I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 118

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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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118 – Night Advance
118.
“What’s going on?”
Hanlin called me.
– I’m just checking in on you, sir. And I have something to tell you.
“Something to tell me? Can’t you just skip it? You’re making me anxious again.”
Whenever Hanlin calls, I feel uneasy.
It’s true that Hanlin has provided me with valuable information over time.
That much is certain.
But the real problem is that nothing Hanlin has ever told me has been wrong.
When Hanlin speaks, reality follows.
That terrifies me.
I just wanted to avoid it.
So I threw a petulant fit, even though it wouldn’t help.
– What is it, sir?
“Because when you speak, it becomes real.”
– But wouldn’t it help a little if you knew in advance and could prepare?
“Does knowing about pain beforehand make it hurt less? It hurts the same either way.”
– Isn’t it better than being blindsided out of nowhere?
“Fair point. So what did you want to tell me?”
– I heard this secondhand, but apparently the government has begun analyzing the composition of Assand concentrate to copy it.
I brushed away my surprise at news that was less significant than I’d feared.
I’d already assumed they would do something like that.
“Of course they would.”
– You’re not surprised?
“Of course not. Even street thugs try that kind of thing. Why wouldn’t the government?”
– You anticipated this?
“Something like that?”
– As expected! You’re remarkable, sir.
“Remarkable, nothing. They’ll try anything to copy Assand.”
– So what do we do now?
“What can we do?”
– If the government succeeds in making a copy, won’t what you produce become unnecessary?
“That would be the case, wouldn’t it?”
– Then isn’t this a serious problem?
“Well, it would be. But I’m not particularly attached to it. Still, making a copy won’t be easy.”
– Oh? Is that so? Is there some technology that’s absolutely impossible to copy?
“It’s not about technology—it’s that the design itself is somewhat different. Even ramen with the same noodles and broth tastes different depending on who cooks it. Medicine is far more complex. Even ramen with completely different flavors will show identical results when analyzed for composition.”
“Thank goodness. I was secretly worried that you might lose Assand to them.”
“And whatever they make, they make. What world exists without counterfeits? Especially in China.”
“That’s true as well.”
“You should sell your Assand stores and get out while you can. The franchise value must be sky-high right now, isn’t it?”
“You’re right. I’m getting calls constantly from people offering money, telling me to sell the stores.”
“I managed to hold onto 20% through my own efforts, but there will likely be subtle discrimination going forward. They’ll gradually reduce shipments and things like that. So it would be better to sell at a good price while the timing is right and exit.”
“There have been some delays in deliveries already, so that was the issue. Thank you for the advice. Your insight truly is remarkable.”
“Insight my ass.”
“Thank you. Would it be alright if I shared this with the others who own Assand stores?”
I made sure to look out for the people who owned Assand stores alongside me.
“Of course. Just tell them to wind down slowly, not all at once.”
“Yes, understood. Thank you. I’ll contact you if anything else comes up.”
That promise to contact me again was the most frightening part, yet I couldn’t refuse.
I didn’t want to be blindsided without knowing what was coming.
“Sure. Let’s stay in touch.”
******
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Dark clouds hung over China.
The newspapers carried only gloomy news.
Not long ago, happy stories had filled the pages, yet now they were all being called fabrications.
The technologies that were supposed to shine for China.
The technologies that were meant to lead the world.
All the claims of proving hypotheses that no one had ever demonstrated were now being called complete lies.
The achievements created with Assand contained fatal flaws.
Perhaps it was a catastrophe that had been foreseen from the beginning.
Ignoring everyone’s words,
Collaborating with no one,
A castle of sand built alone in delusion.
A result full of gaps born from overconfidence.
Just as the earth is round, no matter how plausibly one claims it is flat,
No matter how beautifully one dresses up a new technology as possible, if it cannot be realized, it is ultimately nothing but an illusion.
It was a combination that was never possible from the start.
A dream that could never be grasped from the beginning.
Many Chinese people fell into despair.
The path to world supremacy that had seemed within reach now felt infinitely distant.
The summit that seemed within my grasp has slipped far away.
I cannot even calculate how far I have fallen behind.
It was bleak.
When bleakness descends, only Assand remains.
I tore open a packet of Assand and popped it into my mouth.
*******
Beijing, Zhongnanhai, China.
Li Guoqing sat in his office, lost in deep contemplation.
His mind churned with the question of how to handle Zhou Chiming.
Zhou Chiming’s power had grown far too great.
