49: Chapter 49 The Northern Wa Tumor: Military Forces Point Directly at Mengping and He Island

The northern part of Wa State had just been stabilized, and the smoke of war had temporarily cleared, but Zhang Cheng knew very well in his heart — the real battle had only just begun.

Inside the Bangkok Camp, the atmosphere was as grim and cold as ice in the twelfth lunar month.

A circle of people surrounded the massive electronic sand table; Old K, Li Lanzhi, and several newly promoted operational staff officers were there, their breathing suppressed to a whisper.

On the sand table, the mountains, rivers, towns, and roads of North Wa were displayed in minute detail, and two areas marked with scarlet circles were so glaring that they made one's heart skip a beat.

"Mengping, Baisheng Park. He Island, He Island Scam Park."

Zhang Cheng's voice was not loud, but it sounded like shards of ice hitting an iron plate, making everyone's heart shudder.

He pointed vaguely at the two red circles. "Top-secret intelligence from the Dragon Country's national security department, details captured by our high-altitude drones, plus information our people risked their lives to send back... all point to these two places."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "These are the two largest, most heavily guarded, and most damn evil demon dens in North Wa, or even the whole of Northern Myanmar! If we don't uproot them and grind them into dust, in the eyes of the common people, we'll be no different from that bunch of scum from before!"

Old K stepped forward, data streams flashing silently in his eyes, his voice flat but carrying a chilling coldness: "Master, the intelligence has been cross-verified, and the enhanced analysis is complete. First, let's talk about Mengping Baisheng Park—this place is not a 'park' in the ordinary sense."

He pulled up several high-precision satellite images and thermal imaging maps, projecting them onto the screen beside him.

"Look, this building complex is divided into three major blocks. The main park has six five-story buildings, reinforced concrete structures with thick walls and small windows; it is essentially a fortress. The auxiliary isolation zone in the northeast corner consists of low bungalows where 'disobedient' or 'to-be-processed' personnel are held. The one on the southwest side is the so-called 'training camp.' Newcomers go in to 'take classes' first, learning how to scam people. If they can't learn? Hmph."

Old K let out a cold snort. "The guard force is conservatively estimated to exceed five hundred people. They aren't the disorganized Wa State soldiers, but the 'security team' raised by the park itself; many are retired veterans or former international mercenaries, and they are ruthless."

"In terms of equipment," Old K zoomed in on several detail images, "the walls are four meters high, with high-voltage electric fences and anti-tank cones at the corners. On the rooftops and corners, there are at least twelve fixed machine gun emplacements, models include PKM general-purpose machine guns and M2 Brownings. Drones also captured traces of suspected mortar bases and RPG launchers. The most troublesome thing is this—"

He pointed to an inconspicuous protrusion on the roof of the main building. "According to thermal signals and structural analysis, it is very likely a simple 'Igla' or 'Stinger' man-portable air-defense missile launcher. They are defending against our helicopters."

Zhang Cheng's eyes sharpened.

Old K continued: "The internal structure is complex, with at least three known secret passages leading to the outside forest. The interior rooms have been modified into a labyrinth, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. Based on multi-day thermal imaging scan peaks and fragmented information desperately transmitted by our insider... there are over four thousand Dragon Country compatriots held here. This is a conservative figure."

The command room fell into a dead silence. Over four thousand people, locked in a place like that... everyone felt as if a lead weight had been pressed onto their hearts.

"Now for He Island," Old K switched the screen, and the terrain suddenly became complex with dense waterways. "The Nanma River bends here, creating a delta, and He Island Park is built on this 'island.' It is surrounded by water on three sides, with only one road bridge on the west side connecting to the land. It's a natural water barrier."

"The guard force is about three hundred, but relying on the terrain, they have established joint water and land defense. The river surface is patrolled by speedboats fitted with steel plates, while watchtowers and machine gun positions on the shore cross-fire to block the water. The park is divided into three parts: the 'office area' by the river, where the scammers 'go to work'; the 'water prison area' deep inside, used for torturing people; and the separately enclosed 'high-level living area' in the north, where the leaders and chief thugs enjoy themselves."

