I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 247

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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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247 – The Guide
247.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the guide.”
The Obsidian Unit looked at me.
I nodded.
The door slowly opened.
A man in a suit stood there.
He held both hands above his head to signal he had no intention of attacking.
He was in his forties.
A tall man.
He held a single letter in his hand.
“Come in. As you can see, it’s cramped, but…”
“Then I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
The man glanced around the room once,
then entered the narrow deluxe suite.
I conducted a quick search,
but he carried no weapons.
With seven men crammed into this narrow deluxe room, the air itself felt suffocating.
“Please, sit.”
I said it, but there was nowhere to sit.
“Thank you.”
The man bowed politely but remained standing.
He seemed to understand there was no place to sit.
“So, what brings you here?”
“First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matthias.”
“Pleased to meet you, Matthias. Now, what brings you here?”
“I’ve come to deliver an invitation from Chairman Rodrigo.”
“Why go through the trouble of a letter? A phone call would’ve sufficed.”
I grumbled.
“This is how Chairman Rodrigo shows respect. You can take it as a sign of how much he values and acknowledges you.”
“If he acknowledges me twice more, I’ll have him sleeping on the streets.”
I spoke while glancing around the room.
“Ahem… The invitation contains the time and location. If you come out in front of the hotel at the appointed time, we’ll escort you.”
I naturally examined the invitation the man had brought.
This evening at seven o’clock.
It was asking to share dinner together.
“How many people?”
“You must come alone.”
“What is he trying to do?”
“Do you have a death wish?”
Obsidian Unit growled menacingly.
I raised my hand to stop Obsidian Unit and asked instead.
“Is Rodrigo coming alone?”
“I cannot confirm that.”
“So I’m supposed to walk into Rodrigo’s den by myself?”
“The decision rests with you, Teacher.”
“And if I don’t go?”
“Then there will be consequences, won’t there?”
His words were polite, but the meaning was unmistakable.
He was saying they would attack this place.
He was saying they would kill us.
“Sigh…”
I exhaled deeply.
“Simply come to the front of the hotel at the appointed time. If you’re not there, I’ll assume you’re not participating. Rest well.”
Matthias bowed politely and left the hotel room.
.
.
.
We also left the hotel room.
We couldn’t speak freely in there.
There were far too many listening devices.
We entered a nearby cafe.
But this place wasn’t much different.
There were no listening devices,
but everyone here was a CCTV camera and a listening device.
Their eyes and ears were entirely focused on us.
Tian Zihao spoke first.
Not in our usual language.
He asked in encrypted slang.
It was a method to evade their ears.
“You’re not actually going, right?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“This is 100% a trap.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you even considering it? Obviously you can’t go!”
“If I don’t go, another problem arises. So I’m leaning toward going for now.”
“This isn’t the time to worry about other problems. Your life is on the line.”
Tian Zihao spoke with evident frustration.
I understand.
I’m well aware that going there puts my life in danger.
But then.
If I don’t go?
Will I survive if I don’t go?
Is my life guaranteed?
Can I escape safely and return home?
Can I regroup, plan carefully, and come back stronger?
Of course not.
This isn’t Europe.
This is Tijuana.
Rodrigo has no one he needs to worry about or appease.
He can do whatever he wants.
At any moment, they could put a bullet in my head.
Anyone in this cafe could point a gun at me.
They could break into my hotel room while I’m sleeping.
Nowhere is safe.
Getting back home through the airport would be difficult too.
They’ll definitely try to stop me along the way.
So delaying and enduring won’t solve anything.
If there’s a problem, it’s that I was insane to rush into Tijuana without preparation.
I came in without reconnaissance, without information, far too hastily.
I underestimated Rodrigo.
I thought I could handle someone like Rodrigo easily.
I believed that if I pushed forward,
if I executed operations with the Obsidian Unit, I could suppress him quickly.
He’s not wise,
but he’s greedy and observant.
That’s all Rodrigo was in Europe.
But here, Rodrigo was different.
In Tijuana, Rodrigo was a king, an absolute ruler.
It was like seeing myself as I was in Zamboanga.
But our positions have reversed.
In Tijuana, I was nothing.
I was no better than an insect crawling in the gutter.
Anyone could kill me if they wanted to.
The only option I have in this situation
is to meet Rodrigo and settle this once and for all.
But I didn’t want to walk into enemy territory alone.
That would be like walking straight into the jaws of death.
But if I don’t go,
I don’t know what might happen.
I can’t predict when or where bullets will come flying.
I need to think of another approach.
A different method is necessary.
“Where is Allen right now?”
