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

After spending a day touring Kengtung, Wang Yaotang first determined that the area had abundant water resources and that a small hydroelectric power station could be developed on the Salween River, sufficient to supply Kengtung's initial development.

There are plenty of these small hydroelectric power stations in my hometown. These days, many large state-owned factories have their own power plants. Equipment, design, and personnel are readily available, and power grid installation is not a problem at all.

With electricity and communications available, the development of other industries can naturally be accelerated.

The first is timber resources.

Previously, Wang Yaotang had someone specifically collect materials on Myanmar's timber resources, and there really are some good things there.

Teak: Known as the 'King of Woods', it has a growth cycle of 80-150 years. The wood is hard and rich in natural oils, with extremely strong corrosion resistance and insect resistance. It is the preferred material for ship decks, high-end furniture and ancient buildings. The deck of the Titanic was made of Burmese teak, which has been well preserved after a century of seawater erosion.

Golden camphor wood, along with teak and jade, is known as one of Myanmar's "three national treasures" and is often used in carvings, high-end furniture, and decoration of ancient buildings. The beams, columns, and floors of historical buildings such as the Peace Hotel and HSBC Bank in Shanghai are made of Burmese golden camphor wood, and they remain as bright and new even after a century.

Ironwood: The ironwood furniture in the Great Hall of the People and the Palace Museum are all made of Burmese ironwood.

Other varieties include 'Dragon Brain Wood', 'Sandalwood (Small Leaf Sandalwood)', 'Big Fruit Sandalwood (Burmese Rosewood)', and so on.

Putting aside economic value, these are all protected plants, which have been scarce since ancient times. Every bit cut down reduces the supply.

This thing can be of great value in Wang Yaotang's hands.

Besides timber resources, Wang Yaotang also valued Jingdong's tin mining industry.

The Kengtung-Chiang Rai-Chiang Mai tin belt is one of the world's major tin mining areas.

In addition, Kengtung is rich in gemstone resources such as tungsten, manganese, nickel, coal, antimony, mica, and rubies.

With the weapon of arms in Wang Yaotang's hands, Luo Xinghan and Zhang Qifu both depend on him. The trade lines that were previously severed for various reasons can be reopened.

Mining is about making money. At that time, not to mention other regions, at least in the East Asian tin mining market, everyone will have to sit down and listen to him obediently.

To become a resource tycoon in Southeast Asia, one must not only control ports and shipping routes, but also have real mines in hand.

In fact, there are countless ways to make money once you control a region.

Wang Yaotang recalled that after the crackdown on opium cultivation in Shan State, rubber, tea, and coffee cultivation flourished. Later, with improvements in transportation and electricity, the fruit industry also developed quite well.

Of course, it's not time to consider industries that require at least five years to generate economic benefits.

After a brief assessment, Wang Yaotang turned his attention to the battle with the Burmese army. He had an infantry battalion under his command, but he had never seen a large-scale war before, and he was very interested in seeing what it was like.

"A sentry tower has been set up near the South Camp. Wang Sheng is welcome to watch the battle if he is interested," Luo Xinghan invited with a smile during breakfast.

"You really think that's a transport plane?" Wang Yaotang tapped the pure silver chopsticks in his hand.

Luo Xinghan and Peng Jiasheng exchanged a discreet glance; this was exactly what they had been trying to achieve by going around in circles.

Wang Yaotang didn't want to back down in court. "I specifically had the aircraft manufacturer modify it. It has observation equipment, photography equipment, low-light night vision devices, and an air-dropped fire control system. The factory is also developing an attack aircraft version with a cannon."

"Hiss!" The two gasped, staring intently at Wang Yaotang, their eyes practically consuming him.

"Want it?" Wang Yaotang said with a half-smile. "If you want it, just say so. How am I supposed to know what you want if you don't tell me?"

The two nodded vigorously.

“Not for sale.” Wang Yaotang’s face turned cold.

"Wang Sheng!" The two of them exclaimed in alarm.

Wang Yaotang waved his hand, "Don't say anything. I'm afraid you'll use airplanes to transport Shuangshi drugs and trample the earth. You don't care about your reputation, but I do. I do business with you to find new sources of income for the people of Shan State, to cut off the local residents' economic dependence on 'opium,' and to contribute to the global anti-drug industry. If you use the planes I sell to transport drugs, what will I become?"

"How can it be."

"Absolutely not."

The two made a solemn vow.

“How much money would I make selling a few planes? Would I risk my reputation?” Wang Yaotang said resolutely.

Luo and Peng pursed their lips, their faces grim, but they couldn't say anything.

There's nothing they can do; their success and failure both stem from the "Double Lions" brand. Because they don't want to be stigmatized, those Chinese businessmen refuse to do business with them, leaving them with money they can't even spend.

