I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 121

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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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121 – Trade Suspension
121
“Young Boss, we have a serious problem.”
“What? What is it? What happened?”
Edward’s unexpected call sent a jolt of anxiety through me.
My heart sank—had something gone wrong?
“China has stopped importing Assand.”
“Huh?”
What kind of ridiculous nonsense was this?
China stopping imports of Assand.
It made no sense.
No, it was impossible.
China was obsessed with Assand.
They couldn’t just cut it off like this.
“Could there be some misunderstanding? Maybe there’s still inventory left, or perhaps there’s some internal process delay. You know, the usual things. Orders get delayed sometimes.”
“No, sir. The shipment date arrived with no order, so I called to ask. They said they’re not doing business with us anymore.”
“Really?”
This genuinely shocked me.
China cutting off Assand.
They’d acted as though they couldn’t survive a single day without it.
They’d begged me to sell them Assand.
They’d pleaded for larger quantities.
Then, without warning or explanation, they unilaterally stopped importing.
They hadn’t even notified us.
We only found out because I called to ask.
I was angry.
Furious at China’s disrespectful conduct.
Though… Assand wasn’t essential to my survival.
Losing that revenue wouldn’t threaten my livelihood.
I could live comfortably without it.
Assand was profitable, certainly, but I didn’t desperately need that money.
I wasn’t the type to spend lavishly anyway, always holed up somewhere.
Whether at Dalapaanan or the Emerald Resort, I had neither the time nor the place to spend money.
I wasn’t the sort who found pleasure in watching bank balances grow.
So a reduction in revenue posed no real problem.
In essence, China stopping Assand exports wouldn’t hurt me at all.
What disappointed me was my plan to reduce China to an opium-addicted state—it had failed.
If it had failed from the start, I could have accepted it, but it had been progressing beautifully before suddenly stalling. That was what troubled me.
It was a shame.
Just a bit further and success might have been within reach.
In any case, China terminated the contract.
Thanks to that, we no longer needed to honor our end of the agreement.
That meant Assand was no longer China’s exclusive product.
I could have sold Assand to other countries without issue.
The demand was certainly there.
But I didn’t want to.
The drug was meticulously formulated specifically for China’s needs.
So it should begin and end in China.
It’s a China-exclusive limited edition.
And I myself don’t even like the drug, nor do I recommend it.
I certainly have no intention of making it my profession.
So I won’t produce Assand anymore.
Nor any similar variants.
I should consider this a valuable experience.
It’s a shame to waste the newly built factory, but can’t we just repurpose it?
We can manufacture anything, or use it as a warehouse instead.
Edward is sharp enough that he’ll pull his weight no matter what he does, so I’m not worried about him.
So is this the end of Assand?
But thinking about it again, I’m irritated all over.
Can they just unilaterally and arbitrarily terminate a contract like this?
We’re not some small-time shop in a hometown district.
We signed a proper contract and both parties stamped their seals—how can they act so disrespectfully?
They could refuse to buy the goods.
They could say the product doesn’t meet their standards.
Then they should contact us and explain the situation, saying future transactions won’t be possible.
Apologize. Say when they’ll send the remaining payment.
Isn’t that how it should be done?
When they were our partners, they clung to us constantly.
The moment circumstances shifted, they abandoned us like a worn-out tool.
As I always say, betrayal is inevitable.
I understand that.
But when you betray someone, you should be prepared for the consequences.
Honestly, I’d love to rush to China right now and confront them,
but since everyone I’d confront is dead, I’ve decided to let it go.
What’s the point of confronting people who no longer exist?
I simply won’t do business with China anymore.
But I’m curious about one thing.
Why did they suddenly cut off Assand?
Is Wei Zhonglin, who seized power, opposed to Assand?
Did he ban it for that reason?
So there are competent people in China after all.
I recalled what Hanlin had said back then.
That they were creating a counterfeit version of Assand.
I’d brushed past it carelessly at the time, but that could be one possibility.
If they’d made a counterfeit, the current situation fits perfectly.
There would be no further need for Assand.
Edward said it would be difficult to copy, but it seems they succeeded in the end.
Counterfeiting is truly astounding.
Regardless, none of it matters anymore.
