Chapter 508

Chapter 508: On the Brink of Explosion

Gem Valley, Dragoon Base.

It seems that few people regard this military base, which descended into the Hindu Kush Mountains last year, as an outsider.

The Pashtun people in Gem Valley and many new residents view this military base as their last umbrella of protection.

Everyone knows that without this Dragoon base, the greedy attackers would launch endless assaults, and the Pashtun people would have no means to protect their valuable paradise.

This was clearly evident from last year’s life-and-death struggle.

Moreover, the Dragoon consortium has a very subtle relationship with the military base under the same banner.

This secret is known only to a few.

But every Chinese soldier in the Dragoon base knows this not-so-secret secret.

The Afghan government’s control over the provinces is weak, relying on neighboring countries to provide moral support to maintain the border line.

The Chinese have almost taken Gem Valley as their own enclave, with the narrow territory stretching from Badakhshan Province to the Chinese border serving as a natural passageway.

Neighboring Pakistan has a close relationship with China and a religious bond with Afghanistan, ensuring that both the consortium and the military base receive a degree of support.

After defeating the initial attacks from the armed militants coalition, Gem Valley has enjoyed a sufficient period of stable development, thanks to the influence of both countries.

“Report! Commander He!”

A communications soldier knocked on the door of the commander’s office in the Dragoon base.

“Come in!”

The stationed troops in Gem Valley belong to a reinforced Chinese army regiment, commanded by Colonel He Jinliang.

He leads three infantry battalions, a helicopter squadron, and an armored company, totaling over two thousand personnel, with combat personnel making up three-quarters of that number. They are equipped with firepower similar to that of a division, intending to be stationed in Gem Valley year-round to combat separatists, terrorists, and drug lords beyond the borders, keeping enemies away from the gates of their country. They can target not only the East Turkestan terrorists active in the northwest but also deter the armed Tibetan independence factions.

“What’s the matter?”

Commander He Jinliang set aside his training plans, which included not only the training tasks for the Chinese soldiers at the military base but also the training plans for the Gem Valley defense team.

These dual layers of defense are one of the Chinese military’s means to ensure the safety of the base.

“Emergency intelligence from the Dragoon consortium.”

The communications soldier took out an envelope made of special material that can avoid electromagnetic scans, infrared detection, and X-ray penetration, and handed it to Commander He Jinliang.

The envelope was marked with an importance level, ranging from the highest level 10, which indicates nuclear war, to the lowest level 1, equivalent to internal disputes like soldiers fighting among themselves.

The envelope before Commander He was classified as level 7 by a specially assigned confidential officer, to help him determine the focus of his decision-making.

“Things are getting restless again! Fortunately, CEO Sally is on her way back; otherwise, things could really get messy.” Commander He carefully read the intelligence and thought for a couple of seconds before writing on the intelligence document: Forward to Staff Officer Zhang Guangwu. He returned the document to the communications soldier and said, “Make a copy for Staff Officer Zhang, and inform the battalion commanders to convene a meeting. Tell the logistics department to start taking stock immediately.”

Given the unique situation in Afghanistan, the deployed personnel are troops with multiple counter-terrorism exercises and combat experience. Nearly everyone’s loyalty has been individually tested to ensure that the secret garrison in Central Asia is foolproof.

For the weak countries in Central Asia, a secret military garrison isn’t unusual. Neighboring Tajikistan hosts a Russian troop contingent of twelve thousand, along with a reinforced Kazakh battalion and even a hundred-man U.S. military detachment.

With the arrival of another reinforced Chinese army regiment, all three of the world’s major powers have gathered in this small region.

Even if the Pashtun people in Gem Valley had not actively extended an olive branch to the Chinese military, the garrison in Central Asia was bound to happen sooner or later.

According to reports from the Dragoon consortium, twenty thousand armed militants were gathering, intending to launch an operation against the consortium controlling the four northern provinces.

He watched as the communications soldier left to carry out the order.

Commander He was not very worried. Outside, there were more than three thousand professional soldiers in the Gem Valley defense team, controlled by the Dragoon consortium, along with over ten thousand militia members who regularly underwent training. Most of them had been forged in the fires of battle and possessed a certain level of combat power.

With the training received at the Dragoon military base, the combat strength of the Gem Valley defense team was much superior to that of the scattered armed personnel outside.

If this reinforced regiment could not withstand the attacks from the armed militants, there were plenty of military forces domestically ready to support them, enough to instill fear in those mountain bandits.

