Chapter 509

Chapter 509: Good News in Bad News

A massive physical sand table was set up in a hall of approximately 300 square meters within the Dragoon military base.

The Dragoon military base features a semi-underground fortress-like building, constructed over more than half a year with three shifts of workers using high-quality materials and modular prefabricated designs. Although many new buildings have been added within the base, the interiors are very simple, with walls only covered by a layer of dull cement.

While it may not look impressive, the style aligns with the practical and durable aesthetics of the Chinese military, where many local military bases even have exposed red bricks and stacked stones on their walls.

As various equipment continued to fill the hall, a highly simulated battlefield training area began to take shape, and as soon as the Chinese military officer team arrived at the site, they entered a working mode.

The impending clash between the Dragoon consortium and the agents would involve nearly thirty thousand troops, marking it as a significant scale of war.

This upcoming major battle would soon attract the attention of senior officials in the Chinese military, as this rare combat experience would serve as a training ground for the new generation of commanders in China from a different perspective.

On the small runway of the Dragoon military base, four sets of unmanned reconnaissance drones were launched every two hours to feed the reconnaissance data back to the war simulation hall.

As Sally had hoped, the Chinese side indeed shared the information gathered from the drones, but they also brought back troubling news — the opposing side also had unmanned reconnaissance drones. This forced Sally to equip hundreds of reconnaissance teams with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to find suitable opportunities to shoot down the enemy’s reconnaissance aircraft.

The headquarters of the Dragoon consortium in Gem Valley was a fifteen-story steel-structured building, with one floor serving as the command center for the defense team similar to that of the Dragoon military base. Through a fiber optic communication network spread throughout Gem Valley, it connected with the Dragoon military base to achieve synchronized data sharing, even receiving guidance and suggestions from the Chinese observation team.

Compared to the twenty thousand bandits in Baghlan Province and Kunduz Province, the Dragoon consortium defense team appeared more like a regular government force.

The headquarters of the Dragoon consortium was almost the tallest building in Gem Valley, but it was not situated in the most central location; next to it, there was the defense team’s barracks, adjacent to the commercial district.

In addition, there was a military restricted area two kilometers deep behind it, which half surrounded the Dragoon base of the Chinese military. Only newcomers would mistakenly believe that the Dragoon consortium only had the surface-level defense team stationed there.

On the map published to the civilians, the area where the Dragoon base was located was marked as a shooting range and a minefield, and Sally granted the Chinese military the right to kill intruders without liability.

Now, Gem Valley was a town with a population of fifty thousand, where basic industries, agriculture, and trade revolved around the military and the local jewelry industry. Although there were occasionally bad elements mixed in, the Dragoon consortium’s security team filtered out many suspicious individuals each month through strict household registration and temporary residence management systems learned from China.

Those elderly Pashtun men, who seemed worn out while doing light work, acted like neighborhood uncles and aunties, possessing keen eyes to identify strangers and becoming important secret informants in the growing town.

"Janet, what was the response from the Kabul government?"

Sally assigned her senior professional manager to handle commercial matters while she and the defense team commander, Abik, remained at the command center on the fourteenth floor. The fifteenth floor was occupied by Sally’s chief executive office, while the thirteenth floor served as an isolation layer with no departments or staff, usually housing a team of more than ten elite soldiers responsible for security isolation.

Janet Adiya, one of Sally’s trusted female assistants, was responsible for communication with the government, as the Dragoon consortium presented itself as a legal civilian commercial organization with semi-political status.

Although many people and factions within the Afghan government were envious of the wealth of the Dragoon consortium, they did not dare to openly seize it. Moreover, the Dragoon consortium had numerous supporters within the government, even investing in small media outlets like newspapers and radio stations, enhancing their image and gaining favor.

"They said they are still closely monitoring the situation. They have already sent an investigative letter to the local governments of Baghlan Province and Kunduz Province, ordering local deployed troops to send small units for reconnaissance."

Janet Adiya’s voice was as sweet as a lark on the prairie, and like many traditional Afghan women, she had only a first name and took her husband’s surname after marriage.

As a senior departmental supervisor close to CEO Sally and single, she constantly attracted the attention of ardent admirers, including the defense team commander, Abik.

Sure enough, this guy took advantage of his proximity and couldn’t help but steal glances at the beautiful Pashtun woman while discussing military affairs with his subordinates.

