those gratitude points, so he’d started with the intention of losing quickly.
But why did he keep winning?
Why did his win rate keep climbing?
Why did their encouragement fuel him?
I had no idea how many hours had passed.
The bright world outside had already surrendered to darkness.
The gangsters who’d been cheering me on with such enthusiasm had vanished at some point.
I didn’t even notice, consumed entirely by the gambling.
After more than six grueling hours, I’d managed to lose one million points.
At one point, those points had exceeded ten million.
It took tremendous effort to lose that money.
Now I just needed to close the site and return to my real work.
Then there’d be no problem at all.
But why did I feel this gnawing regret?
The regret was so overwhelming I couldn’t close the browser window.
I’d tried to lose money, yet now that I had, I felt cheated.
Thinking about it again, this seemed like a genuine opportunity.
I’d played to lose money, yet I’d won.
So if I played to win money, how much could I actually earn? The thought suddenly electrified me, and adrenaline surged through my veins.
Let me just deposit a light one million won to start.
I entered my card number and started playing.
Until the dark sky brightened completely, I never once left my seat.
During that time, I charged five cards.
But no points remained.
I’d lost everything.
No matter how I thought about it, I’d simply run out of money at the critical moment.
I’d folded on the big hand.
It was infuriating.
Absolutely infuriating.
If I’d just won that one hand, my entire fortune would have changed.
No matter how I thought about it, it all came down to money.
Pung Jae-hyuk picked up his phone with bloodshot eyes.
“Yeah, it’s me. Lend me some money. Need it urgently. Fees? Interest? How long have I been in this business? Just handle it reasonably and transfer it to my account.”
“It’s me. How much can I pull on my credit? Yeah, send it right away. You’re charging upfront interest? Do you really have to be so tight about this?”
“It’s me. How much can you lend from your establishment? That’s all you can do? Just send it over right now anyway.”
Pung Jae-hyuk borrowed money from colleagues in the same industry.
Consumed by the belief that with enough cash he could win big at the tables, he failed to think clearly.
He couldn’t even imagine how he would repay the borrowed money.

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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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