Great Power Reclamation

The retreat was more difficult than the infiltration.

Although Han Ye's left arm wound was not fatal, the laceration caused by the bullet grazed it caused continuous bleeding, and every time he ran or moved, it pulled on his nerves, bringing him excruciating pain.

His back was hit by fragments and shockwaves from the rocket. Although the bulletproof vest absorbed most of the damage, his internal organs were still shaken, and his breath smelled of blood.

Ye Shan helped him up, and their pace inevitably slowed down.

Wang Lei, nicknamed "Lynx," scouted ahead, wary of potential ambushes.

"Viper" Zhao Jian was responsible for covering the rear, constantly setting up simple traps in the jungle environment to slow down the pursuers.

Zhuoma remained at the high ground, but she had to keep moving to keep up with the team's retreat while maintaining pressure on the pursuers behind her.

Every shot from her sniper rifle almost always meant the fall of a pursuer; her accuracy was chilling.

However, the number of enemies seemed to be far greater than expected, and like hyenas that had smelled blood, they clung to the enemy relentlessly.

“Falcon, the enemy is hot on our heels! There are at least fifteen of them, flanking us from three directions!” “Lynx’s” urgent voice came through the communicator.

Ye Shan's face was gloomy. He glanced at Han Ye, who was pale and breathing rapidly, and then looked at the dense, maze-like jungle.

"Change course! Head west and enter the 'Misty Swamp'!" Ye Shan decisively ordered.

"A swamp?" "Viper's" voice carried a hint of doubt. "The terrain there is more complex, and..."

"No, and!" Ye Shan interrupted him. "Only the swampy terrain can minimize their numerical and equipment advantages! Execute the order!"

"understand!"

The squad immediately turned and headed west towards the area that was perpetually shrouded in miasma, filled with mud and poisonous insects.

Upon entering the swampy area, the air instantly became thick and humid, with the smell of rotting plants mixed with a faint, dizzying, strange sweet scent (miasma).

The mud beneath our feet was deep and shallow, and we could sink into it at any moment. Mosquitoes buzzed like a dark cloud, frantically biting our exposed skin.

This was a further blow to the injured Han Ye. His strength was rapidly depleting, and his consciousness was beginning to blur; he was only holding on by sheer willpower.

"Hold on, Han Ye! We're almost there!" Ye Shan's voice rang in his ears, carrying an undeniable force.

Zhuoma also came down from the high point and joined the team. When she saw Han Ye's condition, her eyes were filled with heartache, but she said nothing. She simply took over some of Ye Shan's support work and used her petite yet resilient body to share Han Ye's weight.

She would occasionally take out the water bottle, carefully feed Han Ye a few sips of water, and silently encourage him with her eyes.

Her presence was like a shot in the arm, allowing Han Ye's fading will to regroup.

The gunfire behind them grew closer; the enemy had clearly also pursued them into the swamp.

The booby traps laid by "Viper" were far less effective in the swamp, but they still served to some extent as a delaying tactic. The occasional explosions and screams indicated that the pursuers had also paid a price.

"The 'Death Vines Zone' is ahead!" "Lynx" warned, his voice tinged with seriousness.

It was an area covered with tough, thorny, and highly poisonous vines, one of the most dangerous obstacles in the swamp.

"We can't go around it, we have to go through!" Ye Shan surveyed the terrain and made a difficult decision. "Watch out for the thorns on the vines, they're poisonous! Lynx, clear the way, use the machete to clear them! Hurry up!"

"Lynx" drew his multi-tool and charged into the vine-covered area, hacking away at the vines blocking his path. The others followed closely behind, cautiously avoiding being cut by the thorns.

However, the pursuers are closing in!

"Da da da!"

The bullets came from behind, hitting the surrounding vines and mud with a thud.

"Cover!" Ye Shan roared, and he, "Viper" and Zhuoma immediately turned around, using the thick vines and the occasional dead tree as cover to launch a fierce counterattack against the pursuers.

Han Ye also endured the excruciating pain, raised the rifle with his uninjured right hand, and pulled the trigger towards the enemy. Although his aim was off, it still created a certain degree of firepower deterrence.

The firefight was extremely intense. In the narrow vine-covered passage, the two sides were almost engaged in point-blank range shooting.

"Ugh!" Zhao Jian, nicknamed "Viper," groaned as he was shot in the shoulder, his combat uniform instantly stained with blood.

While clearing the way, Wang Lei, nicknamed "Lynx," accidentally cut his arm on a poison ivy. Although he immediately received an antidote injection, his movements were noticeably slower.

The squad suffered increased casualties, and the situation took a sharp turn for the worse!

