Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Desperation

1 For the sake of narrative, let me go back and add the process of entering the Golden Triangle. It should be said that I entered the Golden Triangle with great expectations and concerns about the critical issue of drugs in the Golden Triangle. Although I did not express this idea to Mr. Feng in Bangkok, I think he should be able to guess.Why is the Golden Triangle so well-known in today's society? Isn't it because it is the largest drug kingdom in the world?I care about its causes and secrets, so when the night bus arrived in Chiang Rai, the edge of the Golden Triangle, I was very excited.It was around five o'clock in the morning, the sky was lightly raining, and the road was wet. Looking around, the land was dark green, the fields and rivers were emerald green, the golden Buddhist temple was hidden among the green trees, and the air was as fresh as wine.In such a state of excitement similar to drunken oxygen, I had a meal with my guide Xiaomi in a small restaurant on the side of the road, and then continued to go up the mountain by car.

One of my outstanding impressions is that there are obviously more Thai policemen at the foot of the mountain. They are armed with live ammunition, lead big wolf dogs, set up checkpoints, and carefully check the passing vehicles and passengers.This heavily guarded scene reminds me that the Golden Triangle is approaching.There is a heartbeat in my heart for no reason.Statistics from the United Nations show that last year (1997) Thailand achieved remarkable results in drug control. Nearly one ton of finished heroin was seized and 130,000 suspects were arrested for drug smuggling, the highest in the world.

Probably because I am a foreigner, the police only looked at my passport and saluted and let me go. However, they were rude to my employee Xiaomi. They checked everything in his pockets and ordered him to take off his belt and stretch his hands. Fumbled in the crotch, even I was very embarrassed by the side.Xiaomi didn't care, saying that they (referring to the police) were very cruel to the Chinese. After passing the checkpoint, the car quickly started on the road again. The road in this mountainous area was well repaired, the asphalt road was very smooth, and the bumps were hardly felt.The driver, Xiao Dong, said that the road was built by the Taiwanese a few years ago. It is only tens of kilometers long and connects some refugee villages.There are shrubs on both sides of the road, and the rain and fog in the mountains are sometimes thick and sometimes light, sometimes rolling like sea tides, and sometimes cracking a crack, letting the sun shine like shining gold.I noticed that the soil in the mountainous area is all red soil, not the dull brown of the Northwest Plateau of China, but a shiny bright red, so red that it hurts the eyes, like red bricks that have just been fired from a brick kiln.This impression fits naturally with my fond memories of the red land on the Yunnan Plateau.Later, I checked "Terrain of Asia" and learned that the Golden Triangle area bordering Yunnan (including the Shan plateau in Myanmar and the mountains in Laos and northern Thailand) is a natural continuation of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in terms of ethnic history and topography.

The car engine roared loudly, and the mountain became steeper and steeper.There are large areas of secondary forests on both sides of the road, with miscellaneous trees such as beech, acacia, tung tree, and cypress, which are not dense and far from the tropical rainforest landscape I imagined.Xiaomi said that when he was a child, this place was full of virgin forests, which were later destroyed by humans. In recent years, the government called for environmental protection, and the trees slowly grew up again. Occasionally, there are some mountain people walking on both sides of the road. I can identify them from their costumes, including Lisu, Aka and Baiyi (Shan).An old man was mowing grass on a hillside. Instead of a sickle, he used a "bolt knife" (a long knife unique to tropical mountain peoples). It reminded me of those distant days when I was an educated youth in the frontier of Yunnan.The car slowed down and came to a three-way intersection.This is a mountain pass, the terrain is dangerous, there are armed military and police inspections on the road, and the atmosphere is relatively strict.I saw a big green tree on the side of the road, and a Wa cottage on the hillside, and the two roads diverged in a "V" shape.One leads from here to the north through the mountains, and the other continues west.Xiaomi said that this is the last inspection to enter the Golden Triangle. After that, there will be a free world. Self-government is implemented in the mountains, and each village has a self-government association. The government basically has no control over the situation in the mountains.He also pointed to the cottage on the side of the road and said, look, this is the famous Laoluozhai in the Golden Triangle. Many famous events in history took place here, such as Xiao Jiang (Jiang Jingguo) inspecting the remnants of the army, and the remnants of the Kuomintang surrendering their guns, etc. , are all performed here.I asked why here?Is it a coincidence?

Xiaomi didn't speak, just pouted towards the mountain. I saw a barracks surrounded by barbed wire on the mountain, and many soldiers in oil-green uniforms were going out for exercise.Xiaomi whispered, this is the Black Tiger Division, the Death Squad.I asked him, was it against... Messler?He shook his head, pointed to the road heading north and said, Well, that road leads to the Stars.Do you know Star Stacks?Kunsa used to live there. My heart moved, God!It turns out that it is the heart of the world-famous drug kingdom full of stars.Of course I know that Kunsha is the number one drug lord in the world. Two years ago (1996) the newspaper published a big news that Kunsha surrendered to the Burmese government, and peace was achieved in the stars.My thoughts stretched along that road, and I imagined that the end of the road was full of bright poppies like clouds, and all the people there were drug dealers, so I secretly decided that I must go deep into the stars and see the drug kingdom The true face of Mount Lu.

