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

Chapter 741 Blowing Up the Bridge!!!

The Sawen River surged with waves, its turbulent currents crashing against the banks with a deep, rumbling sound.

On a concrete bridge spanning the two banks, a Warrior SUV is moving slowly and cautiously.

Inside the vehicle, Gao Shang, a member of the assault team, casually gripped the steering wheel, but his sharp eyes scanned the road ahead through the windshield.

Yan Kan was in the passenger seat, and Liu Xiaotao was in the back. They were there to conduct reconnaissance.

The bridge was heavily guarded at both ends, with fully armed government soldiers patrolling the checkpoints, their gleaming gun barrels flashing coldly in the sunlight.

A patrol of soldiers marched past the bridgehead in neat steps, their steel boots making a crisp sound as they stepped on the concrete pavement.

Not far from the bridgehead, several armored vehicles were parked in a combat formation, with machine gunners on the turrets vigilantly surveying their surroundings, ready to respond to any emergencies.

Seeing the patrolling guards and armored vehicles, Yan Kan, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to Liu Xiaotao and said, "Brother Liu, there are usually only a few guards here, and there are no armored vehicles around."

Liu Xiaotao nodded slightly and said, "It must be because of the increased vigilance due to the fighting." Then he said to Gao Shang, "Xiao Gao, find a place ahead to turn around and go back!"

Gao Shang nodded slightly and steadily turned the steering wheel with both hands.

The SUV drew an elegant arc 100 meters ahead of the bridge, the tires making a slight sound as they rubbed against the ground, successfully making the turn.

So Liu Xiaotao and his group turned around and went back the way they came.

Back in the woods where the commando team was hiding, everyone gathered around them when they saw them return.

Liu Xiaotao told Zhang Jincheng and the others what he had seen. Zhang Jincheng listened for a long time without saying anything, just lowering his head and thinking.

From instructor Liu Xiaotao's description, the team members could all tell that this was an exceptionally difficult task.

This bridge is difficult to bomb. First, it's impossible to place explosives. Second, there are no piers under the cable-stayed bridge, so bombing from above would be too weak and ineffective.

Wang Tao was impatient. Seeing that Zhang Jincheng remained silent, he said softly, "I think the best option is a rocket. We can blow up the bridge from a distance."

After listening to Wang Tao's words, Zhang Jincheng looked up and surveyed everyone before saying, "Actually, there are many ways to destroy the bridge. Our goal is not to blow up the bridge, but to let Aung San know that it was Lang's troops who did it."

At this point, Zhang Jincheng looked at Liu Xiaotao and said, "Instructor, please tell me your thoughts first."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaotao did not refuse. He nodded and shared his thoughts, "I've been thinking about this problem on the way back. To achieve our desired goal, we must use the most primitive method."

As we were crossing the bridge, we saw a pickup truck carrying goods driving across it. I thought to myself, if the truck was carrying explosives and detonated them when it reached the middle of the bridge, it could blow the bridge apart from the middle.

Another advantage of this approach is that it won't cause significant damage to the bridge, making future repairs easier.

“I agree with the instructor’s opinion. This method could easily make Aung San believe that it was done by a suicide squad sent by Lang Kham.”

"Because within a hundred miles, only Boss Lang's troops are active, getting a vehicle from the Allied Army would further convince the government..." Zhang Jin nodded in agreement and shared his own thoughts.

Liu Xiaotao continued Zhang Jincheng's words, "But the biggest problem with this method is that it's too risky. Once the car is in the middle of the bridge, the only way to escape is to jump from the bridge deck, which is forty or fifty meters high, into the river. Moreover, the current in this area is very rapid, and whether you can come out alive is also a question..."

At this point, Liu Xiaotao didn't want to continue. He believed that the team members all knew that carrying out such a mission was a matter of life and death.

Everyone fell silent, pondering if there was a better way.

Suddenly Zhuang Yan looked up at Zhang Jincheng and said, "I have a way to reduce the danger. Set a timer for the bomb in the car and hide ropes and life jackets in the driver's seat."

We drove the car to about a third of the way across the bridge, then jumped off, letting the car move forward on its own. We then tied a rope to the bridge's metal chains, put on life jackets, slid down the bridge for a while, and then jumped into the river. I thought the life jackets would help me escape.

After listening to Zhuang Yan's words, Zhang Jin thought for a moment and said, "I think what Monkey said is a good idea, but we must complete all of this in a very short time. Don't forget that there are government troops guarding both ends of the bridge."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhuang Yan interjected, "Let me go. I'm confident I can complete the mission. Besides, climbing and swimming are my strengths. I should say I'm the most suitable person."

“No, I’m in charge of blowing up the bridge, I have to go,” Liu Xiaotao said immediately upon hearing this.

Such a dangerous mission cannot be left unattended by the person in charge.

"I'll go!" Gao Shang suddenly stood up, his dark face full of determination. "I'm a good swimmer. I grew up on the banks of the Jinsha River. I can swim through even the fastest currents."

"Sit down!"

"Instructor, let me go!"

"You're no good, you're not even as good as me, let me do it!"

"I go……"

"Let me go..."

