Soldiers of the Special Operations Regiment gradually infiltrated Tonglong City. Tonglong City was massive in area, serving as a critical transportation hub with a population exceeding ten million. Although many civilians had fled as refugees, a significant number still remained within the city.
Therefore, the Special Operations Regiment soldiers infiltrated from every corner of the city. Some slipped in through the sewers, while others crawled on their bellies to the city's outskirts before making their way inside.
Once inside, the Special Operations soldiers dispersed and began securing various vantage points. With regular soldiers keeping watch below, they occasionally encountered civilians.
Whenever civilians were about to cry out in alarm, the soldiers would flash their epaulettes, showing that they were troops of the Eastern Spirit Empire. Seeing this, the civilians immediately kept quiet. Some even provided cover for the Special Operations soldiers, helping them slip into the high-rise buildings!
At this moment, Hu Hao stood in the command center. Over twenty large screens were set up in the hall, but all of them were pitch black. The launched drones couldn't capture any usable footage, leaving them completely blind to the situation.
Hu Hao raised his wrist to check his watch. The time had just hit 8:00 PM!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Suddenly, flashes of fire erupted outside the city as bombardments struck the Allied positions set up in Tonglong City.
"Report! The Eastern Spirit Empire's forces are attacking!" The staff officers rushed over to report to their local commander, Kesma.
"I hear them. To think they actually dare to launch an artillery barrage now. Hmph. Find their artillery positions and bomb them! Also, order our infantry to enter their positions as soon as the artillery stops. We cannot let the Eastern Spirit's armored units break through!" Kesma ordered as he stood there.
Inwardly, however, he was terrified. He was rather afraid of Hu Hao, simply because too many generals had died at Hu Hao's hands, and even more had been defeated by him. But in front of his subordinates, he didn't show the slightest hint of fear.
"Boom, boom, boom!" As the deafening explosions echoed throughout the city, the civilians hid in their homes. Some prayed, while others watched the distant fiery blasts.
They had known since daytime that the National Defense Force of the Eastern Spirit Empire was coming to attack. The civilians had been eagerly hoping for their nation's army to arrive quickly, but after waiting all day, they hadn't heard any good news.
Moreover, with more and more Allied troops pouring into the city, the civilians had become somewhat disheartened, thinking their own country's army was too afraid to strike. But now, seeing the artillery fire outside, the spark of hope reignited in their hearts.
"Brother, Brother! Our troops are attacking! They're attacking!" a young girl shouted excitedly. A young man ran over and stood by the window, watching the distant explosions.
"Let's hope our nation's army wins. As long as they win, your brother is going to enlist. I have to avenge our parents! I definitely will!" the young man said resolutely, his eyes fixed on the flames in the distance.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The bombardment outside continued. At the same time, the roar of cannons echoed from several parks within Tonglong City. The Allied artillery had begun their counterattack, preparing to bomb the Eastern Spirit's artillery positions.
"Brothers, attack!" Wu Kexiao shouted into the microphone. They had been waiting for the Allied artillery to fire; the moment the enemy aimed at their artillery, the tanks and armored infantry would launch their assault!
"Attack!" the division commanders on the front lines bellowed, and the regimental commanders below them echoed the call.
Instantly, all the vehicles roared to life and surged rapidly toward the city. They weren't far from Tonglong City —only about 2.5 kilometers away. For tanks and armored vehicles, especially when moving at high speeds, covering that distance took only a few minutes!
"Get ready! Our ground forces are starting their assault. Keep your eyes on their rocket launchers and infantry guns. Heavy snipers, pay close attention to the sky in case Air Cavalry appears. The moment they show up, take out those heavy weapons immediately!" ordered the Squadron Leaders of the Special Operations Regiment who had led the infiltration.
"Understood!" the Team Leaders replied. In truth, the rest of the soldiers could hear the orders clearly as well.
"The second the Allied forces prepare to open fire, we fire too! Wipe out a wave of them first!" the Squadron Leaders continued to instruct.
"Understood!" the Team Leaders acknowledged.
"Hurry! Get into position! Move it!" Seeing the distant vehicle lights and realizing that the Eastern Spirit artillery had mostly ceased firing in their direction, the junior Allied commanders knew the enemy's ground assault was imminent. They yelled at their troops, and the Allied soldiers scrambled into the trenches and bunkers, setting up their weapons for the defense.
"Infantry guns, focus on their tanks and armored vehicles!" the Allied platoon and company commanders yelled.
"Attention, their infantry guns have locked onto our tanks! Take out those guns! Heavy snipers, fire first!" the Squadron Leaders commanded.
Bang!
Bang!
Right at that moment, gunshots rang out from behind the Allied lines!
Thud!
