130: Chapter 130 Nationwide Electrification! The Steel Torrent Rides South

Pangkham, Central Square.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the morning sun had just climbed over the ridge, casting golden light on every corner of this emerging city in Northern Myanmar. But today, Pangkham lacked its usual hustle and bustle. The streets were deserted, all shops were closed, and the entire city was terrifyingly quiet.

Only the Central Square.

100,000 people.

A full 100,000 people gathered here, a dense mass extending from the center of the square to the three main roads surrounding it. They were not ordinary citizens, but soldiers—the 100,000-strong army under Zhang Cheng that had just completed reorganization.

On a temporary high platform north of the square, Zhang Cheng wore a dark green officer's dress uniform, the black-background gold-star insignia on his shoulder straps shining in the sunlight. Behind him, Zhao Yuxun, Lei Zhen, Lin Xiao, BigDecimal own, Wang Yuanshan, Night Owl, and other generals stood solemnly, each wearing crisp military uniforms, their eyes sharp as knives.

On both sides of the platform, twelve huge black-background gold-star flags fluttered in the morning breeze. Under the flagpoles, thirty ceremonial cannons were lined up, muzzles pointed at the sky.

Around the square, hundreds of cameras had been set up. There were not only local media from Northern Myanmar but also reporters from international media such as CNN, BBC, Reuters, Xinhua News Agency, and Al Jazeera. They knew that what was about to happen today would change the landscape of Myanmar and even the entire Southeast Asia.

8:00 AM sharp.

"Flag-raising—ceremony!" The master of ceremonies' voice echoed across the square through the amplification system.

The national anthem played—not the Myanmar national anthem, but a newly composed "Anthem of the North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region." The melody was magnificent, carrying the aura of iron horses and golden spears.

100,000 people stood at attention simultaneously.

The flag rose slowly. When that black-background gold-star flag reached the top of the pole and fully unfurled in the morning breeze, a tsunami-like shout erupted from the square:

"The Sovereign! The Sovereign! The Sovereign!"

The sound waves rose one after another, making people's eardrums ache. The glass windows of distant buildings were buzzing.

Zhang Cheng raised his hand and pressed it down gently.

Instantly, 100,000 people fell silent. The entire square became deathly quiet, with only the sound of the flags fluttering in the wind.

This kind of absolute control made the international reporters present shudder. They had seen many military parades and many armies, but they had never seen such a disciplined and fanatically loyal force.

Zhang Cheng walked to the microphone, his gaze slowly sweeping over the 100,000 soldiers below.

"Brothers."

His voice was not loud, but through the amplification system, it reached every corner clearly.

"Today, we stand here. Standing in the homeland we built with our own hands, standing on the land we reclaimed with our blood and sacrifice."

"A year ago, I, Zhang Cheng, was still a migrant worker who had his bones broken while asking for wages at an electronics factory. Many of you were either 'piglets' deceived into telecom fraud parks, farmers oppressed by warlords, or refugees who lost their homes."

Below the stage, countless soldiers' eyes turned red. They recalled their past, those dark and hopeless days.

"But now!" Zhang Cheng's voice rose sharply, "What are we?"

"We are warriors! We are liberators! We are the true masters of this land!"

"With blood and life, we cleared the telecom fraud parks in Kokang, defeated the warlords of Wa State, liberated our compatriots in Kachin, and unified the whole of Northern Myanmar!"

He took a deep breath, his voice becoming cold and murderous:

"However—in the south, those masters in Naypyidaw are still dreaming their spring and autumn dreams. They think that by relying on a few pieces of junk equipment from the USA and 200,000 soldiers who cannot even hold their guns steady, they can ride on the heads of the common people forever!"

"They are wrong."

Zhang Cheng said word by word, each word nailing into the air like a nail:

"Today, I, Zhang Cheng, in the name of the highest administrative chief of the North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region and Commander-in-Chief of the Kokang National Army—"

He paused for three seconds, concentrating the audience's attention to the peak.

"Make a national announcement!"

"Effective immediately, the 100,000-strong army of the North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region will cross the Salween River and march south to crusade against the tyranny of the Naypyidaw military government!"

"Our goal is not division, not separatism, but—"

Zhang Cheng raised his right fist violently:

"Unification! Liberation! Reconstruction!"

"We want to build a new Myanmar without oppression, without exploitation, and without crime! A new country where all ethnic groups are equal and all people live and work in peace!"

Below the stage, 100,000 soldiers roared in unison:

"Unification! Liberation! Reconstruction!"

"Unification! Liberation! Reconstruction!"

The sound waves soared into the sky, shaking away the clouds.

Zhang Cheng waited for the roar to subside slightly and continued:

"I know some people will say: Zhang Cheng is crazy, 100,000 fighting 200,000, and it's an offensive war. Some people will laugh behind our backs: Let's see how he dies by the Salween River."

"And others—" He looked at the cameras of the international media, "will shout about sanctions at the United Nations, complain on Twitter, and send aircraft carriers to scare people."

