The so-called village was actually just a dozen scattered households, with no more than a few steps from east to west.
Wen Siqiang, hiding in the shadows, saw us approaching and hurriedly signaled everyone to take cover and stop advancing.
He told me that the person had probably gone to rendezvous with their people. After all, they were foreigners and not as familiar with the terrain and geography here as locals were, who could come and go freely.
I instructed everyone to find suitable places to conceal themselves. It was very quiet here, and we had already put some distance between ourselves and the village. The vegetation was dense, making it easy to hide.
I told Wen Siqiang that a few of us would retreat to a spot behind them to discuss the plan.
My senior, Wu Lao San, Da Kui, Wen Siqiang, and I went to a clear area behind them.
I said, "When they come, we shouldn't confront all of them. We'll go in pairs, taking on one person each. Each person will deliver three moves. Whether they hit or miss, we'll retreat after."
We had twenty people now. Two of us against one person, we wouldn't suffer too much.
Moreover, we would be launching a surprise attack. By the time they figured things out, I would have already withdrawn.
I asked Wen Siqiang where his car was, as we hadn't seen it since we arrived. How would they leave?
Wen Siqiang said their cars were in the middle of the village. Since we came from the east side, we naturally wouldn't see them. There were three vehicles in total: two vans and one car, which belonged to the person who came from the hotel.
A van could carry at most ten people, so there were at least twenty of them.
If there were only ten people, they wouldn't need two vehicles.
I said, "Our car is parked near the east end. After the fight, we'll all retreat towards the car. This way, we can create a time difference."
Da Kui spoke up at this point: "I don't think we should rush to the car. We don't need to beat them to death anyway. After the fight, we should hide first, to prevent them from finding us and causing trouble. I'll go hide the car now. Let them leave first, and we'll leave after they're far away."
Da Kui rarely spoke, and when he did, it was always important.
I said, "Alright, you go move the car quickly. We'll prepare to deploy to our combat positions."
My senior said, "I and the Taoist brothers will lead the charge. We'll be responsible for two people. Brother Da Kui will be the second wave, and General Wu's men will each count as one, taking on the last few."
I said, "Okay, then you, Senior, will lead the men at the location closest to the dividing line. After Brother Da Kui arrives, he'll be positioned behind you. General Wu's brothers will be at the rear. I will be the overall commander. Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui, who are already familiar with the terrain, will be responsible for facilitating the personnel withdrawal."
With the personnel arrangements made, I had everyone move into their designated positions. Those with communication equipment were instructed to turn them off and cease all contact with the outside world.
I stood beside my senior and whispered to everyone, "The time is almost up. Everyone be on high alert."
Everyone responded silently. My senior and I crouched by the roadside, waiting for the enemy to enter our position.
Time ticked by, and the village, shrouded in night, was so quiet that even the sound of the wind passing through could be heard, but there was no sound of footsteps.
Could it be that they weren't crossing here?
It was not impossible that they might come from other directions. After all, there was more than one path leading out of the village that connected to the border. This one was simply wider and easier to traverse.
If they wanted to be safer, they would rather take a more difficult path, which would lead them directly through people's courtyards. They could check for enemy presence before continuing.
However, doing so would create noise, which was suitable for one or two people crossing. If there were more people, it would undoubtedly lead to exposure.
If the landlord sensed any insecurity, they could call the police from their room.
Therefore, with so many people, it was illogical for them to choose a small path that went through people's houses to cross the border.
We could only set up an ambush here. This location was about five to six hundred meters away from the village. Even if a fight broke out later, it wouldn't alarm the villagers.
We arrived at Zhongmian Street at 5:30 in the afternoon.
I told Wen Siqiang to wait for me in the car and that I would call him if there were any special circumstances.
I should buy Wen Siqiang a mobile phone; it would make things much easier.
When I entered the room, Bo Gang was still sitting in his original spot. He was wearing traditional Burmese attire and a headscarf. His plump body completely filled the rattan chair.
Looking at him like this, he didn't resemble a demon killer at all. He looked like an old foreigner.
Unfortunately, he wasn't an ordinary foreigner. His mind was filled with killing and robbery, and he was obsessed with money and profit.
He looked up at me and said, "That bastard Kang Gong has connections everywhere. We were all set up. He donated so much and became a hero of Myanmar overnight, while we're neither here nor there, and even branded as incompetent. Now they've stripped me of my military command, and I'm just an advisor to a government department. Damn it, if I start a guerrilla war and shake the heavens, maybe they'll pay attention to me!"
Bo Gang was indeed a ruffian who solved problems impulsively without thinking. Although we were using him this time, if he had handled it well, the benefits he would have gained would have lasted a lifetime. How did it go so wrong?
I looked at him and asked, "What are your plans?"
Bo Gang replied, "What plans do I have? Let's get our business started quickly. I need a large sum of money to form an army, and you have to provide it!"
What kind of logic was this? He wanted to form an army, and I had to provide the funds. This was naked bandit logic.
