Chapter 152

Xie Wendong rushed back to the villa and arranged for Zhan Feng to escort Jin Rong back to City H. At first, Jin Rong wanted to stay and be lazy, but under Xie Wendong’s insistence, she got into the car crying. Jin Rong’s tears could easily move Xie Wendong’s heart; already in a bad mood, he became even more irritable after she left, pacing back and forth in the room. The internal strife within the Hongmen hadn’t been resolved, and if he left now, the old master’s situation would be in danger. It seemed he had no choice but to leave Lao Lei behind to stabilize things! Xie Wendong sighed and said to Dong Xinlei beside him, “Lao Lei, I must head to the Golden Triangle now, but I’m really worried about the situation with the Hongmen. After I leave, you and Nie Tianxing will have to take charge temporarily.”

“What?” Dong Xinlei was shocked. “Brother Dong, are you planning to go to the Golden Triangle alone?”

“There’s no other way!” Xie Wendong said helplessly. “The Hongmen needs someone I know to take control; otherwise, who knows how things might turn out. Don’t worry about the Golden Triangle—to be honest, it doesn’t matter whether two people go or just one.” “Sigh!” Dong Xinlei sighed. “The Golden Triangle is one of my concerns, but what worries me more is the South Hongmen. To get to the Golden Triangle, we have to pass through their territory. I’m afraid they might harm you along the way.”

Xie Wendong shook his head. “Not many people in the South Hongmen know me. As long as Xiang Tiansiao doesn’t see me, it’ll be fine. Besides, who would expect me to go alone into their territory?! I’ll be safe.” Seeing that Xie Wendong had made up his mind, Dong Xinlei had no choice but to sigh and say, “I hope so!”

Xie Wendong set off right away without saying a word, quietly boarding the plane alone. Aside from Dong Xinlei, no one within the Hongmen knew that their trusted leader had disappeared quietly. According to Xie Wendong, they could deceive things for a few days—so long as the news didn’t spread, the situation wouldn’t get too bad.

Instead of flying south, Xie Wendong went to Beijing. In a private room in a restaurant in Beijing, Zhang Fanyou was smoking boredly. Xie Wendong had called him earlier that morning to arrange a meeting. Last time, regarding the Red Army incident, Xie Wendong had taken the credit for him. He still didn’t understand what kind of person Xie Wendong was—deeply scheming, full of tricks. If he was giving him credit for no reason, it must be because he had a request. He just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. After waiting for half an hour and growing impatient, Xie Wendong walked in with a smile and said, “Sorry for being late—I rushed here right after getting off the plane. I’ve kept Brother Zhang waiting.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Zhang Fanyou said with a smile. “I might be able to wait for others, but how could I not wait for you, Brother Xie?”
Xie Wendong found a chair to sit down and chuckled. “Brother Zhang, you’re too polite. By the way, have I gotten the favor you asked me to do?”
Zhang Fanyou smiled slightly, took out a piece of paper from his briefcase, and placed it in front of Xie Wendong. With a sigh, he said, “The task Brother Xie asked me to complete must be done at all costs. After all, I’m not one to owe favors to others!” Xie Wendong pointed at him smilingly, took the paper, checked it, and after confirming it was correct, put it in his pocket. He said, “Anyway, I really do have to thank you this time.” Zhang Fanyou shook his head. “There’s no need for thanks. We’re all colleagues. Once the favor is repaid, I feel much better.” He had used words to trick Xie Wendong, knowing he must repay the favor first; otherwise, things might get complicated later. Fortunately, this task was just a small effort for him.
Xie Wendong understood his thoughts. Waving his hand, he said with a smile, “I’ve long forgotten about the incident with the Red Army last time. I never felt that Brother Zhang owed me anything. But this time, I really do owe you. It wouldn’t be proper not to express my gratitude.” With that, Xie Wendong took out a check from his pocket and placed it on the table. “It’s not much, just to show my appreciation.”
“How dare I accept something from you!” Zhang Fanyou thought to himself. He casually picked up the check and was shocked. He wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but upon closer inspection, it clearly said five million—six zeros after the five. Surprised, he said, “Brother Xie, what does this mean?”
“Nothing much,” Xie Wendong replied, standing up and smiling. “As I said, it’s just a small token. Maybe I’ll need Brother Zhang’s help again in the future.”
Five million? A small token? Zhang Fanyou looked at the check in his hand, wanting to return it to Xie Wendong, but the shiny seven-digit amount caught his eye. The Political Department was a powerful organization, and many people tried to please it. He had seen five million before, but never so easily. Receiving money didn’t necessarily mean avoiding trouble! Zhang Fanyou sneered inwardly, put away the check, and said with a smile, “Thank you for your kindness, Brother. I’ll accept your gift. But I don’t understand why you need a military pass.”
Xie Wendong leaned back, thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “There are so many beautiful places in the world. It would be a shame not to go see them. Just use it as a passport!”

