I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 88

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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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088-Routine
88.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
I hear the sound of powder falling from the machine at a steady rhythm.
Even amid the cacophony of machinery, that sound rings out with peculiar clarity.
I stand there, gazing blankly at the powder as it falls.
Watching it, my mind spirals through countless doubts.
Is this really right?
I find myself questioning whether this is truly what I set out to do.
I conceived of this plan because drugs were spreading so rampantly throughout South Korea.
I began with the intention of reducing that proliferation.
Defensively, I would consolidate the criminal organizations within South Korea to block drug distribution.
Offensively, I would flood China—the very nation selling drugs—with drugs of my own.
But now that the drugs intended for China are being manufactured,
now that production has begun, my heart grows turbulent.
If I flood China with drugs, will South Korea’s supply diminish?
If I saturate China with addiction, will drugs stop flowing into my country?
Can I truly prevent drugs from entering South Korea?
Even with all my effort, is such a thing possible?
Can I accomplish this alone?
Is it truly justified to poison China with drugs to prevent drug use in South Korea?
Innocent people could suffer as a result.
So I requested that the formula be made without causing physical harm if possible.
Yet these pointless thoughts continue to circle endlessly in my mind.
Of course, my worries are likely entirely meaningless.
My plan will most likely fail miserably before it even truly begins.
No—I should say it will fail.
I cannot poison an entire nation as vast as China alone.
Even filling China with this powder will prove extraordinarily difficult.
Certainly, having accomplices would help somewhat, but that too is far from simple.
More people knowing means a higher likelihood of my capture.
I must proceed in secrecy and silence.
Alone.
Contrary to my ambition to poison China,
I will likely fail to recoup even the cost of building this factory.
Perhaps I will be caught distributing this and face execution.
So my doubts deepen further.
Is this truly a cause worth dying for?
Even if I succeed, I cannot guarantee drugs will be kept from South Korea.
And I am not doing this for profit either.
I have more than enough money even now.
Pointless worries about whether I really needed to do this filled my mind.
Click, click, click, click, click, click.
Regardless of my hesitation, candies fell from the machine one by one, each getting wrapped individually.
Thumbnail-sized transparent candies were neatly packaged in pretty wrapping paper, each one individually wrapped as it came out.
The wrapped candies were stacked carefully into the bag I had set down.
At some point, the bag was completely full of candies.
I put the bag full of candies into my inventory and pulled out a new empty bag, setting it down again.
Candies began falling one by one into the empty bag again.
I set down the bag and waited for the candies to fill it, while my mind wandered into more pointless thoughts.
.
.
.
I was exhausted.
I’d been sitting in front of the machine all day.
All I’d done was sit there and swap out bags a few times, yet I was utterly drained.
Most of all, my ears felt numb.
Even with earplugs in, my ears felt muffled.
I could still hear the sound of the Factory machinery.
To forget the exhaustion, I routinely grabbed a beer and opened YouTube.
YouTube was the fastest way to catch up on South Korean news.
“Next story. According to a report from a Chinese state media outlet, claims have been raised that the culture depicted in the recently popular animation K-pop Devil Hunters is actually Chinese. According to the article, they claim that Korean traditional houses appearing throughout K-pop Devil Hunters are stolen from Chinese traditional architecture. Moreover, they reported that the characters’ costumes, weapons, instruments, props, and even knots were all stolen from China. In response, experts stated, ‘There is absolutely no historical basis for this,’ clarifying that these are clearly cultural elements originating from Korean tradition. For more details, reporter Lee Han-guk reports.”
As I watched the news on YouTube, a dizzying report appeared.
An article claiming that K-pop Devil Hunters, which I’d been enjoying recently, was made by stealing Chinese culture.
At first, I was taken aback by the news.
But after a moment, I thought, “Ah, it’s China again.”
In truth, this wasn’t the first time I’d seen such news.
They claim we copied our traditional hanbok from the Ming Dynasty’s “hanfu” traditional clothing.
They try to include kimchi, samgyetang, and bibimbap in China’s cultural heritage.
They attempt to incorporate the history of Goguryeo and Balhae into Chinese history.
On top of that, they insist that arirang, talchum, and our traditional hat, the gat, all belong to China.
Since it happens so often, it’s hardly surprising anymore.
Anything South Korea possesses that looks even slightly good, becomes a global issue, or appears competitive—they immediately claim it’s Chinese.
They insist and then forget.
And whenever another issue arises, they insist once more that it’s Chinese.
I don’t understand why.
They burned all their own precious cultural assets with their own hands.
I can’t fathom why they covet and desire what belongs to others.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
I felt pathetic for having spent days worrying about these people.
Because the land was vast,
because the population was enormous,
because its economic power was formidable,
because its military might was overwhelming,
China had always trampled, oppressed, and subjugated its neighboring nations.
For economic and political reasons, it sought to bring countless ethnic minorities within its borders.
When minorities refused or yearned for independence, China stood before them with guns and blades drawn.
Their leaders vanished overnight,
and countless independence activists were thrown into prison.
