Arranged marriage, love blossoms; a fiercely devoted soldier dotes on her alone.

One o'clock in the morning.

After a five-hour flight, the commercial airliner landed at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

As Xiao Zhan and Xia Keke walked out of the airport exit with their luggage, they saw people holding up signs to welcome them.

Xiao Zhan saw a sign that said "So-and-so Travel Company Pick-up Service," which was the rendezvous method he had discussed with the three big shots at the airport. Xiao Zhan knew that the other party was from the Military Intelligence Bureau.

So he stepped forward and said, "Hello, I am Xiao Zhan."

The young couple who came to pick me up were both wearing clothes with the travel company's logo.

The man said, "Hello Mr. Xiao, I am your local tour guide for this trip. My name is Xiaomai. Welcome to Bangkok. Please follow me. The car is already parked at the exit."

Another woman, with a sweet appearance and a pleasant voice, said, "Welcome everyone to Bangkok! I'm your tour guide for this trip. My name is Xiaoyu. Thank you for your hard work."

The woman named Xiaoyu made eye contact with Xia Keke as she spoke.

Xiao Zhan: "Thank you both for your hard work."

Xia Keke nodded and said, "Can we go back to the hotel to rest quickly? I'm so sleepy."

Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. You can tell me what you need, and I will try my best to help you."

So the group went outside and boarded a mid-sized bus, which soon drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic heading to the city...

in the carriage.

Little Fish sat next to Xia Keke.

Xiaomai sat next to Xiao Zhan.

Then Xiao Zhan asked, "Comrade Xiaomai, are we heading to the border now?"

Xiaomai: "First, we'll drive around the city, then we'll transfer to a pickup truck to go to the border. This kind of vehicle won't work."

Xiao Zhan nodded, glanced at the time, and said, "It will take at least a few hours to reach the border."

Wheat: "Everything went smoothly for about three hours."

Xiao Zhan: "Is everything arranged?"

Xiaomai: "Don't worry, Captain Xiao."

At this moment, Xia Keke asked, "Xiaoyu, are our equipment all ready?"

Because Xiaoyu works for the National Security Bureau and Xiaomai works for the Military Intelligence Bureau, the National Security Bureau and the Military Intelligence Bureau cooperated for this mission.

Then Xiaoyu said, "Director Xia, all the equipment has been transported to the safe house near the border according to the list you provided."

Xia Keke nodded.

Xiao Zhan continued, "Comrade Xiaomai, please describe the current situation of the border conflict between T country and J country."

Xiaomai nodded, glanced at the other people in the carriage, and noticed that they were all listening intently.

He then stated, "This attack launched by Country T can be described as a textbook example of simultaneous 'pre-emptive cognitive warfare' and 'precise physical strikes.'"

Xia Keke raised an eyebrow and asked, "What does 'pre-emptive cognitive warfare' mean?"

Although she is indeed an elite member of the National Security Bureau, she is not a front-line special operations personnel. What Xiaomai said was a professional terminology used by special operations forces.

Xiao Zhan glanced at Xia Keke, raised an eyebrow and said, "It's like making you think this isn't a big deal, then suddenly kicking you when you're off guard."

This explanation is absolutely down-to-earth.

Xia Keke smiled and said, "It's easy to understand."

Xiao Mai continued, "Before the war, the J country's high command said in an internal meeting that the T side's exercises were routine rotations. But after the exercises, they went straight to combat deployment, without even moving their artillery positions. They had no intention of withdrawing at all."

Xiao Zhan nodded and asked, "How did T country fight?"

"First land warfare?"

Xiao Mai nodded and said, "The T-side armored brigade deliberately left a gap during the first round of attacks to lure the remnants of the J-side into retreating into the pre-set minefield."

Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow and said, "Then an air raid?"

Xiao Mai nodded and said, "But the T country's warplanes weren't heading for the J military camps; they were specifically targeting the 'economic enclaves' around Poipet and Sissoufeng. Over eighty targets—all casinos masquerading as hotels, telecom fraud parks disguised as data centers, underground banks built from shipping containers—these places, ostensibly tourist attractions, are actually the gray economic arteries of the border."

