The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 722 Fierce Battle at Awa Mountain Stronghold!!!
After confirming that these items were indeed "Number Four," Liu Xiaotao quickly put down his backpack and took out eight timed high-explosive bombs.

The time bomb was originally set to detonate after half an hour, but now that's unnecessary.

Zhang Jin handed the time bomb to Ye Peng and told him, "Set the detonation time to one minute."

After setting the timer, the two men stuffed the bomb under the wooden crate and then quickly evacuated.

Just as I ran out of the cave, a deafening explosion came from behind me, and a scorching blast of air, carrying rubble and dust, shot out of the cave.

Liu Xiaotao and Zhang Jin were thrown to the ground by the shockwave and rolled several times before regaining their balance.

Ignoring their scrapes, the two quickly got up and looked warily toward the cave entrance.

Amidst the thick smoke, the rocks on the cave ceiling could be vaguely seen loosening, emitting a chilling cracking sound.

"Run! The cave is about to collapse!" Ye Peng shouted, and the three of them rushed down the mountain.

A deafening roar of collapse came from behind, and the entire mountain seemed to tremble.

After running a safe distance, they stopped, panting, and looked back.

The once hidden cave entrance has been completely buried, leaving only billowing smoke and dust in the air.

Liu Xiaotao wiped the sweat from his forehead, a cold smile appearing on his lips: "Now, all of Michael's sources of income have completely disappeared. Let's see what he does now."

The mission is complete once Michael's "Factory No. 4" and warehouse are destroyed. The remaining task is to figure out how to evacuate.

At this moment, Gao Shang and his group ran over. They had completely destroyed the other factory facilities. Liu Xiaotao hurriedly ordered, "Retreat quickly!"

Liu Xiaotao led them to quickly register their household registration.

Just as Factory No. 4 in the valley was completely destroyed, Zhang Jin said that they were also engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy in the mountain stronghold.

Gunfire erupted within the mountain stronghold, bullets whistling through the night sky.

Zhang Jincheng leaned against a low wall, quickly changed his magazine, and whispered to Zhuang Yan beside him, "Cover me!" Before he finished speaking, he rolled out of cover, his assault rifle spitting fire, and accurately took down two enemies who were trying to flank him.

The village of Awa was now shrouded in smoke and fire. Zhuang Yan's hoarse roar pierced through the deafening explosions: "Captain! Three o'clock!"

Zhang Jin moved with lightning speed, nimbly dodging a fatal blow with a clean side roll.

In the firelight, a dark figure pounced like a hungry wolf.

He moved with perfect coordination between his waist and stance, his right leg drawing a sharp arc as his military boot slammed into the enemy's chest, sending him flying five meters away.

"Beautiful!" Before Zhuang Yan finished speaking, his Colt assault rifle had already spat fire, accurately following up with a shot.

The two formed a tactical defense back to back, cooperating seamlessly.

"Damn it! Are these thugs on steroids?" Zhuang Yan quickly changed magazines, spent bullet casings clattering all over the ground. "Is working for Michael so appealing?"

Zhang Jincheng squinted, locking onto the target through the scope. "Save your breath!" He calmly pulled the trigger, and the enemy carrying an RPG in the distance fell to the ground. "Enough bullets, let them see what the marksmanship of a Xia Kingdom soldier is like!"

Suddenly, Zhuang Yan grabbed Zhang Jincheng's tactical vest: "Watch out!" Another rocket, trailing a plume of flame, swept over their heads and exploded ten meters behind them.

The shockwave knocked the two to the ground, and dirt and rubble rained down on them.

Zhang Jin spat out a mouthful of blood and quickly checked his equipment: "I have three magazines left, how about you?"

Zhuang Yan quickly scanned the surroundings: "Two and a half. There's a heavy machine gun position at three o'clock; we must take it out!"

The two exchanged a knowing glance, and Zhang Jin took out the last two smoke grenades from his tactical pouch and threw them forcefully toward the machine gun position.

The moment the thick smoke rose, Zhuang Yan darted out like a cheetah, quickly approaching his target under the cover of the smoke.

Zhang Jin then set up his assault rifle and used precise bursts to suppress the surrounding enemies.

With a loud "boom," Zhuang Yan successfully threw the grenade into the machine gun bunker.

In the flames of the explosion, his agile figure rolled back to cover, his right arm slashed open by shrapnel.

