Having surpassed the opponent's technology by hundreds of years, it's like a modern person carrying an AK and a large amount of ammunition traveling back to ancient times. Could those so-called elite soldiers relying on spears and blades be a match for them? Or like a modern warship returning to the Battle of Red Cliffs, which warship would dare to ram it? Therefore, this is an unequal battle, and it is reasonable to win easily.
In Yang Shiqi's words, this was a battle that was not worth describing in any words. The enemy began to flee shortly after being attacked. Yang Shiqi and Zhao Qiangfei drove them into the desert from the air to prevent these remnants from wreaking havoc in other villages of the oasis. There were still several hundred of them. It was unrealistic to kill them all. They could only let the desert deal with them slowly. If they survived, they would not dare to come back.
After daybreak, Chen Xinyu returned to the village with the natives. She rushed to the stronghold to find firsthand information. All she could see was a pile of dilapidated houses and bloodstains everywhere. Under the constant fire of four compressed guns, at least three hundred bandits had been killed in the stronghold, including their leader.
Such a bloody scene was not suitable for the news, as it would damage the reputation of the War Dragon Mercenary Group. Therefore, Chen Xinyu only took a few photos of dilapidated houses without any bloodshed, and then interviewed Kasa and his father, using their words to express the natives' welcome to the War Dragon Mercenary Group, because they could finally go home again.
Yang Shiqi watched Chen Xinyu busy herself silently. She now understood Zhao Qiang's intention. It was indeed good to have someone who helped her in the news media. Otherwise, it would be inappropriate for her to announce these things herself. Although the public could not read the inside story from the reports, the country would understand immediately and know the merits of Yang Shiqi's troops. All the news reports were in the best interests of the Zhanlong Mercenary Group.
After Chen Xinyu finished the interview, she gave the photos and edited video to Zhao Qiang for review. Zhao Qiang looked at them once and said, "Okay, upload them."
Chen Xinyu took Zhao Qiang's notebook and went to work on something else. Yang Shiqi asked Zhao Qiang, "What do we do next?"
Zhao Qiang asked, "What's the situation with the MiG helicopter?"
Yang Shiqi said, "The country is already in secret talks with Russia. As long as we offer enough, there will definitely be no problem. I think the results will be out within a week."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Then what about the oil extraction equipment?"
Yang Shiqi said, "On the way, if everything goes smoothly, we will arrive in K City in four days along with the soldiers transferred from the country."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then you can travel to other parts of the oasis for the next four days. Let Kasa and her family be your guides. Didn't you bring a batch of food? Go and distribute it to them. We should do this kind of thing often in the future. It will help unite these natives."
Yang Shiqi said, "I've remembered everything. Along with the oil extraction equipment, there will also be a large amount of food. It will be sponsored free of charge by the manufacturers that Chen Xinyu contacted. They only need to have their names appear in the news reports. With food, it will be easy to stabilize the situation."
Zhao Qiang said, "We must be wary of the mastermind behind this gang of robbers using dirty tricks against us. Also, Bazafi's side will not be willing to accept defeat, so we cannot let our guard down."
Yang Shiqi nodded, "Yes, you're not planning to leave after giving me all this instructions, are you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "If the transport helicopter arrives, I will go into seclusion for a period of time to modify it. In addition, I need to develop a single-soldier vehicle suitable for driving in the desert. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the other side to provide reinforcements when one side is in trouble."
Yang Shiqi said, "Alright then, it seems the task of building the oil field will be left to me. I've never done anything so important before, and I'm really afraid I won't be able to handle it."
Zhao Qiang patted Yang Shiqi on the shoulder: "You can do it. You will definitely be the brightest star in the future."
Yang Shiqi chuckled: "That's all hidden under your halo. Everything I have is given to me by you. Don't even think about abandoning me to find somewhere else to have fun."
Zhao Qiang complained, "Playing? I'm exhausted."
Yang Shiqi smiled and leaned closer: "How about I give you a massage? You can try my skills and see how they are. They're no worse than Chen Xinyu's."
