I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 114

—————

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

—————

114 – The Plan
114
The Standing Committee of Political Bureau convened.
It was a meeting attended by seven of China’s most powerful figures, including President Li Guoqing.
This committee determined the nation’s policy direction.
Once a direction was set here, the government would execute it accordingly.
It was the de facto supreme governing body.
The meeting proceeded in absolute secrecy.
All seven standing committee members were seated.
Several bottles of Assand sat before each attendee.
The expressions of all present members were bright.
Not a trace of worry could be seen.
This was a meeting that addressed matters both great and small for an entire nation.
Typically, serious and difficult agenda items lined up endlessly, but recently things were different.
That was because all recent news coverage had been exclusively positive about China.
The media was filled with articles signaling good tidings.
These were not fabricated stories manufactured through media control.
The results were genuinely extraordinary.
It was the greatest economic boom since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
This month had set a record for exports, and next month’s performance was expected to be even better.
Minor issues like overwork had emerged in the process, but they were insignificant.
News of technological breakthroughs continued to arrive.
Reports came in that GPUs, which China had struggled to produce until recently, could now be manufactured sufficiently with Chinese technology.
GPU shortage had been the greatest obstacle to AI development, but even that appeared to be resolved.
China could now advance toward becoming an AI superpower.
Revolutionary developments were reported in lithium-ion battery technology and solid-state battery technology as well.
Though still in testing phases, the reports were highly positive.
Satisfactory results had been achieved in displays and optics, optical cables and data centers, and cloud hardware, it was said.
Moreover, meaningful results had been obtained in emerging materials such as superconductors, graphene, and new alloys.
All of this was thanks to Assand.
These achievements came from improved concentration after consuming Assand.
With successive development successes and exports, China was in a festive atmosphere.
Chinese stock prices were reaching all-time highs.
The stock market climbed without fear of heaven.
Even stray dogs were putting money into stocks, saying they would invest.
Success was not limited to economics and technology.
In the arts, works capturing global attention were emerging one after another.
Recently published novels, paintings, music, and films were all receiving international recognition.
Praise for these works continued unabated.
But above all else, the greatest highlight was undoubtedly the academic world.
The research papers produced by China’s scientists were remarkable.
Nearly every academic journal was filled with papers from Chinese research teams.
Research teams from other countries couldn’t even submit papers.
Among these, the field of astrophysics showed particularly tremendous advancement.
Astrophysics transcends the concepts of time and space that we experience in our daily lives.
Researchers must observe and study celestial bodies hundreds of millions or billions of light-years away, yet they cannot touch those objects or bring them into a laboratory for study.
Furthermore, one must understand various physics theories including relativity, and advanced mathematical thinking is also required.
But the greater problem is that we still cannot determine what the universe is made of, and the equipment used to measure it has clear limitations for measuring the cosmos.
That’s why astrophysics is so difficult.
Yet papers from Chinese research teams poured into the field of cosmic physics like a flood.
I couldn’t fathom how they wrote these papers—submissions kept arriving that read as though the researchers had actually traveled to space and observed it themselves.
There’s no way to verify whether the papers are correct or incorrect.
Since we can’t conduct experiments in space, it’s unavoidable.
Verification will only be possible after an extremely long time has passed.
However, the papers themselves possessed perfect logic, and they had more than sufficient value to be accepted as new theories.
Thanks to that, they were published in world-renowned academic journals.
China was becoming perfectly the leading nation in the field of astrophysics.
******
“Why do you keep asking to meet? I’m busy. Let’s do this over the phone.”
“How could we possibly handle something this important over the phone?”
I had come to Beijing again.
Zhou Chiming had called me.
“Whether we do it over the phone or face-to-face, you’re going to do whatever you want anyway.”
“No. It’s a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding.”
“Then why did you handle that event the way you did?”
“I thought everything had been agreed upon back then.”
“Stop talking nonsense. So why did you ask to meet?”
“Let’s move first. There’s somewhere we need to go.”
“Why are you kidnapping me again? You’re not tying me up this time? Are there no agents around?”
“Ahem… I’m sorry about that. Haven’t I apologized multiple times?”
“Does an apology erase what happened?”
“I’m truly sorry. This time it’s something that absolutely must remain secret, so I couldn’t tell you. I ask for your understanding.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll find out soon enough when we get there.”
