I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 249
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
249-Cross Border Xpress
249.
Allen threw himself flat against the ground the moment the explosion detonated.
A deafening roar tore through the corridor, tilting it violently in an instant.
Glass shattered, and metal twisted with a sickening screech.
The support column on the opposite side collapsed.
The corridor plummeted downward.
From Allen’s perspective, the corridor had become a long slide.
I hesitated for a moment.
Uncertain what to do.
With Cross Border Xpress destroyed, I couldn’t cross into the United States.
The path to the United States was severed.
Should I turn back and enter Tijuana Airport again?
That wasn’t an option either.
I came here to protect the Young Boss.
It was the reason the Obsidian Unit was created,
and the purpose for which I lived.
Staying here meant I couldn’t protect the Young Boss.
So I would escape and head into Mexico.
Besides, I couldn’t reach the United States anyway,
and the route back from the United States to Mexico was far too long.
My deliberation was brief.
“We’re escaping.”
I issued the command.
I moved first.
I slid down the corridor like it was a slide.
The other members of the Obsidian Unit began following my lead.
The Immigration Officer who witnessed this was at a loss.
He needed to stop them.
He’d held them back until now to prevent them from entering Mexico,
but the plan had unraveled in an instant.
Yet he had no grounds to stop them.
These people had legitimately received entry stamps.
He’d stamped them himself.
How could he stop people who had completed immigration processing?
On paper, there was nothing preventing them from entering Mexico.
They were simply passing through Cross Border Xpress, as they’d stated they would.
The security guards looked toward the Immigration Officer.
But the Immigration Officer made no decision.
He was merely an Immigration Officer, not a cartel member.
He was merely a worker at the Airport.
I didn’t want to be entangled in this affair any longer.
I could only watch the Obsidian Unit escape.
Hesitating until the very end, I merely postponed the decision.
.
.
.
Allen emerged from the corridor.
He crouched low and surveyed his surroundings.
“Are you alright?”
Following the voice, Toto stood there.
“It was you?”
Allen asked in surprise.
“Yes. There was no other way to get him out. So I just detonated it.”
“Well done. Let’s move for now.”
The Obsidian Unit, Shin Jung-gi, and Toto began moving in unison.
But with so many people, they were bound to attract attention.
Moreover, they had no weapons.
Not a single gun, not even a dagger.
They had just passed through Airport security screening.
There was no time to prepare weapons.
So they had to escape this place quickly.
Fortunately, the area was already in chaos.
Airport passengers and tourists began screaming and running about,
and sirens wailed in the distance.
They moved toward the city center as much as possible.
They slipped into the crowds.
They thought that was better than trying to escape to the outskirts.
Allen glanced at Shin Jung-gi.
“You got anything?”
“What? Weapons?”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing. I made a bomb from what I had and detonated it.”
Already, men who appeared to be Rodrigo’s subordinates had picked up their trail.
They drew steadily closer.
We were fleeing, but there was no way to shake them.
There was no way to subdue Rodrigo’s men.
If they started shooting, we had no way to respond.
The only saving grace was that we were in the city, so they wouldn’t shoot like madmen with civilians around.
They simply continued to pursue us.
The Obsidian Unit scattered through the alleys.
But Rodrigo’s men kept coming.
They followed Allen.
Allen, Toto, and Shin Jung-gi continued diving deeper into the alleys.
Alley after alley, they pressed forward.
But they couldn’t shake Rodrigo’s men.
These men knew this place far too well.
They had every corner sealed off.
As I evaded them, I suddenly realized the path ahead was blocked.
‘We’ve been had.’
They were herding us toward a corner while pretending to chase.
When we reached the dead end, Rodrigo’s men drew their guns.
There were no words exchanged.
They simply pulled out their weapons.
Allen, Toto, and Shin Jung-gi all closed their eyes.
That was when it happened.
A van screeched to a halt.
It stopped between Allen and Rodrigo’s men.
The van’s window rolled down, and gunfire erupted.
Rodrigo’s men fell.
The three of us opened our eyes at the sound of gunshots.
Click.
The door opened,
and a familiar face appeared.
“Sorry. Am I late?”
It was the Young Boss.