"Are you alright?" Zhang Jin asked, tearing open the first-aid kit.

"It's just a minor injury." Zhuang Yan gritted his teeth as he bandaged the wound.

Amidst the hail of bullets, the two remained as steadfast as rocks.

Zhang Jin said that the magazines hanging on his tactical vest gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and each bullet whistled out with an unwavering belief in victory.

At this moment, the hatred that had been suppressed in his heart for so long was completely released.

According to the original plan, the ideal outcome of this operation was to plant the time bomb in the factory without being detected by the enemy.

The detonation time was set to half an hour, which would give the commando team enough time to safely evacuate.

In case of an emergency, Zhang Jin said that they would be responsible for blocking the enemy in the mountain stronghold and providing everyone with time to safely evacuate and cover their retreat from the valley.

Unexpectedly, an accident occurred. Liu Xiaotao and his assault team were discovered by the enemy before they even entered the factory, which quickly alerted the enemy troops in the mountain stronghold.

Fortunately, Zhang Jincheng and Zhuang Yan were familiar with the situation in the mountain stronghold. They had planted bombs under the stilted houses where the enemy lived and laid wire mines at the entrance of the stairs.

After the explosion came from the valley, Zhuang Yan detonated the bomb without hesitation, and many enemy soldiers were blown into the air while they were still asleep.

Some enemy soldiers were awakened by the explosions and rushed down the stilted houses in a panic, tripping over the pinned mines at the top of the stairs. Violent explosions echoed throughout the mountain stronghold.

Thus, before the enemy troops in the mountain stronghold could even break out of their camp, they suffered heavy casualties. Those who were not injured were in a state of panic and could not spare any time to reinforce the valley behind them.

However, Michael's men, having been tested in actual combat, launched a counterattack after a period of chaos, organized by officers at all levels.

Another group of enemy troops, upon learning that the valley behind them had also been attacked, immediately began their assault on the valley factory, engaging in fierce firefights with the commandos who remained there.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

The loud explosion in the valley woke Michael up, and his first thought was that Zhang Jin and his men had returned.

Because Michael knew that with his current strength, no one in the "Kim San region" except for Boss Lang dared to provoke him.

Boss Lang is currently overwhelmed with problems and can't take care of himself, so he wouldn't dare to provoke me again. There's no one else besides Zhang Jincheng and his gang.

Michael grabbed the Browning from beside his pillow and shouted, "Help!"

Two orderly soldiers rushed in from outside the room, panicking, and said, "Boss, something bad has happened! Our stronghold and the factory have been attacked at the same time!"

"Don't panic, there won't be too many of them. Immediately notify the troops to reinforce the factory."

The two orderly immediately turned around and went out to relay Michael's orders.

Michael immediately picked up the phone on the table; he wanted to ask what the situation was at the factory.

But when he found that no one answered, he angrily slammed the microphone on the ground.

Just then, Michael suddenly heard two muffled sounds outside. He hurriedly went out to check the situation and found the two orderly lying outside the door.

Michael was taken aback and ran back into the house. He moved a chair aside, reached down and lifted a section of the floorboards, revealing the entrance to the underground passage.

How cunning he was! He had prepared in advance, having set up a backup plan in his bedroom for any eventuality.

After Michael entered the underground passage, he immediately sounded the alarm, and soon his guard company commander appeared before him.

"Reporting to the commander, the entire guard company has withdrawn. What are your orders?"

"Send one platoon to the front gate of the stronghold and make sure to control it. You will personally lead the other two platoons to reinforce the valley factory," Michael ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The guard company commander turned and left.

Michael lived in a large, separate compound where his guard company was stationed, and the entire compound was heavily guarded.

Zhang Jin said that when they first came to Awa Mountain Village, Mi Gao hosted a banquet for them here, so they were quite familiar with the courtyard.

Knowing that there are double guards and guard dogs patrolling here at night, it would be very difficult to sneak in.

Initially, after Zhang Jincheng and Zhuang Yan planted bombs elsewhere, Zhuang Yan went to monitor the enemy's barracks, while Zhang Jincheng went to Migo's compound.

He found the patrols here to be tight, so in order not to alert the enemy, he had to climb a big tree to keep watch.

When the explosions in the valley and the mountain village started, Zhang Jincheng saw that the guards in the courtyard were in a panic. He chose a favorable position and set up his assault rifle. If Michael led his men out from here, he would block them from here.

