The violent explosion was captured by thermal imaging and rendered in black, white, and gray tones, creating a spectacular scene.
Thankfully, there was still enough distance, allowing the T-64B1M's -5° elevation angle to blast targets lying prone on the ground; otherwise, just using the weapon station to straf the target would have felt inadequate.
"These rebels won't just ambush one person; they're preparing to launch Wuji 2!"
"yes!"
Hans took the last drone from the bulkhead of the gunner's compartment, then opened the hatch and launched it.
If you replace the Inspire 2 with the Mavic, you can carry twice as many vehicles, but you can't mount a thermal imaging camera, which is very unprofessional.
As a highly information-driven PMC company, thermal imaging is a standard feature in fire defense operations; it may not be used, but it is indispensable.
Because in rainforest environments, especially for locating individual targets, thermal imaging is very important.
"Suspicious humanoid heat source detected. What are they pushing out? Damn it, it's a rocket launcher!"
Xia Yu saw a chilling scene on the screen: two rocket launchers were pushed out of the bunker and pointed at their side in a crisscross pattern.
Good heavens, 24 rockets saturating a vehicle—he couldn't even imagine such a scene.
"Quickly, Honey Badger, turn the vehicle around on the spot and keep the heat smoke screen covering the battlefield!"
"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~~"
Before Domi could react, Xia Yu fired four smoke grenades in a double salvo, obscuring the rebels' vision.
"Buzz~ Puff~~"
The next second, Domi completed the steering of the vehicle and sprayed diesel fuel into the scalding exhaust pipe.
The high temperature causes the diesel fuel to atomize instantly. After mixing with the engine exhaust gas, it is drawn out of the exhaust pipe along with the electric smoke screen pump. The hot mixture condenses rapidly upon cooling, forming a wall of smoke that envelops the T-64B1M.
"Sir, we can't see the target anymore."
The sergeant operating the rocket launcher shouted loudly.
The most effective way to counter direct fire is to make the enemy unable to see you. The number of smoke grenades on the vehicle is limited, but the diesel-consuming thermal smoke screen can theoretically keep producing smoke as long as the fuel tank is not empty.
"We can't see them, and they can't see us. Fire a round into the smoke first, and the suicide squad will take this opportunity to charge forward."
The deputy chief of staff had no better idea, but fortunately his men were fearless. If they could just take down that devilish T-64, they would have done right by the general.
"yes!"
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~~"
A rocket launcher fired first, launching 12 rockets into the smoke screen. The smoke screen effectively covered an area of over 100 meters, and more than half of the rockets passed through the smoke before exploding in the rainforest.
Of course, there are also those who get lucky and stumble upon a dead mouse.
"Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~"
Millimeter waves that penetrated the smoke particles locked onto two rockets whose trajectories threatened the vehicle's safety, and two interceptor missiles were subsequently fired.
"Boom~ Boom~~"
The blast wave did not disperse the smoke; instead, the rising smoke made visibility even worse.
The deputy chief of staff waved for the soldiers to reload the rocket launchers. Four groups of eight men each carried two RpG-30s and two RpG-32s and quickly ran towards the smoke-covered battlefield.
If Xia Yu and his group dare to peek out from behind the smoke screen, they'll be facing concentrated fire!
Normally, that would be the case, but Jihuo Defense doesn't follow the usual path.
No problem if you can't see the target; Xia Yu can control the drone to return automatically with a single click.
"Boss, is there still electricity?"
"Open the hatch to retrieve the drone," Hans asked Xia Yu.
"There are still more than ten minutes left, which is more than enough."
Xia Yu gestured for Hans to continue.
He then took a 3D-printed kit from the bulkhead and placed it directly under the fuselage.
"Grenade, give me one Lucher LU213, just one."
Technical staff typically carry only two grenades, while when used on drones, they mostly use the Lucher LU213 with pre-fragmented sleeves and steel ball pads.
Nothing special, just powerful.
However, it is also heavy, weighing 280 grams per piece.
Xia Yu took out his gun and handed it over. He inserted the two into the kit slots, and that was about the limit for Inspire 2 to take off.
