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

Chapter 734 The Mastermind!

Kang Laoda was almost killed, and he wasn't as calm as he appeared. Now that he wasn't on his own turf, he was actually quite panicked inside.

Zhang Jin said he had taken over all of Kang's security duties. Seeing that Kang agreed to leave immediately, he turned to Kang's adjutant and said, "Have someone bring all the SUVs over immediately. Leave the Mercedes at the office for now, don't drive it."

Everyone understood Zhang Jincheng's meaning: riding in a Mercedes-Benz would be too conspicuous and could make one a target of attack if ambushed.

Zhang Jin then said to Wang Tao and Zhuang Yan, "Taozi, you're in charge of driving. Zhuang Yan, you're in charge of protecting Boss Kang from the moment you step out of his sight. You two get in the last car, understand?"

The two nodded upon hearing this. At this moment, three "Warrior" SUVs stopped in front of the villa. Zhang Jin then said to A Gui, "Brother A Gui, come with me to the first car."

At this moment, the adjutant returned to the living room, and Zhang Jincheng said to him again: "Take two people to the second car, and the rest of you go out and get into these three cars separately."

If we detect any car following us, our three cars will switch routes from time to time. Does everyone understand?

"Understood!" the people in the living room answered in unison, and at this moment everyone consciously followed Zhang Jincheng's arrangements.

Zhang Jin then said to the people at the office, "Do you have any umbrellas? Bring them all over."

The rainy season in the "Kim Jong-il area" is very heavy, so umbrellas are a must-have. Soon, seven or eight umbrellas were brought over.

Zhang Jin then said to everyone, "Now turn off all the lights. After Agui and I go out, Monkey and Taozi will cover Kang Laoda and follow behind."

After stepping out of the living room, everyone opened their umbrellas to cover their upper bodies; now they began their work.

Zhang Jin said he did this because he was worried about hidden snipers nearby. He used an umbrella to cover his body, making it difficult for snipers to identify him even with an infrared scope.

Kang took a deep breath, tightened the collar of his suit jacket, and a hint of tension flashed in his eyes.

Zhang Jincheng keenly sensed his emotions and said in a low voice, "Brother Kang, don't worry, we're here for you."

The lights in the villa went out instantly, leaving the living room in complete darkness.

At this moment, Zhang Jincheng and Agui were the first to push open the door, and a black umbrella was quickly opened, obscuring their figures.

Zhuang Yan and Wang Tao stood on either side of Boss Kang, with three umbrellas open at the same time, completely obscuring Boss Kang's figure.

The adjutant followed closely behind them, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, his fingers always resting on the gun handle at his waist.

Three Warrior SUVs were parked quietly not far from the villa entrance, their engines humming softly.

Zhang Jin quickly opened the door of the first car, and A Gui nimbly slipped inside.

At the same time, Zhuang Yan and Wang Tao covered Kang Laoda as he quickly walked to the last car. Zhuang Yan then quickly opened the back door and made sure Kang Laoda got in safely before slipping inside himself.

The adjutant and two of his men got into the second car, while the rest of the men sat in the back of the three cars.

Zhang Jin gave a low command through his earpiece: "Attention everyone, maintain distance after departure and be ready to change formation at any time."

After getting on the bus, Zhang Jin began to survey the surroundings. After observing for a while and finding nothing unusual, he said to the driver, "We can drive now!" only after everyone had boarded the bus.

And so, led by Zhang Jincheng's lead car, the convoy slowly drove out of the villa area.

In the darkness, three identical SUVs moved like ghosts through the suburban streets of Mandalay.

Because it was the early hours of the morning and the streets were deserted, the three vehicles quickly sped away from Mandalay.

They sped along, and by daybreak they were already hundreds of kilometers away from Mandalay.

Zhang Jin said he felt there was no danger, so he told everyone to rest in a small town by the highway.

The convoy stopped in front of an inconspicuous teahouse on the edge of town.

Zhang Jin got off the bus first, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Only after confirming it was safe did he signal the others to get off.

The teahouse owner was an elderly Kokang man with a wrinkled face. He didn't ask many questions when he saw the group of strangers, but simply served them hot tea and simple breakfast.

Kang Laoda sat in the corner, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of his teacup.

Zhang Jincheng walked over and whispered, "Brother Kang, we've shaken off any potential pursuers. Now we can return to Mengla with peace of mind." Boss Kang nodded, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes.

"Now that we're safe, let's all eat and drink our fill before we hit the road. You fucking messed with us all night..." Boss Kang gritted his teeth in hatred for the attackers.

“Okay!” Zhang Jincheng nodded. He called over Kang Laoda’s adjutant and said to him, “Go and arrange some food for the brothers. Don’t be picky, just make sure they have enough to eat. We need to hurry on our way.”

The adjutant accepted the order and left, returning shortly with several large bags of steaming hot rice balls and tea.

Everyone wolfed down their food, while Zhuang Yan ate his rice ball while cautiously observing the movements on the street.

