I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 119

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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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119 – Trap
119
“Li Guoqing has locked the door from inside. We’re attempting to force it open as we speak.”
“Forget it. That door won’t open. Just withdraw.”
“But sir, we can’t withdraw from here, can we?”
“…We’ll have to find another way.”
Desperation bled through the phone line.
Yet Zhou Chiming’s expression remained unmoved as he listened.
They were family.
Agents he could call brothers, now scattered across the field.
When I decided to change course.
When I resolved that this had to be done.
They stepped forward, pledging to stand with me.
Agents who swore they would follow my every decision to the bitter end.
They came with me, prepared to face death itself.
The MSS operatives had gained unrestricted access to my office through the Secretary-General’s assistance.
We ambushed and subdued the Central Guard’s security detail, binding every staff member in the secretariat.
It was flawless.
All I needed was Li Guoqing.
Then the game would be over.
I thought we’d proceeded carefully, that success was assured, but at the last moment Li Guoqing locked the door from within.
A specially designed security door, they said.
One that would never open.
“Withdraw. Get out and hide somewhere.”
“No. I’ll see this through to the end.”
“Your identities must remain concealed. Since no one saw your faces, you can still disappear. If you’re discovered there, it becomes a much larger problem—not just mine, but the MSS’s. So withdraw.”
“Understood.”
“Stay alive. If you survive, contact me.”
“We wish you success, sir.”
The call ended.
Agents who had risked their lives alongside me.
I had a duty to protect them.
That’s why I ordered the withdrawal.
Staying would help, certainly.
But the danger would multiply.
The chances of survival would plummet.
I won’t climb to this position by sacrificing my juniors.
This fight is mine alone.
Win or lose, I must be the one to act.
This is my moment to move.
Zhou Chiming fingered the pistol tucked against his chest as he moved toward his destination.
.
.
.
Huff… huff…
This is exhausting.
Li Guoqing jogged toward the Underground Bunker, his pace quickening with urgency.
He’d always claimed to maintain his health, yet this exertion made it painfully clear—age was catching up with him.
There was a time when this would have been nothing.
But the finish line was already in sight.
The Command Control Center deep within the Underground Bunker.
I just need to reach that place.
Then, at least for now, I can breathe easier.
Normally, no one is permitted to enter or leave the Command Control Center.
In fact, the Underground Bunker itself is completely sealed off from the outside world.
It doesn’t open except in emergencies.
Security personnel stand watch around the clock at every public entrance.
But the entrance connected directly to my office—no one guards that.
No one at all.
That’s why I chose the Command Control Center.
Because of it, I can reach here without anyone knowing.
What matters most here is this:
‘Without anyone knowing.’
Someone has already breached my office.
The situation is grave.
It’s impossible to penetrate the office without inside help.
There’s a rat in my midst.
What if I’m with someone, and they’re not on my side?
The thought alone is horrifying.
Until the situation stabilizes.
Until I can distinguish friend from foe, I must hide alone.
I must suspect everyone, again and again.
Only then can I survive and protect this position.
In that sense, the Command Control Center was the ideal location.
First, it’s secure.
Once I lock the door from inside, no one can enter.
It’s a bunker built to withstand nuclear strikes.
And the systems here are fully operational.
Using the emergency disaster system, I can monitor not only the government’s networks but also control the Underground Bunker and view external CCTV feeds—everything.
I can monitor all of the government’s systems.
I could perfectly control the Underground Bunker itself.
I could monitor the external CCTV feeds.
This Command Control Center was flawless.
I booted the system, entered my credentials, and it began to activate.
The first thing I did was check the CCTV.
Looking at the CCTV, the tanks had advanced not just to the outskirts of Beijing, but all the way to Zhongnanhai.
They said they were conducting exercises.
They said they would withdraw.
Instead of withdrawing, they’d driven the tanks right up to the gates of Zhongnanhai.
Tanks arriving meant only one thing.
Wei Zhonglin had lied to me.
Wei Zhonglin had betrayed me.
Fury surged through me.
Bringing tanks all the way here meant he intended to suppress Li Guoqing by force.
I elevated that fool to Minister of National Defense, and in the end, he betrays me.
Whether it’s this one or that one, I nurture them and they draw their blades against me.
They’re all the same—repaying kindness with enmity.
This is a coup.
Wei Zhonglin’s coup d’état to overthrow Li Guoqing with military force and seize power.
I couldn’t understand why a coup had suddenly erupted.
