Episode 19
Jung Joo-ho furrowed his brows while mentioning the black market, as if he had no idea that he had made me feel sad.
“Let’s mess with the black market? Hey, be honest. “Are you a spy from the competition department to kick me out?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s right. Let’s be honest now. Then it becomes easier. huh? Please say yes. please!”
Is it really that surprising that they would blow up the black market while catching Berserker?
“This is dismissed. no way.”
“May I ask why not?”
“If I were to talk about it, it wouldn’t be enough to talk about it for three days and three nights. Yes, the black market can be summarized like this. “If the black market collapses, the Republic of Korea will also collapse.”
“······.”
“Don’t you understand? It’s simple. The black market is a place where the interests of all vested interests in Korea are intertwined. And it is the only breathing hole left open in these tight regulations.”
Jeong Joo-ho’s explanation was as follows.
Currently, in Korea, regulations on guilds as well as corporations are very tightly structured. This was to prevent the guild’s military power from surpassing the nation’s wealth, but the resulting dissatisfaction was considerable.
It was the existence of the black market that allowed this area to breathe. It was an outlet for dissatisfaction where all kinds of people, including guilds, corporations, politicians, villains, civil servants, and hunters, mixed together to create a melting pot. It reached its current size because there were no responsibilities or taxes here.
The reason it doesn’t get bigger or smaller is because it doesn’t go beyond the limits allowed by the government.
“If you touch this, everyone who profits from it will try to kill you?”
Even if that happened in my last life, I survived.
Anyway, I understand what Jung Joo-ho means.
“It’s illegal, but it’s a neutral zone recognized by everyone.”
“That’s the way it is.”
“It is also a kind of fence to keep track of the villains that are being used.”
“That way, it will be easier to detect its movements and catch it at the desired time.”
Jung Joo-ho did not deny it.
In the end, the black market interests were more intertwined than I thought, and many high-ranking people were involved.
It is also a cage fish farm for villains.
“Because everything in the world does not return to good or evil. Don’t companies and guilds need some breathing space from the tight regulations? They launder some money there and that kind of thing. So scrap this plan.”
“All right.”
“How good would it be if it was like this every day? Okay, I’m specifically exempting you from being a spy.”
“But can I also go to the black market?”
Jung Joo-ho’s expression, which was smiling, immediately became distorted.
“…If you want to use it, you can use it. “But why do you want to go?”
“This is reconnaissance. Berserker might come.”
“How many black markets are there and where do you go, does a Berserker appear? “Isn’t there something else?”
“May I ask what the gift is?”
“It’s not mind reading. Anyway, if you say you’re going, I can’t stop you, but please do it in moderation, in moderation. after! I’m not the kind of person who would listen to someone say something like this. “If you’re done with your business, go out.”
Jeong Joo-ho, who was waving his hand, said that he remembered his business.
“ah! And they say there’s a legendary medicine that’s good for hair, so if you see it, buy some. Don’t look at me like that. Because you are preparing in advance. ok?”
I’ve never seen such a drug until I returned.
Jung Joo-ho’s gaze was too desperate to refuse right away.
“I’ll look for it.”
* * *
When I came out, I saw Jeong Da-hyeon, whose eyes had become crooked over the past few days.
“You look very tired.”
“is it so? “I guess it’s because I’ve been having trouble sleeping these days.”
I was lost in thought as I saw him smiling faintly. Because I knew what made Jeong Da-hyun tired, I couldn’t just ignore it. I need to give you at least a little hint.
“Would you like to have some coffee for a moment?”
“yes.”
We came to the cafe and had a drink each.
“Did the conversation go well?”
“I was rejected.”
“What did you do?”
“We proposed an operation to eliminate the black market.”
I didn’t mention Berserker because I thought he would freak out.
“If it’s a black market, it makes sense. “I don’t have a positive view of the black market, but there are so many areas involved.”
“I’ve already been nagging the director.”
“I’m saying this out of respect for Junho. “The director only speaks comfortably to close people.”
“For that reason, you keep making unreasonable demands.”
“Is this an unreasonable request?”
As I was about to speak, I thought that hair loss is a problem directly related to a man’s pride, so I closed my mouth. Jeong Da-hyun did not ask further whether she understood the meaning of my silence.
I remembered my original purpose and changed the topic.
“I understand the sense of urgency, but it is not right to abuse them.”
“Junho, have you ever been in a hurry?”
“Yes, it was more than urgent, I was desperate.”
“It’s amazing.”
Dahyun Jeong is surprised, but around this time last time, I was a really shitty guy. I complained and took out my anger on my family, saying that the world did not recognize me. And he blindly pursued power and did not choose any means.
It piled up and became a hematoma.
I didn’t have to wait for someone else to make the mistakes I made.
“Space is important.”
“It’s okay.”
“For Dahyun to become stronger, quality of training is more important than quantity. You must always maintain your best condition and practice. “If you feel like you’re not feeling well today, getting some rest will actually help you move on to the next step.”
“It’s the quality of the training.”
“yes.”
“Thank you for the advice. I’ll treat you properly next time. “Is there anything you like?”
“Last time I made soybean paste stew, there was an ingredient I unfortunately couldn’t add. “It would have been several times more delicious if I added that.”
