I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 250

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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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Warehouse 250-3
250.
On the outskirts of Tijuana.
An old warehouse.
One of Rodrigo’s former strongholds.
Finding a place in Tijuana beyond Rodrigo’s reach was nearly impossible.
In Tijuana, the protocol was simple: report first, ask questions later if anything suspicious appeared.
So I went straight into the lion’s den.
After all, isn’t it said that the darkest place is right beneath the lamp?
Whether due to the explosion,
only a handful of guards were visible protecting this location.
Most had clearly been dispatched to the airport and downtown areas.
The Obsidian Unit, having arrived early, had already neutralized them.
I finished the interior inspection.
The factory was clear.
Shortly after, Obsidian Unit members flooded into the factory.
Personnel count was normal.
No casualties, no missing persons.
Once I confirmed all personnel had arrived safely,
the tension finally eased somewhat.
Meanwhile, Tian Zihao opened his laptop to assess the situation.
He monitored the city’s entire CCTV network, communications systems, and police frequencies,
gathering intelligence.
Allen worked with the Obsidian Unit to resupply and redistribute equipment and weapons.
We had consumed enormous quantities of weapons getting here.
We had used an astronomical amount of explosives.
Our supplies were limited.
Each team and individual carried different weapons and ammunition.
So we began the process of collecting all weapons and ammunition, then redistributing them.
We gathered weapons and ammunition in one place and prepared to divide them anew.
Watching them work, I finished retrieving the weapons I hadn’t yet unpacked.
“There are more weapons here too. Use these as well.”
I pulled weapons from my inventory.
I kept pulling them out.
I continued pulling them out.
Rifles, submachine guns, and sniper rifles emerged.
Ammunition spilled out in boxes,
and explosives including grenades tumbled out in bags.
Mortars appeared,
and mines came out.
Suppressors, scopes, night vision goggles, thermal imaging equipment, body armor, and tactical vests.
It was as if I’d raided an entire armory.
As weapons poured endlessly from my inventory, even they looked genuinely shocked.
They’d known I possessed some remarkable ability,
but they clearly hadn’t expected such a staggering quantity of weaponry.
Since the secret was already out anyway, I unloaded the arsenal without hesitation.
Allen whistled low as he watched.
“This is… quite a lot, isn’t it?”
“Take what you need. The rest goes back in.”
“We certainly won’t be lacking in equipment.”
Allen replied with a grin.
Now wasn’t the time to hide or conceal the inventory.
We needed to prepare quickly and formulate our strategy.
Tian Zihao and Toto had already begun planning the operation.
They spread out maps and fed data from the laptop into their calculations.
They started devising tactics suited to our current situation.
Analyzing the intelligence we possessed, they were pinpointing Rodrigo’s stronghold.
They were organizing which positions to strike and which to defend.
This assault had two objectives for us.
Eliminating Rodrigo.
And returning home safely.
Time was not on our side.
Rodrigo’s men would find this location soon enough.
Before that happened, we needed to formulate our plan,
and escape this place.
Deal with Rodrigo,
and slip away.
Weapons were plentiful.
But time was scarce.
If this dragged on,
not just Rodrigo,
but the Mexican government and military would close in on us.
I was laying out tactics on a tablet map when Shin Jung-gi approached cautiously.
“I apologize for before.”
Shin Jung-gi offered me an apology.
I said nothing in response.
I simply looked at him.
Shin Jung-gi lowered his head.
He seemed genuinely remorseful.
I decided to accept his apology gracefully.
To be honest, Shin Jung-gi did nothing wrong.
We simply had different perspectives.
Shin Jung-gi couldn’t resolve it through conversation and just left.
If I had been in Shin Jung-gi’s position,
could I have acted any better than he did?
When my brothers died in the Congo, what did I do?
Thinking about that, I can’t really say Shin Jung-gi’s actions were wrong.
But because our positions differed, our emotions had no choice but to express themselves differently.
Because the wounds we each carried were different,
the ways we expressed them had to be different too.
So I let it go.
“Forget it. There’s no need to apologize over something so trivial···”
I spoke briefly.
“Still, I wanted to apologize. It’s been weighing on my mind.”
Shin Jung-gi kept his head bowed.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. I probably would have done the same thing. Dennis is lucky. Having a friend like you.”
“If you were hurt, I’d do the same thing.”
Shin Jung-gi spoke with firm resolve.
“Ha ha. Don’t say that. You’re already scaring me.”
“···I’m serious.”
“Heh. I’ll have to be careful not to get hurt then. Otherwise I’d have to stop you from leveling an entire city.”
I met Shin Jung-gi’s earnest vow with a light joke.
I added one more thing to say to him.
“At Zurich St. Cathedral Church···”
“Yes?”
“At Adrian’s funeral··· not pressing the button··· you did well.”