He continued to covet Li Guoqing’s authority.
This could not be allowed to continue.
Li Guoqing had always intended to pass his power to Zhou Chiming eventually.
In five years? Or perhaps ten?
Maybe even twenty years from now.
But not now. Never now.
Yet Zhou Chiming could not wait.
The fool lacked patience.
If he had simply remained still, I would have given him all this power in due time.
But his impatience created this disaster.
Haste had kindled fury.
Zhou Chiming’s removal was certain.
But how far to go remained the question.
Should I simply strip him of his position as MSS director?
Or should I erase him completely and cleanly?
The dilemma persisted.
Zhou Chiming was no mere subordinate.
He was a colleague I had worked alongside for decades, a comrade.
At times, he had been a friend and a mentor.
When I recall those years, I should end this with merely stripping his position.
Besides, he had performed his duties well as MSS director.
That cannot be denied.
That part deserved acknowledgment.
If I acknowledge that, I must end it with removal from office.
But if I end it with mere removal, he may seek revenge someday.
No—he will almost certainly seek revenge.
I do not wish to leave such a lingering threat.
With the power he now possesses, being cast down into obscurity in an instant would enrage him.
Even I would feel that rage.
He would spare nothing in his quest for vengeance.
That’s why a mere removal from office doesn’t put my mind at ease.
And more than anything, my heart won’t allow it.
It’s infuriating.
Li Guoqing treated me so well, yet I tried to covet his position.
I’m repaying kindness with betrayal.
That’s what angers me most.
That’s why I can’t forgive him.
Perhaps that was the greatest problem of all.
The sin of ingratitude.
Power cannot be shared with anyone.
Not even with Zhou Chiming, who feels like a friend, like family.
Having thought this far, Li Guoqing finally made his decision.
By the time he’d finished deciding, dusk had already fallen outside.
Li Guoqing had deliberated for that long.
After much consideration, Li Guoqing made his choice.
“Have the Secretary come in.”
******
Zhou Chiming received a call from the Chairman’s Secretary.
‘Chairman Li Guoqing has ordered your elimination. The Central Guard has received the directive. Please be careful.’
Zhou Chiming smiled bitterly.
He hadn’t failed to anticipate such a situation.
He’d thought it likely.
Yet he’d still hoped it wouldn’t come to this.
He’d known it was entirely possible, but he’d still hoped otherwise.
We’d spent so much time together.
Chairman Li Guoqing and I had accomplished so much.
It felt bitter that all those accomplishments would become meaningless.
I’d desperately hoped he wouldn’t cross that line.
But Chairman Li Guoqing crossed it anyway.
Now there’s no turning back.
To survive, I must kill.
Zhou Chiming picked up the phone and called Wei Zhonglin, the Minister of National Defense.
“The time has come. Begin Operation Night Advance.”
******
After hanging up, Minister Wei Zhonglin closed his eyes.
Even now, doubt gnawed at him.
Is this truly right?
Is acting this way the correct choice? The question persisted.
Failure means execution.
No—death would be far more agonizing than that.
Not only would I perish in agony, but my entire family—relatives by blood and marriage alike—would suffer the same fate.
Yet no matter how I deliberated, this was the only path forward for China.
I could not entrust China’s future to that fool Li Guoqing.
I could not hand the nation over to a madman who believed extending labor hours would make China the world’s supreme power.
I could not place the state in the hands of an idiot who thought it didn’t matter because people wouldn’t feel fatigue once they consumed Assand.
What China needed to become the world’s greatest nation was not labor—it was overwhelming military might.
Only formidable national defense capable of waging war against any adversary could elevate a nation to supreme status.
This was Wei Zhonglin’s conviction.
With his thoughts crystallized, Wei Zhonglin immediately issued a combat readiness order—DEFCON 3, or Level 2 Battle Stations.
“Effective immediately, Level 2 Battle Stations are hereby declared. I repeat: Level 2 Battle Stations are hereby declared.”
Upon Wei Zhonglin’s order, the People’s Liberation Army mobilized into full readiness.
Every unit stood prepared to engage in warfare at a moment’s notice.
The military bases near Beijing became particularly active.
Under the guise of emergency drills, armored vehicles and tanks were dispatched toward Beijing.
Dozens of tanks and armored vehicles advanced toward Zhongnanhai, where Chairman Li Guoqing was stationed.
.
.
.
Acting on Chairman Li Guoqing’s orders, Central Guard operatives launched a surprise raid on MSS Headquarters to apprehend Zhou Chiming.
