Chapter 1 Panama, Conference Room

After speaking with Wang Xiao, Su Tianyu urgently contacted Jin Maohui, Bo Ang, and others, gathering them in the conference room for a meeting.

At first, everyone was quite pleased to hear that Jiangzhou was preparing to let Lao Li's team take over, but the thought of how to rescue Wang's armed forces made everyone anxious again.

The conference room was filled with smoke. They talked for a long time but couldn't come up with the most suitable plan.

"The opportunity is already within reach," Su Tianyu said, looking at the others. "Huo Dongsheng's son has also fled. We can't let a warlord close the door on us again."

"The problem is, how do we move?" Jin Maohui said, smoking a cigarette, his expression troubled. "Our people are quite far from San Paulo now. To get there, we have to go to Jia City first, then transfer to San Paulo. Time is tight. In comparison, if Gustav decides to support Huo Dongsheng, their actions will definitely be faster than ours. We might not even arrive before they've already done the deed. And even if we arrive before they make a move, how do we fight? San Paulo is, after all, an independent government with some international reputation. We have no reason to enter their defense zone. To bring in troops and start a war would be an invasion. Is it worth it to risk a reputation of starting a war for the sake of a Chinese labor association?"

Jin Maohui laid out all the troubles, making everyone feel anxious and frustrated.

Su Tianyu glanced at his watch. There wasn't much time left for them to think about the details. After considering for a long while, he stood up and instructed, "Alright, I'll figure out a way to rescue them. But you all need to immediately take the troops to the port, requisition cargo ships, leave from the upper reaches of the canal, pass through Jia City, and take the fastest route to San Paulo, then assemble and position yourselves on the outskirts of San Paulo. The Blackwater Mercenary Group will be the main force, departing first."

"Okay!" Jin Maohui immediately stood up and responded.

"I'll go arrange it now," Bo Ang said, rolling his wheelchair, and left with Jin Maohui.

...

Dragon City, Yu Mingyuan's villa.

Yu Mingyuan sat in his study, reviewing the intelligence information sent from various sources. After going through it in his mind, he picked up his phone and dialed Su Tianyu's number.

"Hello?" Su Tianyu's voice rang out.

"Has the China region contacted you?" Yu Mingyuan asked directly.

"Yes," Su Tianyu nodded. "I'm preparing to move."

"The top priority now is to protect Wang Xiao and the others," Yu Mingyuan said, lighting a cigarette and sharing his thoughts. "But there's one condition: we absolutely cannot open fire in San Paulo. Once we do, the other side will have a legitimate reason to protect Huo Dongsheng and his people. We have limited manpower, and we can't openly fight against the local military and government. To put it bluntly, if you lose 10,000 men in combat for the sake of 5,000, that's not a worthwhile trade. So, you need to contact Wang Xiao immediately and have him lead his 5,000 men to the outskirts of the city as much as possible! This will not only avoid the local military's defense perimeter but also buy time for our people to position themselves."

"I've already done that," Su Tianyu replied in a hoarse voice. "But I still feel it's not enough. This depends not only on us but also on how much support Area One can give Huo Dongsheng. If the support is strong… then this will very likely turn into a protracted war."

Yu Mingyuan thought for a moment and then said, "Alright, if it's difficult for you to move, then don't worry about the rest. I'll handle it. After all, if you really move, it's easy to provoke a war without a legitimate reason, and you'll also be criticized by public opinion. Panama City might also be implicated. Let me handle this dirty work."

Hearing this, Su Tianyu was silent for a while before replying in a serious tone, "It's fine for you to do it, but you need to communicate with me about anything you do beforehand."

"Okay, hanging up."

The two hung up the phone and went to prepare.

...

Dragon City, Garrison Headquarters, An Zecheng's office.

An Zecheng stood in front of the office window, tending to the flowers he grew, like a retired veteran cadre.

"Report!" A guard pushed open the door, standing straight and giving An Zecheng a military salute. "Deputy Director An is here!"

An Zecheng replied without turning his head, "Let her in."

As soon as he finished speaking, the office door was pushed open again. An Qiqi, dressed in a smart military uniform, strode in. She nodded to the guard, who left the room and closed the door.

An Zecheng turned around and asked after a pause, "Something urgent?"

"Dad!" An Qiqi said, "The Chinese Labor Association has split. Huo Dongsheng may be starting his own thing. He's trying to get support from San Paulo. In the future, Area One will definitely give him protection…"

An Zecheng walked to his chair and sat down, his brow furrowed and his expression serious. "I've heard about it. No need to set the stage, just tell me your thoughts."

"We need to send troops," An Qiqi said without hesitation. "Use all available forces to surround and hunt down San Paulo and take over the Chinese Labor Association!"

An Zecheng picked up his teacup and thought for a moment. "This should be something that the China region is doing. Even if the China region doesn't want to do it, it should be something that Su Tianyu is doing. Why should we interfere?"

An Qiqi replied without hesitation, "Because no one but Su Tianyu can handle this situation."

"If we send troops, how do we explain it to Lao Tan? How do we explain it to Area One? This is equivalent to openly opposing the Central Bureau," An Zecheng said, his words full of questioning.

"Dad, thinking about how to explain it is just deceiving ourselves," An Qiqi said, blinking her big eyes, as she walked to her father's side and said in a low voice. "I've already talked to Tan Mingzhao, and he's willing to join our chamber of commerce organization. This shows that Commander Tan is very clear that at this juncture, no matter how you explain it, external pressure will be brought to Dragon City. Unless you and Commander Tan are willing to give up your guns, give up your power, and return to Area One, confrontation is inevitable sooner or later! So, now, the most important thing for us to do is to maximize the overseas Chinese forces, instead of still thinking about defense and explanation, which is a useless approach."

An Zecheng nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, you've convinced me. Alright, I'll have my adjutant contact you, and you can do this."

"Yes, Commander!" An Qiqi gave a playful salute.

An Zecheng took a sip of tea and looked at his daughter, saying, "Since you said… that Tan Mingzhao is willing to join a social organization, then let him have a share in this. Ask him if he's willing to get involved!"

"Okay!" An Qiqi nodded.

...

Panama City, military port.

Several cargo ships were quietly docked at the pier. Soldiers of the Blackwater Mercenary Group, carrying conventional combat equipment, boarded the deck in rows.

Su Tianyu stood on the shore, looking at the scene before him with his hands behind his back. He pointed to Hou Guoyu next to him and said in a concise voice, "Notify the Third Division, and have Xin Xiaodong's unit prepare for battle!"

"Yes!" Hou Guoyu immediately dialed the phone.