“···..”
“Thank you.”
Shin Jung-gi gave no response to my words.
He seemed unable to find an appropriate reply.
He nodded once in acknowledgment, then turned his gaze to the laptop.
He inserted a USB drive,
and began tapping at the keyboard.
“What’s that?”
“It’s Phantom Grid 2.0.”
“2.0?”
My head throbbed for a moment.
This crazy bastard brought something strange again.
This entire mess started because of Phantom Grid 1.0,
and now Shin Jung-gi’s holding 2.0 in his hands.
My head aches.
Shin Jung-gi turned the monitor to show me.
“This isn’t just simple disruption anymore. We’ll keep sending false signals that can be used throughout the city. Communications, traffic, drones—we’ll create continuous chaos.”
“Wow… that’s impressive.”
Tian Zihao had appeared beside me without my noticing, speaking up.
Tian Zihao was watching the laptop screen with an expression of amazement.
Because of this, the reason we needed to deal with Rodrigo became even clearer.
We couldn’t leave Rodrigo alive.
He would surely come searching for Phantom Grid.
We formulated our strategy, conducted maintenance, and even took rest.
We savored the calm before the storm.
.
.
.
The plan came together quickly,
yet without a single flaw.
Time was not on our side.
It seemed Rodrigo would soon regain control of the situation.
We had to finish this before that happened.
“I’m going back to the Hotel. I’ll attend Rodrigo’s invitation.”
“Pardon?”
Everyone was taken aback by my words.
“I made a promise, so I should keep it, shouldn’t I?”
“Really?”
Tian Zihao asked with wide eyes.
“Of course.”
“But isn’t that far too reckless?”
Tian Zihao asked with a worried expression.
“I can go. But… will they be able to come?”
“Pardon?”
“With the situation like this, will they have the capacity to worry about me? They’re already struggling to contain what’s just erupted.”
Tian Zihao nodded in understanding at my words.
“So you’re saying that even if you wait at the Hotel, they won’t show up, sir?”
“Exactly. With that, I can pressure Rodrigo. I could serve as bait. If luck is on our side, we might even discover Rodrigo’s exact headquarters. There’s nothing to lose.”
I will wait in front of the Hotel at exactly 7 o’clock.
They won’t be able to come.
The airport has been destroyed,
so how could they get here.
And at that same moment, we’ll begin the bombardment here.
“Are the artillery preparations ready?”
“It’s done.”
Allen replied.
Looking toward where Allen pointed,
mortars had already been set up.
Dozens of mortars were positioned and waiting only for the order to fire.
And then.
When I pulled out the final piece of equipment, Shin Jung-gi’s expression hardened.
“Gasp… this…?”
“You brought it safely?”
I asked casually.
“Yes. It’s perfect for the current situation.”
Shin Jung-gi approached slowly.
He extended his hand and carefully examined it.
What I had brought was none other than “Nemesis.”
Shin Jung-gi caressed the Nemesis I had brought with an affectionate touch.
Nemesis was one of the weapons Shin Jung-gi had created for Dennis’s revenge.
First stage – ground shockwave.
Second stage – underground structure collapse.
Third stage – massive thermobaric explosion.
In simple terms, it’s a bunker buster, but when it detonates, it explodes like a thermobaric warhead.
It penetrates underground facilities and detonates from within.
Upon detonation, it consumes all oxygen.
It creates a vacuum.
Even if they don’t die from the explosion, the absence of oxygen will kill them.
That was Nemesis.
The ultimate weapon created for Dennis’s revenge.
Even if they dig tunnels underground and hide,
Nemesis renders all such efforts futile.
To summarize the plan.
I become the bait.
I wait for Rodrigo in front of the Hotel, drawing his attention there.
I’ll pressure him, asking why he hasn’t come.
Second, Allen directs the bombardment.
He will mercilessly attack what is presumed to be Rodrigo’s main base.
There are many mortars,
and even more ammunition.
Without pause, we simply fire.
We cut off roads and destroy infrastructure,
preventing Rodrigo from making repairs.
Third, Shin Jung-gi will conduct diversionary operations.
I’ll use Phantom Grid 2.0 to conceal our location and create false targets for them.
They’ll be searching in all the wrong places.
If it were just visual confirmation, that would be one thing,
but with the power of machines, they’ll never find us.
Once we pinpoint the enemy’s location, we launch Nemesis.
And finally, we infiltrate.
We infiltrate and eliminate Rodrigo and his remaining forces.
After we’ve swept away all enemies with mortars and Nemesis,
we move in.
We leave nothing behind.
That was the plan we had devised.
Operation preparations were complete.
Just as we were about to move forward with the operation, one of the agents shouted.
“Sir, there’s something here you need to see.”
When I went to check, there was a secret room hidden with remarkable ingenuity.
An agent surveying the factory before the operation had discovered it.
