52: Chapter 52 Good News Arrives Frequently, Dragon Kingdom Celebrates New Life

As daylight broke, news of the victory seemed to grow wings, crossing mountains and rivers through secret channels to reach the borders of Dragon Country first.

Immediately following that, the reaction speed of the official media was faster than anyone could have imagined.

At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, Dragon Country's most authoritative news platform took the rare step of publishing a breaking news bulletin with a front-page headline in bold red text:

[Breaking! Thousands of our compatriots successfully rescued in the North Wa region of Northern Myanmar! The 'Dawn' forces have struck a heavy blow against telecom fraud, achieving a decisive victory!]

The wording of the news release was rigorous, yet it could not hide the excitement: "...It is reported that significant changes have recently occurred in the North Wa region of Northern Myanmar. Major criminal dens such as the 'Baisheng Park' and 'He Island Park,' which have long occupied the area and committed serious telecom network fraud against Dragon Country citizens, have been completely eradicated by the emerging local power 'Dawn.' Preliminary statistics show that nearly seven thousand of our trapped compatriots have been rescued! Currently, the rescued personnel have been properly settled and, under the coordination of relevant departments, are returning home through border ports in an orderly manner... Our side expresses concern for all actions committed to maintaining regional security and stability and fighting transnational crime, and expresses deep sympathy to the rescued compatriots..."

Almost simultaneously, major mainstream news websites, television news channels, and official social media accounts followed up with reports, reposts, and commentary at the highest specifications. The unity of the rhythm and the unprecedented intensity sent a clear signal—the official Dragon Country authorities were publicly endorsing this thunderous operation far away in a foreign land! They were cheering for those thousands of compatriots who had regained their lives!

If the official tone was like a giant stone dropped into water, then the civilian internet was a volcano that had been completely ignited!

The top ten trending topics on Weibo were instantly dominated by related subjects:

#Nearly Seven Thousand Compatriots Rescued in Northern Myanmar#

#Dawn Destroys Telecom Fraud Devil's Den#

#Who is the Sovereign#

#Mengping and He Island are History#

#Welcome Home#

Each topic was followed by a deep red "Explosion" tag.

Clicking in, the comment sections refreshed at a rate of thousands of messages per second:

"My god! Nearly seven thousand people! Am I seeing this right? Did they just take down two towns?!"

"Baisheng Park? He Island Park? I saw these two names on the dark web before; they said once you go in, don't dream of coming out... They were actually flattened?"

"Heavy artillery! Armored vehicles! Special forces amphibious assault! Is this a damn movie? What exactly is the background of 'Dawn'? This combat power is just ridiculous!"

"I'm crying, I'm really crying... Nearly seven thousand families, almost shattered... I hope they all come back safely."

"Look at the seized funds mentioned in the news, billions, tens of billions! This is all the hard-earned money of us common people! Shooting those scammers a hundred times would be too light!"

"Long live 'Dawn'! The 'Sovereign' is awesome! (Voice cracking—)"

"I used to think Northern Myanmar was a lawless land, a place of despair, but now... it seems a beam of light has actually shone in."

"I suggest the country give the 'Sovereign' a one-ton medal! He accomplished what so many people wanted to do but couldn't!"

"Am I the only one curious about what the 'Sovereign' looks like? Is he a tough guy eight feet tall with an eight-foot waist? (Dog head emoji)"

The heat was unprecedented, and public sentiment was impassioned. Countless netizens spontaneously became "free promoters," reposting the victory news, educating others on the dangers of telecom fraud, and sharing anti-fraud knowledge.

Some previous horror exposé posts about Northern Myanmar telecom fraud and help-seeking posts from victims' families were pushed to the top again, the comment sections filled with blessings like "Day has broken," "Hope still exists," and "The demons have been slain."

Even more astute netizens connected the previous series of actions by "Dawn" in Kokang and Wa State, organizing a clear timeline. A long analytical post titled "Mysterious Force 'Dawn' Sweeps Through Northern Myanmar Telecom Fraud" quickly garnered millions of likes and shares.

The mysterious name of "Sovereign" Zhang Cheng was being widely praised and speculated upon in the Dragon Country internet world for the first time as such a positive, powerful, and legendary hero figure.

However, the boiling excitement on the internet was, after all, separated by a screen.

The true emotional impact came from those broken families that were about to be reunited.

In a certain ancient town in the Jiangnan water region.

Old Man Chen walked into the courtyard, tremblingly holding a photo whose corners had turned white from being rubbed so much.

The photo showed his son, looking high-spirited three years ago, smiling and saying he was going out to make big money so his parents could enjoy life. Then, all news of him vanished.

The news was being rebroadcast on the television, and the female anchor's clear voice came through: "...Among the compatriots rescued from the Mengping Baisheng Park, there is a software engineer surnamed Chen who has been missing for three years..."

