Hu Rong circled the almost naturally formed jade tree repeatedly, his eyes filled with fervor.
Zhuang Rui didn't want to take the lead; he was the one who had cut the material himself, so why shouldn't he take it? He readily agreed, saying, "Alright, Brother Hu, then I'll leave it to you to handle..."
After Zhuang Rui agreed, Hu Rong called the RV driver who had been waiting outside, carefully placed the jade in the vehicle, and then took Zhuang Rui back to the hotel. They arranged to go to the mine again at noon the next day.
After entering the hotel room, Zhuang Rui noticed Peng Fei staring intently at him and said curiously, "Peng Fei, go take a shower. Are you looking at me?"
"Brother Zhuang, I went out to get this today, please keep it safe..."
Peng Fei smiled mysteriously and took out an object from behind his waist, startling Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 486 Better to be prepared
"Peng Fei, what are you doing with a gun?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback when he saw Peng Fei pull out a shiny black pistol from his waist. However, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes. Zhuang Rui had handled submachine guns before, but he had never had the chance to fire a pistol, except, of course, for Wu Guniang.
"Brother Zhuang, Yangon and Mandalay are relatively safe, but things get chaotic once you get into the mining areas. Plus, those places are close to the China-Myanmar border, so there might be smugglers and drug traffickers there. It's safer to carry a gun..."
As Peng Fei spoke, he skillfully took out the magazine from the pistol in his hand, then pulled the gun back, and a bright yellow bullet jumped out of the smooth barrel. Peng Fei grabbed it in his hand, showing that he had been keeping the bullet loaded the whole time.
"This...is it a Type 54 pistol?"
Zhuang Rui was somewhat envious, and he didn't pay any attention to Peng Fei's talk about smuggling and drug trafficking. His eyes were only on the gun. Peng Fei smiled and handed the gun to Zhuang Rui.
He reached out and took the pistol with the magazine unloaded. Zhuang Rui had seen the Type 54 pistol carried by that second lieutenant instructor during the live-fire target practice in the last few days of his university military training. It was exactly the same as this one. Back then, the instructor was extremely stingy and wouldn't even let the students touch it.
Liu Chuan's father used to own a gun like this, but he was afraid that his son and Zhuang Rui would be naughty, so he never dared to bring the gun home. This was the first time Zhuang Rui had ever handled a handgun.
The gun's surface is entirely covered in black paint, except for the grip, the smoothbore, and the trigger, which show obvious signs of frequent use. The black paint has been worn away, revealing the silvery-white iron color. It feels heavy in the hand, probably weighing a little over a pound.
Men always have a special fondness for guns. Even the most cowardly person will suddenly burst out with extraordinary courage after holding a gun. Although Zhuang Rui doesn't like to use violence to solve problems, he still feels a sense of fondness for this gun as he plays with it.
"It's a Type 54 pistol. Although we can find some more powerful weapons, they're not very convenient to carry, so we'll just have to make do with this..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui handling the gun, Peng Fei laughed, took the gun from Zhuang Rui's hand, and then explained the characteristics of the Type 54 pistol, how to load and fire it, and where the safety was, to Zhuang Rui in detail.
The Type 54 pistol is a copy of the Russian-made TT33 Tokarev series pistols. It uses the Type 51 7.62x25mm pistol cartridge, adopts the short-recoil recovery principle, and has a barrel swing locking mechanism. The magazine capacity is eight rounds. The entire gun consists of the barrel, upper slide, lower slide, recoil mechanism, trigger, and magazine.
The Type 54 pistol was used as a standard weapon in China for more than half a century. At a distance of 25 meters, it could penetrate a 3-millimeter-thick steel plate, a 10-centimeter-thick wooden board, and a 6-centimeter-thick brick wall. At a distance of 50 meters, it could meet the needs of self-defense weapons in combat and was classified as a high-powered military pistol.
By 1987, the number of Type 54 pistols produced had reached 35 million. Not only were the military and police equipped with this gun, but even the security departments of some large enterprises used Type 54 pistols.
Those "Two Kings" who roamed the whole country back then!
The weapon they seized was a Type 54 pistol, which killed dozens of soldiers and police officers, demonstrating its immense lethality.
"Peng Fei, you should keep this. It's much better for you to have it than for me to..."
After playing with the gun for a while, Zhuang Rui handed it to Peng Fei. He knew his own limitations; even if he were to use the gun, he could probably only hit the target within a meter. Beyond that distance, it would likely be inaccurate.
