I’m Not That Villain

6 – Black Market (3)

A businessman from Russia.

The person who called herself Renata Lyudmila was fumbling on the other end of the phone.

[Really?! You want to use our company?! Just a moment! Let me… note down your phone number… Ah?!]

Crash!

It sounded like she fell quite spectacularly. Tsk.

Anyway, her pronunciation is quite fluent. There are some slightly muddled parts, but she’s almost like a native.

I waited for her patiently. But there’s no need to note it down… can’t she just check the call history?

No, no. Some people prefer analog methods in the first place.

She must be one of those people.

[Where’s the pen… Ah…]

Is he just clueless?

The conversation resumed. The sound of a clicking pen could be heard over the phone.

[How much quantity are we talking about?!]

“I haven’t even told you what I’m ordering yet…”

[Oh, right! Haha… So, what…]

“Let’s meet and discuss it first.”

Having spent twelve billion like water, I was now brimming with confidence.

What is it? Even though I’m practically broke, I feel like I’m living large.

Ah… I really need to make a lot of money… Spending money is so much fun… Really…

After spending twelve billion, the two million I was going to use for raw materials seemed insignificant. But still, two million is two million.

Come to think of it, I’ve never had even a million in my account my whole life. It always went out as soon as it came in…

Gasp!

Right! I must not be mistaken! I’m not a tycoon, I’m a civilian.

It’s not just two million, it’s a whole two million!

I slapped my cheeks. I whispered heavily into the phone.

“Let’s set a date first.”

Isn’t this the kind of place where they say you could get your nose cut off if you close your eyes?

So, don’t be fooled by that desperate voice. I’ll see the quantity with my own eyes and make the deal.

It would hurt a lot if I got scammed out of the advance payment!

. . .

A woman wearing a baker’s hat pulled low walked into the cafe. She hesitated in front of me, looking around nervously.

“…Mr. Lee Seo-jun?”

“Ah. Here.”

Well, well. What a looker.

Beneath her heavily made-up appearance was a natural beauty. Should I say she’s a natural beauty with just a touch of makeup?

A great figure and above all…

An admirable personality that catches the eye! Ah! This woman must be a good person!

“Mr. Lee Seo-jun. Your eyes look a bit strange.”

“Oh, right.”

Thanks to my temporary loyalty, I snapped out of my daze. Yes. I must not be enchanted by that chest.

Isn’t there a more important issue at hand?

“Ms. Renata? First, I’d like to verify the business certificate I heard over the phone…”

“Oh! Yes! Of course…!”

Renata Lyudmila hurriedly tried to take out the documents from her bag. But in her haste, the paper got caught in the zipper and tore with a loud rip.

Silence. That one moment confirmed it for me.

This woman…

Seems like someone I shouldn’t trust.

Should I get up?

“J-just a moment! Just a moment! It was a real mistake!”

“You might make a mistake with the order numbers too…”

“Check it two, three times! The business part! Look! I have extra business certificates like this…!”

No way.

She carries extra documents around?

At least she’s well-prepared. I glanced over the business certificate.

To be honest, this place is a den of criminals. But even in such a place, if there’s a company that officially has a business certificate and operates, isn’t it normal to trust them to some extent? It means they are registered with the government, after all.

The only normal company among the abnormal ones. I handed back the business certificate.

“Company Fabrika… It sounds similar to paprika.”

“Oh. It means factory in Russian.”

“The company’s name is factory?”

“…I couldn’t think of anything else… Excuse me. Then, I’d like to know which workshop you came from…?”

Hehe.

I’ve already decided on the name of this workshop. Ah, yes! The new workshop that will mark my great first step!

Of course, it doesn’t have any artisan license or any official certification, but it will guarantee a brilliant future!

“I came from the ‘White Anvil Workshop’.”

“White Anvil…? I’ve never heard of it…”

“It just opened. We’re currently remodeling the building.”

“I see… Do you have any photos…? Workshop photos…”

“Of course, not yet.”

“…Then, could you at least provide some collateral… or maybe a down payment… so I can bring the goods…”

She seemed oddly hesitant. I casually opened my mouth.

“Ms. Renata.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“First, you should place your drink order… The clerk has been glaring at us for a while. It’s a one-person-one-menu policy here.”

“W-What?! I-I’m sorry!”

Renata hurriedly ran off. I whispered to Cha Seo-yoon while she was away.

“She doesn’t seem like a trustworthy business partner. What do you think?”

“…If you’re asking for my personal opinion… I wouldn’t particularly recommend doing business with her.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Renata returned, looking dejected. I leisurely sipped my coffee.

Since I’m the customer, I’m in charge. Let’s use that to our advantage. Still, she does carry extra documents with her, doesn’t she?

“If we were to purchase the materials, how would they be delivered? You wouldn’t be collecting them yourself, would you?”

“T-There are suitable trade routes in Russia. We would purchase them there, bring them in by sea, and then… deliver them to Mr. Lee Seo-jun.”

“I’d like to see the available materials.”

“H-Here…!”

She hastily pulled out the documents. Fortunately, they weren’t torn this time, so I could leisurely browse through the sales list.

Oh. There are more than I expected? With a list like this, I could give an overwhelming pass.

“Not bad…”

“R-Really?! That’s a relief…”

“What are you expecting for the down payment?”

