Chapter 1233: Driving the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf

"Fuck your mother, I see you're just itching for Daban to die."

At the Daban lair, Xigou kicked Shen Xing flying to the side with one blow.

In pain, Shen Xing curled up on the ground. He opened his mouth to explain: "I'm truly wronged."

"Xigou!" Dantu shouted, walked over, and gave Xigou a kick to the backside—neither too light nor too heavy—before moving to help Shen Xing up.

"Let me lie here for a moment to catch my breath. He really went for the kill; he actually wanted to kick me to death." Shen Xing cursed and waved his hand, looking at the person in charge who sat there in silence. "Guess Uncle, you know me; I absolutely had no other intentions. That's exactly what Brother Yan said; I didn't miss a single word."

After a pause, he continued, "I feel Brother Yan went a bit too far. At the time, I wanted to smooth things over, but he said, 'This is Sanbianpo; having big fists is the truth.' Guess Uncle, was that a friendly reminder, or was he threatening him? Then he just let me come back."

"Guess Uncle, he's bullying us too much. Let's fight him to the death," Xigou clamored.

"Use your dog brain and think about it properly. They have an army of thousands. What are you going to fight with? One kick each and they'd trample us into mud."

Guess Uncle sighed with exhaustion, scanned his subordinates who all wore different expressions, pondered for a long while, and then said:

"Dantu, you and A-Xing come with me to Xiaomolong."

Having said that, he stood up and left first.

Dantu went over to help Shen Xing up, and the two of them hurried to keep up.

Before long, an off-road vehicle drove out of Daban, heading straight for Xiaomolong...

At this moment, Wang Yan was having lunch with the sisters Su Su and Zhao Ziying, along with Zhou Ya. The four of them were eating together.

Zhao Ziying was using her chopsticks vigorously to pick up food, tapping her bowl, always needing to make some noise. Su Su didn't show much, just eating silently.

Wang Yan acted as if he didn't see it, asking Zhou Ya about various situations at the construction site.

The current situation was that although Zhou Ya was in charge of finance for the construction company, she had gradually transitioned into a leadership position, beginning to coordinate construction-related affairs.

And as of now, the construction site was indeed a very important link. Because it absorbed many unstable factors and also provided many employment opportunities.

There were truly many construction sites in Xiaomolong. Labor costs were low, building materials were cheap, and land cost nothing. Especially after Wang Yan took control of Xiaomolong, he launched even more projects. From small ones like road repairs to large ones like building schools and expanding hospitals.

This money all came out of Wang Yan's own pocket; he truly had dedicated everything to the cause of Xiaomolong.

Up to now, his main revenue came from two businesses: one was smuggling, and the other was tourism-related services, ranging from hotels to scenic spots and various shopping services.

These incomes of his were actually just a drop in the bucket for Xiaomolong. But at least he was doing it, and at least he was perfecting it.

At the same time, he also developed commercial real estate projects; when the time came to sell houses, he could also earn back a lot. He had completely turned the Xiaomolong government into a corporation, but then again, the Xiaomolong government was never quite right to begin with.

In fact, the Xiaomolong government did have some money, all scraped together from exorbitant taxes and levies. It was just that this money never reached the people's livelihood, but instead fell into the hands of officials on both the military and political sides of Xiaomolong. They skimmed off the top at every level, and that's how they had lived for so many years.

Wang Yan changed the rules and established a corresponding supervisory system, while simultaneously raising the treatment of grassroots staff. From now on, there would finally be money that could be invested in the people's livelihood.

Of course, livelihood construction was relatively slow; after all, Wang Yan still had to support the government army, and this expenditure was not a small sum.

However, for Xiaomolong, as long as anything was invested in the field of people's livelihood, it was a massive change...

Just at this moment, the phone placed on the table rang. After Wang Yan answered and spoke a few words, a knock on the door sounded shortly after.

Zhou Ya very consciously went over to open the door, nodded at the few people who entered from the doorway, and returned to her seat to continue eating.

"Wang Laoban, Vasali."

Guess Uncle walked in with a smile and said, "It seems I've come at a bad time, affecting Wang Laoban's enjoyment of lunch."

Wang Yan didn't move, continuing to hold his bowl and eat, saying with a smile, "Guess Uncle must have no heart for lunch, so I won't offer you any. But that you can still smile, I am a bit surprised."