Bazafi, who had retreated back to P City, was indeed unwilling to accept defeat. The sudden appearance of the War Dragon mercenary group had turned his favorable offensive situation into a stalemate with the government forces. In the short term, Bazafi had no hope of regrouping his forces for an offensive, and the war was indefinitely extended. As a result, his allies also expressed strong dissatisfaction with him.
In response, Bazafi lamented in a secret call: "Respected Minister, I think you don't understand the dire situation I'm in. I was being hunted and hid underwater all night. If it weren't for that secret place where I could hide, you wouldn't be able to talk to me now. So the current situation is not my fault; it's entirely because the enemy is too powerful."
The minister said, “General, I need to investigate what you’re saying before I can believe it. If the other side really has such advanced weaponry, then your failure can be forgiven. But what you’re describing is a single person. Even with our powerful nation, we’ve never produced such a formidable individual soldier. Otherwise, he alone could have resolved many battles.”
Bazafi said, "Then I welcome the minister to come and investigate. It would be good if you could confirm that this matter is true as soon as possible so that you can resume your aid to us. We need not only food, but more importantly, advanced weapons and equipment. Otherwise, we will not be able to fight against them, let alone end the war early and provide your country with cheap and advantageous crude oil."
The minister said, "We will send a special forces unit, which will arrive in about three days. Your mission is to track down the War Dragon mercenary group and provide support for my special forces. They will capture the person you mentioned alive."
Bazafi said, "I warmly welcome them. If your department succeeds in capturing them, I will personally present them with a certificate of merit."
Bazafi was pleased after ending the call. He knew where the group had gone, as he went online every day. The War Dragon mercenary group, which he hated so much that he couldn't sleep at night, was now in the Tabtan Sand Basin, an oil-rich region. According to reports, the president of S country had authorized the War Dragon mercenary group to build oil fields there for a period of one hundred years. This was like tearing out Bazafi's heart. In his view, all of S country's resources belonged to him, and it was incredibly painful to let others extract the oil.
Before Bazafi could figure out a way to stop it, problems arose in several cities under his control. First, reports came in of large quantities of food missing from kitchens, leaving only packaging bags scattered everywhere. Then, officers began dying mysteriously. However, it wasn't exactly mysterious, as most of them were shot through the walls and had their heads blown off by that seemingly indestructible gun while they slept. For a time, many officers and rebel leaders dared not sleep at night, and even when they did, they had to surround their beds with layers of steel plates for temporary safety.
As the food shortages and assassinations of the leadership worsened, Bazafi had no time to deal with the oil in the Tabtan Oasis. When reinforcements arrived three days later, his first order was for them to find the damned assassin, or his top commanders, whom he had spent years training, would all be wiped out.
Volume 2 [380] Individual Flying Vehicles
Cheng recorded the scene, watching Yang Shiqi ascend and dive in the air, darting left and right. She was incredibly envious and secretly glanced at Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang pulled her close, stroking her hair, and said, "You'll try it too in a bit. And Liu Jia and the others, don't rush, take it one at a time. You'll all have a chance to pilot it yourself." Chen Xinyu's digital camera captured the entire process without missing a single detail.
The work was completed, and during this time, wooden huts were rebuilt at the former bandit stronghold. This place has become the future main control center of the Tabtan Sand Basin. After the solar panels are installed, the relevant geological exploration personnel will also arrive, at which point they will decide on the specific location for drilling and oil extraction. The tasks of loading ammunition and installing light machine guns were handled by Liu Jia, Xu Changhe, and others.
The missile grazed the bottom of the aircraft, missing its target. The system then alerted the pilot that control had returned. Liu Jia broke out in a cold sweat; if it weren't for the automatic defense system, he would have been in grave danger. He didn't care about his own life, but this high-altitude aircraft absolutely could not be allowed to fail; otherwise, he would be letting down his company commander, instructors, and the country. The aircraft suddenly pulled upwards; rockets, after all, are not guided missiles.
