Homo Sapiens

November 15, 2019.

Hongsawaddy.

Central Hongsawaddy. Mandalay, the capital of Mandalay Province.

Having served as the historical capital of Hongsawaddy for generations, the city was a web of deeply entrenched, powerful local families. It was also the heartland of the regional warlords.

There were over a dozen major families in the area, but only one warlord—or rather, one faction: the Wu Kailuo faction that Domino had mentioned before.

Wu Kailuo controlled eight divisions throughout the northern regions, making him one of the most powerful figures in Hongsawaddy. Furthermore, he was an ally of the Mao Gu faction, which currently held Shan State.

Of course, the Mao Gu faction was already in "deep cooperation" with the Homo Sapiens Company.

Inside Wu Kailuo’s private estate, he was watching several servants cut into raw stones. Stone gambling was one of his favorite hobbies.

The jade industry was, in fact, one of the pillars of the Wu Kailuo faction’s power. He controlled about 30% of the entire jade mining region’s output, with the remaining 70% under the control of the Kachin Army.

This was one of the foundations upon which the Wu Kailuo faction had built its strength.

After all, the Mao Gu faction relied on flour from the Golden Triangle, smuggling along the northeastern border, and the gambling dens of Old Street.

The Wu Kailuo faction, on the other hand, depended on jade from the Wulong River Area, as well as river transport and agriculture in the Mandalay Region.

WHIRRR! The sound of the electric saw didn’t bother Wu Kailuo in the slightest. He loved the thrill of cutting open a raw stone.

As someone who controlled the core supply channels, the raw stones placed before Wu Kailuo were certainly not some low-grade, marble-like jade.

Soon, a slice was cut from the rind of the watermelon-sized stone, revealing a distinct band of green. But Wu Kailuo just shook his head.

"Worthless oil-green, and full of cracks. It’s not worth much."

A middle-aged man walked in from the doorway and quickly exclaimed with a smile, "The General has a keen eye! Truly the King of Stone Gambling."

Wu Kailuo didn’t get carried away by his subordinate’s flattery. His expertise in stone gambling was earned by cutting open countless stones. "Zhengshan, what is it?"

Mang Zhengshan was one of his division commanders.

What truly caught Wu Kailuo’s attention at that moment wasn’t Mang Zhengshan, but the men he had brought with him.

Noticing the change in Wu Kailuo’s expression, Mang Zhengshan immediately leaned in and whispered, "General, they wish to see you. They say they have something extremely important to discuss."

Though Wu Kailuo was unsure of their purpose, they were guests after all. He instructed his butler, "Go prepare some tea."

"Yes, sir."

Once they were in the living room, Wu Kailuo’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’Mao An? Mao Shi? What are those two doing here in Mandalay?’

The two parties exchanged meaningless pleasantries for some time.

When he felt the mood was right, Mao An finally stated his purpose. "Your Excellency, I wonder if you might be interested in a business deal?"

"A business deal?" Wu Kailuo glanced at him, his own thoughts hidden. He then asked impassively,

"What kind of deal would be worth the two of you making a personal trip?"

Mao An and Mao Shi—one was the head of a major family in Yangon, the other the head of a major family in Irawaddy Province. Together, they represented the great families of the south.

For them to personally come to Mandalay meant the deal was enormous, and it likely required his direct involvement.

"The General should know that business in the coastal regions has been difficult lately. We hope to ease the atmosphere with the outside world," Mao An said with a smile.

Hearing this, Wu Kailuo took a sip of tea and replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "For a matter like this, shouldn’t Your Excellency be going to Binmane? Mandalay has no authority to make such a decision."

"No. As long as the General is willing, Mandalay *can* decide," Mao An said, looking Wu Kailuo dead in the eye.

"..." Wu Kailuo’s eyes filled with shock and astonishment. "Perhaps Your Excellency could be more direct."

"Your Excellency, this is a petition from the families of the coastal regions. Please, have a look." Mao An handed a document over.