After passing the pass, the car continued to run westward.I couldn't restrain my heartbeat and tried to look around, hoping to find a striking poppy field on the side of the road or in a ravine, or a caravan of smoke smugglers, but I was very disappointed and saw nothing.I remembered that the poppies should bloom around the Spring Festival next year, so it was natural for them to disappear.Xiaomi saw what I was thinking, and he said that drug smuggling is all in the deep mountains of the Golden Triangle, and you can't see anything on both sides of the road. The mountains are bigger and the roads are steeper. Sometimes I have hallucinations, as if the road goes straight up and down on the cliffs, like a ladder on the hillside, which makes people breathless with tension.Xiao Dong was obviously familiar with the terrain, and he drove the car very fast. I often felt out of control and skidding when making sharp turns.The car roared and climbed up a steep slope. The top of the slope was wrapped in clouds and fog, surrounded by watery mist, and the leaves were dripping. Rain, and the road is so steep and slippery, wouldn't it make everyone die together?Fortunately, this road is very secluded. I haven’t seen any cars passing by for a long time. Occasionally, a few motorcycles emit black smoke. You chase me and speed past like a game. Just about to be amazed, all the riders are children in their teens , very flexibly performing driving acrobatics.Xiaomi closed his eyes calmly and calmed down, I swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and finally didn't say anything about it.

The car drove around in the mountains like this. We drove for about two hours, uphill and downhill, and finally there were houses on the side of the road. The driver went down and bought a pack of cigarettes. He came up and said to us: "Mass So happy...Where are you going?" 2 Mr. Feng, the president of the Maesle Self-Government Association, is the father of Mr. Feng in Bangkok. Mr. Feng is not in good health. He is almost 70 years old. He suffered from a stroke the year before last.He and his wife are both from Lancang, Yunnan. They left the country in 1958. The highest position was the division commander of the Kuomintang Remnant Army and was awarded the rank of colonel.

Fengzhai is a milky white three-story western-style building, located at the highest point in the village. Behind the building is a garden, and a cement driveway leads up to it, which is one of the local scenic spots.Of course, Mr. Feng’s Western-style building is not considered the most luxurious building in the village. I was surprised to see that in the Golden Triangle mountain village of Messler, not only Western-style Western-style villas can be seen everywhere, but also Chinese palaces with glazed tiles, large cornices, painted beams and carved buildings.Most of these resplendent and resplendent buildings are built on the hillside, with the brilliant blue sky and lush green trees in the background, making people suspect that this is not a wild land but a health resort.Xiaomi said that those are the mansions of the chief, and the chief is the god here.When Xiaomi said this, he did not have the sour or cynical tone of Chinese intellectuals at all, but was full of awe and admiration.According to my impression, there are at least dozens of ornately decorated mansions in the village. They occupy prominent positions in the village condescendingly, giving outsiders the superficial impression of wealth and magnificence.

Because of the foreshadowing of my relationship with Mr. Feng in Bangkok, Mr. Feng expressed a cautious welcome to my arrival and invited me to have lunch.The mansion is very luxurious and the courtyard is very large. I think if it is placed in the west, the owner will plant many trees and a large lawn in the open space, reflecting the harmonious relationship between man and nature.But the owner of this family who used to be the teacher of the Kuomintang raised many dogs and poultry. Those energetic animals kept chasing each other, rolling and running around in the open mud, like a group of naughty children or amateur football players.We walked across the yard to the dining room. This meal was my first meal in the Golden Triangle, and I was very impressed; the rice was Thai rice, and the dishes were authentic Yunnan dishes, chicken nuggets with chili peppers, eggplant and pork, mushrooms with chili peppers, and fermented soybeans ,etc.These meals carry a strong sense of hometown. I have lived in Yunnan for 17 years, and I consider myself a half-Yunnan native. Therefore, this strong sense of hometown stimulates my appetite and makes me feel very cordial and satisfied.

The interview started at the dinner table, and I got straight to the point: "...Please forgive me, what sources of income do the remnants of the Kuomintang rely on to support themselves?" Mr. Feng ate very slowly. Due to a stroke, he was unable to use one hand, so he slowly sent food to his mouth.He said: "Protect the merchants. We provide armed protection for the horse gangs, and the merchants pay protection fees. In addition, we collect a certain percentage of taxes in the jurisdiction." I stopped chewing and said, "Don't you grow poppies? Like selling drugs, doing heroin, opium business?"