After riding in the car, we arrived at a residential neighborhood in China.
Similar-looking detached houses lined the street, and the car pulled into one of them.
The moment I stepped out, dozens of people who looked like bodyguards were standing there.
The bodyguards conducted a body search.
As if they could find anything in my inventory anyway, yet they worked diligently.
After the search was complete, I passed through the strict security and entered the building.
Before opening the door and entering, Zhou Chiming asked me a question.
“Do you know who we’re here to meet?”
“I’m not a ghost. How would I know? You have to tell me.”
“Don’t be shocked. We’re here to meet Li Guoqing. He asked me to keep it secret, but I thought you’d be too startled, so I’m giving you a heads-up.”
To be honest, I was a bit surprised.
Why would a chairman want to meet me?
Even if we did meet, I’m not sure what we’d have to talk about.
I don’t have any favors to ask.
If I had this time, I’d rather eat another plate of braised pork belly.
Still, it’s only proper to greet someone when you’re in their presence.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Alex.”
I bowed respectfully.
So Li Guoqing would say “pleased to meet you” and extend his hand, and then I’d shake it, right?
That’s what I thought, but Li Guoqing didn’t move as expected.
He strode forward and suddenly pulled me into an embrace.
What? What is this situation right now?
Who is hugging me right now?
The people around us were clearly very surprised by Li Guoqing’s actions.
Zhou Chiming especially seemed the most shocked.
I’d observed him closely, but I’d never seen Zhou Chiming act this way.
“It’s wonderful to meet you. China’s hero. China’s torch. I really wanted to see you. I owe you so much.”
He continued speaking while still holding me in his embrace.
Why is he speaking right into my ear?
This is rather uncomfortable, honestly.
I carefully extracted myself from Li Guoqing’s arms and spoke humbly.
“No, sir. It wasn’t me—it was the Chinese people who accomplished this, wasn’t it?”
“Hahaha. This fellow has a way with words too. Come, let’s sit and talk.”
We sat down in plush chairs.
“I originally planned to summon you to my office at Zhongnanhai, but Zhou Chiming suggested it would be better for both of us to keep this quiet, so I called you here instead.”
“Yes, sir. I prefer to keep things quiet as well.”
“I suggested awarding you the International Friendship Medal—the highest state honor for foreigners—but everyone objected. Apparently there’s a lot of procedure involved. They said it would be more inconvenient for you than for me.”
“Your words alone are sufficient.”
That’s right.
If I received such a medal, it would be plastered all over the media.
The International Friendship Medal isn’t even given to ordinary people like me—it’s awarded to leaders of allied nations.
There’s no reason for me to receive it, and I shouldn’t.
If I did, my entire existence would be completely exposed.
That’s the last thing someone like me, living in the shadows, should ever do.
In that respect, Zhou Chiming handles things well.
He keeps me well hidden.
He might want to step forward himself.
“If there’s anything you need, just say it plainly. I’ll take care of whatever you ask.”
“Haha. That’s not necessary. I didn’t start this with any expectations.”
“Still, if you’ve produced results, you deserve proper compensation. I’ve already arranged for a green card to be issued. You can stay in China as long as you like.”
“Thank you.”
“Beyond that, if there’s anything else you need, just tell me and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“This is already more than enough.”
“By the way, is there any way we could increase the production volume?”
“I believe I already informed Director Zhou Chiming that we’re running at full production capacity on that front.”
“I’ve heard the reports, but the volume is still insufficient.”
“We’re working on countermeasures.”
“What if we built another factory? We’d cover all the costs, land, and labor ourselves. If we build it in China, we could complete it much faster.”
“Well… if you’re willing to go that far… would it be acceptable if I made a suggestion?”
“A suggestion? Let’s hear it.”
“Actually, there’s a separate drug that enhances Assand’s concentration. We simply put it into candy for easy consumption.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“The reason we’re short on volume and why production takes so long is entirely due to the time required to make the candy. The concentration-enhancing liquid is made quickly. So my suggestion is—what if you manufactured the candy here directly?”
I could see Li Guoqing and Zhou Chiming’s expressions brighten at those words.
From their perspective, it must feel like I’ve laid out a feast before them.
Dozens, hundreds of business opportunities must be flooding their minds.
“So you’d export just the liquid concentrate, and we’d build a candy factory to manufacture it here?”
“Exactly. That way, you could vary the candy’s size and flavor, and you could even mix it into jellies, chocolates, or other snacks and confections instead of just candy.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Let’s move forward with it immediately. By the way, have you considered relocating the factory that produces the concentrate to China?”
“That would be difficult. The people who make it are quite shy.”
“Then what about exclusive distribution to China?”
“I’m sorry?”
“We want to make Assand exclusively a Chinese product. Supply it exclusively to China.”