"China has a saying: 'Mount Tai collapses before one's eyes without a change in expression.' Although I cannot achieve that, I have always been learning. Things have reached this point, and I have no choice but to accept it."

"Sit, Guess Uncle. Let me hear how you intend to accept it."

Guess Uncle said thanks, ignored the three women who were sizing him up, and said to Wang Yan, "Mr. Wang, I still want to ask one thing: can this matter really only end like this?"

"I want to ban drugs; this is certain. Sang Kang and Ban Long haven't finished fighting yet. Currently, Luo Yang is the biggest drug lord closest to Xiaomolong, and he is also the biggest threat to the safety of Xiaomolong and its surroundings. Confronting him is inevitable. If I don't hit him, he will send people to Xiaomolong to cause destruction.

You know I put a lot of effort into tourism and invested a lot of money. What is the most important thing for tourism? It is stability. I ban drugs, he doesn't make money, he destroys Xiaomolong, I don't make money. Or does Guess Uncle have any other good ideas?"

Guess Uncle shook his head and said, "Mr. Wang, maintaining the status quo is the best way."

His tone was sincere, with a feeling of earnest advice.

"Luo Yang has over 30,000 people under him, with guns and cannons. Mr. Wang, I know you have a strong army now and don't fear Luo Yang's scattered soldiers. But you might not be clear that before they fight here, the first thing they do is take heroin. They can't feel pain, they aren't afraid of death, they only know how to hold their guns and charge forward. If a real fight breaks out, the outcome is hard to predict, Mr. Wang."

"I'm not clear about Xiaomolong, but I know history. Guess Uncle, during World War II, everyone took shots, no one was afraid of death, but in the end, there was still a result. Do you know what the result was? It was the Allies winning, it was my country establishing a New China! A farmer planting crops in the mountains, how big of a splash can he make?"

Guess Uncle was speechless, remaining silent for a while before saying, "Mr. Wang, I've said everything I should say. Since you've already made up your mind, I won't say any more. Luo Yang..."

He began to talk about the detailed situation of Luo Yang, from location to personnel, to troop strength, firepower, and stationed positions, etc. It could be seen that he had studied it for quite a long time.

In general, Luo Yang was just so-so. He did have over 30,000 people under him, but that didn't mean he had over 30,000 trained soldiers. A portion of them were farmers, and another portion were family members—women and children. The males over thirteen who could hold a gun and fight were only about 20,000.

Among these 20,000-plus people, those who could barely be used were estimated to be less than 20,000. And if broken down further, those with professional military training and a certain level of competence were only a few thousand. These few thousand had to be broken down by training duration and mastered military skills; those truly usable were estimated to be only the thousand or so in Luo Yang's guard.

The consumption of supporting an army was simply too great; even if Luo Yang was a big drug lord, he couldn't sustain it. He had many places to spend money, not to mention he was a player on the decline.

Of course, now was the war of thermal weapons.

A three-year-old child holding a gun could also kill, not to mention a bunch of players over thirteen who were also on drugs.

In terms of troop strength, the Xiaomolong government army did not have the advantage.

In terms of overall combat effectiveness, the other side was on drugs and not afraid of death. Even if the government army here had professional training, it had only been for a short time, not much stronger than the other side, not to mention the other side had more troops.

But in reality, wars aren't fought like that.

There is a considerable gap between paper strength and actual combat deployment, and the actual operation implemented down to the grassroots combat units.

It is no exaggeration to say that the war here, for Wang Yan, was basically equivalent to children playing house...

But Guess Uncle didn't know that. After he finished muttering, he couldn't help but advise one more time: "Mr. Wang, forgive me for being blunt, but your odds of winning are really not high. Planning slowly is the best policy."

"Guess Uncle, you only know success or failure after the battle is fought." Wang Yan laughed. "You have a detailed map, right?"

"I do. I drew it myself. I'll have A-Xing send it to you in a moment."

"Then Guess Uncle, what do you want?"

"Mr. Wang, I really don't dare to want anything. Once the fighting starts, if Mr. Wang's military campaign doesn't go smoothly, my end won't be very good. Better to wait until the fighting is over before talking."

Wang Yan didn't mind Guess Uncle's many discouraging words; the man was also speaking the truth.

