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Chapter 1057: Chapter 929: Action (Please Subscribe!)
This "at any moment".
Moved many of those present.
What did it represent?
It wasn’t that Deputy Leader Ling’s soldiers were always ready for combat.
Nor was it that Ling always deployed his troops at the border, but rather it signified the military service’s capability for strategic deployment throughout the Myanmar Economic Zone, representing the power to mobilize large-scale defenses in an extremely short period.
Such was Ling.
How to suppress him in the future?
Now they were uncertain and somewhat understood Lang Cai’s worries—if two more economic special zones emerged and followed Ling’s model, forming a nominal "we are of the same kind".
If the three parties joined forces,
They would completely lose control of the eastern and southern directions; by then, the three parties’ population would approach ten million—a place like that with a developed industry,
Would leave them all collectively in trouble.
"By the way, Deputy Leader Ling, can we borrow your mine-clearing vehicles to place in front as a form of deterrence?" Lang Cai suddenly remembered this excellent piece of equipment; the efficiency of the mine-clearing vehicles was beyond doubt.
Every country that used them offered high praise.
With a nearly hundred percent mine-clearing capability, they were truly weapons of war.
"Yes, I’ll arrange for two mine-clearing vehicles to be dispatched immediately; they can arrive in three hours at the earliest." Ling nodded in agreement; the Myanmar Military Services Company had previously stated that mine-clearing vehicles would not be used in the wars of other countries.
But this was not "another country".
"Then that’s settled," Lang Cai said, making the decision.
His decision set the course for the entire incident.
It was about not losing face.
"I’ll contact Marshal Lu Sang right away; this matter is better sooner than later. Kan Qin, pause negotiations with their representative. If we talk, it will be on our terms and schedule," Lang Cai stated.
"Yes," Kan Qin agreed.
Provoked just now by Ling.
Lang Cai seemed to see his younger self, who had gained affirmation and grooming from his superiors due to his decisiveness. But as he rose higher in rank and his scope of contact broadened, he had to consider more and more.
Gradually.
He had forgotten when was the last time he felt impassioned.
Just now, watching Ling,
He recalled Ling’s way of operating during this period—it was decisive, daring, calm, and even more adept at creating leverage. Ling was right; the largest chip on their side was military force.
If not now,
Then when?
...
After the meeting.
Lang Cai made a call to Lu Sang.
"...Lu Sang, this is the result we’ve discussed. What do you think?"
"I’m growing fonder of this kid Ling, haha, it’s exactly to my liking." Lu Sang laughed heartily. As a soldier, he didn’t have so many concerns—to fight whenever there was a disagreement.
In the past, it was Lang Cai who had reservations, and he had to cooperate.
Now this outcome was what he liked best.
"Yes, Ling’s words earlier reminded me of the old days, the fearlessness," Lang Cai said with a sigh.
Lu Sang laughed, "Too bad, we can’t go back."
Lang Cai stated, "Then I’ll leave the blockade task to you. You must ensure that they cannot breach the defense line and cause destruction. On my end, I’ll have the security department start arresting those we’ve identified, and Ling will coordinate with us..."
"No problem, I’ll begin mobilizing immediately," Lu Sang said seriously.
"Hmm."
After hanging up the call.
Lang Cai dialed the Myanmar Security Department’s number and ordered, "Begin the operation, whether they are confirmed or suspected spies, take control of them all, and try to avoid killing."
To prevent these people from creating panic in the city.
Or from causing other dangers to the safety of the citizens, Lang Cai believed that it was necessary to temporarily take control.
"Yes."
...
Lu Sang also started taking action.
Besides training, their usual task was to create various simulated combat plans targeted at those two states; they had made dozens of plans, and now they just needed execution.
No need for a meeting.
"First-level combat readiness state."
The shrill alarm sounded within all the camps in the eastern part of Myanmar, and the land and air forces rapidly assembled. Since they had been on standby since yesterday, it took less than an hour to prepare.
An endless line of military vehicles and weapons.
In the night,
With headlights on,
They marched mightily towards one common goal.
...
In the Provincial Capital,
Inside a courtyard in the suburbs, six men who had finished dinner were enjoying the cool air in the yard.
Suddenly,
With a "bang,"
The main gate was kicked open.
Before they could react, the Myanmar police who poured in had their guns pointed at them.
"Don’t move."
"Get down."
"..."
They were all taken aback, raising their hands in the air one after another.
"We haven’t committed any crimes, did you come to the wrong place, chief..?" a middle-aged man said anxiously.
At that moment, a person in casual clothes walked out from behind and said with a sneer, "I’m from the Myanmar Security department, you know what you’ve done, and we’ve already investigated your background thoroughly, so cut the nonsense and take them away."
The dozen or so people inside the house were taken away as well.
But in less than an hour.
They had arrested nearly a hundred people around the area.
Apart from here.