Old Man Chen's hearing was poor, but he was exceptionally sensitive to this name. He suddenly leaned closer to the TV, his cloudy old eyes staring intently at the dense preliminary list scrolling at the bottom of the screen.

The list jumped very quickly, but he miraculously captured that name engraved in his heart!

"Chen... Chen XX... ID... weak, needs treatment..." The old man's lips trembled as he repeated it over and over, the photo in his hand dropping to the ground with a patter. He froze for a few seconds, then suddenly turned around and knelt before the Guanyin statue enshrined in the main hall with a "thud," kowtowing heavily, old tears streaming down his face: "The Bodhisattva has shown her spirit! She has shown her spirit! My son... my son is still alive! He's still alive!"

His wife came out of the inner room upon hearing the sound. Seeing the old man's laughing and crying state and hearing his intermittent words clearly, the bowl in her hand shattered with a "clatter." She covered her mouth as tears surged out silently.

Three years; she had almost cried herself blind. Today, finally...

The next-door neighbors were startled and came over to look. After learning the reason, they were also deeply moved and hurriedly helped support him. "Old Chen, this is a huge joyous occasion! Quick, quickly ask how to bring him back!"

Old Man Chen was helped up, the tear stains on his face not yet dry, but he broke into a smile he hadn't had in three years, one tinged with a sob: "Yes, yes! Bring him back! The country will take care of it, that 'Dawn' benefactor will take care of it! My son is coming home! He's coming home!"

Similar scenes were playing out in countless corners of Dragon Country.

In a western city, a young wife, Xiao Yang, held her year-old child and stared intently at the constantly refreshing information of rescued persons on her phone.

When she saw her husband's name in the He Island Park list with the note "minor injuries, conscious," she felt as if all her strength had been drained. She slumped onto the sofa and burst into loud sobs.

The child was frightened by the mother's crying and also began to wail.

Xiao Yang, however, began to laugh through her tears, hugging the child tightly: "Baby don't cry, don't cry... Daddy... Daddy is coming back... He'll be able to hear you call him Daddy..."

In an old industrial neighborhood in the Northeast, a middle-aged couple held a phone, their fingers trembling as they checked the information on the list over and over, for fear of misreading it. "It's him! It's really him! The position of this scar matches!" The husband's eyes were red as he forcefully hugged his sobbing wife. "He's back... our son can finally come back..."

Hope, tears, laughter, catharsis... these most real and burning emotions were transmitted to thousands of households through the joys and sorrows of individual families and through the lenses and pens of the media.

"Dawn" and the "Sovereign" were no longer distant and blurry symbols; they had become heroes who tangibly brought hope of survival and tore through the darkness.

A powerful and simple current of civilian gratitude and support, like a warm flood, quietly gathered across the land of Dragon Country, surging toward that battlefield beyond the southwestern border.

In Dragon Country, in a highly classified meeting room.

Smoke swirled as several elderly men with golden stars flashing on their shoulder tabs looked at the summarized victory reports and internet public opinion analysis on the large screen, their expressions serious with a hint of hard-to-detect relief.

"Nearly seven thousand people... Good, well done!" A resolute-looking old general tapped his finger on the table. "Just this one thing, this Zhang Cheng has performed a great service for the country and the people! It's more than the sum of what some of our departments have done secretly over all these years!"

"His moves are ruthless enough, fast enough, and effective enough." Another elderly man wearing glasses with a refined temperament pushed up his spectacles. "The key is that striking telecom fraud and rescuing compatriots is the greatest political correctness. It's also the thing we couldn't directly intervene in but hoped most for someone to do. He has now become the sharpest blade and the most dazzling flag."

"The public opinion response is very positive, and public sentiment is high. This is also an excellent opportunity for us to unite people internally and promote anti-fraud measures." A leader in charge of propaganda nodded. "The public has already spontaneously elevated him very high. We are following the trend, which both demonstrates care for our citizens and maintains our stance of 'non-interference in internal affairs.' The scale is being handled very well."

"Speed up the material channels further; the level can be raised a bit more." The old general made the final decision. "'Humanitarian aid,' after all—it's normal for the scale to be a bit larger and the varieties more complete. Additionally, the border reception work must be foolproof! These compatriots have suffered too much; the road home must be warm and smooth!"

"Understood!"

Orders were rapidly dispatched. More truck convoys, loaded with grain, medicine, bedding, and even some "civilian" but extremely critical engineering equipment, communication gear, and medical instruments, headed toward the "Dawn" controlled areas through those secret and safe channels with unprecedented efficiency and scale. Invisible support transformed into tangible power.

In stark contrast to the boiling excitement and light within Dragon Country.

In Mengbo, Northern Myanmar, at the Wa State Southern Military District Headquarters, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like water could be wrung out of it.