He looked at Guess Uncle and said with a smile, "Guess Uncle, you wouldn't turn around and sell me out to Luo Yang, would you?"

"Then I'm afraid I wouldn't live for many days. Mr. Wang, I value integrity the most. Besides, I provided you with Luo Yang's intelligence; could he forgive me?"

"I hope you truly understand. I won't see you out." Wang Yan waved his hand.

Guess Uncle stood up, bowed slightly to Wang Yan to show respect, and then left with Dantu and Shen Xing, who had been standing to the side the whole time without saying a word...

"Are we really fighting?"

Watching everyone leave, Su Su couldn't hold it in anymore. She opened her big eyes, "Big Brother, that is a big drug lord who kills without blinking and has done every evil thing."

Wang Yan asked strangely, "Do I blink when I kill?"

Su Su was speechless: "Didn't you hear what Guess Uncle said just now? They have over 30,000 people, over 20,000 soldiers! We only have 6,000 government troops; we can't win."

Before Wang Yan could speak, Zhao Ziying said faintly, "Su Su, you weren't afraid of death before!"

"Before, I lived one day at a time. Now that life is good, who wants to die?"

Su Su was exhausted. One was a congenital lunatic, one was a drug-addled neurotic, and there was another one who didn't speak but was clearly an indifferent gambler. There wasn't a single normal person in this room.

"Wanting to live is a good thing; life will definitely get better and better." Wang Yan laughed loudly. "How do you know we will definitely lose? This battle must be fought. It's not only to let others see our attitude and show our strength, but it's also a tempering for the troops."

"I'm just expressing an opinion; you wouldn't actually listen to me, would you?" Su Su sighed long.

"Don't worry about things that haven't happened. Even if we really lose, the three of you will still live a carefree life for the rest of your days. I will die for a worthy cause; no need to pity me. Eat, eat, we have to make preparations in the afternoon."

After lunch, Wang Yan went to the government army headquarters.

This was on the outskirts of Xiaomolong, a building complex consisting of several three-to-four-story and two-to-three-story buildings. There were training grounds, facilities, and barracks. One thousand people were stationed here, responsible for defending Xiaomolong.

The other 5,000 people were scattered in important military locations around Xiaomolong, guarding against other regions. As for the area adjacent to China on the northeast side, apart from one company patrolling along the line and one squad stationed at the port to maintain order, there were no other forces.

And these arrangements were almost the same as having nothing. The main patrolling and striking was against those who smuggled privately, not against China; there was absolutely no need to guard against it. After all, whether guarded or not, they couldn't win, so it was better not to guard.

Not to mention Wang Yan was here; he guarded even less. Whatever happens, happens...

Upon arriving, Wang Yan directly arranged the deployment, allocated all logistics supplies, divided the first batch of participating troops, and simultaneously did a good job of maintaining public order in Xiaomolong.

Public order in Xiaomolong was the top priority.

He couldn't let the war reach Xiaomolong's territory, couldn't let Xiaomolong be filled with panic, affect the pillar tourism industry, or delay the progress of various construction projects.

Of course, fighting a war is about logistics, consuming money and materials; this is something that can't be helped. It is inevitable that in some aspects, due to funding issues, it will cause some trouble. But overall, it will definitely still be stable.

If he couldn't hold on, Wang Yan might have a chat with Chen Hao; he believed Chen Hao would understand his painstaking efforts...

Shen Xing came very quickly. After he returned to Daban with Guess Uncle, he didn't stop at all, took the map Guess Uncle had drawn, and drove straight to Xiaomolong.

Before, he didn't feel anything; hearing about fighting a war, he was bewildered. He had seen gunfights, but he had never seen a war, and he had no military background, so he didn't know what it meant. Even, he was still a bit relaxed because he felt it had nothing to do with him.

But when he came to Xiaomolong again, he clearly felt the sense of urgency that the war was about to break out. Xiaomolong, which was previously unimpeded, now had to undergo inspections with live ammunition. The number of patrolling soldiers seen along the way had clearly increased, and the rules had suddenly become much stricter.

When he found the hotel but couldn't find anyone, and was led to Xiaomolong's headquarters, he felt the breath of war even more.

