The journey of over two hundred kilometers took more than six hours for Yang Fan and his group to reach the town of Mong La in the Fourth Special Region of Shan State. Apart from the difficult roads, the interrogations and checks at more than a dozen checkpoints also significantly contributed to the delay.
The prosperity of Mong La town exceeded Yang Jian's expectations. He had initially thought it would be a poor and backward small town. However, upon arrival, he found the city to be even more developed than the county seat of Xinhe. All the shop signs were in Chinese, giving the impression of being in a county town within China.
Besides the towering buildings and flashing neon lights on the streets, the most striking feature was the ubiquitous presence of luxury cars. In this regard alone, it surpassed both Chengguan and Hancheng.
Yang Fan arranged for Yang Jian and the other two to stay at the Longteng Grand Hotel, which he managed. The hotel was located by the Namma River that flowed through the town. It was a five-story building with a casino on the lower two floors and guest rooms on the upper three.
After settling in, Yang Fan invited the three to a Chinese restaurant near the hotel for a meal. Yang Jian was surprised to see Ah Bao, who had escaped from Dongjiang, already there. Ah Bao had pre-ordered the dishes.
"Brother Bao, what are you doing here?" Yang Jian asked, shaking his hand happily.
Although Ah Bao was also pleased, he glanced at Zhang Hui and the other man with some caution. "I've been here for several months. Uncle Master told me you got married, congratulations."
Yang Jian immediately understood that Ah Bao was concerned about the identities of Zhang Hui and the other man and was hesitant to discuss past matters. Although this was northern Myanmar, the military leaders in Mong La had been cooperating with Yunnan Province police in drug prohibition, maintaining close contact and assisting Chinese police in apprehending major criminal suspects.
"Thank you, Brother Bao. I did get married, and we have a four-year-old child. My wife was already pregnant when we separated, and I didn't know until I returned. I'm going to be a father, haha."
Ah Bao also joked, "Are you sure it's your son? Could it be that you're just becoming a father?"
"I'm sure. He looks exactly like me, as if carved from the same mold."
As soon as he said this, everyone burst into laughter and sat down around the dining table.
Because Zhang Hui and Qin Feiyang were police officers, Yang Jian could not discuss any sensitive topics with Yang Fan and Ah Bao. The entire meal was spent learning about local customs.
After the meal, Yang Fan wanted to take Yang Jian and the other two to the entertainment city, but they declined, stating that they were tired from the long drive and needed to rest.
After a night's rest at the hotel, Yang Jian sent a message to Wu Laizi the next morning, informing him that he had arrived in Mong La. Wu Laizi's call came through immediately.
"Mr. Yang, you've arrived in Mong La? I'm here too. I just arrived yesterday."
"Really? Is Brother Mao with you?" Yang Jian was a bit excited, seeing progress so soon after arriving.
"Brother Mao isn't with me. In fact, I've only met him once so far. We've been in contact by phone, and he notified me to come here."
"What did he ask you to come for?"
"To pick up goods, mainly to inspect them. I used to consume Ya Ma and K powder, so I can judge the quality. After inspection, the purchased drugs will be smuggled across the border by local villagers."
Damn it, this Brother Mao is truly cunning, not showing himself. Yang Jian felt that capturing him would be quite difficult.
Zhang Hui, standing nearby, took the phone. "Wu Laizi, I'm a friend of Lin Nan. Who are you meeting with?"
Upon hearing that he was Lin Nan's friend, Wu Laizi knew he was a police officer. "I don't know who I'm meeting yet. I'm still waiting for Brother Mao's call."
"Then send us your address. We'll go to your vicinity to monitor you now."
"Alright, but please, Mr. Yang, don't show yourself. I suspect Brother Mao is also monitoring and testing me nearby. If he sees Mr. Yang, he'll definitely hide deeper, and I'll be in danger."
"Don't worry, you won't be exposed." Zhang Hui was very confident in his tracking and surveillance skills, which were basic abilities for anti-drug police.
Upon receiving the address from Wu Laizi, Yang Jian immediately contacted Yang Fan. Since they were unfamiliar with the area and didn't fully understand the local laws and policies, the three of them dared not act alone.
Yang Fan didn't come himself but asked Ah Bao to bring three of his brothers to cooperate with Yang Jian's actions.
The Cayenne had a Hancheng license plate. To avoid being discovered by Brother Mao, Ah Bao arranged for two local SUVs. The group of seven headed to the Dongfang Hotel where Wu Laizi was staying.
Without rushing upstairs, Ah Bao parked the car in the hotel parking lot and waited for Wu Laizi's call.
On the fifth floor of the hotel, in room 502.
Wu Laizi had just returned from breakfast downstairs. After lying down to watch television for a while, he heard a knock on the door. He got up and opened it to find two capable young men.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Are you Lao Wu? We're here to deliver the goods." A young man with short hair and an earring smiled at him friendly.
Wu Laizi nodded and let them into the room. The two young men didn't say much. They opened a canvas bag they were carrying and took out four transparent plastic bags, all filled with small red pills. Wu Laizi recognized them as Ya Ma and quickly opened a plastic bag to check a few pills.
The young man with the earring then took out a plastic pipe for smoking Ya Ma and a piece of aluminum foil. "Lao Wu, try it."
Wu Laizi nodded and operated skillfully. Soon, the entire room was filled with a rich aroma.
"Mmm, the quality is good. This is the first time I've had such high-purity stuff." After smoking three pills consecutively, Wu Laizi put away the tools with satisfaction.
"Since the goods are fine, call Brother Mao. This bag contains ten thousand pills, a total of forty thousand pills. Have him transfer the payment, and our transaction will be complete." The young man with the earring put the four bags of Ya Ma back into the canvas bag and held it in his hand, waiting for the payment before handing them over to Wu Laizi.
Wu Laizi got up and went to the toilet to call Brother Mao.
"Brother Mao, I've inspected them. The quality of this batch is good, but the quantity is too large, and I can't count it. I can't guarantee there are forty thousand pills."
"It's fine, they are old customers. The quantity won't be an issue. I'll transfer the payment to them now."
"Then, do I take the goods back to Dalou?"
"No need. It's too dangerous for you to cross the border with the goods. After the delivery people leave, you go downstairs. Someone will meet you in the hotel parking lot. Just hand over the goods to them, and then you can return empty-handed. Be careful."
"Understood." Wu Laizi admired Brother Mao in his heart. This transaction method ensured the safety of both of them. However, his own risk was slightly higher, as he was in a foreign country, and anything could happen.
Although Mong La was responding to the United Nations' anti-drug agreement and had announced a comprehensive ban on drugs, eradicating most of the opium poppy cultivation and replacing it with crops like sugarcane and spices, there were still a small number of opium poppy growing areas that needed gradual replacement.
Therefore, drug manufacturing and trafficking still existed. The local military government turned a blind eye to it, essentially legalizing it, as long as it wasn't openly traded in the market. If caught, there would still be sentences, fines, or even execution.
Ya Ma, being a chemical product, led some drug lords to establish processing plants by taking advantage of the relaxed policies there, massively producing this new type of drug. Brother Mao purchased Ya Ma for only eight to ten yuan per pill. After being transported to Hancheng, it was sold to middlemen at a wholesale price of thirty to fifty yuan per pill, and finally to addicts at prices ranging from eighty to two hundred yuan.