Chapter 232
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Chapter 232: What Kind of Place is This?
"Command has notified us to continue to the rendezvous point. They have dispatched a small squad from the Fourth Squad, which will meet up with us at the rendezvous and then set off to search for the Dragon Knight."
After receiving the message, Fang Xiaoyan read it out loud.
"That works! Alright then," Captain Huang De and Captain Han Xiaoren exchanged opinions and nodded. The Fourth Squad of Night could be considered the most unique among all the squads.
To an unaware outsider, it might seem like a foreign military unit; many of its members do not resemble typical East Asians with black hair and yellow skin. Instead, they look like minority ethnic warriors, mostly from the northwest and northeast areas of China, including Uyghurs, Russians, Uzbeks, and Tatars. They have lived in China for at least three generations, speak their native languages as well as Mandarin, and their lifestyles are not very different from the Han Chinese or other ethnic minorities. They are genuine Chinese citizens.
This diversity is supported by China’s multi-ethnic unity policy, which bears some resemblance to countries in America composed of immigrants from Europe and Africa.
These carefully selected warriors are responsible for combat missions outside the country or special secret operations, somewhat similar to foreign affairs but leaning more towards combat tasks.
The only difference is that in China, this is the result of historical migration and intermarriage, and there are even descendants left over from the European Crusades, leading to a more reliable loyalty and sense of belonging.
Like many special forces, even if they sacrifice themselves, they will not acknowledge their true identities, nor will the country publicly recognize them. Many warriors are aware of this and are treated very generously, far better than ordinary troops.
…
"In this cursed place! I really wonder if Captain Lin is in danger!" Captain Huang De, who is closest to Lin Mo, is one of the most worried about him. Several of his warriors are also familiar with Lin Mo.
Not just him, but the other warriors are also deeply concerned. Night is a brotherhood of elite soldiers; each person is an essential part of this group, as their bonds are stronger than in regular troops.
"He will be fine. You know Captain Lin’s skills. No matter what kind of bandits he encounters, it’s a blessing that he doesn’t go looking for trouble. The elite American troops wearing Future Warrior gear were still stripped bare by Captain Lin."
Captain Han Xiaoren has long heard about Lin Mo’s achievements. This Captain Lin is not someone to regard as an ordinary pilot; he believes that anyone who can reach Night must be a warrior. Even the cooking team in the mess hall boasts incredible shooting skills. Would a warrior really fear a few small bandits?!
If they could easily deal with him, they wouldn’t have the right to bear the title of a warrior.
"What you said is true. I hope Old Zhang’s Fourth Squad can find Captain Lin soon. There’s nothing good about this godforsaken place." Captain Huang De scratched his head, taking in Captain Han Xiaoren’s suggestion.
"Attention everyone! We need to reach the campsite before dark! ‘Field Frog,’ you’re in charge of finding the supply point. Everyone else stay alert. If you see Captain Lin, report immediately."
Captain Huang De is reluctant to stay here long; they have merely eliminated a stronghold of the East Turkestan militants, which doesn’t mean they have gotten rid of all of them. Traveling in this desolate area with non-combat personnel significantly reduces their speed, and they must always be cautious about the possibility of unexpected appearances from East Turkestan militants or local armed groups. Sometimes, migrating tribes also double as bandits.
After the two squads combined, they were unified under command, and the two squad leaders made the decisions. Captain Huang De was responsible for issuing orders, and everyone followed these commands.
"I finally found it!"
Lin Mo climbed the nearly two-hundred-meter high cliff without any gear. Using his memory and the guidance of the gold giant dragon towards metal, he finally reached the crash site of the J-10. Countless metal fragments were scattered over nearly five square kilometers.
Lin Mo found the location of the engine. The single AL-31FN engine was unrecognizable; its torn metal casing only vaguely revealed a dark shape. He located the black box, pulled it out with effort, and began destroying any parts that might contain technical data, including the radar system and data storage devices.
Although it was nearly impossible for the gold giant dragon to consume the remains of the aircraft entirely, eating some vital components would still ensure some technical confidentiality.
