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

Chapter 705, Section 701: Information about Balai!!!
"Take this money, I'll come to you again if I need anything in the future."

With trembling hands, Bale picked up the money from the table and said excitedly, "Thank you, thank you. I will definitely do my best in the future."

Zhang Jincheng nodded, indicating that he could leave.

After Bale left the room, Zhang Jin immediately lowered his voice and said to Zhuang Yan, "Go back to the car right away and send a telegram to headquarters, reporting that Lang San is going to the commander-in-chief."

Remember to send it encrypted. We absolutely have to catch this bastard this time.

"Yes!" Zhuang Yan immediately got up with a serious expression and went to the car to send the telegram.

Zhang Jincheng thought to himself that although he didn't know when or from which place Lang San would enter the country, he would definitely catch him as long as he laid a trap in the border area.

He stood by the window, watching Balai's retreating figure as he walked into Boss Lang's lair, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Jin lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and as the smoke swirled around him, his thoughts drifted into the distance.

This operation is of utmost importance. They have already experienced Lang San's cunning and ruthlessness firsthand. If anything goes wrong, all their previous efforts will be in vain.

A moment later, Zhuang Yan hurriedly returned and reported in a low voice: "The message has been sent out in encrypted form. Headquarters replied that they will deploy immediately and told us to stay in touch and wait for further instructions."

Zhang Jin stubbed out his cigarette and said in a deep voice, "Alright, call them in for dinner. After dinner, go to the mine in the north."

Zhuang Yan nodded in agreement and turned to go to the next room to call someone.

A short while later, Lei Jun and A Gui pushed open the door and entered.

Lei Jun rubbed his hands together and grinned, "Boss, I'm starving, can I have a drink?"

"You're only allowed one drink. I don't think the journey will be peaceful, so it's best to be careful," Zhang Jincheng advised.

"Then, I won't drink it. Hehehe..." Lei Jun scratched his head, knowing what was more important.

"Okay, that's fine! Come and eat!" Zhang Jincheng pointed to the copper pot on the table, where the boiling broth was steaming and the aroma of mutton filled the room.

"Hurry up and eat, we're leaving in twenty minutes." He said as he put a plate of tender green chrysanthemum into the pot.

"Delicious, delicious! Ah Gui, I didn't expect your mutton to be so good..." Lei Jun loves this kind of food.

After the four of them finished their meal, they left the old town. The mine they were heading to was further north.

However, instead of leaving the city from the north, they drove southeast from the old city into the mountains.

Zhang Jin said he was looking at the map and guiding A Gui in the right direction. A Gui had some questions, but he didn't ask.

The "Warrior" bumped along the rugged mountain road, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from town to dense forest.

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the gaps in the leaves into the car, illuminating the solemn faces of the four people.

Zhang Jincheng's finger moved slowly across the map, eventually stopping at a location marked with a red circle.

“Turn right two kilometers ahead; there’s a hidden path there.” His voice was deep and firm.

Ah Gui nodded, his hands gripping the steering wheel slightly sweaty.

This route was clearly not the usual direction to the mine, but he understood that Brother Zhang must have his reasons for doing so.

At the same time, A-Gui firmly believes that all three of them are good people.

Zhuang Yan sat in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the outside of the window warily.

Years of experience had given him a hunch that something was amiss. “Boss, this road…” he began, but then stopped.

"Don't worry, we're just taking a detour." Zhang Jincheng smiled faintly, a hint of something deeper flashing in his eyes.

After traveling about ten kilometers, Zhang Jin told A Gui to drive the car into the woods on a secluded path and hide it.

Then, he said to him, "Brother Agui, you wait here for us to come back."

Ah Gui nodded vigorously and said, "Okay, Brother Zhang, you guys go ahead!" He didn't ask or say anything else.

Zhang Jin said that the three of them packed up their weapons and equipment, then got out of the car and headed towards the mountains ahead.

The three of them walked through a forest and crossed a ridge.

Although there was a map, the target they were looking for was not marked.

Zhang Jin said that he instinctively chose the direction to go based on his years of experience.

This is a special ability developed over many years of training: acting on inner intuition in uncertain situations.

Their target was the missile base that Boss Lang had hidden in the mountains.

Beyond this mountain lies a large valley running east to west.