“However…” Wang Yaotang suddenly laughed again, “Trust is built up step by step. We can forget about airplanes for now, but we can sell you cars.”

"Oh, what car?" The two men's emotions were repeatedly pulled by Wang Yaotang, and their eyes were bloodshot.

"We'll provide you with Jiefang CA15 transport trucks, Dongfanghong-12 tractors, and a supporting repair shop," Wang Yaotang said with a touch of pride. "The Jiefang CA15 has a CA6102 inline six-cylinder water-cooled gasoline engine, a displacement of 5.56L, 115 horsepower, and its first major overhaul mileage reached 20 kilometers. Its rated load capacity is 5 tons, but depending on road conditions, it can actually carry 30 tons!"

"The Dongfanghong-12 tractor has a 12-horsepower single-cylinder vertical diesel engine and a standard load capacity of 1.5 tons. In practice, it can easily carry 4 tons. It can not only haul goods but also plow fields. Whether used in the city or in the countryside, it is incredibly useful."

"They really can sell cars!" Luo Xinghan exclaimed with delight. "And they even provide a repair shop?"

"What about Kokang? Can Kokang also provide me with a repair shop?" Peng Jiasheng asked, his voice filled with envy and jealousy.

"It can be sold, and it can be matched."

"Great, great, great!" The two were overjoyed.

"Do you have any tracked tractors?" Luo Xinghan raised his eyebrows and said, "You know, well, there are many places where tires can't go. The road conditions here are very bad, yes, the road conditions in the mountains are extremely bad, so we need tracked tractors."

These tractors can be easily modified into makeshift tanks; if there were a dozen or twenty of them…

I ask you, who else is there?

Wang Yaotang glanced at him sideways and said, "I'm almost embarrassed to say anything to you. Do you want a tracked tractor? Bah, you're despicable!"

Seeing this, Luo Xinghan was not annoyed at all, but instead burst into laughter. If he could make fun of it, then there was no problem.

Excited, he began frantically rubbing his hands together.

Buying a car isn't actually expensive; the difficulty lies in what to do if it breaks down. Without a proper repair shop, spare parts, and technicians, a car becomes a disposable item—it's completely useless once you get it.

Unfortunately, they didn't have any of these things; this godforsaken place didn't even have a power plant.

Now that Wang Yaotang says he'll match it with me, that's fucking awesome!

"Cars and such are trivial matters to me. They're just consumer goods; selling them wouldn't bother me at all," Wang Yaotang said with a smile and a nonchalant expression. "I checked before; this area is suitable for building a hydroelectric power station..."

From hydroelectric power stations to distribution stations and transmission networks, Wang Yaotang talked at length, making Luo and Peng very excited. They were well aware of the huge difference between having electricity and not having it.

Wang Yaotang not only painted a picture of a power grid for them, but also of a tin mine, a gem mine, and a forest farm. The two of them barely ate any breakfast because the promises were just too tempting.

So full!
After breakfast, the attack "performance" of the South Camp began. Wang Yaotang, Luo Xinghan, and Peng Jiasheng boarded the plane. With a series of sputtering and shaking sounds, the plane took off and climbed to more than 300 meters before slowly descending.

In principle, the safe level flight altitude of the Y-5 is usually 50 meters. In practice, it can fly at a minimum altitude of 5-7 meters. To ensure safety, the final altitude is fixed at around 150 meters, and it begins to circle.

From the plane, you can see the situation on the ground even without binoculars; the entire battlefield is in sight, as if you have a full map.

The fence surrounding the South Camp has been completely destroyed. Now the two sides are exchanging fire head-on. On the ground, Shan State Army soldiers peek out from their trenches and fire a few shots at the Burmese army trenches before immediately ducking back down, crouching down, walking out two or three meters, and then quietly peeking out again to fire a few more shots.

Both sides were playing at this pace, emphasizing caution.

Two 'Z' shaped trenches were being dug towards the South Camp. Before they had dug two meters, the Burmese army suddenly threw two grenades at them.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

One of the shots landed right inside the trench, killing the prisoner who was digging it instantly. Several Burmese prisoners a dozen meters behind him turned pale.

"You, go now, or I'll kill you right now!" The Allied soldiers pointed their Type 56 semi-automatic bayonets at the prisoners.

The prisoner's teeth chattered, his face streaked with snot and tears. He crawled towards the front of the trench, picked up a shovel, glanced at the Allied soldiers behind him, gritted his teeth, and suddenly dropped the shovel. He then scrambled up the trench, shouting, "Don't shoot, they're our own people!" and charged toward the Burmese army.

"Da da"

"Da da"

The Allied soldiers cursed and fired. The prisoner stumbled and scrambled, and whether it was good luck or bad shooting, he managed to rush to the opposite position and jump down into the trench.

"No, Luo Xinghan, are you sure this isn't acting?" Wang Yaotang watched for a while, then turned to look at Luo Xinghan.

