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

Chapter 742 Tragic and Heroic!

Zhuang Yan's body was suddenly propelled forward by inertia, and as he leaned forward, he involuntarily glanced to the side.

He suddenly noticed two holes in Gao Shang's clothes, from which blood was gushing out...

Zhuang Yan felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. He grabbed Gao Shang's hand that was gripping the steering wheel and said, "You're injured!"

At this moment, Gao Shang's face was as white as a sheet of paper, his eyes still fixed on the armored vehicle in front of him, and he said expressionlessly, "Get out of the vehicle now!"

"No!" Zhuang Yan shouted, guessing what he was about to do.

Gao Shang suddenly pulled out his pistol and pressed it against his temple, shouting at the top of his lungs, "You fucking get down here right now, or I'll shoot..."

"Rat-a-tat-tat..." The armored vehicle in front was still frantically focusing its fire on the pickup truck.

The situation was extremely critical, and Zhuang Yan had no time to think. With tears in his eyes, he bent over and pushed away, his body lurching outwards and falling onto the bridge surface, rolling to the edge of the bridge.

As Zhuang Yan jumped out of the car, Gao Shang slammed on the accelerator pedal, and the pickup truck roared off.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, his expression becoming unusually calm.

"Da da da..." Several more 12.7 mm diameter machine gun bullets hit Gao Shang's arms and chest, but he seemed oblivious, holding the steering wheel steadily like a statue, his eyes fixed on the two enemy armored vehicles in front of him.

"My dear comrades, I'm sorry I can only accompany you this far. The rest of the journey is yours to walk. Farewell..."

Suddenly, thick smoke billowed from under the hood of the pickup truck, followed by a burst of flames from the front. The engine, hit by machine gun fire, burst into flames, and the speeding pickup truck instantly transformed into a blazing war machine, shooting towards the oncoming armored vehicle like a rocket spewing fire…

After rolling to the edge of the bridge and being shielded by the railing, Zhuang Yan watched as the pickup trucks rushed toward the enemy with overwhelming force and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Gao Shang..." Then he leaped off the bridge.

The moment Zhuang Yan jumped off the bridge, his mind went blank. As he fell into the water, he heard a deafening roar.

Zhuang Yan's heart was filled with unbearable pain from the explosion...

With a tremendous impact, Zhuang Yan fell into the water, feeling only numbness without any pain. He had lost consciousness, and in his hazy state, he seemed to have entered another world with his comrades...

Liu Xiaotao chose a location a few hundred meters downstream from the bridge, at a bend in the road.

The river is much calmer here due to the obstruction of the rocks on the bank, and from this secluded spot, you can see the entire bridge and even the bridge towers on both sides.

Therefore, when gunshots rang out at the east end of the bridge, Liu Xiaotao immediately raised his binoculars to observe the situation above.

Because the other side of the highway was much higher than where Liu Xiaotao was, he didn't see what was happening at the checkpoint, but he had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

Immediately afterwards, machine gun fire and explosions rang out from the bridgehead. Liu Xiaotao guessed that Zhang Jincheng and his men had opened fire, probably to cover Zhuang Yan and his companion.

As the gunfire grew increasingly intense, Liu Xiaotao's heart clenched. He stared intently at the bridge through his binoculars, and then saw a figure leap twice from the bridge.

Watching the figure fall like a shooting star, Liu Xiaotao's heart sank into the abyss, and his blood froze instantly.

According to the plan, Zhuang Yan and his team were supposed to use rappelling ropes to descend from the bridge. However, they have now fallen directly from the bridge, which indicates that something unexpected has happened to them.

In addition, falling into the water from a height of thirty or forty meters can easily cause injury, not to mention the turbulent and rapid river below.

Just as the figures fell into the river, a flash of fire appeared on the bridge, followed by a deafening explosion, and the bridge surface neatly broke off from the point of the explosion.

Because it was held in place by steel cables, other parts were not destroyed; only the section at the point of the explosion fell into the water.

Liu Xiaotao stared intently at the bridge. From the moment the explosion began until the smoke cleared and no one else jumped into the river, he felt his heart turn cold and guessed what had happened.

Liu Xiaotao's hands trembled involuntarily, and the view through the binoculars became blurred with tears.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and quickly turned the binoculars toward the river, searching for Zhuang Yan's figure.