Zhang Jin climbed a large tree and used binoculars to observe the situation in the valley.

The valley is covered by dense forest all day long, and the valley floor is two or three kilometers wide and at least ten kilometers long.

The valley was unusually quiet, with only the treetops swaying in the mountain wind visible.

Zhang Jin slid down from the tree, and Zhuang Yanlei and Jun immediately surrounded him.

Three people squatted on the ground, their figures perfectly concealed by the surrounding grass and low bushes.

Zhang Jincheng whispered to the two men, "Judging from the terrain and the mountain slopes here, this should be a secret base where the enemy has set up missile bases."

The three of us went down to the bottom of the valley to check for any signs of people or vehicles entering or leaving.

If so, we'll infiltrate the valley again to scout and pinpoint the exact location.

The two nodded. Zhang Jin pointed to his left and said, "Steel Nail, you go this way. Monkey, you go this way. I'll go in the middle and keep a distance of thirty meters from me. Be careful of enemy sentries."

After saying that, Zhang Jin waved his hand, and the three of them disappeared silently into the dense forest.

Using the bushes as cover, Zhang Jin searched down into the valley. When he reached the bottom of the valley, he came across a small river, less than five meters wide, that meandered through the valley.

Zhang Jin said he waded across without thinking much; the deepest part of the stream was no more than his knees.

But after searching the bottom of the valley and getting close to the opposite hillside, he still hadn't found anything useful.

There were no signs of vehicles passing by, only animal and a few scattered pedestrian footprints.

"This isn't right!" Zhang Jincheng frowned, thinking that if the enemy's missile base was here, there would definitely be vehicles passing by.

Zhang Jin wondered if he had made a mistake in his judgment. Just then, Zhuang Yan's excited voice came through his earpiece: "Boss, I'm by the river at the bottom of the valley. Can your daughter come here?"

"Understood, all done!"

Zhang Jin guessed that Zhuang Yan must have discovered something, so he moved to the right.

Zhang Jin walked hunched over through the low bushes, but after walking for more than twenty meters, he still couldn't find Zhuang Yan.

This is by the river, where the moisture is abundant and the shrubs grow exceptionally lush, making it difficult to spot someone hiding inside.

“Monkey, I can’t see you,” Zhang Jin whispered to Zhuang Yan over the radio.

Zhuang Yan had no choice but to stand up from the bushes five or six meters away and wave to Zhang Jincheng.

Zhang Jincheng bent down and quickly moved closer to him.

Upon arriving at Zhuang Yan's side, Zhang Jin gently parted a patch of water plants with his hand. He saw that the water plants were growing next to a small stone, which was covered with moss. There were also tire marks about ten centimeters long next to it.

Zhang Jin then reached his hand into the riverbed and gently felt around; the riverbed was calm and solid.

He finally understood that the enemy had not built a road in the valley at all, but used this small riverbed to enter and exit. No wonder he couldn't find any vehicle tracks earlier. It was all thanks to the monkey's keen observation.

"Steel nail, immediately move closer to me along the left side of the stream," Zhang Jin immediately called for Lei Jun to come over.

A few minutes later, Lei Jun also crept over.

Zhang Jin whispered to the two of them, "You two form a group and search inwards along the right side of the valley."

The enemy will definitely have sentries hidden along both sides of the river, so be careful and it's best to keep a distance from the river.

"Understood!" the two replied softly.

"Don't expose yourselves unless absolutely necessary. Take action." After Zhang Jin finished speaking, Zhuang Yan and his companion immediately disappeared into the bushes.

Zhang Jin also moved away by twenty or thirty meters and then began searching into the valley.

This is a tropical rainforest. The forest at the bottom of the valley is humid and hot, with a thick layer of dead branches and leaves covering the ground. The protruding rocks are covered with moss, making them wet and slippery.

Various kinds of insects crawled around on the damp ground, and every now and then one or two "spicy strips" would slip past your feet.

The brightly colored hornbills in the treetops call out to each other, these birds, known locally as lovebirds, have only one mate for life.

Zhang Jin carefully searched forward while pondering where the missile base might be hidden.

If it rains, the bottom of this valley will surely flood.

Therefore, the missile launch site would not be at the bottom of the valley, but should be located on the hillsides on both sides.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jin immediately told Zhuang Yan and the others about his idea.

"Calling the monkey, please respond!" "I am the monkey, please speak!" Zhuang Yan's reply came through Zhang Jincheng's earpiece.

"You two leave the valley floor and search the hillsides on both sides as much as possible."

"understand!"

After giving orders to Zhuang Yan and the other man, Zhang Jin also began searching the hillside to the left.

As the terrain rises, the trees become much thinner and straighter, and the spacing between them becomes denser.

Zhang Jincheng vigilantly observed the changes in his surroundings while cautiously continuing his search forward.

Because the trees were very close together, some branches were intertwined, and Zhang Jin said he needed to clear away the branches in front of him to continue walking.

A thick branch blocked his way, and it was difficult to move it by hand. Zhang Jincheng bent down to go under the branch. As soon as he put his head under the branch covered with lush leaves, he suddenly felt his face touch a cool line. Zhang Jincheng's nerves tensed up instantly.

Zhang Jincheng's body suddenly froze on the spot, instinctively sensing the presence of danger.

He gently stepped back, his eyes fixed on the thin line his face had just touched. It turned out to be a thin metal wire hidden under the leaves.

Without hesitation, Zhang Jin said into the headset microphone, "Stop advancing!"

"What happened?" Zhuang Yan's voice came through the earpiece.

Before Zhang Jin could answer Zhuang Yan, he took off his genuine leather cut-resistant gloves, pinched the thin line between his thumb and forefinger, and gently slid it to one side. Sure enough, a tripwire mine was hidden in the dense foliage.

Moreover, there was a different type of grenade at each end of the metal wire. Zhang Jin said he knew that this was a very advanced grenade that could be detonated by scraping or cutting the metal wire.

Zhang Jin thought to himself, "That was close!"
If you had accidentally touched that line, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Zhang Jin squatted down and carefully observed the surroundings, and sure enough, he found mines hanging among the other trees.

These hanging lines are about one meter above the ground. Ordinary wild animals can safely pass underneath them, while people can just bump into them when they pass by. It is difficult to notice these thin lines unless you are very careful.

Judging from the minefield the enemy has laid, the missile launch site is not far away; it should be just ahead.

"Brother, what did you find?" Zhuang Yan asked again after waiting for a while without hearing Zhang Jincheng's reply.

"I've encountered an enemy minefield. Carefully observe the tree branches ahead; you'll find hidden trip mines between one and one and a half meters below the ground."

"Be very careful, you have to go underneath it, don't try to cut the metal wire, that will also detonate it," Zhang Jin said urgently into the microphone.

Zhuang Yan and Lei Jun were searching forward after crossing the stream, which is why they lagged behind Zhang Jincheng by a distance.

After hearing Zhang Jincheng's warning, the two cautiously searched forward for several dozen meters and indeed found metal wires and trip mines hidden among the leaves.

The minefield laid by the enemy was ten meters wide, and it took them half an hour to safely cross the dense minefield.

After confirming that there were no tripwires ahead, Zhuang Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That was close. If it weren't for my brother's timely reminder, we would definitely have been in trouble."

"Yes, that's why they say you're the champion of the special forces competition!" Lei Jun also expressed his immense admiration for Zhang Jin.

The two of them continued to grope their way forward through the woods for several dozen meters when Zhuang Yan suddenly hid behind a large tree and pointed to a high place ahead.

Lei Jun looked in the direction Zhuang Yan pointed and saw a simple guard post built on a big tree in front of him, with a makeshift ladder tied to the trunk.

On the wooden shed, there were two enemy soldiers, one on guard duty and the other looking around through binoculars.

Lei Jun immediately lowered his voice and said, "We've spotted a hidden sentry. It seems the missile base is nearby."

Zhuang Yan nodded and whispered, "Don't act rashly yet. Let's wait for our elder brother to arrive and join us."

The two held their breath and, using the dense foliage as cover, slowly retreated to a safe distance.

Zhuang Yan called out softly over the radio: "Calling the boss, enemy outpost spotted, coordinates marked."

Zhang Jin replied quickly: "Received. Stay put. I'll be there right away."

Before long, Zhang Jincheng quietly appeared beside the two.

He carefully observed in the direction Zhuang Yan pointed and found that the sentry post in the tree had an excellent field of vision, covering almost the entire hillside.