“A-About 50%… Wouldn’t that be reasonable?”

What.

Am I the only one bearing the risk?

“Let’s make it 20%.”

“T-That’s too little…!”

“I’m a bit cautious about trusting this transaction outright. Well, it’s our first deal. You should at least do this much.”

“…Could we make it 30%? The company’s current assets aren’t that substantial… B-Before that, how much are you planning to order?”

Renata asked, looking apprehensive.

“50, 50…? Or 100…? I need to know the contract amount to adjust the down payment ratio accordingly…”

“Let’s go with a thousand.”

“……?! R-Really?!”

No.

Why are you so surprised?

Hehehe. Anyway. Yes! It’s a thousand, a thousand!

Hahaha! To me right now, it’s not quite pocket change… but anyway, a thousand!

I puffed up with all my might.

“Well, it’s not like I’m ordering that much, so why are you so surprised?”

“Ho, are you perhaps from a renowned workshop? It’s our first transaction, and you’re ordering so much…”

“Hehehe. I’m kind of a big deal.”

“Wow, that’s amazing…! Then, I think we can set the advance payment at 20%! The remaining balance can be paid later…! Should we draft a contract?!”

“Of course, we should.”

…But does a contract even mean anything?

I asked casually.

“You know. Just asking… Do we really need a contract? I mean, there’s no authority to intervene if something goes wrong…”

“Well, it’s a promise. Between us. It just feels a bit more reassuring… Do you not like it? Then a verbal agreement is fine too…!”

“…….?”

I was just asking, but they backed down.

This person… seems like an easy target to swindle.

I clicked my tongue.

“What if you get scammed?”

“…I’ve been scammed quite a lot… hahaha…”

“……? But you’re still in business? Why?”

“Well…”

I expected some hopeful answer like ‘because there are still good people out there,’ but a very realistic answer came out.

“It’s a blue ocean… There are very few workshops actually operating in Seoul, and even fewer businesses that procure materials… Even if I get scammed ten times, if I manage to break through once, the contract continues. Of course, most of the workshops I barely established relationships with have gone bankrupt now…”

A blue ocean, huh.

That’s a great answer.

But something about the conversation caught my attention.

“Workshops go bankrupt? Why? Because business is bad?”

“That’s part of it… but… the successful workshops in Seoul usually have their own territories. But um… how should I explain this…”

Renata tilted her head.

“So… killing the newcomers…? Large workshops that dominate a region don’t want more competitors. So, the most famous workshop in the district sends people or pulls strings behind the scenes to… eliminate any promising workshops that might emerge in the same district.”

“……?!”

“Large workshops are usually connected to large organizations that govern the district… It’s like the best of the best sticking together? Something like that… So they keep in check any workshops that might threaten their position.”

What kind of sudden disaster is this?

I asked hesitantly.

“Isn’t this… not a blue ocean? Then what?”

“If I hold on like this, someday I’ll be able to secure a contract with a large workshop…! Until then, of course, the workshops that have contracts will go bankrupt one by one as they become famous… But if I just hold on, a brilliant future will come…!”

“This person, from the beginning, just thought of me as a stepping stone?!”

“Well, to that extent… It’s only possible if the White Anvil Workshop becomes famous first…?”

“You’re not even considering that it will become famous?! Ugh! I’m offended! I’m leaving!”

“Don’t, don’t go! No! Ah! I’m sorry!”

Putting the contract aside, I leaned my arms on the table.

What should I do? Does this mean I’ll be checked soon too? I’m worried… I’m really worried…

“Didn’t you say you haven’t even started?”

“Tsk tsk. My success is already a predetermined future.”

“…….?”

Cha Seo-yoon, who had been listening quietly, spoke hesitantly.

“First of all, there’s no need to worry about that part. Didn’t I tell you? The ruler of the Jung-gu district has changed.”

“Oh. Now that you mention it…”

“The large workshop that was here also went down with it. It’s common for a workshop of a large organization to go down if the organization says so. Especially this time, it went down big. The new king of this place has rough hands.”

“…Hmm…”

“Since a partner workshop suitable for the new ruler of Seoul’s Jung-gu has not been decided, the position is practically vacant. So, there is no workshop here currently big enough to be checked.”

Renata was astonished.

“…Really?!”

“Why didn’t you know that?”

“Well, I’m not a local here… I’m not very familiar with the situation either… Ah, first of all, the contract…! How about the deal…?”

I looked down at her with cold eyes. I wiggled my fingers at Renata, who was avoiding my gaze.

“15% advance payment.”

“Why, why?!”

“Because my heart has cooled.”

“Ugh… Ugh… Ho, you’re not trying to scam me like the other scammers, are you…?”

“Yeah. I’ll take 10%.”

“Th-that’s just like a penalty fee… B-but I’m in a hurry…”

She squeezed her eyes shut.

“1, 15%! F-fine! But you must pay the balance! If you don’t, I’ll protest with a picket at the White Anvil Workshop!”

“Not revenge, but a protest… Seems like a scam…”

“I-I can hear you?! I can hear everything!”

I shook her hand warmly. With this, the material worries are over, so I just have to wait until the workshop is completed.

Come to think of it, I suddenly became curious.

“Ms. Cha Seo-yoon.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to hear about the organization that has taken over the Jung-gu area… If you don’t mind, could you explain it to me?”