Large drones have advantages; besides taking clear pictures, they can also deliver messages to the enemy.
The Mavic is far too weak; at best, it can only carry two grenades to bomb infantry.
"Waaah~~"
As the Inspire 2 rocket carrying its ammunition burst through the smoke, Xia Yu was piloting it toward the rocket artillery position when the camera unexpectedly captured several infantrymen carrying launchers running toward them.
Suicide Squad?
Xia Yu curled his lip and continued flying forward until he saw a fully loaded rocket launcher, and another one a hundred meters away was being loaded with ammunition.
Which one to hit? That was a question that didn't require hesitation. The drone was rapidly charged toward the fully loaded rocket launcher.
"Rumble~~"
As soon as the image on the screen disappeared, a deafening explosion came from afar.
"Honey Badger, let's charge!"
"Buzz~~"
The turret remained stationary, the T-64B1M's hull reversed again, then shifted gears and accelerated, bursting out of the smoke screen and launching its charge amidst the horrified gazes of the rebels.
"Da~da~da~da~~"
The coaxial machine gun, no longer conserving ammunition, fired its last long burst, taking down the rebel suicide squad.
"Quick, stop pretending, just shoot."
The deputy chief of staff, his scalp tingling, turned around and roared.
Fun fact: rocket launchers can fire even when they're not fully loaded, but then which one will be faster?
"shooting!"
"Thump~~"
The moving T-64B1M fired a high-explosive grenade.
"Rumble~~"
Amidst the deafening explosion, the rocket launcher was destroyed into parts, then indiscriminately annihilated all surrounding soft targets.
The crisis is over; there's no need to worry about being headshot anymore.
"Screech~ Calling for support, this is the Mole vehicle crew, do you need backup?"
"Boom!"
Amid the background sound of the explosion, Kuhn's voice came through the radio.
They just took down a T-72AV with a single Kornet missile; the tandem warhead is really effective against the old explosive reactive armor.
"You have to help us. We've run out of coaxial machine guns, automatic weapon stations, and high-explosive grenades. We're also running out of 12 interceptor rounds."
Xia Yu didn't hold back; this battle was truly exhausting, after all, their targets were no longer limited to armored vehicles.
"Sir, we only have less than 200 liters of diesel left in our fuel tank."
Domi added from the cockpit.
"Yes, the heat smoke screen consumed a lot of our fuel, and this amount of fuel can only last us a few more rounds."
Xia Yu turned off the air conditioner as she spoke.
He can use the system to refuel with one click, but to avoid triggering any paranormal events, let's do it the way we always do!
“Five minutes, we’ll be there in five minutes.”
After ending the communication, the Weasel S30 quickly drove towards the T-64B1M.
In addition to resupplying ammunition, Kuhn and his crew also filled their 650L fuel tanks. Although this figure is less than half that of the T-64B1M, drawing 200L of fuel would not affect their combat capabilities.
The two vehicles look similar in weight, but the T-64B1M's newly replaced engine has 1200 horsepower. It's hard to imagine how high the fuel consumption of those 1500-horsepower behemoths is.
At this moment, only four T-72s remained in the entire rebel camp.
Anka Jr. also ordered the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Company to enter the camp for combat, and Schneider also wanted to show his support, after all, the rebels had shot down their helicopter.
Direct retaliation is not permitted, but the civilians imprisoned at the gold mine need to be rescued, and he has been authorized to do so.
The entire company was committed, working in conjunction with two companies from Busa's infantry battalion, to enter the camp through the passage opened by concentrated fire defenses and advance towards the gold mine.
However, most people overlooked one thing.
Two minefields outside the camp stopped the ordinary soldiers of the rebel army, but what about those die-hard veterans who knew about the reserved passage?
A dozen or so veteran rebels, wearing bulletproof vests and fully armed, crossed the minefield and stealthily crept towards the passage from another direction.
Running away is out of the question, and the destruction of the camp is irreversible, so they will take a piece of flesh from Busa.
They soon discovered valuable targets: a Weasel A3 and two BTR-80s.