On the other side, Zhang Jin said they also discovered this tragic scene on the bridge.

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and everything around was eerily quiet, save for the low, mournful murmur of the ceaseless river.

Zhang Jincheng, A Gui, Wang Tao, and Ye Peng's expressions became very serious, showing that they also guessed what had happened.

Everyone remained silent, staring intently at the river, hoping to spot a figure on its surface.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Jincheng's heavy voice suddenly came through the earpiece: "003, have you found Zhuang Yan yet?"

“No, there’s nothing on the river.” After saying that, Liu Xiaotao was silent for a moment, then asked into the miniature microphone, “What happened on the bridge?”

"Gao Shang drove his car into the armored vehicle blocking their way. Only Zhuang Yan jumped off the bridge. Search upstream along the riverbank as much as possible. You must find him."

This was the first time Liu Xiaotao had heard Zhang Jincheng's voice sound so heavy. He immediately replied, "Understood, all done."

Liu Xiaotao divided the people into two groups, one searching downstream and the other upstream along the river.

To avoid being spotted by people on the road, the group tried to hide themselves as much as possible until it got dark and they couldn't see anything, and they still couldn't find Zhuang Yan.

The night was as dark as ink, and the river murmured.

Liu Xiaotao stood on the riverbank, the damp and cold river wind tearing at his clothes, but it could not dispel the grief in his heart.

He stared at the pitch-black river, his fists clenched so tightly they turned white, his nails digging deep into his palms.

"Go back first!" he said to his team members through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping. "Gather everyone back and continue searching, alive or dead." The rest of the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them.

With heavy hearts, everyone returned to the woods where the car was hidden. Zhang Jin said they had returned and were anxiously awaiting news.

Seeing that the people who returned all had their heads down and no one wanted to speak, Zhang Jincheng already guessed the outcome.

However, at that moment, an emergency call came through the radio in the SUV, and an even greater crisis was about to unfold.

After the start of Operation Sharp Sword, Commander-in-Chief Liu Wu remained at the command center of the border defense base, monitoring the progress of the entire operation and remotely directing the entire "Operation Sharp Sword".

Ever since Kang Laoda assembled his troops in the "Laoyaling" area, Liu Wu had not left the command hall for a single moment, closely monitoring the general's battle situation.

At that moment, Liu Wu was intently staring at the huge electronic display screen opposite him when Chief of Staff He Qiu quietly walked up to him with a folder in his hand and said in a low voice, "Old Liu, take a look at this."

"What is it?" Liu Wu's eyes remained fixed on the electronic screen.

"It was a letter sent to our border checkpoint by people from the old city, saying that they should pass it on to their superiors."

"Oh, what's in it?" Liu Wu asked, taking the folder from He Qiu.

The letter had been opened, and the paper inside was calmly tucked into the folder. The content was short, only a few lines, roughly threatening our side... that if the old city fell, Boss Lang planned to take action against our border areas...

The document was signed by the headquarters of the Old City Alliance Army, and the date was yesterday.

After reading the letter, Liu Wu's expression immediately turned serious.

He stood up, his brows furrowed, and paced back and forth, pondering the contents of the letter.

Seeing that Liu Wu hadn't spoken after reading the letter, He Qiu asked softly, "Old Liu, could this just be a threat from the enemy?" Liu Wu stopped and turned around, saying, "It's better to be safe than sorry. These heartless bastards are capable of anything."

"What should we do then? Should we order Boss Kang's troops to temporarily halt their attack on the old city?" He Qiu asked worriedly.

Liu Wupo gently shook his head: "If that's the case, wouldn't that be exactly what Boss Lang's treacherous scheme is all about?"

This guy always uses these coercive tactics. Last time when we captured Lang Laosan, he threatened to use missiles.

What methods will this guy use this time?

"Should we send the Sharp Sword Commando Team to the old city to scout out and find out what Boss Lang has up his sleeve?"

"There's no time for terror. What does 'leaving no one alive' mean in the letter?" Liu Wu read the letter again, then muttered to himself, "What methods will he use?"

As Liu Wu spoke, he remembered something else and immediately turned to He Qiu, asking, "Where is that guy named Bale that the commando team rescued last time?"

"I temporarily sent their whole family to the state capital."

