I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 113

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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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113 – Patronage
113
[Assand’s 100th Store Milestone Celebration – A One-Time Gratitude Event]
– Buy 100, get 30 free. The 100+30 Event.
– Assand’s first thank you promotion, running for just 7 days.
– Early termination if inventory runs out.
Assand’s official stores had surpassed the 100-location milestone in what felt like an instant.
Assand’s popularity showed no signs of waning.
Rather than shrinking as the number of stores multiplied, the lines stretching before each entrance only grew longer.
There were people who’d never tried it, but there were no people who’d tried it only once.
That was Assand.
Those who’d experienced Assand’s powerful euphoric effect kept returning for more.
Wanting to share that sensation, they gifted it to those around them as tokens of goodwill.
The price of 20 yuan made that possible.
People introduced to Assand by those around them felt an intensity they’d never experienced before, and they too joined the queues to purchase it.
The virtuous cycle continued.
There were other factors behind Assand’s rapid store expansion.
Interior design was one of them.
Assand stores featured no complicated décor.
That’s what allowed them to open so quickly.
The minimalist interior was clean, sophisticated, and trustworthy.
Young men and women with neat appearances sold Assand wrapped in kindness,
and their dignified uniforms instilled confidence without fail.
Assand stores illuminated the dark urban nights with brilliant brightness.
Like artificial satellites lighting up the night sky.
.
.
.
“We’re already short on inventory, and now you want to run a promotion? How are we supposed to manage that?”
“I’m sorry… that’s why I’m limiting it to just one week… and we can end it early if we run out…”
“They’re already demanding more stock.”
“Sorry. I got completely played by that damned old bastard’s tongue.”
I was getting thoroughly chewed out by Edward from early morning.
The 100th store celebration.
The moment I told Edward about the 100+30 promotion, he went ballistic.
We were barely managing to meet our current supply, and now I wanted to run a promotion on top of that.
I hadn’t wanted to do this either.
But I’d been completely fooled by Zhou Chiming, that old bastard.
Once Assand’s launch proved successful, Zhou Chiming contacted me.
He wanted to grab dinner sometime.
When I saw Zhou Chiming’s face again, it had brightened considerably.
Whether he’d consumed Assand himself or simply basked in its success, his confidence seemed to pierce the heavens.
And it appeared the profits he reaped from distributing Assand were far from negligible.
It would be fair to say Zhou Chiming was the supreme overseer of Assand’s operations throughout China.
Where to open stores, whom to grant the authority to open stores—Zhou Chiming decided everything.
Lately, the benefits he enjoyed as the overall director of Assand apparently exceeded those he derived from his position as an MSS official.
Highly educated MSS agents spent their time not gathering intelligence, but deliberating where Assand stores should open and how distribution could be optimized, running simulations.
Thanks to this, Assand stores could be strategically opened in remarkably effective locations.
Zhou Chiming was clever indeed.
He granted the right to open Assand stores to retiring high-ranking officials.
Assand stores operated by retiring high-ranking officials.
Consumers who only purchased Assand wouldn’t care at all, but for regulatory agencies like the Public Security Bureau, the State Market Supervision Administration, and the Health and Sanitation Commission, it became an enormous pressure.
If Public Security went to crack down on a store, and its CEO was their own retired director, or someone even higher?
People whose careers could end with a single word from that person were running the operations? They absolutely couldn’t crack down.
Moreover, directives had already come down from each provincial Public Security Bureau commanding thorough consideration for Assand stores.
They wouldn’t crack down, and even if they tried, the crackdown would prove ineffective.
Conversely, anything that obstructed Assand became a thorough target for enforcement.
The high-ranking officials who received the authority to open Assand stores didn’t sell that authority elsewhere; most used it themselves.
Interior decoration didn’t require enormous expenditure, and people lined up the moment a small shop opened.
There was nothing else to do—just hire part-timers to sell the product. There was no reason not to.
Instead, money poured in tremendously.