Zhang Jin focused his attention on the room where Michael lived, knowing that Michael lived there. A short while later, he saw two people run out of the room and immediately opened fire, killing them.

After a while, Zhang Jin quickly realized something was wrong. No one came out of the compound anymore, and the guards had also disappeared. While other places were in chaos, this place suddenly became quiet.

Commando member Xiao Zhou led ten Kokang soldiers to guard the entrance to the valley and lay in ambush behind the mountain stronghold.

Liu Xiaotao's decision at that time was absolutely correct; it could be said to have saved their lives.

After the fighting broke out in the mountain stronghold, Xiao Zhou kept a close eye on the situation inside.

Suddenly, a dark mass of people appeared out of nowhere. He wondered why he hadn't noticed them before; they seemed to have suddenly emerged from the ground, only a dozen meters away.

Without thinking twice, Xiao Zhou shouted, "Fire!" and opened fire with his assault rifle, emptying the magazine in one go. He then threw a grenade.

He then quickly replaced his magazine with a new one.

At the same time, other Kokang soldiers also opened fire on the enemy troops.

The enemy fell in droves under the sudden barrage of fire, but they quickly organized a counterattack.

Bullets rained down, pinning Xiao Zhou and his companions down so they couldn't lift their heads.

A Kokang soldier had just leaned out to fire when he was hit in the chest by a bullet, groaned, and fell to the ground.

"Cover me!" Xiao Zhou shouted, pulling out his last smoke grenade from his waist and throwing it forcefully into the enemy ranks.

Taking advantage of the gap in the rising smoke, he quickly changed firing positions and simultaneously radioed: "Captain, the enemy is reinforcing the valley! At least a company!"

Liu Xiaotao's urgent voice came through the radio: "Hold on! We're getting out immediately!"

"Understood!" Xiao Zhou finished speaking and started firing wildly at the enemy. Under his leadership, the Kokang soldiers temporarily repelled this wave of enemy troops.

Soon, unwilling to accept defeat, the enemy, led by Miko's guard company commander, began to organize a counterattack.

The enemy, with its superior numbers, fired a barrage of bullets that gave Xiao Zhou and his men no chance to look up.

Just at this critical moment, a deafening explosion suddenly came from the depths of the valley.

The massive shockwave shook the ground, and flames shot into the sky from the direction of the factory, illuminating the entire valley as if it were daytime.

It turned out that after being discovered, Liu Xiaotao's commando team decisively changed their plan, forcibly broke into the valley factory, and successfully blew up the cave warehouse.

Upon hearing the explosion, Migo's guard company commander's expression changed drastically, and he immediately dispatched some troops back to reinforce the factory.

Xiao Zhou seized the opportunity and led the remaining soldiers in a counterattack.

Taking advantage of the terrain, they used precise shots to suppress the enemy on the narrow mountain path.

Enraged, the enemy's guard company commander shot and killed one of the soldiers who was leading the retreat, shouting, "Charge! Kill the enemy! Ten thousand dollars for each of them!"

Under his threats and enticement, the soldiers of Migo's guard company shouted and charged wildly toward the position guarded by Xiao Zhou and his men as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Xiao Zhou and his men were suddenly under immense pressure. The suppressive fire made it impossible for them to even lift their heads. He hurriedly called out to Zhang Jin, "Calling the captain! A large number of enemies have suddenly appeared from underground behind the mountain stronghold. We can't hold on much longer. Requesting reinforcements."

Upon hearing Xiao Zhou's call, Zhang Jincheng instantly understood. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Damn it, that old fox! No wonder there's no one in the compound; they've all gone out underground."

"Received, I'm on my way." Zhang Jin slid down from the tree and quickly ran towards the back of the mountain stronghold. He knew that once the enemy broke through Xiao Zhou and the others' defenses, Liu Xiaotao and his men would be in danger.

As Liu Xiaotao ran, he simultaneously ordered Zhuang Yan to come and join him.

At the same time, Liu Xiaotao also heard Zhang Jincheng's call.

"Old Liu, can you hear me?"

"Roger that!"

"The situation is critical, you must evacuate immediately."

"Understood, we'll be right out!"

Zhang Jin said that while he was calling out to Liu Xiaotao, Liu Xiaotao and the others also passed through the narrow passage.

Hearing the intense gunfire ahead, Yan Kan was extremely anxious. Just then, Liu Xiaotao and his men withdrew and excitedly jumped out from their hiding place.