……

The team members all vied to take on this dangerous task.

Zhang Jin raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then he said in a calm tone, "Let Monkey and Gao Shang go. With their specialties, they are the most suitable candidates."

Just as Liu Xiaotao was about to speak, Zhang Jincheng knew what he was going to say and interrupted him before he could finish, saying, "Alright, instructor, stop arguing. You take two men and get a vehicle from Boss Lang's allies right away. Also, get the explosives and timing device ready. I'll discuss the details with the other two."

Hearing Zhang Jincheng's unyielding tone, Liu Xiaotao knew he couldn't say anything more. All military operations had to be carried out under Captain Zhang's command, as this was an order personally given by the commander-in-chief when he arrived.

So Liu Xiaotao had no choice but to turn to Ye Peng and Yan Kan and say, "Da Peng, A Yan, you two come with me to get the car!"

Ye Peng and Yan Kan nodded in agreement.

Gao Shang and Zhuang Yan exchanged knowing smiles after hearing Zhang Jincheng's words, then winked at each other, the two of them quite pleased with themselves.

"Alright, you two, don't get too excited yet. Hurry up and work with me to go over all the details of the operation." After saying that, Zhang Jin turned and walked towards the SUV next to him, with Zhuang Yan and Gao Shang following closely behind.

After the three men got into the off-road vehicle, Zhang Jin took out a hand-drawn bridge structure diagram from Liu Xiaotao's tactical backpack, laid it on the dashboard, and began to study it.

Meanwhile, Liu Xiaotao and Ye Pengyan also began their mission.

Yan Kan had served in the Allied forces in the old city, and he was very familiar with the situation in that army. He knew from there that he could get vehicles and explosives.

And so, Yan Kan, along with Liu Xiaotao and Ye Peng, boldly approached an engineer battalion commander in the Allied Army and made a deal with him, secretly buying a Ford pickup truck and two hundred kilograms of explosives from him.

Liu Xiaotao never expected that they would complete the task so effortlessly.

Ye Peng is an expert in blasting. He quickly assembled a timed detonation device using clocks, batteries, wires, and sensors.

By the time we returned to the temporary camp, it was nearly dusk.

Liu Xiaotao and his two companions carefully parked the pickup truck, which was loaded with explosives, deep in the woods and covered it with camouflage netting.

Ye Peng crouched at the back of the car, inspecting the detonation device, his fingers deftly adjusting the timer. "The timer can be set to ten seconds," Ye Peng reported, looking up. "That's enough time for the car to reach the middle of the bridge, and with Zhuang Yan's skills, he should be able to escape."

Yan Kan was securing the rescue equipment under the driver's seat when he heard this, he added, "I installed a rappelling rope under the seat. The bridge is about 45 meters from the river. According to the plan, it will take them 3 seconds to rappel down."

When Liu Xiaotao and the others returned, Zhang Jin said that they had rehearsed the entire operation plan several times and everything was ready.

Zhang Jin said he set the action plan for 1 p.m. the next day, when people are most tired and easily let their guard down.

Moreover, apart from the soldiers on duty, the others are likely taking a nap or secretly finding a place to doze off.

The commando team was divided into three action groups. Zhuang Yan and Gao Shang were responsible for driving the vehicle to blow up the bridge.

Zhang Jin said he would bring two men to lie in ambush on the eastern mountain. If Zhuang Yan and his group encountered any trouble, they would provide fire support and assist them in their evacuation.

Liu Xiaotao led the remaining men to ambush Zhuang Yan and Gao Shang about one kilometer downstream from the bridge. Their mission was to rescue them from the river if they failed to reach the shore after jumping in.

The next day, Zhang Jin said that they had set off ahead of schedule with the large-caliber sniper rifle, and that they needed to cross a mountain ridge to reach the forest east of the bridge.

An hour later, Liu Xiaotao left Yankan to guard the vehicle, and then led the others to the riverbank.

After both groups left, Zhuang Yan and Gao Shang carefully checked the explosives and other equipment on the pickup truck again, and then Gao Shang drove the two of them out of the woods.

The explosives were neatly arranged in ten wooden crates in the back of the pickup truck, covered with a camouflage tarpaulin.

A wire was led out from the gap in the wooden box and extended into the driver's cab. The detonator was placed between Gao Shang and Zhuang Yan's seats, and a piece of clothing was casually placed on top to cover it.

The detonation time is ten seconds. Once the detonation button is pressed, they only have ten seconds to escape.

This time was more than enough for these well-trained special forces soldiers; they could easily fall back into the water from the bridge and swim a distance using the swift current.

The two drove along the winding mountain road toward the bridge, encountering government troops stationed there from time to time. Many military vehicles were parked by the roadside, but the soldiers ignored their car.

The situation at the bridgehead was similar to what Liu Xiaotao and his team had found the day before when they came to scout. Ten armored vehicles were parked a few hundred meters from the bridgehead, and soldiers could be seen chatting around the front and back of the vehicles.

There is a railing about 100 meters from the bridgehead, and four soldiers are checking passing vehicles.