Assand is finished now.
“Then take a break. You’ve worked hard all this time. It’s vacation. Paid vacation. Go enjoy yourself. Or learn something you’ve wanted to learn.”
******
【China. Assand Localization Successful. The Era of Import Dependence Has Ended】
【New Assand Launch – More Powerful and Highly Effective】
【Assand Made with 100% Chinese Technology – Entirely New Effects. Boasts Extended Duration】
【One-Third the Original Price with Double the Effectiveness – A Triumph Achieved by China’s Technical Team】
【Simultaneous Sales Begin at Assand Stores Nationwide】
Assand production.
With the nation backing it, everything was completely different.
It was on an entirely different level from the haphazard manufacturing in the Philippines.
The speed, scale, and processing procedures were all completely different.
They didn’t even have time to build a new factory—they simply seized an existing one by force.
At an enormous chemical plant, the National Drug Supervision and Administration Bureau began producing pharmaceuticals using their newly developed formula.
The output was staggering.
The finished raw liquid went directly to the factory producing Assand, where it became Assand candies and was distributed to Assand stores nationwide.
And they began selling simultaneously at every store across the country.
But it wasn’t Assand.
It was Disand.
A counterfeit of Assand.
Disand had returned.
The nation had created Disand and distributed it throughout the country.
In cities everywhere, people stood like zombies, bent at the waist, motionless as corpses—one person visible with every step.
People lay sprawled across the streets.
.
.
.
Wei Zhonglin hastily convened an emergency meeting.
‘How did this happen? They said they’d copied Assand.’
He was caught off guard by the unexpected situation.
Some countermeasure was necessary.
Otherwise, all of China would become addicted to Assand.
Upon hearing that the copy had succeeded, I ordered mass production.
We produced enormous quantities and began selling it at 5 yuan—about 1,000 won—instead of 20 yuan.
The turbulent China grew quiet for a moment because of Assand.
Both the protesters and those blocking them lined up to buy the new Assand.
It seemed to settle down somewhat.
The dramatically lowered price certainly helped.
People who had found 20 yuan burdensome.
Once the price dropped to 5 yuan, even they began purchasing Assand.
Nearly all Chinese bought Assand under the pretext of improving concentration.
We added flavors the Chinese loved—chili-numbing, Sichuan peppercorn, and five-spice—to the production.
Thanks to the new Assand, the chaotic China seemed to calm down somewhat.
It was quiet for a while.
Until the side effects of Dissand appeared.
The chili-numbing, Sichuan peppercorn, and five-spice flavors masked the sweet yet electrifying taste that Assand possessed.
So even perceptive people couldn’t distinguish whether it was Assand or Dissand, and they simply consumed it mindlessly.
Countless people, addicted to Dissand, stood like zombies throughout the city.
The chaotic situation after the coup might have been better.
This was a far greater problem.
“Do we have no countermeasures? What are we going to do about this?”
“We must stop production immediately.”
As someone offered an opinion, another immediately refuted it.
“What are you saying? Without Assand, production will plummet. Our nation’s economic power will suffer.”
“Exactly. Don’t you know that many of our people work through fatigue with Assand?”
“Assand must be distributed.”
“That was true when it was Assand, but isn’t the situation different now?”
“Precisely. The effects of Assand and the current drug are completely different. How can we discuss Assand when the situation has changed?”
“What’s the difference? It’s all the same thing.”
“If people can work without sleep, isn’t that enough?”
“Unlike Assand, Dissand will show serious addiction phenomena. We must accurately identify the components first, then decide on our course of action.”
“What about the damage that occurs in the meantime? Who will take responsibility for that damage?”
As the Standing Committee members’ quarrel intensified, Wei Zhonglin intervened to stop them.
“What do you understand by arguing among yourselves? Where is the National Drug Supervisor Director I ordered brought here?”
But the Secretary-General hesitates.
Wei Zhonglin asks again.
“Why?”
“My apologies. The National Drug Supervisor Director has disappeared.”
“What? Disappeared? He fled?”
“It appears so.”
“That bastard already knew. He knew this disaster would happen. The Ministry of State Security will take responsibility and bring him in.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“So? The Director isn’t here—who else did you bring?”
“I brought the Deputy Director.”