Mr. Feng seemed very prepared, and he replied steadily: "Sometimes the army also does some business. For example, Li Wenhuan of the Third Army started his business by doing business. As for how he does it, you can ask him what he does. Our fifth The army has never done drugs, if someone does it secretly, it is an individual's business, not an act of the army." I said suspiciously: "During the most difficult times, such as the Li Guohui era and the Duan Xiwen era, you didn't grow poppies, didn't you do drug business? That's not what many newspapers outside said." Mr. Feng put down his bowl and chopsticks, slowly raised his hand to wipe his mouth and said, "There are many rumors outside, as if everyone in the Golden Triangle is a drug king. This is not true. In fact, in the Golden Triangle, growing opium poppies is normal, even easier than growing grain. , because poppies are lazy crops with high income. One acre of poppies is equivalent to ten acres of grain. It is hard work to grow food and it is worthless. Let me tell you, I have grown food myself because I need to eat, but no soldier grows poppies. Planting poppies They are all mountain people; Wa, Shan, Lisu, the national army sits on the land and collects taxes, why do they grow that stuff by themselves?" My heart trembled, and I suddenly realized something.I continued to chase after him and said, "Can you say that your national army relies on drug taxes to support your troops? And the fact that the Golden Triangle has become the world's largest drug producer is objectively related to your national military's stimulus policy?" The old man looked annoyed, and he asked unhappily: "What do you mean? Tell you, for a long time, we have assisted the government in maintaining law and order in mountainous areas, cracking down on drugs and smuggling activities. The government provides certain subsidies and allowances according to the establishment, and Taiwan does not give them regularly. Funding. All our officers and soldiers turned to agricultural production, cultivated and guarded the frontier, this is a fact that is obvious to all.” The familiar term "reclamation and guarding the border" reminds me of the production and construction corps where I was an educated youth.I said: "How does your national army collect taxes, how do you protect merchants, and have you personally participated in the escort merchants? Can you talk about it?" Mr. Feng yawned big, waved his hands and said, "You have just arrived, you should settle down and rest first, there is still more time, let's talk about it later." But I firmly ask the last question: "Do you know Kun Sha? What do you personally think he is like, a heinous drug lord?" Old Mr. Feng lazily replied: "I am an old neighbor with Zhang Qifu (Kun Sha). I can't say whether he is bad or not, but I know that he has done a lot of good things for the local people, that is, the people of Shan State. He himself He does not take drugs, and the Shan State Revolutionary Army is not allowed to take drugs. He was shot three times. Let the government be fooled. The year before last (1996) when Kunsha surrendered, the golden triangle drugs did not decrease, and they continued to be produced and smuggled. It was the first time I heard such a high-level theory, and I couldn't help being dumbfounded.It needs to be added that since most of the remnants of the KMT in the Golden Triangle are old subordinates of the former Li Mi’s Eighth Army, and I once described the tragic scene of the Eighth Army’s bloody battle in Songshan in a long documentary literature, I specially carry several domestic and Taiwan versions For those, some local important figures and Chinese guild halls were presented as gifts.Of course, my good intentions are self-evident. Facts have proved that this wise move has played an invaluable role in paving the way for my in-depth interviews in the Golden Triangle. 3 My eyes followed Li Guohui's footsteps fifty years ago. When I watched history countless times, I found that there was another person beside Li Guohui, and this person inevitably fell into my field of vision.I saw him young and promising, ambitious, but with a mysterious face, jumping up and down, often making you unable to see clearly.His whereabouts are surreptitious, turning his hands into clouds, turning his hands into rain, and walking through the history of the Golden Triangle.In Li Guohui's era, there was no major event that did not include him. He was Qian Yunzhou, the former intelligence chief who once occupied the high position of chief of staff of the revival force. All I know about this mysterious figure is that he disappeared suddenly in the 1980s and disappeared without a trace, becoming one of the countless unsolved mysteries of the Golden Triangle.His situation, including his activities during the war years, was kept silent, as if little was known about him, and he seemed reluctant to mention it, as if he were an underground worker.I guess they may have some scruples, know but are unwilling to say, can't say.In short, their attitude towards my inquiries is ambiguous, their speech is hesitant, secretive, hesitating to speak, deliberately avoiding, and talking about him from left to right, it seems that they have long agreed that this is