Luo Xinghan's expression froze, and he pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

He could only look from the 10-meter-high watchtower at most, and he couldn't look for too long, for fear of being mowed down by the Burmese army's machine guns. Most of the situation on the front line was reported by his subordinates.

You can't exactly say that your subordinates are extremely weak in combat and are nothing at all.

Deceiving superiors and subordinates is a fundamental skill, no matter the time.

Leaders have limited time and energy; no matter how responsible they are, they can't possibly know everything. They still have to listen to what their subordinates say.

After flying in the air for half an hour, with a lot of gunfire going around below and a lot of bullets being wasted, Wang Yaotang observed that actually only a few people were killed.

Those few results were all achieved by luck with hand grenades.

"I don't think the Burmese army will be able to get in before they run out of bullets," Wang Yaotang sneered.

Luo Xinghan was at a loss for words; it wasn't that he didn't want to. Although he was said to have 3000 troops under his command, they were actually divided into many small and medium-sized strongholds. The transportation and communication conditions in Shan State simply did not allow for full-scale expansion, and even training depended on the mood of his subordinates.

When it came to actually fighting, there was no problem when things were going well, and everyone charged forward with great enthusiasm.

But when it came to the crucial battle, everyone was thinking about preserving their strength. People died, and Luo Xinghan wouldn't give them any compensation. They lost both manpower and money. Who the hell would be willing to put in the effort?

After all, they came from the military academy of the National Revolutionary Army, and the core members were either members of the National Revolutionary Army or descendants of them. This fine tradition has been inherited.

Luo Xinghan has a thick skin to get to where he is today, and he quickly adjusted his tone, saying, "I still need Wang Sheng's help a lot."

Wang Yaotang chuckled, "I'll definitely help. I don't intend to interfere in your internal affairs, but it's not feasible to compete with the Burmese army in this situation."

“Of course, of course.” Luo and Peng nodded. “We’ve also thought about reforms, but it’s not that easy. Wang Sheng started from scratch in such a short time. I wonder if he has anything to teach me.”

“Then of course I won’t allow it.” Wang Yaotang readily agreed. “Why don’t you two organize a large-scale military skills competition first, select a group of promising talents, and then you can place a commission with the ‘Protective Umbrella’ security company. Training and instruction are also part of the company’s business.”

Luo and Peng pondered for a moment. If an instructor had weak backing, like the remnants of the 93rd Division of the National Revolutionary Army back then, he wouldn't have much influence over his troops. But a protective umbrella...

Despite the numerous potential risks, the two agreed after weighing the pros and cons.

Arms, industrial products, technology, and foreign trade are all controlled by Wang Yaotang. They have no way to break free, so they can only lie down and enjoy it.

The order for the grand martial arts competition was quickly passed down. The various factions under Luo Xinghan's command were very resistant, as this was like drawing blood from them, and of course they were unhappy about it.

In the past, they would have made all sorts of excuses and managed to delay things, but now that all their forces are concentrated here and fighting is underway, Luo Xinghan can notify everyone with a single announcement over the loudspeaker, leaving them no chance to interfere.

The key point is that the soldiers below were very welcoming. They were part of the National Revolutionary Army, and they understood all too well the difference between their own and non-own troops—it was an old tradition.

What's more, Wang Yaotang, that ruthless star, is standing behind them. They won't forget the camp in the jungle that was burned to the ground.

The 'truths' that had just been delivered by plane made them utterly afraid to voice any objections.

Both the East and West camps can be used. A martial arts training exercise involving 300 people can be completed in three days, without delaying the continued pressure on the South camp. In fact, the pressure is even greater.

After carefully selecting 500 people, although Wang Yaotang still thought they were rubbish, Luo Xinghan was extremely satisfied. He never thought they could compare to the crew-cut guys from his hometown.

That's called daydreaming!

At the same time, reinforcements from Taunggyi, urged on by Reiman at the South Camp, arrived near their ambush point 40 miles west of Kengtung.

……

Time: 9:00 AM.

Location: Cheka Mountains.

The Burmese reinforcements in Taunggyi were quite cautious. Their scouts went out 5 kilometers ahead to scout the mountains near the highway, just in case they were ambushed. So the journey went relatively smoothly.

"Report, signs of human activity have been detected ahead," came the voice of the scout over the mobile radio.

"What's going on? Where are they? How many are there?" Upon receiving the report, the Burmese army commander in Taunggyi immediately grabbed the receiver and asked.

"The traces at the scene should be from two days ago. The people have already left. We searched within a 200-meter radius and found no enemy ambush."

The Burmese army commander in Taunggyi nodded, indicating that they must have discovered us and remained vigilant, which was why they withdrew. "Expand the search area and try to find them."

"Yes!"