At my question, Tian Zihao opened his laptop to check.
“He’s confirmed to be at the airport.”
“Hmm… He can’t get through immigration?”
“It seems that’s the case.”
Just as I expected.
They know Allen and his unit are our reinforcements.
There’s no way they’d let them through easily.
I can’t see a way forward.
.
.
.
At that same moment, at Tijuana International Airport.
Allen and the Obsidian Unit waited endlessly before the immigration checkpoint.
The immigration counter remained closed.
Everyone on the same flight as Allen couldn’t pass through immigration.
They were all held separately.
The reason was simple.
There was merely a procedural issue.
They kept repeating the same excuse—there was a communication error, so it would take a bit longer, please wait.
I needed to get there quickly and regroup,
but being unable to do so was frustrating.
Time continued to slip away.
Part of me wanted to just sweep through everything.
Kill them all.
Then the Young Boss called.
“Yes, Young Boss.”
– You’re at the airport?
Hearing the Young Boss’s voice somehow calmed me down a little.
“Yes. The situation here isn’t good.”
– Did they deny your entry?
“No. We haven’t even made it to the immigration counter.”
– That so? That’s all?
I thought they would reject our entry outright,
but they didn’t even conduct immigration screening at all.
Perhaps that’s actually the smarter approach.
It was more subtle than an outright rejection.
If I stamped them with an entry denial, it would leave a record.
That record would continue to haunt Tijuana International Airport.
Without adequate justification, they’d need to explain why they denied entry.
That becomes a problem.
But by not conducting the entry inspection at all,
there’s no record whatsoever.
It’s merely a delay.
The entry inspection can be postponed due to technical issues—machinery, communications, or facility problems.
That doesn’t become a problem.
They chose incompetence over illegality.
“What should we do?”
Allen asked.
– Just go back to the Philippines.
“That won’t work.”
Allen responded to my answer.
Why did he even ask if he wasn’t going to listen?
– They’re not going to let you in anyway. So just go back. We’ll figure things out here on our own.
I spoke slowly, trying to convince Allen.
But Allen didn’t seem to be listening to me.
“I’m getting in no matter what.”
– It’s not something your effort alone can accomplish. If you insist on coming in, it’ll create an even bigger problem. So just go back.
“I’m definitely going.”
That’s when Tian Zihao cut in.
He took my phone from me as if snatching it away.
– Allen? Forget about entering here altogether. Just head to the United States instead.
“The United States?”
– Yeah. Go to the United States first, then cross over to Mexicali Airport from there.
“Where is Mexicali?”
– It’s a city two hours away by car from Tijuana. Go to the United States first, then enter from there. That way, you can slip in while avoiding Rodrigo’s attention.
“How do we even get to the United States from here? We can’t move around at all from here.”
– Push for it. Ask them to take you to the United States. They’ll do it.
“Really? They won’t even let us in?”
– The airport staff know they’re doing something wrong right now. The longer you stay there, the more uncomfortable it becomes for them too. Even if they’re following Rodrigo’s orders, the airport has its own procedures and rules… But if you ask them to take you to American soil, they’ll actually be grateful, I bet? The airport is connected to the Cross Border Xpress—it’s less than a ten-minute walk. It’s a chance to pass the problem off to someone else. There’s no reason not to do it. You’re not entering Mexico; you’re going to the United States.
“Got it. I’ll leave right away.”
Allen nodded as if he understood.
The call ended.
Allen went straight to the immigration officer.
“How much longer do we have to wait? It’s been over an hour since our plane arrived.”
“···.. We still have system issues.. I apologize, but could you wait a bit longer? We’ll process you right away once it’s restored.”
“I’ve heard that excuse before. Stop repeating yourself and give me a solution. If the system won’t work, process it manually.”
“···. I will do my best to handle it as quickly as possible.”
“As quickly as possible? Is that what you call sitting around staring at the sky?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What do you think we’ve been doing here? We’ve been watching what you do. But you’re not doing anything. The system is broken? Fine. Then fix it. Don’t just sit there dawdling and stuffing your face with snacks!”
“······”
Allen stepped closer to the inspector.
“I understand you have your own position to consider. Then just take us to Cross Border Xpress.”
“What?”
The inspector was taken aback.
“You clearly don’t want us entering Mexico anyway, right? So we’ll just cross over to the United States immediately. Then there’s no problem, is there?”
The inspector’s expression shifted slightly at those words.
I felt the change.
He seemed interested.
Allen pressed the inspector a bit harder.
“We’re not the only ones on the plane we came in. There are other passengers, and they don’t look happy either. This could become a problem later. Wouldn’t it be better to settle this now? It seems there are some important people among them.”