Armed with weapons, they now respected Zhao Qiang and his group of yellow-skinned people. They didn't plunder the natives' food and wives, nor did they kill them; instead, they fed them. Given this, what reason did they have to resist? Resources were being exploited by whomever they pleased, but the exploiters treated them well—that was enough. Alarms blared over Tabtan, and the natives, armed with weapons…
(Thanks to He Wenxiu aa, Lonely Night Long Sleep for their monthly ticket support) (Thanks to rboy, Void Calling Heaven, and ghos Wei for their cheerful comments: "Brother, looking at such a pile of...")
"Are you addicted?" Wei made a face. "Brother has done it several times already."
Thank you for the generous donation of Mo Cheng Gui coins (Thank you to Yi Shen Yi Shi Zou Jiang Hu and Wu Hen Lei 588 coins)
The enemy below entered firing range. He pressed the fire button, and two light machine guns began to fire, leaving a trail of bullets on the sand as they approached. The bullets grazed two special forces soldiers before passing over the incoming force. Although the gunners below fired desperately, the bullets hitting the bottom of the control box had no effect whatsoever. Liu Jia gritted his teeth to regain his composure, and with a swift dive, he saw...
She used a standard Class A energy battery produced by Factory 8, which she modified into a Class S energy battery with a significantly increased capacity. Fast charging this battery would provide energy equivalent to the range of a MiG transport helicopter, making it ideal for escorting transport aircraft. Zhao Qiang completed the framework, and Wei also modified a set of batteries.
"Get out of bed. She doesn't know the other person is a woman. She thinks you're going to seduce her with Yang the transvestite." Wei said, "I'm afraid Reporter Chen will kick Yang the transvestite."
Having just gotten the hang of it, he panicked as he watched the rocket hurtling towards him, his reaction time naturally slowing down. The control system Wei had created was highly automated; after the scanning system detected the rocket lock-on, it immediately issued a warning: "...Warning, warning, you will be hit in five seconds. Entering autopilot mode..." The aircraft attacked by the rocket was piloted by Liu Jia.
The search of several cities severely affected by assassinations was abandoned, while Zhao Qiang had already returned to Tabtan with a wealth of resources. Bazafi's search was naturally fruitless, wasting the best opportunity to attack Tabtan. By the time the special forces arrived at the edge of Tabtan, three weaponized man-portable aircraft were already flying in the sky. Because of the extremely wide field of vision and the soldiers' X-ray goggles which functioned as binoculars, the special forces, who were planning to secretly infiltrate, were discovered immediately. This was Bazafi's furious order to send reinforcements to the special forces' search.
He dodged to the right and fought back fiercely, but was ultimately killed on the sand. Liu Jia then turned and charged towards the other side of the battlefield. Liu Jia chased after them, firing relentlessly, while the two dodged left and right.
The energy was incredibly abundant, so the raw materials, such as steel, were directly reassembled under energy control. An hour later, the aircraft's frame was successfully manufactured. Because of the addition of 'g' substance to the materials, its sturdiness was extremely reliable. The bottom of the chair-shaped control room was specially thickened; it would be impossible for a heavy machine gun to penetrate it within a few bullets. Because there was a temporary lack of cutting and welding equipment, and Zhao Qiang...
The aircraft is equipped with a magazine-changing system, with ten spare magazines for each light machine gun. Additionally, ten micro-bombs are suspended from the bottom of the seat, primarily high-explosive rounds for infantry and highly destructive incendiary rounds. This constitutes the aircraft's entire firepower system. Once these weapons are depleted, the pilot will be left to fight with only their onboard weapons. If their onboard weapons are also exhausted, the pilot must either land or parachute. There is a light machine gun on each side of the pilot's feet, equipped with automatic fire control.
He coughed and said, "Alright, enough joking. What's the next plan? We need to get to work. I heard from Bazafi's men these past few days that they seem to have reinforcements. We need to be careful and try to solidify Tabtan as quickly as possible." Zhao Qiang smiled slyly, then straightened his expression and coughed.
The video footage transmitted back by the system showed that the opposing force numbered thirty and possessed advanced weaponry, a level far beyond what Bazafi's scattered, disorganized troops could achieve. The Tabtan temporary command center used cameras mounted on the aircraft to monitor the situation.