a secret of the Golden Triangle, and it is not allowed to outsiders Give way. The name of Qian Yunzhou is not found in the historical materials and books I have consulted in China, which shows that he is a small person who does not enter the annals of history and is a worthless one.Unlike the well-known Li Guohui, Li Mi, Liu Yuanlin, Duan Xiwen, and Lei Yutian, history remembers and writes their achievements and ignores the existence of grassroots.But wherever I went for interviews, I clearly saw Qian Yunzhou's active figure everywhere, and heard him calling the wind and rain and shouting to the sky.Regardless of the high mountains, the mountain caravans, or even every corner of every battlefield in the Golden Triangle, I seem to be able to hear the huge echo of Qian Yunzhou's life-and-death struggle against fate.I privately think that this is a Patton-style character, or like Han Xin, the general under Han Gaozu. Without him, Li Guohui would not be Li Guohui, and the Golden Triangle would not be the Golden Triangle. I was secretly excited, and I intuitively felt that I was approaching the core of something. This kind of thing often does not belong to the category of history, but it is more valuable than history.I searched for Qian Yunzhou through all kinds of efforts, and I look forward to opening a gap from him and deciphering many legendary mysteries of the Golden Triangle. By chance, I heard that Qian Yunzhou's family members were still in the Golden Triangle, and that they were in a refugee village called Elephant Pond not far from Maesle. I couldn't help being ecstatic.As I said before, in the Golden Triangle, which has a vast area, mountains, mountains and dense forests, if there is no definite clue, finding someone is like finding a needle in a haystack.By the way, the so-called refugee villages refer to the ex-KMT troops, government personnel and various civilians who poured out of mainland China after 1949. The governments of the countries of residence are closely monitored.Such Han "refugee villages" abound in the Golden Triangle Mountains, with a population of more than one million.However, there is no Han family surnamed Qian in Daxiangtang.The guide Xiaomi stayed in Maesle for business, and even though I made it here alone, the head of the village self-government sincerely shook his head and explained that there are indeed more than a hundred Han Chinese, but there is indeed no one with the surname Qian.I said that the man is dead, leaving women and children?The president still shook his head.I desperately asked if I would change my surname?Assuming that Qian Yunzhou's wife's surname is Li, he will name his children Li.The self-governing president is an old man, surnamed Jiang, from Zhaotong, Yunnan, who used to be a staff officer in the Kuomintang army.He frowned, counting those neighbors with a painful expression, and then said to me in a more definite tone that all Han people take their father’s surname. mother's surname. Hope was dashed.The Golden Triangle is vast and vast, where can you find a widow without a name?What's more, Qian Yunzhou is a mysterious figure, unlike Li Mi and Li Guohui, everyone knows when it is mentioned.But I still refuse to give up. Long-term interview experience tells me that the most important thing in the world is never to give up easily, even if it seems hopeless. I simply stayed and visited the residences of Han people on a large scale, especially those retired ex-KMT veterans.I have a secret expectation in my heart, if I find any new clues, maybe one or two big fish will pop out unexpectedly!But the interview work hit a wall everywhere, and people felt bad about me, an uninvited guest from the mainland, as if someone was instructing them to refuse my interview behind the scenes.Whenever I come to the door with gifts according to the local custom, they will either close the door, send women to block the door, or pretend to be deaf and dumb, as if they don’t understand Chinese, or simply tell me that there has never been anyone with the surname Qian here. , it's no use asking. Even more amazing, I found out that someone was following me!It's not a hallucination, nor is it nervous, there is indeed a tail following me.Ever since I entered the Golden Triangle, my sixth sense has always been active, like a radar sending invisible reconnaissance waves into the sky.I feel that there are a pair of invisible eyes watching me secretly. I think the Golden Triangle should be like this. Why do others easily believe what an outsider says?What if you were a... spy?Thinking of this made me feel at ease, real gold is not afraid of being tempered by fire, and no ghost is afraid of knocking on the door in the middle of the night, so I simply made my actions public.I remember that as soon as I entered the Golden Triangle, I proposed to call on General Lei Yutian, the Supreme Commander, to express my intention for coming.Mr. Feng prevaricated and said: General Lei usually doesn't see people... Let's talk about it later. The problem is that this time I'm sure I'm not mistaken, I saw that unskilled stalker with my own eyes!That was when I came out of a Han man's house outside the village and passed through a miscellaneous forest, I clearly heard the sound of branches snapping.I looked