Bao Youxiang seemed to have aged twenty years in an instant, his back hunched as he sat in a large chair, clutching that detailed battle report that made his heart tremble. Every word on it was like a red-hot knife stabbing into his heart.

"...Mengping Baisheng Park, over five hundred guards, suspected total annihilation, status of supervisor Tu Gang unknown... The park was completely destroyed by heavy artillery... Over four thousand people rescued... Seized cash and physical assets valued at over 3.8 billion..."

"...He Island fraud park, approximately three hundred guards, broken by amphibious special tactics, head 'Water Ghost' Sha Li confirmed killed... Over two thousand five hundred people rescued, nearly a hundred of whom were saved from water dungeons and are in critical condition... Seized funds and virtual assets valued at nearly 14.4 billion..."

"Over ten thousand 'piglets' who could be sold for money and work... Over eighteen billion!!" A strange "he-he" sound came from Bao Youxiang's throat. He suddenly tore the battle report to shreds and threw them into the air, the fragments falling like sacrificial paper money. His chest heaved violently, his face flushed red, and suddenly he let out a "wah" and spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, splashing onto the map in front of him and staining that already changed northern territory red.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

"Quick! A doctor!"

Xiao Mingliang and Wei Xuegang hurried forward to support him.

Bao Youxiang pushed them away, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes filled with bone-deep resentment and despair. It was the madness of a hegemon watching his life's foundation being uprooted and ground into dust by someone else. "Gone... all gone... North Wa's foundation... the money... the people... all gone! Zhang Cheng! Zhang Cheng! I f*ck your ancestors for eighteen generations!!!"

He roared hysterically, his voice as hoarse as a Night Owl.

The look behind Xiao Mingliang's glasses was equally cold. He said in a low voice: "Commander-in-Chief, take care of your health! As long as the green mountains remain... This scoundrel Zhang Cheng has ruthless methods and is even better at winning people's hearts. Look at the reaction from Dragon Country! Those low-lifes in North Wa might already be starting to speak well of him! If this person isn't eliminated, forget about taking back North Wa, even this South Wa might..."

Wei Xuegang was relatively calm, but his clenched fists and the veins on his forehead betrayed the stormy waves in his heart.

He said solemnly: "The speed and intensity with which Zhang Cheng is integrating North Wa far exceeds our worst estimates. Clearing out telecom fraud, gathering the people's hearts, restoring order... he's hitting every mark. Once he finishes digesting North Wa, the next step will inevitably be to head south! The Salween River natural barrier probably won't stop him for long."

"What about Naypyidaw?! What do those useless people in the military government say?!" Bao Youxiang asked, gasping for breath with bloodshot eyes.

Xiao Mingliang took out another secret telegram and said in a low voice: "They promised to provide a batch of weapons, including some old-fashioned D-30 howitzers and 'Kornet' anti-tank missiles. The quantity isn't much, but it's better than nothing. However, they also clearly stated that, limited by Dragon Country's attitude and international perception, it's impossible to directly send troops; they can only give 'limited and secret support.'"

"Limited? Secret? What the f*ck is the use of them!" Bao Youxiang cursed.

"Also..." Xiao Mingliang's voice dropped even lower, almost inaudible, "'Blood Moon' over there... has replied."

Bao Youxiang stared at him intently.

"They took the job." Xiao Mingliang's Adam's apple bobbed. "The price... thirty million US dollars, half as a down payment. They promised they will use 'Phantom' to carry out this decapitation. 'Phantom'... has never failed."

"Phantom..." Bao Youxiang's pupils contracted. This name represented absolute death in the dark world. Fear flashed by, instantly replaced by deeper madness and hatred. "Give it to them! Never mind thirty million, I'll give fifty million! Immediately! Right now! I want Zhang Cheng dead! The faster the better! The more miserable the better!!"

"In addition," Wei Xuegang added, his tone heavy, "representatives from the Karen National Union and the South Shan State Army have been contacted secretly. They agreed to establish a joint defense line to deploy defenses together on the south bank of the Salween River to block Zhang Cheng from heading south. But..."

"But what?!"

"Their price is very high. Within the next five years, they want a thirty percent cut of all cross-border trade profits that pass through their territory or are protected by them. Moreover, they want us to pay a 'sincerity fee' upfront."

At this point, Bao Youxiang no longer cared about the cost. As long as he could kill Zhang Cheng, as long as he could keep this last bit of territory, he was willing to pay anything! "Give it to them! Agree to everything! The money will come from... from what's left of the family assets! Go do it!"

A death web woven from military alliances, external arms, and the world's most lethal assassins was quietly spreading in the shadows of South Wa, driven by despair and hatred.

The center of the web pointed directly at the "Sovereign" inside the Bangkok Camp—Zhang Cheng, who had just created a legend but was also pushed to the heart of the struggle.

Behind the light, undercurrents surged, and murderous intent had appeared.