127: Chapter 127 UN Roar and Twitter Slap in the Face

Deep in the jungle, a hunt and counter-hunt between top-tier special forces was about to begin.

On the river, the apache had completed its first round of slaughter and was returning to resupply ammunition.

The voice of BigDecimal own rang out in the communication channel: "Dominator, the first wave of crossing troops has been completely annihilated. The enemy on the west bank is regrouping, and it is expected that they will launch a second wave of attacks in an hour."

Zhang Cheng looked at the billowing smoke on the other side of the river and said indifferently: "They won't have a second wave."

He turned and ordered Old K: "Notify Zhao Yuxun to speed up on the northern line; the Banwa mountain area must be completely controlled by noon."

"Notify Wang Yuanshan that the 'Thor' brigade is preparing for the second round of salvo. The target this time is—within twenty kilometers of the depth of the west bank, all enemy assembly points, logistics bases, and command nodes."

"Notify BigDecimal own that after the apache replenishes ammunition, stand by. Once the shelling ends, I want them to cross the Salween River and conduct deep strikes."

After issuing a series of orders, Zhang Cheng walked to the holographic sand table, looking at the light spots representing the enemy and our forces on it.

On the northern line, the blue arrows representing the "North Wind" cluster had already pierced the core of the red area.

On the southern line, the red arrows representing the Myanmar Army were stalled at the riverbank, while the blue defense line representing the "Nanshan" cluster was as solid as a rock.

"Min Aung Hlaing..." Zhang Cheng muttered to himself, "Do you think you can win just because you have the backing of the USA?"

He picked up the encrypted communicator and connected to the dedicated line of the Dragon Country.

"Commissioner Zhao, please pass a message to Naypyidaw for me."

"Tell them, if they withdraw their troops now, I can still save them some face. If they continue to fight..."

Zhang Cheng's eyes were as cold as knives: "I don't mind letting Myanmar change a capital."

New York, United Nations Headquarters building, 10:00 AM.

The UN Security Council chamber was packed. Representatives from various countries and media reporters crowded the public gallery, with cameras aimed at the podium.

The USA Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, was speaking. This blonde female diplomat spoke with passion and exaggerated gestures:

"...Zhang Cheng and the illegal armed forces he leads have not only openly split the territorial integrity of Myanmar but have also brutally suppressed the ethnic minorities in Kachin State and launched a war of aggression against the legitimate government of Myanmar! This is the most naked trampling on international law and the 'Charter of the United Nations'!"

On the big screen behind her, edited footage was playing—the tragic aftermath of the shelling of Banwa Mountain, the burning ships on the Salween River, accompanied by tragic music and inflammatory subtitles.

"According to reliable intelligence, Zhang Cheng's troops have used heavy weapons including long-range rocket launchers and armed helicopters. These weapons obviously come from the illegal transfer of a certain major power!" Greenfield's gaze turned to the Dragon Country representative's seat, "We call on the international community, especially certain countries, to immediately stop supporting this kind of terrorist warlord!"

The British representative spoke immediately after: "The British Empire firmly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar. We propose that the UN Security Council adopt a resolution to impose comprehensive sanctions on Zhang Cheng and his associated entities, including arms embargoes, asset freezes, travel bans..."

France, Japan, Australia... Representatives of Western countries took turns, their words becoming more and more intense.

On the podium, the Myanmar Permanent Representative, U Tun Tin, looked filled with grief and indignation, accusing in English with a heavy accent: "Zhang Cheng's atrocities have made the people of Myanmar bleed! We call on the international community to authorize all necessary means to restore peace and unity in Myanmar!"

In the venue, many representatives from developing countries whispered to each other. Some sympathized with Myanmar, some expressed disgust at the West waving the stick of "interference in internal affairs" again, and more were watching—watching how the Dragon Country would react.

It was the Dragon Country representative's turn.

Permanent Representative Li Hui slowly stood up. This experienced diplomat had a calm smile on his face. He didn't rush to refute, but instead played a video first.

In the footage, there were scenes of rescued "piglets" of Dragon Country nationality weeping, the shocking torture tools and cells in the telecom fraud park, the scenes of the heads of the Four Great Families on trial, and finally—the schools, hospitals, and roads built by Zhang Cheng in Kokang, and the smiles on the faces of local people when they received relief food.