When we opened the door,
“Wow…”
Inside was an enormous quantity of drugs hidden away.
Drugs were stacked like mountains.
This wasn’t merely storage.
It was fair to call it a distribution hub.
I smiled faintly at the sight of the drugs.
I approached the drugs more closely.
And I reached out toward them.
In an instant, hundreds of boxes that were packaged disappeared.
They all went into my inventory.
Tian Zihao laughed beside me at the sight.
“They’re going to be quite panicked, aren’t they? With their money supply cut off.”
“It’s not just the money supply.”
“This could very well become Rodrigo’s greatest weakness.”
If this much product disappeared, it would be a major problem for Rodrigo.
******
Rodrigo’s Mansion.
The Secretary rushed in.
“Ch… Chairman.”
“What is it? Did you find those bastards?”
Rodrigo looked at the Secretary with a displeased expression.
“We’re still searching.”
“What are you doing? If you still can’t find them, what’s the plan?”
I was frustrated.
How could finding those bastards be this difficult?
All of Tijuana was under Rodrigo’s influence.
If that many people were moving, they would inevitably be noticed.
All I had to do was find them, but it made no sense.
I didn’t like how long this was taking.
But I didn’t know at the time.
I was already being affected by Phantom Grid 2.0.
The equipment wasn’t functioning properly.
“My apologies.”
“What about the airport situation?”
Rodrigo asked with a deeply furrowed brow.
The Secretary fidgeted nervously, unable to stand still.
“We’re doing our best, but… the situation isn’t good.”
“What’s happening?”
“Police and firefighters have been dispatched and are managing the situation. The government has also sent people to investigate the cause. And…”
“And what?”
“The United States is apparently sending people to investigate the incident.”
The Secretary bowed his head as if bearing a capital crime.
Rodrigo’s expression hardened.
American involvement was the last thing Rodrigo wanted.
The Mexican Government and the United States Government were completely different.
Their approach to incidents and methods of resolution were entirely opposite.
The worst scenario.
Was the United States getting involved here.
I had to wrap this situation up quickly before the Americans got involved.
If the Americans got involved, everything changed.
“Why those bastards? It’s not even in the United States. This happened in Mexico—why are the Americans sticking their noses in?”
“… They say the border was breached, so naturally the United States must investigate. They’re calling it a national security issue.”
Rodrigo shouted, and the Secretary trembled.
Given Rodrigo’s temperament, there was no telling when or where he might draw a gun.
Fortunately, Rodrigo didn’t draw his gun.
He simply threw out a single statement.
“This is ridiculous. Handle the airport quickly. Don’t drag this out. Before the Americans arrive, classify it as a simple accident no matter what.”
“… Yes. Understood.”
But even after answering, the Secretary remained.
As if there was more to say,
He couldn’t keep his body still, like a dog desperate to relieve itself.
Fear kept his mouth sealed.
“What? Is there something else?”
“… We’ve lost contact with Warehouse 3.”
“Warehouse 3? Isn’t that our distribution hub?”
“Yes, sir. It’s where we store the merchandise.”
“But security there is airtight!”
“We deployed nearly all available personnel to handle the incident and track the Alex Group, leaving only a skeleton crew.”
“So that’s why we can’t reach them?”
“My apologies.”
Rodrigo felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash over him.
Of all places, it had to be the distribution hub.
This was where drugs manufactured across multiple locations were consolidated.
From here, everything was shipped to the United States.
Ideally, I would have preferred to synthesize everything in one massive facility, but raids could come at any moment.
A single large factory was easy prey for enforcement, and recovery after a bust was nearly impossible.
That’s why the standard protocol was to distribute production across multiple sites.
A couple of factories had to be ready to be sacrificed at any time.
Even in Tijuana, Rodrigo’s own territory, this rule remained unchanged.
In fact, I sometimes deliberately surrendered factories to bolster the police’s performance records.
But the distribution hub was different.
Well, the hub itself didn’t matter.
What mattered was the drugs inside it.
All the narcotics produced across the various factories converged in that single location.
If that disappeared, it would be catastrophic.
It was merchandise that had to be delivered.
If I failed to make that delivery, they wouldn’t simply sit idle.
Money would vanish, and trust would shatter.
My own life could very well be forfeit.
“The merchandise is secure, isn’t it?”
“It’s in a secret room, so it should be safe.”
The Secretary answered reluctantly.
It was the only response he could offer under the circumstances.
That’s when it happened.
Rodrigo’s phone rang.
An unknown number.
Rodrigo’s instincts screamed that something was wrong.
He answered, but said nothing.
He waited for the other party to speak first.
“Aren’t you coming?”
A single, terse phrase.
Rodrigo’s eyes narrowed.
He recognized that voice.
That voice belonged to the representative of the Alex Group.

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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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