Chapter 134
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Chapter 134: Not Peaceful! Train Ambush!
The escort soldiers remained calm as they repelled wave after wave of pirates. The pirates could never find an opportunity to strike; they knew there were soldiers on board with exceptional shooting skills. Without the protection of powerful armored ships, they had no chance to board, even if they managed to get on the ship, they couldn’t take control.
As the pirates kept an eager watch, the "Da Fei Yu" cargo ship finally approached the territorial waters of the United Republic of Tanzania, causing the surrounding groups of pirates to scatter like birds.
At the port of Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, they unloaded over twenty special containers carrying FC-20 components. Under the protection of personnel from the Republic of Zambia and the military of the United Republic of Tanzania, they loaded everything onto a special train.
The train departed from Dar es Salaam, heading toward Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, a railway with a deep connection to China.
In 1967, China, Tanzania, and Zambia officially signed the agreement to construct the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. This railway stretches 1,860 kilometers from Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. It took eight years to complete, with nearly 50,000 Chinese engineering personnel sent to assist; 64 lost their lives during construction, making it one of China’s largest aid projects.
Four air force instructors, including Lin Mo, and two engineers sat together in the last carriage of the train, while 22 escort soldiers occupied nearby carriages or positioned themselves on top of the containers.
Since landing in Dar es Salaam, the responsibility of escorting had been handed over to a company of special forces from Zambia and an infantry battalion from Tanzania. The soldiers half-monitored and half-escorted; after all, having armed foreign troops on their soil kept everyone on high alert.
The Chinese escort soldiers mostly handed over their escort duties on the train, focusing instead on protecting the engineers and air force instructors, who were China’s vital non-negotiable assets. Losing even one would be a disaster.
The black special train moved southwest along the tracks, passing through plains and rolling hills into the tropical mountains near the Zambian border.
Aside from the 22 escort soldiers, Tanzanian troops also protected the vehicles at both ends and along the route. To ensure cross-border transport, the Republic of Zambia paid a hefty price, but given the enhancement of their air force, it was worth every penny.
“This escort seems full of dangers! Is anyone scared?”
Major Huang De, a 37-year-old air force instructor, said as he sat around a small round table. The four air force instructors were gathered around playing Mahjong, while the two engineers engaged in a game of chess due to their shared interests. It’s tough to expect Africa’s railways to match China’s high-speed trains; they were set at the standards of the 1980s, requiring a full two days to reach the Zambian border.
“Scared? What’s there to be scared of? It’s not our first day as soldiers, Xiao Mo! I heard you took out quite a few pirates at sea,” another air force instructor, Major Han Ringuang, said while looking at the youngest one at the table, Lin Mo.
“I lost count, probably around sixty or seventy!” Lin Mo frowned as he flipped over the poor hand of Mahjong he had just drawn and tossed it into the center, frustrated that his luck was terrible. He had yet to win a single round aboard the "Da Fei Yu," and it irritated him that he had just learned Mahjong not long ago.
“You’re such a sharp shooter; it’s a shame you’re not a special forces soldier! I’m going for the win!” The leader of the air force instructors, Major Huang De, discarded three tiles and stole one from Han Ringuang.
“I’d be a special forces soldier? Then what would happen to everyone else? I’ll take on everything myself; I prefer being a pilot, it’s thrilling!” Lin Mo said, poised to finally lay down a significant winning combination when, just as he was about to play a tile, Captain Zou Han shouted, “Win!”
“Damn it! Old Zou, you keep stealing my tiles!” Lin Mo complained, believing his luck would finally turn around soon, but he was destined to lose yet again.
“Ha ha, thank you very much!” Captain Zou responded, maintaining an expression that was humorously stoic.
“Pay up, pay up!” Major Huang De and Major Han Ringuang also moped as they pushed their tiles aside and quickly took out money to give to Captain Zou, as soldiers were known for their integrity in gambling!
“Let’s keep going! I don’t believe I can’t win at least one round,” Lin Mo said, digging out money. The stakes were low, just a bit of fun. He might lose a hundred bucks over the day, which wasn’t much, but losing every time was undeniably frustrating.
Suddenly, the train braked hard, causing everyone to lurch forward despite their best efforts to steady themselves. The freshly arranged Mahjong tiles scattered across the table.
