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

The tires collided with the ground with a loud "bang," and the plane lurched violently a few times before sliding more than 180 meters and coming to a steady stop.

The pilot took off his noise-canceling headphones and sat in the cockpit, somewhat reluctant to get out, touching the instrument panel with a touch of reluctance.

Judging from what I've heard, this plane is being prepared to be dropped as a bomb. It's flown hundreds of times; we've grown attached to it.

This was the last flight. In order to make the most of its remaining energy, it flew back and forth several more times, transporting 1200 shells of various kinds.

The four planes given to Peng Jiasheng were all second-hand goods that Wang Yaotang bought in the first batch. These people were originally the pilots of these planes, but they flew them less often back in their hometown because of insufficient fuel and high flight costs. It was only after they came to Wang Yaotang's place that they started flying them more frequently.

He even used this plane to drop homemade gasoline drum bombs.

"Hey, what's going on? Get down here! The plane's being towed away. Make way for the runway behind."

"Oh, oh, oh," the pilot replied as he descended from the plane.

After the other three planes arrived, the pilots gathered together and started talking. "Do you think it was necessary? Dropping bombs doesn't achieve the same effect, so why..."

"Who knows what the higher-ups are thinking? Besides, dropping bombs isn't that easy. They've only flown it a few times. It's good enough if they can operate it well without any accidents."

"But we're still here."

"It's not appropriate for us to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."

"Stop talking nonsense, it's not like we haven't been involved before."

"Who knows? Why don't you go ask the big boss?"

"Then forget it, maybe the boss won't care..."

Wang Yaotang was unaware of their casual conversation and genuinely didn't care. A new plane only cost 50 RMB, but Peng Jiasheng offered four times that price, which allowed him to buy more new planes.

It truly lives up to its reputation as the most produced aircraft in the history of aviation in my hometown; it's incredibly useful!

……

After three days of rest in Mong Bang, the troops were reorganized and replenished to make up for the casualties. During this time, the Burmese puppet army sent people to negotiate with Peng Jiasheng and ask him what he wanted to do.

"It's so obvious, can't they see it?" Wang Yaotang was quite surprised.

"They want to know my demands and don't think I can manage so much territory." Peng Jiasheng was very unhappy when he talked about this; they looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts.

Wang Yaotang: There's nothing wrong with thinking that way!
This isn't ancient times; modern society places more emphasis on management, and Peng Jiasheng simply didn't have that many capable administrators at his disposal.

However, that was without considering oneself.

"What was your answer?" Wang Yaotang asked with a smile.

“I said we need self-governance.” Peng Jiasheng was quite self-aware and didn’t follow Zhang Qifu’s example and shout for independence.

After all, fighting a bloody battle with a winning streak is an internal problem, but if you try to create a new winning streak, don't blame everyone for joining forces to beat you.

“You should say self-reliance, aim high, and you’ll achieve something in between,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile. “We can talk about it slowly after we take Lashio, gradually lowering the standards to autonomy. If you say it like that now, they definitely won’t agree.”

Peng Jiasheng frowned. He didn't have Zhang Qifu's strength, so he lacked confidence.

“But it doesn’t matter. If you talk about autonomy without taking Lashio, or you talk about autonomy after taking Lashio, then the battle for Lashio was for nothing!” Wang Yaotang laughed after saying that.

Peng Jiasheng laughed along, "You're right."

After resting and regrouping, the army set off again, splitting into two forces. One force headed west to capture Mengba Town in the neighboring mountain valley, while the other headed southwest along the highway towards Nandong Bridge, the northeastern gateway to Lashio.

Nandong Bridge is located in a valley between Liangshan Mountain. The terrain is narrow and easy to defend, making it difficult to attack. The puppet Burmese army deployed a large force of 2000 troops here.

Even after losing Mong Bang and Khun Nong, the Northeast Army of the puppet Burmese Army still believed the situation was under control. The biggest reason for this was the existence of the strategically important military town of Nan Dong Qiao. As long as Lashio was not lost, there was still room for recovery.

The entire Shan State belonged to the Yang family back then, but they still managed to bring it down!

Peng Jiasheng's life is nothing more than a last gasp before his death.

They set up camp 10 kilometers away from Nandong, waiting for another force to take Mengba, digging fortifications and establishing a temporary command post, while also drawing the attention of the puppet Burmese army.