Han Chinese were relocated to the places where their cultures thrived and breathed, and the five-starred red flag was planted there.
China sought to erase their cultures and leave only the Communist Party’s culture in its wake.
When such a nation covets a culture, it insists it belongs to them.
It’s laughable.
I had been worrying about such people.
The problem isn’t the Chinese—it’s me.
Me.
I won’t dwell on it anymore.
There’s no need to.
I just need to keep my eyes forward and run.
*******
Shin Jung-gi sat in his cramped hotel room, staring at his phone.
I was sick of it.
I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
The Philippines didn’t suit me.
Nothing about it matched.
Not the food, not the weather, not the people, not the culture.
There wasn’t a single thing I liked.
I stepped outside briefly to eat, and everyone stared at me with strange eyes.
Had they never seen a Korean before?
I was starving, yet the restaurant’s hygiene was appalling.
Unable to eat and thoroughly disheartened, I grabbed something from the convenience store and returned to the hotel.
I wasn’t here because I wanted to be.
I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
I wanted to leave and go to Europe.
I wanted to go to Europe with a new identity and live there.
But the settlement hadn’t been completed yet.
When I urged them to hurry, they only said it was inconvenient now and asked me to wait a bit longer.
Lazy Chinese bastards.
I couldn’t understand why creating a Bitcoin transfer and a new identity was so difficult that they had to drag it out like this.
They just kept asking me to wait.
Here in Mindanao.
.
.
.
Shin Jung-gi recalled the day he first met them.
Like any other day, leaving work and heading home.
That day, I performed the same routine as always.
Shin Jung-gi was a devotee of routine.
I woke at the same time every day, ate the same food, took the same subway, left work at the same hour, and ate dinner at the same restaurant.
To others, it might have seemed strange, but for Shin Jung-gi, it was necessary.
The sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies embedded within my nature, combined with my extreme personality, isolated me.
Violent thoughts and impulsive inclinations made me dangerous.
But I possessed an intellect that transcended these flaws.
Thanks to that intellect, I was able to enter the Defense Science Research Institute.
With my brilliant mind, I managed my own life through self-mockery.
Stimulation breeds impulsive tendencies.
So I introduced routine into my life.
Through obsessive control, I could reassure myself and maintain equilibrium in a world brimming with stimulation.
I firmly believed that only such a life could protect me.
For Shin Jung-gi, an orphan, maintaining life was paramount.
I deceived myself and deceived those around me.
Eat at the restaurant near home, take a lap around the park, return home.
This was my post-work routine.
Dinner was always pork kimchi stew.
At some point, while eating, a woman sat alone at the next table.
She was quite pretty.
But contrary to her appearance came the smacking sounds.
The slurping of broth, the clinking of utensils being set down, the scraping of the bowl, even the sound of her blowing her nose.
Everything irritated me.
Still, I endured as much as I could.
I tried not to pay attention.
I considered even that attention a waste.
I blocked out my senses as much as possible and focused on eating.
But I couldn’t bear it.
So I set down my utensils and left the restaurant.
It seemed I would have to find another restaurant.
After all the effort it took to find this quiet place with few customers that still guaranteed decent hygiene and taste, this woman had destroyed my restaurant.
She had destroyed my evening routine as well.
I had no choice but to search for other restaurants.
But nowhere could I find a restaurant that satisfied me.
Though I wasn’t fond of the place, she appeared without fail at every restaurant where I considered settling down.
Whenever I ate quietly at a restaurant, she would show up, slurping loudly, then blow her nose with a sharp sound.
Murderous intent rose within me.
Ever since my routine shattered, my life had been falling apart.
I couldn’t concentrate.
I thought that if she would just disappear, my life could return to peace.
So Shin Jung-gi made a decision.
He approached her with a smile.
“We keep running into each other these days.”
“I know, right? I’ve been exploring restaurants in this area too. You must know all the good places.”
“Not really. I prefer quiet, clean establishments over restaurants with good food.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I know a decent Cafe nearby. Would you like to have some coffee after we eat?”
“I’d love to.”
The two of them finished eating and got into Shin Jung-gi’s car.
The car climbed up a fairly high Mountain.
“Where are we going?”
“There’s a very quiet Cafe I visit sometimes. If your tastes are similar to mine, I’m sure you’ll love it.”
And they arrived at the Cafe.
They pulled up to a Cafe nestled deep in the Mountain.
Though the Building existed, it was dark—apparently not operating.
Shin Jung-gi got out of the car and went to the Cafe, knocking on the door.
But the dark Cafe gave no response.
Returning to the car, Shin Jung-gi tapped lightly on the passenger window.
“It looks like they’re not open today. I’m sorry we came all this way. What should we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do about it.”
“But now that we’re here, the stars are incredibly visible. Would you like to see them?”
“Really?”
As the Woman in Cheongsam got out of the car, Shin Jung-gi guided her.
“This is the best spot to see them.”
“Thank you. But it’s quite dark.”
“Darkness makes the stars shine brighter. Come this way.”
