I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 110

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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110 – Negotiation
110
“So what are you saying? What did you say?”
The moment the mask came off and the gag was removed, all the irritation I’d been holding back came flooding in at once.
These bastards treat me far too roughly.
I understand to some degree that they need to restrain me to prevent escape during a kidnapping,
but there’s no need to be so brutal about it, is there?
If I’d intended to run, I wouldn’t have come along in the first place.
I cooperated with the kidnapping, and all I got in return was rough handling.
Disrespectful bastards.
Throughout all this, Hanlin had been feeding me information,
and Sandro had been keeping me updated on the situation, so I had a decent grasp of what was happening.
These men didn’t seem to have any intention of killing me or even hurting me.
If that were the case, they would have sent a hitman instead of an operations team.
Yet they treat me like this?
After I’ve helped the operation so much?
And crucially, I needed to shift the atmosphere.
If we started talking like this, I’d be led around by the nose.
So to eliminate surveillance and change the dynamic, I fired at the men beside me.
Zhou Chiming, on the other hand, felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the man holding a pistol in one hand speak with an innocent tone.
Three agents collapsed in an instant.
They were among the most skilled agents in the MSS.
They didn’t even manage a single act of resistance or properly draw their weapons before they fell.
The work of a professional.
Someone who’d been through real operations, not just training.
There aren’t many people who can fire a gun at someone so casually.
This wasn’t his first time.
But he couldn’t show any sign of panic.
If he did, everything he’d prepared would fall apart.
The operation to create fear through kidnapping and extract what he wanted had failed.
That plan had completely unraveled.
The power dynamic had reversed entirely.
But he had to regain his composure now.
He had to act as though something like this was nothing at all.
The title of MSS director hadn’t been earned for nothing.
Stay calm. Stay calm.
Over thirty years working for the MSS, from field operations to desk work—how many situations had he faced?
This was nothing.
Zhou Chiming controlled his mind and spoke in an even tone.
“I did call you because I had things to discuss, but… I suppose I can’t use this approach now.”
Zhou Chiming tossed the thick stack of documents he’d been holding onto the table with a heavy thud.
“What is this?”
“A manual we prepared for negotiations with you, I suppose you could call it? Or maybe a dossier?”
“You really did prepare thoroughly. So why can’t you use it?”
“Fundamentally, this was a negotiation strategy designed for when you’d be dragged in here, trembling before death, begging for your life. But look at the situation now. Do you think it would work?”
“Fair point. What am I supposed to do about that?”
“Ha. But doesn’t this place frighten you?”
“Why would I be frightened? You’re the one who should be scared.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve got a gun in my hand. The moment I pull the trigger, you’re dead. So fear should be your burden, not mine.”
“Haha. But you won’t survive either. How many guards are out there?”
“Will they? I don’t think so. Even if today were my last, I wouldn’t feel particularly regretful about it.”
I meant it.
I felt no regret.
Of course, a few faces came to mind.
There was some sadness about not being able to say goodbye to them, but I harbored no attachment to life itself.
It wasn’t just today.
It had always been this way.
I’d always believed I could live just for today.
The Inventory—this special ability I possessed—made me stand out more than I otherwise would, but my true nature was nothing more than a loser.
“Anyway, if you have something to say, spit it out quickly. These bastards didn’t even serve me a meal on the way here, so I’m starving.”
“Hahaha. This is entertaining. I never thought I’d feel this way again after leaving the field.”
“Save the nostalgia for your subordinates at company dinners, sir. Just get to the point—I’m hungry. Your hospitality here is absolutely terrible.”
“Fine, let’s talk business first. We can eat later.”
Zhou Chiming paused for a moment before speaking.
“We went through considerable trouble to find you.”
“Here we go again. So what? Are you asking for travel expenses?”
“How about you hear me out completely? It’s a story that won’t be bad for you either.”
“Fine, go ahead. I’m listening.”
“Since you seem to understand quickly, I’ll get straight to the point. We want to officially distribute Assand. That’s why we brought you here.”
“What are the conditions?”
