The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 687 Arrival in Mengwu Town (Revised)

Zhang Jin said that the three of them were unfamiliar with Mengwu Town, but their team leader Liu Xiaotao was very familiar with the place.

Seven or eight years ago, when Liu Xiaotao had just been promoted to squadron leader, he had participated in a joint special operation under the command of He Qiu, the then deputy captain of the "Black Panther Special Operations Brigade".

The second operation remains fresh in Liu Xiaotao's memory to this day; the story took place in the town of Mengwu.

The entire operation spanned nearly three months, taking a total of more than eighty days.
Back then, almost every household here possessed weapons, and their firepower was extremely formidable.

After reading this description of "Mengwu", some people will immediately think of the "Jinsan area", a "no man's land".

That's really true. The chaos during the Mongol invasion was largely due to its geographical location.

Located at the intersection of three Southeast Asian countries, namely T, L, and M, lies the "Golden Triangle Region".

Because of the abundant sunshine and rainfall, the environment for crop growth in this area is exceptionally favorable.

In order to obtain huge economic benefits, some criminals have come up with the idea of ​​planting some "flour" raw materials.

Seeing how profitable this industry was, some locals in the "Golden Three Regions" also joined in, becoming large-scale growers of flour raw materials.

Seeing this, some powerful local warlords were extremely envious and eagerly joined in.

This illegal activity was permeated by various forces.

Therefore, even if the three countries mentioned above knew that the "Kim Jong-un region" was flooded with "flour," it would be difficult to subdue it in one fell swoop.

Because there are too many and too complex forces at play here.

Before each of these "Three Kingdoms" operations, someone would always tip them off in advance to help them escape.

Over time, the "Jin San area" gradually became a no-man's-land.

As a remote border town, Mengwu's economy was naturally not well developed.

Seeing that people in the neighboring "Jin San District" were making a fortune from such illegal activities, some people here were greatly influenced and thus joined in.

At that time, some people in Mengwu who engaged in these illegal activities also made huge profits, and it was common for them to buy luxury cars and build villas!

Zhang Jin claimed that the beautiful villas he saw on the mountain were built by these criminals themselves.

On the surface, this border town appears to be very prosperous.

However, this prosperity is the result of a distorted "industrial chain".

Besides the rampant "flour" trade, Mengwu was also the largest underground "weapons" trading market at the time.

When the investigators who were dispatched arrived, they found that the situation was more serious than they had imagined.

The investigators first spotted vendors openly selling various kinds of "flour" on the street.

Then, led by an arms dealer, they secretly visited a site where illegal gun sales took place.

Inside the small factory, rocket launchers, grenades, rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, and everything else you could imagine were on display.

In other words, if you have money, you can buy almost any weapon.

When the intelligence came back, Meng Luyu, the commander-in-chief of the operation, was shocked. This was something we would never tolerate.

After reporting to her superiors, Meng Luyu made up her mind to eliminate these "bad apples" at all costs.

Among them, Khun Sa, the biggest "flour dealer" in Mong Wu, was the most important target of this operation.

In order to capture Mengwu, the experts in the task force also suggested setting up a trap and inviting the five "flour dealers," including Khun Sa, to attend.

While they are complacent, we can take them down in one fell swoop. Once they lose their leader, these "flour vendors" will be vulnerable.

Without hesitation, Meng Luyu formulated a plan.

Time quickly came to August 29th of that year, and the five major figures, including Khun Sa, received a notice at the same time to come to Yunnan Province to attend a meeting.

Because the plan was highly confidential, the five giants had no doubts and drove to the conference room.

But the real show has only just begun.

That very evening, Liu Xiaotao and his comrades rode in a hundred military vehicles, speeding along the highway leading to Mengwu.

At first, Liu Xiaotao and the others didn't know what they were going to do. The task they were given beforehand was to conduct a field training exercise.

At the same time, several other teams set off from various locations.

