Chapter 156

The old ghost led the way ahead, turning back from time to time and shouting at Xie Wendong, “Hey, don’t step there!” “Pick your feet up—can’t you see the fuses on the ground?” “Follow in my footsteps. Do you want me to go to heaven with you?” Xie Wendong was annoyed by his constant nagging, but in such a dangerous environment, he had no choice but to endure it.

After walking for a while, the old ghost finally stopped under a big tree and said, “Let’s rest here for a while. I think even if the enemy chases after us, not many of them will remain.”

Xie Wendong had no objections. After running for so long, he was drenched in sweat. Sitting next to the old ghost, he asked, “How many landmines can be buried along this path?” “At least three hundred!” Xie Wendong then asked, “Where did the Golden Triangle get so many landmines from?” The old ghost replied, “Most of them are from China and Vietnam, with some from the United States.” As they were talking, a loud explosion came from behind them, followed by a burst of flames. Faint screams and intense gunfire could also be heard. The old ghost perked up and sneered, “Damn it, the enemy really dares to chase in. Let’s see how you get out of here!”

With the first explosion, followed by a second, then a third… Within five minutes, Xie Wendong counted thirteen explosions in total. He knew that at least thirteen Shan State soldiers could no longer stand. The sound of the landmine explosions gradually faded, and the old ghost said triumphantly, “It seems the enemy has given up. Let’s go take a look in a bit.”

Before Xie Wendong could say anything, intense gunfire came from outside, with bullets whizzing past them. The old ghost suddenly let out a groan and collapsed to the ground, his fat face contorted in pain. Xie Wendong quickly crawled over to him and asked, “What’s wrong?” The old ghost gritted his teeth and said, “I’ve been shot in the buttocks.”

Xie Wendong looked up and saw indeed a nearly inch-long machine gun bullet stuck in the old ghost’s buttocks, with a small part of it sticking out. He thought to himself that it was lucky, patted his shoulder, and said, “It’s okay. It’s just a stray bullet. It must have passed through several trees on its way here. Otherwise, if it had hit you directly, your pelvis would have been shattered.”

Lao Gui’s eyes swam with pain as he said, “I’d rather not have such luck.” Xie Wendong grabbed a handful of grass and stuffed it into his mouth. Lao Gui spoke indistinctly, “What are you doing?” Xie Wendong laughed and said, “Chew on it! I’ll pull the bullet out for you!” Before Lao Gui could object, Xie Wendong’s fingers had already grasped the bullet, and with a forceful pull, the bullet came out along with blood from Lao Gui’s buttock. Lao Gui jumped high in pain, screaming loudly. He dared not touch or cover the wound on his buttock, flailing his arms constantly.

Xie Wendong shook his head and pulled down the flailing Lao Gui, asking smilingly, “Why are you standing up and dancing? Do you want more bullets inserted into your body?”

After a while, Lao Gui recovered somewhat. He grabbed Xie Wendong’s neck and snapped, “Do you want to kill me?” Xie Wendong remained calm and said, “If we don’t treat the wound now, it might get infected, and then you’ll have to sit in a wheelchair forever.” “Damn you!” Lao Gui cursed, tore off a strip of cloth, and said politely, “Please bandage it for me!”

After the gunshots, the forest fell silent. War seemed to have disappeared from the world; everything was so peaceful. The birds that had been scared away by the explosions and gunshots returned to the forest, continuing to chirp and sing, enjoying this hard-won peace and tranquility.

Lao Gui asked softly, “Have the enemies left?” Xie Wendong shook his head. “I don’t know. But one thing’s for sure—we’re safe here now.”

Lao Gui agreed. “That’s right. Anyway, we have to stay here until dawn.” Xie Wendong laughed, “If there were no mosquitoes, this place would be paradise.”

Time passed slowly, and light finally triumphed over darkness once again, returning to the world. The slowly rising sun was bright red, bringing a new beginning. Xie Wendong and Lao Gui slept side by side, but neither of them slept soundly. At the slightest noise, they would sit up quickly, holding their guns and scanning the surroundings. But it was always a false alarm. As dawn broke and the forest became brighter, Xie Wendong stood up to stretch his stiff body, feeling as if he had returned to the world. He kicked Lao Gui, who was resting beside him, and said, “Let’s go back and see. I wonder how things are at the Golden Triangle. Can you still walk?”

Blood kept seeping from the wound on Lao Gui’s buttock. He managed to stand up but almost fell after taking one step. Shaking his head, he said, “My legs are completely numb. It seems I can’t walk.”