After the video finished playing, Li Hui spoke, his voice steady and powerful:

"The scenes shown by some representatives just now are very 'wonderful'. But I want to ask, why didn't you show the tens of thousands of citizens from various countries who were imprisoned and abused in the Northern Myanmar telecom fraud parks? Why didn't you show the evidence of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and organ trading by the Four Great Families over the past decades? Why didn't you show the long-term oppression of ethnic minority areas by the Myanmar Army?"

A series of rhetorical questions made the venue quiet down.

"The North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region led by Mr. Zhang Cheng is a political entity that naturally formed in the process of clearing out the cancer of the Golden Triangle for decades and rescuing tens of thousands of imprisoned compatriots." Li Hui paused, "As for the so-called 'arms transfer', the Dragon Country has always strictly adhered to international law and UN Security Council resolutions and has never provided weapons to any non-state entity. On the contrary—"

He called up another set of data: "According to public reports, mercenaries from the USA 'Blackwater' have appeared on the Myanmar battlefield, and the USA has provided the Myanmar Army with offensive weapons such as 'Grey Eagle' drones and 'javelin' missiles. May I ask, does this count as 'external forces interfering in internal affairs'?"

Greenfield's face changed, and she wanted to refute, but Li Hui didn't give her the chance.

"The position of the Dragon Country on the Myanmar issue is consistent and clear: We support the peace and stability of Myanmar and support resolving differences through dialogue and consultation. We oppose any external forces interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs under any pretext, and oppose resolving disputes by force."

He looked at U Tun Tin, his tone serious: "We also hope that the Myanmar government will face up to domestic ethnic conflicts and historical legacy issues, rather than blindly relying on external military suppression. Force cannot solve problems, it will only deepen the contradictions."

Finally, Li Hui said firmly: "Based on the above, the Dragon Country opposes the internationalization of Myanmar's domestic issues and opposes any unilateral sanctions and authorization to use force. If the relevant draft resolution is put to a vote, the Dragon Country will exercise its veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council."

"Wow—"

The venue was in an uproar.

Exercising the veto power! This is the strongest political signal!

Greenfield was so angry that her face turned pale. She grabbed the microphone: "The Dragon Country representative is shielding war criminals! It is condoning separatism! The USA will never accept..."

"What if you don't accept it?" Li Hui interrupted her indifferently, "The UN Security Council is not a one-man show for a certain country. What the Dragon Country upholds is the basic norms of international relations and the overall situation of regional peace and stability."

He put away his documents and looked at the chairman: "If there are no other questions, my statement is concluded."

After speaking, he sat down calmly.

In the venue, the Russian representative took the lead in applauding, followed by Pakistan, Iran, Syria... More and more country representatives applauded. Although the applause was not enthusiastic, it was enough to show their attitude.

U Tun Tin's face was pale. He knew that with the Dragon Country's veto, any sanction resolution or authorization to use force had become a bubble.

Greenfield glared at the Dragon Country delegation, grabbed her phone, and walked out of the venue.

She had to report to the White House immediately.

...

Washington, White House.

Golden Hair was furious in the Oval Office.

"Trash! All trash!" He threw a battle report on the table, "Three divisions, more than forty thousand people, can't beat Zhang Cheng's few troops? And were blocked and slaughtered by them at the riverbank?!"

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper lowered his head: "Mr. President, the equipment level of Zhang Cheng's troops far exceeds expectations. They have advanced artillery, armed helicopters, and... an electronic warfare system that is suspected to be more advanced than ours."

"I don't care!" Golden Hair roared, "I have already said on Twitter that I would teach him a lesson, and now the whole world is watching my joke!"

He grabbed his phone and wanted to tweet again.

The Chief of Staff hurriedly stopped him: "Mr. President, it might not be appropriate to tweet now... In the United Nations, the Dragon Country's veto has already made us very passive."

"Passive? When have I, Golden Hair, ever been passive?!" Golden Hair pushed him away and typed quickly:

"Just learned about the terrible situation in the United Nations UN Security Council! Certain countries (you know who) are shielding the war criminal Zhang Cheng and vetoed the just resolution! This is so unfair! But don't worry, the USA will not sit idly by! We are considering all options, including military options! Zhang Cheng, you'd better be careful! #USA First"

Click send.

As he expected, this tweet instantly blew up the internet. Supporters cheered "The President is really tough", opponents mocked "Boasting again", and the onlookers pulled up their benches, ready to watch the show.

But what Golden Hair didn't expect was that the slap in the face came so quickly.

Just half an hour later, Zhang Cheng's official Twitter account—a blue V account certified as "Chief Executive of the North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region"—sent out the first tweet.

No text, just three pictures.