Peng Fei waved his hand, then magically pulled another gun from his person, saying, "Brother Zhuang, keep this in your handbag for self-defense. I have another one of my own..."
"Hey kid, where did you hide that gun?"
Zhuang Rui noticed that Peng Fei was only wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and the two guns weren't small either; he really didn't know where he had hidden them.
"It wasn't stuffed in his crotch, was it?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but recall those scenes in movies where female spies strapped a gun to their thighs, and he shuddered with dread. But then he thought it was impossible; Chinese men don't have the habit of wearing kilts, so they couldn't possibly take off their pants every time they pulled out a gun.
Peng Fei had no idea what Zhuang Rui was thinking. He lifted the shirt behind his waist, inserted the gun muzzle downwards into his waistband, then put the shirt back down and said, "Control the muscles in your waist and contract them inwards, then it won't be noticeable from the outside..."
Zhuang Rui moved behind Peng Fei and couldn't see any bulge in his lower back. He lifted Peng Fei's clothes and saw that the muscles in his waist where the pistol was inserted were indeed tucked in, which made Zhuang Rui marvel.
"By the way, Peng Fei, where did you get all these guns?"
Zhuang Rui watched as Peng Fei pulled out five more magazines, all filled with gleaming yellow bullets. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "How did he manage to get two weapons that can kill people in just one afternoon? If it were me, I probably wouldn't even have figured out the way to Mandalay."
"Bought them. A gun was $200, a magazine with eight bullets was $20, and this thing was $50 each. I bought ten..."
As Peng Fei spoke, he opened his black briefcase, took out a dark, metallic object, and tossed it in his hand. Zhuang Rui's hair stood on end at the sight. "Good heavens, isn't that a hand grenade?"
"Peng Fei, we're not going to war, why are you bringing all this stuff? Put it away quickly, or it'll explode..."
Zhuang Rui was genuinely startled. Who throws a grenade around like a melon? If it were to explode accidentally, he'd be carrying the huge word "wronged" on his head when he met the King of Hell.
Peng Fei nodded seriously and said, "Brother Zhuang, if we're just going to the mining area, there's naturally no need to prepare these things. But since we're going into the jungle, it's best to be well-equipped, just in case..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's eagerness to avoid it, Peng Fei chuckled and said, "This is an American M68 grenade. It has good performance and is very safe. Brother Zhuang, you don't need to worry about it detonating automatically. Besides, this kind of grenade can be used for both offense and defense, and it can also be used for demolition. I also bought a few plastic explosives. Hmm, Brother Zhuang, all these things cost a total of $1,300. That guy even had a grenade launcher, which only cost seven thousand dollars. If it weren't so inconvenient to carry, I would have bought it. What a pity..."
As Peng Fei spoke, a look of regret appeared on his face. He had dealt with these things all day long in the army, and hadn't touched them for over a year after his discharge. Now that he had picked them up again, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
"Alright, put your things away carefully, so Brother Hu doesn't find them. Otherwise, people will think we went to rob someone. Okay, go take a shower and go to bed..."
Zhuang Rui felt uneasy as soon as he heard the name "plastic bomb." He remembered clearly that last year in Shaanxi, Boss Yu was strapped with these kinds of things, and he didn't want to go through that again.
Furthermore, although Zhuang Rui knew that Peng Fei was a special forces soldier, he did not expect that Peng Fei, who looked like a boy next door, would be so crazy about weapons, even howitzers. Did he really think he was going to war?
Zhuang Rui tossed and turned all night, barely getting a good night's sleep. It would be a wonder he slept well. Sleeping next to a gun might provide a sense of security, but sleeping next to a pile of explosives would only induce panic.
Because the stone-cutting went on too late the night before, Hu Rong didn't call until noon the next day. Although Zhuang Rui hadn't slept very well, he was still young and became energetic after a few hours of rest. On the other hand, Hu Rong, who came to pick him up, still looked tired.
"Brother Zhuang, this is Professor Feng, and this is Professor Chen. They are both geological experts I invited from China. They are here to help me take a look at that jade mine..."
In the hotel lobby, Hu Rong introduced Zhuang Rui to two elderly men, both around fifty years old. Although he had previously said he wanted Zhuang Rui to inspect the mine, he had still used his connections and spent a lot of money to bring in two experts from China.
After all, Hu Rong had already invested nearly 300 million yuan in that jade mine, so it was impossible for him to place his hopes on Zhuang Rui, this young upstart. Being good at gambling on stones doesn't necessarily mean he can identify a mine vein.
