Detective: From the Police Academy

Chapter 546 cleared!

The rain came quickly and went quickly; just a moment ago the sky was overcast, but now it's clear and sunny.

In the afternoon, when Luo Rui and his group stood at the entrance of the canyon, the weather had become hot, and apart from the mud on the ground, it was impossible to tell that it had been pouring rain just moments before.

"From the entrance, there is a small path, which is called the 'Bone Path' by the locals, meaning that too many people have died here, and their bodies were not buried but were eaten by wild animals in the vicinity."

Then we went over to a minefield mountain road, which we had to walk three kilometers. Next was the DKBA armed checkpoint, where we had to pay money per person.

When it comes to payment, it's usually in Myanmar Kyat or US dollars. US dollars are the most valuable, and those bastards in the DKBA are reluctant to accept RMB.

Finally, you reach the Cliff of Broken Souls. The path below is very narrow, and machine gun emplacements are permanently stationed on the cliff face.

Luo Rui and his group followed the hundreds of civilians forward, while Zha Shan quietly explained the situation to them in Chinese.

Upon hearing that money was to be paid, Fang Yonghui's face turned extremely ugly.

"No, I really don't understand. Everywhere we go, we have to pay money. These armed groups take it, and then other armed groups take it too. How are ordinary people supposed to live?"

Ang sighed: "It's all to make life unbearable for ordinary people. Either you join them, or you'll join another faction. If we could live a peaceful life, we wouldn't follow Boss Deng Sheng into this dangerous business."

Jiang Feng asked, "How many factions are there in this canyon?"

Zashan replied, "The main forces are DKBA and the BGF joint group."

Fang Yonghui frowned: "What is the BGF Joint Group? The forces in Myanmar are too complicated, I don't understand it."

Jiang Feng said, "Just think of it as the Keren Border Guard, it's the same lineage anyway."

"What do they mainly do?"

"Crack down on online fraud and human trafficking!"

"Huh?" Fang Yonghui looked incredulous.

Ang smiled and said, "You heard me right, that's what they do. Although they also engage in online fraud and smuggling, it doesn't stop them from cracking down on others who are also involved in online fraud and smuggling."

"This is fucking magical."

Jiang Feng continued, "After we get to Valais, our main concern will be the DKBA. These people control the Valais and Myawaddy regions. Whether it's drug trafficking, smuggling, or human trafficking, they're behind it all. Moreover, they also receive support from the Thai military. In short, they're a bunch of opportunistic bastards."

Taking advantage of the time, Fang Yonghui continued to ask, "I know that KNU is the largest anti-government armed force, but what exactly is DKBA?"

Luo Rui glared at him: "Didn't I give you a manual before we came? Didn't you read it?"

Fang Yonghui scratched the back of his head and said with a wry smile, "Brother Luo, it's not that I didn't look, it's just that I didn't look carefully. I slept for a while on the plane. Who knew that when I fell asleep, the plane landed. And as you know, we didn't have time to stop along the way. All along the way, I heard you talking about this force and that force. I was really a little confused."

Luo Rui looked at Zha Shan and nodded to him. The latter said, "Actually, DKBA translates to Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, and KNU stands for Karen National Union. They are the major armed forces in the Karen State region. They used to be together, but eventually, internal strife occurred, and DKBA split off."

KNU was founded in 1947 primarily to fight against British colonial rule. In 1994, DKBA split off from KNU.

The main reason was that the KNU leadership forcibly seized the bronze statues from the temple to cast bullet casings, and the Buddhist monks disagreed, so they led 5000 people to break away.

At that time, the leader of DKBA was named Utopia. He led the monks to return to secular life, and in 95, DKBA captured the KNU headquarters, also known as Manapuro, resulting in the deaths of 2000 people.

Since then, KNU and DKBA have been engaged in armed conflicts from time to time, mainly over the struggle for support, such as jade mines and teak mines.

Besides the conflict of interests, there is also the difference in beliefs. Most of the KNU members are followers of Western religious sects, which is why the DKBA is also called the Buddhist Army. The aforementioned incident that caused the deaths of two thousand people is also related to this issue of belief.

Ironically, these people are just as wicked and profit-driven, even worse than KNU.

Anyway, we're currently within DKBA's sphere of influence. KNU is tied down by government forces and can't possibly advance here.

Fang Yonghui asked, "So, our biggest enemy right now is DKBA?"

