Northern Myanmar: Bloodshed in the Golden Triangle, Have I Become a General? - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Zhao Renzhou’s Pie in the Sky, the Most Powerful Warlord in the Golden Triangle

Just for the sake of this camaraderie,

Zhao Renzhou also had to give them some face.

Without any actual ashes,

he had to come up with some ashes.

And hand them over.

The people beside him, on the other hand,

had peculiar expressions.

Well, they were in for a surprise.

Burning the ashes of two wild dogs.

And handing them over.

To be placed at home for prayers to the wild dogs.

This…

Seems a bit ruthless.

Zhao Bao was momentarily stunned.

Then he regained his composure and said:

“All right, I’ll take care of it right away.”

After saying that, he got up,

picked up the phone, and walked outside.

He began to make calls to his subordinates to arrange things.

Zhao Zhan and Zhao Ning,

on the other hand, were examining some documents.

Occasionally, they would ask questions.

On the other side.

Kesinbang, Mina, as the capital of Kesinbang,

surrounded by mountains, with airports on the southwest sides.

Not only is it close to the Irrawaddy River,

it’s also the terminus of the Northern Myanmar Railway.

Railways, airplanes, and sea transport.

It’s safe to say it’s a transportation hub.

At the same time,

it’s also the stronghold of the notorious drug lord Mindeng.

His influence, centered around Mina,

covers eleven townships in Kesinbang.

Clearly, his power is substantial.

After all, Kesinbang only has a total of eighteen townships.

He has countless subordinates and lieutenants.

Relying on that vast territory,

he has established a complete industry chain.

In recent years, his influence has encroached upon the core of the Golden Triangle.

The various drug lords who call themselves generals.

At this moment,

in a manor on the outskirts of Mina.

Mindeng stood in a traditional cool pavilion.

Dressed in a simple black attire,

on the table in front of him.

Practicing calligraphy with a brush,

just by looking at his demeanor,

one might think he’s not a major drug lord.

But his face contradicts it all.

Slim eyes,

a fierce expression,

and that hooked nose.

No matter how much he conceals,

he can’t hide his ruthlessness.

Mindeng calmly continued with his calligraphy brush.

At that moment,

a black-clad subordinate hurried over from a distance.

“Boss.”

“We’ve received news from Jawei Town.”

“The people from Tazhai are all gone.”

“But as for the ashes…”

“They are available to us.”

Mindeng became interested.

He set down the brush and asked,

“Oh?”

“Are there no other conditions?”

His voice was somewhat hoarse and magnetic.

He picked up a teacup,

blew on it, and took a sip of tea.

The black-clad subordinate smiled and said,

“They’re just border bumpkins, after all.”

“Who dares to oppose you?”

“If it weren’t for the difficult terrain,”

“would these bumpkins in Kesinbang even exist?”

“We wouldn’t dare not show you respect.”

That’s not entirely wrong.

If it weren’t for the difficult terrain and the high transportation costs,

combined with the border’s chaos, where the Shan armed groups clash with the government forces frequently, it’s in complete disorder.

Mindeng would have taken control of that area a long time ago.

Though his subordinates’ boasting pleased him,

he still modestly smiled and said,

“You certainly know how to talk.”

“What’s the situation with Jawei Town and Tazhai?”

“Have you found out?”

The black-clad subordinate nodded and replied,

“We’ve found out.”

“Jawei Town was originally occupied by a man named Chen Jinlong.”

“Due to its proximity to the border,”

“it was convenient for smuggling.”

“It had a long-standing cooperation with Tazhai on the Dragon Nation side.”

“Chen Jinlong had a right-hand man,”

“named Zhao Renzhou.”

“They disrupted the recent trade between Chen Jinlong and Tazhai.”

“He swallowed both money and goods.”

“Then, Chen Jinlong died inexplicably.”

“Afterwards, Zhao Renzhou took control.”

“On the Tazhai side, they contacted Xiong Wang from the neighboring town.”

“But Zhao Renzhou launched a surprise attack.”

“And wiped out Xiong Wang’s group from the neighboring town.”

“Now, this guy controls both towns.”

“He’s probably consolidating his territory.”

“They wouldn’t dare challenge you.”

“In a nutshell,”

“They’ll obediently send the ashes of those people from Tazhai.”

Mindeng was somewhat surprised:

“Xiong Wang?”

“This Zhao Renzhou seems to be a tough character.”

Mindeng set the teacup down.

He didn’t think much of the seven towns on the border.

They did have some strength, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

Xiong Wang was the strongest among them.

The main reason was their alliance with the Shan armed groups.

The Shan armed groups were too ambitious,

and Mindeng couldn’t tolerate that.

Unlike the government forces on his side,

he could keep them satisfied and maintain peace.

As for the Shan armed groups,

they didn’t contribute troops or money,

yet they wanted to claim all the profits for themselves.

Especially in that region, where transportation was inconvenient.

If things turned sour with them,

it would be troublesome for him.

It might end up being a one-time deal,

where they provided troops and money,

but in the end, the profits in the billions would all be seized by them.

That was highly likely.

Mindeng had only one assessment for those people:

Savages…

Savage in their behavior, savage in their actions, savage in their thinking.

On the other hand, Zhao Renzhou,

he wiped out Xiong Wang without hesitation,

all for the sake of a few people from Tazhai Mindeng couldn’t decide whether to call him ruthless or ambitious…

But no matter which it was,

in Mindeng’s eyes,

he was already a significant player…

The black-clad subordinate widened his eyes.

He had encountered many bigwigs alongside Mindeng.

People like Luo Xinghan and the generals in Naima.

He had dealings with them too.

Now, those are real players.

Even the backwater bumpkins in the borderlands

are considered significant figures?

Why did he go there?

Why didn’t he just establish his dominance outright?

Without waiting for his subordinates to think too much,

Mindeng spoke up:

“Go send a message to Tazhai.”

“Tell them to send someone to collect the ashes.”

“Heh…”

“Three million for a few cans of ashes…”

“This is more profitable than selling rock candy….”

He waved his hand,

instructing his subordinate to inform the people from Tazhai.

Then, he picked up his calligraphy brush again

and resumed practicing his writing.

As for Zhao Renzhou, who had just taken control of two towns,

Mindeng didn’t pay much attention to him.

After all…

There was a vast difference in their power…

In the afternoon.

Jawei Town.

Base.

Zhao Bao and his men caught two wild dogs.

They mixed the freshly made ashes with the residue and placed them in cans.

The ashes were sent to Mindeng’s people, and Zhao Zhan and Zhao Ning arrived at the base. They stared in disbelief at the rows of brand new AK rifles in the warehouse.

“Is this… way too much?” Zhao Zhan picked up an AK and couldn’t seem to let go of it.

Zhao Renzhou chuckled lightly, “These are just the beginning. Selling sugar is small-time. Weapons, on the other hand… When you go back, bring some men with you. We’ll take over So Town, and when we eventually capture Kesinbang, we’ll be the biggest warlords in the entire Golden Triangle. We’ll have planes, cannons, you name it. It’s a lot more impressive than selling rock candy.”