The moment Li Guoqing spoke those words, I felt a surge of triumph within.
Finally, he’d said exactly what I wanted to hear.
Still, I should hesitate once more.
“Ah… but the unit price wouldn’t work out. We’re not people who do business purely for money… but we still need to cover labor costs. We need research and development funds to create other products too.”
“Of course I understand. I know you’re conducting business for China’s future. We’ll provide compensation befitting that. Don’t worry about that part. I’ll make sure it’s never insufficient.”
“Let me think about it for a moment.”
“What’s there to think about? If you need anything else, just say so. We’ll find common ground through dialogue, won’t we?”
I pretended to think for a long while, drawing out the silence.
Then I gave my answer.
“Well, I shouldn’t refuse, and given the goodwill you’ve shown, Chairman, I’ll go ahead with exclusive distribution to China.”
“Hahahaha. You’re truly my genuine friend. Whenever you need my help, don’t hesitate to call.”
Li Guoqing handed me his personal number.
But why is he embracing me again?
.
.
.
I had deliberated on this matter for quite some time.
I intended to drag China back into an opium age.
I wanted to make every Chinese person dependent on the drug.
Since they couldn’t die from using it, I planned to distribute a safe version.
I spent months strategizing and laying out my plans.
Yet not a single plan I crafted ever unfolded as I envisioned.
The situation shifted constantly, forcing me to adapt and improvise with each new development.
Assand proved to be revolutionary, generating transformations at every turn.
My initial scheme—bundling them in tens and twenties, peddling them through Clubs and Bars—
had morphed into something absurd: official Assand retail stores.
No smuggling required. No black markets needed.
People’s reactions far exceeded my expectations.
How could anyone anticipate and respond to such circumstances?
Yet preparation remained essential.
I needed an exit strategy.
Though the Assand phenomenon was still in its infancy, I had to think long-term.
So my decision was to use China as a front.
Soon, the world would take notice of Assand.
They would search for its origins.
I planned to redirect that attention to China.
We would produce only the most critical component ourselves. The rest, we’d leave to China.
Money? I’d tell China to earn plenty.
Eventually, it would all flow back to us anyway.
There was no need to rush.
I had to wait until the fish on the hook was firmly caught.
The bait needed to be spread generously.
This wasn’t the time to reel it in.
That’s why I granted Li Guoqing his monopoly.
China manufactures; the world consumes.
China draws the spotlight while I collect the profits from the shadows.
This was my exit strategy.
*******
Elliot Grayson poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip.
The subtle fragrance and delicate sweetness refreshed his palate.
One of the pleasures of staying in China was the abundance of tea.
Though he drank tea frequently in England, Chinese tea held a special quality.
Its flavor was deeper, more robust.
The pleasure of drinking tea was immense.
That joy was my only solace sustaining me through the grueling life in China.
Elliott had come all this way to China with the purpose of writing a novel.
A decade ago, he had been such an accomplished novelist that he’d won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
But for the past ten years, he had been trapped in a creative slump.
Beyond the poor sales of his novels, Elliott himself found writing extraordinarily difficult.
It felt as though the words had abandoned him entirely.
Then one day, he watched a documentary about China.
His interest was kindled.
He thought it would be wonderful to write a novel based on that subject.
After sketching out a simple plot, he came to China to gather detailed information.
He believed that writing a novel set in China should be done in China itself.
He wanted to collect vibrant, living material.
So he had been staying in China long-term, gathering research and writing his novel.
The only moment of joy in China was when I drank tea.
But except for those moments of tea drinking,
everything else was deeply unsatisfying.
First, the internet didn’t work.
More precisely, censorship was so severe that countless websites were inaccessible.
Google didn’t work, Instagram was blocked, YouTube was unwatchable.
Of course, using a VPN could solve it, but for Elliott approaching sixty, it wasn’t easy.
Even when I managed to connect using a VPN, I felt uneasy.
The speed was slow and inconvenient.
On top of that, there was a palpable rejection of foreigners.
It was less pronounced in major cities, but the moment I ventured into rural villages, everyone looked at Elliott with strange eyes.
For the timid Elliott, that situation was quite burdensome.
I had come to China wanting to see with my own eyes the rural villages that would become the subject of my novel,
wanting to meet real Chinese people and converse with them, but I was powerless before their cold stares.
There was no material, and I couldn’t communicate with the people.
I tried using a translation app, but it couldn’t capture the subtle accents and nuances they displayed.
It might have been better to just write based on internet research.
The exhaust fumes and bottled water, the greasy food and pungent spices tormented Elliott, who was already struggling to adapt.
The incessant car horns everywhere, the smell of cigarettes, and the disorder in public spaces wore Elliott down even further.
