I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 96

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

096-Shucking
96. Contention
The man in the Hawaiian shirt who entered through the door settled onto the sofa with the ease of someone in his own office,
and the man who followed him began throwing punches with the comfort of someone in his own home.
Meanwhile, Hanlin, who had made no preparations and hadn’t even anticipated anyone’s arrival, could do nothing but take the beating.
Even as he was struck, Hanlin analyzed what was happening.
He dissected the situation methodically.
First, only Hanlin and Tian Wei could move through this place with such ease.
Even if these men lacked real skill, there were guards outside.
Even if they weren’t strong enough to prevent someone from entering, there should have been some commotion, yet there was none.
These were extraordinarily skilled fighters.
And that man.
He shows no intimidation upon entering.
Utterly composed.
He brought only one subordinate with him.
Tremendous confidence.
It was a different caliber from Hanlin, who traveled with dozens of men wherever he went.
The saying came to mind: only the weak travel in numbers.
Hanlin wondered if he himself was weak. Was that true strength?
There was no hesitation in that man’s actions.
I envied him.
“Scott, don’t hit the face.”
“Sir?”
The man shouted.
“Last time you smashed his face so badly all his teeth fell out, and I couldn’t understand a damn word he said afterward. It was a nightmare. We couldn’t even have a conversation.”
“But the face is most effective, isn’t it? Just hitting the body takes too long.”
What?
Hanlin was bewildered.
All his teeth fell out?
Without realizing it, Hanlin clenched his jaw tightly.
“Then leave the hands intact. If the face gets destroyed, at least we can communicate through writing.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure the hands remain usable.”
They spoke these terrifying words with such tranquility.
Like issuing work orders—monotone yet precise.
It wasn’t a threat.
They weren’t trying to intimidate.
They spoke with the familiarity and precision of people for whom this was routine, something they’d done countless times before.
It was terrifying.
That composure frightened me more than anything else.
Yet the punches never ceased.
“Scott, is this hard for you?”
“No, sir. I can manage.”
“Your fists have no power behind them. Are you going to keep slacking like this? If it’s too much, step aside. I’ll do it.”
“No, sir.”
At the man’s words, his subordinate gritted his teeth in frustration.
Yet power surged back into his fists.
The punches grew sharper.
“Scott, let’s take a break.”
“No, sir. I can really do more.”
“Come on, let’s rest for a bit. This bastard needs to take hits gradually. Too many at once and he’ll break.”
“Yes.”
At the man’s command, the barrage of punches raining down on Hanlin ceased.
Only then did Hanlin lower his guard and sit in a daze.
Seeing this, the man spoke.
“Scott. Look at that bastard. He doesn’t seem ready to rest yet, does he?”
The subordinate barely settled onto his haunches before rising again and approaching Hanlin.
Hanlin quickly shifted his posture, dropping to his knees.
“Ah, quick to understand. Some guys don’t get it even after a beating. Good work. We communicate well, don’t we?”
.
.
.
Guangzhou is a complete mess.
Like entrusting a fish shop to a cat, as they say?
I did it to reduce risk, but it only made things worse.
That Yingjie Xian bastard ruined all my plans.
So I stormed into the Office to see that bastard’s face.
There were guards, but one punch each and they dropped like flies.
I don’t understand why they even bother posting such men.
Might as well just install an alarm system instead.
Anyway, there was only one man in the Office.
So I beat him and asked.
“Do you know who I am?”
“… I… don’t know, sir.”
Scott managed to answer clearly, so I avoided hitting his face too much.
Despite his mangled appearance, his pronunciation is crisp.
That’s Scott for you.
Improving every day.
Even his backtalk is improving.
“See? You chose your partner wrong. You don’t even care about your partner like this.”
“Partner?”
“Aren’t we business partners? We supply Assand, and you distribute. That’s what I understood.”
Only then did Hanlin realize who the man before him was.
Those Filipino idiots he’d cursed for their ignorance.
“Uh…”
“But the inventory seems pretty depleted?”
In that moment, Hanlin faced a dilemma.
Should he tell the truth?
Or find a way to escape this crisis?
His decision came swiftly.
“Ah, I can explain that. We were so enthusiastic about the business that on the first day, we distributed quite a bit as free samples. That’s why we’re requesting more inventory.”
Hanlin chose to make excuses.
“How much did you distribute?”
“We basically took everything visible in the warehouse and handed it out.”