Boom! Many of their infantry guns were struck. A single shot from a heavy sniper rifle was enough to essentially scrap these artillery pieces, rendering any hasty repairs impossible.
"What's going on? Where is the gunfire coming from?" Many officers were completely bewildered as to why their infantry guns had suddenly been rendered useless.
Bang! Several officers dropped dead the moment the words left their mouths.
"Damn it, there are enemies behind us! Hurry, get the rear units to take them out!" Spotting that the bullet entry wounds were on the victims' backs, some officers instantly realized there were shooters behind them and shouted orders.
Bang!
Bang!
Gunfire erupted everywhere behind their positions!
"Hurry! The brothers from the Special Operations Regiment are providing cover for us! Charge in!" Seeing the chaos in the Allied lines and the muzzle flashes from the rear, the division commanders immediately roared.
"Faster! Get those heavy machine guns firing! We're not far now. Tanks, blast wherever the enemy is grouped! Infantry brothers, remember: if you see soldiers in black uniforms, DO NOT shoot! They are our own people! Keep that in your heads!" the regimental commanders hollered.
During the pre-battle briefing, the division commanders had already informed them of this detail. Upon returning to their units, the regimental commanders had passed it down to the battalion commanders, cascading the order through every rank!
Boom, boom, boom! The tanks spearheaded the charge, with armored vehicles closely trailing behind!
"Damn it, hold the line! Rocket launchers, fire!" the Allied officers screamed. Several rocket launcher operators had barely stood up when they were shot down. Although it was impossible to kill every single operator, the Special Operations Regiment had managed to eliminate the vast majority of them!
Rat-tat-tat!
"Infantry, dismount!" the armored division commanders shouted, seeing that their vehicles had pushed to within 100 meters of the Allied trenches.
"Dismount! Cover our tanks and keep an eye out for rocket launcher operators!" the infantry squad leaders commanded loudly. The soldiers inside the vehicles immediately threw open the doors and charged out, weapons at the ready.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Cover me!"
"Take out that heavy machine gun! Take it out!"
Boom! Across the battlefield, Hu Hao's forces began pushing forward.
The first defensive line set up by the Allied forces was swiftly shattered. None of them had anticipated that the first line of defense would collapse so quickly; they had assumed it would hold Hu Hao's troops at bay for at least a day!
"Kill!" the infantrymen roared as they stormed the Allied trenches. The heavy machine guns mounted on the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles continuously strafed the Allied forces in the trenches.
"Ignore their infantry! Push the troops forward! Enter the streets and secure control zones. Advance as far as possible! Leave a small detachment to mop up the remaining Allied troops in the trenches; everyone else, push forward!" Wu Kexiao, monitoring the frontline situation via drone feeds, shouted into his comms to remind the division commanders.
"Understood!" the division commanders replied loudly, immediately ordering their troops to advance rapidly before the Allied forces could regroup.
"Kill!" With rifles raised, the infantry followed the tanks, hunting down the retreating Allied soldiers. Seeing that the line was lost, many Allied troops immediately broke and fled down the city streets.
Rat-tat-tat! The tank-mounted heavy machine guns fired relentlessly forward. Wherever the bullets struck, sparks flew—even when hitting waterlogged ground.
"Report! Our forces have entered the urban district and are currently expanding their foothold!" a staff officer reported to Hu Hao. This update had been sent by Wu Kexiao and Weng Tao.
"Order them to advance rapidly, secure a large enough area, and then establish a defensive line! We need to carve out our own control zone within Tonglong City before pressing the attack! Let's see just how many troops they can throw at us!" Hu Hao instructed his staff officers.
"Yes, sir!" the staff officer acknowledged and immediately hurried off.
"Retreat! Hurry, run!" the Allied soldiers yelled.
With so many of their officers killed, a large number of soldiers were left without command. Having no idea what they were supposed to do and seeing hordes of tanks and armored vehicles flooding the streets, their only option was to flee for their lives.
Bang!Bang! The snipers from the Special Operations Regiment were still picking off high-value targets below. Even a mere platoon leader was deemed a worthy target!
"Contact the local commanders! Our Special Operations Regiment needs to advance; tell them to provide us cover!" A Team Leader, noticing that he was now completely surrounded by friendly forces, immediately radioed his Squadron Leader.
"What sector are you in?" the Squadron Leader asked.
"Sector 7!" the Team Leader yelled back.
"Begin your advance in 5 minutes. I'll contact the commanders on this side now to make sure their troops hold fire on you!" the Squadron Leader replied.
"Understood!" the Team Leader responded. Following this, the Squadron Leader contacted Wu Kexiao. Wu Kexiao then relayed the message to the units in Sector 7, informing them that the Special Operations troops would be moving out and instructing them to provide cover and ensure their safety!
(End of Chapter)