Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Largest Black Market South of the Han River
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"Hey, kid? We've arrived."
"…"
"Hey, kid? We're at Seomun Market now. Time to get up."
"Ah, ughhh... Yawwwn... We there already?"
"You must've been exhausted. We've made it to Seomun Market."
The driver's words pull me slowly from sleep as I stir awake.
I stretch out luxuriously, then peer out the window. Yeah, the bustling crowds definitely scream market vibes.
"How much?"
"Let's see... with the out-of-city surcharge, it's 220,000 won."
220,000 won... Not as bad as I thought.
"Here, card."
"Oh, thank you, kid."
I hand over my card for the payment, then step out of the taxi.
Ughhh—I stretch my back nice and good, pull out my phone, and check the time...
"9:31 PM?"
I'm about an hour and a half later than the ETA.
Well, nothing to be done about it. Better contact him quick.
-Tree Tree: Made it to the market. Where you at?
-Camellia Flower(☆): Oh, you've finally arrived?
-Tree Tree: Yeah
-Camellia Flower(☆): Can't tell you how excited I am to see Tree Tree's cute face again after so long. It's got me feeling all kinds of ways.
-Tree Tree: Exactly
-Camellia Flower(☆): Ahahaha... Anyway, chit-chat later. From the market entrance, head straight, then hang a right. Keep going straight and you'll hit a beef heart joint. Come on over.
-Tree Tree: Beef heart?
-Camellia Flower(☆): Yeah, delicious beef heart.
"Beef heart out of nowhere..."
Well, no reason a market couldn't sell it.
Speaking of which, since I'm in Daegu, I could go for some flat dumplings and chicken gizzards too.
Man, now I want fried chicken with beer.
-Tree Tree: They got chicken there?
-Camellia Flower: Of course.
-Tree Tree: Be there soon, hang tight
"Okay, straight from the entrance, right turn, then straight, right?"
I follow Camellia Flower's directions, starting from the market entrance and advancing slowly.
I weave through the raucous throng of people packed in like sardines.
Definitely a market—the sweet-spicy tang of seasonings, a hint of acrid cigarette smoke, the fibrous scent of clothes, and the earthy smell of human sweat all mingling into a nostalgic aroma.
Basking in that comforting blend, I keep pushing forward until I spot the right turn and veer that way.
A few steps down that path, and there's the beef heart place.
Faded sign and building, but packed to the gills with people—a perfect mismatch.
I head toward the crowded joint, push open the door, and step inside.
Scanning around for Camellia Flower.
'Found him.'
In the corner of the beef heart shop, a guy in a crisp suit and polished shoes that look way out of place in a market like this.
Sleek black hair neatly combed, and slit eyes so narrow you can't tell if they're open.
Anyone could see that's Camellia Flower.
I slink up behind him and plop down naturally in the seat next to him.
"You made it."
"Yeah, punk, you called me here."
"Well, business talk later?"
As he says to save work for later, he casually slides me some grilled beef heart, chicken gizzards, and a few pieces of chicken.
Do I look like the type to fall for this?
"Beer?"
"Right here."
"Thanks for the grub. Nom..."
Yup, spot on. I am that type.
This is freakin' delicious.
I snag a gizzard with my chopsticks, dunk it in sauce, and chomp.
Shove a beef heart in next, chase it with a swig of beer.
Finally, tear into a piece of chicken...
"Haa."
Anastasia.
This is it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So, what exactly do you need from me?"
After devouring everything, we step out of the beef heart joint and light up in some quiet smoking area tucked away in the market.
I savor the nicotine rising from my scratched-up cig and break the ice.
"Bodyguard duty, sure, but you gotta tell me where the auction is, what I'm guarding, and how. You can't seriously expect me to watch this whole massive market, right?"
"Of course not."
"Good."
Tap tap. I flick the ash from my cig into the ashtray in front of me.
"Let's head to the auction house first and figure it out there. Tree Tree, how do you want your pay? Monero? Cash?"
"Monero, obviously."
"Same wallet as before?"
"Yup."
He pulls out his phone and taps away at something upon hearing it's the same wallet.
Tap tap. A few finger flicks later,
[Deposit] 3,000,000,000 won "Sent."
3 billion deposited.
Damn, even a big corp CEO would hesitate to drop that kind of cash so casually.
Our Camellia Flower's something else.
"Got it. Alright... paid up front, so I gotta do this right."
"Tree Tree's always someone I can trust with anything."
"Flatter me like that and I get a little shy."
He bursts into laughter at my response—hahaha.
His sudden guffaw leaves me unsure how to react, so I just crack a small smile.
"As pretty as ever, Tree Tree."
"Shut it."
"And as sharp-tongued as ever today."
"Exactly."
"Hahaha."
Whack!