Xie Wendong supported him and said, “If two people came out, two people must go back. Come, I’ll help you walk.”

Lao Gui looked at him gratefully and couldn’t help saying, “Thank you!” Xie Wendong smiled brightly and replied, “Why be polite with me?” But in his heart he cursed, “If I don’t go with you, how can I get out of this minefield?” Xie Wendong helped Lao Gui walk forward, growing more and more terrified. There were large pits all over the ground, with dust, debris, broken branches and leaves everywhere, as well as human bodies—some intact, some torn apart—emitting a nauseating stench. Lao Gui spat and cursed, “Serves you right! Let them know the Golden Triangle isn’t a place you can come and go as you please!”

They didn’t encounter any enemies along the way. The two left the forest and hid in the bushes, not daring to come out easily. After all, they didn’t know whether the Golden Triangle was now occupied by the Shan Dong Allied Forces. After observing for a while, Lao Gui couldn’t make out anything from such a distance, so he asked Xie Wendong to help him walk further. Before they went far, the bushes suddenly swayed, and several fully armed soldiers jumped out, shouting, “Don’t move! Raise your hands!”

At first, Lao Gui was shocked, but when he saw the soldiers’ uniforms, he breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling, he walked over, patted the soldier who was speaking on the shoulder, and said, “Great! It’s our own people! Haha…” Before he could finish laughing, the soldier shot him in the head and snapped, “Who said they’re your own people? Tie them up!” Blood flowed from Lao Gui’s head, his expression changing. He shouted loudly, “Are you soldiers of the Wa gang?” The soldier snorted coldly, “If we weren’t from the Wa gang, would we really be your own people?!”

Confused, Lao Gui tried to say something else, but Xie Wendong stopped him. Although he didn’t understand what the soldiers and Lao Gui were saying, he guessed what was going on. Shaking his head, he said, “Forget it. Look at your own clothes—they’re standard Shan Dong soldier uniforms. Explain it to their officer later.” Lao Gui looked down and sighed, “How could I forget these clothes?” Then he wiped the blood from his face, unwilling to give up, and shouted at the soldiers, “Kid, remember this shot! I’m Lao Gui, and I’ll make you pay double!” The soldier glared at him, stepped forward, and slapped him four times, sneering, “I don’t care if you’re a big ghost or a little ghost—shut up first.”

Xie Wendong wisely stayed silent, casting a sympathetic glance at Lao Gui before sighing. Under the strict “escort” of several soldiers, the two arrived in the heart of the Golden Triangle. Armed soldiers were patrolling everywhere, while many others were clearing the post-war ruins—building fortifications, repairing damaged wooden huts, and burning corpses. No less than a hundred people had their shirts torn off and were squatting in an open area, guarded by Wa Gang soldiers. He Qiang frowned, pacing in front of the general’s house, occasionally giving orders to his subordinates. Lao Gui spotted him from afar, felt relieved, and called out loudly, “Colonel He, we’re here.”

Hearing Lao Gui’s voice, He Qiang perked up and strode over. Seeing that Xie Wendong and Lao Gui were unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief, gave Lao Gui’s shoulder a firm punch, and laughed, “Where on earth did you go? You gave me such a hard time looking for you.” Then he turned to Xie Wendong politely, “I’m truly sorry for scaring Brother Xie on his first day here.” Xie Wendong replied with a smile, “It’s okay.” Lao Gui sighed, “Brother Xie and I were chased by the enemy into the Second Minefield. We hid there all night before daring to come out in the morning.”

He Qiang examined Lao Gui from head to toe. His uniform from the Shan Dong Allied Forces was covered in dust and blood, his pants soaked and stiff with blood, and his head marked with black and red wounds—his appearance was pitiful. He Qiang sighed and ordered the soldiers, “They’re our own people. Go and untie them quickly.”

The soldiers’ faces had already turned pale. After untying the two, they stood aside with lowered heads. Lao Gui tried to say something but suddenly felt weak. His already damaged body lost its strength, and before he could speak, he fainted. He Qiang quickly ordered the soldiers to carry him off to find a doctor.

Xie Wendong, still energetic, sat on the ground and asked, “When did Colonel He arrive?”

He Qiang replied, “As soon as we received the call about the attack on the Golden Triangle, the general and I rushed back. It’s a pity we were a step too late—more than three hundred of our brothers will never rise again.” He said this with a gloomy look at the mountain-like pile of Wa Gang soldiers’ corpses, then sighed, “They were all young and brave fighters, but they’ll never be able to return home.”

