Chapter 223
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Chapter 223: Raid on Afghanistan!
"In the economy and society, just throw some money to get in. The French only recognize euros. As long as you pay, anyone can get inside. We just received an invitation as a newly established factory; it’s all just mutual flattery. Only securing orders is what truly matters."
Chen Haiqing shook his head. It wasn’t as mystical as Lin Mo described; without money and strength, who could make an entrance? Money and power often go hand in hand.
These foreigners are constantly finding ways to grab money. How much for a booth? How much for a signboard? Even for name tags, power outlets, and tables and chairs, everything has a price. You have to bid based on the floor plan of the exhibition area, and then they hand you a list of items to rent, which includes everything. In the end, all those little things’ rental fees could buy a brand-new setup. The organizers always end up as the big winners, so it’s no wonder so many companies are eager to host exhibitions; it’s simply a money-grabbing gold mine.
"Alright, keep me informed about the schedule, but it can’t be like this time. I have to charge a fee!"
Lin Mo adjusted his suitcase, getting ready for security checks.
"How is that possible? Oh, here, take this!" Chen Haiqing suddenly pulled out a bank card and stuffed it into Lin Mo’s pocket, smiling. "There’s no salary, but there’s a bonus!”
“What a surprise! You’re really giving this to me? I’m actually going to take it!” Lin Mo’s eyes widened. Initially, it was just a favor—he hadn’t expected Chen Haiqing to have a parting surprise.
“The password is six eights; you know what that means!” Chen Haiqing winked at Lin Mo and didn’t elaborate further.
"Then I won’t be polite!" Lin Mo slipped the card into his pocket; it was still a gesture of goodwill from the other side.
“See you later!”
“Bye!”
Chen Haiqing watched Lin Mo enter the boarding gate.
In Fairfax County, Virginia, near Washington, at the CIA headquarters, a clear 2160p high-definition video played on a 24-inch monitor in an office. A powerful video decoding chip operated smoothly.
The screen showed the black-gray X-1 that Lin Mo had once flown, constantly climbing while conducting altitude limit tests.
“X-1?! Is that the Russian ‘Golden Eagle’ modified version? Didn’t the Chinese just halt the ‘Dark Arrow’ program? How did they restart it?”
“Doesn’t seem like it; it looks a bit special. I’ve never seen a model like this; it should be a fifth generation. Perhaps it’s some technology passed down from Russia; they have a tradition for this.”
“The performance looks outstanding; what do the intelligence experts say?”
“It seems to be a prototype. It’s unlikely to be a mass-produced model. The forward-swept wings have inherent shortcomings; otherwise, up till now, there would only be three experimental machines in the world.”
“Being able to fly that high, it seems their cockpit technology isn’t that far behind us; it should rank at a world-class level. This model should be a high-altitude fighter.”
“Yes, it’s a new company with official backing; their technological strength is accumulating rapidly.”
“Send this video to Lockheed and Boeing and ask them to provide an assessment report. I want to see it on my desk by next Monday.”
“Understood, Mr. David.”
An obscure intelligence network quickly sprang into action.
“The Dragon Knight is ready!”
Seated in the familiar cockpit of the J-10, Lin Mo connected to a secure communication channel. The onboard communication device’s ROM firmware contained nearly a hundred special communication keys, automatically updated via satellite every seven days to ensure the highest degree of communication encryption. Even if captured, the fighter wouldn’t easily allow enemies to decrypt its classified communication systems.
Equipped with two fully loaded aerial fuel tanks and air-to-ground weapons under the wings, Lin Mo’s J-10 stood ready for action. The military meteorological center of the Northwest Military Command continuously reported the latest weather data in his ears.
The "Night" Special Forces were about to launch an attack on a base of East Turkestan militants.
This base, located beyond the Chinese border in Afghanistan, was situated in a heavily fortified ancient castle in the harsh terrain of the Hindu Kush mountains. The challenging terrain and climate made it a refuge for the East Turkestan militants, housing large quantities of arms, food, and other supplies to support their terrorist activities.
This large base, uncovered after two years of high costs and efforts by "Night" and domestic intelligence agencies, was a significant stronghold.
To avoid detection by U.S. forces stationed in Afghanistan and to successfully complete the mission, the Chinese military abandoned using the HN2000 (Red Bird) cruise missile for long-range saturation strikes. Instead, they sent combat units for a surprise attack, complemented by fighter jets providing low-altitude cross-border support.
