Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 175 - 174: Scouting the Path

Chapter 175: Chapter 174: Scouting the Path

Tijuana really came alive after nightfall.

Yang Yi and his group arrived at a spot crowded with American tourists, a chaotic mix of all sorts, a paradise for addicts, and a holy land for those seeking the pleasures of the flesh.

For Yang Yi, this place made him uncomfortable, as he didn’t feel safe.

Underworld dealings were not at all familiar to Yang Yi as a way to make money; he hadn’t even considered it before, so he couldn’t say he had any plan, and he had no idea how to begin.

Chris, on the other hand, showed no signs of nervousness. Seeing a young man loitering expectantly at the street corner from a distance, Chris leaned over to Yang Yi and whispered, "Boss, what about that guy?"

Yang Yi whispered back, "Go and suss him out."

Chris straightened his clothes and ran his hands through his hair, then made his way toward the youth in the checkered shirt and headband.

As Chris approached the vendor, he appeared hesitant, only moving forward with determination after attracting the attention of the Mexican in the checkered shirt and being stared down.

The young man, selling drugs to tourists, was very alert, but Chris seemed oblivious to the youth’s hostility. He walked straight up and, in a stuttering voice, said, "Hi, do you have the stuff? You know what I’m talking about, right? Do you have it?"

Chris looked very nervous, utterly lacking in confidence, and he dared not make eye contact with the young man, even appearing somewhat fear-stricken.

The dealer could easily tell he was dealing with a novice, but that made him relax. He deadpanned, "I’ve got it, twenty US dollars a pop, enough for a whole night of bliss."

Chris took a deep breath, then whispered lower, "No, I want the good stuff, the real good stuff!"

"Top quality, one hundred US dollars each, enough to keep you happy for days. Give me the money now, and I’ll give you the best."

Chris acted as if he was making a major decision, covering his mouth and wiping it fiercely before suddenly looking up at the young man, his voice changing.

"I want a lot! Loads! Do you have it?"

Chris seemed like a gambler in a frenzied loss, not at all like an addict. The Mexican furrowed his brow, muttering, "What are you trying to do?"

Chris caught his breath, then said softly, "I want to buy a lot of the good stuff, at least tens of thousands of dollars’ worth! Do you have it?"

"Heh, tens of thousands of dollars isn’t much, but of course, I’ve got it. Show me your money, and I can get you the goods."

Chris looked around, then said in a low voice, "Hey, man, I’m no fool; how could I possibly carry that much cash on me? Show me the goods, and if they’re good, I’ll immediately have someone bring the money."

Chris said he wasn’t a novice, but his actions screamed otherwise. The young Mexican man smirked, then asked softly, "What do you want with so much merchandise?"

Chris had made up his mind, his voice shaking, "I need to make money, I’m about to go bankrupt, so I need to make money. I have a good way to get the stuff back, I just need the goods, that’s why I came here today, buddy. You give me a fair price, enough supply, and I’ll deal with you, and not just this time—I want to make a long-term deal."

The Mexican pondered for a moment, then said to Chris, "How much money do you have?"

Chris hesitated again, then clenched his teeth and said, "Eighty thousand dollars, eighty-three thousand! Buddy, give me a price where I can still make money, and I’ll do this deal with you. I have to leave by dawn tomorrow, I don’t have time!"

"Wait a moment, just wait right here, don’t move."

After telling Chris to stay put, the Mexican walked aside to make a phone call. After a while, he came back and said in a deep voice, "Show me your money, then follow me to get the goods. I guarantee a price that will let you profit, an earnest wholesale price."

Chris shook his head repeatedly, "No way, no way. I have to see the goods first. Even if you kill me, I won’t show you the money. Buddy, I’ve got no way out; I can’t take a risk, I just can’t! Absolutely not! It’s just me alone. I’ll go with you to see the goods. You can frisk me, right? Listen to my idea. I’ll go check out the goods, and if they’re good, someone will come to take them away while I stay as a hostage. Once my partner is safe, he’ll bring you the money. You have to deliver the goods to the place I say. Let me be frank, buddy, this is my first deal. I’m new to this, I can’t take any risks. If you think this doesn’t work for you, then pretend we never met."

Chris still looked very nervous, and after some hesitation, the Mexican finally nodded, "If you play me, you’re dead. This is Mexico, not the United States. Tell your people to have the money ready."

Chris looked pleasantly surprised and said, "You agreed, great! Just wait for me!"

Chris ran back swiftly, directly approaching Hank and said loudly, "He’s bitten, I think some things work better out in the open. Now I’m playing the newbie on his first deal, bringing eighty-three thousand dollars. I’m a cautious but timid gambler who has no choice but to go all in. Remember this, and you guys, my inexperienced partners, just pretend to have the money, and I will go alone to check the goods."

Yang Yi whispered, "Wait! What if they don’t have money, just goods? What do we need the goods for?"

Brian whispered back, "No money but goods is fine, you’re doing great, keep it up."

Chris nodded and turned to walk back toward the Mexican.

Yang Yi sighed, "I don’t think this makes sense. We’re already exposed, what is Chris thinking?"

Brian casually said, "We’re here to rob, we’ll have to act eventually, so being exposed doesn’t matter. Now follow Chris, just stay a bit further back."

Chris had started following the Mexican, and Yang Yi sighed, "Alright, let’s follow."

The Mexican led Chris into an alleyway. Yang Yi looked surprised, "They’re not driving away? I thought they’d go far."

Brian whispered, "Let me give you some common sense. First, this is Mexico, not the United States, so the dealers are much bolder than you think. Also, these street-level sellers aren’t big-time; they have their own turf to look after. How could they leave it far behind? So, they won’t go too far, won’t be too large-scale, of course, the cash might not be much, but at least we’ll get enough to take a cab back. Keep this in mind. As for now, we just go in and rob, it’s that simple."