90: Chapter 90 The Emerging Empire and the Gaze from the Shadows

Wan Hong.

This city, once regarded by Bao Youxiang as his "private imperial palace," was now bathed in the scorching midday sun.

The smell of gunpowder, not yet fully dissipated from the air, mingled with the damp scent peculiar to tropical plants, stinging everyone's nostrils.

The official residence, once draped in the flags of the Wa State United Army, had now been adorned with the black-and-gold starred banner of the "Kokang National Army."

The flag snapped in the wind, as if declaring the arrival of a new master to this land.

On the top floor of the residence, in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window.

Zhang Cheng held a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers. He did not smoke it, merely letting the blue smoke curl upward.

His gaze swept over the bustling blocks and the verdant mountains in the distance, as if he could see straight through the chaotic Golden Triangle.

"Phew..." He exhaled gently and crushed the cigarette butt into an antique jade ashtray that was said to be worth a fortune. This feeling of controlling everything was truly addictive. Kokang, North Wa, South Wa... This tough nut, once fragmented and filled with warlords, had finally been chewed up piece by piece and swallowed whole by him.

"Master, this is the latest inventory report."

Old K's voice sounded from behind him, his footsteps as light as a cat's. He handed over a tablet, the screen flickering with dense streams of data.

"The remaining resistance within South Wa has been basically cleared out. Some small squads that hid in the deep mountains and forests came out to surrender after being hungry for two days. As for those American instructors..." A rare trace of sarcasm appeared on Old K's perpetually icy face. "Following your instructions, we were 'slightly' negligent during the transport, allowing them to be 'abducted' by a group of 'angry local militiamen.' I imagine they are currently feeding mosquitoes in the jungle with their pants down, waiting for the American Embassy to pay their ransom."

Zhang Cheng curled his lips into a cold sneer: "Well done. Americans care about face; they'll have to swallow this bitter pill. Ransom? Make them pay in hard cash; not a single cent less. This is called 'compensation for mental anguish'."

At this moment, Li Lanzhi pushed the door open, her high heels clicking crisply against the marble floor. She was wearing a sharp, professional suit today, holding a thick stack of documents in her hands. Her face was flushed with excitement, and she looked radiant.

"Brother Cheng! We're rich! We're really rich this time!"

The usually composed Li Lanzhi's voice trembled slightly. She spread the documents on the table and pointed to the summary data: "We raided that underground vault of Bao Youxiang's. The US dollar cash alone filled two rooms! There are also those uncut rubies, raw jadeite, and his several secret overseas accounts... Preliminary estimates, combined with our original foundation in the north, mean our current financial reserves have exceeded 30 billion RMB!"

"30 billion..." Zhang Cheng tapped his fingers lightly on the desktop, his eyes gleaming. "This old bastard spent half his life scraping the fat of the people, and in the end, it all went to me. This money is enough for us to do many great things."

"That's not all." Li Lanzhi turned to the next page. "The mineral resources in South Wa are even richer than in the north. Rare earths, tin mines, and several large rubber plantations—as long as we resume production, these will be constant cash cows. Brother Cheng, we don't just have guns now; we have money! Our fiscal health is even better than the central government of Myanmar!"

Zhang Cheng stood up and walked to the giant map that covered the entire wall. With a wave of his hand, he exuded the aura of someone commanding the fate of the nation:

"Since our foundation is solid, there's no need to hide it. Pass the order down: effective immediately, abolish the terms 'North and South Wa.' Formally merge Kokang, the former North Wa, and South Wa to establish the 'North Myanmar Joint Autonomous Region'! I shall serve as the Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Forces."

He turned around, his gaze burning like a torch as he stared at Old K and Li Lanzhi:

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it big. Implement unified laws, abolish all exorbitant taxes and levies, and replicate our successful livelihood infrastructure model from North Wa, intact, to the south! Build roads, construct bridges, provide electricity, and connect the internet! I want the common people in the south to know that following me, Zhang Cheng, means not just surviving, but living like human beings! I want them to completely forget that old bastard Bao Youxiang!"

"Yes!" the two responded in unison, their voices filled with fervor.

"Also," Zhang Cheng's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying the murderous aura of someone who had fought through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, "regarding those war criminals—Bao Youxiang, Bao Junfeng, Xiao Mingliang... do not conduct any secret executions. Set up a stage in Wan Hong Square and hold a public trial! Expose every one of their crimes: colluding with foreign enemies, harming their compatriots, drug trafficking, and telecom fraud! I want all of Myanmar, and even the whole world, to see what the fate of a traitor and a running dog is!"

"Understood." Old K nodded. "I will personally select the execution squad. I guarantee they will leave in a 'dignified' manner."

"Additionally," Zhang Cheng looked toward the north, the direction of the motherland, "notify Zhao Gang. Our territory has expanded, and our backbone is stronger; previous cooperation can be upgraded. Trade, economic exchanges, defense collaboration—it's all on the table. We are now qualified to be that 'strategic pivot.' Tell him I want to discuss the vision of an 'Indian Ocean outlet' with him."

He knew in his heart that conquering the land was easy, but holding it was difficult. To gain a firm foothold in this Southeast Asia surrounded by wolves, relying on the system alone was not enough; he had to bind himself tightly to the giant ship that was the Dragon Country.

Just as Zhang Cheng was full of ambition, planning the blueprint for his future empire, on a secluded private island in the Mediterranean on the other side of the globe.

In a dimly lit conference room, a holographic projection displayed the latest situation map of Northern Myanmar. The colorful patches that originally belonged to various competing factions had now all turned into the deep blue representing Zhang Cheng's forces.

"Mr. Chairman..." The reporter's voice trembled slightly, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "The latest satellite imagery confirms that Bao Youxiang is finished. Wan Hong has changed hands. The chess pieces we laid out in the Golden Triangle for twenty years have been... swept away by Zhang Cheng. 'Hellfire' is gone, 'Blood Moon' has defected, and Bao Youxiang has been captured... Our dark web in Southeast Asia is almost paralyzed."

The man sitting in the shadows at the end of the long table did not speak for a long time. That suffocating silence was more terrifying than rage.

The obsidian ring on his finger rubbed slowly against the tabletop, making a harsh, grating sound.

"Very well..."

After a long while, the voice finally spoke. It was impossible to tell if he was happy or angry, but it carried a chill that seemed to come from the nine nether hells:

"It's been twenty years, and no one has dared to slap my face like this. This worm has eaten too much and grown too fast. Since it has grown into a monster, it is worth me doing it myself—grinding him into meat paste."

He stood up slowly, and the shadows receded, revealing an aged but hawk-eyed and wolf-like face. His eyes burned with hellish fire:

"Notify those idiots at the Pentagon. Tell them that if they don't crush this monster in its cradle, their hegemony over there, along with their face, will be flushed down the sewer. I want Zhang Cheng to know who exactly sets the rules of this world."