back vigilantly, and saw the man following behind me.He was dressed as a local Shan, with a kerchief wrapped around his head, so his face could not be seen clearly.I suddenly remembered that in the past two days I often saw this man in the village. He sometimes squatted on the street and sometimes appeared in hotels, but it didn’t arouse my vigilance. Who is he?Who sent it?General Ray?Kunsha?What other drug trafficking organization or Taiwanese intelligence agency?What does he want to do, spy, stalk or assassinate?For a while, my mind was in a tangle of threads, and all kinds of speculations poured out.In the Golden Triangle without police protection, it is easier to kill a person, especially a reckless outsider, than a dog or a chicken.Such wild mountains, such deep black valleys, such dense forests, and so many roving beasts and insects and ants, you will become a pile of bones in a short time and evaporate silently from this world , as if you never existed.Even if you don't talk about drug trafficking organizations or secret agents, are there no criminals in the area?Is there no robbery, murder, robbery, and murder?In the golden triangle where drug abuse is everywhere, can you expect a clean world without crime?If you are unfortunately being targeted, or your wallet is being targeted, it may be the end of your life.In short, at that moment, my heart beat faster, my blood rushed upwards, my mind went blank, and my back was covered with cold sweat.For the first time I realized what a dangerous situation I was in! I tried to calm myself down and move on.This wild land is about two miles away from the village, enough for a horrible murder to happen. I was unarmed, and it was too late to run, and no one heard my shouts.If he wants to rob, I will take out my wallet and give him the things. If he wants to kill someone, I have no choice but to fight to the death and fight with trapped beasts.I saw a dead tree branch on the side of the road, and I quickly picked it up in my hand. Anyway, today the fish will die and the net will be broken, so I will resign myself to fate. There was the sound of hurried footsteps behind me, the man was catching up quickly, I secretly counted the distance, then turned around suddenly, holding up the tree branches as if fighting.I wanted to yell earth-shatteringly, like a thunderbolt falling on the ground, and scare the man out of his wits, because there was a story about Zhang Fei Changbanqiao yelling angrily, scaring the general Xia Houjie to death, but just a squeak in my throat There was no sound, and my head went "hum...", and even the stick fell to the ground. Because that man has a gun in his hand! It's no secret that almost every household in the Golden Triangle has a weapon. The role of a gun is equal to self-defense and crime.I began to regret not being with Xiaomi Xiaodong, regretting that I took the risk alone, I didn’t want to see death as home, my interview had just begun, this was not the time to be arrogant, as long as that person moved his finger, I, as a writer, would be finished. A mainland man like me usually thinks he is strong-willed, has outstanding character, has been to the countryside, endured hardships, went to school, and carried a gun (the Construction Corps). He can be regarded as an excellent family and feels good about himself. Only then did I realize how cowardly and vulnerable I was!I was so afraid of death, I didn't know whether it was an advantage or a disadvantage, so that I was almost scared to death, my legs went limp, and I slumped on the ground. Time freezes for a few seconds.The gun didn't go off, and my head didn't blossom.I heard a voice say calmly, "Don't be afraid...I have to talk to you alone." 4 He is a middle-aged man, I can't tell the exact age, but I can tell that he is not Han, but like all local aborigines, his face is very dark, his skin is rough, his eyebrows are prominent, his lips are thick, and he is of Shan or Malay race. all facial features.To my surprise, he can speak fluent Chinese, and standard Mandarin!He put away his gun, probably to show that there was no malice, and said in a flat tone, "Don't be afraid, I have been to China and studied in mainland China." I almost struggled to sit up straight.I said, "Why are you following me?" He sat down cross-legged in front of me. This is a clearing in the forest, surrounded by trees blocking the view, so it is extraordinarily quiet.He tensed his face and said, "Why are you asking around about Qian Yunzhou? What's your relationship with him? Who sent you here?" This sentence made me breathe a long sigh of relief, and my heart became more at ease.Since he wasn't a robber, didn't care about my purse and murder, that was enough to restore my confidence.I tentatively said: "I am a writer from mainland China. My name is Deng Xian. I came here for interviews and planned to write a book about the Golden Triangle. Do you know the whereabouts of Qian Yunzhou? Or do you know his family members? I hope to interview them .” To be honest, I am not afraid of being questioned by others, nor am I afraid of people being interested in me. What I am afraid of is that everyone will shake their heads at me and be rejected.What I worry about is that no one talks to me about money luck week.I heard