128: Chapter 128 Four-Party Talks: The Clash of Swords Amidst the Barrage of Words

Behind him followed the Assistant Secretary of Defense, the Director of the State Department's Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, and—two "consultants" in suits whose bearing was clearly military.

On the south side sat the delegation from the Myanmar military government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended in person, the de facto ruler of Myanmar looking grim-faced. Behind him were the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Chief of General Staff. Resentment and humiliation were written on everyone's faces—they had to travel to a "rebel" controlled area within their own country to negotiate.

On the north side sat the Dragon Country delegation. Leading them was Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Jianguo, an elegant diplomat with sharp eyes. Zhao Gang sat beside him as a "special consultant," and the two whispered to each other from time to time.

All around the hall, the cameras and equipment of over a hundred international media outlets were set up. CNN, BBC, Reuters, Xinhua... the high profile of this meeting exceeded everyone's expectations.

“Ladies and gentlemen, delegates.” As the host, Zhang Cheng spoke first, his voice broadcasting through the simultaneous interpretation system across the venue. “Welcome to Pangkham. We sit here today not to argue, but to find a path that leads Myanmar toward peace and prosperity.”

The opening remarks were very official, but then his tone shifted: “But before that, I would like everyone to watch a video.”

The large screen lit up.

On the screen were tearful accusations from rescued "piglets" of various nationalities; blood-stained torture devices in telecom fraud parks; mountains of cash, gold, and drugs in the hidden vaults of the Four Great Families and Wa State warlords; and finally, roads, schools, and hospitals built by Zhang Cheng's troops in Kachin State and East Shan State, along with the smiles on the faces of local people when they received their land certificates.

As the video ended, Zhang Cheng looked at Min Aung Hlaing: “General, I want to ask, during the decades these regions were ruled by warlords and criminal syndicates, what did the Naypyidaw government do? Besides collecting taxes and suppression, did you ever give the common people a decent road or a decent school?”

Min Aung Hlaing’s face turned ashen, but just as he was about to speak, the USA special envoy, Hudson, beat him to it.

“Mr. Zhang, we can discuss past events slowly.” Hudson’s tone was mild, but the knives in his words were well-hidden. “The issue now is that your military actions have seriously undermined the territorial integrity of Myanmar and violated international law. The primary agenda of our meeting today should be—when will you withdraw your troops from the illegally occupied Kachin State and East Shan State?”

Here it comes.

The corners of Zhang Cheng’s mouth curled slightly as he leaned back: “Illegal occupation? Mr. Hudson, you might not be well-informed. Kachin State was surrendered voluntarily by Wu Lajue, and East Shan State saw local citizens lining the streets to welcome our entry. If you consider this ‘illegal occupation,’ then what do the USA’s military deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq count as?”

“That is a completely different matter!” Hudson’s face darkened. “The USA was invited by a legitimate government...”

“Invited by whom? Did Saddam invite you to bomb Baghdad?” Zhang Cheng interrupted directly. “Or did the Taliban invite you to Kabul?”

The venue broke into an uproar. Reporters frantically pressed their shutters; the smell of gunpowder was even stronger than expected.

“Mr. Zhang!” Min Aung Hlaing finally couldn't take it anymore, slamming the table as he stood up. “Kachin State and East Shan State are sacred and inseparable territories of Myanmar! You must unconditionally withdraw your troops, disband your illegal armed forces, and accept the jurisdiction of the Naypyidaw government! This is the prerequisite for negotiations!”

Zhang Cheng smiled, a very cold smile.

“General, you might not have grasped the situation yet.” He slowly stood up, and the Death Soldiers guarding him stepped forward simultaneously. The sense of oppression made the Myanmar representatives turn pale. “I am not asking for your permission to do anything; I am telling you who calls the shots in Northern Myanmar now.”

He walked to the center of the hall and looked around: “The people of Kachin State and East Shan State lived through decades of hardship under warlord rule. Now that we have arrived, we build roads, run schools, treat illnesses, and distribute land. Who do you think they would rather follow: the past, or a new life with me?”

“You are inciting secession!” Min Aung Hlaing roared.

“No, I am practicing a very simple truth: whoever can give the people a good life is the one the people will recognize.” Zhang Cheng turned to look at the Dragon Country delegation. “Vice Minister Sun, what do you say?”

Sun Jianguo smiled slightly and set down his teacup: “Dragon Country has always maintained that the affairs of a nation should be decided by its own people. We have noted that under Mr. Zhang Cheng’s administration, social order in Northern Myanmar has significantly improved, the economy is developing rapidly, and livelihoods have been bettered. This aligns with the fundamental interests of the people in that region.”