There were no problems yesterday, yet I couldn’t fathom why this was happening today.
But that didn’t matter.
What good does knowing the reason do?
What matters is containing this situation and ensuring it never happens again.
I had to reclaim power and stand before the people once more.
Though a military coup had occurred, I needed to demonstrate the strength that Li Guoqing had overcome it unscathed.
I picked up the telephone.
I had to make calls and resolve this crisis.
But I hesitated—who should I contact?
I couldn’t tell who was on my side and who had betrayed me.
The head of the Central Guard? The Secretary? The Chief of Staff?
Many names came to mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to call any of them.
They could all be loyal,
or they could all be traitors.
I had no sense of the situation.
I had no certainty.
“Why do you hesitate so? Have you no one to call?”
Startled by the sudden voice, I froze.
I traced the sound to its source.
A corner of the Command Control Center.
Zhou Chiming stood in the darkness, gun in hand, where no light could penetrate.
In that instant, Li Guoqing understood.
It had been an enormous trap.
The expression on Zhou Chiming’s face made it clear—he had already known that when the tanks arrived and the chaos erupted outside, Li Guoqing would seek shelter here.
The closest place to the office, the safest place, where all information could be accessed.
He had known all along that Li Guoqing would come to this Command Control Center.
He had abandoned the Ministry of State Security and come here.
He had been waiting here to capture Li Guoqing.
No wonder the Ministry of State Security was nowhere to be found.
“You knew I’d come here?”
“Yes. You have good instincts. When you sense real danger, you hide and take cover faster than anyone. And this place was perfect for evacuation.”
“This isn’t that kind of situation. Wei Zhonglin has already driven tanks into Zhongnanhai. Let’s resolve that problem first, and then we can talk.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle Wei Zhonglin well. We’ve already arranged things beforehand, so there won’t be any issues.”
“So you’ll kill me and become the new Chairman? Do you think it’ll be that easy? To become Chairman, you need the Party’s approval—that’s not a simple matter. If you spare me, I’ll help you.”
“I don’t need your help. It doesn’t matter if I don’t become Chairman.”
“Then why are you doing this? You said I’d hand over power to you if you just waited. You only had to be patient. So why are you doing this?”
Li Guoqing shouted in protest, genuinely unable to comprehend Zhou Chiming’s actions.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chiming laughed and responded lightly.
“Ha ha ha. That’s right. But do you not remember that was over ten years ago?”
“What? Has it really been ten years? I’ve always considered you my successor.”
“You said it back then. Five more years. You’d hand everything over to me in five years, just help me until then. But five years passed and you pretended not to know. You’ve forgotten even now, haven’t you? Hand power over to me? When? In five more years? Ten years? Or maybe it’ll go on forever—as long as you don’t step down. But will China be alright until then? I don’t think so. I cannot stand by and watch this great nation of China crumble because of you alone. Just you. Only you. If you alone disappear, China will become great again.”
“That’s nonsense. China has grown prosperous and strong because of me.”
“No. You’re the problem. You’ve ruined everything.”
“That’s not true. I am China. China exists because of me. China becomes great through me. You should know what you’re talking about.”
“What a long final testament. Go ahead and wait for me then. I’ll follow soon after. Once I’ve made China great.”
“No. That’s···”
Bang!
Zhou Chiming pulled the trigger without hesitation.
A sharp gunshot rang out, and Li Guoqing collapsed.
Li Guoqing fell to the cold floor of the Command Control Center, a hole through his head.
Watching Li Guoqing’s fallen form, my heart grew heavy.
Though we had parted ways, we had been comrades for thirty years.
And now that person lay on the floor.
But it was unavoidable.
It was done for China.
For China to grow stronger, Li Guoqing could not remain as an obstacle.
Zhou Chiming took a deep breath and picked up the phone to contact Wei Zhonglin.
Wei Zhonglin answered before the phone even finished ringing.
“What’s the situation?”
“The situation here is resolved.”
“What a relief.”
“This is the Underground Bunker. Come down so we can assess the situation.”
“Understood. I’ll be right there.”
Wei Zhonglin, who had been waiting, descended into the Underground Bunker alone.
Without informing anyone.
Zhou Chiming watched Wei Zhonglin enter alone with a puzzled expression.
He should have brought subordinates to properly handle and resolve the situation.
Wei Zhonglin appeared suddenly, alone.
Only then did I see Wei Zhonglin’s eyes.
Eyes brimming with avarice.
I glimpsed a desperate hunger burning within them.
