117: Chapter 117 War Breaks in the Northwest: The "Death warrant" sent by the US

The capital of Kachin State, Myitkyina.

This small city, nestled among towering mountains, was blanketed year-round in hot, humid fog. The headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) was hidden within a sturdy fortification built against the mountainside.

The conference room was thick with smoke, so choking that one could barely open their eyes.

Commander-in-Chief Gan Shuang wore a worn, dark green military uniform with the collar buttons undone, revealing his bony collarbones. He held a cigar in his hand but had no heart to smoke it; instead, he anxiously ground it into an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, his brow furrowed into a deep " river" shape.

Opposite him sat a blonde, blue-eyed white man. The guy was wearing a tactical vest, expensive desert boots on his feet, and chewing gum, looking like a slacker tourist. But the bulging holster at his waist and those sinister blue eyes reminded everyone of his identity—a senior CIA consultant, William.

"Mr. William," Gan Shuang finally couldn't hold back, throwing the cigar butt onto the floor, his voice raspy. "Isn't it a bit too... too risky to provoke Zhang Cheng at a time like this? Look at the south; what kind of figure is Bao Youxiang? And what about the 'javelin' missiles you gave us? What was the result? We didn't even hear a bang; tens of thousands of troops were like ice cubes thrown into boiling water, melting away without a trace! Now, whenever I close my eyes at night, I see that black flag planted on the city walls of Myitkyina!"

Gan Shuang was truly afraid.

The stir Zhang Cheng had caused in Northern Myanmar over the past six months was nothing short of a miracle. Not to mention the road building and bridge construction, that army dressed in black leather with masks looked like Asuras crawling out of hell, leaving nothing behind wherever they passed.

William glanced at him contemptuously, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking arc. He pulled an exquisite silver flask from his coat, took a swig of whiskey, and then said slowly:

"General Gan, when did your courage become smaller than a mouse's? The reason Bao Youxiang lost is because he was stupid! Did he think he could defend the Salween River relying on that little human wave tactic? That was dreaming! Besides, those soldiers under him—some were drug addicts, some were gamblers—couldn't even hold their guns steady. How could they fight against them?"

William stood up and walked to the huge military map of Northern Myanmar on the wall, his finger stabbing fiercely at the location of the Hpakant mining area like a sharp sword.

"But it's different now." William's voice was filled with temptation. "According to our latest intelligence, that Zhang Cheng has been riding high lately. He just made that woman named Li Lanzhi his official partner, and every day it's parties and showing off their affection. As the Dragon Country proverb goes, 'A hero cannot pass the beauty test'; a bed of ease is a hero's grave. His nerves are at their most relaxed right now!"

"Besides," William turned around and stared into Gan Shuang's eyes, "don't forget, we have prepared 'new toys' for you this time."

At the mention of "new toys," a glint of greed finally flashed in Gan Shuang's originally murky eyes.

Just yesterday, a batch of unmarked containers was transported into Myitkyina through secret channels. Inside were none other than the US military's active-duty "Switchblade" loitering munitions, along with several sets of the latest individual electronic jamming equipment. William pounded his chest, guaranteeing that these gadgets were specifically designed to counter Zhang Cheng's drone-reliant tactics, hitting the mark every time.

"Hpakant..." Gan Shuang licked his cracked lips, his gaze fixed intently on that lush green spot on the map. "That's a fat piece of meat. In the past, we only collected some protection fees there; if we could occupy the mining area..."

"It's not just about occupying the mining area." William coaxed. "As long as we take Hpakant, we can cut off one of Zhang Cheng's major arteries. By the time he realizes it and wants to counterattack, it will be too late. If he dares to move, it's the perfect time to test our new tactics. As long as we can drag him into the quagmire of mountain warfare, hmph, we have plenty of ways to wear him down to death."

The balance in Gan Shuang's heart began to tilt drastically. Greed ultimately triumphed over fear. That was Hpakant! The world's top jade mine! If he could just take a bite, it would be enough to feed him for several lifetimes!

"Good! Then let's do it!"

Gan Shuang slammed the table, his face revealing the ferocity of a gambler going all-in. "Wealth is sought through danger! That kid Zhang Cheng snatched quite a few of our jade mines; this debt should have been settled long ago! I'm issuing the order now to have the Fourth Brigade select its most elite commando unit, disguise them as unidentified armed forces, and move tonight!"

"That's right." William nodded with satisfaction, a glimmer of cunning flashing in his eyes. "Remember, be quick and ruthless. Hit and run, and make a big scene! It would be best to kill a few hostages so that Zhang Cheng loses face over in the Dragon Country."

...

Pangkham, General Command Headquarters.

Unlike the murky atmosphere in Myitkyina, this place was spacious and bright, with air conditioning blowing a cool breeze. On the huge electronic sand table, the real-time dynamics of the entire North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region were displayed.

Zhang Cheng had just seen off a group of Dragon Country infrastructure teams that had come to inspect the hydropower station project and was holding a cup of ginseng tea brewed by Li Lanzhi herself, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window watching the bustling night scene outside.

"Master."

Old K appeared behind him silently like a ghost. On the special tactical tablet in his hand, a red alarm light was flashing.

"There is movement in the northwest." Old K's voice was as calm as if he were reading an instruction manual. "Although they maintained radio silence, our high-altitude long-endurance drone captured a thermal anomaly. A unit of the KIA's Fourth Brigade, a special operations detachment of about two hundred men, is infiltrating the Hpakant mining area. According to intercepted encrypted communication fragments, they are carrying 'Switchblade' loitering munitions provided by the USA, intending to attack our peripheral outposts and create an explosion."