Shen Jun interjected, "Wouldn't it be better to directly attack military targets? Aren't we afraid of international criticism if we bomb these 'civilian homes'?"

Xiao Zhan laughed and said, "That's the problem: are these places really considered 'residential residences'?"

Xiaoyu chimed in, "Western countries added three resorts in Poipet to their sanctions list six months ago, citing their systematic involvement in human trafficking, organ trading, and cross-border fraud."

"The T military directly sent the coordinates of the strike to the T country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Diplomats used the sanctions list as a draft of a press release, and with a single sentence, 'cooperating with international anti-crime operations,' they packaged this military operation as an international law enforcement collaboration."

Xiao Zhan laughed and said, "This move is indeed ruthless and vicious. I have to say, there are some experts in the T country's military who have really put their minds to it."

"It's like Country T has shifted the cost of the war onto Country J. Destroying Country J's gray industries is like cutting off Country J's border finances."

Xia Keke couldn't help but look at Xiao Zhan, thinking to herself, "Xiao Zhan truly lives up to his reputation as a special forces king. His vision and thinking are indeed extraordinary, and he always gets straight to the point."

Wheat continued, "According to our intelligence, these parks provide hundreds of millions of dollars in cash flow to local warlords and officials every year, supporting private armies, bribing border posts, and even supporting some of the regular army's logistical needs."

"Now that everything has been bombed, local forces have been immediately cut off from funding. Forget about organizing a counterattack, they can't even maintain order at the grassroots level."

Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does the J military want to mobilize troops?"

Xiaomai shook his head and said, "Right now, there is no consensus within J country. The first reaction of local officials is, 'Where will my men get their food money tomorrow?' Before the war even reaches the capital of J country, they have already fallen apart internally."

Xiao Zhan smiled faintly and said, "There is a saying: 'A commander without strategy will defeat ten thousand troops; a general who is incompetent will cause the death of three armies.'"

In short, there are no capable people in the J country's military.

"Otherwise, the high-ranking generals would be wiped out right at the start of the war."

Xiaomai nodded and said, "What's even more impressive is T country's control over the pace of the battlefield. From the moment the T army opened fire to the moment it controlled all the high points in the disputed area, the entire process took less than a hundred hours."

Xiao Zhan asked thoughtfully, "Why this particular time?"

Wheat: "Because of the informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the T Union during this period, the T country wanted to solidify the fait accompli before the representatives of various countries sat down together. By the time you hold a meeting to discuss how to stop the fire, it has already achieved its tactical objectives and is only waiting to talk about compensation and withdrawal terms."

Xiao Zhan laughed, "What a profound scheme!"

"Do you think the T military used its full strength?"

After a moment's thought, Xiao Mai said, "Judging from the equipment, T country has deployed all three of its F-16 squadrons. Two naval frigates arrived in the waters off J country's port for deterrence patrols at the same time as the war started. Even the Special Operations Command's 'Cobra' commando team has been deployed to the front lines. With this kind of configuration, if they're dealing with a neighboring country whose military spending is only one-twentieth of theirs, the only thing they'll have left is the nuclear button."

At this moment, Xia Keke looked at her phone and said, "Breaking news: the most interesting thing is that the more the fighting goes on, the more restless the high-ranking officials of Country T become."

Xiao Zhan laughed and said, "Do you know what they're afraid of?"

Xia Keke wasn't entirely useless, saying, "T is afraid of the bear. That's why the bear embassy has issued a statement denying that it has sent mercenaries."

Xiao Zhan smiled and said, "What T is afraid of is the possibility of something going wrong."

"What if the bear changes its mind?"

"What if the bear comes in under a different pretext?"

"For example, under the guise of a 'retired officers' advisory group,' send thirty veterans with combat experience to teach the J military how to use drone swarm tactics. Or, under the pretext of 'civilian satellite data services,' provide J with real-time battlefield images. Alternatively, simply open up your inventory—T-90S tanks, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, or even the Pantsir-S1 missile-gun system. Although J can't afford to buy them, the bear can 'lease' them, charging a symbolic annual rent of one dollar."

Shen Jun: "Instructor, you're exaggerating."