I nail him with a nuclear chestnut to the head for being such a pain.
That finally shuts Camellia Flower up.
With his mouth sealed, we leave the smoking area and head to a nearby construction site by Seomun Market.
"So, entrance is here?"
"More precisely, the backstage entrance."
Piles of stacked buildings, construction materials everywhere, dirt and dust all over—front roll once and you'd still know it's a worksite.
And semis rolling in? Par for the course.
"This way."
I follow his lead into one of the buildings under construction.
A massive space like an underground garage, lined up neat with dozens of trucks.
Those container haulers parked so precisely? Pretty damn cool.
"Here."
One of them revs up and starts inching forward.
It rolls onto a section of floor that looks different in texture.
Once fully on, the floor drops, and the truck descends slowly.
"Whoa, hydraulic lift?"
"You know your stuff."
"Obviously. Seen a few in the army."
Wondered how they got all those trucks underground. One by one on lifts, got it.
"Well, we're taking the elevator here, not the lift."
He places a hand on the gray concrete wall, which splits open to reveal an elevator.
"Whoa..."
Feels like some futuristic tech. Slick.
"Hop in."
"Okay."
I step in after him.
No floor buttons or anything. Just up and down.
Ding.
He hits down, and we plunge.
This high-speed drop, ears popping from the pressure—thrilling.
The elevator keeps descending.
"We're here."
"This the place?"
Ding. It stops.
Doors open, he steps out first.
I follow, taking in the surroundings.
"Welcome, Tree Tree, to Seomun Market—the largest black market south of the Han River, passed down since the colonial era."
It's a full-on ecosystem down here.
Merchants hawking all sorts of goods like any aboveground market, semis rumbling past.
Thugs and gangsters prowling under the ceiling lights, weird-looking criminals, even a psycho necrophiliac blushing at corpses.
...Why's that here?
"This is the black market's front end. A short walk ahead and you'll hit the auction house."
"So? What's my job?"
"Grab a sniper perch near the auction and keep the rowdies off us. It's Thursday today, auction starts Saturday, so I've got lodging for you for the next two nights."
"Easier than I thought."
"Right? Just shoot, kill, clean up. Done."
I stroll the underground black market with Camellia Flower.
Weird foods, armor and swords from monster corpses.
Like modern and medieval mashed up 6:4.
Witch in skimpy robes peddling potions right next to a gun shop? Gives off that vibe.
Gunpowder, blood, sweet potion fumes—headache-inducing mix.
"Ah, perfect timing. Goods incoming."
Mid-sightseeing, a roar of truck engines echoes.
I turn toward the sound— the big rigs from topside, filing somewhere.
"Everything for this auction's in there."
"Any decent guns?"
"Sadly, no new models you'd like."
Figures. Oh well.
"Wanna browse more? Or straight to lodging?"
"Lodging."
"Excellent choice."
Auction's Saturday anyway.
Rest today, prep tomorrow.
Hit the lodging and fire up a fat cigar.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Post So, anyone hitting this auction?
> Author: Rice Swindler Rice Swindler
I'm sitting it out lol Nothing worth buying [Likes 0] [Dislikes 0] 💬 Comments — qpr1_User I'm already here lol — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler ↳ Reply What're you buying? — qpr1_User ↳ Reply Gotta get Sword Princess's body ↳ Reply Stuff it full ↳ Reply Just shove it in and thrust away. Hug it to sleep like a dakimakura, bury my face in the chest, lay it on my bed and love it up every day... Wash it, touch it, hold it till it reeks of me... Heh heh heh... — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler Crazy necro bitch appears;; — qqq This guy's lost it — Lax on the Rock Not going? — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler ↳ Reply Yeah ↳ Reply Didn't have shit to do there. You? — Lax on the Rock I'm going — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler Gotcha — Buer Me too — The one of one ↳ Reply Buer why auction all of a sudden? Weren't you hanging with the Russian mob? — Buer ↳ Reply Time to see our little one after ages. Plus open some supply lines — The one of one Makes sense ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Post Please kill Seo I-an
> Author: rla10_User
A-rank freelancer hunter Seo I-an. Please take her out. I'll pay anything. Method doesn't matter. I beg you. [Likes 0] [Dislikes 0] 💬 Comments — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler What the hell is this? — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler ↳ Reply Been a while since I saw shit like this — jfp3_User If you're that desperate, at least pony up some rep first. Who listens to randos? — Rjdp_User Lmao randos says the rando — qqq lololololol — Tree Tree Anything I want? — rla10_User ↳ Reply Yes, anything. — Tree Tree ↳ Reply Really anything? — rla10_User ↳ Reply Yes. — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler ? What, Tree bro you taking this for real? — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler Tree bro? — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler Dude where'd you go