Zhuang Rui didn't try to guess Hu Rong's thoughts. His purpose in going to Hpakant was also not related to the jade mine. However, Zhuang Rui was very happy to see two of his own people in a foreign land.
Zhuang Rui's grandfather was a geological expert. When he talked with the two professors from China University of Mining and Technology, they discovered that they had both studied Zhuang Rui's grandfather's works. Once this connection was mentioned, the two professors immediately lost their arrogance as experts. In addition, since they also lived in Pengcheng, they got along very well with Zhuang Rui.
Professors Feng and Chen were very pleased to be able to come to Myanmar to investigate jade mines. Both of them study the formation of jade, but their research has been stalled because they have never been to a jade mine.
It's important to understand that the Myanmar government has always been extremely wary of jade mines, strictly prohibiting foreigners from entering. The Myitkyina region in northern Myanmar is also a military restricted area and has never been open to the public. This opportunity to enter the mining area is a result of the Myanmar military government's control over most of the forces in northern Myanmar and Hu Rong's efforts at the highest levels of the Myanmar government. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for outsiders to enter.
However, after Hu Rong introduced the soldiers behind him, Zhuang Rui realized that these people who were ostensibly protecting him were actually there to monitor their activities in the mining area.
Chapter 487 Arrival in Myitkyina
The group boarded Hu Rong's RV and headed towards the suburbs. Normally, the only way to travel from Mandalay to Myitkyina is by train, but this 600-700 kilometer journey would likely take dozens of hours by train, as Myanmar's train speeds are still at the level of China in the 1950s and 60s.
Therefore, Hu Rong used his connections to request a military helicopter from the Myanmar military.
The RV drove directly to a military camp on the outskirts of Mandalay. Soldiers with guns were all around. Zhuang Rui tightened his grip on his bag, where a pistol was still lying. If the soldiers found it, who knew what kind of trouble it would cause.
When Zhuang Rui looked at Peng Fei beside him, he calmed down a little. The kid was carrying his slightly worn backpack with an air of nonchalance, looking around as if the bag contained not bombs, but candy and gifts to bring from a friend's house.
Zhuang Rui now truly understood what it meant to have a guilty conscience. He had heard people say that those who committed crimes and went on the run often suffered from insomnia and loss of appetite for years or even decades, but Zhuang Rui hadn't believed it then. Now he understood. Although he hadn't committed any serious crime, just having a gun in his bag made him uneasy.
Fortunately, from the moment they got off the bus until they boarded the helicopter, no one asked to check Zhuang Rui and the others' belongings, which greatly relieved Zhuang Rui.
Hu Rong, who followed Zhuang Rui onto the helicopter, was carrying a wooden box about 50 or 60 centimeters long. Inside was Zhuang Rui's tree-shaped jade, which he was going to take home and carve slowly.
"Brother Zhuang, this is a Mi-8 Russian-made military transport helicopter, produced in the 1960s or 70s. It's quite an antique, but its performance is still pretty good. It can seat more than 20 people..."
Peng Fei looked the transport plane over and whispered his introduction to Zhuang Rui, but he immediately stopped talking when the Burmese soldiers boarded the plane.
Zhuang Rui knew that before the collapse of the Soviet Union in the last century, a fleet had been stationed in a Burmese port for its global strategic position. However, due to economic difficulties, Russia withdrew the fleet back to its home country, but left behind many military facilities bearing Russian marks in Myanmar.
The Mi-8 military transport helicopter has a speed of about 300 kilometers per hour, which is not very fast, but its advantages lie in its large fuel capacity and longer range than that of ordinary helicopters. It also has ample internal space.
Hu Rongzhuang, Ruihe, and the others, along with the few people sent by the Burmese military, made up a total of eight people. They sat in the cabin without feeling crowded at all, and there was even room for them to recline and take a nap.
However, Zhuang Rui could only dream about it. When the helicopter's rotors started spinning, the huge roar made the people in the cabin blush and open their mouths to relieve the discomfort in their ears. Only the Burmese soldiers and Hu Rong behaved normally. As for Peng Fei, Zhuang Rui guessed that he was definitely faking it.
However, Zhuang Rui and the two professors were truly suffering, their eardrums feeling as if they were about to burst.
Zhuang Rui had flown in helicopters before, but the soundproofing of this military helicopter was really poor. There was a door on one side, but no door on the other. The sight made the group very nervous. They quickly fastened their seat belts, fearing that if the helicopter tilted, they would roll out.