Wang Tao squatted down beside the car, quickly checking the tires and fuel tank to ensure the rest of the journey would proceed without any problems.

After a short rest, the group resumed their journey.

Without stopping, we finally returned to Mengla.

Back in Mengla territory, Kang Laoda's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

The convoy drove into Kang Laoda's temporary residence on the outskirts of the city. The heavy iron gate closed slowly behind them with a dull thud.

Dozens of fully armed guards were already lined up in the courtyard, waiting.

Upon seeing the convoy arrive, the head of the guards quickly stepped forward and respectfully opened the car door: "Boss, you're back."

Kang Laoda got out of the car with a gloomy face, his eyes sweeping over everyone: "Everyone, be on your guard, things haven't been peaceful lately." He turned to Zhang Jincheng and said, "Brother, take some men and check the security of the entire manor again, especially the walls and blind spots of the surveillance cameras."

Zhang Jin nodded in agreement and instructed A Gui and Wang Tao to begin patrolling and increasing the number of patrols. The entire manor immediately became busy.

Once home, Boss Kang finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to analyze who had attacked them.

Most people speculate that it was done by the government military.

Kang Laoda and Zhang Jincheng disagreed with this view. Zhang Jincheng believed that it was really the government army that did it, and that they had no chance of escaping Mandalay.

However, it cannot be ruled out that someone within the government army leaked the news of Kang Laoda's arrival in Mandalay, inciting those who hate him to launch an attack.

Kang Kang agreed with Zhang Jincheng's statement. He said thoughtfully, "The one who is least willing to let us unite with the government army is naturally Boss Lang. In order to maintain his position in the old city, he will definitely pay a lot of price to buy off people in the government army."

I suspect that someone bribed by Boss Lang leaked the information to him, and then he sent men to Mandalay to attack us.

Kang Laoda's words reminded Zhang Jincheng of the story Balai had told about Michael's fifth concubine.

If someone within the government military tipped off Boss Lang, many things would become very difficult to handle later. They had already suffered losses from this issue in the early stages, and he felt that the complexity involved was beyond his imagination.

Zhang Jin said after considering it for a while, then said to Boss Kang, "If this matter really happened within the government and military, we are powerless and unable to investigate it."

All we can do is be more careful in the future.

Furthermore, our action plan must be divided into two parts. We can only submit the combined content of both sides to the government military; we cannot submit the parts detailing our individual actions to them, to prevent leaks of operational information.

“That’s right, I have another concern: the government army might send troops but not actually do anything. They might just be making empty threats and then not actually deliver,” Kang said with deep worry.

"That's a possibility. However, as long as the government's army is willing to send troops, it will definitely tie down a portion of Lang Laoda's forces, which would be a great help to us. To be honest, we still have to rely on ourselves to recapture the old city," Zhang Jin said confidently.

Zhang Jincheng's words greatly encouraged Boss Kang and everyone present, because Zhang Jincheng's words not only represented himself, but also represented an even stronger force behind him.

After listening to Zhang Jincheng's analysis, Kang Laoda's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a deep voice, "What you say makes sense, my brother. However, we can't be completely passive; we need to find a way to understand the situation inside the government's army."

Kang put down his teacup, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. Suddenly, his eyes lit up: "I have an old friend who works in the General Staff Department of the government army. Although his position is not high, he should be able to find out some information."

Zhang Jin immediately agreed, saying, "It would be best to arrange for someone to contact this person. However, we must be careful and use an intermediary to pass on the message, so as not to alert the enemy."

“What my brother says makes sense.”

The next day, the government sent people to Mengla to visit Mengla's elder brother, express their condolences, and apologize.

The representative of the ZF army was a lean, middle-aged officer who took the initiative to salute as a sign of respect when he entered.

Kang Laoda calmly sized up the newcomer, noticing the staff insignia on his shoulder insignia.

“Mr. Kang, we deeply regret this incident.” The middle-aged officer handed over a document stamped with a red seal. “This is an investigation report issued by the General Staff, proving that the attackers were not our personnel. However…”

He hesitated, glancing around, when Old Master Kang waved his men away knowingly.

Once the three of them were alone in the room, the officer lowered his voice and said, "After re-investigating the scene, we believe this was definitely done by Boss Lang's men..."

As soon as the middle-aged officer finished speaking, Kang Laoda and Zhang Jincheng exchanged a meaningful glance.

Zhang Jin calmly refilled the officer's teacup and asked softly, "Sir, do you have any solid evidence?"

"Not yet!" the middle-aged officer shook his head and said, "However, rest assured, we will definitely give Boss Kang an explanation."

"Alright, we believe in the government's sincerity. Now let's talk about cooperation!" Boss Kang was fairly satisfied with the officer's attitude and changed the subject.

Since the joint agreement between the two parties had not yet been formally signed, Kang suggested that the signing location should be changed to "over there," and the government military representative eventually agreed.

