366: Chapter 366 Cleaning Up the Slaughter Sites Without Leaving Anyone Alive

"What is even more despicable is that Zhang Cheng's regime's expansion strategy completely replicates the 'Lebensraum' theory of a certain Axis power during World War II—from Northern Myanmar to the Wa State, from East Shan State to Naypyidaw, and now it is extending its reach into Thailand, even attempting to leverage the entire Southeast Asian geopolitical landscape by fabricating border conflicts. His so-called 'United Autonomous Region' and 'Federal Defense Forces' are merely modern disguises for warlord separatism; his relationship with the Dragon Country is nothing more than that of a stray dog depending on handouts, wagging its tail to its master while baring its fangs at neighboring countries."

"Cambodia is not Thailand. Prime Minister Hun Sen's firm stance on the Preah Vihear Temple issue defends not only four square kilometers of territory but also the final line of defense for small Southeast Asian nations facing the expansion of new warlords. If the international community turns a blind eye to this, then Preah Vihear Temple's today will be Sihanoukville Port's tomorrow—and Zhang Cheng's tanks will not stop on their own at the border."

Zhang Cheng finished reading the last word.

He placed the tablet on the table with a very light movement, as if handling a fragile item. Then he stood up and walked to the whiteboard at the other end of the archives room. The whiteboard was marked with red markers indicating military facilities and key nodes throughout Cambodia—Ream Base, the Phnom Penh Ministry of Defense, Sihanoukville Port, Preah Vihear Temple, Highway 6, and the Anlong Veng Training Camp.

He picked up a blue marker and drew three horizontal lines under Chen Feng's name.

"This editorial," he began, his voice calm, "was not written by Chen Feng alone. Chen Feng merely signed it. The logical flow, the arrangement of arguments, and even the choice of references—'Lebensraum,' 'modern disguises,' 'wagging its tail for handouts'—these are all professional rhetoric used in foreign propaganda warfare. Chen Feng is a man from a telecom fraud background; he couldn't write something like this."

Lao K approached the whiteboard, studying those few lines. "You mean—"

"The true author of this editorial is in Japan." Zhang Cheng drew a connecting line between the Ream Base and Chen Feng's name with the marker. "Or it's the 'Public Diplomacy' team at the Eagle's embassy in Phnom Penh. They released it through Chen Feng's Phnom Penh Times specifically to spread it in Chinese—the target audience isn't Cambodians, but the public opinion sphere within the Dragon Country. They want to paint me as a 'remnant of the Northern Myanmar warlords' or a 'nation built on drug money,' planting seeds of doubt about our regime's legitimacy in the hearts of the Dragon Country's public."

He paused, the tip of his pen resting on Chen Feng's name.

"Pull up the file on this man, Chen Feng."

Lao K operated the main console for a few seconds, and a detailed personal file popped up on the screen. The photo showed a Chinese-descended man in his fifties with a square face, thick eyebrows, and gold-rimmed glasses, wearing a slick smile characteristic of a businessman.

"Chen Feng, original name Chen Wenfeng, a native of Eastern Guangdong in the Dragon Country. In 2002, he was wanted by the Eastern Guangdong police for suspected illegal fundraising and fled to Cambodia. In 2005, he opened his first 'Online Investment Company' in Sihanoukville Port, which was actually a telecom fraud park. In 2011, he expanded to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other places. The total number of fraud parks under his control reached ten, with approximately thirty thousand employees and an estimated annual fraud volume exceeding five billion US dollars. In 2017, he founded the Phnom Penh Times, primarily dealing in Chinese news, targeting Chinese nationals and overseas Chinese in Cambodia, as well as some subscribers within the Dragon Country."

"And his protection?"

"Ken Soka, the Cambodian Vice Minister of Interior. The two are related by marriage through their children. Additionally, Kenji Mishima, the Economic Counselor at the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia, has close business ties with Chen Feng—Chen Feng's 'Angkor Investment Group' has Japanese shareholders, and Mishima has attended the group's annual meetings three times."

Zhang Cheng put the marker down. The blue ink bled into a small dot next to Chen Feng's name, like an unintentional period.

"So Chen Feng is doing three things simultaneously." He began to count on his fingers. "First, he uses the fraud parks to help Cambodian officials launder money in exchange for political protection; second, he uses the Phnom Penh Times as a mouthpiece for the Eagle and Japan's foreign propaganda to attack our regime; third, he uses the 'Angkor Investment Group' to attract Japanese capital, acting as a comprador within the Cambodian economic system. These three lines ultimately rest on the same foundation—his fraud parks in Cambodia."

He folded down a fourth finger. "And now, Hun Sen allows Japan to build a base in Ream and needs a tool to control public opinion. Chen Feng's newspaper is perfect for guiding the opinion of the Chinese community in Cambodia and whitewashing the Japanese military presence. That is why Hun Sen won't touch him and the Japanese won't let him fall—he actually thinks he is as steady as Mount Tai."

Zhang Cheng turned around and looked at Lao K. His gaze was like a piece of quenched steel, devoid of ripples but carrying a weight that could pin a person to the wall.

"Initiate the 'Cleaning Up the Filth' contingency plan."

Lao K snapped his heels together.

"First, notify Bangkok that Rama must issue a comprehensive diplomatic condemnation of Cambodia before twelve noon today. The wording must be escalated—no longer just about Preah Vihear Temple, but also exposing the Ream Base and the Japanese military presence. Accuse the Cambodian government of 'inviting wolves into the house and undermining regional stability.'"

"Second, order the Thai Eastern Military Region's 1st and 3rd Mechanized Divisions to complete their deployment for an all-out advance toward the Cambodian border within forty-eight hours. The target is not that small patch of land at Preah Vihear Temple—it is Anlong Veng. It is Ream. It is the entire northern plains of Cambodia."

"Third—" Zhang Cheng picked up the blue pen and drew a cross over Chen Feng's file photo. "Have Night Owl deploy a 'Shadow Blade' squad to infiltrate Cambodia and locate the coordinates of Chen Feng and his ten fraud parks. Task codename—'Cleaning Up the Filth.' Objective: Locate them all, leave no survivors."

Lao K recorded the instructions and then looked up. "Night Owl is already on standby. He asks when to depart."

"Now."

Lao K turned and left the archives room. The blast door slowly closed behind him with a low, airtight hiss.

Zhang Cheng stood alone in front of the whiteboard, looking at the map of Cambodia covered in red and blue lines. Then he clenched his fist and struck the iron edge of the console.

The strike wasn't heavy—it wasn't a loss of control or explosive rage, but a precise, restrained force that compressed all his fury into the moment his knuckles met the metal. The coffee cup on the console vibrated, and the brown liquid swayed in a ripple against the cup's wall. The iron edge was slightly dented, leaving the mark of a fist.

He withdrew his hand, shook off the stinging pain in his knuckles, and remained expressionless.

Rapid footsteps echoed in the hallway. Li Lanzhi pushed the door open, holding a tablet. Seeing him standing there, she paused.

"Your hand—"

"It's nothing." Zhang Cheng shoved that hand into his pocket and turned to face her. "Did Bangkok send the draft of the diplomatic note?"

Li Lanzhi glanced at him but didn't press further. She handed over the tablet. "Sent by Rama's secretarial office, with three requirements—the level of toughness in the note's wording, the timing of the media release, and whether the Cambodian casualty figures in the Preah Vihear Temple battle reports need to be 'adjusted.' Additionally, the UN Secretary-General's office has sent an informal inquiry through Dragon Country channels, asking if we are willing to accept mediation."