“Are we at the station?!” Lin Mo glanced out the window, spotting a landscape full of mountains, lush greenery, and dense jungle, with light mist swirling—a scene clearly set in the tropical jungle.
It was clearly not a station.
In the corners of the carriage, the radios of the Chinese escort soldiers crackled to life, each answering, listening closely to the words of Escort Team Leader Luo Chao.
“The railway ahead has been damaged by a landslide; the Tanzanian crew is already up there making repairs, stay alert.”
“Yes!”
The sound of rifles being readied echoed throughout, and the escort soldiers readied themselves for battle, quickly lowering all the windows of the train car.
The Tazara Railway typically transported 2 million tons annually but usually operated only 700,000 tons, so there was a long-standing surplus of transport capacity. It was common for the line to be empty, with maintenance often neglected, making such unexpected events not unusual.
Everyone in the carriage exchanged anxious glances, unsure of how long they would be waiting before the train could move again.
“No need to guess; it must be another group of troublemakers trying to stop us. Thankfully, they didn’t plant landmines; otherwise, we’d be in big trouble!”
Major Han Ringuang, annoyed by the interrupted Mahjong game, pulled out his Type 92 pistol and slammed it onto the table—a clear signal: prepare for battle! He certainly appeared to have experience in such situations.
“A landmine would only take out the engine; trains don’t go very fast. At worst, a few unimportant cars would get derailed. Do you think they’d use an anti-tank missile?” Major Huang De also pulled out his weapon and placed it on the table, readying himself, just in case.
Since leaving Beilun Port in China and entering the Indian Ocean, it had been anything but peaceful. Everyone was well aware of the potential dangers; if they could fight, they’d fight, if not, they’d escape. The priority was to save their own lives. As for the four fighter jets, the military forces of Zambia, Tanzania, and China would respond strongly against anyone daft enough to target them.
In fact, a large convoy carrying containers disguised as combat aircraft components was also on its way to Zambia, with similar special containers being guarded at the port. To this end, the military forces of both China and Zambia set up traps, preparing heavy reinforcements at every step to ensure capturing any foes was not a simple task.
It wouldn’t take much guesswork to figure out there was a group bitter about China completing a deal for arms export or even the strengthening of Zambia’s air force, disturbing the balance of power. Such matters were usually kept in the dark, and everyone was aware of the actual culprits. However, no one wanted to initiate a war that could arise from revealing such tensions. That’s why the escort workers weren’t overly worried about escalating matters beyond control. At worst, there might be some minor destruction, but they couldn’t be too careless. Enemy factions could take the opportunity to looting or sabotage under the guise of bandits, making it hard for anyone to pin blame.
“Captain Lin Mo, shouldn’t you show off your laser weapon?” Major Huang De expressed great interest in Lin Mo’s unique weapon. Though not extremely rare, they were hard to come by.
However, Lin Mo’s laser gun had evolved from a Gold Coin, and nobody realized it was not a standard-issue weapon; most assumed it was a personal weapon he had brought. Some preferred knives, some favored gunpowder, while others opted for crossbows; it was just a matter of personal style—understandable considering the safety concerns in Africa.
After all, no sane person would search another’s gun. Even if they did ask, they would learn that Lin Mo had purchased a batch of laser materials and had disassembled a real laser rifle before; it made sense that crafting a laser gun wouldn’t pose immense difficulty.
“The gun? It’s in my bag, no rush. The humidity here is too high; it’s not suitable to use it. I’ll switch to an automatic rifle later,” Lin Mo said, used to dealing with bandits without showing mercy. However, he preferred to avoid using the 95L-5B laser rifle that was modeled after a Gold Coin.
When they were short on personnel, Captain Luo Chao sometimes would rely on Lin Mo for protection, as Lin Mo’s shooting skills left a strong impression.
As the train windows were pulled down, they could faintly hear the shouts of soldiers outside; no one could decipher what the Tanzanian soldiers were yelling, but no need for concern about them being inexperienced. Many were selected from seasoned local warlords.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from a distance, met with the return fire from the train.
The sound of rapid gunfire filled the air, and a series of white spiderweb patterns exploded across the windows of their carriages. The entire train was designed to be bulletproof, and the windows followed suit. However, bulletproof glass could only withstand so much; continuous fire from large-caliber bullets wouldn’t hold up forever.