After seeing off the government's military representative, Boss Kang immediately convened a meeting of core members.

Under the large banyan tree in the courtyard, everyone sat around a stone table, the sound of cicadas rising and falling.

Sipping tea and eating fruit and pastries, everyone discussed their future plans.

With the combined forces of the government army and Kang Lao's army, the plan to recapture the old city will soon begin.

Kang Laoda stood up and scanned the crowd with sharp eyes: "This operation is no small matter, we must be fully prepared."

Brother Zhang, you're in charge of contacting the support forces 'over there' to ensure weapons and supplies arrive on time.

Zhang Jin nodded in agreement and added, "I have already arranged for people to scout around the old city. Boss Lang's deployment will be reported in detail in the next couple of days. Also, we need to be wary of any traps he might set."

Zhuang Yan interjected, "Boss, I suggest we send a few unfamiliar faces into the old city before we take action, to find out their troop movements and the distribution of sentries."

"Good idea!" Boss Kang patted Zhuang Yan on the shoulder approvingly. "I'll leave this to you. Remember, safety first."

Just as Boss Kang had guessed, the attack on them was orchestrated by Boss Lang.

Lang Laoda's strength currently ranks second in the "Jin San region". Apart from the Khun Sa tribe, which occupies the southern region, no one can surpass him.

Khun Sa controls the southern region, which in effect means he controls the route for exporting flour from the "Kim Jong-il region." Therefore, he will not come to the north to compete with Rang for territory. Thus, the biggest threat to Rang is actually the government army that controls the west bank of the Sawen River.

In order to eliminate the threat from the government army, Boss Lang spent a lot of money to bribe some leaders in the government army.

The news that the government army was going to join forces with Kang Laoda's troops to attack Lang Laoda was leaked by someone among them.

The person who leaked the information clearly told Boss Lang that this time the government army was under pressure from "the other side" and had to send troops to assist Boss Kang in recapturing the old city.

Because the "flour" in the old city caused great harm to "the other side," and Kang Laoda advocated banning "flour," he received praise and support from "the other side."

Upon learning this news, Boss Lang immediately summoned his trusted confidants to discuss countermeasures.

In the dimly lit, secret room, the smoke from cigars swirled, reflecting the ever-changing expressions on everyone's faces.

"Boss, why don't we strike first and take down Boss Kang's lair before they're ready!" A burly man with a face full of scars slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

Boss Lang slowly shook his head, his fingers lightly tapping the table. "No, taking action now would only give the government army a reason to send troops." He narrowed his eyes and sneered, "I have a better idea, one that can kill two birds with one stone."

To be honest, this guy is really scared now. He knows that angering "the other side" will only lead to his death.

Lang Laoda should have realized that "flour" brought him countless riches, but also destruction, which led to his third brother being executed by "the other side".

But Boss Lang was unwilling to accept his fate. He still had five or six thousand men under his command and would never surrender easily.

His first thought was to take advantage of the opportunity of Kang Laoda's negotiations with the government army to kill him. As long as Kang Laoda was gone, no one would be competing with him for the old city.

Boss Lang stubbed out his cigar, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Pass down the order, have the 'Shadow' team move out immediately. Remember, do it cleanly and efficiently, preferably frame the government army, let them fight amongst themselves, that would be even better."

His trusted subordinate immediately flattered him, saying, "Boss, you are brilliant!"

Mandalay is the location of the government army headquarters, and troops are stationed both inside and outside the city.

Since Boss Lang's men dared not openly wage war in the city, he dispatched his most elite 'Shadow' ten-man squad to carry out the mission.

The team was led by Boss Lang's adjutant, and they secretly infiltrated Mandalay in two cars.

In Boss Lang's view, it was a sure thing that these ten elites could eliminate Boss Kang in a surprise attack.

But he never dreamed that three brave special forces soldiers would be following Kang Laoda.

Zhang Jin said they were truly his nemesis, making Boss Lang taste the bitter fruit of defeat time and time again.

Boss Lang's actions unexpectedly helped Liu Xiaotao, as he focused all his attention and energy on this matter and neglected everything else.

It is said that before leaving, Zhang Jin asked Liu Xiaotao to help him fulfill his promise to Boss Kang.

Actually, even if this matter wasn't completed within ten days, Boss Kang wouldn't say anything, because it was he who called Zhang Jincheng away.

But a soldier's word is law, and he won't forgive himself if he doesn't keep it.

The day after Zhang Jincheng left, Liu Xiaotao took Ye Peng, Lu Da, and Yan Kan to the old town.

Liu Xiaotao thought to himself that after Zhuang Yan and his group's antics two days ago, Boss Lang would never have expected them to come back to the old town.

As expected, the situation after entering the old city was similar to what Liu Xiaotao had predicted.

The city has returned to its former tranquility, and most of the patrolling soldiers have withdrawn. Only the entrances of most entertainment venues still have soldiers on guard, and the streets are filled with elderly people and their customers.

(End of this chapter)