Chapter 260

Chapter 260: Hitting the Hornet’s Nest

The helicopter that had just entered the scene had no idea that a propeller fighter would rush out from the valley. Caught off guard, its tail was hit squarely by 12.7mm bullets.

The tail rotor shattered, and the aircraft instantly lost balance, spinning out of control.

Inside the plane, the crew yelled in panic, trying to jump out, but the fear of falling from a height of over a hundred meters held them back. The pilot in the cockpit screeched as he desperately pulled on the control stick, attempting to control the aircraft and land as slowly as possible.

Forget about the battlefield support mission! Just staying alive would be good enough.

Surviving would be a blessing from Allah, but the unfortunate coalition helicopter had barely made a few strafing runs before it had to make a hasty exit.

Suddenly, the propeller fighter that had appeared out of nowhere showed no intention of sparing the helicopter. It banked sharply and swooped low between the mountains, circling back, and the Browning heavy machine guns on its wings roared once more.

The 12.7mm bullets accurately struck the helicopter, bursting through the cabin and cockpit in a cloud of blood, instantly tearing the entire aircraft into a fireball that crashed heavily to the ground.

“Great job!”

Kadiya raised his fist to the sky from the mountain pass position. Without the threat of the helicopter, he regained the initiative on the battlefield.

“Just a piece of cake!” Lin Mo shook his wings and began to climb in altitude. The armed militants on the ground, now aware of the situation, started shooting at the sky. However, small-caliber weapons posed a significant threat to the old airframe.

With the engine pushing to its limits, the fighter jet’s speed escalated sharply, soaring over a ridge and leaving the bullets far behind.

The mountains weren’t just the helicopters’ main battleground; they were also the primary battlefield for propeller fighters.

Thanks to village chief Mude Zariyev finding this World War II ace fighter, had it been a jet fighter, they wouldn’t have known where to get aviation fuel. The piston-driven propeller fighter clearly proved to be more economical and reliable.

The P-51 “Mustang,” with its previously worn-out transparent canopy replaced, now left the cockpit exposed. Still, Lin Mo remained unaffected by the turbulence flooding into the cabin.

In fact, Lin Mo’s aviation helmet was of excellent quality, even more practical than the leather caps of World War II.

As a Dragon Knight, Lin Mo was already accustomed to the environment of high speeds and high altitudes. He felt no discomfort; rather, it gave him a nostalgic sense of familiarity. The roaring wind felt quite comfortable.

While still in the valley, Lin Mo had already used the Light Mirror Technique to scout out the enemy’s helicopter operations.

Thus, he piloted the fuel-filled P-51 “Mustang” to take off early, utilizing the terrain advantage to charge out of the pass and shoot down the helicopter that posed a severe threat to the mountain pass defenses, striking first with speed and initiative.

The opposing team only had a standard civilian helicopter, armed merely with two gunners firing machine guns at the ground, without even decent air-to-air weapons. The helicopter’s owner likely never anticipated a day of aerial combat.

“’Knight’ sir! ‘Knight’ sir!”

Lin Mo heard mercenary leader Abik’s voice crackling through his helmet.

“’Knight’ received!” Lin Mo replied, adjusting his mask-style communication with Mike to avoid wind noise interference.

The onboard radio connected directly to the ground relay station, capable of integrating various specifications and types for use. If Lin Mo didn’t go design things after retirement, he could probably find work at a telecommunications company like China Mobile.

“The enemy has deployed a helicopter; we hope you can suppress it,” Abik said politely, knowing he needed help, and there was not a hint of commanding tone in his voice.

“No need! I’ve already shot it down, haha.”

Lin Mo laughed and continued, “I’m going to check on their camp, find some targets. Kadiya should be able to handle things at the pass.”

……

Inside the coalition camp near the Gem Valley mountain pass.

Leaders from the “Taliban,” “Jamaat al-Tableeg,” “Holy War Army,” and the “World Uyghur Congress” gathered in the center of the camp inside a large tent.

Including the middle-aged white man Lawrence, about ten people sat around a large table made by pushing together several makeshift aluminum tables. These individuals had gathered together, lured by money and resources, bringing their soldiers along to participate in the campaign to divide up Gem Valley.

