Meanwhile, on the border between the Tai Kingdom and Simple Village.
Tension suddenly gripped a Tai Kingdom border military base hidden deep in the dense rainforest.
The base's commanding officer, Senior Colonel Songchai, had just hung up an encrypted call from the capital. Cold sweat covered his forehead, and his weathered face was etched with shock and unease.
The call had come personally from his former superior, a major general in the Army General Staff.
The message had been blunt and simple: just two orders.
First, several Huaxia military helicopters would make a temporary stop at the base at eight that evening.
Second-and this was the order that made Songchai's scalp crawl-from the moment the Huaxia helicopters landed until they departed, he and his entire border base were to become "deaf" and "blind."
"General, this... this is against regulations..." Songchai had immediately grown agitated and tried to argue.
"Fuck the regulations!" The major general's roar still seemed to ring in his ears. "This is a direct order from the Army commander-in-chief! Songchai, I'm only warning you because I consider you a friend. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, don't look at what you shouldn't see, and above all, don't say what you shouldn't say! The classified documents will arrive in your secure inbox in five minutes!"
The call ended.
Songchai stood rooted to the spot for a full minute before recovering from the tremendous shock.
Make a standing border force turn a blind eye and a deaf ear?
What exactly were the Huaxia forces planning? Cross-border law enforcement? Targeted eliminations? Or... a small-scale covert war?
Every possibility sent a chill through Songchai.
He dared not think any further. Slamming his fist onto the desk, he roared at the guard by the door, "**Notify every field-grade officer! Assemble in the operations