The two professors, who had originally planned to continue their conversation on the helicopter, turned pale and fell silent after takeoff. The wind outside was howling into the cabin, so much so that even opening your mouth filled you with the smell of tropical rainforest air, let alone speaking.
Fortunately, winter temperatures in Myanmar are generally above 20 degrees Celsius; otherwise, everyone in the cabin would have been frozen solid.
After leaving the military camp, about half an hour later, Zhuang Rui felt a bit more comfortable and looked down at the ground through the cabin window. However, all he could see were tall trees and dense forests, with no scenery to speak of.
It was the dry season in Myanmar, and the tall, broad-leaved trees looked somewhat withered, with very few leaves on their trunks. After looking down for more than ten minutes, Zhuang Rui did not see a single person, making the place seem rather desolate.
However, now is also the best time to mine jade in Myanmar, because when the rainy season comes, the mountain roads become very difficult to travel, and even livestock cannot pass through, let alone people. Therefore, now is the busiest time in the mining area.
The mountains in Myanmar aren't particularly steep, but they stretch endlessly, one peak after another. The jungle is dense, and Zhuang Rui believes that if he were thrown off here, he probably wouldn't be able to escape for a year or two.
Looking at the towering trees below the plane, Zhuang Rui felt quite incredulous about the social structure of Myanmar. Myanmar itself is located by a seaport, with a very important geographical location, and its inland areas are rich in gemstones and precious teak. Yet the people of Myanmar are so poor. He wondered what the root cause of this was.
More than an hour later, the helicopter slowed down and came to a stop on a hilltop. Zhuang Rui thought they had arrived at their destination, so he quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the helicopter. However, his legs gave way and he almost fell on his bottom if he hadn't braced himself with his hands.
"Where...where is this? This isn't Myitkyina, is it?"
Zhuang Rui looked around and saw dense forests everywhere. He couldn't help but look at Hu Rong. Even if northern Myanmar was desolate, there couldn't possibly be not a single person in sight.
"We've only gone halfway. The driver needs to rest for a bit. Here, buddy, have some water..."
Hu Rong smiled and handed Zhuang Rui a bottle of beverage.
It's more accurate to say the helicopter needed a rest than the pilot, because once the helicopter came to a stop, the pilot got busy checking all the components to ensure they were functioning properly. Keep in mind, this was an old machine from thirty or forty years ago, incapable of supporting continuous flights for several hours.
If something went wrong in the air, the people on the helicopter would probably be smashed to pieces before their parachutes even opened. However, the military equipment produced by Polar Bear is generally reliable in terms of quality. At least Hu Rong has ridden in it many times without any problems.
Professor Feng and Professor Chen helped each other off the helicopter. Their bodies were not as strong as Zhuang Rui's, and they were already pale. If they hadn't been supporting each other, they probably would have fallen to the ground long ago.
"Are you two alright? I'm so sorry to have troubled you. There are some mines nearby, but it will be a bit of a hardship for us to get to Hpakant. I wonder if you two teachers can hold on a little longer?"
When Hu Rong saw the two professors get off the helicopter, he rushed to greet them. He was only thinking about getting to the Hpakant region of Myitkyina as soon as possible, but he did not expect that the two professors' bodies could not withstand the turbulence of the helicopter.
Actually, taking a train in Myanmar is probably not as good as this helicopter. It takes thirty or forty hours to get from Mandalay to Myitkyina, and that train was a "luxury train" left behind by the British in the mid-20th century. It might have suffered even more than this.
"It's alright, it's alright, I can hold on. I never imagined that jadeite would grow in such a place. Seeing is believing..."
Professor Feng waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he was fine. The beauty of jade is well-known, but the mining and growth environment behind it is rarely mentioned internationally, precisely because of the Myanmar government's closed-door policy.
Half a century ago, Zhuang Rui's grandfather had conducted in-depth investigations of jade mines in Myanmar, but due to special historical reasons, his conclusions were never published and remain buried in that wooden box to this day.
The geological formation of jadeite has always been a topic of discussion among domestic geologists. Now that they have the opportunity to see the geological environment in which jadeite grows, the two professors, though tired, are still full of excitement.
After resting for more than an hour, the group boarded the helicopter again. They only drank some water and didn't dare to eat anything, otherwise the turbulence would make them vomit up.
The flight lasted for nearly two hours. From the helicopter, people could be vaguely seen on the ground. Around five o'clock, the helicopter landed at a military camp in Myitkyina. In Myanmar, troops are stationed outside most cities.
"Professors, Brother Zhuang, let's have a welcome dinner for you tomorrow. Please get some rest today..."