“Okay…”
She looked up at the sky.
The night sky was absolutely packed with glittering stars.
“Wow! They’re so beautiful…”
Thud.
Shin Jung-gi found a stone nearby and brought it down hard on the head of the Woman in Cheongsam as she gazed upward.
“Damn, I thought I’d die from the annoyance. She talks so damn much.”
Shin Jung-gi vented his frustration over the collapsed Woman in Cheongsam.
The Woman in Cheongsam survived the impact, though barely.
Her eyes fluttered open, fixing on Shin Jung-gi with a pleading gaze.
As if begging for her life.
Shin Jung-gi picked up the stone again.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
When her movements ceased entirely, I gasped for breath.
“Haah…”
Now I could finally return to my ordinary life.
I could slip back into the world I had constructed.
Clap clap clap clap.
Applause echoed from somewhere.
Turning my head, I saw several burly men recording the scene.
“My, my, our good doctor. How hasty. Though I suppose it does make things easier for us.”
“Who are you?”
I asked, startled.
I hadn’t expected anyone else to be here.
“Us? Who are we? For now, let’s say we’re her guardians. That seems most effective.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You murdered our family, and we have proof. In 4K video, no less. If you cooperate, we’ll delete this footage and dispose of the woman properly.”
“Cooperate? What do you want?”
“We’re modest. We don’t ask for much. You succeeded in developing the next-generation radar, didn’t you? We just need the core technology and blueprints for ‘Project Moonfall.'”
“Ha ha ha. You’re insane. You think that’s possible? I only have access to a small portion of the project myself.”
“That’s something you’ll need to figure out.”
“Just turn me in.”
“Why would I?”
“Isn’t that what you’re threatening me with?”
“Exactly.”
“Then just do it.”
“I will. Not now. When you’ve forgotten about this, when you’ve climbed to the highest peak and are about to succeed—that’s when I’ll drag this back out and crush you.”
“What?”
“Live in fear until then. There are plenty of others who can provide what you can.”
“I’m just going to turn myself in.”
“Do you even know her name? Do you know who she is before you report her murder?”
Now that I thought about it, I didn’t even know her name.
“You’ll claim you murdered someone with no body? Do you really think the Police will believe that?”
“So what the hell do you want me to do?”
“Just bring us the core technology and blueprints. We’ll handle the rest.”
“I can’t. I don’t have access to that technology.”
“If you bring it, we’ll give you thirty billion in cash and a new identity. You don’t seem to enjoy your life here anyway. Take this opportunity to start fresh in another country. This is actually a good chance for you.”
The man who appeared to be the Captain nodded, and the men behind him began disposing of the woman’s corpse.
Shin Jung-gi couldn’t stop it, and simply stood there in a daze.
He looked as though he had given up on everything.
Watching the Captain dispose of the corpse, I spoke in a low voice.
“I selected a beautiful agent with the intention of using a honeypot scheme, but I never thought we’d kill her so quickly. When we were hitting her with stones earlier, she seemed a bit flustered. When I saw you bringing her to the Mountain, I understood what you were trying to do. That’s why I was recording video, though.”
The Captain laughed as if amused.
“I deliberately provoked her a bit. That way, a fight breaks out, and through conflict comes familiarity and bonding, and from conflict comes reconciliation, doesn’t it? I went through the trouble of writing a scenario, but I never expected the romance to turn into horror. I was caught off guard too.”
“······..”
“Don’t think of yourself as wronged—think of this as a good opportunity. Let’s attempt a complete life reversal with this chance. How long will you keep receiving a pittance of a salary there? When will you ever buy a house or a car? Let’s do it all at once this time.”
Shin Jung-gi rapidly searched his mind for a way to escape this situation.
But there was none.
Not a single idea came to him.
The only thought that came was that he should just kill these bastards too.
But realistically, that wasn’t possible.
These men seemed far stronger than I had anticipated.
I couldn’t defeat even one of them.
Shin Jung-gi had no choice but to nod helplessly.
.
.
.
I carefully gathered the data.
It was tedious, but entirely manageable.
It was thanks to my security clearance being higher than expected.
Once I made up my mind, my heart felt at ease.
Is this really me? It was so entertaining I wondered.
Guilt?
Conscience? Shame? Remorse? Traitor?
What are those things?
Why would you expect those from me?
Should you even be able to expect those from me?
If you want something from me, shouldn’t you at least give me something first?
Even beggars offer gum when they ask for help.
Yet now the nation, society, and the region expect my loyalty without having given me anything?
Why should I do that?
Since I received nothing, I have nothing to give.
The foundational technology is something I created, so I’m taking it with me.
Once I simplified all the problems, the answer became clear.
I contacted those men with the data.
I told them to arrange a ship heading into China.
But that didn’t seem like the answer, so I smuggled myself into the Philippines instead.
If I were dragged to China, it would all be over.
He told me to come to the Philippines.
With Bitcoin and a new identity.
But all he keeps saying is to wait a little longer.
I want to leave this godforsaken Philippines as soon as possible.
But I can’t.

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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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