To make matters worse, a light machine gun was mounted next to the sentry, with enough firepower to block the passage below.

"It seems the enemy was prepared," Zhang Jincheng said in a low voice. "We need to find a way to get around them."

Lei Jun frowned: "But this area is full of minefields, and taking a detour is too risky."

Zhang Jincheng pondered for a moment and suddenly noticed several vines entwined on the tree trunk below the sentry post.

His eyes lit up, and he said softly, "I have a plan. Monkey, you go around to the right and make some noise to attract the sentry's attention. Steel Spike, you come with me to the left and climb up using the vines."

Zhuang Yan understood and quietly moved to the right.

A few minutes later, a rustling sound of tree branches swaying came from afar.

The sentry in the tree immediately became alert and raised his binoculars to look towards the source of the sound.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang Jincheng and Lei Jun quickly approached the tree trunk, grabbed the thick vines, and nimbly climbed upwards.

The three moved as nimbly as cats, quickly and stealthily passing through the guard post.

After passing the guard post, they discovered crucial information—the exact location of the missile base was just 500 meters ahead.

"Action!" Zhang Jincheng decisively gave the order.

The three disappeared into the dense forest like ghosts, stealthily making their way towards the missile launch site.

……

Three hours later, Zhang Jin said that the three of them emerged from hiding again.

Looking at Zhuang Yan and the other man, Zhang Jincheng laughed and said, "Hehehe, I didn't expect things to go so smoothly this time."

"Yes, we've also figured out the enemy's troop strength and firepower deployment here," Zhuang Yan said excitedly.

"Very good, let's organize all the intelligence here and report to headquarters immediately."

"Brother, do you think we should take action to eliminate this launch site, or wait for headquarters to send someone over?" Zhuang Yan asked.

"Our primary task at present is to find out the situation of Lang's armed flour trafficking group. Everything else depends on the orders from the command headquarters."

"Let's go back to the car first!" Zhang Jin said, then led the way back along the road.

Lei Jun walked behind and whispered to Zhuang Yan, "We should blow this up when they're off guard, so the Lang brothers won't use this thing to threaten us."

"How are you going to blow up that broken missile system hidden in that cave?"

"Besides, there's at least a company of guards outside this cave. How can the three of us handle it? We might alert them and cause more trouble for our future operations," Zhuang Yan retorted.

Zhang Jin turned to the two of them and said, "Don't discuss it anymore. The command will arrange the action. Let's hurry back, or A-Gui will get impatient."

The three proceeded cautiously along the route they had taken, being even more careful when crossing the minefield than on the way there.

Zhang Jin walked at the front, stopping from time to time to listen to the sounds around him.

The night breeze rustled through the treetops, masking their soft footsteps.

When they returned to the parking spot, A-Gui was leaning against the car door, keeping watch.

Seeing the three return safely, his tense expression visibly relaxed. "Did things go smoothly?" A-Gui asked in a low voice.

"Hehe, of course," Zhang Jin replied briefly, then gestured for everyone to get in the car first.

The SUV's engine hummed softly as it quickly drove away from the dangerous area.

Halfway there, Lei Jun found an excuse to say he would take A Gui ahead to scout out the way.

Ah Gui is a sensible man; he rarely pretends to be confused and does whatever I tell him to do without asking many questions.

Lei Jun got out of the car with A Gui, leaving only Zhang Jincheng and Zhuang Yan inside.

Zhang Jin said he was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, trying to rest, but his brain was working at a rapid pace.

He recalled every detail of the missile base: the distribution of guards, the location of firing positions, and the routes of the access passages.
"Boss, all the data is ready." Zhuang Yan's voice brought him back to reality.

Zhang Jin opened his eyes, took the computer, and carefully checked it. "Very good, send the report to the command center now."

After the message was sent, a brief silence fell over the car.

Zhang Jin said he was considering their next move. Zhuang Yan couldn't help but ask, "Boss, where do we go next?"

"Let them come back first, then we'll go straight to the mine in the north," Zhang Jincheng finally decided.

"Okay, I'll bring them back!"

Lei Jun and A Gui didn't actually go very far; they returned shortly afterward.

It was already late when A-Gui started the car and headed straight to the mine to conduct an on-site inspection of the transportation line from the mine to Mandalay.

(End of this chapter)