Until the early hours of the 31st, after Liu Xiaotao led his team to the designated location, they appeared in the small town of Meng as if by divine intervention.

At this point, the team leaders also explained the purpose of their trip.

Liu Xiaotao and his team then realized that this was actually a large-scale "flour-hunting" operation.

They knew they were about to fight the "flour vendors," and they were all filled with enthusiasm and high spirits.

Just as the expert group had predicted, the "flour vendors" lost their leader, which instantly reduced the difficulty of the operation, and the progress was very smooth.

The next morning, the personnel present saw a red signal flare go off.

As a result, more than 20 teams quickly raided and arrested the "flour dealers" in their den.

Mengwu was quickly cleared out, and the area outside was also under heavy firepower, with high points outside the town being suppressed.

Some timid flour vendors tried to escape in the chaos, but were intercepted.

In the town, the commandos stormed into the "flour dealer's" lair like tigers descending a mountain, the beams of their tactical flashlights flashing in the dim alleyways.

Many flour vendors were arrested while they were still dreaming of their success.

Of course, these actions also alerted some flour vendors, who even launched a counterattack.

The most dangerous ones are not the small-time flour vendors, but the big-time flour vendors hidden inside the mansions. They are all prominent figures in the flour trade.

Although the five bigwigs have been captured, they still want to fight to the death and break out.

The officers and soldiers, of course, would not let them have their way. As the loudspeakers of more than twenty battlefield propaganda vehicles sounded, the special forces launched an attack on the mansion.

With a deafening crash of doors being broken down, the special forces soldiers swiftly took control of all entrances and exits.

The snipers were already in position on the high ground, their infrared scopes firmly locked onto every suspicious target.

In a three-story building in the center of Mengwu Town, Liu Xiaotao led his special forces team to discover a hidden underground "flour" factory.

Piles of chemical raw materials emitted a pungent odor, while precision instruments hummed and whirred.

Liu Xiaotao immediately called in chemical defense experts, and the technicians, dressed in heavy protective suits, carefully handled these hazardous materials.

Meanwhile, special forces soldiers also controlled the high ground on the periphery, monitoring every movement within a radius of tens of kilometers in real time.

Several criminals who tried to escape in the chaos were spotted by thermal imaging cameras as soon as they disappeared into the woods and were quickly surrounded and captured by the police dog team.

The entire operation was like a precise surgical procedure, with every step perfectly coordinated.

Just as the operation was about to conclude, a rapid alarm suddenly came through the communicator: "Suspicious vehicle spotted in Area B, fleeing northwest at high speed!"

Captain He Qiu, who was in charge of the advance, made a decisive decision and ordered the assault teams lying in ambush on both sides of the road to activate the electromagnetic interference device.

With a muffled "whoosh," the SUV's electronic system instantly malfunctioned, causing it to crash uncontrollably into the roadside guardrail.

Fully armed special forces soldiers immediately surrounded the vehicle, their window-breaking guns accurately shattering the bulletproof glass, and the blinding flash of the stun grenades instantly rendered the criminals inside incapable of resistance.

Meanwhile, the technical team made a startling discovery behind a hidden door in the innermost part of the underground workshop—an entire wall of safes was filled with ledgers and money.
Michael seemed very familiar with the town; he led the way, turning left and right without streetlights.

Although it was pitch black all around, they still arrived at a courtyard.

The courtyard is surrounded by high walls and a wide gatehouse that allows cars to enter and exit. Inside is a very impressive villa.

Everything indicated that the owner was no ordinary person.

Michael rang the doorbell a few times, and then the sound of dogs barking came from inside the yard.

Zhang Jin and others then heard the sound of a dog's paws scratching at the iron gate. Judging from the dog's fierce barking, they could tell that it was definitely a fierce dog.

A moment later, the sound of the owner scolding the dog came from inside the yard. The person inside walked to the gate and cautiously asked, "Which one is it?"

“It’s me!” Mi Gaoya said in a low voice.

