347: Chapter 347 Seeing Through Your Cards

Naypyidaw Presidential Palace, 1:40 AM.

Zhang Cheng sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his study, holding a cup of freshly brewed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. The aroma of coffee diffused through the quiet room, forming a serene contrast with the occasional flash of searchlights in the night outside. He had just finished reading the battle report Houssa sent regarding the encirclement of the Port of Eilat—the last highway on the port's outskirts had been cut off, and approximately two thousand Squid Nation defenders and thousands of civilians inside the city were completely surrounded. Sinwar’s "Lens" team had already set up cameras on the high ground north of the port, preparing to record the finale of this war.

When Li Lanzhi pushed the door open and entered, she held a newly decrypted telegram. Her expression was not one of tension, but a certain subtle, indescribable look—like seeing a gambler who had lost everything trying to pawn his watch for one last chip.

"Greenberg," she said, handing over the telegram. "It was forwarded through our commercial office in Bangkok, using Council of Elders' highest-level encrypted channel."

Zhang Cheng took the telegram and glanced at it. An encrypted channel, highest level. This indicated that Greenberg could no longer afford to worry about secrecy. The encryption was only to prevent interception by political rivals within the USA, not from him. He knew the details of this code very well—in the system mall, any information warfare module could easily crack it.

The telegram was short, its phrasing carrying a rare sense of urgency:

"To His Excellency Zhang Cheng, President of the Federation of Myanmar:

We possess a complete chain of evidence regarding your side's involvement in the Thai royal succession event, including but not limited to: usage records of the Siriraj Hospital underground passage, submarine activity data at the Port of Bangkok on that night, and clues regarding the 'Shadow King's' identity and background. If this evidence is submitted to the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court, your country will face unprecedented diplomatic and legal pressure.

We propose: Your side immediately pressures the Gaza Resistance Organization and the Republic of Yemen to bring about a ceasefire announcement within forty-eight hours. In exchange, the aforementioned evidence will be sealed forever.

This proposal is valid until noon tomorrow, Bangkok time.

Council of Elders"

After reading it, Zhang Cheng spread the telegram flat on the desk and took a sip of his coffee. The coffee was still very hot; he blew on the rim of the cup, then looked up and said to Li Lanzhi, "Let him investigate."

He didn't ask "who leaked it" or "where it was leaked from." He didn't even ask Li Lanzhi for suggestions. He simply uttered three words—"Let him investigate." This was directed at Old K. Old K was standing at the study door, silent and efficient as always.

"Possible scope of the leak source," Old K responded in his usual calm tone. "In the Thailand operation, among the core insiders involving the Siriraj Hospital underground passage, the Port of Bangkok submarine transfer, and 'Rama's' identity background, only one person remains besides those who are dead or under our absolute control."

"Who."

"The former Secretary-General of the Thai Royal Privy Council—Surayud Chulanont. Before the coup, he was responsible for auditing the royal family's internal security system; he resigned at the end of last year for 'health reasons.' The actual reason was that he detected certain anomalies in our replacement of the King and attempted a private investigation. At that time, he formed a small intelligence network with several retired military officers who were still loyal to the royal family. When we eliminated Tan Long and Songki, his network was not completely destroyed due to its lower level. Three days ago, one of his contacts re-established communication with Council of Elders' Southeast Asia intelligence station."

Zhang Cheng placed the coffee cup back on the porcelain saucer with a crisp clink. "Why didn't we clean him up back then?"

"Priority was assessed as medium," Old K’s tone remained level. "He had no real power, no military support, and no direct evidence. What he collected were merely—inferences. Inferences cannot serve as evidence in court."

"But now, in the hands of Council of Elders, these inferences have become chips," Zhang Cheng’s voice was calm, with no hint of reproach. "Notify Erica. Within forty-eight hours, remove Surayud Chulanont’s name from the list of the living. Leave a badge by the body."

He paused and added, "And everyone in that intelligence network of his. Leave none alive."

Old K nodded slightly. He pulled up a list on his tablet and presented it to Zhang Cheng. There were six people on the list, with Surayud's name at the top. Zhang Cheng ran his fingertip over each line of names on the screen and then tapped "Approve."

"Then, reply to Greenberg." Zhang Cheng stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, his back to the two people in the study. "Use the same encrypted channel they used in the telegram. The reply is as follows—"

He dictated: "To Council of Elders: I have seen through all your cards. Surayud Chulanont and his intelligence network will be completely eliminated within forty-eight hours of receiving this telegram. Your threats are nothing more than posturing after losing all your chips. The situation in Gaza and Yemen will not change due to any external pressure. I suggest you recalculate—if you stay bogged down in the Middle East quagmire for a few more months, how many arms companies' stock prices can Council of Elders still sustain?"

Li Lanzhi recorded quickly, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

"Add one last sentence." Zhang Cheng turned around, picked up the telegram from Council of Elders from the table, and took a final look at it against the light. "You think replacing the King was my hidden hand? No. My hidden hand is—you will never know how many cards you have left in your own hand."

He crumpled the telegram into a ball and threw it into the wastepaper basket.

Zhang Cheng picked up his coffee again and walked to the window. The night was still deep, but a hint of grayish-white was already faintly showing at the edge of the eastern horizon. That was the light before dawn.

Li Lanzhi drafted the reply and handed it to Zhang Cheng for review. He glanced at it and nodded his approval. Old K received his orders and left the study to execute the dual instructions: first, to notify Erica to initiate the "Roster Purge" operation, and second, to send Zhang Cheng's reply to Council of Elders via the encrypted channel.

The study fell silent, leaving only Zhang Cheng and Li Lanzhi.

"Do they really think that chain of evidence could threaten us?" Li Lanzhi asked.

"It’s not a threat," Zhang Cheng said softly. "It’s desperation. Council of Elders never asks for favors; they are used to solving problems with money and guns. But this time, their guns are bogged down in Persia, they’ve lost a fortune on arms stocks, and their puppet in the White House was just replaced—the new president hasn't been fully tamed by them yet. They have no cards left. So they brought out this card—not because they think they can win, but because they can't afford to lose."

He paused and continued, "Only those who can't afford to lose use threats to mask their own panic."

The morning light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling window into the study, illuminating the draft of the reply just prepared on the desk. Li Lanzhi looked at the last sentence on the draft—"You will never know how many cards you have left in your own hand"—and said softly, "That’s a bit harsh."

Zhang Cheng turned around, no smile on his face. "No, they were the ones who forced me to be harsh first."

He picked up the coffee cup and said to Li Lanzhi, "Have the kitchen brew another pot. I'm not sleeping tonight. I'll wait for news from Erica."