“Prepare for the timing check! Watch for landmines.”
Huang De, the commander of the First Squad of "Night," gasped for breath as he opened his water bottle and raised his luminous watch.
“Keep up! Don’t fall behind! Watch your step!”
The commands echoed back through the squad. Captain Huang was met with the same heavy breaths from the soldiers behind him, who had exhausted significant energy like their leader.
Three days prior, their First and Second Squads had parachuted into northern Afghanistan aboard two C-130 Hercules transport planes of the Pakistani military.
This damn place was dry and rainless, deserted, not even a bandit around. Despite this, it was still full of danger. Various poisonous snakes and insects were quite active, and to make matters worse, this barren land was riddled with minefields; one could step on a landmine at any time.
Maybe the Taliban did it, or perhaps al-Qaeda; it could even be leftovers from Russia, or just the Americans’ doing—who knows?
The widespread minefields severely hindered their marching speed. The reconnaissance personnel leading the way carried devices capable of detecting mines about a meter underground, exploring as they walked. When they discovered a mine’s location, they scattered a special yellow powder that would show a bright red color in the eyes of the First Squad members’ glasses. At night, it would glow in fluorescent green, visible only to their specialized lens.
The detectors required power; their operation drained batteries rapidly. All personnel had to carry solar panels to gather light energy while moving to recharge their devices by night.
"I wonder how the Second Squad is doing. If we weren’t required to maintain radio silence now, we’d have already confirmed their location. I hope they can catch up.”
The machine gunner, Da Li, hefted a QJY88 universal heavy machine gun, sweating profusely as he climbed. As a non-assault personnel member, his energy was needed elsewhere. Besides carrying a nearly 15-kilogram full set of heavy machine gun equipment, he had his comrades spread out the additional ammunition load; they could manage only five minutes of sustained fire, making everyone’s burden equally heavy.
He carried heavy rounds and had infrared and long-focus digital scopes installed on his gun. Combined with his digital LCD corrective glasses, he could even use the heavy machine gun as a sniper rifle.
The journey was grueling. There were no paths carved by humans—only cliffs and rugged valleys, significantly exhausting the soldiers’ stamina.
To maintain secrecy in this cross-border operation, they chose to traverse on foot, cautiously making their way toward the fortress. Their meals consisted entirely of high-energy self-heating field rations. Although the taste was unpleasant, they were quick to replenish lost energy.
Suddenly, a rock rolled down a cliff nearly a hundred meters high, creating a breathtaking moment.
"Brush, how much longer do we have to go?" Captain Huang pressed his throat radio to contact the point man of the reconnaissance team, Yuan Jingxing.
The assault soldier, Yuan Jingxing, carefully searched for blind spots with binoculars while also protecting Fang Xiaoyan, who was operating the mine detector—a name quite fitting as she was checking for "potatoes." Even on treacherous mountain paths, they couldn’t afford to be careless. Mines were everywhere, and without their advanced equipment, they’d likely have suffered heavy losses along the way.
On the secure paths, there were checkpoints manned by terrorists. These terrorists had clearly been seasoned by years of war in Afghanistan; the First Squad could only use such methods to achieve the element of surprise.
“Everything’s normal; GPS shows we should reach the target in about an hour.”
Using low-powered throat radios, the wireless signal has a reception range of only one kilometer, allowing them to avoid some wide-ranging electronic detection equipment.
“Alright, let’s take a ten-minute break, then we’ll move on,” Captain Huang ordered, ensuring everyone maintains some energy.
What the squad leader didn’t know was that on a mountain ridge opposite the ancient fortress, the Second Squad leader, Han Xiaoren, had already led his team to their position. In front of them stood a rock fortress, nearly the same yellow as the mountains, occupying about two hundred acres at an elevation of approximately 800 meters. The surrounding peaks twisted like a menacing giant dragon coiled on earth, with the fortress sitting precisely at the tip of one of its claws.
The fortress was heavily guarded, with numerous watchtowers armed with dozens of anti-aircraft machine guns. The fierce firepower was evident as patrolling guards moved along the walls. A narrow mountain road, just wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other, was the only entry point, hosting around five hundred East Turkestan militants for daily training and rest.
Inside the fortress, aside from the East Turkestan militants, there were also many outlaws dissatisfied with a life of mediocrity—fleeing soldiers from the former Afghan government and Taliban fighters, funded and supported by East Turkestan separatist organizations and international factions.