Just then, a resolute glint flashed in Zhuoma's eyes. She saw a relatively open area to her side, but it was filled with mud that was clearly camouflaged.

"Falcon! Lead them towards that mud pit on the left!" Zhuoma said urgently.

Ye Shan instantly understood her intention and immediately ordered, "Alternating cover! Retreat to the left and rear! Watch your step!"

The squad fought and retreated simultaneously, intentionally leading the pursuers into that deadly trap.

Seeing them "retreat," the pursuers grew even more aggressive, howling as they chased after them, completely oblivious to the subtle changes in their surroundings.

When most of the pursuers entered the area, Zhuoma seized the opportunity, raised her sniper rifle, and instead of aiming at people, aimed at a seemingly loose, rotten log supporting a lot of vines at the edge of the mud pit!
"call out!"

The bullet hit its target perfectly!

"Crack!" The rotten wood broke, and the vines wrapped around it lost their support and collapsed suddenly, causing a small mud pit to collapse as well!

"what!"

"Help!"

"It's a trap!"

Screams rose and fell as at least five or six pursuers were instantly swept into the viscous mud, struggling to sink, their voices quickly swallowed up.

The remaining pursuers were terrified by this sudden turn of events, and their offensive stalled.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hayama's team quickly broke off contact and disappeared into the dense vines and deep fog.

They had shaken off their pursuers, but the team's situation was not optimistic.

Han Ye had lost too much blood, and due to internal injuries and exhaustion, he was already in a semi-comatose state.

"Viper" Zhao Jian suffered a shoulder injury, greatly reducing his fighting ability. "Lynx" Wang Lei was poisoned by vine venom; although he had controlled it, he was weak. Only Ye Shan and Zhuoma were relatively unharmed, but they were also at their limit. They found a relatively dry small mound covered by huge tree roots to rest temporarily.

Zhuoma immediately began to re-bandage Han Ye's wound. Her movements were gentle and swift, and she used the last of the hemostatic powder and antibiotics in her first aid kit.

She looked at Han Ye's pale face, pale from blood loss, her eyes filled with worry, and gently took his cold hand in hers.

Yeshan examined the injuries of "Viper" and "Lynx" and provided emergency treatment.

Then, he took out the hard-won data storage unit that shimmered with a faint blue light, carefully inspected it to make sure it was intact, and then carefully put it away.

"Nightingale, report your situation." Ye Shan contacted Li Dazhu and Liu Xiao, who were left behind, via communicator.

"Falcon! Are you all alright? We're safe here. Grizzly's condition has stabilized somewhat, but he urgently needs medical assistance!" Liu Xiao's voice was filled with anxiety and exhaustion.

"We have the data and are evacuating. Hold on, the rescue will be here soon."

Ye Shan offered words of comfort, but he knew that calling for help before the enemy was completely eliminated and the coordinates were confirmed to be safe was tantamount to revealing their location.

As dawn broke, the mist in the swamp did not completely dissipate, and sunlight filtered through the dense canopy and fog, casting dappled and hazy beams of light.

We must leave the swamp as soon as possible and find a safe evacuation point.

Hayama carefully examined the compass and map (electronic devices mostly malfunction in the harsh swamp environment) in an attempt to determine his location.

“Falcon, come with me,” Droma, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

She stood up and pointed in one direction, “Over there, I feel the wind direction and humidity are changing, there might be a way out, or it might be near the edge of the swamp.”

Ye Shan looked at her. Zhuoma's eyes were clear and certain, carrying the most primal perception and trust in nature that comes from the children of the grasslands.

In an environment where high-tech methods fail, intuition is often more reliable than instruments.

"Trust her," said "Lynx," panting against a tree root. "Her intuition... is always very accurate."

Ye Shan no longer hesitated: "Alright! Zhuoma, lead the way! Lynx, Viper, follow! I'll carry Han Ye on my back!"

Ye Shan carried Han Ye on his back and secured her with paracord. Zhuoma led the way, her steps firm, as if she could see through the fog and the swamp's disguise. "Lynx" and "Viper" supported each other and followed closely behind.

Sure enough, after a difficult hour's march, the surrounding vegetation began to change, the mud gradually lessened, and the air seemed to freshen. They had finally escaped that despairing "Misty Swamp"!
Ahead, there was a winding, not very wide river. On the opposite bank, there were relatively gentle hills.

"It's the 'S-7 River' marked on the map!" "Lynx" exclaimed excitedly. "If we follow this river downstream for about ten kilometers, we'll find one of our backup evacuation points!"

Hope, like the dawn's sunlight, pierces through the gloom and illuminates everyone's heart.