This is the 4th Company of the Anka Mechanized Infantry Battalion, which is neglected by everyone and has not received any tank modification or upgrades. At this moment, they are left to guard the front-line battalion headquarters.
Being able to avoid direct confrontation with the rebels' artillery fire is certainly safe, but it also means you can't earn any battle merits, so it's hard to say whether it's good or bad.
Now we can assess it: it's very bad, because out of the dozen or so rebel veterans, six put down their AKm and picked up their RPG-7s.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~~"
"Boom~ Boom~ Boom~~"
Six rockets hit three armored vehicles in a row. The Weasel A3 was hit by three rockets, with the first one blasting a hole in the slat armor.
Of the remaining two shots, one hit the breach, and the other, due to its angle, was not intercepted. The metal jet penetrated the side of the Weasel A3 without hindrance, killing the two infantry squad members left inside.
This is what happens when you lose a layer of explosive reactive armor; even with additional armor and base armor, it can't stop the 350mm equivalent penetration.
The two BTR-80s next to them were in even worse shape. After all, they could be penetrated by 12.7mm heavy machine guns. As armored personnel carriers, they shouldn't have been exposed to the enemy's direct fire. But what could they do when their command post was attacked?
"Oops!"
In front of the camera, Anka, clutching his wound, tried to stand up from his wheelchair, but the pain made him sit back down.
"Quickly, we've been attacked! Send my guard platoon to take them out immediately!"
Although Anka was panicking, she remembered that the camera was still on, so she calmly gave orders.
That's what perseverance and composure in the face of danger mean. He embodies those qualities.
As soon as the guard platoon made its move, the dozen or so rebel veterans also threw away their RPG launchers, grabbed AKs and pKm rifles, and rushed into the battalion headquarters, starting a chaotic killing spree. Four of them even rushed into the hospital area.
"Da~da~da~~"
With a single long shot from the AKm, three wounded Busa soldiers who had just retreated from the battlefield were instantly killed.
"Bang!"
On the other side of the tent was an officer who pulled out a pistol and shot the rebel in the back.
"Da~da~da~~"
The rebels, unharmed by the bulletproof vests, turned and fired a burst of bullets, staining the tarpaulin behind the officer with splattered blood.
"Are you kidding me? We have bulletproof vests too!"
The rebel veteran spoke disdainfully of the dead Busa officer.
"Stop talking, hurry up, don't let them react."
His companions pulled the talkative rebel back; they were going to continue searching the next tent.
As he walked and changed magazines, he used the muzzle of his gun to lift the curtain, and just as he was halfway inside, a flash of silver light appeared.
"Pfft~ Sizzle~~"
Blood gushed from his carotid artery like a fountain. The rebel instinctively reached out to block it, but suddenly all his strength vanished, and he couldn't lift his hand.
"Zagi, what's wrong?"
"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~~"
The rebel soldier still outside the door was greeted with six 9mm Paragon rounds.
Bulletproof vests should theoretically be able to stop this kind of bullet, but what if they're aimed at this side?
With a scalpel in one hand and an empty magazine of Glock 43 in the other, Liv trembled all over.
It wasn't fear, but the thrill of a predator ending the life of its prey for the first time.
"Dr. Liv?"
The Black nurse touched Liv's shoulder.
"Whoosh~~"
Liv turned around instantly, the still-warm muzzle of the gun pressed against the nurse's forehead. Her gray-blue pupils lacked their usual liveliness, leaving only a chilling intent.
"I'm sorry, I just... I just mistook you for one of them."
Fortunately, the gun was empty. Liv's expression changed, and she immediately put down the gun and apologized to the nurse.
"Don't blame yourself, you did it to protect us."
Although she was terrified, the nurse still managed to comfort Liv.
I always thought Dr. Liv was a kind and gentle girl, but who knew she would kill two rebels with a single move, and the way she looked at them was like she was looking at dead people.
Doctors see more dead people than ordinary people, but none of them are like Liv.
"Yes, I did it to protect everyone. Wait, what about the teacher…"
"Da~da~da~~"
The gunshots outside interrupted Liv, leaving her no time to find any solace.
