205: Chapter 205 The Night Owl's Warning

After being checked layer by layer, the box was delivered at the fastest speed to Rajesh Singh, who was currently overwhelmed with problems and simultaneously enraged and terrified by the loss of contact with "Shivas Spear."

Under the nervous gazes of his adjutant and guards, Rajesh Singh personally opened the box.

There was no bomb inside, only a few items:

A recent high-definition photo of his only eight-year-old son being picked up by a nanny in a car at the entrance of an aristocratic school. The angle of the photo was clearly taken secretly.

A printed, detailed floor plan of his residence in New Delhi's wealthy district, even marking the locations of the master bedroom and study.

A daily schedule of his son's activities this week, accurate to the minute: what time he goes to school, what time he practices cricket, and how he visits a specific ice cream shop every Wednesday at 4:00 PM...

Finally, there was a note printed in English, the handwriting cold and neat:

[General Rajesh Singh:]

[Your 'Ganges' Wrath' plan is as utterly terrible as your military talent.]

[This time, the box contains only information.]

[If there is a next time, even if it is just a similar thought...]

[What is returned in the box will be 'parts'.]

[——Bon appétit. Night Owl.]

"Bang!"

Rajesh Singh acted as if he had been bitten by a poisonous snake, violently knocking the box away, causing papers and photos to scatter across the floor. His face instantly turned as pale as paper, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his obese body trembled uncontrollably. After the extreme anger came a chill and fear that seeped into his very marrow. The opponent could not only annihilate his most elite special forces but also so easily grasp his deepest privacy and most fatal weaknesses! This sense of powerlessness and the threat of being completely seen through and erased at any time finally made him realize what a terrifying enemy he had provoked.

"Gen... General?" the adjutant asked with fear and trepidation.

Rajesh Singh opened his mouth but found his throat so dry that he couldn't make any sound. He knew that his military career, and even his political life, ended here. If he continued to be stubborn, the next person to disappear in an "accident" might be himself or his family.

On the very day Rajesh Singh was forced to submit his resignation for "health reasons," and the hardliners within the Indian military temporarily ceased their activities and fell into a strange silence.

The Dragon Country Ministry of Defense held a press conference, the spokesperson's tone calm but carrying a thousand pounds of weight:

"To deepen the China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and maintain regional peace and stability, as agreed by both parties, the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China and the Federation of Myanmar Defense Forces will hold a joint military exercise code-named 'Brotherhood-2024' early next month in Kyaukpyu Port and nearby waters. The exercise is not targeted at any third party and aims to enhance the capabilities of the two militaries to jointly respond to maritime security threats and maintain the security of strategic channels."

Following closely was a news clip showing four massive, sharp-lined, and highly deterrent Type 055 10,000-ton guided-missile destroyers leading a fleet composed of frigates and supply ships, cutting through the waves and sailing towards the coast of Myanmar. The destination was precisely Kyaukpyu Port.

The signal was clear and unmistakable, spreading throughout the world:

Myanmar is under my protection. Before you touch it, weigh your options carefully.

Rajesh Singh's "forced resignation" and the high-profile visit of the Dragon Country's Type 055 Destroyer fleet to Kyaukpyu Port were like two buckets of ice water, ruthlessly extinguishing some of the fanatical war clamor within India. The continuous military defeats and the blatant threat of decapitation made the decision-making circle in New Delhi, amidst their anger, finally feel a trace of sobering chill—that Zhang Cheng on the other side not only had incredibly hard fists but also used ruthless and devious methods, not playing by the rules at all.

But, to just admit defeat like this? To swallow the bitter fruit of border friction failure, the total annihilation of special forces, and senior military officials being forced into retirement? For some forces that still talked about "great power dignity" and had deeply intertwined internal interests, this was harder to accept than the failure itself.

Since direct military confrontation yielded no advantage and might even invite self-destruction, they would change the battlefield.

Economy became the "safer" and more "civilized" weapon in their eyes. India was, after all, an economy with a top-tier GDP (though with no small amount of inflation) and a massive market scale. They attempted to use economic means to pressure Zhang Cheng into "feeling the pain," ideally triggering economic and social problems within Myanmar.

Consequently, New Delhi introduced several "economic sanction" measures against Myanmar in succession:

1. Unilaterally suspend the implementation of some bilateral trade agreements and significantly increase import tariff barriers on Myanmar's agricultural products (such as rice and beans), timber, and aquatic products.

2. Restrict Indian companies from investing in Myanmar, especially in the infrastructure and energy sectors, and "advise" domestic companies to re-evaluate business risks in Myanmar.

3. Agitate in international arenas, claiming the Myanmar regime "undermines regional stability" and "has human rights issues," attempting to influence international financial institutions' loans and aid to Myanmar.

When these measures were introduced, some Indian media and experts were still talking glibly, analyzing how Myanmar's economy would suffer a "heavy blow," how Zhang Cheng would be "overwhelmed," and might even be "forced back to the negotiating table to compromise under the conditions proposed by India."

They did not know, or rather, selectively ignored two basic facts:

First, after nearly two years of strong integration by Zhang Cheng and blood transfusions from Dragon Country, Myanmar's economic structure and trade partners had undergone fundamental changes. India had long since slipped from being an important trade partner of Myanmar to a position that was... somewhat significant but not irreplaceable.

Second, and most importantly—the target of their sanctions held a trump card that could be called a "strategic nuclear weapon" level in this era: cutting-edge chips.

Naypyidaw, Presidential Palace Strategic Economic Conference Room.

Zhang Cheng looked at the list of sanctions announced by the Indian side on the briefing. Instead of getting angry, he was amused.

"That's it?" He smiled and handed the briefing to Li Lanzhi beside him. "I thought they could come up with something new. Increasing tariffs on agricultural products? Our rice is currently being scrambled for by Dragon Country, ASEAN, and even the Middle East; the quality is good and the price is excellent, do we lack that little bit of their market? Restricting investment? For our current infrastructure projects, the Dragon Country state-owned enterprises and private capital waiting in line are almost breaking down the door, do we care about their pittance?"

Li Lanzhi also couldn't help but smile: "They probably still think we are the Myanmar of a few years ago that relied on exporting primary agricultural products and timber for foreign exchange. However, Brother Cheng, them jumping up and down like this, while it won't hurt our foundation, is still disgusting to watch."

"Disgusting?" Zhang Cheng stood up and walked to the huge world economic map, his gaze sharp. "Then don't blame me for being impolite. They like to play with economic sanctions? Fine, I'll teach them what a dimensionality reduction strike is."

He turned to the Death Soldier experts and Ministry of Commerce officials in charge of economic affairs, his orders clear and cold: