Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

court.

"I plead guilty."

The three men, seated in wheelchairs, spoke without any struggle at the end: "I received training from the UK's Military Intelligence Service, learning 'intelligence gathering and analysis,' 'espionage and subversion,' and 'espionage skills.' After returning to Hong Kong, I joined the Royal Hong Kong Police Special Branch to work as an espionage officer, and for many years I was responsible for wiretapping..."

The British judge was completely taken aback by what the three men said during their confessions, and was momentarily stunned. Even the bailiffs were caught off guard and didn't allow them to continue.

They reacted slowly, but the reporters reacted quickly, immediately starting to take pictures like crazy. The flashes finally woke the judge up, and the British judge shouted, "Stop him!"

People who eavesdrop on and monitor major families in Hong Kong...

How could you say something like that out loud!

Several bailiffs instinctively tried to rush forward and cover the mouths of the three people, but the reporters near the front row rushed forward faster than the bailiffs and leaped to block their way.

"Why can't I say it!"

"freedom of speech!"

"What are you covering up!"

"The court is deliberately covering up the truth!"

These reporters are fearless; it would be better if they were arrested and beaten by the court. Everyone knows that Wang Yaotang is extremely generous and will definitely come up with a large sum of money to compensate them.

"Duang, Duang—" The British judge pounded his gavel frantically, "This is a roaring court! You're breaking the law! Arrest them! Arrest them now!"

The scene was in complete chaos. There were only a few bailiffs, but far too many reporters. They rushed forward, surrounded the three people, and began interviewing them. Those on the periphery who couldn't get close simply rushed forward to interview the bailiffs and the jury.

"Was anyone informing you before the trial that you were not allowed to discuss espionage issues?"

"What are your thoughts on espionage?"

"Excuse me……"

"Stop filming, stop filming, no interviews..." The jury members dared not get involved in this kind of thing, raising their hands to cover their faces and rushing out.

……

"Haha, a courtroom conflict?" Wang Yaotang laughed heartily after hearing Wei Tao's retelling. "What happened in the end?"

"To maintain the dignity of the court, they arrested more than 30 reporters. Brother Yao, shouldn't we do something about it?"

Wang Yaotang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and said, "Here's what we'll do: find a lawyer and tell those reporters that we will fight to the end and never back down. The more serious the investigation, the better. It won't actually take long, but we'll compensate them with five times their salary, and we'll arrange for someone to take care of them while they're inside."

"The court wants to downplay this matter, but I won't agree!"

"Brother Yao, this..." Wei Tao wanted to remind him that this behavior constituted bribery and was illegal, but he thought better of it and kept quiet. He would just give a brief instruction to his subordinates when he relayed the message.

Be flexible and let someone who has nothing to do with the company handle it. So what if they find out? Just like that driver, they can take the blame and that's it.

As Wei Tao stepped out of the office and closed the door, he suddenly felt a pang of disbelief. Wait a minute, he used to be an undercover police officer too.

I came here to investigate Yao Ge's illegal and criminal activities, but now...

Wei Tao chuckled and said, "Thank you to the Royal Police for sending me out as an undercover agent!"

It must be incredibly lucky that I was assigned to Yao Ge's side; I've risen to great heights since then!
……

On the other hand, the families of political department personnel such as Zhou Baixian, Xu Jialang, Yuan Weiming, and Qu Zhihao are now too afraid to go out and are all staying at home.

After the emergency call was made, Special Branch Secretary Kent Oliver even put pressure on the police stations below to assign someone to handle the situation.

"What are you doing? What's wrong with us keeping an eye on traitors? What do you mean by arresting me? Are you an accomplice to traitors?!" The henchman, who had been assigned to block the door, was not intimidated at all. He pointed at the approaching police officers and shouted, "Believe it or not, I'll block your door and yell at you!"

"Hey, hey, hey." The three officers took a few steps back, looking constipated; they didn't want to come either.

One of them covered his mouth and whispered, "They've called the police, what can we do? Let's give them face and leave for a while. We're just following orders, it's a tough job."

These thugs are not official members of Sheng Yi at all; they are just thugs on the periphery of the Blue Lantern gang. Even if the Political Department intervenes, at most they can only label these small-time thugs as threatening or intimidating, and the maximum sentence they can get is less than six months.

Sheng Yi doesn't even need to arrange lawyers; he just needs to give them the money to hire lawyers. They all have connections, so he's not afraid of being imprisoned.

On the contrary, there are many benefits to further education.

"Alright, I'll give you face then." The leader, Blue Lantern, waved his hand. "Spread out and keep a close eye on things. Don't let anyone get away."

Over the course of a few days, Kent Oliver did try to contact the Singaporean side, but with more than two hundred family members in the Special Branch, it wasn't easy, so they had to prioritize based on rank.

only……

I didn't dare go out for several days. When I wanted to drive to the airport, I found that my car had been stolen. I looked for a taxi, and as soon as the car stopped, some thugs went up to the driver and talked about 'traitors'. There was a lot of news about traitors lately. The driver spat and drove off.

A car was arranged to pick me up, but I hadn't driven far when it was hit by a car...

We can't leave!
We can't leave at all!
In Hong Kong, it may not be easy for 'dynamic social groups' to get things done, but it's incredibly easy for them to do bad things!
While the drama of traitors and spies continues, Myanmar is also taking action.

……

Shan State, major cities (in order of ranking):

Taunggyi: The capital of Shan State, with the largest population, close to the future 'capital' Naypyidaw, and the most important city connecting Shan State with other states and regions of Myanmar.

Lashio: A major military, political, economic, and transportation hub in northern Shan State, mainly controlled by the Myanmar military. It is the front line of conflict between the Myanmar government, the Shan State Revolutionary Army, the Shan State Army, and the Myanmar military (currently, there is no Kokang Alliance or Eastern National Democratic Alliance).

Kengtung: The capital of Eastern Shan State, located east of the Salween River, is mainly under the control of the Burmese military. The Shan State Revolutionary Army, a force of the Lo Hsin Han, has a presence here. It is a necessary route for the "Twin Lions" (a coalition of the Eastern and Northern Shan States) to advance south.

Laogai: Located in the Kokang region of northern Shan State, under the control of the Myanmar government, it is Peng Jiasheng's territory.

Tachileik: Located in eastern Shan State, close to the Thai border, it is the largest border trading city in Shan State. Most of the area is controlled by Khun Sa's Shan State Army. The Myanmar Army has a small amount of influence, which can be ignored.

Namtu: Located in northern Shan State, it is known for its smelting plants and is controlled by the Myanmar military.

Nanto is rich in mineral resources. Before World War II, the Derwin mine was one of the world's largest lead mines and one of the world's largest silver mines. In addition, the region also produces zinc, which is mainly exported to Japan.

After buying so many weapons from Wang Yaotang, Luo Xinghan and Peng Jiasheng became arrogant!
It wasn't that they couldn't control themselves; perhaps they had been suppressed for a long time, or perhaps their men had seen weapons, and their confidence exploded. Everyone was clamoring to fight the Burmese army.

Of course, all of these people are actually Chinese...

The core members under Luo, Peng, and Zhang were all Chinese. In truth, they looked down on the Burmese army. If it weren't for their small numbers, if they weren't lacking outside support, and if the British hadn't deliberately instigated ethnic conflict and supported the Burmese army's rise to power before their departure...

The reason why everyone refused to surrender and insisted on fighting the Burmese army to the end was not primarily due to personal interests. Given their positions, they would certainly not have had a bad life if they had surrendered, just like Luo Xinghan.

On the one hand, they were unwilling to give up their rights, and on the other hand, they really couldn't swallow their anger.

Luo and Peng initially tried to hold back, but recently they gave up. Replenishing equipment has cost them a lot of money, and the corresponding maintenance costs have also increased. "Imperial Envoy" Wang Yaotang has also asked them to take some action. Under these circumstances, they are preparing to take a stand against the Burmese army.

Strength must match the territory!
The question now is where to attack first.

"Let's take down Jingdong first, and help Brother Luo solve his problem first." Peng Jiasheng said with a smile at the internal high-level meeting.

Luo Xinghan's expression remained unchanged. He had anticipated Peng Jiasheng's response. "Thank you, Brother Peng," he said, "but I can handle things here myself. Let's focus on Lashio first. Lashio is a vital economic, transportation, and industrial center in the north, and the core city where the Burmese army controls Shan State. Once we completely control Lashio, crossing south will be a piece of cake. This will help us break free from our dependence on 'Twin Lions,' and Brother Wang also hopes we do the same." "Besides," he continued, "this time, we need to make a show of force by surprise. The outcome of the first shot is crucial; it must be a resounding success."

“Brother Luo is right, Lashio is indeed important.” Peng Jiasheng nodded in agreement and then smiled. “But I still think we should attack Jingdong. I don’t mean anything by it, I just want to help Brother Luo clean up his backyard and consolidate his foundation.”

Peng Jiajun's side all looked over with cold smiles, as if they were criticizing him for being two-faced.

Luo Xinghan's expression froze, followed by a surge of anger. "Did I want this to happen? The Yang family is useless. Some wanted to compromise with the Burmese army, while others insisted on independence. In the end, they were wiped out by the Burmese army. I was dragged into this mess too."

Everyone's been arrested. What's wrong with me pretending to be polite and refusing to cooperate if I want to get out alive?
Without my mediation all these years, you wouldn't be able to develop so peacefully in Kokang!
"Don't you have any sense of the bigger picture!" Luo Xinghan sneered after his outburst. "Heh, since Brother Peng doesn't trust me, then let's attack Kengtung and put the Burmese army on guard. You'll regret it when they march from Lashio towards Kokang!"

"I'm sure Brother Luo won't leave me to fight alone," Peng Jiasheng said with a smile.

Who else could be considered a rising star if they were still standing in this position today?

Luo Xinghan gritted his teeth; now he was completely under Peng Jiasheng's control.

……

Kengtung: The capital of the Kengtung Kingdom in East Shan State. The kingdom consists of 32 mon, covering an area of ​​3.1 square kilometers and a total population of about 105 million. Kengtung, as the capital, has an urban area of ​​about 3 square kilometers and a population of 12.

The Myanmar military has 2000 troops stationed there. Due to the military government and the presence of numerous armed groups in Shan State, the troops are not stationed separately on the outskirts of cities like in other countries. Instead, they are dispersed to maintain complete control over the cities.

At dawn, the sun had just risen above the horizon, and the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

A company of 120 men rapidly approached the Burmese army's garrison in the northern part of Kengtung city from three directions.

At this time, there was still more than an hour before the change of shift at the camp, which was the most relaxed time for the sentry. The chattering of the guards on both sides of the gate had long since ended, and they were all dozing off with their heads bobbing.

A platoon quickly approached, and when they were about 10 meters away, all six men simultaneously pulled the pins off their grenades, aimed at the watchtower, and threw them up.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

Of the six grenades, only three were thrown up, and amidst the explosions, smoke and dust billowed, sending seven or eight people flying off the watchtower.

The explosion also woke up everyone at the outpost!

"Demolitionist, charge!"

At the platoon leader's command, two men carrying explosive charges rushed forward like wild donkeys. The explosive charges were placed 10 meters apart on either side of the wooden fence. After pulling the pins, they turned and ran faster than rabbits.

(As shown in the picture:)

After counting to 3, he suddenly fell forward, bracing himself on his elbows and covering his ears with his hands.

"boom!"

"boom!"

Two loud explosions blew open a section of the fence that was more than ten meters long, creating a gap for attack. The explosions also woke up the people at the outpost!

There's no need for any emergency assembly bell; in Myanmar, the sound of explosions is more effective than any bell. All the Burmese soldiers in the outpost jumped out of bed and ran around in a chaotic but orderly manner, none of them forgetting to grab their guns.

Machine guns inside the two simple wooden and stone bunkers facing the breach in the garrison also started firing, sweeping back and forth in the direction of the explosion.

(As shown in the picture:)

Gunfire erupted simultaneously from the platoon at the front. No one aimed; they just lay on the ground and fired wildly into the ranks. Two demolition experts crawled back towards the group using both hands and feet.

"Don't be stingy, fire! Hand grenades!" the platoon leader shouted. The men didn't dare to get up and squatted on the ground, throwing the grenades in with all their might. They didn't know if they could kill anyone, as long as it made a loud noise.

The two sides exchanged fire for more than a minute before the platoon leader ordered, "Withdraw! Cover each other as you retreat!"

Although the Burmese army is a motley crew, it has fought many battles. It can tell from the intensity of the gunfire that the attackers are about to run away.

When attacked, I am submissive and hesitant, but when pursuing the enemy, I strike hard!

Clearly, these people's purpose was not to attack the garrison, but merely to launch a sneak attack. Of course, they would chase after them to kill and gain merit.

In addition to the gunfire, shouts of battle suddenly rang out in the camp, and people who had been hiding in their rooms rushed out.

"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Upon hearing the shouts from within the camp, the platoon leader knew the mission was complete and immediately turned and ran.

Despite his heroic demeanor just now, he is actually...

……

More than 800 meters away, in the courtyard of a mule and horse inn, 15 60mm mortars were lined up one after another, with three people standing behind each mortar.

"The enemy has come out, begin shelling!" came the voice from the artillery company commander's walkie-talkie.

"Roger that!"

Gunner: "On your marks! Prepare to fire!"

"Target: Northern rebel stronghold, 850 meters away. Set firing parameters!"

"Azimuth 085 - 30, firing angle 45 degrees 10 minutes, charge number 3, fuse to fire instantly!"

Gunner: "Azimuth 085 - 30, firing angle 45 degrees 10 minutes, propellant charge 3, fuse detonation instantaneous, confirmed!"

Gunner: "First test firing, fire!"

Without saying a word, the loader picked up the shell and stuffed it into the gun barrel.

"Boom!"

Eight seconds later... "Boom!"

A loud explosion was heard in the distance.

"The angle has deviated 25 meters to the southeast!" the observer on the other end of the walkie-talkie reported loudly.

Gunner: "All personnel, listen up! Adjust the firing data!"

"Azimuth 085 - 26, firing angle 45 degrees 8 minutes, charge number 3, fuse to fire instantly!"

Gunner: "Azimuth 085 - 26, firing angle 45 degrees 8 minutes, propellant charge 3, fuse detonation instantaneous, confirmed!"

Gunner: "Three rounds in quick succession, fire them all!"

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

The artillery fire instantly covered the entire northern garrison camp!

Those Burmese who had just rushed out shouting to kill the enemy were stunned by the explosion, and limbs and severed bodies flew everywhere!

"Alright!!" The company commander of Luo Xinghan's army, who was lying in ambush not far away, waved his hand fiercely. "All of you, charge! The artillery fire will cease in 30 seconds. Wipe them out!" (End of Chapter)