Old K's voice grew colder. "The leader is nicknamed 'Water Ghost' Sha Li; he is scheming and suspicious, and he has connections with Wei Xuegang of South Wa and even some underworld forces on the Thailand border. His reserved escape route is likely on the water. Preliminary judgment indicates that over two thousand five hundred compatriots are being held there."

Li Lanzhi interjected at this point, her tone filled with suppressed anger: "From the encrypted communications we intercepted and the capital flow we traced, after the Four Great Families fell, the telecom scam industry in North Wa didn't disperse; instead, it became more concentrated! Most of the 'business' and 'piglets' have been swallowed by these two giants. They are now acting like madmen, engaged in a final 'frenzy harvest.' The code words 'speed up progress,' 'clear inventory,' and 'transfer funds' appear frequently in their communications. Preliminary estimates suggest the funds accumulated by these two parks... are an astronomical figure, likely exceeding the ten-billion-yuan level."

"Ten billion..." a young staff officer muttered subconsciously, stunned by the number. How much blood and tears of how many people did that represent?

Zhang Cheng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were pools of bone-chilling cold. "Building a nest with the blood and tears of compatriots, and enjoying themselves by the wails of compatriots. Good, very good."

He squeezed these words out from between his teeth. "If I don't send this scum to hell, I'll write my name, Zhang Cheng, backward!"

He turned abruptly and looked at Old K, speaking with ironclad certainty: "Old K!" "Present!"

"Order: The main force of the Death God Legion's First and Second Battalions, attached to the Heavy Artillery Battalion—I'm giving you all 12 of the 105mm howitzers I just redeemed! The Armored Assault Battalion—20 heavy armored pickup trucks, 5 modified BTR-60s, take them all! The Engineering Detachment is also under your command! You are to personally oversee the main attack on Mengping Baisheng Park!"

Zhang Cheng's voice rumbled in the command room: "I authorize you to use all necessary means! Twenty-four hours! Within twenty-four hours, I want this demon den to completely disappear from the map! Rescue our people, every single one of them! Can you do it?!"

A red light flashed in Old K's eyes, and he straightened his body, his voice clanging like iron: "Rest assured, Master! Within twenty-four hours, Mengping will be conquered! All compatriots will be rescued!"

"Order: The Death God Legion's Fourth Battalion and Special Operations Squadron (all Intermediate Death Soldiers), attached to the Reconnaissance Battalion and the Water Assault Team (equipped with speedboats and diving gear), under the command of S-04, are to storm He Island Park! Tell S-04 to advance by water and land, combine unorthodox and orthodox tactics, and plug every hole of these water rats for me! Annihilate the enemy, and do not let a single leader escape!"

"Order: The T-03 Third Battalion will serve as the general reserve, responsible for personnel reception, emergency medical care, and order maintenance after the battle! Li Lanzhi, you are to coordinate all civil administration forces, prepare reception points, medical supplies, food, and drinking water! With over six thousand five hundred compatriots, many may have broken bodies or collapsed spirits; we must make full preparations! Contact the Dragon Country side immediately, activate the highest-level reception emergency plan, and keep the port of entry completely unobstructed for me!"

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison, filled with murderous intent.

"Move out!" Zhang Cheng waved his hand, as if commanding thousands of troops. "This battle must not only display the might of 'Dawn,' but also let the compatriots still in the darkness see the light! Let those bastards taste what despair is before they die!"

The gears of war roared hideously once again, and two iron fists carrying the will of destruction slammed into their respective targets.

Meanwhile, in Mengping, Baisheng Park, the command room had been reinforced like an iron cage.

The supervisor Tu Gang, nicknamed "Living Yama," was pacing anxiously. He was in his forties, his face piled with flabby flesh, and a scar stretched diagonally from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, adding to his ferocity.

At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot, and he clutched a few crumpled telegram papers in his hand; these were the sporadic pieces of information he had paid a high price to buy from retreating soldiers regarding the fall of Pangkham and the annihilation of the 17th Division.