“The manual we sent should have specified the daily distribution amount.”
“I apologize. We’re not well-educated, so we struggle with documents. I’m sorry—we didn’t read that part carefully.”
“Ah, I see. You distributed a lot as samples. I didn’t know… What am I supposed to do about Scott playing games with me like this?”
“Should we slit his mouth?”
“I told you not to do that. It makes conversation difficult.”
“Why bother talking to this bastard? Let’s just kill him and replace him with someone else. He looks like he’ll cause trouble again later.”
“Why are you so cruel? And everyone makes mistakes. That’s how you become an adult—by forgiving such things.”
“Then should we cut off his hand? This bastard needs to see some red to come to his senses. Because you’re treating him too kindly, these thieves aren’t scared.”
“Is that so? Though I am angry this time. I carefully planned everything and sent it, but they don’t even look at it and just do whatever they want. Right?”
“No, sir. You’re right. We really did distribute a lot as samples.”
Hanlin was carefully gauging the situation, trying to escape this crisis through deception.
Theoretically, it was flawless.
There was no problem.
He’d distributed it as samples.
Wasn’t that the quantity originally intended for sample distribution anyway? What’s the issue?
He planned to insist it was all samples to the very end.
In fact, he’d even pushed hard to sell based on that reasoning.
“Look at this bastard’s eyes. Even now, he’s shifting his gaze. This one’s eyes should come before his mouth or hands.”
“Should we do it right now?”
“Don’t be so cruel. If you’re going to do it, do it when I’m not around. When I’m not here.”
“Then perhaps, if you went to a hotel or something…”
“Cruel bastard.”
“I learned it from you, sir.”
“I don’t gouge out eyes.”
“Just now you told me to gouge out his eyes, sir.”
“I never said to gouge them out. I just said his eyes would probably be a higher priority than his mouth or hands.”
“How can you not understand that for wage earners like us, that sounds like an order to gouge them out?”
The two of them chatted with playful laughter,
and as Hanlin listened to their conversation, his expression grew increasingly rigid.
They spoke of tearing his mouth, severing his hands, gouging out his eyes—as casually as one might discuss lunch options.
This couldn’t continue.
I had to change the atmosphere immediately.
“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding. Regarding the portion I made an error on—the samples that went out—I will provide compensation.”
“Wow~~ This bastard’s still playing games to the end, huh?”
“Pardon?”
“How do you think I found this place? You think we came here without doing our homework? You were selling it at 40 yuan each, 35 yuan for bulk orders. Word on the Guangzhou streets is that if you want Assand, this is where you come. So what’s this about samples? You think I’m joking?”
“I… I sincerely apologize. I will absolutely compensate for that portion.”
“That was my money to begin with, wasn’t it? There’s no commission in this case.”
“······.”
“And you think I’m selling this to make money? No. I’m trying to fulfill the Chinese dream. You interfered with that. That’s why I’m in a very bad mood. This isn’t about money—it’s about my feelings. My feelings are deeply hurt.”
“I apologize.”
“When I entrusted you with Assand, didn’t I already calculate how much you’d skim off the top? But there are limits, you understand? You acted as though you’d forgotten such limits even existed. The money? That’s fine. I don’t care about a pittance like that. But my feelings… my feelings are severely wounded. Very much so. Still… I’m willing to give you one more chance.”
“Young Boss. Aren’t you being too generous with these bastards? They’ll develop bad habits.”
“They’re just ignorant. If they’re adults, you teach them and correct them so they’re useful. Isn’t that right?”
“I’ve heard that people can’t be corrected and reused.”
“Still, you have to give them a chance. What do you call it—a loser’s bracket?”
I looked at Hanlin again and asked.
“What did you say your name was?”
“It’s Hanlin.”
“By tomorrow—or maybe the day after, since China’s so vast—gather all your people.”
“People like me? Who exactly are you referring to?”
“People like you. The ones who love money. Call them. Let’s have a meal together. Do some business.”
“Would they come if I called? I’m not even the boss of the organization.”
“Why should I care about that? That’s your problem to figure out. Just gather the people. Tell them there are gifts if they come. Tell them I’ll make them money. You’re sharp enough to figure out what this is about.”
“······.”
“While you’re at it, scout out a meeting location. Get everything set up.”
“······”
“Answer me.”