A portion of that money flowed back to Zhou Chiming.
This was why Zhou Chiming’s expression couldn’t help but be bright.
Zhou Chiming explained the situation in detail, speaking with unmistakable pride.
I simply nodded along, offering vague affirmations.
“Assand Mark.2 seems to have significantly better effects than the original product.”
“We’ve confirmed the ingredient analysis as well.”
“But there are aspects that can’t be explained by that ingredient list, and apparently those improvements are extraordinary.”
“Is that so?”
“We had no complaints about the original Assand, but Mark.2 is far more satisfying.”
“That’s fortunate.”
The chemist was satisfied, then.
Wasn’t the game over?
Being in Zhou Chiming’s presence felt somewhat uncomfortable.
I wanted to finish eating quickly and leave.
Just as I was trying to focus on the meal—
“By the way, we’re opening the 100th store now. How about we run a promotional event?”
“An event?”
“Events like this are always good. Right now it’s 100+10, but what if we make it 100+30 or so?”
“I’ll need to think about that. We’d have to check our inventory.”
“We can just increase the production volume, right? It’s doable, isn’t it?”
“Let me think about it.”
I didn’t think the event itself was a bad idea.
I welcomed Assand spreading widely.
Giving away a few extra units as a service wasn’t a problem.
Money was even less of a concern.
The real issue was production capacity.
They said we’d increased it tenfold, but this wasn’t like the old days when we sold a few units under the table or casually distributed them.
Now we had official storefronts, and people lined up to buy.
The supply was still insufficient.
That’s why I planned to consult with Edward and inform them of the situation.
This wasn’t a decision I could make alone.
But by the next day, news of the Assand event had already spread across social media.
Zhou Chiming had already released a press statement.
I’d never given a definitive answer, yet everything was already in motion.
That’s what infuriated me.
Rumors had spread everywhere, and now it felt impossible to back out.
So I just decided to go ahead with it.
I was the one left in a difficult position.
When people consumed Assand, this became a problem.
They stopped thinking about anything else.
They only thought about themselves.
They believed only their own thoughts were correct.
Whatever they decided was right, they pushed forward relentlessly.
Insane drug dealers.
.
.
.
Marshall Ling of the Heishi Bang, who had created Disand.
Despite intensified crackdowns, he continued manufacturing Disand.
Hidden in the shadows of the underground world, he kept distributing Disand.
He knew that if caught, he’d die, but there was no business as profitable as Disand.
Disand had consistent demand.
So he continued producing it.
Having already tasted the sweetness of money, Marshall Ling couldn’t abandon Disand.
Unable to distribute it officially like Assand, he moved it covertly through clubs and bars.
He kept expanding his customer base, yet somehow his sales kept declining.
When he checked when sales had dropped, it coincided with when Assand began official distribution.
In other words, once Assand started selling officially, Disand’s sales plummeted dramatically.
Why would anyone buy Disand when they could get Assand at a cheaper price?
Assand’s sales were declining steadily.
Marshall Ling wanted to turn this situation around.
He gathered the organization’s executives and factory producers for a meeting.
“Does anyone have a good idea?”
“What if we lowered the price a bit?”
“Lower the price further?”
“Assand is selling at 20 yuan. Shouldn’t we aim for something similar?”
Marshall Ling pondered for a moment.
Considering production costs alone, it was certainly feasible, but factoring in distribution was another matter entirely.
Unlike Assand, we couldn’t operate officially, so we always had to account for hazard premiums.
Since we always had to move quietly in the shadows, shipping costs were exorbitant.
To match Assand’s pricing, I’d been passing the product to brokers at 30 yuan.
Then those bastards sold it at 50 yuan, the same as Assand.
But now Assand’s price had dropped dramatically to 20 yuan.
To sell at 20 yuan retail, I’d have to pass it to them at 10 yuan or less.
At that point, there’s barely any profit.
It’s not just the cost of making candy—I need to cover the operational expenses of running the entire organization.
