20: Gold can also be bait

Northern Gray Market region of the Emerald Principality, outside a newly discovered gold mine.

The moonlight was obscured by clouds, and a damp mist hung in the mountains. Five Gray Market Allied Forces scouts cautiously moved through the bushes. The squad leader, Wu Minaung, in his forties with a scar on his face, was a veteran of the Gray Market Allied Forces. He raised his hand, signaling the team to stop, and then lifted his binoculars to observe ahead.

A thousand meters away, the entrance to the gold mine was fortified with barbed wire and watchtowers, and several searchlights slowly swept the ground. Two guards in heavy black uniforms stood on the watchtowers, holding automatic rifles, their expressions vigilant. Another person leaned against a watchtower below, seemingly dozing off.

"Strange..." Wu Minaung muttered in a low voice, "Didn't they say Titan deployed elite troops here? Why are there so few people?"

His deputy, A Tai, lowered his voice: "Squad leader, could it be a trap? Last month, the Four Great Families were wiped out by them overnight."

Wu Minaung sneered: "Elite? I think it's just a bluff. They managed to take out the Four Great Families through sneak attacks and equipment advantage. Now that the mining area is so large, where would they get so many people?"

He made a gesture, and the squad fanned out, using the cover of night to approach the mining area. They didn't notice the inconspicuous vibration sensors buried in the mud beneath their feet, nor the several miniature cameras silently rotating on the distant treetops.

As they advanced, the automatic turrets ahead immediately entered "fault mode," their barrels lowered and indicator lights off. At the same time, the surveillance cameras on the wall also "coincidentally" turned to the wrong angle.

The five scouts were completely unaware that they were being led.

Wu Minaung squatted behind a banyan tree, observing the mine less than two hundred meters away through his binoculars.

His deputy leaned over: "Squad leader, there's no one on the watchtower on the east wall, and the surveillance isn't facing that way."

Wu Minaung narrowed his eyes. Titan indeed had insufficient manpower here; the eastern defense was almost nonexistent. His heart began to race. If he could bring back intelligence on Titan's mine, or even snatch some gold, the Allied Forces high command would surely reward him handsomely!

"A Long, go check it out, be careful." He ordered.

The young soldier named A Long crept forward, easily scaling the wall. Five minutes later, he ran back, panting, clutching a handful of gold dust: "Squad leader! It's full of ore inside! It's gold! The guards are all playing cards on the west side!"

Greed flashed in Wu Minaung's eyes: "Withdraw! Report to headquarters immediately!"

Titan temporary base, monitoring room

Ains sat in front of the monitoring screen, his fingertips gently tapping the table. On the screen, the Gray Market Allied Forces scouts were stealthily climbing over the barbed wire, their movements clumsy yet cautious.

"They came, as expected." He smirked, picked up the communicator, and issued an order.

The door to the monitoring room opened, and Francisco Devis walked in. He held a cup of coffee, his badge clearly visible in the light. He glanced at the screen and scoffed: "These people really think they can sneak in on their own, how naive. By the way, are you just letting them investigate like this?"

Ains said indifferently: "Let them see. The more they see, the bolder they'll get. But what are you, a Level 16 official employee, doing here?"

Devis took a sip of coffee and exhaled, "Just curious. After all, it's been a long time since I set foot on real land."

The perspective returns to the mining area half an hour earlier.

Warrior-14, a Warrior squad leader, stood at the highest point of the mining area. The Gray Market Allied Forces scout squad two kilometers away was clearly marked in his tactical goggles.

"Target confirmed." Warrior-54's mechanical voice sounded in the communication channel, "As per Executive Officer Ains's instructions, maintain 'limited alert' status."

Warrior-17 next to him tilted his head in confusion: "Squad leader, they've already returned, why aren't we acting yet?"

A yellow light flashed in 14's goggles: "Because the Executive Officer wants them to go back alive and report."

At the same time, Pierpoint Space Station, Strategic Investment Department conference room.

A holographic map of the Emerald Principality floated in the center of the oval conference table. Emerald tapped her finger, and the northern region of the Emerald Principality immediately zoomed in. She wore a dark purple slim-fit suit today, and her purple-blue pupils appeared particularly cold under the lights.