him say, "Don't ask for trouble, it won't do you any good if you ask around like this." I asked, "Why? Isn't he the elder of the four dynasties of the Golden Triangle?" The man still had no expression on his face. He said, "Yes, in the Golden Triangle, he is an unwelcome person, a scum, and a... victim crucified." I could faintly hear the meaning in his words, I think he knew the whereabouts of Qian Yunzhou, otherwise why would he obstruct my interview with Qian Yunzhou?I also guessed that Qian Yunzhou didn't die at all, but just lived in seclusion for some unknown and important reason, maybe living somewhere nearby.Immediately I was excited by the idea.I hurriedly said: "Who are you? Please believe me, I want to meet him... I will follow the conscience and morality of a writer and restore history to its original appearance. Can you take me to meet him?" " The man sighed softly, and he said: "You are late, I think he should have been dead for nearly twenty years, or he can be called missing." I didn't believe it, so I refuted him and said, "Why are you being so arbitrary? What is your basis? I heard that his wife is still alive, and she doesn't know his whereabouts?" He shook his head and said, "His wife is indeed still alive, but her soul has gone to heaven with her husband." I was taken aback, and stared at him and asked him, "Who are you, please? Your name? What is your relationship with the Qian... family?" He removed an oval water jug ​​from his waist, which I recognized immediately as an American military canteen from World War II, since my father had one, too.He raised his head and took a sip, then wiped the spout and handed it to me politely.From this detail I saw that he was a cultured and civilized man.I felt my throat was so thirsty that it was about to smoke, so I took it and swallowed a big mouthful. Unexpectedly, I coughed profusely, and almost didn't cough up my lung disease.It turned out that the jug was full of wine. He looked up at me and said with determination: "Do you want to know who I am? ... Well, I can tell you that I have three names, the Thai name is Phibun Chasuri, and the Burmese name is Dao Ryan, the Chinese name was given by my father, Qian Dayu." My mind brightened, and I said doubtfully, "You are..." He replied: "Yes, I am Qian Yunzhou's son." At that moment, my tears flowed down without disappointment.After going through all kinds of hardships, I finally moved God, I broke through the iron shoes and found nowhere to go, and it took no effort to get it. I don’t regret it, I really don’t regret it, even if I die a hundred times for this moment!I happily shouted: "Qian Dayu, Mr. Qian, you know how much I have traveled and suffered so much to find you!" Qian Dayu said calmly: "I finished reading what you wrote, thank you, because my father also participated in the Songshan Bloody Battle." My surprise and joy cannot be overstated!The hard work paid off, and my foreshadowing finally paid off.He continued: "I have another question. Is it true that you have a special relationship with the Jiang family in Taiwan?" I mentioned in the book that my aunt, Ms. Shi Jingyi, became the daughter-in-law of the Jiang family.I nodded and replied, "It's true." He extended his hand friendly and said, "I've been paying attention to your whereabouts since you inquired about Qian Yunzhou. I hope I'm not mistaken... Let's be friends." The hands of the two men were tightly held together.That's how we got to know each other and became close friends.It should be said that we are born with fate, Qian Dayu and I are the same age, we were both born in June 1953, he is five days younger than me, he is the younger brother, and I call myself the older brother.I later found out that because his mother was the daughter of the great chieftain of the Shan state in Mengsa, he was of half Shan ethnicity, and it was logical that many people did not know that they were descendants of the Qian family. Later, I finally saw the widow of the mysterious Qian Yunzhou in his home. The former chieftain was gray-haired and haggard, sitting in front of the bamboo building quietly basking in the sun, like a dried mummy.Qian Dayu whispered that his mother had been insane for many years and lost consciousness of all cold, heat, food and clothing, but only at a certain time, the old man would suddenly wake up.I saw it with my own eyes this afternoon, the door squeaked, the old man moved, his sunken eyes suddenly became alive, and she spoke.I distinctly heard her say: "Son... your father... is back?" 5 One day in the dry season in 1950, Qian Yunzhou, the chief of staff of the Kuomintang Revival Force, who took office, accepted a difficult task to do a lucrative opium business. Specifically, he escorted a batch of smuggled opium to Laos for a Thai businessman. (Laos) A certain place, this is what people in the Golden Triangle often called "protecting businessmen" later.During the annual opium harvest season in the Golden Triangle, smugglers from various countries rushed into the mountains to buy opium, and then transported the "black gold" out of the mountains along secret trade routes, and smuggled it to Southeast Asian countries, Hong Kong, and Europe to sell at high prices on the black market.As early as a hundred years ago, these