26: Stimulate the mice

Days later, Sanu Mountain Area, late night.

On a guard tower on the outskirts of the mine, two sentries were staring at the images in their night vision goggles. In the distant jungle, dark shadows flickered faintly.

One sentry cursed under his breath, "These Ke Qin Independent Army bastards, they don't dare come during the day; they only pick at night to harass us."

The other sentry pressed his communicator: "Abnormal activity detected in B7 area, suspected armed personnel approaching."

A calm voice responded through the communicator: "Received. Continue monitoring. Do not open fire."

At the same moment, the mine's Command Center.

Topaz stared at the flashing red dots on the holographic sandbox, her brows furrowed. This was already the third time this week they had been harassed by the Ke Qin Independent Army and the Wa State Army.

"It seems they still haven't learned their lesson," Topaz sneered, then connected to Chen Hao.

A holographic projection unfolded, and Chen Hao's figure appeared in the Command Center.

"Situation?" Chen Hao asked succinctly.

Topaz projected the situation around the mine: "The Ke Qin Independent Army has been frequently harassing our supply lines recently. They don't dare to attack directly, but they've been destroying roads and ambushing isolated workers. Yesterday, another transport vehicle was blown up, and three local employees were injured."

Chen Hao narrowed his eyes, his finger gently tapping the table. On the holographic map, the Sanu Mountain Area was marked in deep red, surrounded by black markers representing hostile forces.

"Interesting. They're only harassing but not attacking. Are they wary of Titan's armed forces? No, Bronya hasn't monitored any intelligence leaks from General Peng Yiren's side, and their internal intelligence also shows they only believe Titan has a PMC background. So what kind of tricks are they playing?"

"They probably want to test the waters first. If we're tough, they'll collect some 'protection fees.' If we're weak, they'll either take a share or the whole cake," Topaz scoffed.

Chen Hao was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Then let's give them some more leverage."

He pulled up a detailed map of Sanu Town and drew a circle around the town center with his finger: "Since they don't want to coexist peacefully, then I can't be blamed."

"But Host, you weren't planning on letting them off the hook anyway, were you?" Xiao Jixiang suddenly interjected in Chen Hao's mind.

"This is called having a just cause, understand? No increase in war-weariness~"

"Alright, then you, War Criminal Host, go for it. This young lady is off to binge-watch a drama."

Chen Hao immediately pictured a movie theater, white people, and the head-slapping .gif in his mind. This Xiao Jixiang just popped out to label him a war criminal, didn't she?

"Full takeover? But the original plan wasn't...?"

Chen Hao shook his head: "No need to change it, but we can add some small details. For example, first sow discord, fan the flames, and finally... we'll finish it, taking the biggest fruit."

"Notify Ains to take Sanu. Also, consider trying to win over the people; it will be beneficial when the Company makes its debut later."

"Yes, Boss."

The next night, four streaks of glowing blue contrails cut through the clouds over Northern Myanmar. Two Corporal-class spacecraft quietly approached the target area in subsonic cruise mode, the optical camouflage on their hulls rippling like water in the sunlight.

"Arriving at target airspace, altitude 5000 meters," Bronya's voice echoed in the comm channel, "Scan shows an armed camp 2.7 kilometers southeast of the town, 124 heat signatures."

Chen Hao, through the perspective of the Mu Yan puppet, observed the holographic sandbox in one of the spacecraft. Indeed, after Ains had finalized the combat plan, Chen Hao used his evening rest time to once again play the game of front-line viewing.

This border town, known as "Sanu," was like a moldy cake, with chaotic shantytowns surrounding a few concrete buildings. And on the edge of the jungle to the southeast, in a military camp fenced with barbed wire, a dozen modified pickup trucks sat baking in the sun, mounted with heavy machine guns.

"Standard anti-guerrilla setup," Gideon commented, chewing gum, "No anti-aircraft missiles even. Truly heartbreaking."

Ilona had already set up her anti-materiel rifle: "Do you need me to take out the guard towers first?"

"Not so fast, little princess," Gideon suddenly showed a sly smile, "Boss, how about we play a little psychological warfare?"

Chen Hao (Mu Yan) raised an eyebrow: "Speak."

"First, have Jeremy hack into their broadcast system, then..." The former special forces Commander made a descending hand gesture, "Let's have some 'divine punishment.'"

Three minutes later, the camp's loudspeakers suddenly burst with a harsh static. Before the soldiers playing cards in the shade could react, a deep, electronically synthesized male voice began a countdown in Kachin:

"Ten... nine... eight..."

"What the hell?"

"Who's playing a prank?"

"Quick, check the broadcast room!"

The moment the countdown hit zero, a searing white beam of light descended from the sky. The laser precisely burned a five-meter diameter Titan emblem into the ground, the high temperature instantly vitrifying the soil. Several soldiers standing at the bullseye watched in a daze as they turned into human torches, unable to even scream.

"Oh my God..."

"Is it a missile?"

"No... it's a demon! A demon has come!"

The camp instantly erupted into chaos. Some knelt in prayer, some fired wildly, and many more scattered like headless chickens. What they didn't know was that the true Grim Reaper had only just arrived.