Topaz gently tapped the holographic projection table, and Numby jumped from her shoulder, its small paws precisely hitting the control panel. A stream of data, gleaming with metallic luster, unfolded in the air, forming the emblems of the Four Great Families. The Wei Family's golden abacus, the Bai Family's jade Pixiu, the Liu Family's blood diamond, and the Ming Family's Ace of Spades, all now bore a crimson "Liquidated" stamp.

"First, the good news." She swiped her finger, and a virtual report scrolled like a waterfall, "The Four Great Families' real estate monetization rate is 92%, 17 percentage points higher than estimated. Especially the Ming Family, there's an unexpected surprise."

Numby suddenly let out an "ooh-woo," and the projection immediately switched to a surveillance video: A Warrior mech was using a laser cutter to dismantle a Buddha statue in the Ming Family's underground vault. The moment the pure gold Buddha head crashed to the ground, bundles of account books were revealed inside the Buddha's body.

Emerald's eyebrows subtly raised: "Oh, account books?"

"Expenditure' account books, to be precise." Topaz gave a professional smile, "It has been verified. The Buddha statue contained all of the Ming Family's bribery records and evidence since their rise to power, which have now been archived in the Strategic Investment Department's 'Interpersonal Relations' database."

Aventurine suddenly laughed out loud, waving his hand to circle the entertainment industry assets section in the projection: "So you turned a scam park into a legitimate casino? How much profit can this godforsaken place make?"

"We never expected much profit from it; it's merely to prevent the Gray Market from losing order." Topaz clicked a file, and the screen switched to a brightly lit casino complex, "We are currently transforming the old street into the 'Emerald Ocean International Entertainment Resort.'" She pointed to the magnificent casino hall in the rendering, "All gambling operations have legal licenses, and 'interpersonal relations' are still very useful. Local staff are hired and re-employed after professional training." Topaz pulled up a set of data, "Dealers, security, and service personnel are all licensed, enjoying regular salaries and benefits."

"Those fragmented assets are nothing; the real big money is here."

The report suddenly turned a dazzling red, and the Swiss bank accounts of the Four Great Families exploded one after another like fireworks, turning into a sky full of credit points values.

"A total of 57.6 billion US dollars has been injected into a fund through the 'Asset Purification Program' designed by Bronya. Does the boss have any plans for this fund?"

Emerald's finger swiped, and a material procurement list appeared on the projection.

"BOSS's intention is that after dealing with the Gray Market Allied Forces, the company's next target will be Mandalay."

"Hmm? Is the boss not planning to mess around anymore?"

"Not entirely. The main objective is rare earth mines. Kachin State, Wa State, and Shan State, their territories contain almost 95% of the entire Emerald Principality's rare earth resources. The Construction Materials Logistics Department has complained several times that there aren't enough materials, and the small amount purchased through normal channels is simply not enough."

The alert tone sounded twice, and Ains's projection appeared in the center of the conference table.

"Good evening, directors of the Strategic Investment Department." He cut straight to the chase, "The Gray Market Allied Forces have taken the bait. Their scout squad discovered a 'loophole' in the gold mine and is expected to send troops to test it within 48 hours."

Aventurine whistled: "Finally some fun. Should I go play with them?"

"No need." Emerald shook her head, "Your style is too flamboyant. This time, we need to make the Allied Forces 'voluntarily' become our agents." She pulled up a file, "According to Ada Wong's intelligence, Allied Forces Commander General Peng Yiren has recently been secretly contacting the Taang National Liberation Army, attempting to use their strength to resist us."

Aventurine sneered: "Foolish, inviting a wolf into the house."

"Precisely why we need a 'performance.'" Emerald's finger traced the holographic map, "To make the Allied Forces realize that resisting Titan only leads to death, but cooperation can get them gold."

After a busy period, the group finalized a new plan. Topaz leaned back, lying in her chair, "So, let's send the new plan to the boss."

Three minutes later, on the other end of the conference table, Chen Hao's virtual projection suddenly lit up.