He approached a wall in his office that displayed a large military map of Afghanistan and began to devise a combat plan.

“Before the soldiers move, the supplies must be prepared.” The two thousand armed militants wanting to launch a simultaneous attack would certainly need significant preparation time. After all, they were not a regular army. The internal power struggles and the endless shifting of responsibilities were as numerous as the hairs on a cow. The agents eyeing the Dragoon consortium would likely require tremendous effort and time to unite this mob.

The four northern provinces were a mountainous area with complex terrain where many advanced weapons would struggle to perform. Even a massive deployment of tanks would rarely find opportunities to be used; only mountain warfare equipment specifically designed for such terrain could be effective.

…

While avoiding potential ambush points for anti-aircraft weapons on the way, Sally arrived at the Dragoon consortium headquarters in Gem Valley. She immediately initiated war mobilization with the defense team commander, Abik, and began gathering various war supplies. A retired bullet production line that had been obtained from China started operating around the clock in three shifts to stockpile a large amount of ammunition for future warfare.

In modern warfare, the increasing ratio of semi-automatic and automatic weapons transforms battles into wars of attrition. For nearly every modern conflict, the ammunition consumption for even a single campaign is often not sufficient for a small-scale modern war.

Even on battlefields where government troops and anti-government forces clash, the yellow bullet casings cover the entire street.

The weapons and equipment of the Gem Valley defense team had long since replaced the outdated and inferior AK-47s with the Type 81 rifles (81-1 model 7.62mm automatic rifles) provided by the Chinese military.

With a large supply of near-expired bullets, the Dragoon consortium struck a major bargain. The ammunition that would have cost a significant amount to destroy was sold at a low price to Sally’s Dragoon consortium by the Chinese military, benefiting both parties.

The Chinese military maintains strict control over logistics and ammunition stocks. Even if ammunition is nearing its expiration date, the proportion of misfiring or jammed bullets is incredibly low, ensuring it does not affect training or combat use.

Despite the large number of troops in the Chinese army, transitioning to the Type 95 automatic rifle has been a lengthy project. Many Chinese soldiers still use the traditional Type 81 rifles to defend their homeland, and their stable quality and reliability do not lead to any feelings of discontent.

Large quantities of usable Type 81 rifles that were retired found a second life in Afghanistan. The Type 81, derived from the AK-47, posed no unfamiliarity to the soldiers of the Dragoon consortium defense team; they required no training — not even a minute — and could operate them skillfully with ease.

The Type 81 not only uses the ammunition compatible with the AK-47 but can also be fitted with grenade launchers. Furthermore, in terms of accuracy and reliability, it surpasses the AK-47.

When penetrating the human body, the bullet can create a gaping wound over 12 centimeters in diameter; if hit in the head, at least a third of the skull would be blown away. It is undeniably a formidable weapon on the battlefield, comparable to the 5.8mm cartridges of the Type 95 rifle, with a considerable range that suits the harsh geographic conditions of Afghanistan.

One week after Sally’s return to Gem Valley, around five thousand armed personnel, including those from the Dragoon consortium and the defense team, gathered and set off from Gem Valley with ample supplies.

Those agents stirring up trouble in Afghanistan likely had no idea that although they employed various tactics to create disturbances, they still could not stop the rapid response of the Dragoon consortium.

After all, the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Panjshir, and Nuristan, controlled by the Dragoon consortium, were not acquired without effort.

The agents were unaware that the Chinese military was operating in the Dragoon consortium’s stronghold. Although they did not openly provide assistance, they offered support behind the scenes.

Having the Chinese military backing them was not on the same level as others.

While the tactical capabilities and coordination of the Dragoon defense team soldiers may not match those of China’s homegrown troops, they possessed rich combat experience. After some training, their combat power could equal that of the Chinese soldiers.

Before the twenty thousand eager armed militants officially launched their attack, the armed personnel of the Dragoon consortium had already begun to move, entering Takhar and Panjshir provinces to establish their front lines. They also mobilized the local civilians in both provinces to prepare for a fortified defense while urging the militia to maintain social order and prepare for guerrilla warfare.

The Pashtun people, seasoned by war and bearing the scars of battle, had "become experts" in warfare through their experiences. Although they were initially alarmed upon hearing news of the impending attack by twenty thousand bandits, they quickly calmed and prepared for battle under the well-organized arrangements by the Dragoon consortium.

As dark clouds gathered over the northern war in Afghanistan, a special forces team escorted dozens of Chinese officers to form an observation group and arrived in Gem Valley.