He smiled, his smile full of mockery:

"Let them talk, let them shout, let them send them."

"Today, I want to tell the whole world—"

Zhang Cheng's voice suddenly became as hard as steel:

"My, Zhang Cheng's, army is not scared easily! Our tanks are not made of paper! Our missiles are not fireworks!"

"The Salween River cannot stop us! 200,000 Myanmar Army troops cannot stop us! The aircraft carriers of the USA—cannot stop us even more!"

He turned around, facing the 100,000-strong army:

"Now, I order!"

"The First Heavy Armored Division 'Titan', as the central assault cluster! Advance along the Myitkyina—Lashio—Mandalay axis! Within three days, I want to see your tank tracks rolling over the city gates of Lashio!"

Zhao Yuxun stepped forward, his voice like a bell: "Guarantee to complete the mission! Titan Division, advance!"

"The Second and Third Rapid Response Brigades 'Lightning' and 'Hurricane', as the flanking insertion clusters! March south from the Shan State plateau, bypass the enemy's main force, and strike directly at the enemy's rear communication lines! I want you to be like two sharp knives, tearing the Myanmar Army's defense line into pieces!"

Lei Zhen and Lin Xiao stepped out simultaneously: "Lightning/Hurricane, understood!"

"The First Air Assault Brigade 'Disaster', master air superiority! apache leads the way, Black Hawk delivers! Wherever there is resistance, there will be your missiles and machine guns!"

BigDecimal own stood at attention and saluted: "Disaster Brigade, ready to take off at any time!"

"Long-range Firepower Brigade 'Thor', your rocket launchers are the opening music of this war! I want you to use the 420-kilometer range 'Truth' to teach those masters in Naypyidaw a good lesson—what is modern warfare!"

Wang Yuanshan adjusted his glasses, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes: "Thor Brigade has locked onto 120 high-value targets. Once the Sovereign gives the order, within half an hour, the sky over Naypyidaw will turn red."

"Special Operations Brigade 'Shadow Blade'—" Zhang Cheng looked at Night Owl, "I want you to infiltrate behind enemy lines, decapitate, sabotage, and collect intelligence. Min Aung Hlaing and his generals had better sleep with one eye open at night."

Night Owl's hoarse voice sounded: "They will have no peaceful sleep again."

Deployment completed, Zhang Cheng turned back to the entire army:

"This battle has no retreat, no peace talks, only—"

"Victory!"

100,000 soldiers roared in unison: "Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Zhang Cheng drew his command sword, the tip pointing south:

"All troops—set off!"

"Boom—!"

Thirty ceremonial cannons fired simultaneously, shaking the sky and earth.

"Toot toot—!"

A loud bugle sounded through the clouds.

The steel torrent began to surge.

...

At the same time, Naypyidaw, Defense Forces General Headquarters.

In the operation command room, the atmosphere was heavy enough to wring water out of it.

On the big screen, the oath-taking ceremony at Pangkham Square was being broadcast live. When Zhang Cheng said the words "march south to crusade," Min Aung Hlaing slammed his fist on the console, making the teacup jump.

"Arrogant! Too arrogant!" This actual ruler of Myanmar had a livid face, "100,000 fighting 200,000? Who does he think he is? Genghis Khan?!"

Chief of Staff Major General Wu Tuntun reported cautiously: "General, urgent telegram from the front line. Zhang Cheng's troops have begun to mobilize. Reconnaissance aircraft have discovered at least 200 tanks and 300 armored vehicles assembling along the Salween River. Also... their long-range rocket launcher positions show signs of activity."

"How many rocket launchers?" Min Aung Hlaing asked.

"At least... twenty-four. They are the 'guardian-2d' type with a range of over 400 kilometers." Wu Tuntun's voice trembled slightly, "Firing from their current positions, they can hit Naypyidaw directly."

The conference room was dead silent.

Several generals' faces turned pale. They were not afraid of tanks or planes, but those long-range rocket launchers that you couldn't hit but could hit you at will were simply the most terrifying nightmare.

"What about the USA?" Min Aung Hlaing turned to the head of the USA military advisory group, Army Colonel Mike Anderson, "Where is the air defense system you promised? And when will those 'Patriot' missiles be in place?"

Anderson was a white officer in his forties with short hair, and his expression was not good either: "General, the 'Patriot' system needs time to deploy. And... to be honest, even if deployed, the interception success rate against ballistic targets like the 'guardian-2d' will not be very high."

"Then what about the 'Stinger' missiles you gave me? Didn't you say they could hit helicopters?" Min Aung Hlaing pressed.

"'Stinger' is effective against low-altitude slow targets, but Zhang Cheng has apache—that is the world's most advanced attack helicopter, with a complete electronic warfare system and armor protection." Anderson spread his hands, "The best way is to destroy the airport before they take off."

"Destroy the airport?" Min Aung Hlaing laughed in anger, "Zhang Cheng's airport is in Pangkham, 200 kilometers away from the front line! Our planes would be shot down halfway there!"