He was stepping out of the vehicle with a smile.
.
.
.
The crisis had passed.
I’d received Toto’s call and rushed out immediately.
Thanks to that, I’d arrived just in time.
I’d dealt with Rodrigo’s men who were targeting Allen.
But escaping this place was another matter entirely.
Right now, the Police and Rodrigo’s men were swarming the area.
We were completely surrounded.
To escape from here,
we had to expect at least some casualties.
“Young Boss, you must escape. We’ll hold them off here.”
Allen spoke with solemn resolve.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his earnestness.
“If I were planning to flee, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“···..”
“Don’t worry. No one gets hurt. We’ll return home safely.”
I said it, but the anxiety was undeniable.
The Police and Rodrigo’s men had us surrounded.
I couldn’t see a clear path out of here.
No viable strategy presented itself.
The enemy was simply too numerous.
“No matter how I think about it, the best we can do is hold this position.”
Allen spoke again.
But that wasn’t a solution.
There had to be another way.
I had my inventory.
Weapons were stored there.
We’d hold the line with those while I devised a strategy.
I pretended to retrieve items from the van while pulling out weapons.
I distributed guns to the team members.
I absolutely couldn’t surrender without a fight.
Even if death came, I wouldn’t face it alone.
I had to take at least one of them with me.
I couldn’t die on Mexican soil without a weapon in my hands.
As I retrieved guns from the van,
Toto quietly asked me a question.
“CEO, you have bombs, right? Or rather, a lot of them?”
Toto’s sudden question caught me off guard.
Bombs, out of nowhere.
But I nodded.
My inventory was stocked with explosives.
“Uh? Yes… I do.”
“Take them all out.”
“The bombs?”
“Yes. We’ll detonate every bomb we have. The Airport, the Building—everything. Then their attention will be divided trying to contain the explosions, and they won’t focus on us.”
As Toto spoke, Shin Jung-gi nodded in agreement.
“It’s not a bad plan at all.”
The youngest among us had proposed the boldest strategy.
I had to admit it was a solid idea.
Coordinating this many people to escape cleanly seemed impossible.
Detonate explosives across multiple locations and slip away in the chaos.
And we gather at the rendezvous point.
This was Toto’s plan.
“What do you think, Allen?”
“I think it’s a good idea, sir.”
“Understood.”
I walked back toward the van and pretended to retrieve bombs from my inventory.
Toto tapped me on the shoulder from behind.
“Just take them out comfortably. We don’t have time. You don’t need to hide it.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“The Young Boss has a remarkable ability.”
“What?”
“Anyway, hurry and take them out since we’re pressed for time.”
“Got it.”
With the situation so urgent, I simply began pulling bombs from my inventory and stacking them in front of me.
But no one watching me seemed surprised.
They were intrigued, certainly, but not to the degree I’d anticipated.
Their eyes held the look of those who already knew.
Did they know all along?
I’d worked so hard to conceal this ability.
Had all my efforts been for nothing?
The gathered Obsidian Unit members collected the bombs.
Allen issued his orders.
“Plant bombs at every chokepoint and detonate them.”
“Never touch the border. If you do, this becomes a bigger incident.”
“Blow up the roads to block them, and seal off the Airport.”
“Scatter and attack so they can’t pursue us.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Obsidian Unit responded to Allen’s commands.
“See you at the rendezvous point.”
“Yes, sir.”
The response was brief, but it carried weight.
Resolve was evident.
The Obsidian Unit handles explosives better than anyone.
I had no concerns.
The Obsidian Unit took the bombs and dispersed in all directions.
Their disappearance was instantaneous.
I retrieved my own bombs.
There was no need to worry about appearances.
Besides, I didn’t have the luxury of concern.
The situation was far too urgent and pressing.
I even deployed the Container Bomb.
I’d completely blocked every route the Police could take with Containers.
Once I reached a safe distance from the blast, explosions began erupting all around.
The ground trembled, and windows shattered.
My ears felt like they might tear off.
But I added my own explosion to the chaos.
I pressed the button.
The Container Bomb detonated.
The largest explosion yet tore through the area.
The vicinity of Tijuana Airport became a wasteland of devastation.
We escaped the city under cover of the chaos.