Before Zha Shan could reply, Jiang Feng laughed and said, "What? You want to eradicate DKBA completely?"

Fang Yonghui shrugged: "If it weren't for the border issue, we could easily wipe it out by sending a squad of soldiers from our country."

"Let's go, stop bragging," Luo Rui called out.

At this moment, directly in front of them was a sentry post called 'Three Buddha Pagoda'.

Compared to NH85 highway, the security here is noticeably more relaxed and less tense, but these militants are lounging around while screening civilians.

If you encounter any suspicious individuals, arrest them on the spot.

What does "suspicious" mean? If you look rich, then you're suspicious.

The civilians lined up slowly, and every now and then an armed man standing to the side would pick one of them out and search them.

A short while later, the militants found a bag of drugs on the man.

"Take him away!" an officer ordered his subordinates.

“This isn’t mine, I don’t have it…” the bearded commoner shouted.

But the militants wouldn't listen and were taken directly into a small hut next door.

Zha Shan whispered to Luo Rui, "This is a three-out-of-one selection. In a group of three, one person is randomly selected to undergo a liver biopsy. If the result is positive, the kidney will be removed immediately."

Luo Rui nodded and followed the people in front of him slowly.

Zha Shan continued, "They don't just randomly draw tickets; they usually draw tickets from people who can't afford the toll."

"Ah."

Luo Rui had barely finished speaking when, "Bang!"

A sharp gunshot rang out from inside the wooden house.

But the ordinary people in line seemed unfazed and showed no reaction whatsoever.

Zha Shan said, "If your kidneys are not up to standard, you will be killed."

Next, two more people were selected from the line ahead. One of them was taken into the cabin for inspection and then locked in a pickup truck, seemingly waiting to be taken away together. As for his fate, that remains to be seen.

When the DKBA militants searched the other man, they saw a cross tattooed on his lower back.

Without hesitation, the officer pointed his gun at his forehead.

"boom!"

The bullet pierced his temple, blood spurted out, and his body fell straight onto the gravel road.

This scene reminded Luo Rui of that famous news photograph called 'Saigon Execution'.

A South Vietnamese officer, expressionless, drew his revolver and shot a man dressed in civilian clothes at close range.

The photo captures the precise second after the officer pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing his skull, and the man's face contorting in immense pain.

This happened in 1968, yet it bears a striking resemblance to this very moment.

Luo Rui let out a slight breath and followed the civilians through the checkpoint.

As they approached, a man holding a child and leading his wife took out a bag of drugs and handed it to the officer collecting the money.

This bag contains a good amount of money, more than enough to cover the toll fees.

However, the guy who was found with drugs earlier has already been shot dead... Just as Luo Rui was thinking this, the officer in front of him grinned, opened the bag, and had his men check it. After confirming that there was no adulteration, he let the family of three pass through.

Immediately, Luo Rui was dumbfounded. This was fucking...

When it was their turn, Zha Shang stood at the front and took out the head fee for five people.

The officer immediately recognized that three of the five people were Chinese.

"NO!"

He was holding money in his hand, shaking his index finger to indicate that he didn't have enough.

Zha Shan gritted his teeth, took out some money from his pocket, and handed it to him. This was all the cash they had on them.

The officer snatched it away, held it in his hand, and raised an eyebrow.

The total is over three thousand US dollars!

Zha Shan thought they would let them pass, but he was wrong.

After taking the money, the officer immediately summoned his superior, the same officer who had just executed the civilian. After a brief whispered conversation, the officer stepped forward.

He glared fiercely at Luo Rui, Jiang Feng, and Fang Yonghui.

"What are you going to Valais for?" he asked in broken Chinese.

Luo Rui was very tall, a head taller than him, and looked down at him as he replied, "We are from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and we're going to the Valais Timber Factory."

Upon hearing this, the officer raised an eyebrow and said to his subordinate, "Call and confirm with Boss He."

"Okay." The subordinate walked to the cabin.

Luo Rui and his group waited at the checkpoint. After a moment, the man came out and nodded: "Boss He Dong said that there are a few people like that."

The officer waved his hand: "Let them through."

Luo Rui nodded and smiled at the other person, but he memorized his face.

Beyond the Sanfosi Tower outpost lies DKBA's main outpost, where even more militants are stationed.