Liv lifted her leg, pulled out the spare magazine from the holster, and replaced the Glock 43 with it. Then she picked up the rebel's AKm.
This was her first time handling an AK, but she could tell that the safety was off and that the other person had just changed the magazine outside.
"Tracy, let's drag the one outside in. We can't let them realize that their numbers are less than normal."
The tent was full of wounded soldiers; the only ones who could work were her and this nurse named Trish.
The two men, each taking one leg, worked together to drag the fallen rebel into the tent.
The guy had five holes in his face. Liv's last shot hit his helmet instead of penetrating it because the muzzle bounced back, but that didn't affect the outcome.
Liv chose to slit the throat of the first rebel with a scalpel because she wasn't confident she could take down two targets with a small pistol, but she did have some knowledge of human anatomy.
She can make dozens of minor cuts with a scalpel, or she can kill with a single blow, even though she has never practiced it before, but judging from her performance today.
Well, it seems she wasn't exaggerating.
"Tracy, you stay here and watch everyone. I'm going to check on the operating room!"
"Stay here, it's dangerous outside."
The nurse offered her advice.
“These guys kill anyone they see, I need to go see my teacher.”
Liv was very worried about her teacher, Herman. The old man was over fifty and had come to Afica. He was already having some trouble adjusting to the local environment. She couldn't let anything happen to him!
Just as I feared, the operating room in the tent was filled with wounded soldiers, nurses, and Herman himself, dressed in surgical scrubs, all lying in pools of blood.
These inhuman bastards!
She once asked her teacher if the rebels were sent to the hospital and they should be treated.
Hellman said they are Doctors Without Borders, and anyone who is injured, whether it's government troops or opposition forces, is their patient.
He wanted to save them, but they killed him without even asking any questions. They were clearly terrorists.
Anger burned within her, and Liv gripped the AKm tightly with both hands.
She had to do something, for her teacher and for herself.
Reaching out to remove her glasses, Liv closed her teacher's eyes and turned to leave the operating tent.
As they walked, they tried to identify the direction from which the gunfire was coming, until they found two veteran rebel soldiers exchanging fire with a guard platoon of an infantry battalion behind a truck loaded with medicine and equipment.
With the butt of the rifle against his shoulder, he aimed at a rebel's thigh in a straight line and pulled the trigger.
"Da~da~da~~"
Without bulletproof pants, the rebel fell down with a scream. Another heard gunshots coming from behind and quickly turned his PKM gun, but it was too late.
"Da~da~da~~"
Liv pulled the trigger all the way down. The recoil of the 7.62x39mm intermediate-power round made it difficult for her to control the gun, as it was her first time using an AK. But she was aiming for the abdomen.
As the gun barrel rose, bullet after bullet struck the rebel's heart, below his neck, grazed his neck, and finally hit the palate beneath his thick lips.
"Da~da~da~~"
The last dozen or so bullets all floated into the sky, but so what? As long as one of the twenty-odd bullets hit, that would be enough.
Discarding her empty AKM, Liv pulled a Glock 43 from her pocket and fired shot after shot at the face of the rebel who was groaning while clutching his leg wound.
The world was quiet again, and the four guard platoons of soldiers, who had been suppressed by the two rebels using their advantageous terrain and firepower, looked at Liv, who was wearing a blue helmet, as if she were a god.
It's nothing really. The rebels were cutting off their rear, so she was cutting off the rebel soldiers' rear as well.
It's always easier to shoot from behind than from the front, especially for a beginner like her.
Liv doesn't know how to fight, but she knows how to use her brain.
"What? You're saying my sister killed four rebel veterans?"
After working with the Mole crew to take out the remaining four T-72s, Hans received a report from 06 at the camp.
"Yes, they were all wearing bulletproof vests. It took me a lot of effort to take down one of them. Your sister first used a scalpel to open the throat of one of the rebels, then took down another with a pistol, and then mowed down two more with a captured AKm."
Listening to 06's vivid description over the radio, the dozen or so people from Jihuo Defense still in the camp all had the same expression: they must have heard correctly!
"It's a real shame that your sister's teacher, Dr. Herman, was killed by the rebels."