Jeong Da-hyeon’s eyes sparkled more than when she was talking about training.
“There is such a magic ingredient? What is it? Please tell us!”
“Owl Boer’s head.”
“Owl Boer Head… I’ll try it!”
“I look forward to it.”
Would you be happy if I found an Owl Boer head when you go to the black market?
* * *
As I visited the black market for the first time in my life, I recalled an old memory.
During the time when I was turning everyone into my enemy due to a hematoma, my food, clothing, and shelter conditions were not good. When their whereabouts were revealed, there was always a chase, so the black market was the place to get the things they needed.
In my case, I would buy only the things I needed on the black market and quietly disappear.
It was only after listening to Jeong Joo-ho that I found out that there was a chase after visiting the black market.
The black market usually opens once every 20 days to a month and is open from dusk to dawn, then withdraws in the morning without a trace.
The black market is formed in the outskirts of the metropolitan area.
It is not far from the port, it is the sphere of influence of large conglomerates and large guilds, and it is a place with similar interests that even villains can access.
“So the districts were divided.”
When the black market was formed, it was divided into 3 to 4 districts, with boundaries drawn by faction.
I was worried that I would be denied entry because I had returned to the past and had a nice appearance, but my worries were for naught and I passed right through.
“It’s been a while.”
The reason for visiting the black market was not that special. Since we have given up on the sweep operation, we are going to look around and find other ways to weaken it.
The process by which villains gain power is when they absorb refugees who have left the city, increase their numbers, arm themselves with firearms, and attack hunters.
Since firearms were still effective for low-level awakened people, villains used to sweep up all the firearms on the black market.
They attack the hunters who are hunting, and among those hunters is Yoonhee. And as their power grows, they attack local cities, but my parents were in the countryside.
For me, there is a reason to weaken the black market.
It would be better if it was completely eliminated.
“It’s the same as before.”
There are exactly two categories of black markets.
Those who buy and those who sell.
Both customers and merchants were silent. There is no reason to draw attention unnecessarily, and your identity can be revealed through your voice.
The only conversation that takes place is when paying for items.
As I quietly looked around, the thought that occurred to me was that the black market is a place where there is a thorough understanding. I understand why Jung Joo-ho stopped him.
It didn’t look like it would be easy to take care of it once everyone here was killed. It wasn’t easy to chase them down one by one.
If Jung Joo-ho can’t cover it, my existence will be exposed, and even if the villains don’t care, the large guilds of large corporations won’t stand still.
I highly appreciated the part about trying to maintain balance amidst multiple incidents and accidents. Jung Joo-ho must have stopped me because he wanted me to be useful and not become a villain. I’m also a civil servant hunter, so I try not to kill villains when I apprehend them.
Of course, only things I can understand.
The most certain thing is to be recognized as a superhuman and gain authority through level measurement. I don’t really care about the attention from people around me because I already received it when I had a hematoma.
You can just endure the annoyances of those around you. However, I was not sure how it would affect my family.
“There is none.”
I looked around to see if there was a Berserker, but I couldn’t find one. I heard that he often shows up at the black market to buy things he needs, but today he was in vain.
Then I found a familiar object.
It was the heart of a level 4 monster. The price was reasonable and it was easy to cash out, so I handled a lot of stage 3 and 4 hearts when I was being chased.
“What is the price of this?”
“20 million won without any reservations.”
“······.”
“If you’re not going to buy it, get out.”
I was so shocked that I just stopped swearing.
In my last life, when I sold them to a merchant, I sold them for 3 million won each. Could it be that he got hit? Even though I visited the black market several times, it wasn’t what I needed and I wasn’t interested in the price.
Maybe other things too?
Along the way, I wandered around the black market and looked for items I had sold in my last life. It was being sold at least 3 to 20 times more expensive.
Now I think I understand why the black market merchants risked their lives to approach me.
“···I’m a bigot.”
If it were in front of me, I would have smashed all of their heads.
After opening Pandora’s box, I moved to the outskirts of the black market, feeling a numb shock.
When I first visited, I thought the black market was a win-win situation for everyone. You can sell stolen goods that you don’t need and buy things that are somewhat expensive but necessary.
The only victim in it was me.
Does this mean that life is a good thing in the face of profit? I realized how bold things you can do if you are crazy about money.
Then, a thought suddenly passed by.
“···I think it’s a good method.”
The black market is a place where the interests of various forces are intertwined. Jeong Joo-ho is worried that if I collapse this place, those forces will turn into enemies.
So what if we slowly ruin it?
For example, let’s say there is a villain who visits the black market. To the point where they visit the black market, they basically have outstanding skills and a lot of money, so they have considerable purchasing power. He must be that harmful.
What if the villain goes missing after visiting the black market?
And what if the number increases steadily, not just one or two?
Villains will do their best, and the number of customers spending money on the black market will decrease.
There is no need to remove it too blatantly. You just need to do it consistently enough to instill fear in the villains.
Because eliminating villains is a legitimate performance of official duties. All you have to do is not get caught.
Then, if Berserker gets caught, it’s good.
After leaving the black market, I began looking for a scapegoat.