I’m Not That Villain

27 – Starting a Side Job (2)

A minimum of 100,000 won.

Everyone who passed by the suddenly appeared exclusive equipment repairman’s post scoffed.

Anyone who knows even a little about this field knows.

That exclusive equipment is where the knowledge of bioengineering and mechanical engineering intertwines to the extreme.

It’s that delicate, and it’s that organically connected. Analyzing and fixing its structure was never an easy task.

The average time it takes to repair one piece of exclusive equipment is from half a month to a month.

That’s the general standard. So, a few people who happened to find that post flocked to the seller’s comments, ‘Black Whale.’

[You won’t even cover labor costs.]

[ㅋㅋ Who believes this?]

[Be careful of organ trafficking, everyone.]

[What a crazy b*stard. This.]

At the forefront was an anonymous man called ‘Black Mask’. He had once left a malicious comment early on and now he was pouring out criticism as if he had been waiting for this moment.

[You really show your amateur level. Dude. No one will fall for this.]

It was different from when the title ‘First Order Limited’ was attached.

It was like continuously inspecting exclusive equipment at an absurd price.

The narrow market for exclusive equipment also contributed to the shift in public opinion.

Exclusive equipment was something only those with a certain level of technical skill could challenge.

It was more common for those who were not originally high-nosed to do it. Those who were listed as ‘exclusive equipment makers’ in the black market rather than official workshops were even more so.

They had lower technical skills than the ‘real’ ones, but they were somewhat recognized within the underground market.

Such people, with their high pride, did not like those who tried to enter their industry recklessly. The more they were easy prey to bite, the more they disliked them.

The old-timers’ newb suppression.

The pie was limited, and they had to share it, so everyone tacitly checked the newcomers. The more clumsy ones would immediately practice what was called ‘newbie killing’ by raising their voices rather than the hammer’s end.

When those people encountered the worst public opinion, they started to bite in earnest.

In the worst public opinion, more people began to quote the SNS sniper post that ‘Black Mask’ had posted.

Some mocked the low price.

Some argued that such things should be managed by the industry itself.

Some wanted to roast these scam b*stards with personal attacks.

The notoriety spread quickly like fire catching on logs.

Those who were swayed by the agitation later cursed without even looking, and the name ‘Black Mirror’ continued to become famous.

Of course, in a bad way.

. . .

“Mr. Lee Seo-jun.”

“Yes?”

Lily glanced at me.

“Do you use SNS?”

“I don’t really use any apps…”

“Even if you think about it, don’t do it.”

“Yes?”

“Just know that.”

I nodded awkwardly. I had a lot of worries besides SNS in the first place.

Emails of a completely different dimension poured in compared to when I previously sold exclusive equipment with the title ‘First Order Limited’.

The important thing is that each one of them is not an order but a curse.

[You scammer b*stard, when are you going to die?]

[Do you also sell your mom for 100,000 won?]

[Please, just stop. Seriously.]

The malicious comments poured in as if they enjoyed tearing me apart. Not only in my personal message box but also in the comment section, all kinds of curses were filled.

[Ability modification? Bullshit.]

[Do you think that’s possible? LOL]

[If that works, I’ll eat my hat.]

These b*stards. They were having a blast. If I react even a little bit now, they will tear me apart like vultures.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t gain anything at all. The more notorious I became, the more attention I got…

A few curious people even inquired politely.

[Is this really the price range?]

[Where do you usually trade?]

Unexpectedly, the malicious comments also became an unexpected promotion.

I realized that now is the time when the water is coming in.

“We have to… we have to row!”

“What?”

First, I noted down the nicknames of the malicious commenters separately. These b*stards. You can basically only create one account on the black market, so they don’t change their IDs easily. All the points and transaction records they’ve accumulated would disappear.

I will never sell anything to these b*stards later, even if I die. Especially this Blackmask b*stard who started it all…

I’ll get him. Even if it takes time. But first, I have to row!

Thanks to you openly tearing me apart, my recognition has increased!

I ignored all the malicious commenters. Anyway, talking to them was not nutritious at all. My mental strength was not weak enough to be broken by a few curses.

Instead, I remembered each of their names. Their current nicknames. Damn. Once my job stabilizes, you’re all dead in my hands.

Then I responded to a few customers who came to place orders. Ironically, quite a few of them were fishing.

[LOL, you believe this?]

[Stop showing off your greed.]

[Did you really think I would order?]

Real and fake.