Golden Triangle forest trails known as "secret trade routes" already existed, and they were the fragile lifeline for the Golden Triangle to connect with the outside world.These forest trails are not only long and rugged, difficult for people and animals to walk, caravans often have to walk for several months or even longer, but also full of unimaginable dangers.The Golden Triangle has complex terrain, high mountains and dense forests. It is known for its serious banditry. There are so many bandits and robbers. They specialize in killing people and taking goods. "Guard business" is an ancient industry. It was called "Escort Bureau" in ancient China and "Security Company" in the West. It is a non-governmental organization that provides security services.Businessmen entering and leaving the Golden Triangle must hire people to protect them, ranging from a dozen or so bodyguards to hundreds of gunmen.These people carried gunpowder guns or quick guns, and traveled with the caravan on the dangerous and unpredictable mountain roads and tropical jungles. When the bandits came, they would fight, and if they couldn’t win, they would run away, or leave money to buy the road, or die deep in the mountains and dense forests. In short, there are no rules about life and death.For hundreds of years, the Golden Triangle has been staging this life-and-death drama. In the drama, there is no undefeated winner, and no permanent loser. Everyone is a victim of the law of the jungle. Taiwan ordered Li Guohui to "solve the way out on his own." The revival troops were desperate, with no military expenses, no military rations, and no guns and ammunition to replenish. After all, they were the Central Army of the Kuomintang with military discipline.The military is a tool for politicians. In the past, they fought for politics, for the regime, for the party, and for the nation-state. In short, those are great responsibilities and obligations, and have nothing to do with the soldiers' own interests.Now this army suddenly lost its responsibility, like a horse without a bridle, and at the same time lost its reason for existence, so they had to fight for themselves, to survive.In other words, from then on they began to lose the nature of the army and existed only as an "armed force". The father of my friend Qian Dayu, Qian Yunzhou, was ordered to be in distress. The caravan route will pass through the mountains and jungles in the hinterland of Shan State, and pass through the territories of chieftains such as Shan, Wa, Miao, Lisu, and Kachin. Bandit infested, specialized in killing and stealing goods.In order to ensure that the caravan guards were safe, he selected 60 officers and soldiers with combat experience to form the first caravan team in the Golden Triangle composed of regular troops, all American carbines, multiple light machine guns, and two mortars.Such a powerful firepower configuration was rare even in the Kuomintang Central Army, which was known as the elite at that time.Qian Yunzhou changed into casual clothes, a bamboo hat, and carried a submachine gun, playing the historical role of the No. 1 businessman in the revival force. Let's take a look at the history of this active figure Qian Yunzhou. Qian Yunzhou, a native of Tonghai, Yunnan, graduated from the Chengdu branch of the Whampoa Military Academy, and his ancestral home is Hunan. It is said that his ancestors were exiled to the frontier for committing capital crimes, but the honor and disgrace of the ancestors has no meaning for future generations.Qian Yunzhou belonged to the kind of aspiring young man who was half-blooded and half-ambitious. He hoped to work hard on the battlefield so as to win a great future as a general.He stepped out of school just in time for the end of the Anti-Japanese War. He fought a battle in Songshan. He was promoted from second lieutenant platoon leader to lieutenant because of his military exploits. Then the civil war began, and the Kuomintang army retreated from the northeast to Yunnan like an avalanche.In the face of the overwhelming tide of history, any individual's strength is small and insignificant, so like all young military officers who have no ambition and no way to serve the country, he was dejected and desolate by the wave of defeated soldiers and came to the Golden Triangle. A small person with nothing to do, a small team on the verge of extinction, what ideals and ambitions can they achieve in the face of poverty and backwardness in the Golden Triangle full of poppies?Can he get off the ground and transcend reality like a hair out?We say that times create heroes, but what kind of heroes can the reality of the Golden Triangle create?We often regret history, because the inevitability of history not only creates brilliance, but also creates evil. We saw that on a dark subtropical night 50 years ago, the air of the Golden Triangle was filled with the noise and commotion of tiny mosquitoes and the bitter smell of rotting leaves and moss, and a huge team of horses drove out of the small Mengpeng silently.There is no shaking of lights, no noise of people, the forest path is like a thick and soft carpet, and there is almost no sound when the hooves of the animals step on it, only the crisp sound of those heavy footsteps occasionally breaking the branches.Qian Yunzhou walked in front of the team himself. His eyes were calm and fearless. It was a confident and firm expression that only a professional soldier would have.Behind him, more than a hundred pack horses were laden with heavy opium, the soldiers remained silent like black shadows, and the porters rudely scolded the disobedient animals.This long snake-like caravan snaked along, and was soon covered by night, disappearing in the depths of the treacherous and unpredictable forest. 