Remembering that there was this, 06 added another sentence, and everyone then understood.
Liv has suddenly unleashed her full potential, which is quite common in the military. Everyone has potential; even a normally timid soldier can unleash astonishing fighting power when a close comrade sacrifices himself in front of them.
Having lost her father at a young age, Liv's upbringing was marked by a lack of paternal love, even though she had her brother and mother.
Helman, who entered medical school, was rigorous, serious, and kind. After losing his young daughter in an accident, he devoted the rest of his life to teaching and the cause of medicine without borders. To some extent, he played the role of Liv's father.
He was killed by the rebels, which led to Liv's astonishing outburst of anger.
However, what no one knew was that she had already killed two rebels before she avenged her teacher.
"boss?"
Hans looked at Xia Yu somewhat embarrassed.
“I understand. Anyway, the work is almost done. Honey Badger, let’s retreat first. The Mole crew will continue hunting the remaining BMP infantry fighting vehicles.”
"It's x12!"
Separated from the Weasel S30, the T-64B1M sped off towards the edge of the camp.
"Brother, teacher, the teacher has been beaten to death."
She felt no fear in killing, but Hermann's death made Liv, whose anger had subsided, cry her heart out, burying her forehead in Hans's shoulder, her body trembling slightly from sobs.
“I understand, I understand this feeling. That’s how my father left us.”
Gently patting his sister's shoulder, Hans felt a pang of envy as he recalled similar scenes.
Some things always have to be done by someone, and similar misfortunes happened to my younger sister twice.
Although he doesn't believe in God, he can't help but say that God is really unfair.
Standing not far behind the brother and sister, Xia Yu was also filled with emotion.
A poor girl, she and her teacher shouldn't have come to Afica.
They can live a good life in that country, unlike they were before and are now, but their character is therefore noble.
Sigh, sadness will eventually pass, but whether Liv will develop PTSD as a result is hard to say.
Xia Yu was worried about this, but the reality was the opposite of what he thought; it was actually the least of his worries.
Seeing that he couldn't help, he took Domi to find Little Anka.
"Mr. Sherlock, you're finally back! Those rebels stormed in and almost scared me to death."
With the camera off, Anka became her true self again.
"It was my oversight that these rebel loyalists were so stubborn and inflexible, while the general they served was a coward."
Xia Yu took the initiative to assume responsibility.
"So they really caught Sasu?"
Little Anka already knew about it on the radio, but she still can't believe it.
"Yes, I'll go there right away and personally escort him back."
It's just getting dark now, and the clearing of the camp will take until at least dawn, so they have plenty of time.
“Okay, my uncle will arrive tomorrow, he will be very happy.”
Old Anka was happy about his son's future, while Moncho was genuinely happy to have captured Sasu. As a member of Busa's inner circle, he and Sasu, who came from a local armed force, had long been at odds. Who knew this guy would be so brave, daring to overturn the table and rebel?
Fortunately, Busa was willing to spend money, and with the strong support of Jihuo Defense, the matter has finally come to a conclusion today.
Domi drove Xia Yu back to the mixed brigade's base, then switched to a small antelope and headed straight for the border.
Andrei and Anton finally saw their boss.
"This is Sasu?"
Looking at Old Deng, a Black man with half his face swollen, Xia Yu asked.
"It was him. III and IV were a bit too rough."
Don't hit someone in the face; hitting them in the face is more effective.
Don't be fooled by Sasu's silence; it's because he lost half a tooth while using his upper body technique and can't speak for the time being.
"Boss, these three Tiger tanks are in pretty good condition. I think we can still use them. Plus, we need to capture Sasu alive, so we'll hold back during the attack. But the engine compartments of these two tanks need to be completely replaced."
Anton is also a thrifty and hardworking person, but there's no need to replace it. With such high integrity, the system can be fixed in no time.
"There are quite a few valuable items as well. We asked Sasu, and he said that he paid half of the money for the arms purchase with gold dust, and the rest is here."
Because of time constraints, they only inventoried the weapons and equipment on the trucks; the items on the three armored vehicles remained untouched.
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