No one pursued us.
The Police and Fire Department were too occupied rescuing people.
They had no capacity to chase us.
They had mountains of immediate work before them.
Rodrigo’s subordinates seemed to have lost track of us.
Thanks to that, we were able to regroup at the rendezvous point.
“All units accounted for.”
“All clear.”
Fortunately, no one failed to arrive.
Everyone made it safely.
Only then could I breathe.
We survived.
.
.
.
Rodrigo’s Mansion.
Rodrigo sat in the living room,
wearing a satisfied smile.
The cigar in his hand smelled especially fragrant today.
The jackpot had hit.
I had a feeling someone from the Alex Group would come.
So I prepared.
My prediction was spot on.
It wasn’t small fry.
The representative came personally.
I caught Wang Guni.
Soon after, a massive force arrived,
but I pinned them all down at the Airport.
They cannot leave the Airport.
That meant I only had to deal with the proxy.
Just four people in their entourage.
Easy, so easy.
Simple, so simple.
Four unarmed people on Rodrigo’s land?
Nothing at all.
I could kill them or spare them whenever I wished.
Their lives were in Rodrigo’s hands.
I had invited the proxy.
I told him to come alone.
Whether he came alone or not didn’t matter.
Either way, those bastards would die.
I would detain the proxy first.
No conversation was necessary.
I would use the proxy as a hostage and extract what I needed.
Since we weren’t kidnappers,
I wouldn’t make unreasonable demands.
I would simply ask to borrow a route to expand into Asia.
We could even form a joint venture.
I would start things politely.
That’s how these things always begin.
Then I would gradually consume everything piece by piece.
Consume the routes, consume the cities, consume the nations.
That’s how I would grow.
It was clear this would become a lucrative revenue stream.
A big fish had swum right into the net I’d cast on a whim.
Rodrigo felt magnificent.
I was proud of myself for conceiving such a plan.
That was when it happened.
The Secretary burst through the door urgently.
“Ch… Chairman.”
“What is it?”
Rodrigo drew deeply on his cigar as he asked.
“S… something terrible has happened.”
“What?”
In Rodrigo’s plan, nothing terrible could happen.
Everything was proceeding perfectly.
At worst, the proxy might refuse Rodrigo’s invitation,
but that didn’t matter.
I would simply drag him here.
But the words that came from the Secretary’s mouth were entirely different.
“Cross Border Xpress has exploded.”
“What?”
Rodrigo was momentarily confused.
Cross Border Xpress?
Surely not the border crossing itself.
No madman would blow up a border crossing.
Or rather, no one should.
If that goes up in smoke, the consequences become catastrophic.
Other factions would descend upon this place where Rodrigo reigns like a king.
The Philippine Government, Police, Government Military, and American dogs would come swarming like a pack.
Tijuana would cease to be Rodrigo’s territory.
“Moreover, dozens of explosions are occurring near Tijuana Airport.”
Upon hearing this, Rodrigo rushed toward the command center.
The CCTV displayed Tijuana erupting in a frenzy of explosions.
Smoke billowed, flames burst forth, and buildings crumbled.
The detonations continued relentlessly.
Cross Border Xpress had collapsed,
and the airport had descended into chaos.
“… Who could have caused such explosions?”
“… It appears to be the Alex Group, sir.”
“What? How did they manage that? They don’t even have explosives.”
“I’m uncertain. They visited the Mart and somehow created this.”
Rodrigo clutched his forehead.
Bombs made at a Mart?
This was entirely unforeseen.
The calculations had gone awry.
I had to act quickly.
Only then could I preserve this land as Rodrigo’s domain.
I couldn’t allow other factions to enter.
“Madmen.”
Rodrigo muttered under his breath.
But now was not the time for anger.
Damage control came first.
“Deploy all personnel to contain the explosions.”
“Understood, sir.”
“This wasn’t terrorism or an attack… just call it an accident.”
“Yes?… Yes, sir.”
“And bring those bastards to me. Alive.”
“Understood, sir.”
The Secretary bowed slightly and left the command center.
Left alone, Rodrigo gazed upon the still-burning Tijuana Airport.
His eyes burned with nothing but fierce, consuming rage.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————