190: Chapter 190 A Thunderclap on the Border, India's Arrogance

"A former scammer! A warlord of Long Country descent! A clown who only sat on the presidential throne by relying on schemes and the charity of Long Country!" Rajesh Singh's face flushed with excitement. "He, Zhang Cheng, actually dares to propose so-called 'boundary survey demands' regarding our sacred territory? And dares to harbor those traitors who fled from the Sam Region?!"

He jabbed his finger violently at the complex hilly terrain on the eastern section of the Myanmar-India border on the sand table, which was marked as a "Disputed Area."

"Our intelligence shows that three days ago, a so-called 'joint survey team' 'escorted' by Myanmar Army soldiers crossed the Line of Actual Control and penetrated five kilometers into our territory! They even set up a temporary camp there! This is naked aggression! It is a trampling of the dignity of our world's fifth-largest military power!"

A chorus of agreement rose from below. Several young hawkish officers had fervent looks in their eyes, as if they could already see themselves leading troops to flatten Naypyidaw and holding a military parade in front of Zhang Cheng's Presidential Palace.

"General Singh," a civil official wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who appeared relatively cautious, spoke up carefully. "But... according to international practice, boundary survey work in disputed areas requires consultation between both sides. Furthermore, it seems that Long Country engineers and technical personnel are participating in this Myanmar operation. Should we first go through diplomatic channels..."

"Diplomacy? Consultation?!" Rajesh Singh interrupted him rudely, his small eyes flashing with disdain and arrogance. "Talk diplomacy with a country established by a former scam park ringleader? Talk consultation with a regime whose army still wears a motley assortment of miscellaneous uniforms? Ha!"

He scanned the room, his voice rising sharply: "We, India, possess the world's number one mountain warfare troops! We possess world-class equipment purchased from the USA, Russia, and France! And what do they have? A few old tanks dug out from who knows which graveyard? Or the AK-47s their president inherited from a scam park?"

Laughter erupted in the command room. Even that civil official embarrassedly pushed up his glasses and said no more.

"To deal with such an arrogant upstart, the best diplomatic language is guns and cannons!" Rajesh Singh waved his hand violently. "I order! The 57th Mountain Division under the 33rd Mountain Corps stationed in Tezpur is to immediately reinforce the front of the disputed area with one reinforced battalion! The 21st 'Black Panther' Armored Regiment is to detach one T-90S tank company to advance and support!"

"Give clear instructions to the front line: if you encounter Myanmar armed personnel, there is no need for warnings; you may take all necessary means to drive them away! If they dare to resist..." Rajesh Singh's mouth curled into a cruel arc, "Then let this bunch of monkeys in the jungle see what modern warfare is!"

"Yes! General!" A major general staff officer immediately stood up to record it.

"Also," Rajesh Singh called him back, lowering his voice but ensuring everyone in the room could hear. "Tell the frontline commander that the action must be 'forceful' and 'demonstrate national prestige.' If possible... capture a few alive. Especially if there are Long Country people, even better. I want Zhang Cheng to come to New Delhi personally and kneel to beg me for the people!"

"Understood!"

The order spread like wildfire along the military communication network toward the northeastern border.

...

Eastern section of the Myanmar-India border, nameless river valley, Myanmar side's "Joint Survey Team" temporary camp.

The tropical rainforest at dusk was sultry and humid, with swarms of mosquitoes. Several camouflage tents were scattered in the forest clearing, with three off-road vehicles and a pickup truck loaded with surveying instruments parked nearby. A small campfire was lit in the center of the camp, dispelling the dampness of the forest and keeping wild beasts at bay.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

"Engineer Chen, are you sure this coordinate is correct?" The speaker was the survey team leader, a Myanmar Army second lieutenant named Wu Suo. He was dark-skinned and lean, a local Kachin, and could speak some Chinese. At this moment, he was pointing at the spread-out map, his brows furrowed.

The man he called "Engineer Chen" was a man from Long Country in his early thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses and looking refined. Chen Ming, an engineer from the Long Country Southwest Survey and Design Institute, was here at the request of the Myanmar government to assist in basic mapping work in the border area, providing data support for future border negotiations and infrastructure construction.

Chen Ming pushed up his glasses, pointed to a point circled in red on the map, and looked at the GPS locator in his hand, his tone certain: "Team Leader Wu, the coordinates are correct. According to the maps exchanged by both sides in 1994 and a comparison with recent satellite imagery, our current position should be about two kilometers on the Myanmar side of the Line of Actual Control in the disputed area. Theoretically, it is safe."

"Theoretically..." Second Lieutenant Wu Suo sighed, looking at the dim jungle outside the tent. "Engineer Chen, you are a technical expert and don't understand the situation here. The patrols from India are becoming more and more arrogant. Last month, just thirty kilometers to the west, they forcibly crossed the line with bulldozers, flattened the fence of one of our outposts, and even threatened us with gunfire. If it weren't for the strict orders from above not to fire first..."

He shook his head and didn't continue. The other two Myanmar Army soldiers in the tent were also silent, silently checking the QBZ-191 assault rifles in their hands—this was the first batch of Long Country standard equipment the Myanmar Army had switched to after unification. Its performance was more than a grade better than the miscellaneous old firearms from before, but in the face of potential T-90S tanks and armed helicopters, what use could a rifle be?

"Don't worry, Team Leader Wu." Chen Ming tried to make his voice sound lighter. "We are only here for technical surveying; we do not carry weapons and are not involved in military operations. International law has regulations. Moreover, before we set off, Commissioner Zhao Gang also communicated with the President. The President said that our safety is the top priority, and if there really is a situation, there will be support from the rear."

Mentioning the "President," the eyes of Wu Suo and the soldiers obviously brightened, and their tense nerves seemed to relax a little. In the hearts of these grassroots officers and soldiers, President Zhang Cheng was almost a god-like existence. It was he who led everyone to fight off the warlords who oppressed the people, drove away the arrogant USA soldiers, allowed everyone to hold their heads high as human beings, and also receive full, decent military pay.

"The President..." Wu Suo muttered in a low voice, gripping his gun tightly. "Right, the President won't ignore us."

Just then—"Buzz—buzz—" On the perimeter of the camp, a simple motion sensor hanging on a tree emitted a harsh alarm sound!

"Enemy attack?!" Wu Suo's face changed, and he instantly grabbed his gun and rushed out of the tent. The two soldiers and Chen Ming followed closely behind.

Night had fallen, and the forest was pitch black, with only the campfire providing limited light. In the distance, there came the dull roar of diesel engines, as well as the "crunching" sound of tracks crushing through the bushes.

"It's a tank!" an experienced Myanmar Army soldier exclaimed.

Several bright searchlight beams, like the eyes of death, suddenly pierced the darkness and locked onto the small camp.