The first one: On the top of Banwa Mountain, Wu Lajue was escorted by two Death Soldiers, kneeling in front of that black flag with gold stars. The background was the rising sun.

The second one: On the west bank of the Salween River, the destroyed Myanmar Army artillery positions and burning vehicle wreckage, and in the distance, the retreating Myanmar Army troops could still be seen.

The third one: Twelve corpses were neatly arranged, with US-made equipment and "Blackwater" identification tags placed beside them. The caption only had one sentence: "Three hundred people? Not enough to kill."

This tweet was like a bomb, exploding on Twitter.

"My god! Wu Lajue was caught?!"

"Are those 'Blackwater' people? All dead?"

"Zhang Cheng is slapping Golden Hair in the face!"

"Wait, this Zhang Cheng actually has a Twitter account? And it's verified?"

Comments, retweets, and likes skyrocketed by thousands per second. Many people @Golden Hair, asking him "What about the military options?"

When Golden Hair saw this tweet, he was accepting a phone interview with Fox. The host asked cautiously: "Mr. President, regarding Zhang Cheng's latest tweet, do you have any response?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a full five seconds.

Then came Golden Hair's voice, clearly suppressing anger: "Fake news! It's all fake! We are verifying... Wait, I have an important call to take, hanging up first."

"Beep beep beep..."

Busy signal.

The whole world saw this scene.

...

East bank of the Salween River, command post.

Zhang Cheng put down his phone, looking at the tweet that had been retweeted over a million times on the screen, a cold smile curling on the corner of his mouth.

Old K walked in: "Dominator, the latest battle report. On the northern line, the Banwa mountain area has been completely controlled, 2,400 enemy troops captured, 1,500 killed, and the rest routed. Wu Lajue is on the way to being escorted."

"On the southern line, the 33rd Division of the Myanmar Army retreated twenty kilometers, and the 66th and 99th Divisions also showed signs of retreating. Our artillery conducted three rounds of extended fire, destroying three of the enemy's logistics bases."

"In addition," Old K paused, "Commissioner Zhao Gang of the Dragon Country sent a secret telegram: At the United Nations General Assembly, we won. The Western countries' proposal was vetoed. He asked me to tell you—well fought, beautifully fought, the motherland is proud of you."

Zhang Cheng nodded and walked to the observation window.

The smoke on the other side of the river had not yet dissipated, but the gunfire had ceased. In the morning light, the Salween River flowed quietly, as if the fierce battle just now had never happened.

But he knew, this was just the beginning.

Min Aung Hlaing would not be reconciled to failure, the USA would not give up, and the international game would continue.

"Old K."

"Here."

"Order the troops to consolidate the defense line, but do not pursue." Zhang Cheng turned around, "Leave some face for Min Aung Hlaing, and also leave some buffer for us."

"In addition, prepare a press conference. I want to personally announce the battle results to the whole world, and at the same time—issue an invitation for peace talks to the Myanmar government."

A red light flashed in Old K's eyes: "Peace talks? Will they accept?"

"They have to accept even if they don't." Zhang Cheng sneered, "One of their three main divisions was crippled, and the other two had their morale collapse. The equipment given by the USA became scrap iron, and the mercenaries became corpses. Now those masters in Naypyidaw should be arguing like crazy."

"What we need to do is strike while the iron is hot. After the military victory, it is a political offensive."

He looked to the east, where the direction of the Dragon Country was.

"Zhao Gang is right, the motherland is our strongest backing. But to forge iron, one must be strong oneself. In this battle, we have fought out our prestige and fought out our status. Next..."

Pangkham International Conference Center, this building, which was built with the aid of the Dragon Country and completed less than a month ago, became the focus of global attention today.

At 9:00 AM, the outside of the conference hall was heavily guarded. Three layers of security checks, with three hundred fully armed Death Soldiers guarding inside and outside, drones circling in the sky, and snipers ambushing at nearby commanding heights. This was not to prevent assassins; this was to show muscles.

Inside the hall, a huge mahogany round table was placed in the center. Four seats, corresponding to the four major forces.

On the east side, Zhang Cheng brought Li Lanzhi and Old K, with eight Death Soldier guards in black uniforms and cold eyes standing behind him. He was not wearing military uniform today, but a well-tailored dark gray suit, but that murderous aura cultivated from battlefield slaughter could not be hidden no matter what.

On the west side, the USA delegation. Leading them was the Presidential Envoy, Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs Robert Hudson, a white politician in his fifties with hair combed neatly.