Dozens of agents sealed all exits and proceeded directly to the director’s office.
In the process, they clashed with dozens of MSS personnel who attempted to block their advance.
A standoff ensued between MSS agents who refused passage without a warrant and Central Guard operatives who insisted they acted under the Chairman’s direct command.
Finally, the Central Guard operatives, unable to contain themselves, began forcibly subduing the MSS agents.
The Central Guard suffered casualties, but this was not the moment to account for such losses.
Apprehending Zhou Chiming was the paramount objective.
After bypassing the MSS personnel and reaching the director’s office, they found Zhou Chiming was not there.
“Search everywhere. He must be somewhere within MSS Headquarters. Not a single ant leaves this building until Zhou Chiming is found.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Central Guard operatives began their search for Zhou Chiming.
They combed through every corner of MSS Headquarters.
They searched the restrooms, the basement, the warehouse—leaving no stone unturned—yet Zhou Chiming was nowhere to be found.
.
.
.
Zhongnanhai, Beijing
Chairman Li Guoqing received word that tanks had been spotted in the vicinity of Beijing.
“What? Who authorized the movement of those tanks? Get me the Minister of National Defense.”
“Yes, sir.”
.
.
.
“Why are there tanks in Beijing?”
“We’re conducting emergency drills.”
“Now? Without even reporting it? Stop the drills immediately and have all units return to base.”
“This is an important drill. We respectfully ask for your patience.”
“Just do as I say. And effective immediately, all troop movements are prohibited until further notice. That’s an order from the Commander-in-Chief.”
“Understood.”
“Identify any units that move regardless of the reason, and report when they’ll return.”
“Understood. I’ll report immediately.”
After hanging up, Chairman Li Guoqing received confirmation that the tanks in Beijing were part of drills.
Of course.
What else could it be?
Li Guoqing felt relieved.
Yet the unease wouldn’t fade.
A persistent sense of dread lingered.
Everything seemed to be in order, yet my heart wouldn’t stop racing.
What was it?
What was the problem?
Besides, there was no word from the Central Guard agents sent to capture Zhou Chiming.
They should have reported by now.
Failure wasn’t an option.
An operation like this had to succeed on the first attempt.
If he escaped and went into hiding, everything would become far more complicated.
That’s why I executed it without informing anyone.
The fact that it was taking this long suggested a high probability of failure.
Something had likely gone wrong.
I called to check the situation.
“My apologies. Zhou Chiming doesn’t appear to be at MSS Headquarters. We’ll conduct a thorough search again.”
Damn it.
He must have fled somewhere.
Had information leaked from somewhere?
This was making things complicated.
But why wasn’t the Minister of National Defense—the one I’d ordered to report—calling?
Frustration surged.
I called the Minister of National Defense.
But he didn’t answer.
Something felt wrong.
A chill ran down my spine.
The instinct that had carried me to this position suddenly awakened.
That premonition—the one that appeared in moments of crisis.
It felt like a warning signal of danger.
I locked the office door at once.
As the door locked, I heard a series of clicking sounds.
The internal locking mechanisms were engaging.
The office door was a specialized security door.
It could block bullets, explosives, and even toxic gas.
It was a specially designed door that could also prevent forced entry or exit.
With this door secured, I was at least safe for now.
My anxiety eased slightly once the door was locked.
I tried calling the Minister of National Defense again, but the line wouldn’t connect.
Unable to assess the situation, I felt frustrated.
I pressed the intercom to summon the Secretary.
But the Secretary didn’t respond either.
Instead, I heard pounding on the door from outside.
There was a rhythmic banging sound—they were trying to force it open.
But they would never get through.
It would be faster to demolish the wall instead.
But that wall wouldn’t break easily either.
It was specially reinforced construction.
Listening to the pounding, Li Guoqing opened the entrance to the Underground Bunker.
The office contained a passage connecting to an Underground Bunker built as a safeguard against nuclear attack.
No one knew about it.
The Underground Bunker was safe even from nuclear strikes.
It was designed to sustain several hundred people for years.
Moreover, this Underground Bunker connected to key locations throughout the city—Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, the Ministry of National Defense, and the military hospital.
It was enormous in scale, large enough for vehicles to traverse.
For now, I would hide.
It was the right choice to retreat to safety, assess the situation, and then make a decision.
Li Guoqing opened the entrance and headed into the Underground Bunker.
He descended alone through the dark, empty corridor.

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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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