If I lowered the price to 10 yuan or less, I’d actually be operating at a loss.
There are too many mouths to feed.
And critically, even if I lowered my price, there was no guarantee the sellers would lower theirs.
Even if I sold at 5 yuan instead of 10, those bastards would still pocket 50 yuan.
No matter what I said, they wouldn’t listen.
The conclusion was clear: we couldn’t increase sales through pricing alone.
“What if we made more flavor varieties?”
“That won’t work. Honestly, do people buying Disand actually choose between mango and orange flavors? It’ll just increase costs and complicate production.”
The factory manager answered cynically to the executive’s suggestion.
“Still, shouldn’t we try something?”
The executive who’d spoken protested, but no one paid attention to his opinion.
Then someone spoke up.
“What if we opened our own stores?”
“What?”
“Since we’re already making counterfeits, why not create stores identical to Assand’s? It’s not like anyone’s verifying which is fake and which is real anyway. Does it matter?”
Wait, was he right?
“I noticed when passing by that Assand stores have simple interiors that don’t cost much to replicate. We could just photograph them, recreate the design identically, and sell Disand there—wouldn’t that work?”
It was genuinely brilliant.
We could simply set up stores that looked exactly like Assand’s and sell Disand there.
It was truly a genius idea.
“Make it happen!”
.
.
.
Marshall Ling’s Assand store quietly began renovation work in Beijing’s entertainment district.
There was much discussion about the location, but the opinion that they should actually move into the commercial district to hide the counterfeit nature gained traction.
So construction began in Beijing’s entertainment district.
The small shop began to be painted with Midnight Purple.
When Opal Pearl was layered on top, it created Opal Mist, Assand’s signature color.
A color that looks slightly different depending on the light.
A color symbolizing mysterious and surreal dreams.
A color that makes you dream just by looking at it.
That color was being painted in the middle of Beijing.
People who saw the Assand store under construction had high expectations.
An Assand store was opening.
There were already five stores in Beijing, but that wasn’t enough.
More Assand stores were needed.
The Assand store was proceeding while receiving people’s attention.
But when construction was nearing completion, the Public Security Bureau arrived.
The officer asked a question with an expression of great anticipation.
“Which numbered location is this?”
“Pardon?”
Marshall Ling, who had come to check the construction site directly, was taken aback.
The Public Security Bureau was visiting a store that hadn’t even opened yet.
And why were they asking which numbered location it was?
Did that matter?
“Which numbered location is this?”
“It’s the 108th location.”
Marshall Ling answered with a lie.
It helped that I’d recently seen an article about a 100th anniversary celebration event.
I answered by attaching eight, a lucky number, to 100.
They wouldn’t be able to verify this anyway.
“The 108th location? Check it.”
The officer conducted a verification.
Marshall Ling was flustered.
Wait, that’s not right?
Why would the Public Security Bureau verify this?
Marshall Ling was unaware of the fact that Assand, the Ministry of State Security, the Public Security Bureau, and high-ranking officials all protected Assand.
“The 108th location hasn’t received permission yet, and there are currently no scheduled store openings in Beijing.”
“See? I told you something was off about this place. Arrest everyone here.”
“Yes, sir.”
The officers arrested Marshall Ling, the organization members, and all the construction workers.
“I thought it was strange that a store not on the schedule was suddenly appearing.”
The Public Security Bureau officer spoke with the smugness of someone who had discovered something remarkable.
His subordinates only encouraged him further.
“Truly impressive insight, sir.”
“I believe the higher-ups will be pleased with this.”
“Isn’t this promotion in the bag?”
“It’s nothing special. Just photograph everything here first, then destroy it all.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Public Security Bureau officer looked at Marshall Ling, who was wearing handcuffs.
“So, do you want to face execution alone? Or will you reveal where the factory is and get a reduced sentence?”
“I… I’ll take you to the factory.”
.
.
.
The crackdown on Disand.