"A madman... he's just a fucking madman..." Tu Gang let out a low growl like a trapped beast, crumpling the telegram papers into a ball and smashing them hard onto the ground. "Zhang Cheng... what is he after? Territory? Money? Who the fuck fights a war like this?!"

Several trusted subordinates nearby were terrified into silence. A balding middle-aged man said cautiously: "Master Tu, should we... should we also think about an escape route? To the south... or go through the mountains..."

"An escape route?" Tu Gang glared at him fiercely, his eyes looking like they wanted to eat someone. "All my assets are here! There are over four thousand 'piglets' locked downstairs! And money is coming in every day! If we leave, what happens to all this? Feed it to the dogs?!"

He panted heavily and walked to the window, looking at the brightly lit but deathly silent park below. "Besides, I'm not made of mud! Four-meter-high walls, electric fences, machine guns, artillery! And I still have..."

He lowered his voice, his eyes fierce. "And that batch of 'Iglas'! If Zhang Cheng dares to send helicopters, I dare to shoot them down!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, as if trying to embolden himself. "Go! Pass on my order! Herd all the 'piglets' into those few rows of houses near the outer wall! Install the explosives for me, too, and connect the remote detonators! If Zhang Cheng dares to storm the place, I'll take thousands of people with me to the grave! Let's see if he dares to shoulder that infamy!"

"Master Tu, this... wouldn't that be too..." The balding middle-aged man's face turned pale.

"Too what?!" Tu Gang grabbed him by the collar, spraying saliva all over his face. "If I can't live, nobody gets to live! Do as I say! Move!"

"Yes... yes!" The subordinate scrambled away.

Tu Gang let go, walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of strong alcohol, and downed it in one gulp. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but it couldn't suppress the growing chill in his heart. He looked at the heavy night outside the window, as if he could hear the approaching footsteps of the Death God.

"Zhang Cheng... you want to be a savior? I'm going to drag you to hell instead..." he muttered, his eyes filled with madness.

He Island, the bedroom of "Water Ghost" Sha Li. Unlike Tu Gang's mania, Sha Li appeared very "quiet." He was in his fifties, lean, with triangular eyes that always carried a hint of scrutiny and coldness when he looked at people. He was wearing silk pajamas and was leisurely brewing tea.

A subordinate hurried in and reported in a low voice: "Master Sha, the situation in Mengping is not right; Tu Gang seems to be piling explosives where the people are being held. As for our side..."

Sha Li raised his hand to stop him, gently blew the tea foam, took a sip, and then said slowly: "Tu Gang? Mere brute courage. If Zhang Cheng could be bluffed by a few thousand human lives, he wouldn't be Zhang Cheng."

The subordinate was confused: "Then what about us..."

"Us?" Sha Li put down the teacup, walked to the window, and looked at the shimmering Nanma River under the moonlight. "Our advantage is on the water. The land route? Once that bridge is blown up, even thousands of troops will find it hard to cross. The water route... that is the way to survive."

A cold smile curled on his lips. "Notify everyone, strengthen water patrols, fill up all speedboats, and stay on standby. Also, check the shore fortifications. As for those 'piglets'..."

He paused, his eyes devoid of ripples: "According to the original plan, pick two hundred of the valuable 'core employees' and 'technical backbones,' get them ready, and have them follow us at any time. As for the rest... they're on their own. If we can't take them, we can't leave them for Zhang Cheng to buy people's hearts. When necessary... you know what to do."

The subordinate felt a chill in his heart and lowered his head: "Understood."

Sha Li waved his hand to dismiss him and watched the river alone. He was not as calm as he appeared on the surface. He had studied Zhang Cheng's thunderous methods for a long time, and the conclusion was: head-on collision is a dead end. The only chance of survival was to use this complex waterway network to slip away like a real water ghost before the enemy completed their encirclement.

"Zhang Cheng... you want to wipe out North Wa? Fine. But trying to catch me, 'Water Ghost'... it won't be that easy." He muttered to himself, a flash of cunning and malice in his eyes.