After a moment of contemplation, Chen Zheng suddenly spoke.

"safely."

"Um?"

"Once we arrive in Yunnan, we will have to completely switch identities."

"From the moment I put on my casual clothes, I became a Hong Kong businessman who came to the Golden Triangle to discuss business, and you are my assistant."

"All forms of address, including habits and ways of speaking, must be changed."

An Ran raised her head, her expression turning serious.

"clear."

"What should I call you then?"

Chen Zheng thought for a moment.

"Mr. Chen".

"He's a Hong Kong businessman, so calling him Mr. Chan is more natural."

An Ran silently repeated Chen Sheng's name twice in her mind, feeling something was off, but she didn't say anything.

Chen Zheng continued, "Your name also needs to be changed; we'll decide after the identity documents arrive."

"Remember, from the moment you cross the border, you are no longer safe."

An Ran nodded upon hearing this, then turned her gaze back to the map and drew a few more marks.

Outside the car window, the snow-capped mountains of the southwest region had disappeared from view.

Instead, hills gradually turned green.

The altitude is decreasing, and the temperature is increasing.

The two were heading towards a battlefield that was completely different from the one they had faced the previous two days.

It was full of drugs and firearms.

There are also people who will stab you in the back at any time.

……

A small town on the border between Myanmar and Longyan in the southwest.

The town is small, consisting of two main streets and a farmers' market.

The architectural styles on the street are chaotic. On the left are brick-and-mortar buildings from the 1980s, on the right are sheds made of corrugated iron, and in the middle is a storefront covered with "GG" stickers.

The air was filled with the smell of grilled meat skewers and the fumes of diesel exhaust.

There were many general stores on the street, along with some currency exchange stalls.

Vendors squatted by the roadside, some selling raw jade stones, others selling Burmese cigarettes.

Several shrewd-looking middle-aged men, holding Burmese kyat, approached people and asked if they wanted to exchange.

Occasionally, a modified pickup truck would drive by, its bed piled high with goods covered with tarpaulins.

People doing business at the border have an unspoken agreement: don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't look at what you shouldn't look at.

Chen Zheng and An Ran arrived in the small town at 2 p.m.

Their attire was completely different from when they were in the military region.

Chen Zheng wore a light blue polo shirt, paired with casual pants and leather shoes. His hair was combed back with hair gel, revealing his forehead.

He wore sunglasses on his collar, a Rolex on his left wrist, and a thermos in his right hand.

When Chen Zheng stood there, he did indeed have the air of an older Hong Kong businessman.

His gaze swept slowly around him, as if he were assessing whether the place was worth investing in.

An Ran walked half a step behind Chen Zheng.

She changed into a dark gray business suit, wore leather shoes, styled her short hair into a bun, and wore a pair of pearl earrings.

At this time, she was a shrewd female secretary.

After careful internal refinement along the way, Anran even made a special change to her walking posture.

She shrugged slightly, her steps small and light, ready to jot down her boss's instructions at any moment.

The holster on his waist was now hidden under the hem of his suit jacket; a hand could easily reach inside to touch the Glock's grip.

But it's completely invisible from the outside.

The two walked along the town's main street for ten minutes before turning into an alley.

At the end of the alley is a tin gate with a picture of the God of Wealth pasted on it.

A sign hangs by the door, with the words "Lao Wu Department Store" written in both Chinese and Burmese.

Chen Zheng stopped in front of the door and knocked three times.

Boom, boom, boom.

Suddenly, the sound of slippers stepping on the floor came from inside the door, getting closer and closer.

Soon, the metal door opened a crack from the inside, and a round face peeked out from the gap.

He was a middle-aged man in his fifties, not very tall, with a large belly.

The man was wearing a floral shirt, with only the bottom two buttons fastened, revealing his dark chest and panda-shaped pubic hair.

He had a gold chain around his neck, Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist, and an unlit cigarette between his fingers in his left hand.

My hair is a bit sparse, with a large bald patch in the middle, and the rest is combed to the sides.

The man's eyes darted around, first scrutinizing Chen Zheng, then looking at An Ran, before he asked, "What brings you two here?"

His voice was hoarse, with a strong Yunnan accent.

Chen Zheng took out his phone and showed the screen to him.

A string of numbers was displayed on the screen; this was the coded communication given by the higher-ups.

Old Wu stared at the string of numbers for three seconds, then the wariness in his eyes vanished instantly, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Oh, it was Brother Wang who introduced you."

"Come in quickly, it's hot outside, come in and have some tea."

Soon, the metal door opened, and Old Wu stepped aside to make way, still gesturing for people to come inside.

Chen Zheng stepped over the threshold and An Ran followed him inside.

Once inside, Chen Zheng discovered that the front shop displayed some daily necessities, while the back room was the proper place.

Passing through a beaded curtain, you enter a small reception room.

There was a rather old-fashioned mahogany sofa, a tea set on the coffee table, and several packets of betel nuts scattered around.

A hand-embroidered landscape painting hangs on the wall, with the inscription: "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things."

A floor-standing air conditioner sits in the corner, keeping the indoor temperature within an acceptable range.

Old Wu deftly poured tea for the two of them, then sat down opposite them.

He crossed his legs, lit the cigarette he hadn't lit yet, took a puff, and then said.

"To be honest, your superiors didn't give you any advance notice before sending these people down."

"This guy messed me up. I thought he wasn't going to use my line this time."

As he spoke, he poured tea for both of them.

Chen Zheng sat on the sofa, tapped the table to express his gratitude, and then said...

"The notification was given at the last minute; the timeframe is tight and the task is heavy."

"Oh dear, then we need to hurry even more."

Old Wu held the cigarette between his fingers, leaned forward, and whispered, "The area you're heading over to isn't very peaceful lately."

"What do you mean?"

Old Wu narrowed his eyes, and his tone became serious.

"There are three factions fighting each other there."

"The United Army in Wa State has clashed with local armed groups in Shan State."

"They're fighting for territory; it's been going on for almost two months."

"The Burmese army in the north is also stirring things up. They say they are maintaining order, but in reality they are taking advantage of the chaos and collecting protection money from both sides."

"Just a couple of days ago, a businessman who ran a shady business was kidnapped as he left the casino."

"The ransom is $500,000, and the person still hasn't been released."

Chen Zheng listened, his expression remaining largely unchanged.

Anran sat down beside her, holding a small notebook and quickly jotting down key points.

After explaining the local situation, Lao Wu took out two documents from the drawer and placed them on the coffee table.

"Here, your identities have been taken care of too."

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