Zhang Cheng took a sip of tea, the smile at the corners of his mouth gradually turning cold. "William? That troublemaker newly sent by the CIA? It seems the USA is unwilling to accept losing everything in the south and wants to get back at us in the north."

He turned around and placed the teacup gently on the table, making a soft "clink" sound.

"Thinking that just because I just finished my wedding, my blade has dulled? Thinking that I'm so obsessed with women that I can't lift my sword?" Zhang Cheng chuckled, but there was no laughter in his eyes, only a sheet of cold murderous intent. "Two hundred men? Brought loitering munitions? Looks like they want to give me a warning."

"Master, should we mobilize the Hpakant Garrison Regiment to intercept? Or call in army aviation for fire coverage?" Old K asked.

"Intercept? Coverage?" Zhang Cheng shook his head, his fingers tapping gently on the tabletop. "No, that would be too easy for them. Once the artillery fires, they die too quickly; they won't be able to feel fear. And..."

Zhang Cheng's gaze turned to the icon that had just lit up on the system panel—["Shadow Dancer" Optical Camouflage System (Individual Experimental Model)].

This was a piece of black technology he had exchanged with points just a few days ago. Although it was only an individual version, in this kind of jungle night battle, it was simply a divine tool for dimensional reduction strikes.

"The batch of 'Shadow Dancer' components newly exchanged from the system—weren't they just issued to the Third Detachment of the Special Operations Brigade?" Zhang Cheng's eyes flashed with the playfulness of a cat playing with a mouse. "Perfect, let's use this bunch of death-seeking guys to test the goods. Opportunities for such live-combat testing are rare."

"Tell the captain of the Third Detachment," Zhang Cheng's voice turned cold abruptly, "I want the leader captured alive. As for the others... I don't want to see the land of Hpakant made too messy by their dirty blood. Dispose of them cleanly; don't leave any traces. I want Gan Shuang and that USA guy to know what 'disappearing from the face of the earth' means."

"Yes." A red light flashed in Old K's eyes, and he went to carry out the order.

Zhang Cheng picked up the teacup again, looking at the deep night sky outside the window.

"Want to play night raids? Want to play special operations?" He muttered to himself, "Then I'll let you see what a real 'ghost' is."

...

Late at night, the outskirts of the Hpakant mining area.

This was a typical tropical rainforest landscape, with vines entwined and ancient trees towering. The moonlight was blocked by the thick canopy, and the forest was so dark you couldn't see your own fingers.

"Rustle... Rustle..."

A slight sound of footsteps echoed in the bushes. The KIA commando leader, Mao Wen, lay in the grass, gripping that brand-new American night-vision device tightly. In the green field of vision, the solitary outpost a few hundred meters ahead was clearly visible.

"Captain, that's their outpost ahead." The subordinate scout leaned over and said in a low voice, "The defense looks very lax; there isn't even a hidden sentry. That bunch of 'Black Army' is probably hiding inside sleeping."

Mao Wen licked his dry lips, but he felt inexplicably uneasy in his heart.

Although Consultant William said this night-vision device could see a mouse hundreds of meters away, and although the "Switchblade" in his hand was immensely powerful, he always felt a chill down his spine, as if something invisible was staring at him intensely from the darkness.

"Damn it, don't scare yourself!" Mao Wen cursed in his heart, forcing himself to be brave. "This bunch of 'Black Army' is just relying on good equipment; when it comes to real jungle warfare, can they really be better than us, the native Kachin people?"

He gritted his teeth and waved his hand: "Brothers, set up the 'Switchblade'! Make it quick! Blow them to hell for me! Retreat after the explosion and go back to collect the reward! Commander-in-Chief Gan said that this time, when we go back, everyone gets two gold bars!"

"Yes!"

A dozen or so soldiers scrambled to assemble the loitering munition launcher, while others stood guard on the perimeter. The temptation of gold bars made them momentarily forget their fear, their eyes glowing green.

Just then, a breeze blew through the treetops, and the leaves made a "rustling" sound.

Mao Wen suddenly felt a chill behind his neck, as if someone had gently blown on him. That chill shot straight up his spine to his scalp, making all the hair on his body stand on end!

"Who?!"

He turned his head sharply, pointing his gun behind him.

Behind him was empty, with only the pitch-black forest and vines swaying in the wind.

"What the hell..." Mao Wen muttered, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead. "Could it be that I'm too nervous?"

He had just wanted to turn his head to urge his men to hurry up when he suddenly discovered that the two subordinates who had been crouching three meters in front of him assembling the launcher were gone!

It was as if they had vanished into thin air!

On the ground, only two lonely AK rifles remained, along with a pool of dark red blood rapidly seeping into the soil.

Not even a scream had been let out!

Fear, in that instant, overwhelmed Mao Wen like a tidal wave.

"Enemy attack—!!"

He had just wanted to open his mouth to scream when a hand, as cold as a corpse, suddenly reached out from the void and clamped firmly over his mouth!

Immediately after, a dagger, sharp and without a hint of reflection, pressed against his throat with the chill of death!

In the air, several distorted, transparent ripples slowly appeared, like ripples on the surface of water. That was the outline after the optical camouflage was disengaged.

One, two, three...

Figure after figure, dressed in black tight-fitting combat uniforms, wearing full-coverage tactical helmets, and emanating a faint blue light, appeared out of thin air behind this group of KIA soldiers like Asuras crawling out of hell.

They were like ghosts that had merged with the darkness—silent, traceless, and intangible.

Mao Wen's pupils contracted violently; that was the most primitive and profound fear humans have of the unknown.

He finally understood why Wa State in the south had been defeated so quickly, and why Zhang Cheng's army was called the "Grim Reaper."