"I've reviewed the plan; it's feasible." He immediately set the tone, "But note two points: First, don't let the Emerald Principality Government Army intervene too early; second, control the flow of intelligence. For at least three to five months, the outside world must not know the true situation in the northern Emerald Principality."

Emerald nodded: "The 'Web Weaver' team has already been arranged to spread false information, claiming that the Four Great Families were destroyed due to internal strife, and the Gray Market Allied Forces want to take advantage."

Chen Hao smiled with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Ains: "Are the 'actors' at the mine ready?"

"Of course." Ains grinned, "Titan Security will act very disheveled, after all, their opponent is the 'courageous Gray Market Allied Forces,' right?"

A week later, Gray Market Allied Forces Command.

General Peng Yiren stared at the gold dust on the table, his fingers trembling slightly. At fifty years old, he was the local emperor of the Gray Market region, but Titan's recent appearance had made him restless.

"Are you sure the guards are lax?" He questioned Wu Minaung.

"Absolutely certain!" Wu Minaung stood at attention and replied, "The east side is lightly guarded, there are blind spots in the surveillance, and no more than ten guards!"

Chief of Staff So Wen leaned over: "Commander, this is an opportunity. Titan just annexed the Four Great Families, so their forces must be spread thin. If we take the gold mine, not only can we replenish military funds, but we can also negotiate with Titan!"

General Peng Yiren pondered for a moment, then slammed the table: "Assemble the Third Battalion, dawn raid! Remember, quick decisive battle! We need to leave time for the brother units to build defensive fortifications!"

At dawn, two hundred Gray Market Allied Forces soldiers quietly surrounded the gold mine.

Chief of Staff So Wen personally supervised the battle, hiding in the command vehicle behind. Through his binoculars, the mine was silent, with only a few "sleepy" Titan guards on patrol.

"Attack!" He ordered.

The soldiers held their breath and charged towards the east wall. As soon as the first few climbed over, suddenly, the searchlights came on!

"Find cover!" Wu Minaung had just shouted when he froze. The imagined hail of bullets did not appear. A dozen "panicked" Titan security guards were frantically scrambling to escape through the back door; some even "accidentally" dropped a document box.

"Chase!" Wu Minaung excitedly waved his hand, but he didn't notice that in the darkness, the Warriors' infrared vision was coldly observing everything.

Two hours later, Allied Forces Command.

After occupying the gold mine, General Peng Yiren laughed heartily for a full five minutes. With this gold mine, he was confident he could raise another 6 reinforced regiments. What Taang National Liberation Army, Ke Qin Independent Army, Wa State Army, none of them would be his match.

With more resources at his disposal, he might even be able to sit in the chair of the 'Speaker of Northern Emerald Principality.'

An hour later, Chief of Staff So Wen handed the captured 'secret documents' to General Peng Yiren. General Peng Yiren glanced at the document box, which had 'Top Secret' written in English on the outside, and was instantly overjoyed, "Good, good, good! I didn't expect such an unexpected harvest!"

So Wen fawningly said; "Commander, you wouldn't believe it, our men had just entered, and Titan's people ran away without even firing a single shot. They looked so pathetic fleeing, they even lost such an important document box. It seems this gold mine belonging to the Commander is an act of heaven!"

General Peng Yiren smiled contemptuously, his disdain undisguised, "This Titan is nothing special. Some people even said before that the Four Great Families were annihilated by them, which is ridiculous. They're just a bunch of ignorant businessmen, trying to make a living in the northern Emerald Principality, it's simply wishful thinking!"

Seeing the Commander in a good mood, So Wen quickly chimed in, "That's all thanks to the Commander's excellent military leadership. These businessmen trying to contend with you are just asking for trouble. I think, as for those Four Great Families, it's definitely just as the rumors say, they had internal strife, which allowed Titan to pick up the pieces."

General Peng Yiren smiled and opened the document box, intending to see what secrets it contained. Perhaps he could even find something good to extort Titan for more money.

"Come, my Chief of Staff, let's see what secrets this company might have."

He took out the top document. At the sight of the cover, General Peng Yiren's face instantly darkened.

The cover was written in Burmese: 'Titan Greets You'.