However, just as they were preparing to find a place to cross the river, a familiar, heart-pounding propeller sound came from afar!

A light helicopter painted in camouflage and without any markings appeared in the sky above the river like a vulture, flying towards them!
It was a Blackwater helicopter! They actually risked venturing deep into the border to pick up Vulture!
The helicopter had clearly spotted them as well, and it slammed its nose down, charging straight at them! Its onboard machine guns spewed deadly flames!

"Take cover!" Ye Shan roared, carrying Han Ye on his back as he suddenly lunged down behind the rocky beach by the river.

Bullets rained down, striking the rocks and the river surface, splashing countless pebbles and water droplets.

Because of his limited mobility, Zhao Jian, nicknamed "Viper," was slower to dodge and was grazed by a bullet on the leg, causing it to bleed profusely.

A desperate situation! Just when they saw a glimmer of hope, they were plunged into even deeper despair! Faced with air power, their few light weapons were almost powerless to fight back!

Zhuoma quickly raised her gun, but she knew that a sniper rifle posed a limited threat to a high-speed, armored helicopter.

The helicopter circled in the air, adjusting its angle, preparing for the next strafing attack. The pilot's indifferent face was clearly visible through the cockpit window.

At this critical moment!
“Swoosh—Boom!!”

An object trailing a white flame shot out from behind the hill at an astonishing speed and accurately struck the tail of the helicopter!
It's a man-portable air defense system!
The helicopter's tail section exploded instantly, causing it to lose balance and billow thick smoke. It tumbled through the air like a drunkard before finally crashing into the distant jungle, bursting into a huge fireball!

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events!
Immediately afterwards, several armed helicopters painted with the insignia of the Chinese Army roared out from behind the hill, the powerful airflow causing the bushes along the river to sway violently.

One of the transport helicopters slowly landed on an open area not far away. The cabin door opened, and fully armed rescue soldiers rushed out and established a defensive perimeter.

An officer wearing the same combat uniform but with different armbands jumped off the helicopter, ran quickly to Ye Shan, and saluted.

"Team Leader Ye! The 'Sharp Sword' special operations team is on standby! You've worked hard!"

The rescue finally arrived at the last moment with overwhelming force!
Looking at the familiar flag and comrades-in-arms, the feeling of surviving a disaster surged over me like a tide.

Ye Shan let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. He carefully handed Han Ye over to the medics who rushed up to him.

While unconscious, Han Ye seemed to sense safety, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Zhuoma stood aside, watching Han Ye being lifted onto the helicopter. The strength she had been maintaining seemed to vanish instantly, and her body swayed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

She walked up to Ye Shan and gently placed the piece of tsampa stained with blood, which she had been holding tightly in her hand, next to Han Ye's stretcher.

Her mission was accomplished. She also protected him.

The sunlight completely dispelled the morning mist, casting shimmering golden light on the babbling river. The smoke of battle cleared, leaving only the roar of helicopters and the busy figures of comrades.

Operation Claw Breaker ended with the successful recovery of data and the survival of most team members (albeit injured).

For Han Ye, Zhuoma, and this young team, this blood-stained jungle was the true starting point of their military careers, where they forged an indelible loyalty and belief through life-and-death trials.

The road ahead is still long, but they are already fearless.

Outside the intensive care unit of the military general hospital, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the deathly silence before a storm.

Grandpa Han was wearing an old military uniform without rank insignia, leaning on a cane, but his back was straight. However, his hands, which were tightly gripping the dragon head of the cane and whose knuckles were white, revealed the turbulent emotions in his heart.

His weathered face, etched with the history of the Republic, was expressionless, but his eyes, which had once commanded thousands of troops, were now fixed on the closed door of the intensive care unit, as if trying to see right through it.

Ye Wancheng and his wife Mei Hua stood to one side. Ye Wancheng's brows were furrowed, his hands were behind his back, and the frequency of his pacing back and forth revealed his extreme anxiety.

Mei Hua leaned on her daughter Ye Yuji's shoulder, her eyes red and swollen, clearly from crying. She stared at the door of the intensive care unit, her eyes filled with lingering fear and heartache. That was her own grandson, carrying her and Ye Wancheng's blood!
Han Xiaojing and Ye Yuji stood together. Han Xiaojing's face was pale, her lips tightly pressed together; as a mother, she was enduring double the torment—

On one hand, there was her son, whose fate was unknown; on the other hand, there were complex emotions in her heart regarding Ye Yuze's decision to let her son take such a risk, even though she knew that this was Han Ye's own choice and the fate of a soldier.

Ye Yuji held her sister's hand tightly, offering silent support, but her eyes were also filled with worry. (End of Chapter)