Chapter 514

Chapter 514: Fortune Lies Where Disaster Lurks

Airport Number Three belonged to the Dragoon Consortium itself.

Airport Number One was for transport and passenger flights, while Airport Number Two was for armed helicopters.

Airport Number Three had just been established, featuring two 2,000-meter runways dedicated to fighter jets, and was right next to the Dragoon military base. They had thought it would be foolproof, but they never expected it to be ambushed, suffering significant losses.

The A-29 "Super Dodo" ordered by Dragoon was a luxurious version custom-made for the U.S. military, completely tailored for ground multi-role suppression. The package and maintenance equipment were all available, with a price tag of $20 million per aircraft, which was more than double the bare aircraft cost. Now, before it could even be utilized, one had already been destroyed, a severe blow to the Dragoon Consortium.

What can $20 million do in Afghanistan?

A small city like Taloqan might not even be worth $10 million.

Sally’s face started turning pale.

“Sally! Watch out!” Janet Adiya, Sally’s most trusted assistant, sensed something amiss and quickly supported the unsteady Sally.

“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Sally shook her head, forcefully breaking free from her assistant’s hold. She then smashed her fist hard against the edge of the model table, glaring intensely at the enemy’s force distribution, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm down.

She couldn’t panic. If she panicked, it would all be over.

“How could this happen? Who did this?”

Sweat pored down her forehead like beans, continuously dripping.

Every dollar of Dragoon’s was not simply blown away; it came from the hard work and sweat of everyone, accumulated bit by bit. Now, before it could yield any results, it evaporated, and Sally couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

She was like an angry female leopard.

“Don’t panic, Sally. We still have three planes. Even if we have just one fighter left, we still have a chance.”

Abik naturally understood the defensive strength around the three airports, which was nearly comparable to the headquarters. Within a five-kilometer radius, there was almost one squad of veteran soldiers on every height, equipped with sniper rifles, RPGs, and heavy machine guns.

To fend off external threats, one must first secure internal stability. This principle was understood by everyone. Thus, once the war began, the Dragoon Consortium declared martial law and a curfew in all controlled provinces, simultaneously dispatching security teams to manage the population within Gem Valley.

During this period, hundreds of battles unfolded, and although there were external forces secretly lurking, it was unexpected that there would be so many. Despite having a household registration and temporary residency system, there were still experienced individuals infiltrating using various methods.

“There are traitors! We must root them out. Otherwise, I won’t be able to eat or sleep peacefully.”

Sally’s eyes were filled with bloodshot fury as she gritted her teeth. If there weren’t any traitors, how could the enemy possibly find and sabotage their key airport? More infuriatingly, they even knew about the A-29 "Super Dodo" she ordered as a secret weapon.

Since returning to Kabul, their group’s phones had been illegally jammed by the communication company, and Sally and Abik realized a traitor existed within the Dragoon Consortium.

They conducted investigations but only caught some small fish.

Abik said, “We’ve inspected multiple departments, but only two departments remain unchecked.”

“Which ones?” Sally’s gaze turned fierce and sharp, making Abik hesitate to meet her eyes, and he wondered in disbelief what had turned this young woman’s gaze so terrifying. Was it the natural result of her high position?

“The Dragoon military base, and the Elders.”

“…” Sally fell silent immediately. These two places were the least likely to harbor traitors, so Dragoon had excluded them from their investigations.

The Chinese personnel usually stayed at the military base, rarely going out, and almost never interacted with the locals in the valleys. Besides, they spoke a different language, making it impossible for them to access information within the Dragoon Consortium.

The Elders were composed of the village chiefs from the earlier migrations. After settling in Gem Valley, all Pashtun people restructured for better management, rebuilding their leadership with the Dragoon Consortium at the core. The original village chief positions lost their real power, as the chiefs formed the Elders to take on different responsibilities.

Currently, the Elders were mainly responsible for religious affairs, mobilizing civilians, and coordinating disputes. Given their shared past of hardship, surviving the pursuit of bandits, it was highly unlikely they would betray their own.

“How could this be happening?” Sally locked eyes with Abik for a moment, reading encouragement in his gaze.

Decisive actions were essential; hesitation could worsen the situation. Every second wasted would lead to further deterioration.

"Notify the Dragoon military base to send their professionals to help us investigate the traitors and look into the Elders!"