“I-important people?”
“So let’s make this a win-win. Just stamp our entry and take us straight to Cross Border Xpress. Then there’s no problem, right? We’ll head straight to the United States. How much longer are we going to stay here? This must be a burden for you too, isn’t it? Let’s handle this cleanly.”
“I don’t think this is a decision I can make alone. I’ll report to my superiors. Please wait a moment..”
“We can’t wait long. Don’t we need to make our own arrangements?”
“Understood. I’ll process this quickly.”
The inspector moved with urgency.
.
.
.
A cafe in Tijuana.
“Young Boss.”
“What is it?”
Tian Zihao calls out to me.
“Make a phone call.”
“To whom?”
“Patrick.”
“Patrick? Why would I call Patrick when the President is doing such a diligent job?”
“Good Philippine citizens are stuck at a Mexican airport. Even if it doesn’t work, shouldn’t we apply some pressure?”
I took a moment to collect my thoughts.
No matter how much Tijuana is Rodrigo’s city,
it doesn’t mean it’s completely beyond government control.
Especially not an international airport.
Aviation agreements, immigration regulations, diplomatic protocols.
Invisible rules are interwoven.
I can’t ignore all of that.
The moment I do, the problem grows.
This is a different scale entirely from simply covering up a few murder cases in the Hometown District.
It becomes a national-level issue.
What Rodrigo can do
isn’t control the Airport,
but merely use his staff to delay, inconvenience, and pressure—that’s all.
But if an official protest enters the picture, everything changes.
I quietly picked up the phone.
“Patrick?”
– Yes. Go ahead.
“I need a favor···”
– A favor? Just give me your orders directly.
“We’re in Tijuana, Mexico right now. But the Obsidian Unit is detained at the Airport.”
– I see. Our upstanding Philippine citizens are detained at the Airport. This is naturally a matter the Philippine Government must address. I’ll file a formal protest through the Foreign Ministry immediately.
Patrick had worked with us long enough
that he grasped my intention at once.
His execution was swift as well.
“Can you manage it?”
“I’ll handle it within 10 minutes.”
“Thanks.”
Patrick, having received the call, sent a forceful diplomatic note to the Mexican Foreign Ministry.
[The Philippine Republic’s Foreign Ministry expresses deep concern regarding the delayed entry of its nationals currently occurring at Tijuana International Airport in Mexico.
The individuals in question attempted entry through proper procedures,
and it has been confirmed that entry screening has been unreasonably delayed without legitimate cause to this date.
This constitutes a measure contrary to the International Civil Aviation Agreement and the entry-exit cooperation principles established between our two nations,
and unreasonable entry delays can be considered de facto detention.
The Philippine Government hereby demands the following measures be taken immediately regarding this matter.
1. A formal and clear explanation of the reasons for the delay.
2. Expedited entry procedures for the individuals in question or reasonable measures.
3. A report on measures to prevent recurrence.
Should this matter not be resolved promptly, the Philippine Government will escalate it to a diplomatic issue and review additional measures accordingly.
The Philippine Republic values the friendly relationship between our nations and hopes this matter will be resolved amicably.]
*******
Tijuana.
Shin Jung-gi and Toto sat in a Restaurant.
Tacos were placed on the table.
“This is delicious.”
Toto spoke with a smile.
Shin Jung-gi glanced at Toto briefly, then shifted his gaze to the laptop.
“Allen seems to be detained at the airport.”
Shin Jung-gi spoke.
Toto looked at Shin Jung-gi with a slightly surprised expression while eating his taco.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow~ We were really lucky then. The fact that we got through without getting caught?”
“We only had two people, and we didn’t come on a Chihiri plane—we came on one that crossed over from the United States. That’s probably why we got through.”
“What about the Young Boss?”
“The Young Boss already came in. But his security detail is just Tian Zihao and two members of the Obsidian Unit.”
Toto’s expression hardened slightly.
“Hmm… Tian Zihao won’t be much help in terms of combat power… Two members of the Obsidian Unit won’t be enough. No matter how exceptional the Young Boss is.”
Shin Jung-gi nodded quietly.
“We need to help, don’t we?”
“Of course. But…”
Toto stopped mid-answer.
He seemed to be calculating something.
“But what?”
“Just the two of us won’t be enough.”
“We still have to go. The Young Boss is there.”
“There’s a reinforcement unit nearby—we should bring them along.”
Toto spoke with a smile.
“What? Reinforcements? Where?”
At Shin Jung-gi’s question, Toto unfolded a map.
He pointed his finger at Cross Border Xpress.

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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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