Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The Supermarket's Hidden Fortune
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I got curious about how much money was in the safe.
I left Tower Floor 3 and headed to the world of Tower Floor 4.
I figured I'd smash the safe open in the wide, empty lot on the second basement level beneath the villa.
I attached the sticky bomb I'd gotten from Battlegrounds 2 on Tower Floor 2 to the safe's door.
If I'd used a C4 explosive, the destructive power would've been too much—it might damage the underground facility or blow all the cash inside to kingdom come—so I went with the relatively weaker sticky bomb.
- Beep beep beep beep~ KABOOM!!!!! -
"Whoa, it's way stronger than I thought. Better do this outside instead of in the underground facility. If the sticky bomb packs this much punch, a C4 would've been a disaster."
The safe was tougher than expected, only half-wrecked.
Still, it was no problem pulling out the contents.
"...Wow, how much is all this? There's a shit-ton of money here? Guess I won't have to worry about cash in the Tower Floor 3 'Absolute Dick' world."
I'd already swiped a bit of cash from the stationery store and neighborhood supermarket registers, so I had some pocket money.
Plus, the original protagonist had a decent amount to begin with.
But seeing the stacks in this safe... the amount was insane.
Maybe because it was a rural area, but the villagers were keeping huge sums in the local supermarket safe instead of the bank.
'Jackpot.'
I headed back to the 'Absolute Dick' world on Tower Floor 3.
The ajummas were still cursing out the old couple who'd grabbed the cash and bolted from the supermarket and stationery store.
'So the big safe at the supermarket-cum-stationery store was acting like an early bank, handling cash storage for the village.'
But then the people running it just up and vanished one day.
'Are they idiots? If I hadn't killed them, maybe this wouldn't have happened... but seriously, how do you trust someone else with your money...?'
It seemed ridiculous at first glance, but...
Thinking it over...
Korea had something similar.
Yeah... the 'savings circle' culture. "Gye" or rotating savings pools.
'And even now, you hear stories in Korea of circle leaders running off with the gye money, right? Maybe this was more common than I thought.'
From what I knew, savings circles were still a thing in rural Korea.
Just recently, there was that news about someone in Gampo-eup, Gyeongju-si, who fled with 4 billion won from a circle.
A quick search for "savings circle scam" online in the real world, and bam—tons of incidents this year alone splashed across the news.
Even in villages... hell, even city ajummas still ran these things.
Thinking about it that way, even in a manga world, it kinda made sense. Not totally implausible.
It felt off at first, but Korea still has these gye setups...
'Huh, that familiar vibe from the ajummas cursing the old couple? It's like when a circle leader runs off with the gye pot, and everyone rags on them. I've seen it in so many dramas.'
It's a staple plot in Korean dramas even now, so a Japanese manga world having its own version of village cash storage? Totally plausible.
Going to the bank meant a 1-2 hour trek to the township just to deposit money—too much hassle—so like rural Korean villages sticking with their circles...
Here, instead of a circle, the long-time fixture of the village—the supermarket-cum-stationery store—had a big safe and handled storage for everyone.
Once trust builds up over years, villagers hand their cash to some random individual. Just like Korea's gye culture.
'And then they get backstabbed. I heard from a friend once: the circle leader was moving away, "forgot" to return the gye pot to the members, and just split. Friend's mom had to chase her to some remote village to get it back. Looked like the leader was slyly trying to dip with the cash, but played it off as an oversight when confronted.'
In my view, this shit happened all the time.
Not outright robbery, but "accidentally" forgetting to pay out when moving and quietly absconding to another town.
I knew it still went down pretty often.
'Of course, here it happened because of me... heh heh. Should've banked it properly, no matter how annoying.'
Didn't trust banks? Or just too lazy to go?
Either way, these Japanese villagers kept massive sums in what was basically the village safe at the local supermarket and stationery store.
I was the one reaping all the sweet rewards.
'Ah... feels good.'
I waited for the bus, hopped on when it came.
The ajummas, deep in their gossip fest, clammed up and eyed me warily when I boarded.
In the eerie silence of the old ladies, I rode the bus from the rural village to the township, gazing at the scenery until we arrived.
After an hour and a half, the village bus finally pulled into the township.
From there, I had to catch another bus to the train station for Tokyo-bound trains.
True to rural form, no immediate transfer—I waited over 30 minutes before boarding the one to the station.
Even then, it was another hour ride to the station.
"Ugh... just to get to a station with Tokyo trains, including all the waiting? Nearly three and a half to four hours. Total nightmare. No wonder Kyoka wanted out of that village."
I waited at the station for the train.
Bored, I pulled out some manga from this world's subspace storage.
While banging Hikari at her place and taking breaks, I'd read a few of her mangas—they were fun.
Pretty different from the ones in my real world.
For example, a pirate king manga where he becomes the world-conquering navy king, or ones all mashed up into hybrids...
Felt like alternate versions, but they hooked me—fresh and entertaining.
Seeing me enjoy them, Kyoka and Kaoru snuck home at night and hauled back every manga they had.
Reason they snuck out? Their parents were threatening to break their legs if caught.
Funny thing, though—they never stormed Hikari's place where I was...
I didn't get Japanese culture, but from what Hikari and the other girls said, maybe they were saving face for their potential son-in-law... or something?
Was it Japanese culture or some rural quirk? No clue, but that's how it was.
'If it were me, I'd grab spears and clubs and hunt down the punk who seduced my daughter.'
Waiting for the train, flipping through manga—some scenes made me cringe.
For starters, this Tower Floor 3 'Absolute Dick' world reflected its mangaka creator's bias: heavy Japan-boosting.
Influenced by that worldview, every manga here had this baseline "Nippon sugoi~~" (Japan's awesome~~) vibe.
To what extent? In this world, every country outside Japan—especially their governments—was portrayed as morons.
China and Russia went without saying, but even the US government was this nutjob nation fanboying "Nippon sugoiii~~".
European countries like Germany, UK, France? They weep tears of joy over natto and samurai swords gifted by Japan's government, prime ministers and presidents bawling—the pinnacle of Japan-wank insanity.
'But fuck, Korea's depicted as the top-tier retard among all those idiots...'
Korea was this global laughingstock: total loser, moron, pushover, coward—country'd collapse without Japan, yet it blusters at Japan, demands apologies and reparations shamelessly. Trash-tier nation.
But grovels pathetically when "master" Japan dishes out a reality check.
A repulsive mashup of every shitty trope.
Meanwhile, Japan? Globally revered super-nation, leading Asia and the world—honorary white, honorary European status.
Anywhere else, say you're Japanese, and the world goes "Ooh, great Japan, ooh sugoiii!" fawning and sucking up...
Western white chicks spread legs the moment they hear "Japanese," ready to hand over pussy... that kinda worldview.
'Fuck, makes me wanna puke. Korea's nationalism isn't even this bad... or is it? Nah, probably similar. Always been alike...'
Especially hilarious take on Korean women.
The mangaka hates Korea but fantasizes about its women...?
Korean girls: pretty and submissive to Japanese guys?
'Heh, what the hell? ...So ridiculous it's funny instead. Kekeke.'