……

“Calling Owl, this is Windcaller, target has just entered the headquarters military camp, please reply, repeat…” In a house near the Shan State Eastern Military Headquarters road in Lashio, Myanmar, a local whispered a few words to the people below, and the people in the room immediately took out walkie-talkies and started calling.

"Owl received."

Four kilometers away, the original TV antenna on the second floor of a grocery store had somehow been turned into a radio antenna, and the people inside were making calls over and over again.

The temporary command post was located 30 kilometers away.

"This is the command post..."

"Command received." The communications officer took off his headset and ran quickly to Peng Jiasheng's side. "General, we just received information from Owl that the target has entered the headquarters camp."

"Good!" Peng Jiasheng suppressed his excitement. "Immediately notify the Kokang authorities and send our Heroic Forces into action!"

"Yes!"

The straight-line distance was 80 kilometers, and the entire area was blocked by mountains, but the wireless equipment that Wang Yaotang brought was good enough that they were able to connect after a few tries.

As soon as the order was given, Peng Jiasheng became restless, which Wang Yaotang found amusing.

"It's 100 kilometers. At the speed of the Y-5, it would take about half an hour to get there. There's no need to rush."

“I’m worried about those pilots…” Peng Jiasheng pursed his lips. “Qin Wuyang killed someone when he was 13 years old and was infamous. When he received the commission from Crown Prince Ji Dan, he was also full of passion and disregarded life and death. When he arrived at the main hall, he was bound to die regardless of success or failure. In the end, he was still so scared that he trembled and could not move.

"Saying you're not afraid of death and actually being able to harden your heart when faced with a life-or-death situation are two different things." Peng Jiasheng sighed. He was afraid that things would go wrong when it came time for the dive and impact.

Wang Yaotang nodded, not denying the possibility. But he couldn't possibly have more planes in reserve in the air. With a backup plan, those ahead would be even more eager to know why they were the ones dying…

Neither of them spoke, and the others in the command room dared not raise their voices either; the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

More than 20 minutes later, the communications officer suddenly shouted, "We've received a report from the Kinnara squad; they're up above us!"

Kinnaras is a divine bird, half-human and half-bird, in the culture of the Tai people of Shan State.

Peng Jiasheng suddenly stood up, strode over, and snatched the communicator. "This is Peng Jiasheng!"

"Sangrapong from the Kinnara Squad greets the General!"

"Kinnara Squad, Ongino greets the General!"

"Kinnara Squad, Denbaya sends his greetings to the General!"

"Lin Maojue, from the Kinnara Squad, sends his greetings to the General!"

“No, it is I who should greet you. On behalf of the millions of people in northeastern Shan State, I, Peng Jiasheng, extend my greetings to the heroes who bravely sacrificed themselves for the sake of all groups of people no longer being oppressed by the Burmese and for the sake of the happy life of all groups of people. Your names and heroic deeds will be forever engraved on stone tablets, written into history textbooks, and will be forever remembered by the people!”

"Salute to the Kinnara Squad!" Peng Jiasheng snapped to attention with a military salute.

"Salute to the Kinnara Squad!" Everyone in the command room shouted in unison.

The sound traveled thousands of meters into the air via radio waves, and the members of the Kinnara team were filled with excitement. The last bit of fear in their hearts was covered by the unified shouts of tribute.

A slightly choked voice came from the speaker, "The Kinnara Squad will complete the mission!"

Wang Yaotang sat to the side and gently clapped his hands. "Truly worthy of being a person of our great China, still willing to sacrifice at such a moment!"
Communication was cut off, and the three planes continued flying toward Lashio, while the other plane circled in the sky.

10 minutes later……

"Calling owls, this is the Kinnara Squad."

"Owl received."

"Please release the signal marker immediately."

"Owl received. Salute to Kinnara Squad!"

The order was given, and the people hiding near the target secretly took out a concealed mortar. All the parameters had already been adjusted. "Boom!"

"boom!"

The smoke grenade exploded with a soft sound, and the purplish-red smoke began to spread rapidly into the sky.

At the same time, the pilot pushed the control stick down sharply, and the Y-5, loaded with explosives and napalm, began to dive wildly towards the ground from an altitude of more than 2000 meters.

The Y-5 has a top speed of only 260 km/h, but its speed completely exceeds the limit when accelerating and diving. The pilot's eyes are fixed on the ground that is getting closer and closer, and the purplish-red smoke clearly indicates the target.