"I didn't hear you clearly which one you said, please speak more clearly!" the person inside said again, with a heavy local accent.

"Damn it, you can't even recognize my voice?" Michael roared in anger.

This time, the person inside seemed to understand something, and hurriedly locked the door, peeking out a puzzled face from the crack.

After he recognized Michael, he hurriedly opened the door again and apologized, "Oh, it's Michael. I really didn't know it was you."

"Hmm..." Michael gave him a cold look because the other person didn't recognize his voice.

"Please come in, let's talk in detail inside." The owner of the courtyard was clearly surprised by Michael's arrival.

Zhang Jin said that he could only make out that the man was in his thirties by the light. He was not tall, but he looked shrewd and capable.

The man first carefully locked the gate, then led the way, bringing Zhang Jincheng and the others into the villa.

The villa's spacious hall was luxuriously decorated, with marble floors, but it was covered in dust, and odds and ends were scattered everywhere, clearly belonging to a nouveau riche. Several women's clothes were on the high-end sofa, which the owner quickly tidied up, calling upstairs, "Wife, come down quickly, we have important guests. Quickly make a pot of hot tea."

"Don't rush to make tea. We haven't eaten for two days. Hurry up and get us some food to fill our stomachs..."

Michael finally relaxed completely when he got here. He plopped down on the sofa, leaned back, and slumped there.

"Alright, alright, please have some water first, I'll go prepare the meal right away." The host said and immediately turned to leave.

Michael lay half-reclined on the sofa, not wanting to move, and tilted his head to say to Zhang Jin, "This guy's surname is Long, nicknamed 'Loach'. He made his fortune with my father's help. Don't let his unassuming appearance fool you, he has more than a hundred henchmen under his command and is the number one figure in Mengwu."

Just then, a young and beautiful woman in her twenties came out carrying a tea tray.

The woman was wearing a long dress typical of ethnic minorities, her hair was styled in a bun, and she wore a pair of sparkly flip-flops, revealing her delicate white feet painted with bright red nail polish.

She walked towards them with light, pattering steps.

Zhang Jin said that the three of them were fine, but after being imprisoned for so long, Mi Gao's eyes suddenly turned like those of a hungry wolf.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Jin frowned, sensing something was amiss.

The young woman knelt before the group, poured tea, and presented it to them.

Michael hurriedly picked up the tea and drank it, then immediately spat it out, exclaiming, "Ouch, it's so hot!"

Lei Jun and Zhuang Yan chuckled to themselves. How could they blame anyone else? The tea was freshly brewed and was obviously hot. Didn't they know that you can't rush things?

"Go, get us a few bottles of beer to quench our thirst..." Michael said without any hesitation, just like he was ordering his own wife.

The beautiful woman also realized that the man whose gaze was brazenly lingering on her was not someone to be trifled with, so she didn't say a word and quickly got up to get the wine.

A short while later, they brought over several bottles of beer with foreign labels.

Zhang Jin glanced at it and was surprised to find foreign beer in such a small place.

Just then, Mudfish came in carrying several plates of food.

"Perfect timing, I have a few braised dishes ready for you gentlemen to enjoy with your drinks. I'll have my wife cook a few side dishes for everyone, it'll be ready soon..."

"Hey, what's the rush? Sit down and have a drink with us," Michael said, pulling the man along.

Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud knocking on the door.

The door to Mudfish's house was pounded on, making a loud bang. Michael was startled and released the woman's fair wrist. At this point, he had no interest in anything else.

Michael gestured for the loach to go out and take a look.

The loach was furious, but dared not show it.

He had no choice but to walk into the yard and shout, "Who the hell is it, knocking on my door so late?"

"Open the door quickly!"

"We are police officers searching for a fugitive. Please cooperate with the inspection," the police officer outside shouted.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall stood up immediately.

Michael was extremely nervous. "Damn it, how did the police get here so fast? Did someone report us?"

Zhang Jin heard the commotion outside and whispered, "Don't be afraid! There's noise from other houses too, which means they're not coming for us."