The two were extremely curious about the aircraft, whose propellers covered an area six meters in diameter. They forgot they had come to call Zhao Qiang for dinner. Chen Xinyu took pictures of it, while Yang Shiqi sat directly in the control box, saying, "Let me try it out." Yang Shiqi and Chen Xinyu had come to call Zhao Qiang for dinner and saw the aircraft in the wooden house...
After several reverences, they finally got used to the flying monster. However, Kasa's wish to pilot the aircraft was not fulfilled because Yang Shiqi was afraid she would lose control and crash it. Other special forces soldiers had helicopter piloting experience, but Kasa, a girl, lacked special reflexes, making it very dangerous. At most, she was allowed to touch it. Kasa and the other Black natives had seen it in the sky during dinner the previous night.
She would eventually have to be independent, and having gained experience on the way back to K City, she wasn't too panicked. She ordered Liu Jia, Ma Dahong, and Xu Changhe to each pilot a single-soldier flying vehicle to engage the enemy from the three most concentrated directions, while the other soldiers would focus on defense, waiting in ambush along the enemy's route. Yang Shiqi was in charge of commanding this battle; Zhao Qiang couldn't stay forever.
"Let's fight!" Yang Shiqi said. "Who cares? It'll all end the same way, no matter who comes."
Although their country also conducts research in this area, it's impossible for them to build such a successful aircraft. Their aircraft boasts flight stability comparable to regular airplanes, and due to its light size and weight, its reaction speed is extremely fast. Whether turning or cornering, it's more than five times more agile than a normal aircraft. As the aircraft drew closer, the muzzle of its guns and the ammunition on its back could be clearly seen through binoculars. The aircraft in the sky astonished the special forces on the ground.
Then, with another dive, the machine gun continued its barrage, killing another special forces soldier instantly and wounding another. But this wasn't the end. Before the firing had ceased and he was about to reach the group, Liu Jia pressed the grenade release button. Liu Jia forcefully pulled the aircraft up, rapidly circling in the air, then...
"Expression," Wei said. "You can try, I also want to see what she has to say."
"?" Yang Shiqi said, "This is the mastermind behind the bandits showing up."
His comrade behind him immediately knelt on one knee, while another placed a rocket launcher on his shoulder, loaded it, and fired—the rocket hurtled towards the aircraft. A special forces soldier shouted, "Shoot it down with the rocket launcher!"
"Aircraft are essential for traversing the desert; relying solely on foot and vehicles is insufficient. The plan assigned to the natives and soldiers is to install solar panels, the foundation for all future work. Without power, oil fields cannot be built, and soldiers' equipment will be ineffective without energy replenishment," Wei said. "Our next plan is to manufacture individual soldiers."
He knew the War Dragon Mercenary Group was recruiting in Tabtan, so it's possible he sent them. Zhao Qiang said, "Not necessarily. Bazafi also hates me to the core."
They infiltrated from different directions, but upon hearing the deafening alarm, they abandoned their stealth and began running across the sand. Meanwhile, dune buggies providing reinforcements started up and pursued the special forces, preparing to storm the oasis together. Bazafi's special forces team that attacked Tabtan consisted of six squads.
"Why don't we try it tonight? We slept together in each other's arms last time, maybe they won't mind." Zhao Qiang wasn't embarrassed at all: "Yeah, there are two right here, if..."
Zhao Qiang was having a headache. This required him to scan the source code into his brain one by one, and then have the energy controlled by the biochip to modify it. If only a digital connection could be established between him and Wei, allowing them to exchange data packets like computers. Wei retrieved the modification data; there were over three hundred programs alone.
Aside from the whistling sound of the air, there was only a slight hum of the motors. When the takeoff indicator light on the control panel lit up, Yang Shiqi pulled the control stick upwards. The aircraft whooshed up, lifting the control box and carrying Yang Shiqi into the sky. The surrounding dust was kicked up by the rapidly spinning propellers, making visibility almost impossible within a hundred meters. This problem was unavoidable because the lift during takeoff was too great; even pebbles the size of peanuts would be swept upwards by the force of the lift. The only option was to try to find solid, debris-free ground during takeoff. Pressing the start button, the propellers overhead began to spin, except...