The people at the Northeast Military Headquarters, the airport, and the North Point Military Camp were confused by the billowing smoke. It didn't seem like an attack, since Peng Jun was 30 kilometers away.

But this...

Before the report could even reach the base commander, the Y-5 aircraft had already swooped down. The speed, far exceeding design standards, was too much for the aircraft's skin to handle; in some places, rivets had torn off, and the wings were making cracking noises, as if they might break at any moment.

But that's no longer a problem!

Those on the ground were completely unaware that death was approaching; it might have taken a few seconds, or it might have been a fleeting moment...

The Y-5 crashed straight into the largest building in the target area!

In the instant before impact, the pilot slammed on the detonator.

"boom!"

The explosion of over a ton of TNT sent a massive black and red mushroom cloud billowing into the air. The reinforced concrete walls were completely destroyed by the impact of the several-ton aircraft and the shockwave from the explosion. Steel, shattered concrete blocks, and bricks were swept away in all directions by the shockwave, carrying the kinetic energy to destroy everything.

The overpressure generated by the shock wave within a 50-meter radius instantly killed all carbon-based life forms, and all glass within a 200-meter radius shattered.

The fuel and solidified gasoline were propelled more than 100 meters away by the shockwave and then burst into flames, causing secondary damage after the shockwave.

Soon, ammunition and fuel exploded at the military base and airfield, "Boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

The entire Lashio area could feel the earth and houses trembling!
At Nandong Bridge, planes also swooped down on the supplies and munitions depots that the Northeast Army had set up behind the town.

Wang Yaotang calling them the "pseudo-Burmese army" was clearly not a sarcastic remark, but a well-deserved one!
Not only are important locations like supply depots and armories completely unprotected, but the fact that they're built right on the ground is really alarming.

The most ridiculous thing is that the temporary frontline command post was right next to the armory...

Peng Jiasheng's men witnessed them coming and going, transporting supplies and weapons.

It was hard to tell at first glance whether they were performing or not!
"boom!"

The impact and explosion instantly destroyed the reinforced concrete warehouse, followed by a secondary explosion.

"boom!"

"boom!"

The ground shook violently, and all the soldiers guarding the South Bridge felt it. They all got up and looked in the direction from which the explosion came, which seemed to be their own camp.

what happened?

The Lashio command post and the Nandong Bridge command post were both wiped out, and no one would offer any explanation or comfort to the soldiers on the front lines.

The officers at the front were more panicked than anyone else at this moment.

Damn it, something big seems to have happened!

Such a massive explosion couldn't have been caused by one of our own people, so it must have been Peng Jun!

At this moment, no one cared whether Peng Jun would attack immediately; their first priority was to go and see what was going on!
The communication capabilities here are superior to those in Jingdong; instead of riding horses, people can drive cars.

However, the camp had now become a wasteland. The Y-5 was made of pure TNT. The explosion of two tons of TNT, along with the secondary explosion of the ammunition depot, created a large crater in the center of the camp. The area around the crater was a wasteland swept out by the shock wave. The camp, which covered more than 40000 square meters, was in a mess. Even the outer areas were filled with rubble and debris, and many body parts were scattered among them.

"This, this, this..."

A junior officer jumped out of the vehicle, rushed over, grabbed one of the escapees, and shouted, "What happened? What's going on here?!"

The man didn't react at all; his face was covered in blood, and he just stood there blankly. The huge explosion had ruptured their eardrums, and they were still in a daze, unable to hear anything.

"How to do?"

"how could I know?"

"Ask the military headquarters, how...how are we supposed to fight like this?"

"How can we contact them? The phone lines are probably dead, how are we supposed to get in touch!"

"Damn it, I..."

"How about we..."

A group of people looked at each other, their eyes darting around, trying to compare answers, when suddenly the sound of artillery fire came from afar.

"Boom" "Boom" "Boom" "Boom"

The continuous bombing instantly woke them up. What was there to discuss? Peng Jun was attacking! Run!

The artillery fire from the front caused even more panic among the Burmese troops in their positions. A huge explosion had occurred behind them, and the officers who ran back to check hadn't returned yet. Could it be...?

Did they run away?
No one knows their superiors better than they do.

