499
“Swallowed?” Westley sneered, his eyes full of mockery and anger. “I think you’ve been scared out of your wits by the Chinese. You can’t even come up with a decent explanation!”
What about the land troops? Wasn't it said that the Chinese army only had 30,000 men? Why haven't they taken Base 5 yet? It's been a whole night!
"The Chinese, with only those rabble from the border region, took complete control of Base 5 in just over four hours. Now, we've sent our best aircraft, our best warships, and our best equipment."
But a night has passed, and what have the results been? What did you say when you set out?
The operations staff wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and opened the battle report in his hand: "General, according to the news from the front, the Chinese army's resistance is exceptionally tenacious. They seem to have received some kind of support, and their firepower is much stronger than we anticipated."
Moreover, their tactics were flexible and varied. Our armored units encountered multiple ambushes during their march, even before they reached the battlefield, suffering heavy losses.
"Support? What support?" Westley was furious, slamming his fist on the filing cabinet next to him, the door rattling loudly.
"I don't care where their reinforcements come from. Immediately send two more divisions and all available artillery to blast Base 5 to smithereens! I refuse to believe that with our superior numbers and equipment, we can't take down this mere 30,000 men!"
Even if we destroy Base 5, we absolutely cannot let it fall into Chinese hands. That good-for-nothing Hansen, can't he even destroy the central control center?
Hansen, who had been thoroughly berated by Westley, was not as comfortable as he had imagined. Ever since Chang Yin and Tang Yue discovered that a large number of US troops were stockpiled at the underwater project site, and the US military's swift counterattack, all of this was enough to prove that Hansen had not been telling the truth during the interrogation.
Chang Yin was careless at the time; their truth serum was usually used domestically, specifically on spies and agents. On the battlefield, Chang Yin always strictly adhered to battlefield rules.
Chang Yin, inside the tank, felt remorse. If they had learned these things from Hansen sooner, the Chinese army wouldn't be in such a siege, and so many soldiers wouldn't have sacrificed their lives.
Chang Yin didn't know if Commander Han could contact the outside world, but he was determined not to let the American troops break through this gap.
Westley sent two more divisions to provide support. However, his orders did not achieve the desired effect.
The newly deployed army troops encountered constant harassment from small groups of Chinese troops on their way to Base 5. Landmines planted along the roadside and sudden sniper shots caused panic among the American soldiers, greatly slowing their march.
At sea, the US warships that followed cautiously searched for any trace of the missing fleet. On the bridge, the captain stared intently at the radar screen, his brow furrowed. "Sir, still nothing. This area of the sea is like it's been cleared out."
"An operator reported. The captain gritted his teeth and ordered, 'Continue the search, remain highly vigilant, and do not allow the Chinese forces any further opportunity!'"
In the air, US military aircraft formed formations and circled over Base 5, ready to bomb the ground at any time.
However, their bombs were either intercepted by the Chinese air defenses that had been set up in advance, or they missed their targets, achieving little effect. The fighter pilots were extremely frustrated and complained to the command center over the radio: "The ground situation is too complicated, and the Chinese air defenses are too dense. We simply cannot strike accurately!"
Westley's face grew increasingly grim as he received a constant stream of bad news from the front lines. He stared at the clock on the wall; each passing second felt like a dull knife cutting into his heart.
"Why? Why did this happen?" he muttered to himself, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.
Rewind to the phone call between Tang Yue and Commander Kang. After ending the call with Tang Yue, Commander Kang immediately called his superiors. After several transfers, Commander Kang finally got through to the person he was speaking with.
He immediately reported what was happening on the battlefield in Bianyue. The other side only asked one question: Is the information true?
Commander Kang swore by the military flag before him that the information was absolutely accurate. The person above simply said, "Understood," and then hung up. Commander Kang knew his superiors would contact the central command, but he was still uneasy.
However, it was getting late, and the newly recruited soldiers outside had already started their morning exercises. Even though he was worried, he had other things to take care of.
In the family compound, Lin Cuicui was talking to Old Li.
"Dad, Aunt Qin is a really nice person. You're only in your fifties, isn't that the perfect age? Yueyue mentioned this when she was home. Now Aunt Qin is also interested, so what are you still hesitating about?"
I think we should find a day soon and ask Aunt Qin what she thinks. If it's suitable, we can get things done for you two.
Old Li was watering the vegetable garden in the yard, working without uttering a sound. Lin Cuicui had been talking herself hoarse these past few days; she hadn't noticed before, but recently she realized it.
Old Li has been going to Aunt Qin's place more and more often lately, and he stays longer each time. If it weren't for Aunt Qin's grandsons bringing some things over a few days ago, she wouldn't have known that her father and Aunt Qin had already made things clear.
But even after everything was explained, Old Li didn't follow up. Even Aunt Qin's grandsons were getting anxious. They thought that Lin Cuicui didn't agree to the marriage, which was why she was preventing Old Li from living with their grandmother.
One of them couldn't resist coming over and asking.
Lin Cuicui then realized what had happened. Seeing that Old Li still didn't seem inclined to speak, Lin Cuicui decided not to ask him anymore. "Dad, if you don't say anything soon, I'm going to find Aunt Qin after dinner."
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