Yang Jian drove his Cayenne, carrying police officers Zhang Hui and Qin Feiyang, and after more than twenty hours of travel, they finally reached the Menglian border crossing in southwestern Yunnan on the last day of 2009.
Zhang Hui contacted the local police and obtained passes for the alternative planting personnel.
The so-called alternative planting was a drug eradication alternative planting plan planned by the United Nations and Myanmar. Many companies in China participated in this plan, helping farmers in northern Myanmar to eliminate poppies and replace poppy cultivation with crops such as sugarcane, tobacco, and spices, thereby eradicating drug production at the source.
The three drove through the Menglian border checkpoint and entered the opposite Bangsan border checkpoint.
As soon as they passed the Bangsan border checkpoint, Yang Jian saw Yang Fan standing by an off-road vehicle on the roadside and quickly drove over.
"Brother Fan."
Yang Jian parked the car, jumped out, and hugged Yang Fan. The brothers hadn't seen each other for many years.
"Brother, we finally meet, but you've gotten fatter. Has married life been too comfortable? Will it affect your fighting skills?"
Yang Fan patted his back and teased with a smile.
"No, I'm still training. Brother Fan, these are Zhang Hui and Qin Feiyang, my good friends. They're here to help me find someone."
Yang Jian didn't reveal their identities because Yang Fan was a wanted criminal in China and disliked dealing with Chinese police.
"Hello, Mr. Yang. Zhang Hui, Qin Feiyang."
Zhang Hui and Qin Feiyang took the initiative to shake hands with Yang Fan.
"Welcome, welcome. Get in the car. It's still a long way to my company. Little Yang, ride in my car. We can chat more."
Yang Fan pulled Yang Jian into his off-road vehicle. The two sat in the back, with a young driver in the front.
The two cars set off again, heading for Mong La in Shan State, while this area belonged to the Wa State.
"Brother Fan, it's still so poor here. It's all dirt roads. Why do so many people from China come here? In this environment, how high can the salary be?"
Looking at the wooden houses and bumpy roads outside, Yang Jian felt that those who were tricked into coming here were fools.
Yang Fan smiled, "The gap between rich and poor here is huge. Local farmers are indeed very poor, but warlords and officials are rolling in wealth. Due to frequent conflicts, the infrastructure is very backward, but this situation is gradually improving."
"Brother Fan, is there still no news about San Pang?"
"No, northern Myanmar is too vast. Shan State alone is four to five thousand square kilometers, not to mention Wa State, Kokang, and various complex forces. It's too difficult to find someone without any clues."
"If San Pang isn't in Shan State where you are, even if we find the people who sold him, it will be difficult to rescue him?"
"Yes, if he's sold to Wa State, it will indeed be difficult to rescue him, but with a bit more money, we can find connections. How about it, has Wu Laizi given you any news?"
"Not yet. I plan to contact him again after I get to your place. I might be staying here for a long time."
Yang Fan smiled and said, "It's fine for you to live here long-term. In fact, I'd like to keep you here to invest."
"Invest? Open a casino?"
"Opening a casino is also good. Casinos here are legal, so you don't have to worry about the police. Moreover, it's illegal for people who owe gambling debts not to repay them. Not only will they be beaten by the casino, but the police can also detain them."
Yang Jian shook his head, "Then forget it. Opening a casino is ultimately harmful to others."
"You've been opening casinos for so many years, and you're only thinking about harming others now? In fact, you should have realized it long ago. Where there's demand, there's a market. Because there are so many gamblers, casinos have room to survive. Aren't those gamblers forced to gamble at gunpoint? They are all willing. If you don't open one, their money will still be taken by others."
"That's the logic, but I'm not interested in opening a casino now. We'll talk about it later. Brother Fan, I have two things to do this time: first, find San Pang, and second, catch Brother Mao."
"Okay, I can't guarantee finding San Pang, because if he's not found, he can't be rescued. Catching Brother Mao shouldn't be difficult. As long as he's in Daluo Town, I can catch him whether he comes over or not."
Yang Jian took out a few photos from his pocket and handed him the photos of Brother Mao and San Pang. These were all brought by Zhang Hui from his unit.
"Brother Fan, this is Brother Mao, and this is San Pang. No matter what method you use or how much it costs, help me bring Brother Mao to your place. I want to interrogate him personally."
Yang Fan looked carefully at the photos. "This person has a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks. He looks cunning and treacherous at first glance. No wonder you always fall for his tricks. Don't worry, after we go back, I'll send my men to inquire in Daluo Town. It's a small town with less than twenty thousand people. It shouldn't be difficult to find him."
As they were chatting, the car reached a checkpoint, where soldiers in military uniforms carrying submachine guns stopped them.
This checkpoint was quite rudimentary, just a few wooden sheds. Two soldiers were lying on the grass mats inside, smoking. There wasn't even a proper table and chairs. The roadblock was just two large tree roots.
Being pointed at by submachine guns, even the usually stubborn and tough Yang Jian got scared. They had more than one gun, and it was a routine check, not specifically targeting him. He had heard that there were frequent battles here, and it would be truly unjust to die from a few shots from these soldiers.
Yang Fan, however, remained very calm. The driver got out of the car, took out his identification and a roll of banknotes, and negotiated with an older soldier. Immediately, two boy soldiers, about fourteen or fifteen years old, moved the tree roots aside to let them pass.
"Brother Fan, why are such young children serving as soldiers?"
The car continued to move forward. They encountered checkpoints multiple times along the way, and the soldiers were all young, which greatly surprised Yang Jian.
"Soldiers who are fourteen or fifteen years old are already adults. You haven't seen the even younger soldiers. The farmers here are very poor. Some families can't make ends meet, so they send their children to the army. At least they won't starve to death. Some orphans enter military camps as young as three or four years old."
"Entering military camps at three or four years old? This completely subverts my understanding."
"There's nothing strange about it. Some of the young soldiers you saw have ten years of military service and have participated in wars."
"Is it true that many Chinese people come here to serve as soldiers?"
"It's true, but they don't stay long. The treatment is too low. It's not as good as being a security guard or a henchman in a casino. Casino security guards earn over two thousand yuan a month, while soldiers only get one or two hundred, and the conditions are very harsh. The difference is too great."
"Then this is too different from the rumors in China. Some people say that mercenaries here earn five or six thousand, or even ten thousand a month."
"That's all lies. How can there be such high wages in such a poor place?"
"Indeed. If they weren't deceived, those who want to get rich wouldn't come to this poor and desolate place."
Yang Jian was like a curious baby, constantly asking about the situation here along the way, and Yang Fan patiently explained.
The five to six-hour drive, although bumpy, was not too difficult.