No one knows who was the first to drop their gun and run away. There was no coordination between the different positions. Suddenly, one by one, they dropped their guns and turned to run.

Screw it, the officers have all run away, are we just going to let these guys go to their deaths?

It's only a few dollars a month, why risk your life!
In Shan State, the main currency in the north and northeast, which are close to Laos and China, is the RMB. In the east, which is close to Siam, the main currency is the Thai Baht. Other areas use a mix of currencies, with the US dollar being the hard currency.

On November 3, 1985, the Burmese authorities announced that banknotes with denominations of 50 and 100 were invalid. On September 5, 1987, they announced that banknotes with denominations of 25, 75, and 35 were also invalid. Did they want to announce it this way?

83年这就是废纸了，缅官方汇率为1美元= 45缅甸元，但黑市汇率1美元能兑换 200-300。

In the northeastern region, it really is just a few dollars a month, or a little over ten dollars for those who earn more.

What a desperate effort!
Peng Jun's side advanced rapidly, encountering almost no resistance. They charged forward, took over the positions, and continued their advance.

The Nandong Bridge was captured in just one hour. After some minor repairs to the road, Peng Jiasheng ordered the army to continue marching toward Lashio.

At this moment, Lashio was also in chaos.

Lashio is the largest city in northeastern Shan State. It is an industrial, agricultural, economic, transportation, and military center. It has a railway that connects directly to the capital, Yangon, and is an export center for trade with Laos and China.

With a population of over 10, and since Peng Jun did not attack, many people saw planes swooping down on the 'Northeast Military Headquarters', 'Airport', and 'North Corner Military Camp', followed by a massive explosion. The black smoke from the raging fire rose hundreds of meters high, visible throughout the city.

Soon, the Myanmar Northeast Army and the people sent by the municipal government arrived at the scene. The fire was so fierce that they couldn't go in, but they knew without going in that the fire was so big that everyone must have ascended to the celestial realm.

As for who did it... that's not up for discussion.

There was little contact with the Nandongqiao area. The Northeast Army was wiped out en masse. It's not that the situation is terrible, but it's just pitch black.

Good news soon arrived from the South Bridge: Peng Jun's main force had stormed in!
Before Peng Jun even headed south, chaos had already broken out in Lashio City. The surviving high-ranking military officers immediately went home to pack their belongings and flee without a word.

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. As long as there are still men and guns, the Northeast Army's reputation and status will remain.

The worst thing is losing both the man and the gun; that would be the end of us.

As for the Burmese soldiers, before Peng Jun arrives, they will definitely loot a bunch of things before leaving.

They are Burmese and don't need to consider the feelings of the Tai, Wa, and Han people in Shan State at all. If they don't rob something before they run away, how will they survive?

This is a real problem. The Myanmar military pays salaries in Myanmar Kyat, which most of the time is barely enough to make ends meet. When converted to US dollars, it's only worth three or four dollars...

That's utterly pointless!

Before Peng Jun arrived, Lashio itself descended into chaos.

The city government officials, on the other hand, were somewhat at a loss: should they run or stay?
This is a problem!
"What should we do? Are you leaving or not?" a young second-generation Burmese asked anxiously.

"You need to think long-term. Do you think Peng Jiasheng can hold Lashio indefinitely? If you work for Peng Jiasheng, what will happen when the Burmese army comes back?"

"Yeah, let's go!" The man had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. "Come on, why are you still standing here?"

The old man who had just given such a shrewd analysis said with a serious face, "You are young, you have a long life ahead of you, so of course you should have a long-term vision. I am old, I don't have much time left, I have a short-sighted vision, I'm not leaving."

The young man really wanted to punch this old man Biden to death, but damn it, young people need to have a long-term vision.

Old Biden is really wicked!

After breaching the South Cave Bridge, they then broke through the moat to the north...

Pshaw, I'm wrong. It was He Bei, Peng Jiasheng, and Wang Yaotang who arrived at their loyal 'Lashio'!
The first priority was to quell the unrest within the city.

The Lashio City Government organized the people to eat rice from single jugs to welcome the royal army!
The affairs of the Burmese puppet army have nothing to do with our municipal government. Whoever occupies Lashio, we will work for them!

Wang Yaotang stood next to Peng Jiasheng.

There's nothing inconvenient about showing up. Don't worry about what I sell, just tell me if I'm a businessman or not! (End of Chapter)