At this moment, the gold giant dragon’s gluttony became a necessity. While Lin Mo forcefully smashed the crucial equipment, the gold giant dragon darted around, devouring some core components. Anything it couldn’t swallow was ground into powder. The collaboration between man and dragon made it notably difficult for any organization to reverse-engineer the technology.
He placed the black box into his rescue backpack and removed some metal components from the aircraft. The gold coins processed them slightly; although the dragon disagreed with Lin Mo on some issues, it never compromised on credibility. It worked diligently for what Lin Mo needed, even exceeding expectations.
Lin Mo now had an arm shield and a long sword. Though their shapes looked a bit bizarre, they still made a complete set of close combat weapons. The shield was sturdy yet lightweight, and the sword was hard and sharp—all top-quality pieces from the aircraft.
There were thousands of components in the fighter jet, and finding similar-shaped parts for modification was relatively easy.
Lin Mo even crafted himself a full set of armor, shaping aluminum alloy materials from the Super Hornet. He bent and cut the metal, which could have been done purely with physical strength if not for the gold giant dragon’s metal fusion talent. The dragon knight’s strength combined with the versatile tools of the gold giant dragon made it manageable.
By the time dawn broke, Lin Mo had transformed from an Air Knight into a fully armed ground warrior. After ejecting, his survival gear had only provided him with a self-defense handgun. In an area infested with armed militants, Lin Mo chose to appear in the guise he was most familiar with from another world.
What value does a strong person who can take on ten or a hundred opponents hold when faced with a swarm attack? They could easily be overwhelmed by the masses. Lin Mo has witnessed scenes of high-ranking warriors being buried by sheer numbers among the soldiers of the Texi Empire and the Su Lan Empire, where even dragons had to retreat before the frenzy of human soldiers.
He inscribed some crude patterns on his armor using his parachute knife; although it wasn’t a newly crafted seamless piece, the details showed a degree of harmony and a somewhat rough appearance, exuding a strange beauty, being handcrafted. To an observer, it appeared indistinguishable from a true cold weapon warrior.
From a modern perspective, it resembled a decent piece of craftsmanship. Even so, no one could imagine that it came from a J-10 fighter jet. If his comrades in the Night squad saw it, they would surely be awed.
The cosplay champion of the anime expo had returned.
At least against a handgun, he had some form of defense.
As the sun rose, a knight clad in silver armor, bearing a backpack and a giant sword, marched confidently in a chosen direction.
…
Deep within the 1,600-kilometer-long Hindu Kush Mountains, wild flowers and grass grew freely on a hillside near a stream, adding a touch of life to the desolate mountain scenery.
Two severely worn tires plunged into the shallow stream, followed closely by two more old tires, splashing even more water. A rusty, Soviet-made GAZ truck pushed through the creek, belching black smoke while roaring loudly, charging across to the other side of the stream.
Although Soviet-made vehicles are bulky, inefficient, and consume a lot of fuel, they are actually durable and powerful, showing no signs of weakness in such mountainous terrain.
The shallow water barely covered the lower legs of the drivers and couldn’t deter the many more vehicles following behind, including several similarly aged GAZ trucks and various other cars. Some even included a few tractors, trailing together in a nearly kilometer-long convoy.
Over twenty trucks, which made up the bulk of the convoy’s transportation, carried fuel, life supplies, and even people and animals, resembling a migrating tribal group or more like a refugee convoy.
Among the group, a few off-road motorcycles mixed in, occasionally racing up the slopes to secure vantage points for lookout duty. Without exception, the riders carried weapons, either AK-47s or RPG rockets.
Apart from a noisy, poorly tuned radio emitting static, barely listening to any station, only a few people whispered softly, while ignorant children cried out. Most individuals sat in the vehicles, drowsy, or leaned against each other with vacant stares, lost in thought.
Suddenly, distant gunfire rang out in the direction the convoy was advancing, seemingly unexpected.
The moving convoy stopped abruptly; all engines were turned off, eliminating the noisy clattering. Even the crackling radio went silent, and the entire convoy fell eerily quiet at almost the same moment.
Armed young men quickly jumped from several trucks in the convoy, cocking their guns and shouting each other’s names as they scattered to seize favorable positions.
