Muse in northern Shan State has turned completely upside down. Following a sweeping joint operation by Chinese and Myanmar police against cross-border online scam operations, compound after compound has been cleared out, with suspects rounded up and deported in batches. The artificial boom that once kept the border town afloat collapsed overnight as its biggest spenders vanished into thin air.
Back when the telecom scams were booming, the money flowed fast and easy. Compound workers spent recklessly, driving local restaurant prices, KTV rates, rents, and everyday goods to absurd heights. The town's entire business ecosystem had effectively reshaped itself around the compounds, spawning luxury entertainment spots, specialized food delivery fleets, wholesale digital tech shops, and even side industries like private security and smuggling logistics.
Now that the main crime engine has been pulled apart, everyone who relied on it for a living is taking the hit. With the easy money gone, regular locals earning normal wages can't keep up with the sky-high rents and inflated cost of living. Businesses are bleeding cash daily, leaving owners with no choice but to shutter their doors. From local service staff to migrant laborers, people across Muse suddenly find themselves with no income and nowhere to turn.