The words were airtight, but the meaning was clear: Dragon Country supported Zhang Cheng.

Hudson’s face looked even worse. He took a deep breath, trying to salvage the situation: “Mr. Zhang, we understand your contributions toward fighting crime. However, political issues need to be resolved through political means. The USA is willing to act as a mediator to promote a transition plan: you will temporarily manage these regions, but you must recognize Myanmar’s sovereignty and gradually transfer administrative power within three years...”

“Three years?” Zhang Cheng shook his head. “Mr. Hudson, I am not a three-year-old child. Do you even believe in such an empty promise yourself?”

He walked back to his seat and picked up a document: “I have a set of data here. In the past month, the crime rate in Kachin State and East Shan State has dropped by ninety percent, and the school enrollment rate for school-age children has risen from thirty percent to eighty-five percent. Meanwhile, in regions controlled by the Naypyidaw government, the economy is stagnant, corruption is rampant, and ethnic conflicts are constant.”

“Tell me, what reason do I have to hand over a well-governed region back to an incompetent government?”

“You—!” Min Aung Hlaing was shaking with rage.

Hudson also lost his patience, his voice turning cold: “Mr. Zhang, I hope you understand that the international community will not recognize a regime that seizes territory through force. If you persist in your ways, the USA will have to consider taking further measures.”

“Further measures?” Zhang Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Do you mean sending mercenaries to their deaths like at the Salween River? Or do you mean being vetoed at the United Nations?”

He picked up his phone, opened Twitter in public, found Golden Hair’s latest tweet, and read it aloud:

“‘Just finished a meeting with the team, we have a way to handle Zhang Cheng! Wait and see! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain’” After reading, Zhang Cheng turned the phone screen toward Hudson. “Mr. Envoy, is this the ‘way’ your President spoke of? Tweeting?”

Laughter erupted from the press gallery. Hudson’s face turned various shades of red and white.

“Negotiations require sincerity.” Zhang Cheng put away his phone, his tone becoming serious. “My conditions are simple: First, the Myanmar government officially recognizes the autonomous status of the ‘North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region,’ covering Kokang, Wa State, Kachin State, and East Shan State. Second, both sides take the Salween River as the boundary and maintain non-aggression. Third, jointly combat cross-border crime and carry out economic and trade cooperation.”

“Impossible!” Min Aung Hlaing blurted out. “You are trying to split the country!”

“Then there’s nothing more to talk about.” Zhang Cheng stood up. “If my army can reach Myitkyina in three days, it can reach Mandalay in ten. General, do you want to keep the remaining half of your territory, or do you want to lose Naypyidaw as well?”

A naked threat!

Min Aung Hlaing’s face was deathly pale, his lips trembling as he failed to speak.

Hudson stood up abruptly: “Zhang Cheng! This is a threat of war! The USA will never sit idly by!”

“Then suit yourself.” Zhang Cheng spread his hands. “But just a reminder, my ‘guardian-2d’ rocket launchers have a range of four hundred and twenty kilometers. Fired from Kachin State, they can cover several USA military bases within India. Do you need me to provide the coordinates?”

Dead silence.

The entire hall was deathly quiet.

Even the reporters forgot to press their shutters, staring dumbfoundedly at this man who dared to threaten the USA to its face.

Hudson’s fingers were shaking with anger, but he didn't dare to gamble. The wreckage of American equipment in Zhang Cheng’s hands, the captured mercenaries, and those elusive troops all indicated that this man was not bluffing.

“It seems we won't reach a result today.” Sun Jianguo spoke up at the right time to smooth things over. “I suggest we adjourn and let all parties consider calmly. The opportunity for peace is hard-won; I hope it is not easily abandoned.”

He looked at Zhang Cheng and gave a slight nod.

Zhang Cheng understood and turned to leave the session: “Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, the final round of talks. If the attitude remains the same, then we shall see each other on the battlefield.”

Having said that, he led his delegation away.

...

The news of the breakdown in talks spread across the globe within ten minutes.

The President was playing golf at Mar-a-Lago; after receiving Hudson’s call, he slammed his club down.

“Useless! Can't even handle a single warlord!” He roared into the phone. “He dares to threaten our bases?! Who does he think he is?!”

A staffer said cautiously: “Mr. President, Zhang Cheng’s troops indeed have long-range strike capabilities. Moreover, Dragon Country is clearly supporting him from behind. If we intervene militarily directly...”