“There aren’t really any conditions to speak of. You just need to produce and sell it. We’ll help ensure Assand distributes smoothly. That’s all.”
“That doesn’t sound like everything.”
“It really is. That’s all. Though there are a few minor supplementary conditions. Shouldn’t we share the recipe, just in case something unexpected happens? And perhaps the price could be a bit lower than it is now. For smooth sales.”
“Isn’t this asking for too much on a first meeting? This goes beyond shamelessness. Those guys earlier weren’t even in the same league of rudeness.”
“Really? We think we’re being quite generous.”
“Don’t be generous. Keep it.”
“Since I’m speaking nicely, you seem to misunderstand the situation. If I press just one button, dozens of people will pour through that door. Then you’ll be flayed alive. We could execute you as a drug trafficker.”
“So you do know this is a drug?”
“That’s ambiguous. It’s just a matter of what you call it, isn’t it? Whether it’s in the enforcement regulations or not. For example, cannabis is legal in some countries and illegal in others. Honestly, tobacco is worse than cannabis, but tobacco is legal. Assand doesn’t even damage the central nervous system, and in return, it provides incredible inspiration. If you cooperate, we intend to distribute it officially.”
“I appreciate the offer, but my answer is no.”
“Why? I thought it was a good opportunity. Would you mind explaining your reasoning?”
“You’re standing there with your mouth hanging open, and I’m not hungry enough to shove my head into it. Look at today alone—who should be begging whom right now? Not you, that’s for sure. You should have brought me a long-term plan using Assand, distribution channels, and marketing strategies to convince me. Instead, you kidnapped me and threatened me. And what happened? Three innocent agents died because of your botched operation.”
“This is also a negotiation tactic, in a sense—”
“That’s exactly my point—your method is wrong. We haven’t even signed a contract, and you’re already being stubborn. Let’s say we did sign one. How much would you lord it over me then? Make more product. Build more factories. Bring more goods. Is candy flavor all you’ve got? Add lychee flavor. Add pineapple flavor. Add durian flavor. Add Peking duck flavor. Add stinky tofu flavor. You’re not seriously going to pull that nonsense, are you? Just thinking about it makes my head throb.”
“Isn’t that something we could do?”
“Enough. We don’t conduct business that way. I hope you understand.”
“But I haven’t finished what I was saying—”
As the pointless conversation dragged on, irritation welled up inside me.
“Listen, sir. You seem like someone of considerable standing, which is why I’ve been showing you respect. Otherwise, you’d be lying on the ground like these men here.”
I gestured toward the agents sprawled on the floor, bleeding from gunshot wounds.
“I think I have a rough idea of who you are. You never introduced yourself properly, but how many people in China have the authority to fly planes across borders and deploy agents at this scale? From what I can tell, there aren’t many. Since I’ve never seen your face on television, you’re probably not from the presidency or the administration. You’re likely military or Public Security Bureau. But the way these men operate—they said it’s black ops, not Gong’an. So that would make you an MSS director or something, right?”
Zhou Chiming felt a chill run down his spine in that moment.
He had assumed this person wouldn’t know who he was.
He never expected such precise deduction.
“So why would an MSS director obsess over Assand distribution? You should be cracking down on it, not distributing it. When you think about it, it’s too simple, isn’t it? You’re a drug trafficker. The fact that you can speak so boldly means you have quite a few people who share your interests.”
“······”
Zhou Chiming’s expression became unreadable.
“You were planning to threaten me, saying you’d capture and kill me, while simultaneously trying to coax me by promising I’d live and make money if I just distributed Assand. Then you’d steal my recipe and know-how to produce it yourselves, and use that to prepare for retirement, right? Good grief. That’s ancient strategy. You’re still using tactics like that? That’s not how you negotiate.”
“Then what?”
I pretended to reach into my pocket while actually retrieving a newly crafted Assand from my inventory.
“Do you know what this is? You probably do. That’s right—Assand. But this isn’t ordinary Assand. This is Assand Mark.2! A newly improved version. Longer duration, stronger awakening effects. And with added vitamins for health—the finest drug of this era.”