Nine Warrior mechs deactivated their optical camouflage and appeared around the camp. Their black and white armor, in the firelight, resembled devils crawling out of hell. They advanced in standard three-mech tactical formations, their shoulder-mounted honeycomb missile pods opening simultaneously.

"Fire at will," Gideon ordered.

What followed could hardly be called a battle; it was more like a meticulously choreographed execution. Electromagnetic rifle bursts pierced targets behind cover, miniature missiles precisely drilled into the firing ports of machine gun bunkers, and most chilling were the Warriors that surged into the crowd. Their mechanical arms extended high-frequency vibrating blades, leaving a trail of flying flesh without a single drop of blood staining them.

"Ambush in the left warehouse," Ilona calmly reported battlefield intelligence, "Five people with RPGs."

Ilona's sniper rifle fired five times. Through the scope, five translucent bullet holes suddenly appeared on the warehouse's corrugated iron wall, followed by the belated sound of explosions.

"Cleared," Gideon whistled, "Took 4 minutes and 37 seconds, faster than the drill."

When Chen Hao, controlling the Mu Yan puppet, walked into the camp, the last survivor was being held kneeling on the ground by a Warrior. The blood-stained officer trembled as he looked up, seeing a demon emanating cold metallic light.

"You... who exactly are you?"

"Interstellar Peace Corporation," Chen Hao, in a playful mood, replied in Kachin through Bronya's instruction, "Bringing you order."

The officer suddenly laughed hysterically: "You think killing us will let you control this place? A large force will come back tomorrow to reclaim it!"

"I know," Chen Hao pressed a mechanical finger to his forehead, "So I need your help."

Five minutes later, that officer knelt in the burning camp, blood mixed with white matter flowing from the hole in his forehead.

"Psychological warfare, perfect score," Angela's projection appeared, pushing up her glasses, "But Boss, are you really not leaving any survivors?"

Chen Hao looked towards the distant town: "Fear doesn't need survivors, but witnesses."

Three days later, Ains was sitting in the reception room of the Sanu Town government. The man in the custom-tailored suit unhurriedly sipped his Pu-erh tea, while the foreheads of the three local officials opposite him constantly beaded with cold sweat.

"So, here's the list," Ains pushed over a tablet, "Weapons confiscated in the past 72 hours: six hundred CK-47s, fifty-five RPG launchers, sixteen mortars... Oh, and three modified armored vehicles."

The oldest official's Adam's apple bobbed: "Mr. Ains, these are...?"

"Gifts," The whisky glass refracted an amber glow in the light, "To exchange for your 'Special Security Permit' for our mining company."

As the conversation entered its second hour, a second document, delivered by Angela disguised as a secretary, dramatically changed the atmosphere. It was a geological survey map showing the distribution of rare earth mineral veins, along with Titan's promised 20% net profit sharing clause.

"Of course, we understand you need time to consider," Ains stood up to adjust his suit, the platinum cufflinks on his sleeves flashing coldly, "Before sunrise tomorrow, I want to see the permit placed at the checkpoint at the town entrance."

Late at night in the government dormitory, the elderly official tossed and turned in bed. When he went to the living room for a calming drink for the third time and returned to his bedroom, checking for the pistol under his pillow, he suddenly felt a cold metallic object.

A beautifully crafted golden bullet, with 'Titan' engraved on the casing.

The next morning, the permit, along with three boxes of local specialty jade, appeared punctually at the designated location.

"I knew it," Gideon propped his feet on the desk, toying with the golden bullet, "Sometimes the old-fashioned methods work best."

Angela was browsing the newly acquired government database: "Interesting, they passed the 'Temporary Administrative Measures for Foreign-Funded Security Enterprises' overnight."

"Human nature is always like this," Chen Hao's voice came through the Mu Yan puppet, "Now, let's talk about phase two."

A holographic map unfolded, showing twelve villages and towns within a ten-kilometer radius centered on Sanu.

"Within a week, I want everyone here to know two things," A mechanical finger pointed at the projection, "Resist Titan and die, cooperate and prosper."

That afternoon, ten trucks loaded with food and medicine drove into the center of Sanu Town. The prominent Titan logo was stamped on every bag of rice, and the ones responsible for distributing the supplies were Warrior robots, freshly repainted and modified.

Their armor was covered with a layer of bio-skin. Although their expressionless poker faces still exuded a metallic aura, at least they looked more like real people.

Jeremy squatted on the town square's clock tower, watching the crowd lining up for supplies below: "Seriously, shouldn't we have a ribbon-cutting ceremony?"

"Save it," Ilona's sniper scope swept over the crowd, "Three o'clock direction, the one in the blue shirt is taking pictures."

"Let him take pictures," Gideon chuckled, "Soon, all of Northern Myanmar will be begging us to 'invade' them."

As night fell, Ains stood on the roof of Sanu Town's newly branded "Titan" office building, looking at the lights gradually illuminating the town. The whisky in his hand reflected the starry sky, and also the drilling rigs that had begun operations in the direction of the distant mine.

"To the new order," He raised his glass to the starry sky, spilling the liquor onto the ground.