He waved his hand irritably, signaling Anderson to shut up, then looked at his generals:

"Now is not the time to discuss equipment. Zhang Cheng has declared war, and 100,000 troops are marching south. What do we have?"

The Minister of Defense stood up to report: "General, our army has deployed the 33rd, 66th, and 99th main divisions along the Salween River, plus local garrison troops, for a total of 83,000 personnel, constructing three lines of defense."

"Behind the river defense, around Mandalay, there are the 11th, 22nd, and 44th mechanized divisions, with 67,000 people, as the second echelon."

"Naypyidaw garrison troops, 55th and 77th divisions, 41,000 people."

"In addition, about 50,000 reserve troops mobilized from Yangon, Mawlamyine, and other places are on their way north."

A total of more than 240,000 people—this is all the capital the Myanmar government army can mobilize.

Min Aung Hlaing stared at the map, his finger pointing heavily at a certain place on the upper reaches of the Salween River:

"Here, Kyaukme. The river is narrowest, the current is slowest, it is the best place to cross the river. If Zhang Cheng wants to force a crossing, he will definitely choose this place."

He looked up, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes:

"Order the 33rd Division to strengthen the Kyaukme defense line. Put all anti-tank missiles, all landmines, and all artillery there for me!"

"The 66th and 99th Divisions, deploy along the river and support each other."

"Tell the front-line soldiers—" Min Aung Hlaing's voice was cold, "This battle is about the life and death of the country. No retreat, no surrender, only a death battle!"

"Zhang Cheng wants to fight over? Good, I will let him see what a real 'meat grinder' is!"

He turned to the communications officer and ordered:

"Make a national announcement! The government of the Federation of Myanmar will never compromise with any separatist forces! The 200,000 soldiers of the Defense Forces swear to defend the territorial integrity of the country!"

"This battle—is a national war!"

...

New York, United Nations Headquarters.

Representatives from various countries rushed to the conference hall. Just a moment ago, the Permanent Representative of Myanmar submitted an emergency motion, requesting the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to discuss "Zhang Cheng's armed aggression against the sovereign state of Myanmar."

In the corridor, the representative of the Dragon Kingdom, Li Hui, was surrounded by reporters.

"Representative Li, Zhang Cheng has just announced the march south, does this mean a comprehensive escalation of the war?"

"Will the Dragon Kingdom continue to support Zhang Cheng?"

"The USA Seventh Fleet is sailing to the Andaman Sea, will this trigger a conflict between major powers?"

Li Hui stopped, facing the camera, his expression serious:

"The Dragon side has consistently advocated that the affairs of various countries should be decided by the people of those countries independently. We have noted that there are long-standing ethnic conflicts and development imbalances within Myanmar. The priority is for all parties to remain restrained and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, rather than further exacerbating the conflict."

He paused and continued:

"As for external forces, the Dragon side firmly opposes any country interfering in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext, and opposes creating regional tensions. We call on relevant countries to respect the sovereignty and security concerns of regional countries and stop all actions that may exacerbate the situation."

Very official, very diplomatic.

But the reporters heard the subtext—the Dragon Kingdom will not publicly support Zhang Cheng's march south, but will not allow the USA to intervene directly either.

In the UN Security Council chamber, the atmosphere was tense.

The Myanmar representative Wu Tuntin cried and denounced Zhang Cheng's "act of aggression," demanding international sanctions, and requesting authorization for "all necessary means" to defend Myanmar's sovereignty.

The USA representative Greenfield followed, strongly condemning Zhang Cheng and hinting that "if the situation gets out of control, the USA will have to take action to protect regional allies."

When it was the Dragon Kingdom's turn to speak, Li Hui's wording was still cautious, but the position was clear—oppose sanctions, oppose authorization for the use of force, and advocate for a political solution.

The Russian representative abstained.

Britain, France, Japan, and other countries supported the USA.

In the end, the UN Security Council failed to pass any resolution—the veto power of the permanent members once again played a role.

After the meeting, Greenfield stopped Li Hui in the corridor:

"Representative Li, you are playing with fire. Zhang Cheng's behavior has crossed the red line. If you continue to shield him, the consequences will be very serious."

Li Hui smiled slightly: "Ms. Greenfield, I would like to remind you that during the 2014 Crimea crisis, the USA said similar things. And what was the result?"

He tidied up his suit collar, his tone flat but carrying undeniable power:

"Every country has its own core interests. On the Myanmar issue, the Dragon side's position is clear and consistent. If anyone tries to cross the red line, then—"

He looked directly into Greenfield's eyes:

"They will soon know what 'serious consequences' really mean."

After speaking, he turned and left.

Greenfield stood there, her face turning red and white.

She knew that this game had already exceeded the scope of Myanmar.

This was another silent confrontation between two major powers on the chessboard of Southeast Asia.

And the most important piece on the chessboard—Zhang Cheng—was currently standing on the east bank of the Salween River, observing the defense line on the opposite bank with binoculars.