Wu Guodong said, "My biggest regret in life was choosing to develop my business through poppies. You know, our special status, military power, areas with no jurisdiction, and treacherous, secluded mountains provided ideal conditions for poppy cultivation. Most importantly, the market was huge, and the cash flow was rapid, allowing wealth to snowball infinitely in a short period. Alas! This is the tragedy of life. When a person loses their moral bottom line and measures a person's value by wealth, that person is essentially dead! This is the answer I came up with while lying on my sickbed. At that time, my body was like a small boat adrift in the deep sea, battered by surging waves, in danger of disintegrating and sinking at any moment.
I thought a great deal, and I felt I was close to death. Regardless of how much wealth I possessed or how much military power I wielded, this physical shell could no longer carry my soul. I was about to disappear completely from this world. As the saying goes, a person's words are good when they are dying. This is true. A person on the verge of death will see everything clearly; all that has happened is like smoke and clouds passing by. The only companion is the brain that can still think. The moment thinking ceases, dust returns to dust, earth to earth, and everything before you is no longer relevant. At that time, I thought that if I could survive this ordeal, no matter the cost or the obstacles, I would wash my hands of the business, reform myself, and try to atone for some of my sins in my limited lifespan, so that I would receive less punishment when I went to hell. Fortunately, heaven still favored me, allowing me to meet a divine doctor in my lifetime, and later, a young, capable, and righteous Li Hua. The divine doctor gave me a healthy and vibrant body, and Li Hua brought me the hope of moving towards the light. Would you say these are not angels sent by God to help me transform and start anew?"
Wu Guodong paused again and continued, "This matter is easy to talk about, but incredibly difficult to execute. Over the past year of my illness, my military command has been completely sidelined. I'm left with the empty title of Commander, but all the troops have been divided among them. You saw what happened this morning. I needed the truth of the incident, but Chen Liben didn't even give him a chance to speak; he ended his life with a gunshot, silencing him forever. Fortunately, I was already aware of the matter, so whether he killed him or not made little difference. Besides, I'm not so foolish as to arrest someone without interrogation. Before Chen Liben arrived, Wang Dong's mouth had already been opened. He said everything he needed to say before he was taken out and tied to the flagpole.
Wang Dong's confession is very important to us. He revealed many of Chen Liben's plans and secrets, including the utilization of inland areas to create a passage to overseas, opening a more covert and secure drug transportation line apart from Southeast Asia!
He also confessed to several key figures Chen Liben had cultivated inland, including Principal Sun in Ruili and Brother Hui in the provincial capital. They both play major roles in this.
I think our first step should not be to rush to reclaim military power, but rather to dismantle their transportation lines, disrupt their plans, and then strike when they are in disarray and distracted."
I understood General Wu's plan. Instead of confronting them directly, it was better to use their own methods against them and engage in a covert struggle.
Wu Guodong said, "Li Hua, starting today, I appoint you as my liaison officer, authorizing you to exercise all my rights. You can represent me in negotiating any terms with the Myanmar government army. As long as we can achieve it, we will find ways to meet their conditions. I am truly tired of this life of fighting and killing, and I hope you understand my feelings.
Also, although Zhi Bing is a few years older than you, he lacks social experience and is not your equal. I am entrusting him to you, and I hope you two brothers will work together, shoulder to shoulder, and carve out a territory of your own. Of course, your territory must be clean; don't walk my path again. It will be too late to turn back when you are old."
Wu Lao San cupped his hands to me again, and I returned the gesture.
At this moment, a guard entered and reported that Chen Liben had arrived and wished to come in.
We were all startled. Why would he visit so suddenly? Was it a coincidence or deliberate?
We were about to stand up, but Wu Guodong waved his hand, signaling us not to move, and then told the guard to let him in.
His sudden arrival seemed anything but coincidental; it was clearly a provocation.
Or perhaps a test of the Wu father and son's mettle.
As we spoke, we heard Chen Liben's shrill voice. That voice truly didn't sound like a man's; it was more like a eunuch's.
Upon entering, he first saluted Wu Guodong and said, "I heard my third brother has returned, so I came specifically to see him. It's been half a year since we last met; I've missed him dearly."
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Wu Lao San's hand.
Wu Lao San clearly tried to evade him, looking at him with disdain.
Wu Guodong quickly said, "Commander Chen, coming all this way so late shows your thoughtfulness. Lao San caused trouble outside, and I was just lecturing him. I won't let him run around carelessly anymore; he'll stay by my side."
He said this for Chen Liben to hear, essentially informing him that Wu Lao San would now be staying within the military camp, and how Chen Liben chose to act was up to him.
Chen Liben replied, "Is that so? That's excellent. With the three brothers here under your command, I can finally rest assured. Moreover, now that he's here, he can frequent the factory more often and help me share some of the workload, letting the third brother help carry some of my burden."
This scoundrel was saying all the right things, but he was afraid of Wu Lao San interfering in his affairs and was saying this deliberately to test him.
Wu Guodong replied, "You think too highly of him. Look at him; if he doesn't cause me trouble, I'd already be grateful. To think he'd help you share the load, let's forget about it."
His words were neither humble nor arrogant, making Chen Liben believe that Wu Lao San's return was due to causing trouble outside and seeking refuge from it.
Chen Liben turned his head and said to me, "The divine doctor has gained a disciple. This young man seems quite sharp. Congratulations, divine doctor."
He suddenly made a 180-degree turn and directed his attention to me.
Wang Dong must have told him about my background. Moreover, the incident happened because I was investigating his camp; he couldn't possibly not know. It was just that, feigning impartiality, he couldn't ask too directly.
The Divine Doctor said, "I've been feeling unwell recently, and I was afraid of delaying the General's treatment by coming alone, so I asked my disciple to help me. The boy is still unpolished in his manners; please forgive him, Commander Chen."
Commander Chen retorted, "A child, I see he's very interested in our affairs here. Why was he following Wang Dong's men yesterday? What did he want to see?"
Wu Guodong interjected, "Commander Chen, they are both my benefactors. What do you want?"
Chen Liben quickly and respectfully said to Wu Guodong, "General, I am only doing this for your own good. After all, with Wang Dong's incident just happening, and this young man having a connection with Wang Dong, it's best to be cautious."
Wu Guodong replied, "I can handle the people around me myself. You should return and strengthen your defenses and do your job well. As for who the bad people are around me, I understand perfectly well, so there's no need for Commander Chen to worry."
Wu Guodong was effectively giving him his walking papers. Chen Liben glared at me and had no choice but to take his leave, slinking away.