They didn't know we were here; it must be a routine check.

Seeing that things were not going well, Mudfish broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes darted around and he shouted, "Wait a minute, I'll go back to the house to get the key."

Back in the house, Mudfish said to them, "Come with me quickly."

Then, the loach led them to the basement, moved some shipping containers, and revealed a floor.

The loach explored the wall for a while, and then the floor opened.

A hole was revealed, and there was a ladder to go down into it.

"Chief Mi, you should go down and hide for a while. Come out again after the police leave."

Michael didn't say anything, and was the first to hurriedly walk downstairs.

Upon arriving at the bottom, Zhang Jin said he found that the surrounding area was all cement walls, indicating that the house was built in this location when it was first constructed.

Unexpectedly, the cave was very spacious, and the cave was lit up so that everything could be seen clearly.

Michael wandered around curiously, and Zhang Jincheng, who was just as pleased, followed closely behind.

Once you enter this underground passage, there is an opening every few meters.

All the openings were open. When Zhang Jincheng stepped into one of the openings, he was shocked to find that it was actually a small weapons depot.

The walls on both sides were lined with weapons of varying ages, including Type 56 rifles and AKs, totaling more than twenty, along with several boxes of ammunition.

Michael glanced at them and casually said to Zhang Jin, "These all came from me; this is just a small part of them..."

Michael's words surprised Zhang Jincheng. He would never have expected it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

This is truly an unexpected bonus!

They walked a few meters further and found a dozen wooden boxes piled up in a secret chamber in another cave.

Zhang Jin said that although he did not know what was in it, his first impression was that it was "flour".

really.

Michael laughed and said, "Damn, this guy Loach actually hoarded so much stock, at least four or five hundred kilograms."

After saying that, he boasted to Zhang Jincheng, "See? These goods will fetch at least tens of millions after they're sold."

Zhang Jin walked silently to a box, a surge of rage rising within him. "These damned beasts, how many families will be ruined and destroyed because of them?"

While shocked and angry, he also felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

Upstairs, the loach sealed the entrance and carefully moved the container back to its original position.

After examining it carefully and finding no flaws, he left the basement.

Mudfish returned to the living room and instructed his wife, "If the police ask you questions later, do you know what to say?"

The young woman was clearly quite experienced in dealing with such matters. She nodded and said, "Don't worry, I won't talk nonsense."

Mudskipper nodded and went out to open the door.

"Old Long, why have you been open for so long?" Everyone who came was an acquaintance; the town wasn't very big, so everyone knew each other quite well.

Mudfish pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Oh dear, Officer Wang, I'm so sorry. My wife has such a bad memory. She was doing my laundry last night and just left the keys lying around. That's how hard it was to find them."

"Alright, take us inside for a check-up first."

"Look at me, Your Majesty, don't you understand me?"

How could there be a fugitive in my house?

"Sorry, Lao Long, this is just routine. Don't worry, we're just going in to check, it won't take up too much of your time."

"Well, alright! Sigh, you guys have it tough too, still investigating so late."

"Hehehe, mutual understanding."

And so, Mudfish led several local police officers into the house and searched it for a while.

Seeing that these people were quite serious, the loach searched his house thoroughly.

Of course, they found nothing, and were still smugly pleased with themselves.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation, Lao Long. It's so late, I won't disturb your rest any longer."

These are photos of the fugitives. Please take a look. If you see any of these strangers in the future, please notify us immediately.

"Definitely, definitely, I, Lao Long, am the most supportive of work."

"Alright, goodbye, you two!"

"Hehe, why don't you gentlemen rest for a bit before you go?"

"No, no, we need to hurry up and go to the next place for inspection."

This will keep us busy all night.

"Oh, that must be hard work. Come visit sometime!"

The loach breathed a sigh of relief as it closed the door.

Then he frowned and pulled out a satellite phone.

After the call connected, he said, "Hello! It's me..."

(End of this chapter)