I had to start by distinguishing between the two. And there was only one way to find out.

It was just a physical collision.

“Hello?”

Seven out of ten didn’t even show up at the meeting place.

But about three did come to the meeting place.

And two out of those three came to mock me.

“You really showed up, you scammer.”

“…….”

Before I could say anything, Lily stepped forward.

She didn’t get particularly angry or hurl insults.

She just casually broke one of their arms.

“Argh!”

Whether it was a man or a woman.

An old man, a middle-aged person, a boy, or a girl.

She broke their arm without caring at all.

“I don’t like it.”

That was the only reason.

“You have to take responsibility for unmaid-like behavior.”

“Nice assist.”

Fortunately, one out of ten.

Just that many were real customers.

“…I’d appreciate it if you could check the condition.”

The problem was that most of them brought junk.

It was then that I realized how high-quality Seo Ji-soo’s custom equipment was.

Most of the equipment my customers brought was hardly worth calling custom equipment.

It didn’t help control abilities. Nor did it have a high synchronization rate to withstand abilities.

Between 60 – 70%.

They barely had the durability to withstand the user’s abilities with a low synchronization rate.

“How much is this…?”

“It’s 12.3 million won.”

12.3 million won.

Ugh!

How could you charge so much for this piece of junk?!

“How much did you say the repair cost was…”

“They asked for 120… so I came here. Can you really do it for 100,000 won?”

It’s about the durability of specialized equipment.

In the end, the assimilation rate is key. No matter how well-made the material is, if it can’t withstand its own strength, it will break easily.

The higher the assimilation rate of the material, the more the special ability factor within the equipment strengthens the equipment itself. Should I call it assimilation?

Of course, fixing it was no big deal. The structure was simple, and the materials used were simple, so one day was enough to fix it.

The important thing is that even if it’s fixed like this, it will break again soon. Since it breaks frequently due to the low assimilation rate, it will definitely break again unless the chronic problem is fixed.

…But!

Frequent breaks are actually more profitable for me. Besides, I was thinking of gaining experience by looking at the specialized equipment owned by various ability holders, so I just decided to fix it and let it slide.

The price is usually 10 to 20.

I only charged around 30 for items that were really on the verge of breaking.

“…How can I trust you with my stuff?”

“Well, at least tell me where your workshop is…”

Of course, there were many people who demanded trust. There were also people who demanded a guarantee, saying they couldn’t trust me.

But what could I do?

It became dangerous for me to accommodate each and every one of them.

In the first place, it was enough to shut up those who demanded trust with just one word.

All the people who brought their specialized equipment to me had one thing in common: they all brought items that seemed like they could break at any moment.

“What could I possibly do with this junk? Specialized equipment can’t be sold second-hand anyway, right?”

“…….”

“If you can’t trust me, go back.”

“I-I’ll leave it with you.”

I repaid those who trusted me with my skills.

One job a day.

Fixing other people’s stuff.

Ironically, the stable source of income I finally got was not touched by the black market. Instead, they sent me a message through Lily.

“They said that since you made money from ‘repairs’ rather than selling manufactured goods, there’s no need for a separate fee. And of course, in return, they said they wouldn’t protect your current activities as a personal business, not as part of the black market.”

“…Oh?”

That meant two things.

I posted on the black market, but still, it meant respecting my autonomy.

And it meant watching how I handle the things that will come crashing down because of what I’ve done.

They are probably trying to find out information about me. Certainly, the equipment I’ve made so far is just one. Other than that, I haven’t done much proper activity…

They must be subtly baiting me to see how I act, to monitor me without making it obvious.

Well, I would too. They want to know if this carp is a golden carp, or just a carp pretending to be golden and causing trouble.

Of course, I didn’t object to the proposal. After all, I was prepared to take responsibility for this ‘side job’ I started.

Orders trickled in like beans in a drought. I handled each one perfectly and sent them back.

Time taken: one day. More time was never needed in the first place.

[…Is this person for real?]

As success stories started to increase, public opinion began to change.

They came for the cheap price, but the quality was excellent, so everyone couldn’t help but be amazed.

Yeah. It’s very different from those stupid jerks who just leave bad comments.

I mean it.

I don’t just talk.

I show it with my skills!

[Um, do you have any secrets or something…]

[Are all the reviews posted real?]

Ironically enough.

As actual reviews started to come in, a somewhat funny situation was discovered.

As success stories emerged, inquiries started coming in from those who had been leaving bad comments all the time.