Sally seemed to have made a significant decision as she slammed her fist down heavily on the edge of the model table.

The Elders held a unique status, making them difficult to investigate. However, despite how difficult it was, it had to be done. Sally bore all the pressure, knowing that the future of the Dragoon Consortium rested on her frail shoulders, and she had to take on all responsibilities.

As for the suspicion regarding the Dragoon military base, they might already be aware without her having to remind them.

The battlefield situation began to shift unfavorably for the Dragoon Consortium.

Panjshir Province had almost fallen, even though nearly two battalions of the defense team were stationed there to confront over 10,000 armed militants. Another battalion was engaged in combat against the approaching enemy in Takhar Province.

The enemy’s strength became evident as both sides suffered casualties daily. Even if they traded one for two, the regular forces of the Dragoon Consortium’s defense team couldn’t withstand the attrition.

To conserve their fighting strength and avoid direct confrontation, Defense Team Leader Abik ordered all units to fight while pulling back, using the terrain to buy time and engaging the enemy in a war of attrition. Meanwhile, they dispatched militia forces to wage guerrilla warfare and launch surprise attacks, using localized strength and firepower advantages to eliminate small enemy units and hinder their advance.

According to the original combat plan, engaging in a war of attrition could disadvantage the larger force. With so many troops, supplies would be consumed at an enormous rate. Even with international and certain government support, sustaining such a large-scale war was unfeasible.

Illegal armed militants enjoyed backing from foreign agents and some governmental military forces. If it weren’t for the Dragoon Consortium’s support from the Chinese military, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Afghanistan itself lacked decent heavy and light industry, largely depending on imports, which made transportation costs high. In contrast, the Dragoon Consortium had a natural and narrow route directly connecting them to the powerful Chinese border, in addition to receiving aid from Pakistan.

A few of the Elders of the Dragoon Consortium, who initially opposed relinquishing control of the consortium, were now grateful. Sally’s "affiliation" decision turned out to be immensely correct. The influences behind that man were unfathomable, and they must never forget that every breath they took and every bit of wealth they enjoyed came from him.

No matter what, they needed to manage this considerable wealth wholeheartedly, as it represented the common interests of all. Allah teaches gratitude!

However, in the following days, news both good and bad came in succession.

In the midst of fierce fighting, one of the Dragoon Consortium’s armed helicopters was shot down by an air defense missile, and the pilot was killed instantly. The armed helicopter unit was left with only one aircraft, which struggled to survive and could no longer engage in combat.

Fortunately, the remaining three A-29 "Super Dodo" aircraft successfully completed their adjustments and test flight procedures.

Not only was it in response to the Dragoon Consortium’s hefty reward, but also to avenge their comrades, Brazilian Aerospace Security Company flight instructors and two of the best-trained Dragoon fighter pilots took off with aerial bombs and air-to-air missiles for a series of strikes.

With their advanced propeller-driven aircraft and a cruise speed of up to 520 kilometers per hour, they shot down six enemy armed helicopters and destroyed most of their supply depots.

Just as Sally had predicted, those agents and government forces could not provide air defense radar for the 20,000 armed militants. The three "Super Dodo" planes caught the enemy by surprise, and the speed of the armed helicopters made escape impossible.

The "Super Dodo" successfully secured air superiority for the defense team, causing significant casualties on the enemy side, accounting for almost 40% of all combat losses.

Even at the sound of the fighter jets, those disorganized armed militants would instantly retreat. Even if they held the advantage during the assault, their morale would collapse in an instant, halting their advances.

As long as the "Super Dodo" had the appropriate payload equipment, it could become a versatile player in the air, excelling at ground strikes, aerial interceptions, electronic jamming, and reconnaissance.

With a flight endurance of nearly nine hours, it possessed excellent long-range reconnaissance capability, providing precise intelligence for the ground troops. Its reconnaissance radius could even cover all of Afghanistan, and its performance on the battlefield was like fish in water.

Although it wasn’t a jet fighter, the propeller-driven aircraft was more suited to Afghanistan’s terrain and operations, earning praise from everyone in the Dragoon Consortium’s 14th Combat Command Center.

Disaster is often where fortune lies, and fortune often hides in disaster.

Unexpected events kept occurring for Sally and the Dragoon Consortium.