I wanted to return to England.
But I hadn’t written anything yet, and I hadn’t completed my research.
I needed living material from China, yet gathering such material in China proved even more difficult.
Google might have been better after all.
It was frustrating.
Then one day, a friend who helped with my work called with a bright tone.
It was the Local Assistant who helped with light work locally.
I’d asked him to pick up some things I needed, and he brought them.
But today, his expression seemed unusually bright.
“Something good happen?”
“Not exactly good, but do you know what Assand is?”
“Assand? Are you asking what the word means?”
“Haha. You don’t know. It’s a new functional candy that’s been coming out lately.”
“Functional candy?”
“Yeah. When you eat it, your mind becomes clear and your concentration improves dramatically. I’ve been eating it while studying lately. My focus is incredible.”
“Haha. Where would you find candy like that?”
“I’m serious. Want to try one, Elliott?”
“I don’t eat candy.”
“Just try it anyway. You never know. It might help with your novel writing.”
“Then leave one here. I’ll try it later.”
Of course, I had no intention of actually eating the candy.
I simply accepted his goodwill so he wouldn’t feel bad about pushing it on me.
After the Local Assistant left, I was alone again.
I sat back down in front of my laptop, but the screen remained blank, the cursor blinking uselessly.
I couldn’t write a single character.
As I headed to prepare some tea, hoping it might help, I noticed the candy the Local Assistant had left behind.
Since the writing wasn’t flowing, I thought I might as well try one.
As I’d grown older, I’d stayed away from sweets.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten candy.
The moment I unwrapped it and put it in my mouth, a refreshing sweetness filled my entire mouth.
It’s just candy, so what’s—
A tingling sensation suddenly stimulated my brain.
Is this really candy?
What is this? Even as I wondered, I found myself enjoying the tingling sensation.
It was a pleasant tingling.
For the first time in a while, I sat back down at my laptop in a good mood.
Tea wasn’t necessary.
The moment my fingers touched the keyboard, countless ideas poured forth.
No—they overflowed.
So many sentences came to mind that I didn’t know where to start.
The Chinese era that served as the backdrop for my novel, the characters, the events—all seemed to structure themselves clearly in my mind.
Like rearranging furniture in a home, I began reshuffling characters and repositioning events.
Each time I did, new incidents and developments continued to emerge.
It felt as though I’d discovered an endless wellspring of inspiration.
So that’s what it was.
That’s why they called it a concentration candy.
Assand, was it?
I could have written a novel endlessly with this.
But suddenly my vision, which had been so clear moments before, blurred, and the entire structure of the novel that had been so vivid dissolved completely.
Like a midsummer night’s dream.
And then came an overwhelming hunger.
What is this?
My stomach was so empty that I opened the refrigerator and started pulling out whatever I could find to eat.
Since Elliott normally practiced fasting, there wasn’t much in the refrigerator, but I rummaged through it desperately and shoved whatever I found into my mouth.
After eating, Elliott’s expression changed.
I needed Assand.
I didn’t want to go out into the Chinese night streets, but Elliott grabbed some money and headed out.
To buy Assand.
No one had told me, but I could sense it.
Assand was absolutely essential to completing the novel.
.
.
.
There was no need to write the novel here in China.
I didn’t want to stay in this place any longer.
With Assand, China unfolded in my mind no matter where I was.
That time, that scene, that event played out vividly before me.
The characters breathed with life.
All Elliott had to do was transcribe it into words.
I purchased a large quantity of Assand and headed to the Airport.
Now I would leave China and return to the comfort of my Home.
I would return Home and dedicate myself to writing.
My greatest masterpiece was surely coming.
And then I arrived at the Airport.
The check-in counter was bustling with activity.
What?
Why is this happening?
I watched the people.
They were all opening their luggage completely and checking each item one by one.
What’s going on?
Only then could Elliott see the large notice posted prominently.
【Assand Export Prohibited】
– Assand is classified as a critical national technology and is prohibited from being exported abroad.
– To export Assand, you must obtain permission from the relevant authorities.
– Exporting Assand will result in imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine.
What? Huh?
Why is Assand prohibited from export?
What kind of state-critical technology was that supposed to be?
Elliot Grayson fell into despair.
He considered simply pretending ignorance and smuggling it through.
But observing the atmosphere, he watched as the Assand of everyone who had attempted to sneak past were confiscated entirely.
There was no need to take such risks over this.
The Assand he currently possessed had been obtained only after standing in line for an eternity.
With goods already in short supply, they weren’t selling in large quantities these days.
He had no choice but to cancel his ticket again and board a taxi heading toward the lodging filled with exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke, where car horns blared loudly.

—————

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

—————