Under the night sky, the helicopter's rotors spun continuously, kicking up the dust from the ground in swirling clouds.
One fully armed soldier after another rushed out.
"Eyes right!" "Attention!" "At ease!"
"Just this afternoon at 3 PM, a band of rebels from Laya Country stormed our embassy and took a group of hostages. The Dragon Soul Special Operations Team that departed with the naval escort ship for the evacuation was immediately deployed for the rescue operation, but they are now trapped in the rebel-occupied area as well, suffering heavy casualties after intense fighting."
"Likely due to various factors, the rebels are currently surrounding them without attacking, resulting in a stalemate. But if this continues, the consequences will be difficult to predict."
"We have orders from above to launch immediately, reinforce the Dragon Soul team, and ensure the rescue of all hostages, assisting in the successful completion of the evacuation operation. Any questions?"
"Snap!" The Hidden Sword Special Assault Team's third squad members snapped to attention: "Always ready!"
"Move out, further details en route." Luo Siming motioned for everyone to board the aircraft in an orderly fashion.
After takeoff, Luo Siming said, "We'll go to the military region and board a military transport plane. The Laya government forces are busy fighting fires everywhere, so apart from a special operations unit, they can't spare any more resources to assist us. We'll have to rely mainly on ourselves!"
The deputy squad leader took out a computer displaying a detailed map of Laya Country.
"Here, Kanra City. The government forces and rebels are currently engaged in combat, with First Street as the dividing line. The left side is rebel-occupied, the right is under government control."
"The hostages are being held in a central warehouse on Third Street in the rebel-occupied area. We need to circle around to the rear, penetrate deep into rebel territory, breach the blockade, and link up with the Dragon Soul team."
"During our operation, the government forces will also launch a frontal assault to divert the rebel forces, but we'll still encounter plenty of rebels along the way."
"We need to escort the hostages to a small town thirty kilometers from Kanra City that's under government control. They'll send vehicles to transport the hostages to the port."
Luo Siming's finger moved along the map, tracing various streets, his expression grave.
The three squads, A, B, and C, remained silent.
Because they all knew that this mission might mean they or their comrades would never return home.
Even with the Laya special operations unit and the remaining Dragon Soul team members, they numbered no more than a hundred.
Yet they had to infiltrate the rebel-occupied center from the rebel rear, then escort the hostages back the same way before taking them thirty kilometers to a small town.
No matter how much the government forces' frontal assault diverted the rebels, the difficulties ahead were obvious.
Zhao Yan, however, felt nothing - taking on an entire army alone would be no problem for him.
"I hope everyone can make it back home safely." Luo Siming pursed his lips, his expression serious.
Zhao Yan smiled faintly. "Don't make the atmosphere so heavy. With me around, at least I can try to ensure everyone survives."
"Stop talking big. No matter how great you are, you're still human and can't deflect bullets. This is only your second combat deployment - don't get overconfident." Luo Siming rebuked him.
Zhao Yan shrugged, too lazy to explain. His skills spoke for themselves - he would let his actions do the talking.
Wu Tian took out a photo from his pocket, gently caressing it. A beautiful young woman was in the photo.
"Your girlfriend?" Meng Hui asked.
Wu Tian grinned. "Pretty, isn't she?"
"I miss my girlfriend too. We promised to get married this year." Meng Hui smiled as he spoke.
Zhao Yan looked at them in horror, suddenly doubting his ability to bring them back alive.
Because they had already started making plans.
An hour later, they arrived at the military region and then boarded a military transport plane headed for Laya Country.
...
Laya Country, Kanra City Airport.
A military transport plane landed here.
Fortunately, this airport was still under government control. Otherwise, they couldn't have arrived so quickly.
The cabin door opened, and Luo Siming led the Hidden Sword Special Assault Team's combat unit members off the plane.
A group of people were already waiting outside.
"All members of the Hidden Sword Special Assault Team reporting as ordered. Requesting instructions, Squad Leader Luo Siming!" Luo Siming approached a lieutenant general.
The lieutenant general returned his salute, his expression stern. "The situation is urgent, so no need for small talk. This is Platoon Leader Lari of Laya's 031 Special Operations Unit. He will assist you in this operation."
"Thank you for your assistance," Luo Siming saluted.
Lari returned the salute. "It's only right. You've always supported our government; we should repay you."
"Here is the operational route for your team. Your side will start first, and the government forces will launch their frontal assault. You'll be operating in a foreign country with no technical support or tactical guidance, so please be extremely careful. The motherland and its people await your return."
The lieutenant general saluted everyone.
Zhao Yan and the others returned the salute in unison.
The two special operations units that would cooperate for the first time then boarded vehicles headed for the rebel-occupied West City District's rear area.
The 031 Special Operations Unit was responsible for diversion and cover fire.
The Hidden Sword Special Assault Team was tasked with penetrating inward.
At the entrance to the West City District, there was a checkpoint with two machine gunners on either side blocking the entire road. Apart from them, there were more than a dozen soldiers carrying automatic rifles.
Patrols moved throughout the area inside.
Sporadic gunfire could be heard from time to time.
A large number of soldiers were concentrated at the frontlines confronting the government forces, so the rear area was relatively weaker in defense.
"Stop!"
Seeing the approaching convoy of vehicles, the rebel gatekeeper raised his rifle and fired a shot into the air.
But the convoy showed no sign of stopping. A man stood up in one of the SUVs, shouldering an RPG. "Bring it on, morons!"
"Take cover!" the rebel gatekeeper shouted.
Boom!
The RPG struck the checkpoint, exploding instantly. One machine gunner and several rebels went spiraling skyward.
"Stop them!" the rebel leader yelled.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat...
The other machine gun sprayed a hail of bullets.
The others also fired from behind cover.
Bullets struck the vehicle bodies, sparking showers.
Zhao Yan took out a grenade and tossed it over.
Everyone watched in shock as the grenade arced stably over a few hundred meters to land right at the machine gunner's feet.
Kaboom!
The second machine gunner also met his maker.
"Oh my god! Those amazing Summer Country people." The Laya 031 Special Operations Unit members were stunned.
Being able to throw a grenade with such pinpoint accuracy over that distance - wasn't that basically a human missile?
Liu Qing loaded another shell, joking casually, "An operation like that might seem incredible to you, but to us... it's extremely awesome!"
Another shell flew out, completely clearing the checkpoint ahead. The convoy drove straight through.
After disembarking, everyone began urban combat since there were more enemies inside the city, making it unsafe to remain in the vehicles.
Rebels appeared on streets and alleys everywhere.
At the same time, the sounds of intense gunfire rang out in the distance, clearly the government forces launching their assault on the rebels.
Two battlefronts erupted simultaneously.