Because near the headquarters, it was all vehicles—trucks, motorcycles, off-road vehicles—with countless people busy transporting supplies. Gleaming bullets and artillery shells, along with military-green field howitzers, were laid out in plain sight on the road. Seeing the scene in person was different from understanding it through past data or watching footage; one couldn't even begin to grasp a fraction of the reality. Even until he saw Wang Yan, he still hadn't fully reacted.

Wang Yan took the map and flipped through it casually. Guess Uncle's level wasn't high, and the map was quite non-standard, but it was very clear to look at, understandable at a glance. This was Guess Uncle's ability; the old man had been a soldier after all and had been exposed to these things.

Noticing Shen Xing's dazed look, Wang Yan laughed: "Scared?"

"Never seen such a big battle formation." Shen Xing smiled embarrassedly.

"This is nothing; the battle formations will be even bigger later. Any interest in playing on the battlefield?"

"Forget it, forget it, Brother Yan. Where would I have such big guts? Don't make fun of me." Shen Xing said, "But Brother Yan, I'll say what I have to say: this war really shouldn't be fought."

"What's wrong with it?"

Shen Xing looked left and right, leaned close to Wang Yan, and whispered: "Before, Guess Uncle said that Luan Basong wanted to fight Luo Yang, and we might not have business to do. When we returned to Xiaomolong earlier, Guess Uncle called Chairman Chen again in the car. Besides, Brother Yan, don't forget, you also snatched Sang Kang's hotel, and Sang Kang isn't dead yet."

"Count on you still thinking of me." Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction, patting Shen Xing on the shoulder with relief. He knew that Shen Xing must have thought through this matter back and forth.

"In the end, we are our own people, Brother Yan. I can tell the difference." Shen Xing chuckled and continued, "So I think, Brother Yan, you should wait for the movements from Luan Basong's side. If they really start fighting, other government troops, as well as the federal government, will definitely have actions. Then make a decision. I estimate Guess Uncle contacting Chairman Chen was to contact Luan Basong to find a way out for himself."

"You still have some brains."

Wang Yan smiled, "Xing'er, you say Guess Uncle called Chen Hao in the car—was it to show you, or to show me?"

Shen Xing was stunned, and then cold sweat broke out...

"What are you afraid of? As long as I don't die, even if you give Guess Uncle eight guts, he wouldn't dare touch you."

Wang Yan patted Shen Xing on the back, "Let me reveal something to you: about twenty minutes before you arrived, I also called Chen Hao. I had him tell Luan Basong that I was going to fight Luo Yang and let Luan Basong send troops together. If Luan Basong doesn't send troops, I will negotiate peace with Luo Yang and fight Luan Basong together."

"Then what if Luan Basong and Luo Yang fight us together?"

"Are you stupid? From the perspective of strength, am I worth them taking action together? From the perspective of interests, why would Luan Basong fight Luo Yang? Because Luo Yang occupies half of the real territory of Sanbianpo. How big is Xiaomolong? Not to mention it's adjacent to our country. They've lived enough and are rushing to find trouble?"

Shen Xing nodded knowingly: "So in that case, Luan Basong will definitely send troops this time."

"He has to."

"Then if you look at it this way, we can really win. Brother Yan, you aren't going to the front line yourself, are you? The old saying goes: 'A child of a thousand gold doesn't sit under a dangerous hall; a gentleman doesn't stand under a dangerous wall.' Don't be impulsive; I still have three sisters-in-law there."

Wang Yan shook his head: "I'm not stupid. Xiaomolong has only just been tidied up. If I leave at this time, the rear will be empty, and wouldn't the rebels turn the world upside down? I created this business with such hard work; if it collapses in a day, I definitely won't do it. As long as I am in Xiaomolong, they can't make any waves."

Shen Xing nodded, then suddenly shook his head: "That's not right, Brother Yan. If you cooperate with Luan Basong to kill Luo Yang, your troops don't have as many as Luan Basong's. When he turns around to fight you, what will you do?"

"Wouldn't I just fight him first?" Wang Yan said as if it were a matter of course.

Shen Xing was speechless; he didn't know what to say.

He also knew the quality of the troops here; fighting was like playing, but the number of dead people was not small at all. After killing Luo Yang, Wang Yan would definitely suffer heavy losses. What would he use to fight Luan Basong then?

But looking at Wang Yan's appearance, it didn't look like he was joking.

Considering Wang Yan's past lunatic behavior, he shook his head; it was too crazy... ===== CHAPTER 1234 =====