The system's total weight was manageable for an adult to move, and Yang Shiqi personally disassembled it. In just ten minutes, all the components were unfolded, and Yang Shiqi sat back inside. Zhao Qiang packed up the aircraft and moved it out of the cabin; it was unarmed.
Chen Xinyu and a company of soldiers, besides those on duty, test-drove the individual flying vehicle until dawn. Meanwhile, Zhao Qiang had built a second one. The energy consumption was noticeable; he had lost about 50 kilograms. Fortunately, the energy loss wasn't enough to affect the overall situation. Zhao Qiang decided to build another one during the day. With three individual flying vehicles, the patrol work in the Tabtan Sand Basin would be much simpler, and it would effectively prevent any sneak attacks. As a result, no one cared whether Zhao Qiang had eaten dinner. Yang Shiqi...
Yang Shiqi wasn't too worried because of the anti-gravity device, saying, "Okay, I'll tell you what these buttons do. The weapon system hasn't been installed yet, so I'm not worried about you hurting your own people." To reduce size, the seats only allow one person to sit at a time. Zhao Qiang knew...
He'd become quite obese, but he didn't care about his appearance at all; in fact, he was quite pleased with himself. This was all energy, and Wei had also been fully charged in the kitchens of various cities controlled by Bazafi over the past few days. The two were now facing five large boxes of 'g' matter, a quantity they had never imagined before. Zhao Qiang's weight had now exceeded two hundred kilograms.
Zhao Qiang chimed in, "Yes, I also feel like I'm going to be the groom."
"It's all arranged. These past few days, she's used food to win over several nearby indigenous villages. With the help of these locals, installing the solar panels shouldn't be a problem, as long as we take precautions against enemy sabotage. Let's hurry up and modify our individual flying vehicles." Zhao Qiang said, "Yang Shiqi has already gone to install the solar panels."
In part, Wei was to build the aircraft's control system. She was using several computers that Zhao Qiang had stolen from Bazafi's subordinates' office as a prototype. Due to limitations imposed by the chip's internal instructions, unlike Zhao Qiang who could create objects out of thin air, she could only modify them, even if the modifications completely altered the original. The genius who created her was truly interesting; adding such a limiting instruction didn't seem to make much difference. Next, Zhao Qiang was to build the electric motor and the transmission system.
Gong Zhaoqiang and Wei conducted a power-on test, and it started successfully on the first try. All connected circuits and mechanical power components were functioning normally. Given the computing power of two supercomputers, it would be strange if it failed, especially since the assembly error would not exceed the limit. By dinner time, the first individual soldier flying device was assembled...
Some of the materials were saved up by Yang Shiqi herself, while others were secretly collected by her. Zhao Qiang had instructed Xu Xiaoya to bring them over when the other special forces soldiers came to Africa, because it was time to use them wisely. Whether Yang Shiqi could solidify her foundation in Africa depended on this advanced equipment. Without 'G' materials, Zhao Qiang was at a loss, as the world's current raw materials were insufficient to manufacture advanced equipment. These five large boxes of 'G' materials included some that Zhao Qiang had secretly collected himself.
The propellers are suspended above the user by support rods. The control box is a lightweight, thin alloy chair that can only accommodate one person. A control panel is located in front of the chair; those familiar with arcade games will find it familiar and easy to use. The single-soldier aircraft consists of two propellers and a control box.
I asked her if she would agree to be photoshopped by both Yang Shiqi and me. Zhao Qiang, realizing what I meant, replied, "You're right, I wonder..."
The remaining two fled in panic, but the vast desert offered no cover whatsoever, especially since the enemy had an even clearer view from the air. The attacking special forces had no time to fire more rockets.
This object, which for over two thousand years could only be a toy in the hands of Chinese children, once amazed Westerners, leading them to understand the principles behind helicopter propellers. Now, it is to return to the hands of the Chinese, to be transformed by a genius mechanic into a single-soldier flying machine specifically for desert use. This single-soldier flying machine is based on the principle of the bamboo dragonfly, modified by Wei.