After the group reunited, they pounced forward like tigers.

Just then, a series of explosions, dubbed "Little Melon," suddenly came from ahead. By the light of the explosions, everyone saw a group of enemy soldiers rushing towards Xiao Zhou and his men.

As Liu Xiaotao ran, he fired at the enemy, and the assault team behind him also opened fire fiercely, quickly driving back the enemy troops that rushed at them.

Liu Xiaotao rushed to Xiao Zhou's side and found that many of them had been injured or killed, and Xiao Zhou was also lying on the ground. "Xiao Zhou, Xiao Zhou, how are you?"

"They're not dead yet, they just got bitten a few times by shrapnel. Go check on the others..." Xiao Zhou said weakly, pointing at the Kokang soldiers.

Liu Xiaotao quickly checked and found that five or six Kokang soldiers had already sacrificed their lives, and the remaining few were almost all wounded.

Liu Xiaotao felt a pang of grief. In truth, they were also his own people, his own brothers, and the locals all regarded him as a Xia citizen.

He shook his head, placed the hands of his fallen brothers on either side of their bodies, and straightened their tattered clothes. That was all he could do for them now.

There was no time to grieve. They heard Wang Tao and his men firing fiercely at the enemy. Their immediate priority was to break through.

The longer the delay, the worse it will be for the assault team. If they can't get out of the mountain stronghold before dawn, they may all be wiped out here.

Liu Xiaotao shouted to the assault team, "Charge out!" At the same time, he grabbed Xiao Zhou's arm and, without thinking twice, hoisted him onto his shoulder.

Liu Xiaotao carried Xiao Zhou and led the remaining team members to quickly move to the planned retreat route.

Bullets whizzed past them, striking the rocks and sending sparks flying.

Gao Shang, Wang Tao, and Yan Kan took turns providing cover, their precise shots continuously taking down the pursuing enemies.

Suddenly, more than a dozen enemy soldiers appeared around the corner ahead. Liu Xiaotao immediately put down Xiao Zhou, rolled behind a rock, and threw two grenades at the same time.

Before the smoke from the explosion had even cleared, Liu Xiaotao picked up his assault rifle and opened fire on them.

At this critical moment, Zhang Jincheng led Zhuang Yan to attack from the flank.

The assault rifles in their hands spat fire, instantly tearing through the enemy's defenses.

Zhang Jin said the two men arrived just in time. Under the attack from both sides, Migo's guard company suffered more than half of its casualties, and the rest scattered and fled, some retreating back into the tunnels.

The two groups seized the opportunity to join forces. "Old Liu, come with me!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaotao picked Xiao Zhou up again, holding the gun in one hand and supporting Xiao Zhou's thigh with the other.

Zhang Jin said that Zhuang Yan would lead the charge, while the others would form a fan shape around Liu Xiaotao, protecting him in the middle. I would fire as I rapidly charged towards the entrance of the stronghold.

The village gate was also attacked by the enemy. Lu Da led ten Kokang brothers to hold off an enemy force ten times their size.

Using the stockade as cover, they turned the general-purpose machine guns that were originally pointing outwards and drove the rushing enemies back.

Lu Da's sniper rifle played a crucial role, killing several commanding officers and rocket launcher operators, and effectively providing cover for our heavy firepower.

Without the command of these junior officers, the enemy's attacks were chaotic and disorganized; some were even too scared to show their faces and simply fired indiscriminately.

Under Lu Da's cover, the enemy was unable to get close to the gate.

When Zhang Jin and his men charged from behind the enemy, they attacked from both sides, and the enemy completely collapsed, scattering and fleeing as if they wished they had two more legs.

Once they arrived, Zhang Jincheng and Liu Xiaotao were finally able to relax a little.

"Stop pursuing, retreat immediately!" he said, leading the way as they rushed out of the village.

After they withdrew, assault team members Li Ming and Lu Da stayed behind to cover their retreat into the woods before they themselves came out.

After entering the woods, Zhang Jin said that seeing the enemy dared not come out to pursue, he left two people to keep watch.

Liu Xiaotao put Xiao Zhou on the ground, tore open his clothes, took out a first aid kit to give him some basic treatment, and then bandaged him up.

Xiao Zhou's injuries were severe; his thigh and abdomen were blasted, and he had lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss, requiring emergency treatment.

(End of this chapter)