I realized I wasn’t the only one who had harbored such dreams.
It felt bitter.
But it was already too late.
Wei Zhonglin had a gun trained on me.
Yet Zhou Chiming did not act rashly.
He attempted to persuade Wei Zhonglin with a measured voice.
“Is this really necessary?”
“I have no choice.”
“Think again. We agreed to build a great China together. Let’s realize that dream side by side. Chairman? I have no interest in such things. I simply wanted to create a China where the people could live well and prosper. Li Guoqing won’t work, but with you, Wei Zhonglin, it’s possible.”
“Heh. You’re just like Li Guoqing. Pretty words, nothing more. You’re hardly one to speak—you killed a longtime comrade for your own ambitions.”
“It’s not my ambition. It’s for China.”
“Don’t speak of doing it for China. It’s repulsive. Do you truly believe this petty spy game could make the world’s strongest nation? Is such a thing even possible? You lack vision. The world runs on power. That’s why power is necessary—not this trivial espionage.”
Zhou Chiming attempted to persuade him, but Wei Zhonglin was consumed by absolute conviction.
It seemed impossible to change his mind.
Yet I could not give up.
I had to change Wei Zhonglin’s thinking by any means.
Zhou Chiming was desperate.
“Please, reconsider once more···.”
Bang!
Another gunshot echoed through the Command Control Center of the Underground Bunker.
Zhou Chiming collapsed like a puppet with severed strings.
Wei Zhonglin gazed at the two fallen figures and spoke softly to himself.
“They fought and killed each other. Our people need someone to rely on.”
Exiting the Command Control Center, Wei Zhonglin’s subordinates were waiting.
“When we arrived, both were already down. It seems their dispute was severe. Announce their deaths, and immediately declare emergency martial law. In times of chaos like this, the military must govern.”
Wei Zhonglin declared emergency martial law.
Wei Zhonglin became the martial law commander.
The military controlled everything.
To facilitate Wei Zhonglin’s work, his trusted people were installed in key positions.
The military now occupied all key positions.
Wei Zhonglin’s first priority was to calm society and restore stability.
The deaths of Li Guoqing and Zhou Chiming were enough to plunge China into chaos.
Stabilization had to come quickly.
But it was far from simple.
The turmoil persisted.
The Communist Party was the most destabilized.
China’s structure had always been one where the Communist Party decided everything.
But now that the military controlled everything, the hierarchy where the Party commanded the military had collapsed.
Instead, the military was now threatening the Party at gunpoint.
Key Party secretaries either pledged loyalty or went into hiding to prepare resistance.
The shockwaves within the military itself were severe.
Some factions opposed martial law, while others prepared alternative coups, insisting this wasn’t the way.
But before they could properly prepare, they were all arrested.
No one knew where they disappeared to.
But the most significant and tangible impact came from social and economic upheaval.
Stock prices plummeted sharply, and people lined up at banks to withdraw their deposits.
Foreign companies, spooked by political instability, temporarily shut down their factories and fled China.
Chinese citizens themselves began fleeing the country in droves.
The military controlled all logistics networks.
Major cities were sealed off, and strict supervision and enforcement began at import-export ports.
Trade flows became disrupted.
Food and fuel grew scarce.
As a result, prices soared, and unrest among the people began.
To suppress public unrest, the government blocked VPNs and social media.
Yet people remained agitated.
Protests erupted and riots broke out.
The government finally imposed a curfew after 10 p.m.
Checkpoints and searches were intensified.
Protesters and resistance elements faced immediate arrest—a desperate measure.
Many citizens were detained.
Violence became rampant.
Media outlets critical of the military were shut down, and principled politicians vanished.
Military units deployed constantly, day and night.
It was total chaos.
Yet some people viewed the situation positively.
They were people from the same China but dreaming entirely different dreams.
Ethnic minorities who had long yearned for independence,
who had struggled for independence all these years.
They sensed their moment had come.
They declared independence.
Tibet Autonomous Region.
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and others.
Many regions were declaring independence or preparing to do so.
But China was not sitting idle either.
They adopted an immediate and hardline stance.
Those regions were historically and legally indisputable Chinese territory, and any action asserting independence constituted a challenge to national sovereignty.
The People’s Liberation Army would take all necessary measures to safeguard national unity and social stability.
They announced they would mobilize every means at their disposal, including comprehensive law enforcement and military response.
But words were one thing—they lacked many cards they could actually play.
They barely had the capacity to maintain internal order as it was.
They had no resources to capture those who were breaking away.

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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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