6 Many days passed, and the caravan was safe and sound. Nearly half of the journey, people and goods are safe, and there is no expected battle.There were sporadic bandits attacking and harassing, and after firing a few shots, they did not dare to act rashly when they saw the number of people on the other side.只是一天夜里遭老虎袭击，咬死一匹马，哨兵也被抓伤，让钱运周懊恼不已。为防备类似不测发生，他下令尽量赶到有人烟的村寨借宿，如无人家，则选择河谷平地宿营。在营地燃起大堆篝火驱赶野兽，脚夫把驮子卸下来堆放在中间，骡马圈起来吃草料，人围在货物四周睡觉。士兵加放游动哨，睡觉的人子弹上膛，枕戈待旦。 这天他们宿营的地方叫老扁山，是两架大山对峙的一条深沟，有座傈僳族山寨，只有十几户人家，一条溪水从寨子下面淅淅淙淙地流过。钱运周看地形险恶，跟马帮首领商量赶到垭口再宿营。但是脚夫个个走得人困马乏，一心指望赶快住下来生火吃饭，再说有那么多武装保卫，一路上平安无事，所以谁也不愿意赶夜路。脚夫都是些自由散漫的人，一辈子浪迹天涯，不受人管束，所以顾自把驮子卸下来，放了牲口吃草料，燃起火堆来烧茶煮饭，马帮首领躺在皮褥上舒服地吸大烟，一副放任自流逍遥快活的样子。这就是老百姓，你长官管得了军队，管得了老百姓么？弄得长官想发火都没有对象。 然而到了下半夜，果然出了大事，一股黑压压的土匪来袭。 这是一股自称“东掸邦自卫军”的武装土匪，有三百多人，算得上金三角一霸。匪首是个掸邦头人，人称“鸦片司令”，因在缅甸军队当过兵，受过几天军训，就效仿军队将他的部下都封了营长团长，自称总司令。这股土匪占山为王，仗着人多势众熟悉地形，常常敢对大队马帮下手。他们个个都跟猴子一样灵活，攀悬崖过绝壁，抓树藤荡秋千，翻山越岭如履平地。打不赢就钻山林，得了手就大砍大杀，骡马货物洗劫一空，来无踪去无影。狡猾的土匪居然没有惊动山口的哨兵，他们顺着又深又陡的山涧摸进寨子，然后开始放火放枪，嗷嗷大叫，挥动雪亮的长刀逢人便砍，当场杀死几个惊慌失措的脚夫。 通常情况，马帮势单力薄，稍作抵抗，或者放弃抵抗，弃货逃命，那么土匪得手也不追赶，只将货物掠走。如果遇上货主不知好歹，硬要坚决抵抗，土匪就要大开杀戒，所有俘虏都将无一幸免。这就是金三角的游戏规则，虽然没有文字规定，但是约定俗成，几百年来马帮土匪共同遵守，自然就成了这个地区没有条文的至高无上的法律。 问题是，今天这支护卫不同于从前任何一支保镖队伍，他们遇上强敌偷袭并不慌张，也决不肯弃货而逃，他们当然也就不可能遵守从前的游戏规则。于是我们将看到，一场古老的金三角与文明社会的对话由此开始。 钱运周本来只在火堆旁打个盹，枪一响他就立即清醒过来。职业军人的灵敏和反应是一种条件反射，他一个翻滚动作就趴在石头后面，并且射出一串子弹。其实多日来风平浪静的行程使他心中一直不安，马帮在明处，土匪在暗中，谁知道土匪什么时候偷袭？现在土匪露头，他竟感到如释重负，心中一块石头落了地。“杂种，果然找死来了！”许多年前钱大宇的父亲痛快淋漓地骂道。他看见马帮首领趴在地下脸色发白，嘴唇直打哆嗦，黑黢黢的山林里，子弹在空气中尖锐地划来划去，土匪吼叫声格外刺耳。 敌情很快就查明，土匪主要有两股，分别从正面和两翼压来，看得出他们意图是迫使马帮放弃货物逃命。土匪枪声杂乱，有步枪，有火药枪，他们在黑暗中起劲地打着唿哨，一味地大吼大叫虚张声势，企图把对方吓跑了事。土匪毕竟不是军队，他们好像一群野狗，只会仗势起哄，不像真正的狼群，在咬断猎物喉咙之前决不声张。所以土匪万万没有想到，他们正好暴露在严阵以待的山坡和树林两组机枪交叉火力面前。 一枝单调的冲锋枪突然响起来，枪声凄厉而高亢，好像乐队指挥手中那根细细的指挥棍一扬，立即引来许多歌手加入合唱队伍。紧接着是许多沉闷而迟钝的卡宾枪，它们好像一群被歌声惊醒的鸽子，不情愿地咕噜咕噜地叫着，拍着翅膀在夜空中响亮地飞翔。最后登场的是埋伏在山头上和树丛中的机关枪群，它们才是这场战争歌剧中的领衔主演，激情飞扬，声音高亢，如同世界上最伟大的男高音歌唱家。机枪激越而嘹亮地歌唱，把死亡和血腥的信息向四面八方的夜空传播。这才是真正的战争之歌，枪口喷吐火舌，眼睛捕捉目标，飞速旋转的钢铁弹丸好像死神挥动的鞭子，刹那间就把那些暴露身体的土匪抽倒在地上。 土匪立刻被打懵了。 在他们有限的经验中，或者说自从他们在这个世界闯荡以来，生活头一次变得不真实，这天夜里的事情突然变了味道，好像谁同他们开了一个玩笑。因为这种场面不大像他们通常所说的“做活儿”(行话，即抢劫)，倒像进了屠宰场，被屠宰的却是他们自己。他们闹不清楚究竟问题出在哪里，因为在金三角，打仗的游戏规则历来是人多为王，枪多为强。许多天来他们一直派人悄悄跟踪这支马帮，数得清清楚楚带枪的只有六十个人，而他们却有整整三百人！按说那些人打一打，放几枪就该弃货逃命，小狗怎么能与老虎争食呢？但是马帮非但没有吓跑，还把老虎打个脚朝天。这就如同一群自以为打遍天下无敌手的江湖好汉，等到头上脸上狠狠挨了一通揍，牙齿踢落了，眼睛肿起来，鼻血也淌了一地，这才发现对方好像并不是个等着挨揍的软货。当他们确实省悟偷袭失败时，地上已经躺下不少于一百具尸体。于是侥幸活着的人喊爹叫娘豕奔狼突，只恨爹妈少生两条腿，气急败坏的土匪司令哇啦哇啦一通叫唤，带领残兵败将刮风一样钻进山涧逃跑了。 枪声平息，钱运周担心狡猾的土匪没有走远，派个人摸下山涧去侦察。不一会儿侦察员回来报告，说土匪果然躲在山涧里，好像还在等待什么。有人不解，说土匪干么总是躲在沟里？钱运周不屑地回答：“土匪么，就得钻山沟。” 片刻工夫，一个小匪从涧底水淋淋地爬上来，仰着脖子抖抖地发问：司令说，你们到底是什么人？ 钱运周让马帮首领用掸语大声回答对方：“我们是中国人。李国辉将军的复兴部队。” 小匪立刻像鬼影子一样消失在水沟里不见了。钱运周命令迫击炮朝土匪聚集的山涧轰三炮，他半开玩笑地嘱咐道：“不许落空，给他们送颗定心丸！” 几秒钟后，一道红光一闪，随着一声闷响，一颗滴溜溜打转的迫击炮弹憋足劲，在夜空中划出一道很夸张的弧线，然后带着很响亮的哨音落进涧底爆炸开来。巨大的火光腾起来，烟雾笼罩深涧，猛烈的爆炸将岩石震裂，碎石像天女散花一样抛上天空，巨大的气浪把树木连根拔起，隆隆的爆炸声像惊雷一样经久不息，在山谷里发出一连串轰鸣的回声。那些惊魂未定的土匪还不明白发生什么事，第二发经过校正的炮弹又接踵而至。炮弹划破空气发出的尖啸像一份死亡宣言，把没有见识过战争场面的土匪彻底吓破胆。他们原本都是当地山民，世代居住在这片与世隔绝的大山里，金三角尚处在刀耕火种的原始社会，他们哪里有幸见识文明社会的杀人武器？杀人用刀和杀人不见血，这就是野蛮与文明的区别。这种情况与中国鸦片战争相似，洋人坚船利炮，清兵手持大刀长矛，这样的战争能进行下去吗？战争是生产力的对话，所以不是打仗的人不勇猛，也不是土匪跑不快，而是他们运气实在太差，因为这天夜里他们不幸面对的是另一个时代。 炮弹砸下来，转眼间就把山涧填平一半，就像天塌下来一样。机枪大炮彻底摧毁土匪的信心，侥幸活命的人，包括那个曾经威风八面的土匪头子抱着被弹片削去半只耳朵的脑袋，都跟兔子一样没命地窜出山沟，窜进树林，从此销声匿迹不见踪影。 战斗结束，除死了几个脚夫，伤了几匹骡马，护商队未折一人。 7 一路晓行夜宿，士兵百倍警惕，不敢稍有松懈。这天他们来到一座险要山隘，前面叫起来，说有土匪拦道。 拦道者很霸气，敲着一只木鼓，吹着号角，山隘上垒起圆木和石头，一溜排开几十条步枪火药枪，发下话来留下买路钱，否则不许通过。钱运周急忙赶到队伍前面，他看见山隘两边都是悬崖，地势险要无法迂回，山顶一座大寨，能看见露出竹楼尖顶，估计是土匪的大本营。再看拦道土匪，个个跟野人一样头发老长衣衫不整，有的抱着竹烟筒，有的站起身来看热闹，全然没有打仗的准备。这就是说，土匪并不清楚护商队底细。他心中有了底，让向导问土匪，留下买路钱是多少？山上答：按老规矩，三抽一。 三抽一就是每三驮货留下一驮，钱运周当然不肯认这个账，但是打起来地势不利，恐怕会有伤亡。于是他派人对山上声明：我们是中国军队，李国辉将军复兴部队，借你们地盘过路，请高抬贵手，将来大家交个朋友。 小匪把话传回寨子，过一阵有人发下话来说：大爷说了，看在你们什么将军面子上，留下十匹骡子十驮货，放你们走路。 马帮首领在金三角走了一辈子山道，见过许多世面，他连忙去拉钱运周衣角，示意他答应下来好走路。通常遇拦道劫匪，三抽一或者五抽二都有，只给十驮买路钱已经给足天大的面子。行话称“放血”，有放鸡血、猪血和牛血之分，放鸡血总比放牛血或者血本无收强得多。问题是钱运周不是老百姓，他是军人，军人有自己的准则。对这些偷鸡摸狗的强盗，莫说十驮，就是留下一驮货他也不干。军人的准则就是靠枪炮来说话。 于是迫击炮悄悄脱掉炮衣，机枪从大树后面伸出枪管，卡宾枪子弹上膛，枪口瞄准山上那些暴露的人影。他让向导继续麻痹土匪：感谢大爷给面子，这十驮货全孝敬你们啦！ 土匪不知是计，一个小头目大摇大摆走下来，后面跟着十几个人来收货。他们倒背着枪，全然没有防备。钱运周眼看时机已到，大喝一声“打！”顿时枪声像爆豆一般骤响起来。那些神气活现的土匪顿时变得跟树叶一样轻飘飘的，被子弹下风暴刮得站立不稳纷纷人仰马翻，侥幸活着的要逃命也来不及了，卡宾枪点名一样追上他们，把他们牢牢地钉在地上再也没法动弹。 与此同时，迫击炮也怒吼起来。第一发炮弹落在山隘上炸开来，把一堆血淋淋的泥土和人体抛向空中。土匪乱成一团，哇哇怪叫，再落几发炮弹，土匪就炸了营，乱糟糟地扔下工事逃回寨子去。士兵毫不费力就占领山隘。钱运周命令迫击炮继续向寨子射击，炮手瞄得准准的，炮弹落下去，火光和浓烟腾起来，那些竹楼都像不结实的玩具一样散开来。土匪好像受惊的耗子，慌慌张张从窝里被驱赶出来，但是子弹炮弹仍不肯放过他们，到处追逐把他们变成一堆堆四分五裂的尸体。 马帮首领不再害怕，他从地上爬起来观战，拍着手哈哈大笑道：“过瘾，过瘾！我一辈子走南闯北，今天算是开眼界啦！” 职业军人钱运周站在隘口上，了望四周战场，心里竟生出一丝小小的悲哀。他不是叹息对手太弱而是遗憾自己太强大，一支参加过二战的正规军，在金三角如此打仗，也许根本不能算打仗，只能算镇压农民起义。土匪一触即溃，垮得那样彻底，连一点小小的反抗都没有。他们唯一的长处就是逃得快，眨眼工夫就钻进树林里不见了，当你的望远镜还在草丛里搜索，他们的身影却已经在对面山头上闪现。为了不给土匪喘息之机，他命令炮手再发几炮，把那些吓破胆的当地人送远些，让他们彻底消失。他们把土匪老窝里的骡马鸦片掳掠一空，放一把火，然后押着骡马队伍浩浩荡荡通过山隘远去，把那片冒着黑烟和尸体狼藉的战场丢在身后。 8 一个月后，钱运周率领护商队胜利返回小勐捧，他们满载而归，带回部队急需的银圆、弹药、药品、电池、百货用品和盐巴布匹。这一天是小勐捧的节日，营地沸腾起来，人们像欢迎英雄一样迎接护商队凯旋。第一次护商成功不仅意味着这支国民党军队开始转变职能，自力更生养活自己，对于整个金三角的历史进程来说，这都是个不可忽视的重要开端。它的全部意义在于，文明社会之手无情抹去金三角的原始封条，那只装有魔鬼的瓶盖被打开了。 金三角！我听见魔鬼哈哈大笑！