.
.
.
“How are we supposed to handle this?”
“I apologize.”
“I didn’t call you here to hear apologies. Tell me how to fix this.”
“There are two possible approaches.”
“Let’s hear them.”
“The first is to halt production immediately and create a perfect replica of Assand.”
“How long would that take?”
“That… I apologize. Our estimates suggest a minimum of one year or more.”
“That’s ridiculous. What’s the second option?”
“We reimport Assand.”
Wei Zhonglin sighed upon hearing the answer.
He’d hoped for something useful, but this was already what Wei Zhonglin had considered himself.
Yet he’d summoned the Deputy Director anyway, thinking there might be a better idea, only to hear the same tired suggestions.
Their thinking was all the same.
The head of one agency had fled, and the Deputy Director offered nothing but predictable platitudes.
It was infuriating.
“Guard Bureau Chief. Get this bastard out of here.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Guard Bureau dragged the Deputy Director away.
“We must reimport Assand. Those addicted to Disand can be substituted with Assand. Otherwise, the addiction will only worsen.”
The Deputy Director of the National Drug Supervision and Administration Bureau continued speaking even as he was being dragged out.
In his mind, reimporting Assand was the only viable solution to this crisis.
Wei Zhonglin watched the Deputy Director being hauled away with indifference, then turned to his Secretary.
“That man who manufactures Assand.”
“That’s Alex.”
“I want to see his face.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll arrange it.”
*******
I reported to work at the Zamboanga Electric Company.
Every single day.
Magiting and I put our heads together, researching ways to lower electricity rates.
Honestly, I wanted to purchase the Zamboanga Electric Company.
But in my current situation, I couldn’t afford to.
I needed some kind of strategy before making such a move.
I didn’t want to simply shoulder the losses and flounder about after purchasing without a proper direction.
So then, what was my reason for wanting to acquire the Zamboanga Electric Company?
To introduce more people to the convenience of electricity.
I wanted to teach them about the practicality of electrical appliances.
But if I couldn’t do that and only poured money down a drain, I’d become a fool.
I didn’t want to become such an idiot.
There’s another reason why I’m working so hard at this.
Honestly, if Magiting gave up and walked away, ultimately Patrick would have to handle it.
Electricity was critical infrastructure, and Patrick was the mayor of Zamboanga.
If Magiting shut down the company saying he couldn’t manage it, Patrick would have to bear that burden.
It wasn’t a problem I could ignore and leave alone.
The government would pour in tax money.
I wanted to lighten Patrick’s load as well.
If I did well and helped Zamboanga, that would be good, wouldn’t it?
When Magiting and I put our heads together, it felt like we might find some answer.
Magiting was also someone who had devoted his entire life to supplying electricity at low rates.
He knew the Philippines’ power situation very well.
“Can’t we ask the power plants that generate electricity to lower their unit costs? Their situation should be somewhat better than ours, shouldn’t it?”
“It’s better than ours, but their situation isn’t great either.”
There was good reason why electricity rates in the Philippines were so expensive.
Over 80% of all power generation came from thermal or natural gas sources.
In other words, they were generating electricity by burning coal and gas.
Since the Philippines didn’t have much coal, they had to import it, and international coal prices had risen.
It was only natural that electricity rates would increase.
The problem was that they were still rising now and would continue to rise in the future.
Then generation costs would naturally rise, and electricity rates would rise as well.
We needed to establish different measures.
We needed to explore alternative power generation facilities.
The best method would be to build nuclear power plants.
Just a few nuclear reactors would solve the Philippines’ power crisis entirely.
The Philippines’ electricity production was only one-fifth of our country’s level.
Yet their population was 2.2 times larger than ours, while their electricity production was far lower.
On a per capita basis, the gap was much wider.
It was almost one-tenth.
It meant we were using ten times more electricity than Filipino people.
Based on the Philippines’ power consumption, fourteen nuclear reactors would suffice.
Fourteen nuclear reactors.
If we just built those, all the problems would be solved.
But if it were that simple to solve, this wouldn’t have been a problem for so long.
The problem was cost.
It’s incredibly expensive.
Building a single plant costs a minimum of 7 trillion won.