“Tch!” Zhang Fanyou laughed in exasperation, thinking to himself, “This is like burning newspapers at a grave to fool the ghosts—how could you come up with such a ridiculous excuse?” He nodded and smiled, saying, “If Brother Xie doesn’t want to talk, I won’t force it. There are still some matters in the department that need my attention. See you next time!” “I hope that next time we meet, Brother Zhang will have reached even higher positions in officialdom.” “I hope so too!”
Yunnan is located at the far southwest of China, bordering Myanmar and Vietnam. Dali is a small town with a population of around 16,000, situated at the very edge of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, covering no more than 400 square kilometers. It is the last gateway from China to Myanmar. Compared to the large coastal cities, it is much less developed, with little industrialization, but this has preserved Dali’s beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, vast forests, and clear rivers.
Xie Wendong had never felt the air in the world to be so fresh, the sky so blue, or the ground so green. Life is wonderful! he thought. The old man beside him looked at Xie Wendong and asked with a smile, “Brother Xie, how does it feel without the hustle and bustle of the city?” Xie Wendong pointed at the distant mountains and sighed, “If I stand on top of that mountain and spread my arms, I’m sure I’ll feel like I’m flying, soaring through the sky like an eagle!”
“Stop being so fancy,” the old man said. He was a Burmese Bawang ethnic member and not very familiar with Chinese culture. Not understanding what he said, he complained, “Can’t you speak in words I can understand?!?” “Haha!” Xie Wendong laughed, patted the old man’s shoulder, shook his head, and said, “You rough guy really spoils the mood!” Then he walked away quickly.
He understood those words and, annoyed at Xie Wendong, said, “What’s the big deal? He just studied a few more years than me!”
Dali is a place inhabited by ethnic minorities, and its local customs differ greatly from those in the mainland. Xie Wendong and the old man walked to the Sino-Myanmar Street. The latter pointed at the distant mountains and said, “That’s the Golden Triangle.” Xie Wendong looked up. With overlapping peaks and dense forests, it was hard to tell which was which. He smiled and said, “I didn’t expect it to be so close to China.”
“Yes!” the old man sighed. “Although there are only a few towns in between, there are many checkpoints, each controlled by local forces. It’s quite troublesome if you really want to go overland.”
Xie Wendong asked, “Aren’t we going overland?” “Of course not!” the old man replied. “Once we enter Myanmar, we’ll take a helicopter. It’s fast—just one hour.”
“I heard that the local forces there are always at war,” Xie Wendong said worriedly. “Won’t they shoot down the plane we’re on?”

Lao Gui said, “It shouldn’t be. The local forces don’t have very advanced weapons—things like that are rare even among our United Wa Army.” He glanced at Xie Wendong and smirked, “Kid, you really have a big head. Not everyone can command a general’s helicopter. Of course, this also has something to do with my persuasion.”

“Oh?” Xie Wendong nodded and sighed, “Some people have incredibly thick skins. They claim credit for nothing they’ve done. The general’s troops have outdated weapons, so they have no advantage in battles against other forces. That’s why they’re interested in my plan to exchange weapons for drugs, and that’s why they sent a helicopter to pick me up to show their concern. But does this have anything to do with your persuasion? You just passed on a message!” “Well…” Lao Gui’s face turned red as he patted Xie Wendong’s back vigorously, forcing a forced smile before sighing, “Ah, Brother Xie is really amazing—nothing can be hidden from you. Hehe, haha!”

