Chapter 512

Chapter 512: The War Begins

In the hangar of the Aircrew Group, the J-18 “Red Eagle” stood beside the prototype of the “monstrous” aircraft, replacing Lin Mo’s previous J-10. Most of the maintenance and upkeep work for it was handled personally by Lin Mo, who now served as the deputy leader.

Just like a true knight who must personally maintain his weapon to cultivate a mysterious bond through subtle influence, Lin Mo aimed to unleash the maximum fighting power of his aircraft.

The loss of his “ex-girlfriend,” the J-10, left Lin Mo feeling regretful for quite a while. His temporary companion at the South China Sea Fleet, the Mustang, provided him with some comfort, and the “Dark Sabre” from the Shilang No. 83 aircraft carrier training ship offered Lin Mo new experiences.

However, his main focus remained on the “monstrous” aircraft, which consumed most of his attention. Even though it wasn’t fully developed, every component was crafted with precision. For all metal parts, Lin Mo insisted on the perfect gold formula, using the finest materials and the highest processing accuracy. He even let the gold giant dragon personally synthesize the parts. Ignoring aerodynamic efficiency and other uninstalled components, the aircraft’s performance could rank among the most advanced fighter jets currently in existence. Not every manufacturer could achieve the level of craftsmanship that the gold giant dragon offered.

The hangar boasted a wide range of equipment, including maintenance gear from Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, and tools customized by Lin Mo himself. During the few days Lin Mo was absent, a robot managed by gold had taken charge of the maintenance work. With computer-controlled mechanics, it could perform adjustments and upkeep automatically. Although Lin Mo was alone, the efficiency of the equipment rivaled that of twenty professional mechanics.

Everyone at the “Night” base had become accustomed to the advanced gear provided by domestic equipment development departments and had developed a high immunity to novelty. Even the addition of a new homemade robot failed to spark much surprise. Such curiosities had appeared before in the base, though none had been utilized as meticulously as Lin Mo did; in fact, there was even an outdated, clunky, single-soldier powered armor left behind in a corner of one warehouse.

Lin Mo had accumulated considerable benefits from the Paris-Le Bourget International Aerospace Exhibition, where he explored and thoroughly examined the offerings from Sukhoi. Gold had put in a lot of effort these past days and supplemented numerous data storage chips to back up the collected data.

Finding a moment, he opened an email, finding it still empty. Lin Mo scoffed. Lockheed Martin was still unwilling to submit, something he had expected.

It’s unlikely that one of the few titans in the international aviation industry would easily surrender to a mere pilot without a few tough lessons. Whenever the opportunity arose, Lin Mo would not hesitate to strike at Lockheed.

He looked at the J-18 “Red Eagle” sitting quietly in the hangar, its matte green camouflage paint gleaming. On his tactical tablet, Lin Mo jotted down a series of improvement plans. These recent insights were ones he aimed to apply to the J-18 “Red Eagle” and the “monstrous” aircraft for tuning.

As an entry-level aircraft design professional, he meticulously recorded every step of modifications, and he planned to sell the insights regarding the “Red Eagle” to Shenyang, potentially for some extra cash.

…

In Takhar Province, near Taloqan, a hilly area lay scattered with rocks. Amidst the rubble, patches of moss and low shrubs struggled to survive. Besides a few grazing animals passing through, the area was home to the Afghan Big-Eared Fox, searching for edible fruit and insects hiding under stones.

To the northeast, a majestic silhouette appeared, the Hindu Kush Mountains casting their shadow over the Sunlit Safed Khor.

The air drifted in with a faint scent of gunpowder that remained sharp and unpleasant.

From the direction where the gunpowder drifted, thick black smoke rose into the sky, weaving a heavy cloud above. The enemy had launched an attack from Baghlan Province, numbering around one thousand, equipped with armored vehicles and heavy machine guns. They initiated a night raid, having somehow acquired artillery that caught them completely off guard with a barrage.

A shard of shrapnel grazed Lin Mo’s head, but fortunately, his Type 81 automatic rifle took the brunt of it, preventing half of his skull from being sliced away.

Though he preserved his life, it came at the cost of his beloved rifle, just recently acquired and treated like a lifeline. The only intact items were the magazine and bayonet.

Nearly a quarter of his brothers fell on the battlefield, all due to those wretched artillery shells. Each round created massive craters; many brave souls never made it back, their remains lost, with those closest to the impact suffering the worst fates.