In the Philippines’ case, they’ve never built a nuclear plant before, and with all the surrounding infrastructure development required, the cost per plant ranges from 9 to 16 trillion won.
Building just ten would cost 160 trillion won.
If we build the fourteen nuclear plants needed, that’s 224 trillion won.
The Philippines’ annual budget is around 150 trillion won.
Once construction actually begins, costs will balloon dramatically, so we’d need to pour two years’ worth of the national budget into it.
It’s absolutely not feasible.
Even though I boast about having plenty of money, I don’t have that kind of wealth.
I can afford to pay for meals, drinks, build factories, and purchase buildings wherever I go,
but constructing nuclear power plants and casually spending 224 trillion won? That’s beyond me.
Not a chance.
And even if I had the money, it wouldn’t be simple.
Construction takes far too long.
Just getting government approval, permits, and design takes 5 to 8 years already.
Construction itself takes 5 to 7 years.
Even starting now, it would take 10 to 15 years.
That’s why nuclear power is so difficult.
The next option would be thermal power.
But building thermal power plants is also challenging.
Thermal power plants don’t have significantly cheaper construction costs either.
They’re one-third to half the price of nuclear, but still cost 2 to 5 trillion won per plant.
That’s no small sum.
And you have to constantly feed it fuel.
You have to consider rising fuel costs and environmental pollution.
So thermal power is also ruled out.
That leaves only eco-friendly energy.
“Haven’t you considered eco-friendly options?”
“I have.”
“Then why didn’t you pursue it?”
“You need money for that. Like I mentioned, our deficit has been growing every year. We struggle to survive month to month, so investing in new ventures is difficult. No matter how much people say it’s the future.”
Magiting’s answer carried the weight of his anguish.
He knew that building these facilities now would help, but he simply didn’t have the capacity to do it.
And besides, a few installations wouldn’t solve everything anyway.
Still.
What if we started now?
What if we installed eco-friendly power generation facilities right now?
It seems like the fastest and cheapest option.
If we think in terms of solar power,
we’re not creating one massive installation like nuclear power, but rather continuously adding more capacity.
I suppose I could continue adding more as needed.
But is there actually a suitable place to install them?
You can place solar panels anywhere, but the efficiency would suffer.
I need to find a location with good efficiency, no regulatory issues, and easy access for vehicles and people.
Does such a place even exist?
Finding it seems like it would take forever.
Remote locations would avoid those regulations, but they come with their own set of problems.
Generating power through solar panels isn’t the end of it.
You have to connect it to the existing power grid.
That means building or maintaining transmission lines.
The cost isn’t trivial either.
It’s no wonder Magiting looks so troubled.
If I’m struggling this much despite having money, I can only imagine how difficult it’s been for him without it.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to install solar panels now? You could build the system and keep adding to it. Ah, but for that, I’d need to secure locations for the solar panels. That’s going to take a while to find.”
“I do have some places I’ve already investigated.”
Magiting pulled a notebook from the drawer.
“I’m not sure when we’ll do it, but I’ve done some research in case we might be able to install eco-friendly generators.”
He’d personally traveled around Mindanao, found suitable locations for installation, and taken measurements.
“Really?”
“For Mindanao, eco-friendly options are basically solar and wind power. Geothermal is good too, but unless you drill and confirm it first, you’re just throwing money away, so it’s pointless for now. Solar would work here, here, and here. Wind power looks promising around here.”
Magiting pointed to locations on the map with his finger.
“As things stand, solar is the top priority. There are no regulations, it’s not jungle so trees won’t block the sunlight, the transmission lines are close by, and the roads are well-maintained. In my opinion, it’s the optimal location.”
It looked good to me as well.
But I didn’t decide immediately.
It seemed right to discuss it further with Patrick and Simon before deciding.
I’d need to run the numbers too and conduct a site inspection.
Still, it felt good to have found a lead.
If I installed solar panels there, I thought I could supply cheap electricity to Unity Town at least.
I wished Zhou Chiming were here.
That man could have supplied solar panels at a very low cost.
It’s a shame, really.
After finishing my conversation with Magiting, I returned to the Hotel.
But something felt off about the atmosphere.
I could feel unfamiliar gazes.
‘These bastards are back again.’

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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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