When they passed through, the officer handed Zha Shan a pass, and with the guarantee from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Luo Rui and his group passed through the next few checkpoints without any hindrance and arrived at the outskirts of Valais town.

As soon as they reached the edge of the town, Luo Rui and his group smelled a pungent odor. Looking up, they saw thick smoke billowing over all parts of the town.

Zha Shan said, "When Boss Deng Sheng brought us here before, he didn't stop here. The thick smoke was either from a drug factory or smoke from burning corpses."

Luo Rui immediately tore off his sleeve and covered his mouth and nose.

Jiang Feng and Fang Yonghui did the same to avoid inhaling toxic substances that could cause hallucinations.

On the outskirts of the town, a few young men were loitering around the canyon entrance, keeping a watchful eye on Luo Rui and his group of Chinese men from a distance.

Zhashan urged, "We need to find a car and leave quickly. It's still 80 kilometers to Miaowadi and 30 kilometers to Mr. He Dong's timber factory."

Jiang Feng frowned slightly as he looked at the group of locals wearing short sleeves: "Where are we going to find a car?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of young people immediately surrounded him.

They were not carrying any weapons, and although Luo Rui and the others were vigilant, they did not make any obvious defensive postures.

Five young men stepped forward, took something out of a bag, handed it to Zhashan, and said something in Burmese.

Luo Rui noticed that the kid was holding a carved human bone, specifically a lower leg.

Zhashan answered him loudly and gestured with his hands to drive the group away.

But these young people were not willing to give up, and after taking a few steps, they would turn back to look again.

Zhashan said, "He said it was his sister's shinbone and he sold it to us for two dollars."

"Are you crazy?!" Fang Yonghui was terrified.

Zhashan said, "Everyone knows that Myawaddy is very dangerous, but Valais is even more like a living hell. There are many illegal clinics here that harvest organs. That kid's sister died because of this; she was sold by his parents. Besides, Valais is also the largest blood donation center, and DKBA's military factories are also located here."

To put it bluntly, when these people see us, they see us as the kind of walking corn cobs they often talk about. Picking corn is like picking organs; Valais is a human-shaped recycling machine.

The most valuable thing here is people, not people.

Local residents who accumulate debts, once they reach a certain amount, are automatically added to the organ trafficking list; their blood types are controlled by the DKBA.

"Alright, alright, stop talking." Fang Yonghui waved his hand. "Let's hurry up and figure out a way to get out of this godforsaken place."

Zha Shan nodded, and he and Ang discussed whether they could find a car in the town center.

Luo Rui, Jiang Feng, and Fang Yonghui are all Chinese, and it would be too dangerous for them to go to the town center.

But then, a black Toyota drove up from the road on the outskirts of the town, driven by two men in green military uniforms.

The driver's side window was open, and there was a row of bullet holes in the door.

The two people in the car were smoking, and the person driving on the right had one hand resting on the car window.

The two sides were only fifty meters apart. Luo Rui looked at them, narrowed his eyes slightly, and then raised his eyebrows at Jiang Feng and Fang Yonghui.

The two understood immediately.

Fang Yonghui stepped aside, blocking Luo Rui and Jiang Feng. The two of them immediately squatted down and picked up a pebble from the ground.

Zha Shan instantly understood what they were going to do.

A moment later, the Honda drove up.

The car stopped at the foot of Zhashan Mountain, and the driver was talking to him in a very unpleasant tone.

Zha Shan tried desperately to explain, but this angered the man, who opened the car door and tried to get out.

Just then, Fang Yonghui and Jiang Feng walked around the back of the car.

They thought the other person would notice, but the person in the passenger seat completely ignored them, focusing only on his companion.

The two waited for Luo Rui to give the signal. When they looked up, they saw that Luo Rui, without saying a word, took out a pebble from behind his back and threw it directly at the man who was about to draw his gun.

The pebbles were hard, and Luo Rui smashed them twice on the other person's head, causing blood to gush out immediately.

The gun in his hand was quickly disarmed by Luo Rui.

At this moment, Jiang Feng and Fang Yonghui finally realized what was happening and prepared to take the person in the passenger seat hostage.

"Bang, bang!"

Two piercing gunshots rang in their ears, and the man in the passenger seat fell into a pool of blood, his long gun hanging limply in his hand.

Jiang Feng looked up and saw Luo Rui raising his gun, his face cold, and tilting the gun at him: "Drag the body down, let's get out of here quickly."

(End of this chapter)