This situation is too common in the "Golden Three Regions". Every few kilometers or ten kilometers along my highway, I would encounter such a checkpoint, or toll station, to collect tolls.

The soldiers charging tolls were carrying M16 assault rifles, indicating that their equipment was much better than that of the soldiers in the old city.

A soldier raised his hand to signal Zhuang Yan and his men to stop and inspect the vehicle.

Gao Shang slowly parked the truck a few meters from the guardrail. The soldiers at the checkpoint stared at the tarpaulin on the back of the pickup truck and asked, "What are you carrying in your truck?"

Zhuang Yan stuck his head out of the car window and said with a forced smile, "It's paraffin wax. We're merchants from the border, delivering goods to Mandalay."

At this moment, one of them became suspicious of what Zhuang Yan and his group were carrying in their truck. He knocked on the truck door impatiently and said, "Get out of the truck and open the cargo in the back to take a look."

Zhuang Yan was secretly surprised upon hearing this, wondering if the other party had seen through his disguise. He hurriedly pulled out a few bills from his pocket, handed them to the leader without even looking at them, and said with a smile, "Sir, please do us a favor, we often travel this route too..."

Unexpectedly, this guy wasn't buying it. He pushed Zhuang Yan's hand aside and shouted, "I don't care about your money, I just want to see the goods in your truck."

The reason this guy didn't take Zhuang Yan's money was because he noticed that the box under the tarpaulin was square, much like the box that contained "number four".

The guy's first thought was that the truck was carrying "flour." He thought that if the truck was really carrying "No. 4" (a type of flour), he would make a fortune if he seized so much of it.

He secretly kept two boxes for himself, sold the rest, gave some of the profits to his subordinates, and pocketed the rest.

This guy is obsessed with making a fortune, so naturally he looks down on the little money Zhuang Yan has.

As Zhuang Yan stretched his right hand out the window, he simultaneously pulled Beretta out from under his body with his left hand.

Hearing the leader insist on checking the explosives at the back, he knew it was impossible to cover it up, and whispered to Gao Shang, "Charge!"

As he spoke, Zhuang Yan handed his gun to his right hand, fired a shot at the leader, and then turned the gun to fire at the other two enemy soldiers.

The pickup truck hadn't been turned off. Gao Shang shifted gears and slammed on the gas, causing the front of the truck to lurch forward. The enemy soldier who had blocked the truck was thrown out of the way, and then the guardrail across the road was smashed in two by the oncoming pickup truck.

The gunfire alerted the enemy soldiers on both sides of the bridge, and the enemy in the fortifications immediately rushed out and opened fire on the approaching pickup truck.

Gunfire instantly shattered the afternoon tranquility, and bullets rained down on the pickup truck, riddling the front with countless bullet holes.

Gao Shang jerked the steering wheel, and the pickup truck veered in an S-shaped path toward the bridge, the wooden crates in the back of the truck making a dangerous clattering sound as it jolted violently.

At this critical moment, Zhang Jincheng, who had been lying in ambush in the woods east of the bridge, kept a close eye on Zhuang Yan and his group's car through binoculars.

As Zhuang Yan fired the shot, Zhang Jincheng's heart jumped, knowing that an unexpected situation had arisen.

His biggest worry was the explosives on the vehicle; if it were hit, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhang Jin hurriedly ordered Lu Da: "Quickly, take out the enemy soldiers in the guard tower at the bridgehead. We absolutely cannot let them fire at the pickup truck."

There is a general-purpose machine gun on this guard tower. If he fires at Zhuang Yan and his men, they will be in danger.

Lu Da used a large-caliber sniper rifle to first take out the machine gunner, and then shot an enemy soldier down from a three-story watchtower.

As Lu Da opened fire, Zhang Jin jumped up, raised his assault rifle, and pulled the trigger of the grenade launcher.

With a loud "BOOM!", the grenade exploded precisely in the defensive fortifications on one side of the bridge.

Li Ming, who was also lying down nearby, jumped up before Zhang Jincheng could give the order. At the same time that Zhang Jincheng fired the grenade, he also hit the fortification on the other side.

The guards at the bridgehead were also completely disoriented and didn't even know which direction the attack was coming from.

Under Zhang Jincheng's cover, Zhuang Yan and his group successfully rushed towards the bridge.

But as they drove their pickup trucks across the bridge, they suddenly realized something was wrong. It turned out that the guards on the other side had discovered the fighting and immediately organized armored vehicles to come to their aid.

Zhuang Yan and his team spotted two wheeled armored personnel carriers approaching from the opposite direction. These two vehicles almost occupied the entire bridge surface, and at the same time, the heavy machine guns on top of the armored vehicles began to fire at them.

The two men were immediately taken aback, because the armored personnel carrier had rushed towards the bridge earlier than they had, and had already traveled twenty or thirty meters. Under the current circumstances, they would not be able to reach the middle of the bridge at all.

Before the two could react, a series of bullets suddenly shattered the windshield.

It felt as if he had been punched hard in the chest; his body trembled violently, and he instinctively slammed on the brakes.

With a sharp, piercing screech, the pickup truck screeched to a halt.

(End of this chapter)