……

"Having reconnaissance planes is great!" Luo Xinghan couldn't help but exclaim.

Three days ago, Wang Yaotang sent out planes to search along the highway. After receiving the news, he immediately abandoned the original blocking plan and dispersed his men to advance deeper into the area, stopping only when they reached three hills 500 meters away.

With eyes in the sky, there's no need to even put out observation posts.

In order to curry favor with their guest Wang Yaotang, Luo Xinghan and Peng Jiasheng simply handed over command to him, even though it was originally Chen Yuanchao in command...

"This is the control tower, this is the control tower." Wang Yaotang stood on the open ground next to the makeshift hangar and said seriously into the microphone.

A sense of ritual is very important!

"Thunderbird 1, Thunderbird 2, attention! Thunderbird 1, Thunderbird 2, attention! Target: Burmese insurgents! Bombers, take off!"

"Thunderbird 1 received, requesting takeoff!"

"Thunderbird 2 received, requesting takeoff!"

On the two planes, the two pilots of the short-haul transport planes from their hometowns shouted back.

"Thunderbird 1, requesting takeoff!"

"Thunderbird 1, takeoff approved!" Wang Yaotang shouted.

The plane ran to the front of the runway, and the ground crew waved the red flag forward. The plane began to accelerate little by little on the runway. After 160 meters, the pilot pulled the control stick sharply, the nose of the plane rose, and it soared into the sky with a "whoosh".

"Thunderbird 2, requesting takeoff!"

"Thunderbird 2, clearance for takeoff!"

After circling once in the sky, the two planes quickly flew towards the Burmese army in Taunggyi.

"Call Peng Jiasheng." Wang Yaotang gestured to the radio, and the call was quickly connected.

"This is Peng Jiasheng."

"Old Peng, the bombers have taken off and are expected to arrive over the target area in 15 minutes to begin bombing. Your forces must advance immediately and complete the encirclement of the rebels!" Wang Yaotang said in a deep voice.

"Received, mission accomplished!" Peng Jiasheng hung up the communication, glanced around, picked up the walkie-talkie next to him, "This is Peng Jiasheng, everyone listen up, advance immediately, and make sure to surround the rebels."

"Yes!"

Fifteen minutes, fully armed, is difficult even for someone used to living in the jungle, as this is a completely primitive jungle where you can only see about 5 meters ahead.

At an altitude of 1500 meters, two Y-5 transport aircraft quickly locked onto the advancing Burmese troops. The 1500 soldiers, along with supply vehicles, stretched more than 1000 meters along the winding road, looking like ants moving house from the sky.

"Prepare to drop bombs, relative altitude 200, speed 100, detonation time 6.2 seconds!" the pilot shouted, while rapidly inputting parameters into the observation and aiming equipment.

Inside the cabin, a crew-cut bomb loader locked and opened the detonator, adjusted the time, released the bomb lock and pushed it onto the slide, then opened the bomb release port on the fuselage.

Since it is an 'agricultural' aircraft, this one can only be operated manually.

"Bomber preparation complete, we can begin bombing," the loader shouted.

"Alright! The plane is beginning its descent. Two bombs to be dropped."

As soon as the pilot pushed the control stick, the aircraft began to descend rapidly until the relative altitude displayed on the instrument panel was 200 meters, after which it began to fly steadily, with the airspeed indicator maintaining a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, and the pilot's eyes fixed on the observation and aiming equipment.

"cast!"

With a sudden slam of the loader's trigger and a powerful push, the 100-kilogram corncob plummeted from the chute, making a 'thud' as it rubbed against the air, before continuing its momentum and plunging headfirst into the ground.

He pushed one down, then turned and lunged at another large corncob, stomping and pushing it down with a "thud."

The plane circled slightly in the air to readjust its direction, and the loader in the cabin took the opportunity to push the two large corn cobs up again, keeping the crew busy and sweating profusely.

Loading ammunition is a physically demanding task...

One of the Burmese soldiers on the march looked up and wiped his sweat. He then noticed a black dot in the sky and squinted instinctively. "What is that?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of propellers came from the sky, and many people subconsciously looked up.

"This……"

"airplane!"

Where did the plane come from?

"It's not a bomber, is it?"

The Burmese military commander, sitting in the car, closed his eyes to rest, completely unaware of what was happening outside.

Four black dots fell from the sky!

At this point, it's visible to the naked eye, but too late to react...

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

A huge fireball exploded out of thin air!
The shockwave instantly destroyed everything around it!
The severed limbs were charred in mid-air, leaving only a large crater at the explosion site.

The sudden bombing threw the Burmese army into chaos. Some screamed and rushed into the nearby jungle, some covered their heads and lay on the ground in fear, and some stood there dumbfounded and motionless...

The commander jumped up in fright, his head slamming against the roof of the vehicle with a thud. "What happened?!" (End of Chapter)