“I don't care!” The President grabbed another phone. “Get me the Department of Defense! I want an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean! Now! Immediately!”

While waiting for the call to connect, he opened Twitter, his fingers typing rapidly:

“Just heard about the terrible situation at the Pangkham talks! This bully Zhang Cheng actually threatened the USA! But don't worry, the USA Navy's most powerful carrier strike group is heading to the Indian Ocean! We will speak with strength! Zhang Cheng, you better surrender now! #USAPower”

Click, send.

He put down his phone smugly and said to the staffer: “See that? This is called leadership. Send a tweet, and the carrier goes.”

The staffer hesitated but didn't dare say it—aircraft carrier deployments weren't that fast; that strike group was already patrolling the Indian Ocean and had absolutely nothing to do with this matter.

But the President didn't care. He wanted the posture, the face.

However, the slap to the face came faster than imagined.

An hour later, Zhang Cheng’s official Twitter updated.

There was no text, only a satellite image. In the image, in a certain area of the Indian Ocean, a massive fleet consisting of a carrier, destroyers, and cruisers was clearly visible. A red circle marked the carrier's position, with a small line of text next to it:

“USS carl vinson, speed 22 knots, position 8°17'N, 87°41'E. Welcome to visit.”

The retweets of this post exceeded Golden Hair’s within half an hour.

Netizen comments exploded:

“Holy crap! Zhang Cheng even knows the position of the USA aircraft carrier?!”

“The clarity of this satellite image is probably higher than the USA military's own, right?”

“The President just said he'd send a carrier, and the guy posts the coordinates... this is a blatant provocation!”

“I believe now that Zhang Cheng really has the capability to hit USA military bases...”

When the President saw this tweet, he was having lunch. He stared at the phone screen, and the steak on his fork dropped onto the plate.

“How... how did he...” He was incoherent.

The Chief of Staff sighed: “Mr. President, Zhang Cheng has satellite support from Dragon Country. Furthermore, we suspect he has his own reconnaissance system...”

“Enough!” The President threw down his fork. “Order the carl vinson to change course! He cannot be allowed to predict our movements!”

“But President, that will disrupt the entire deployment...”

“Execute the order!”

...

At Bangkok Camp, Zhang Cheng smiled as he looked at the news on the screen of the USA carrier changing course.

“Old K, are our new toys ready?”

Old K nodded: “Three hundred units of the ‘Swarm’ drone system have been deployed, equipped in three models: reconnaissance, attack, and electronic warfare. The ‘Iron Claw’ mechanical dog units, five hundred units, are all loaded with 7.62mm machine guns or 40mm grenade launchers.”

“What about the situation in South Shan State and North Shan State?”

“The South Shan State Army has about eight thousand men, controlling the narrow strip from south of the Salween River to the Thai-Myanmar border. The North Shan State Army has about six thousand men, entrenched in the mountainous areas between Kengtung and Tachileik. Both locations have small Myanmar Army detachments stationed, but their combat effectiveness is not strong.”

Zhang Cheng walked to the map, his finger tracing across the Shan State plateau.

“These two places are the last ethnic armed strongholds in Myanmar. Taking them will mean the complete unification of Northern Myanmar.”

He turned around, his gaze sharp: “Order the ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Lightning’ brigades, attached with the ‘Swarm’ drone battalion and ‘Iron Claw’ mechanical dog companies, to form the ‘Southern Advance Corps.’ In three days, attack South Shan State.”

“Order the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment of the ‘Titan’ Division, attached with the Special Operations Group, to form the ‘Northern Advance Corps.’ Simultaneously attack North Shan State.”

“Remember, this is not a traditional war.” Zhang Cheng emphasized. “What we want to demonstrate is the way future wars are fought. Drones clear the path, mechanical dogs lead the assault, and infantry sweeps up. I want to take the entire Shan State with minimal casualties and maximum speed!”

Red light flickered in Old K’s eyes: “Understood. This will be a textbook modern counter-insurgency operation.”

Zhang Cheng looked out the window; in the distance were continuous mountain ranges.

“Min Aung Hlaing, Hudson, Mr. President... you think the breakdown of negotiations is the end?”

He whispered to himself.

“No, that is only the beginning.”

“When I have taken all of Northern Myanmar and sit in the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw to talk with you, I hope you can still be this tough.”

Three days later, South Shan State, Mong Pawk region.

Early morning mist shrouded the mountain forests, with visibility less than a hundred meters. On the positions of the South Shan State Army's 3rd Brigade, soldiers held their guns, crouching in damp trenches, yawning one after another.