The enemy’s assault was fierce, their numbers overwhelming. In the dark of night, clear gunfire danced around, making it impossible to discern friend from foe. Only the desperate shouts of his squad leader nearby guided him as he stumbled along. If he hesitated even a moment longer, whether the enemy killed him or not, he would surely bleed out.

His head was now wrapped in a disinfected bandage made in China, proving effective. After applying some unknown white powder, the bleeding stopped. Thanking Allah, he realized, like many fortunate ones, he had survived.

Rawari Yoogla Ahmadi clutched his recently received Type 81 rifle and about ten magazines, staring blankly toward the southwest.

That was where the enemy had come from. After withdrawing over ten miles throughout the night, they had reached the second line of defense.

Damn it! The so-called defense team, claiming to be on par with the government forces, had been beaten down by a disorganized mob like this.

"Rawari, are you okay?"

Rawari Yoogla Ahmadi’s superior, Squad Leader Muhammad Pashtu, looked at the young man under his command, worried. At just under twenty, Rawari, usually so lively, had suddenly turned silent and withdrawn. May Allah protect him; he hoped he wouldn’t get hurt or become a fool.

Rumor had it that Rawari came from a prominent family and had attended high school. However, during the Taliban regime, his family was slaughtered, leaving only a few relatives to escape. Ultimately, he ended up wandering in the Gem Valley as a soldier in the defense team’s second infantry battalion, just trying to survive.

He was lucky to have lived through last night. Muhammad was even considering recommending Rawari for a position at the command center or another clerical job. He could read, which meant he was educated, unlike himself, who couldn’t read a word and only knew how to fight and act like a big shot—dying in action would not be a pity.

“Squad leader, I’m fine!”

Hearing his squad leader’s voice, Rawari shrank his head back in the trench and continued to stare intently at the direction where black smoke rose.

That was where their position had been last night; they had the best food and equipment in the Gem Valley and the toughest training in the defense team. The retreat last night had been utterly humiliating; if it weren’t for the brothers from the second line approaching them, not even half of their men might have made it out.

“Good to hear! The sentries will be watching; your job now is to rest. It’s daytime, and those guys won’t ambush us like last night.”

Muhammad Pashtu nodded and turned away, comforting the other soldiers while muttering curses under his breath, “A bunch of bastards and cowards! Why don’t they attack from Kapisa Province and Parwan Province, instead of choosing Baghlan Province?”

Rawari cracked a slight smile at the sound. Kapisa and Parwan were closest to Kabul, and the enemy’s assault had received tacit approval and covert support from some officials in the Afghan government. They gathered near Kabul, clearly intending to confront the Dragoon Consortium, which controlled the four northern provinces, and openly supported illegal armed groups.

That was incredibly brazen! Not only would it cause the government to lose credibility, but it would also strip the Afghan government of reasons for international backing.

What kind of sincerity could a government made up of bandits possess? The Western nations care most about trustworthiness.

As this thought crossed his mind, Rawari’s expression changed. That artillery attack last night—damn it! It had been the government army! Part of the sixty D-30 howitzers delivered to the government by the Pushtun people.

These bastards! Not only did they fail to support them, but they also struck from the shadows. No wonder the defense team had been caught off guard; the government forces were now colluding with illegal armed groups.

At that moment, cheers erupted from afar, growing louder and more enthusiastic, spreading like a fireball across the entire second line of defense of the team.

“Long live Allah!”

“The enemy’s artillery position has been taken out; that’s awesome!”

“Long live! Great news—the enemy’s artillery unit has been wiped out!”

“This is simply fantastic!”

“Captain Abik has sent the Elite Guard and the armed helicopter unit to launch an assault, annihilating the artillery position.”

“Long live Allah!” Rawari slammed his fist against the trench wall, letting out a desperate roar, as if his lost confidence had returned. The defense team was indeed not an easy target; all the sweat and blood they shed during training was not in vain.

“Attention! The enemy is approaching! Positions! No running around!”

Suddenly, shouts rang out from officers at various levels, signaling that the enemy was closing in.

Fireballs erupted in front of the trench; it was not that the enemy was too eager but that they were using mortars for reconnaissance, checking for any forward fire points and minefields.

What cunning bastards!

In the distance, Rawari could see some small dark figures approaching the position slowly, even a few jeeps mounted with heavy machine guns covering the advance.

The war had begun!