I said, "Now that Kang Gong is back, can he let me off? He's keeping a close eye on my every move. If we get involved in this now, it's a dead end!"
Bo Gang said, "I only have this thing in my hand. Am I supposed to let it rot before selling it? I don't care. Find a way to get it done, or you won't have your life, nor the lives of your wives and concubines."
He was completely in control of me, and he didn't hesitate to bring them up. They were my weakness, my Achilles' heel, and he knew exactly how to hit it.
I said, "It's not easy anyway. I have a suggestion for you. The rough stone business is doing very well here, and the demand for finished products domestically is huge. As long as you can get rough stones, I'll help you sell as many as you have, even for free. I won't take a penny from you."
Bo Gang said, "Rough stones? Where am I supposed to find rough stones? Unless I rob them!"
Rough stones were a business, a trade that required investment. But he, on the other hand, was ready to steal them.
I smiled bitterly. There was no reasoning with someone like him.
Bo Gang said, "I have to go back. Hurry up with what I told you. Someone will contact you in the next couple of days!"
I said, "You should also consider what I said. You're on the ground, so you must have channels to get stones. As long as the quality is good, this money is not a problem. Why take a shortcut at the risk of your life when you have a sunny path?"
He said, "I'll think about it. In any case, help me make money as soon as possible!"
With that, he got up, and I quickly took my leave. Dealing with people like him was like walking on a razor's edge; the sooner I left, the better.
I walked out and got into the car. I told Wen Siqiang, "Let's go back to the Grand World."
Wen Siqiang didn't say a word and drove away.
Sitting in the car, I felt a bit worried. I still hadn't resolved the issue with the Crown Prince. His father had been released, which could have alleviated some of the pressure from Bo Gang. But now, it had only intensified, making it suffocating.
I needed to find a breakthrough to break this chain of events. Otherwise, the three of them would be like a capstan, slowly grinding me to death.
I returned to my office. Lan Ya asked me, "Is something wrong? You look so worried."
I said, "Yes, Bo Gang has drugs, and he needs us to convert them to cash, otherwise he'll threaten my family! I suggested that he supply us with rough stones, which would be a win-win and not illegal. Guess what he said? He said he doesn't have any rough stones, unless he robs for them! Rough stones are a business, and they are acquired through trade. He actually wants to get them by force of arms!"
Lan Ya replied, "Bo Gang is ultimately a menace. We should discuss it with Brother Leopard. It's best to get rid of him, or he'll push us to a dead end."
I said, "Yes, I was thinking the same thing on the way. We must find a way to eliminate him!"
Lan Ya picked up the phone and called Brother Leopard, asking him to come over to discuss how to deal with Bo Gang.
Just then, Wen Siqiang came in and said that the people we had summoned for training had all arrived and asked if we should begin.
I told Lan Ya that I would go to the training class first and that she should inform Brother Leopard when he arrived.
We had selected thirty people in total, mainly for security and service. They were divided into two teams, and two private rooms were cleared for their training.
They were gathered in one room waiting for me, and then they would attend separate classes.
I went to speak to them about the precautions for the new company's opening and the rules for receiving and interacting with guests. I saw Xiao Hong among the service staff, and she was in charge of this group.
A team leader was also chosen for the security team. He was an old employee of the Grand World, named Sanzi. He was burly, dark-skinned, and knew some martial arts.
I asked them to split into two groups, with one group going to another room.
The security team remaining here had a simpler training program. A mat was placed in the center of the room. They would pair up, have sparring matches, and the eliminated would wait. The winners would advance to the next round.
Those eliminated in the first round would be put under intensive training by the team leader for ten days. After ten days, they would have a second competition. The last five would be eliminated.
Elimination didn't mean dismissal; they would only be assigned to ordinary positions. Important positions would be filled by the winners.
For the female staff, the training mainly focused on etiquette and Mandarin. I specifically found an etiquette teacher from a training company to teach them.
At this moment, my phone rang. Lan Ya said that Brother Leopard had arrived at the office.
I hurried over to meet Brother Leopard.
Brother Leopard might have heard the situation from Lan Ya. His expression was as grave as mine. He must have also realized the seriousness of the matter. Bo Gang was putting immense pressure on us.
Brother Leopard said, "We'll meet with Brother Qing tomorrow to discuss Bo Gang in detail. If we're going to deal with him, we need to find his base first. I heard from Brother Qing that he hasn't been back to that waterfront villa in Yangon since the last time we dealt with him. He likely has a base on the border. Brother Qing has already arranged for informants to investigate his activity locations there. Once we've figured it out, we should eradicate him completely! Unlike Kang Gong, who we couldn't kill, creating an enemy. If we can't kill Bo Gang in one go, we'll be the ones who die."
I nodded. Yes, if we couldn't kill him in one go, our lives would be on a countdown.
Bo Gang came from a guerrilla background and had experience in jungle warfare. The mountainous terrain of Myanmar was crisscrossed and precipitous, with inconvenient transportation. He could defend or attack, which was very disadvantageous for us. To deal with him, we had to put in a hundred times the effort. We could only win, not lose!