Xie Wendong and Lao Gui had maintained a good relationship since their first encounter, communicating frequently and deepening their friendship, though there was also an element of mutual exploitation. So Xie Wendong spoke freely in front of him, and Lao Gui wasn’t annoyed at all after being teased.

The security of the China-Myanmar border is under the jurisdiction of the Menglian Pacification Commission, whose border defense forces are also deployed by this agency. Lao Gui checked the time and said, “Brother, it’s getting late. I think we’d better set off soon.” Xie Wendong replied, “The guest follows the host’s lead. It’s best to find a car; I’m not fond of walking.”

Lao Gui sighed, “You really can’t avoid taking a car. Recently, the Chinese government has stepped up efforts against drug smuggling, making it harder to cross the border. Let me see if I can find someone I know to take you out.” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Don’t worry about me. I’ve already prepared.” With that, he took out the item given to him by Zhang Fanyou and showed it to Lao Gui. Lao Gui asked curiously, “What’s this?” “A special military pass!”

Lao Gui found a convertible jeep driven by a Hani youth in his twenties or thirties, who seemed to be on very good terms with Lao Gui. Xie Wendong didn’t know his real name and just called him A Shui along with Lao Gui. A Shui was a warm-hearted person, probably due to the lively and cheerful nature of the Hani people. Like Lao Gui, he was from Myanmar, but had lived in China longer than in his own country; he worked directly for the external liaison department of the Golden Triangle. A Shui was more familiar with the local environment than Lao Gui. Daluo was a town where multiple ethnic groups lived together, and Hani andBulang people could be seen everywhere, dressed exactly like Myanmar residents.

The jeep soon reached the border checkpoint. Armed police in military uniforms, carrying submachine guns, approached the vehicle and asked for relevant exit documents. Just as Lao Gui was about to take out his passport, Xie Wendong stopped him and handed over his pass. The armed police examined it carefully before sizing up Xie Wendong suspiciously. Xie Wendong smiled slightly and handed over his political department ID. The armed police had never seen such a document and didn’t even know what the political department was, but they recognized the shiny five-pointed star on it and realized this man was special. Not daring to neglect him, they said, “Please wait a moment,” and quickly ran over to the platoon leader who was sitting nearby cooling off, handing Xie Wendong’s ID to him for inspection.

The platoon leader, being more experienced than the armed police, became energetic as soon as he saw the ID. He strode up to Xie Wendong and gave him a proper military salute. Xie Wendong was shocked, realizing the great influence of the political department. Smiling, he said, “No need to be formal.” Seeing that Xie Wendong wasn’t arrogant, the platoon leader relaxed and asked softly, “Going on a mission?”

Xie Wendong nodded. The platoon leader said, “If you need any help, just ask. We’re all on the same side.” Then he waved his hand to signal them to proceed.

Xie Wendong thanked them, patted A Shui’s shoulder, and told him to drive. After passing a buffer zone of several hundred meters, Lao Gui turned to look at Xie Wendong from head to toe before saying, “I really couldn’t tell. Brother, you have such great influence. Every time we go in or out, it takes over ten minutes of inspection. But you—just show your ID, and everything’s cleared!”

“Not at all,” Xie Wendong chuckled bitterly. If he had known the political department ID had such power, he wouldn’t have asked Zhang Fanyou for a military pass. But then he thought, hadn’t Zhang still taken five million from him? Haha! Xie Wendong might be the only person in the world who was happy after losing five million.

The jeep drove for an hour and arrived in Mengla, inside Myanmar. This was the place Lao Gui said they would take a helicopter to. Mengla wasn’t large—just a small town with a population of less than 60,000—but it was extremely prosperous. Hotels, guesthouses, and entertainment venues lined the streets, with various luxury cars parked outside. Xie Wendong couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a prosperous town!” Lao Gui smiled mischievously and said, “Of course. The local economy relies heavily on these.” He pointed to the entertainment venues visible everywhere along the road. “Oh?” Xie Wendong asked doubtfully, “What are those…?”