The moment I produced the Assand, Zhou Chiming’s eyes changed.
His gaze locked completely onto it.
“Gulp.”
The sound of Zhou Chiming swallowing was distinctly audible.
I could feel his desperate desire to put the Assand in his mouth immediately.
His craving for it was unmistakable.
“I’m willing to distribute this. However, the current terms make it difficult.”
“What terms?”
“You’ve investigated me, so you probably know—I dabble in small-scale weapons smuggling. But lately, my weapons trafficking lines keep getting disrupted, which is problematic. I’d like for us to become good partners. Would that work?”
“How?”
“We provide Assand, you provide weapons. Barter. If there’s a difference in value, we can settle it in cash. We can make that accommodation.”
Zhou Chiming’s head nodded rapidly.
******
The town’s construction was progressing smoothly and systematically.
The first thing we did was build a factory.
We needed jobs.
Not just any jobs—we needed work that women could do.
Most households were single-mother families.
The Factory we chose was a coconut processing plant.
We built a mango and dried fruit Factory alongside it.
This region had many farms operated by the Rebel Forces, producing abundant coconuts, mangoes, and pineapples, but without processing facilities, they were exported raw.
Exporting raw goods wasn’t inherently problematic, but commanding premium prices was nearly impossible.
The price of coconut oil bears no comparison to raw coconuts.
Coconut oil fetches twenty to thirty times the price of raw coconuts.
I’d been considering this for some time, but we lacked the personnel.
I didn’t want to overextend ourselves, so we shelved it—until this became an opportune moment.
The same principle applied to mangoes and pineapples.
We could prevent the foolishness of selling fruit at pittance for fear it would spoil.
Dried and properly stored, it would keep indefinitely.
Processed goods commanded far higher prices.
We constructed these Factories near Zamboanga.
With only machinery to install, construction didn’t take long.
Now we simply needed people to arrive.
But would they actually migrate?
.
.
.
Ramil, living in the slums outside Manila.
Today, as always, he scavenged through the dump for anything of value.
Usually he searched for glass bottles and scrap metal, though on fortunate days he’d find copper or broken appliances.
But today wasn’t one of those fortunate days.
He rummaged through the refuse, finding nothing.
With a hollow heart, he trudged toward Home.
Someone stood before his door.
They didn’t look like good people at all.
Had they come to collect debts from his mother?
He’d planned to wait elsewhere until they left, but one of them approached him.
“Ramil?”
He thought desperately: I absolutely cannot answer.
He tried to run.
But they held a photograph of him in their hands.
The men had already encircled him.
Flight and deception seemed equally futile.
“Yes…”
With that answer came a flood of dark imaginings.
Had they come to take him instead of collecting his mother’s debts?
Would he be sold into slavery, condemned to a life of servitude?
As these anxious visions consumed him, unexpected words emerged.
“You must have been through a lot.”
Ramil lifted his head to look at the man.
The man smiled as he gazed at Ramil and spoke.
“It’s time to begin a new life.”
.
.
.
I came to Mindanao with my mother.
It wasn’t an easy decision, but I didn’t deliberate long.
There was no hope left in the place we lived.
Simply continuing to exist had become a burden.
My mother could no longer find work there.
I couldn’t sustain myself by scavenging trash either.
We were poor, but we were becoming poorer still.
Yet here, they said they would give my mother a job, and even provide a home—rented though it might be.
They said Ramil could attend School.
Could it truly be?
I couldn’t believe it.
In all my years, no one had ever shown Ramil such kindness.
But those worries dissipated like smoke the moment we arrived.
A clean Home—something I’d never lived in before.
Clean clothes and clean food welcomed Ramil.
They said it was all mine.
They said children here didn’t have to work.
They said children had to attend School.
If that didn’t appeal to me, they said I could learn a trade or something else instead.
They said everything depended on my choice.
They said I wouldn’t need to scavenge trash anymore.
For some reason, tears came.
Just that alone made me feel I’d made the right decision in coming here.
They called this place Unity Town.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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