We watched them start their vehicles and drive out of the village. Only after they were gone did we emerge and rush to our own cars.
Thanks to our preemptive strike, aside from a few minor rips in clothing, none of our people were injured.
This initial victory, though achieved through less conventional means, was crucial. Facing opponents who outnumbered us significantly, direct confrontation would have been disastrous; we could only rely on our wits to contend with them.
This small demonstration of our capabilities greatly boosted our morale. However, we couldn't afford to become complacent, as we were still up against adversaries several times our strength.
I, along with the senior and our Daoist brothers, boarded Wen Siqiang's van, while Da Kui took Wu Lao San and the others to the raw stone base.
At that moment, the senior's phone rang. Without a doubt, it was news from the port.
The senior listened to the call, nodding repeatedly. After a lengthy conversation, he finally hung up.
Senior: "It's handled. Just as you predicted, they replaced the silver ornaments with lead products, hollowed out in the middle. The drugs were sealed within the lead, and the exterior was re-plated with silver. This not only altered the appearance but also eliminated all scent traces, allowing them to evade X-ray detection and the noses of drug-sniffing dogs, enabling them to slip through several inspections. However, the manufacturers and owners of these batches of goods are all Burmese, and the production sites are also in Burma. Their factory certificates and loading records are complete, with no evidence pointing to the Xie brothers."
As expected, though we had successfully cracked the drug trafficking and transportation case, the individuals apprehended were inconsequential, failing to strike at the heart of the operation.
The manufacturers of the goods were located in the Golden Triangle, a region even the Burmese government forces couldn't effectively control, let alone us. Consequently, the investigation had to be abandoned.
Damn it, they got away with it just like that.
Senior: "If nothing unexpected happens, Xie Jiabao will approach us tomorrow. If he contacts you, tell him to meet me at the hotel."
I agreed. With this setback, the routes by road and sea were completely blocked. We were now his only hope.
He would surely come looking for us.
If our predictions were correct, the team working on the platform at the raw stone base should have completed their task by now.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the senior took them back to their rooms, while Wen Siqiang, Qian Fugui, and I headed back to the raw stone base.
It was too late. I wouldn't return to Jing Lei's place that night and decided to make do with a night in the office.
Wen Siqiang dropped me off at the office building. I told him and Qian Fugui to head back and get some rest, instructing them to report back first thing in the morning.
My office was guarded by two security personnel, and two engineers were diligently verifying data at the computers. I advised them to get some rest and then went into the adjacent conference room. There, I arranged a few chairs together and lay down fully clothed to rest.
Exhausted from the day's activities, I fell asleep the moment I touched the chairs.
I had a multitude of strange and peculiar dreams during the night. In one, I dreamt of Wu Guodong being granted amnesty by the government forces and appointed to a high-ranking position in the capital, living a life of great prestige with an entourage, exuding an aura of immense power.
Upon waking, I realized it was just a dream. Yet, I wished it could be a true one. I would pour all my efforts into making this a reality. If successful, it would not only spare tens of thousands of people from the ravages of war but also save countless more from the clutches of drug addiction and the lives lost as a result.
I felt the immense weight of responsibility on my shoulders.
The following day, I was awakened by the chirping of birds outside. Located in the outskirts, surrounded by mountains on three sides, mornings were when the birds were most active. They were completely oblivious to our strenuous night, their joyous calls filling the air.
I got up. I had slept for about three hours, which was not enough. I longed to sleep a little longer, but a mountain of tasks awaited, preventing me from indulging further. I decided to get up and head to my office to freshen up.
There were still people busy at the computers. I wasn't very tech-savvy, but it seemed that once operations commenced, constant maintenance was required.
I went to the restroom and splashed cold water on my face, washing away the lingering drowsiness.
I didn't turn on the hot water; instead, I vigorously splashed cold water on myself.
The war we were about to wage against Principal Sun, Xie Jiabao, Brother Hui, and even Chen Liben officially commenced today.
I needed to muster twelve times my usual alertness to face this battle.
After washing up, I found a clean set of clothes in the closet to change into. I had to go to the hotel shortly to play the role of the chairman's secretary, and my clothes for that were at the hotel.
As the saying goes, life is like a play. Were we not constantly changing roles, performing for them?
Just then, my phone rang. I checked the time; it was seven in the morning. The call came from an unknown number, not a mobile one.
I suspected that a call at this hour was more likely to be from Xie Jiabao.
Indeed, Xie Jiabao's voice came through the receiver: "Little brother, are you with my master? I wanted to ask if the matter discussed yesterday has been finalized."
I replied, "Ah, Chairman Xie. You're looking for our chairman. Very well, I will inform him and call you back shortly."
Xie Jiabao hung up. After about ten minutes, I called him back.
The call was answered immediately: "Brother, what was master's response?"
I said, "The chairman said you should come to the hotel where we are staying at nine o'clock. He will discuss the specifics with you."
Xie Jiabao readily agreed, stating he would prepare to leave immediately.
I advised, "The chairman has scheduled you for nine o'clock. It's best not to be early or late. The chairman dislikes either."
Xie Jiabao: "Understood. I will be there punctually."
I gave him the hotel's name and address. He confirmed he knew the location. I then instructed him to call me upon arriving in the lobby.
My reason for telling him not to come early was to give us time to prepare.
After hanging up his call, I then dialed the senior's number and briefed him on the situation.
Senior: "Excellent. Having him come here will further convince him that we are overseas returnees. Have the engineers bring their laptops so they can demonstrate the system to him on-site. This should completely alleviate his concerns."
I agreed and said I would head over immediately. Our ability to win this battle hinged significantly on securing Xie Jiabao's cooperation.
Ultimately, all these struggles were about getting the drugs out. For them, the only ultimate goal was to open up the transportation channels.
Whether they fought with us or against us, it was all about clearing obstacles and laying the groundwork for their unimpeded transit.
We hadn't expected to be so difficult to deal with, leading to repeated escalations, eventually involving international bandits.
To our surprise, we proved so formidable that, before we even entered the main fray, we delivered a severe blow last night.
Therefore, I anticipated that their tactics would escalate.
Thus, we must exercise extreme vigilance today.
I called Wen Siqiang and asked him to come and pick me up.
Wen Siqiang said they were already on their way and would arrive shortly. I told him I would head downstairs to wait for him.
The senior had already arranged for engineers to accompany us to the hotel with portable computers.
As we descended, Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui arrived.
I motioned for the engineers to get into the car and urged Wen Siqiang to drive a bit faster. We needed to set up properly to await Xie Jiabao's arrival.