Protecting Assand carried higher priority points than other cases.
Though it was a drug-related matter, the higher-ups favored it.
How could the Public Security Bureau officers not look good to them when they were protecting their financial lifelines?
Thus, the Public Security Bureau officers deployed all their law enforcement resources to protect Assand and eliminate Disand, more so than any other case.
******
Hong Kong Central.
A place where investment firms like IFC, HSBC, and Bank of China lined the streets.
In this Central district, densely packed with international law firms, headquarters of major corporations, and government buildings, stood a high-rise structure.
People gathered in an office with no nameplate.
Many people filled the spacious conference room, yet not a sound could be heard.
Their expressions were all grave.
“What are we going to do about this? The government has already begun oversight. Do we have any countermeasures?”
At Zhang Tian, the Chairman of the Triad Society, posed his sharp question, no one could offer an answer—they only bowed their heads in silence.
There was nothing to say.
Everyone gathered here knew the truth.
They had made a mistake this time.
A truly perfect mistake.
They had let slip a perfect asset—Assand.
An asset that could have revitalized the Triad Society, yet they had lost it.
It was a mistake they would never have made if the Triad Society had been slightly smaller.
It was an inevitable consequence of becoming too large.
They had already known of Assand’s existence.
But they had not approached it.
They had thought Assand would be a passing trend.
If the Triad Society had gotten involved in such a trend, the fad would likely have faded before they could do anything properly.
It was like how a major corporation couldn’t easily venture into a specialty shop just because candied fruit skewers were trending.
So I decided to let it slide.
But Assand’s ripple effect was tremendous.
It wasn’t just a light drizzle.
I thought it was a gentle rain, but it turned into a downpour.
It soaked all of China in an instant.
I attempted contact at that time, but couldn’t reach anyone.
They vanished without a trace, and I had no idea where they’d hidden.
The minor Criminal Organizations that couldn’t obtain Assand began manufacturing and distributing their own counterfeit versions.
The Triad Society also considered manufacturing counterfeit Assand at that time, but abandoned the idea.
It didn’t align with the Triad Society’s nature.
Instead, they devised a grand scheme to swallow the company manufacturing Assand entirely.
The plan was to let them struggle to produce Assand, establish the market, and then devour them once they’d secured their position.
Since Assand had to reach the market eventually, they would approach under the guise of helping with distribution, then gradually consume the operation piece by piece.
It was what the Triad Society did best.
Getting a foot in the door first, then wedging it open.
The plan looked perfect on paper.
But before the Triad Society could even extend their hand, the Ministry of State Security and government organizations struck first.
It was something we’d never even dreamed of.
We couldn’t have imagined Assand would be legalized.
We were waiting for it to hit the market, but instead the government took control of its distribution.
Like a dog chasing a chicken that ends up staring at the roof.
An emergency alert went out through the Triad Society.
We’d planned to nurture it and consume it, but that became impossible.
We’d reached a stage where we couldn’t seize it by force.
The Public Security Bureau protects it.
Most of the shop owners are former high-ranking officials.
Even connections don’t work.
For the Triad Society, it was a dilemma with no way out.
But it was too desirable an asset to abandon.
That’s why the Chairman was so furious.
He was angry at the executives for hesitating despite having such a lucrative opportunity, only to lose it.
Then Mao Qin, the information Team Leader, offered his opinion.
“What about this? Let’s abandon the mainland. Our main strength isn’t on the mainland anyway, and if we venture in carelessly, we’ll only suffer greater losses. Let’s forget the mainland.”
“What?”
“Instead, why don’t we focus on Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia where our distribution networks are still active? We can distribute it under the name Assand.”
“What about the product?”
“There’s a truckload in Hong Kong from guys who fled while manufacturing counterfeit versions.”
Upon hearing Mao Qin’s words, Zhang Tian’s face broke into a pleased smile.
It was a satisfying answer for once.
“Good thinking. Proceed and report back.”
“Yes.”

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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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