Wu Kailuo took it and saw that over two-thirds of the dozen or so major families in the coastal regions had signed it.

At the sight of this, the ambition in Wu Kailuo’s heart began to grow wild like weeds.

But he quickly calmed himself and began calculating in his mind. ’I control eight divisions in the north. I’m confident I can persuade Mao Gu to keep his troops on standby.’

’If I add the clandestine support of the coastal families... they also control a complex web of connections. Even if they don’t cooperate with me, they’ll most likely remain on the sidelines.’

’In that case, I’ll only need to face the two divisions in Binmane on my own.’

But a sliver of doubt remained in Wu Kailuo’s mind. He didn’t agree immediately, instead asking,

"Mao Gu could also accomplish this. Why didn’t you go to him?"

Mao An smiled. "The General is the strongest. If we had gone to General Mao Gu, would you have been willing to keep your troops on standby?"

Wu Kailuo understood at once. His faction’s military strength was indeed the greatest. If Mao Gu’s faction were to try anything, it would be impossible without his cooperation and tacit approval.

Still, Wu Kailuo did not agree. "I need to consider this. The matter is of great importance."

Mao Shi, who had been silent all this time, spoke up to assist. "As for the two divisions in Binmane, we can help the General placate them. We guarantee they won’t interfere."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kailuo was finally moved.

His main worry, after all, was that this might be a trap. If Mao Shi and Mao An’s side could truly ensure the two Defense Divisions in Binmane would remain on the sidelines, then he believed the chances of success were extremely high.

"Are you certain?"

"Of course. As a show of our sincerity, we will remain in Mandalay until the General has accomplished everything."

Seeing their earnest sincerity, Wu Kailuo no longer held any doubts. Believing the advantage was his, he quickly reached an agreement with Mao An and Mao Shi, and they divided the prospective spoils.

「That night.」

Wu Kailuo convened a meeting with his confidants at a military camp outside the city.

Among them were Mang Zhengshan, commander of the 505th Division, who had introduced Mao An and Mao Shi; Wu Dao Da, commander of the 501st Division; Wu Yao, commander of the 502nd Division; Bo Ke, commander of the 503rd Division; and Mang Feng, the head of military intelligence.

These men were all Wu Kailuo’s trusted inner circle, subordinates he felt he could rely on.

He recounted the morning’s discussion with Mao An and Mao Shi, secretly observing his men’s expressions.

Mang Zhengshan was the first to suck up. "A brilliant move, General! I’ve long found those guys disagreeable."

The others quickly chimed in with their agreement. The probability of success seemed very high, and to object now would be to openly oppose Wu Kailuo.

Wu Yao, commander of the 502nd Division, immediately shouted, "General, let me lead the charge! I guarantee I can take Binmane within an hour!"

’That crafty Wu Yao,’ the others thought with contempt.

Not to be outdone, Mang Zhengshan declared, "General, I am also willing to lead the charge!"

Now the others couldn’t sit still, each clamoring to pledge their loyal service to the General.

Wu Kailuo could feel that the army’s morale was high and ready for battle. However, sending four divisions south at once was clearly inappropriate. After all, one could never be too careful.

He then looked at Mang Zhengshan, the one who had brought Mao An and Mao Shi to him. He had already received a report from military intelligence that this man had accepted a significant amount of money from them.

As a precaution, Wu Kailuo decided to have Bo Ke’s 503rd Division and Mang Zhengshan’s 505th Division garrison their home base in Mandalay. This way, they could keep an eye on each other while also guarding against the Kachin Army to the north and Mao Gu’s faction to the southeast.

He himself would lead the Guard Corps, Wu Dao Da’s 501st Division, and Wu Yao’s 502nd Division. They would then rendezvous with the 504th Division from the south, gathering the strength of three divisions to bring the army swiftly to the city’s gates.

Blinded by the prospect of personal gain, Wu Kailuo had no idea that an invisible hand was manipulating his every move.

Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.