Yangon had even more people, because that was the former capital of Myanmar, with over two hundred spies captured. The reason they’re called spies and not agents is mainly because these folks hadn’t undergone any stringent training.
Before, they were mostly farmers.
Just out to earn a living.
They merely served as the ears and eyes.
At most, some were diehards.
Who could face death without fear.
But in terms of combat readiness and overall capabilities, they were worlds apart from trained agents, hence they were only referred to as spies. This was also why this round of arrests went so smoothly, with very little resistance encountered.
...
Shan State.
The provincial capital.
Within a high-walled courtyard.
Eight people were gathered in a basement, chiefly to avoid being wiped out in one fell swoop.
The airplanes of Myanmar were not just for show.
Though they had some air defence forces, only about a dozen systems could genuinely pose a threat to high-flying combat aircraft, as the cost of such weapons was prohibitively high; a single missile could cost tens or hundreds of millions.
The rest of the air defences were mostly geared towards helicopters.
The people were discussing how to exert joint pressure to gain more benefits.
Then, all of a sudden,
a person came in from outside, with an anxious expression on his face.
"Leader, the enemy has begun to mass troops like crazy at the border; a large amount of mechanized forces is still coming this way, and not only that, there are also signs of a buildup for an offensive at the Myanmar Economic Zone."
"What?"
"Do they dare?"
"What are they trying to do?"
"..."
Leader Pan Cong’s face changed, but then he quickly regained his composure.
"Leader, I think they’re just bluffing, wanting to up the ante," said a man sitting below, their ’strategist,’ nearly sixty years old, named Mu Zhiwen, the most learned man there.
It’s not that he has high academic qualifications.
It’s mainly that... he has a lot of crafty ideas.
"Of course, I know that, but I’m curious about who came up with this idea. Lang Cai himself wouldn’t have the boldness." Pan Cong was surprised by Lang Cai’s response, which deviated significantly from his expectations.
Mu Zhiwen stroked his white beard and frowned, "I’m also wondering. Lang Cai’s temperament is not what it was in his youth. If someone has emboldened him, I think it has something to do with Ling."
Upon hearing the name Ling,
anger flashed across the faces of everyone else in the room.
After the establishment of the Myanmar Economic Zone, Ling cut off all commodity trade with them, and Myanmar tightened the blockade even further. Although there was plenty to live on in the mountains, being blockaded at home was frustrating.
And with a population of over two million people,
they were not lacking anything.
But the people were.
If you can’t supply what others need, not even toothpaste to sell, how can you win their support? Goods from India were extremely expensive and of low quality, and they often got duped by them, which was utterly infuriating.
This was also why they were so eager to open up passages to the outside world.
If the blockade continued,
internal conflicts could jeopardize their rule.
Therefore,
in their eyes,
Ling was just Lang Cai’s lackey.
Leader Pan Cong snorted coldly, "It’s that Ling again. He’s a fool for mixing up with Lang Cai, attending meetings frequently without fearing the day Lang Cai might just shoot him."
Mu Zhiwen said, "I think that’s precisely why Lang Cai so readily appointed Ling as Deputy Leader. A Deputy Leader under close watch poses little threat. The two Deputy Leader positions we wanted seem rather doubtful now."
"No matter, they are but empty titles. I wouldn’t go to the Capital for work anyway; whoever goes is a fool," scoffed Pan Cong. The position of Deputy Leader was just a laughable demand, a mere figurative gesture.
Their real goal was commodity trade and the economy.
Mu Zhiwen continued, "The question now is whether Lang Cai is preparing to fight or just scare us. If it were before, I could be sure it’s the former, but if this is Ling’s suggestion, then it might not be so certain."
"Why? Whether to fight or not, would Lang Cai listen to Ling?" Pan Cong asked, narrowing his eyes.
Mu Zhiwen shook his head.
"No, although Lang Cai may not completely obey Ling, Ling holds two chips that even we are wary of—mine-clearing vehicles and combat power. Our terrain is mountainous and dense with forests.
The mines are the biggest obstacle to large-scale troop movements, but if mine-clearing vehicles get involved, especially if Ling possesses miniaturized technology, half our advantage would vanish.
As for combat power, our recent skirmishes proved that their mountain warfare capabilities surpass ours. If a real battle breaks out, under a pincer attack, our chances of defeat are substantial."
"That makes sense," Pan Cong nodded in agreement.
They bordered the Myanmar Economic Zone.
Or to put it another way,
the Myanmar Economic Zone lies within Shan State.
It used to be part of Shan State, but Ling stirred things up and forcefully took away most of the southern and eastern areas. Now they only control the northern region of Shan State.
From an original population of over five million,
Ling snatched half away.
Yet, Pan Cong couldn’t complain because Ling didn’t take it from him but from other leaders. During this time, he also sent people to test the enemy’s combat power.
And as one could imagine,
they got thrashed.