Since they were specialized henchmen raised by various major forces, both their combat strength and equipment far surpassed those of ordinary roaming bandits.

This coalition, when deployed, represented a force that could not be underestimated anywhere.

Last night, the news of the entire reconnaissance team being wiped out cast a shadow over all the leaders. Muza tayev and Stark, the leaders of the World Uyghur Congress, both did not appear in the tent.

But everyone knew their fate; they probably would never return.

Lawrence, the middle-aged white man, seemed notably agitated. He had never faced such a challenging situation before. With just over a thousand civilians and a few dozen mercenaries, according to the information from the captured reconnaissance personnel, the number of strong young men capable of taking up arms was no more than three hundred, and many had not even received any proper military training. Compared to the soldiers led by these leaders, they were simply in a different league.

What should have been a simple charge, easily flattening the opposition, was unexpectedly blocked by this bloodless mob, successfully stopping the more than one hundred men led by Muza tayev and Stark.

These two unfortunate individuals not only failed to gain an advantage but also lost their lives, the entire group completely annihilated with none surviving.

If it hadn’t been confirmed multiple times, those present would have thought that these two had unfortunately crossed paths with the Delta Force of America.

However, that was not the key issue. Lawrence wasn’t worried about the lives of these individuals; what truly troubled him came from questions on the other side of the world.

This prevented him from settling down in the large camp. He continuously sent his subordinates to verify the situation, but no matter what, he couldn’t find the two “Striker” wheeled armored vehicles that had burst out of the camp. It was as if they had vanished into thin air, leaving only tire tracks and footprints behind.

Bang!

Lawrence slammed his fist on the table, startling the leaders who were enjoying their afternoon tea. The sudden noise interrupted their chattering.

Tea was an important communication tool for the Afghans; it was essential at any time.

The unexpected sound made all the leaders feel shaken. Although they were facing only one person, he commanded all of them, and all four major organizations backed him unconditionally.

Beyond the formidable “agent” status, there was also the faint shadow of some major power behind him, which kept these ruthless and merciless militants from daring to complain, making them obedient and submissive.

“We can’t wait any longer,” Lawrence said fiercely, almost like he was venting his frustration. “Order everyone to prepare for an all-out attack. The tactics of attrition only benefit those in Gem Valley. Gather all the heavy weapons and blast through with firepower!”

Gem Valley—what a beautiful name; soon it would be theirs.

In fact, Lawrence’s words carried two meanings. He had already sent dozens of men to search within a radius of several dozen miles but found not a trace of the armored vehicles. Therefore, the only possibility was that they had been captured and seized by the people within Gem Valley. Although this was highly unlikely, they needed to go in and search to confirm.

So far, the two mysteriously missing men had not provided any results for the other side.

The pressure from that side was intense; the equipment was so valuable that it far exceeded the worth of these seven hundred armed militants.

“Whoever first breaks into the valley will get to divide three-tenths of the land!”

To expedite confirmation and deal with the inquiries from that side, Lawrence dropped a bombshell.

The tent fell silent for a moment as everyone stared at him, but then a wave of cheers erupted. A beautiful, fertile land that could be farmed or grazed, coupled with a strategic location, seemed like a treasure bestowed by Allah. And getting three-tenths was akin to a continuous source of wealth.

The leaders went wild, arguing and scrambling to take the lead. As long as they could break in, three-tenths of the land could make up for even the heaviest losses.

To them, soldiers could be recruited again, and guns could be manufactured anew, but land was irreplaceable.

Lawrence completely overturned the original attack plan, abandoning the strategy of gradually wearing down the living forces in the valley, which could not only minimize his own casualties but potentially allow for the capture of some slaves and laborers.

He decided to push into the valley at any cost. If those two Strikers were indeed captured, at least they could still save some lives.

What was meant to be an easy mission with plenty of extra gains had transformed into a hornet’s nest. Lawrence even imagined that if he could not give a reasonable explanation on that side, a bullet might very well come flying out of nowhere and blow his head apart.

In this world, in the dark corners unseen by civilians, reality remained painfully cruel.