“··· Yes···”
“Then set up the location and contact me. Oh, and if you want to run, go ahead. But then we won’t be meeting with smiles like we are now.”
.
.
.
Today’s events had completely transformed Hanlin’s worldview.
His belief that money could solve anything.
His conviction that money was supreme.
Before absolute force, money proved worthless—mere scraps of paper.
For those without money, wealth was a tempting allure. But for those who possessed it, money held no value whatsoever.
I once believed that with enough money, I could survive even in hell itself. Yet it couldn’t shield me from the fists before my eyes.
I realized I needed to become stronger.
Hanlin thought that to grow stronger, one must stand beside the powerful.
********
Assand’s popularity soared with each passing day.
Especially when someone posted its effects on social media, it created an explosive wave of influence.
【Has anyone tried this?】
It says Assand on the label. Has anyone tried this?
I got mine from a promotional event on the street, and let me tell you, it’s incredible.
The moment I consumed it, the world fell silent and my focus sharpened dramatically.
I’d pay good money for it, but I have no idea where to buy it. Sigh.
– Link. You can buy it here.
∟ Thanks. It’s pricier than I expected.
∟ It is expensive, but the effects are undeniable. I’ve stocked up.
– I’ve been taking it whenever I have time. Studying with it is amazing—my concentration is incredible, and my grades have improved so much.
∟ Same here. With this, I feel like I could solve any math problem.
– I’m an athlete, and after taking this, I hit three home runs in a single game.
∟ Isn’t that doping?
∟ So I took a doping test, and it came back negative.
– I run a salon, and after taking this, I focus so intensely while doing hair that I love it. I can create my own unique style, you know? But I’ve gotten a lot of complaints.
∟ Why?
∟ They say it’s not the hairstyle they asked for. But to me, it looks beautiful.
– I run a restaurant, and after taking this, my senses become incredibly sharp. I can see the oil temperature, water temperature, and food temperature with my eyes. But it makes me so hungry that I keep eating. I’ve already gained three kilos.
∟ You too? Me as well.
∟ When I take this, I crave sweets so badly. It’s become a concern, but I can’t stop taking it.
– I’m a driver, and when I take this, fatigue vanishes and drowsiness disappears. That alone makes it worth taking.
∟ I drive too, and the way drowsiness disappears is amazing.
└ I drive trucks, and now it’s essential. Life without it seems unbearable.
Reviews of Assand continued flooding social media.
Those who had tried Assand strongly resonated with the testimonies, joining the chorus of praise.
Those who hadn’t yet experienced it developed an intense curiosity about Assand.
A wave of Assand fever swept across all of China.
******
Beijing
Li Guoqing, the State President, was returning from an event.
It was an exhibition showcasing foods meant to captivate the world’s palate under the theme of globalizing Chinese cuisine.
But was simply topping something with cheese really globalization?
And the final dish he’d eaten was the worst of all.
Salty, sour, and astringent—a revolting combination.
I ate it reluctantly in front of the camera, but the taste was so vile I wanted to throw the person in prison for treason on the spot.
Still, I told him it was delicious.
On the way from the event venue to the Parking Lot.
The taste of the last thing I ate lingered persistently in my mouth.
I tried drinking some water, but the foul taste was so strong it wouldn’t go away.
Once in the car, I casually mentioned it.
“If anyone has a candy, give me one.”
But everyone hesitated.
It wasn’t an age to carry around candy.
That’s when the Driver hesitated slightly.
The Secretary sitting beside me whispered a question.
“Why?”
“Earlier, I ate at a Restaurant nearby and brought some free candies they were handing out… I wasn’t sure if it would be okay to offer them.”
“Let me see.”
The Driver pulled a candy from his pocket.
A thumbnail-sized candy wrapped in colorful packaging.
The Secretary was examining it closely when Li Guoqing extended his hand toward him.
“Just give it to me. I’m dying here. I can still smell it in my mouth.”
“But this candy’s ingredients aren’t verified… The candy name and company aren’t properly labeled either. We should conduct a thorough search first···”
“It’s just cheap candy they hand out at the Restaurant. And what could possibly happen from eating one small candy? So just give it to me.”
“Still···”
Li Guoqing snatched the candy from the Secretary’s hand.
And without any hesitation, he put it in his mouth.
A refreshing sweetness fills my mouth completely.
And at the end of the sweetness comes an exquisite tingling sensation.
A pleasant euphoria spreads throughout my entire body.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————