Two high-explosive incendiary bombs, upon detonation, produce fragments with considerable lethality. Furthermore, the bombs contain accelerants, generating intense flames in the vicinity upon explosion, making them extremely lethal to infantry. Even with exceptional skills and the thickest body armor, they are ineffective. The two bombs, propelled by inertia, hurtled into the crowd on the ground.
Volume 2 [381] The Big Picture is Set
Bazafi received the news in the early hours of the morning. He thought he was still dreaming and hadn't woken up yet, so he pinched his butt hard to make sure it really hurt before picking up the document on the table again. It contained only a few words, a record of the phone call answered by his secretary: "Only two of the friendly special forces involved in the operation survived; the rest were all killed in action."
Bazafi plopped down on the bed, squeezing the woman on the bed under his buttocks. She was fast asleep and hadn't heard Bazafi get up before. When she was suddenly pressed down, she jumped up with a "Ah!" and pushed Bazafi to the ground.
Bazafi didn't respond at all, just sitting there stunned. All his hopes rested on this special forces unit from his ally. Only by eliminating the War Dragon mercenary group could he sleep peacefully; otherwise, he would have to live in constant fear of hiding in that damned underground river. Now, the ally's most elite special forces had failed their mission, with only two survivors. What was he to do? Leaving aside how to explain this to the minister, who else could help him eliminate the War Dragon mercenary group?
The woman, now fully conscious, broke out in a cold sweat. Bazafi was not someone she could easily push. So, disregarding that she was completely naked, she jumped off the bed and frantically tried to pull Bazafi away: "General, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Bazafi shoved the woman away, yelling, "Get out of here... How is this possible? How is this possible..."
Bazafi's woman was no fool either. She could tell that Bazafi was upset, so she stopped trying to help him up and instead gently comforted him: "General, what happened?"
Bazafi casually remarked, "The special forces that came to our aid were wiped out, with only two escaping. How is that possible? Judging from the timeline, they should have just arrived at the Tabtan Oasis. No matter how powerful the War Dragon Mercenary Group is, how could they have wiped them out in an instant? You must know that their combat power is far superior to our troops."
After thinking for a moment, the woman gritted her teeth and made a decision: "General, there's something I don't know whether I should say or not."
Bazafi said, "Speak." At this moment, he was in a state of utter confusion, and no matter how clever he had been before, he couldn't come up with a solution, so it would be good if someone could give him advice.
The woman said, "General, we don't necessarily have to destroy the War Dragon Mercenary Group."
Bazafi asked doubtfully, "Not eliminate them? Then wait for them to eliminate me? Have you forgotten the suffering you endured in the underground river? It was all thanks to them."
The woman said, "I think there's always a purpose behind everything, and the War Dragon Mercenary Group is no exception. They were hired by the government army to assassinate you. Although they failed, they prevented us from attacking K City. In return, they received payment from the government army for mining crude oil in the Tabtan Oasis. I think their employment relationship with the government army has ended."
Before Bazafi could figure out what the woman was trying to say, he said, "It's over? But why did they still enter the city under my control and commit murder not long ago? It's clearly not over yet. He wants to kill me."
The woman said, “No, no, General, please listen to me. The War Dragon mercenaries did not actually carry out mass killings in the other cities we control. The reason they assassinated our mid- to high-ranking officers was simply to prevent us from sending troops to Tabtan in time. Once they have established a foothold in Tabtan, they should no longer be our direct enemy, because their goal is oil. So our opportunity has come. Since it is not easy to deal with enemies, why can’t we be friends, or hire them to eliminate the government forces?”
The woman's words seemed to open a window for Bazafi. His eyes lit up, and he jumped up from the ground. He exclaimed, "That's right! These people are after money, not fame. If the government can hire them, why can't we? Even if we don't hire them, we can still coexist peacefully with them. As long as they don't cause me trouble, I have the ability to deal with the government forces."
The woman said approvingly, "General's words make perfect sense. I deeply admire your foresight."
Bazafi pulled the woman into his arms. Her lack of self-praise pleased him. "Hehe, you reminded me. I should thank you properly."
The woman said softly, "I'll be content as long as the general keeps me by his side. I don't ask for any thanks."