Seeing his sad expression, Xie Wendong said, “But you still managed to repel the Shan Dong Allied Forces. That’s already a comforting result. By the way, since General Sang has returned, may I meet him?” He Qiang nodded, took Xie Wendong by the arm, and said, “Come with me.”

The general’s room was indeed different from the other wooden houses—it was spacious, with four or five rooms. A colorful carpet covered the floor in the hall, and various famous guns hung on the walls. A large table was placed in the center of the hall, filled with various fruits. He Qiang invited Xie Wendong to sit down and went into the inner room. After about five minutes, He Qiang came out with a middle-aged man. The middle-aged man was dressed in neat military uniform, plump in build, with an ordinary appearance. His large, white, fat hands rested on the belt beneath his belly. Despite his plain appearance, he exuded an imposing aura that made it clear he was no ordinary person. Xie Wendong stood up and said with a smile, “I suppose you must be General Sang.”

The plump man glanced at Xie Wendong from head to toe and asked in standard Chinese, “I’m Sang Qiu. Are you the Xie Wendong mentioned by Ah Gui?”

Xie Wendong replied with a smile, “That’s right!” Sang Qiu waved his hand to signal him to sit down and said, “I heard there was also a figure named Xie Wendong before China’s liberation—a bandit leader who was very formidable.”

“That’s true!” Xie Wendong said. “I didn’t expect the general to know so much about Chinese history.” Sang Qiu replied, “Oh, not at all! I studied at a military academy in China for three years in the late 1970s, so I know a bit about Chinese history.” “Oh! No wonder your Chinese is so fluent,” Xie Wendong nodded in understanding, though he wondered how such a plump man could have studied at a Chinese military academy. In fact, in the 1970s, countries like Vietnam, Laos, and Burma sent many young officers to Chinese military academies to improve their skills and learn Chinese tactics. The Vietnamese were the most numerous and intelligent; after mastering China’s guerrilla and mine warfare tactics, they used them against the Americans and later against China itself. During the Counteroffensive Against Vietnam, many Chinese officers were actually former Vietnamese instructors, which gave the Americans a huge headache. The helpless Vietnamese were quickly driven back to their capital by China. Eating Chinese food and using Chinese weapons, the Vietnamese admitted their mistakes and failures early on and dared not set foot in China again. China used to be powerful and tough; you could see a sense of determination in the older generation of leaders. Whether it was the wars against the Soviet Union, India, or Vietnam, they all ended in China’s victory. If Deng Xiaoping, who forcefully reclaimed Hong Kong from the British Empire, were still alive, the Americans would probably not dare bomb China’s embassy or recklessly crash into Chinese planes in Chinese territory.

Enough chatter. After chatting a bit with Xie Wendong, Sancho got to the point. While eating the fruit on the table, he casually asked, “I heard Mr. Xie can obtain large quantities of weapons in China. What types of weapons are those?” Xie Wendong had no idea what kinds of weapons were available there; he certainly couldn’t tell him he could get rifles and pistols. With a laugh, he said, “It depends on your sincerity, General. The more sincere you are, the more weapons I’ll be able to provide!”
“Oh?” Sancho was surprised and asked, “What exactly does Mr. Xie mean by sincerity?”
“Drugs!” Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes. “A large amount of drugs at favorable prices would really impress me.” Sancho smiled. “I’ve always supplied Mr. Xie with the best deals on drugs.”
“That’s not enough!” Xie Wendong said. “I heard that in the Golden Triangle, a kilogram of heroin with 99.9% purity costs around 10,000 yuan.” He picked up an apple, took a bite, and looked at Sancho with a smile. The muscles in his fat face twitched. Sancho laughed and asked, “I wonder where Mr. Xie got that information?”
Bullshit! Xie Wendong thought to himself. Since arriving in Myanmar, there were vast areas planted with poppies. In fact, the cost of drugs wasn’t high—what made it expensive was the high demand and transportation risks. Xie Wendong said, “General, don’t worry about where I got my information. Just tell me if I’m right or wrong.”
Sancho stared at Xie Wendong in silence for a long time, but nothing could be read from his face. His smiling facade completely hid his true thoughts. Sancho sighed and said, “Right now, the supply is tight, and all the factions are competing fiercely for it. As Mr. Xie can see, the Golden Triangle isn’t safe anymore either; it’s constantly under attack from other factions. 10,000 yuan per kilogram? In the past, we might have been able to make some money, but now we really can’t afford that price.”