Lashio is 120 kilometers south of the port of Mujie and is the central city of Shan State in northern Myanmar. Shan State considers itself the capital, but the outside world does not. However, the investment permission obtained by the 'Holy Light' was granted by these local states.

Tanba came here in a small four-wheeled truck from Sister Mu from the north. He was in a convoy of more than 20 vehicles, this time carrying goods to Lashio for sale.

It is said to be a central city, but in fact, the population of Lashio is only about 200,000, which is equivalent to a town or even a township in China. Such a small population cannot support much power, let alone a strong armed force.

The convoy from the north stopped at a checkpoint outside the city, and several Shan soldiers came to check the pass. Most of them were thin and small, their uniforms were baggy, and the weapons in their hands seemed to be particularly mismatched.

It is still a dirt road from Mujie to Lashio, but it is much better than the rugged village mountain road. Each small four-wheeled truck pulled two tons of goods, basically some daily necessities.

Tanba jumped off the small four-wheeler in the lead, speaking a local accent close to the soldier at the checkpoint. He took out a pack of cigarettes and handed them out one by one, and gave the remaining half of the pack to the little boss guarding the checkpoint.

The cigarette is 'Da Chongjiu', a very old brand, and the grade and price are not high. 'Holy Light' has been wholesaled a lot, specially used to dump at the bottom of Southeast Asia, and the selling is two or three times more expensive than in China.

Not only is the cigarette expensive, but the 'Holy Light' sells everything in Myanmar.

After receiving the smoke from Tanba, the soldiers guarding the checkpoint were also satisfied. They don't have a lot of requirements at the moment, and they're happy to be able to catch a cigarette. More than 20 small four-wheeled trucks were not subject to any inspection and drove into Lashio with ease.

The urban construction of Lashio is not as good as the small county towns in China, the roads are not good, and the houses are not good, but it does not mean that there is no need for goods here. The convoy had just passed through the checkpoint, and before it had time to reach the market, a dozen local merchants were crowded on both sides of the road.

Tanba jumped out of the car, waved his hands and shouted, "Get out of the way, don't get in the way, let the convoy enter the market to unload." If you don't get out of the way, I'll crush you. ”

Tamba had to push and shove to get the local merchants away from the crowd, and it had to be a big effort to get the convoy into the newly built market on the outskirts of the city.

At present, the 'Shengguang Overseas Development Company' only penetrates into the area of 50 or 60 kilometers around the port, except for a small number of 'exploration' teams that will operate from a distance of more than 100 kilometers, and most of the company's employees are focused on laying a good foundation.

But in order to exert influence, the company does not mind sending convoys to pull goods to certain central cities. In addition to Lashio, there are Myitkyina further north, Mandalay to the south, or Yangon further south.

As the capital, Yangon is the southernmost part of Myanmar, nearly 600 kilometers away from the central city of Mandalay, and 1,200 kilometers away from northern Myanmar. For backward countries, distance is the greatest obstacle to domination.

Born in northern Myanmar, Tamba has never left his homeland. In the past, the scope of his activities was confined to a small circle, and his knowledge of the world was like a frog at the bottom of a well.

At the field hospital in Lao Cai district, Tamba saw television, rode in a car, heard the radio, and came into contact with industrial civilization for the first time. In the past, this was only possessed by a 'general' level leader, and he had a half-understanding at best.

But after staying in the hospital for half a month, he got up every morning to listen to the 'Central People's Radio,' watched the 'news broadcast' of the Central Radio Station at night, and the movies and television series were all in Chinese, and the information he received was something he had never thought of in the past.

Tanba didn't think there was anything wrong, but it was very novel. He and many of his peers were like sponges absorbing water, hungry for instilled knowledge. Whatever the group says, he feels is right, because the group is strong enough.

Half a month later, the gunshot wound on the thigh was almost healed, and Tanba joined the 'Holy Light Overseas Development Company' along with hundreds of young people. He didn't realize what it meant, he just knew it was a good job.

Without the 'Holy Light', these young people would either work as coolies in the fields or join a force to carry guns as cannon fodder. But now the Light has given them more secure and rewarding jobs.

This is the same reason that the United States harvests high-end talents from all over the world, and it is simply invincible to increase income and environment. Only the extremely strong-willed can resist this temptation, and ordinary people are completely unable to do it.

Tanba's task was to act as a part-time guide for translators, and he led the company's team around, either into the mountains to find scattered villages or armed forces, or to follow the convoy to the 'big city' to do business.

When the convoy arrived in Lashio, all that was unloaded were worthless things.

Tin buckets, candles, flashlights, hot water bottles, medical alcohol, table salt, gasoline and diesel, mess, everything. As long as it is needed in daily life, the group provides it.

The goods come from small businesses in Yunnan, and Myanmar's market can feed these technologically backward businesses before undergoing a major transformation. This is good to stabilize some employment, or to accommodate a part of the workers who have been reorganized and eliminated by state-owned enterprises.

Due to the devastation of the civil war, Myanmar has little industry and can only provide some agricultural and forestry products. Industrial products are basically purchased from outside, and the sources are often low-end goods from China, Thailand or Vietnam.

After the goods were unloaded, the local merchants drove the small tricycles that also came from the 'Holy Light' to make purchases. The price of light industrial products sold is more expensive than in Yunnan, but the local products purchased are cheaper than in Yunnan.

As long as Myanmar does not have its own industrial capacity, the 'scissors difference' of dumping will not stop. This is completely different from the group's business in Eastern Europe, where Da Mao has industrial capacity.

After unloading, the convoy will purchase rice from Mandalay and other places and load it away. The volume of trade each time is not very large, at most thirty or forty thousand yuan, but there will be convoys every day.

As a translator, Tanba also had to help the team talk about the next order. Local businessmen want almost everything, more vehicles, more gasoline and diesel, fertilizers and pesticides, generators and tractors.

Wealthy people will buy a few second-hand VCRs and videotapes, or other appliances. The trade demand between the two sides is very large, and the only constraint is that the roads are too poor to run large trucks with a load of more than ten tons and dozens of tons.

As for the railway? It's still too far away.

It was already afternoon when the convoy arrived in Lashio, and it was a bit dangerous to run back at night. As a guide, Tamba arranged for the driver of the convoy to stay at a warehouse in the city. He wanted to go out into the streets.

In the past, Lashio was a big city for Tamba. He's been here for a long time, and he's never been there. But now it's really here, and every time I visit, I'm disappointed.

Compared with Mu Jie, which is being invested and modernized by the 'Holy Light', Lashio only has low mud houses, broken streets, and open-air ditches.

The city is full of soldiers, always ready for war, but they are not at all comparable to the company's security personnel. The weapons and equipment are far apart, and there are not even a few cars - the 'Holy Light' as a company can drive here without parallel.

There are not many roads in Lashio, and walking around is just like that. In high spirits, Tanba prepares to turn around and meet the warehouse.

On the road, two foreigners with cameras suddenly came out, and their interpreter stopped Tanbo and said arrogantly: "This is a British BBC reporter, I want to do an interview with you." Talk to them well and they will give you money. ”