"An investigative letter? Is that really useful? At such a critical time, sending out a light letter of investigation? Can’t they come up with a smarter excuse?" Sally slammed her delicate pink fist on the table and continued, "I’m afraid they’re intentionally turning a blind eye, pretending not to see. What are they plotting? Do they think we don’t know anything? Sitting back and watching the tiger fight, hoping to benefit when we are worn down? They just keep claiming to be closely monitoring the situation and protesting against those illegal armed groups. If they were truly capable, there wouldn’t be so many warlords claiming territory."

After the previous ruling Taliban in Afghanistan was defeated by the anti-Taliban coalition, the country was left with the current government, warlords, drug traffickers, agents of international forces, remnants of the Taliban, and bandits, and now the Dragoon consortium was set to join the fray.

Although the Dragoon consortium originally did not plan to contest for power, they faced the harsh reality of "innocent men suffer for their wealth," as those envious of their wealth forced Sally to arm herself while stabilizing economic development in order to protect their hard-won good life.

"It seems so! Our undercover lines have reported that government forces Commander Adet Mula and several members of the Elder Council, including Rafal, have secretly reached an agreement with the agents, supporting the assembled illegal militants to attack us while the government forces take care of the aftermath and eliminate our resistance."

Janet Adiya spoke quietly, observing Sally’s mood over the past few days. Despite maintaining her composure in front of department heads, she had been breaking things behind the scenes.

If it were anyone else watching their hard-earned foundation being destroyed and plundered by a group of disgusting individuals, anger would be inevitable.

Not just Janet Adiya, but all senior officials who became aware of this information were loudly cursing these useless and greedy individuals who couldn’t allow others to enjoy a happy life.

"Will the Chinese intervene to help us?" Sally considered the Dragoon base of the Chinese military as her last card, believing that they wouldn’t sit by and watch twenty thousand illegal armed militants invade Gem Valley, but it would only be for Gem Valley. The Dragoon consortium lacked enough interests to warrant Chinese support for defending four provinces.

"They are currently on high alert but do not plan to send troops. However, Officer Sally, there is good news. Four A-29 ‘Super Dodos’ and related equipment from Embraer Defense Corporation have arrived in Kuwait and can be shipped at any time."

"They’ve arrived! That’s fantastic."

Sally leaped to her feet, relieved to finally hear a piece of good news amid a week filled with bad tidings.

The mountainous terrain in the four northern provinces of Afghanistan made aircraft the most effective combat weapon.

However, considering the range, speed, and payload of helicopters, while armed helicopters provide excellent fire suppression on the ground, they are also very easy to shoot down.

Intelligence suggested that the enemy also possessed civilian-modified military helicopters, as helicopters are not heavily restricted internationally. Although modified helicopters can’t compare to true military versions, they still serve as aerial weapons.

Once war broke out, the armed helicopter squad that the Dragoon consortium painstakingly formed could easily become a target for attrition. Sally wanted to allocate a few more helicopters, but the maintenance costs and pilot requirements were significant, and the Dragoon consortium couldn’t afford many.

"Have the pilots from Embraer Defense Corporation take the four fighter jets equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks and fly directly from Pakistan to Gem Valley. Tell the pilots that if they can help us in battle, we will offer them a generous reward, and we will take any responsibility. Other equipment and supplies will come through Pakistan, and arrange for the Chinese and the Pakistanis to assist us in airlifting other supplies from Asadabad. I am willing to pay whatever price it takes."

Thinking of the relationships between Pakistan and China, a gleam of excitement appeared in Sally’s eyes. What she needed most now was time. In the critical moments for the four northern provinces, she couldn’t afford to cut costs; she would spare no expense, even if it meant exceeding the original budget.

The A-29 "Super Dodo" could operate without stopping or landing during its transit flight.

During the Paris Air Show, the introduction from Embraer Defense Corporation indicated that operating the "Super Dodo" was not very difficult.

Before Sally placed her order, the Dragoon consortium’s pilots had already been recruited in advance and were undergoing basic training.

If only she could have one more week, perhaps the first group of pilots able to operate the fighter jets would just barely meet the requirements.

With the standard U.S. military version of the "Super Dodo" armed with precision-guided bombs, it was clear that the Dragoon consortium’s combat capability would significantly increase.

This might deliver an unexpected blow to the enemy.