Folk Strange Stories Volume 1: Miao Township Wu Zu Chapter 5 Section 2: Drug Enforcement

"Two years have passed in the blink of an eye. During these two years, I've been continuously training and going on missions. Although I'm still an ordinary soldier, my rank has gone from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant. On the other hand, Uncle Three has gone back to being a civilian— he transitioned to a state-owned enterprise and became the Deputy Director of the Security Department. I visited him a few times during my leaves, and although he was genuinely happy for me, there was an indescribable loneliness in his eyes.

This time, our entire squadron arrived at the border between Yunnan and Myanmar. After reaching the location, our squadron leader brought in Mr. Sun, the head of the Narcotics Division of the Ministry of Public Security. The two of them briefed us on the deployment and objectives of this mission.

Mr. Sun handed a photo to each of the team leaders. In the photo was an elderly man, 'This person is called Motte, a Cambodian, and he is currently the biggest drug trafficker in the Golden Triangle. There is evidence suggesting that he has hidden over a ton of drugs somewhere along the Sino-Myanmar border. However, we don't yet know the exact location of this drug cache. But, our Narcotics Division has received intelligence that in the coming days, Motte will be taking a heavyweight buyer to his drug stash. This is a rare opportunity. Our goal for this mission is to locate and destroy this drug hideout and apprehend all these criminals.'

After he finished, our squadron leader began to assign tasks, 'The main role in this operation will be played by Team Falcon. You are responsible for tracking the target and signaling once you find the drug stash. The other squads will spread out and form a perimeter, waiting for Team Falcon's signal to launch an attack, with the aim of wiping out the criminals.'

'Yes!' Over a hundred of us responded in unison. Our squadron leader nodded and said, 'Team Falcon, stay behind, while the other teams take their positions.'

Watching the other special forces teams leave and making sure there were no extra ears around, Mr. Sun took out a photograph and handed it to Old Wang, saying, 'Please have a look. This person is our undercover agent at the Narcotics Division. During the firefight, be sure to ensure his safety.'

The photo eventually made its way to me. This 'undercover' was a chubby man, someone you'd recognize easily in a crowd. This was an ID photo, and it was rare to see this chubby man smiling; his dark face showed a row of small, white teeth.

After we all had a look, Mr. Sun took the photo back. Our squadron leader scanned each one of our faces and said, 'Any more questions?' Seeing Old Wang remained silent, I hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward and asked, 'You haven't told us how many criminals there will be and the details of their weapons and equipment.'

Our squadron leader nodded and said, 'We don't have precise information, but we can be certain there won't be fewer than five of them, possibly carrying automatic rifles, more than one.'

The nine of us didn't react much to this information. We'd encountered bigger situations in Team Falcon more than once. A dozen people, a few imitation AK-47s, and a few drug traffickers, at most, they were just mercenaries hired in the Golden Triangle. It wouldn't stir up much of a storm.

Once we were sure there were no more questions, our squadron leader called over the local police guide, saying, 'You should get familiar with the terrain with the guide. Before nightfall, we need to reach the designated location and go into hiding.'

This area was part of the subtropical jungle and, combined with the early summer season, the weather was hot and humid. Breathing the air felt damp inside the lungs. The police guide led our group as we wandered through the woods, exploring the main mountain roads.

The guide was a forest ranger, last name Lin, but we didn't ask for his first name, and he didn't tell us. In his forties, he was a very honest person. He kept his head down and led the way. It seemed like he had already been instructed on the way here. Certain questions weren't meant to be asked, unless someone took the initiative to ask, he wouldn't speak more than a few words."