"Yes, your arrangement is very good. Bale used to be the guard company commander of Boss Lang, so he may know some things about Boss Lang."

"Immediately notify the Army Aviation Brigade to prepare helicopters. We'll go to the state capital to find out what's going on."

"Yes!" He Qiu immediately picked up the internal phone on the table, dialed the number, and said, "Hello, is this the Army Aviation Brigade? This is Chief of Staff He Qiu. Please have your brigade commander answer the phone."

After a while, he spoke into the microphone again: "Yes, that's me."

Captain Li, arrange a transport plane immediately. The brigade commander and I need to use it right away.

"Yes, now." He then hung up the phone.

He Qiu put down the phone, turned to Liu Wu and said, "The helicopter will be ready in twenty minutes."

Liu Wu nodded and said, "Time is of the essence, let's go to the Army Aviation Brigade now."

"Ok!"

The two men, along with their bodyguard Sun Changsheng and driver Ma Xiaohui, left the cave, got into an off-road vehicle, and headed straight for the "Special Operations Brigade" aviation squadron.

The Special Operations Brigade's aviation squadron was stationed not far from the command post; it was located in a plain outside the mountains, only a dozen kilometers away from the command post.

The off-road vehicle sped along the rugged mountain road, the gravel kicked up by its wheels constantly hitting the chassis.

Liu Wu gazed at the rapidly passing shadows of trees outside the window, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee.

He Qiu noticed his taut jawline and knew that his old comrade-in-arms was mentally considering various possibilities.

As the most elite special operations force in the entire army, the "Black Panther Special Operations Brigade" has demonstrated remarkable multi-amphibious combat capabilities.

This unit is not only proficient in land warfare, but also possesses outstanding capabilities in amphibious operations, making it a top-tier elite force among our military's special operations forces.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the brigade has a powerful army aviation battalion under its command, which is unique among army division and brigade-level units.

这支航空大队配备了24架先进的武装直升机，其中包括国产主力机型武直-8、武直-9、武直-10，以及米格-17、米格-117等多型号武装直升机，形成了强大的空中火力支援体系。

The deployment of this air force has enabled the "Black Panther Special Operations Brigade" to achieve a qualitative leap in its combat capabilities, allowing it to carry out diverse combat missions in complex battlefield environments.

The pilots of this army aviation brigade are all elites selected from among thousands. They not only possess superb flying skills, but are also proficient in special operations tactics.

In their daily training, they often conduct joint exercises with ground special forces members, from low-altitude raids to precision fire support, from nighttime infiltration to operations in complex terrain, cooperating seamlessly.

Of particular note is their unique "Falcon Tactics," which can complete a three-dimensional encirclement of the target in a very short time, leaving the enemy nowhere to escape.

In terms of equipment, these helicopters have undergone special modifications, with advanced electronic countermeasures systems and night vision equipment added, enabling them to maintain combat effectiveness in adverse weather and electromagnetic interference environments.

The Z-10 attack helicopter is equipped with the latest millimeter-wave radar, giving it all-weather precision strike capability.

The MiG-117 is known for its excellent mobility and payload, enabling it to provide sustained fire support for ground forces.

The perfect coordination between this air force and ground special operations personnel enabled the "Black Panther Special Operations Brigade" to complete the entire process from assembly and maneuver to deployment within 72 hours.

Whether in high-altitude mountains, tropical jungles, urban streets, or island reefs, they can quickly adapt to the environment and launch three-dimensional operations.

This unique combat mode makes the "Black Panther Special Operations Brigade" the preferred force for our army to deal with various emergencies.

On the helicopter landing pad, the rotors have already begun to turn slowly.

Squadron Leader Li of the Army Aviation Brigade jogged up to greet him and gave a crisp military salute: "Reporting to the brigade commander, the Mi-171 is ready for takeoff, and all crew members are in position!"

"Hehe, it's rare for you, leader, to come to our brigade. Why don't you say a few words to the comrades?"

"Not this time, Captain Li. I have some important business to attend to with the Chief of Staff."

"Enough said, let's come to the aviation squadron again when we have time..." Liu Wu nodded briefly and strode towards the cabin.

"Yes, sir, please take care!" Captain Li saluted again and watched the two leaders board the plane.

Amidst the roar of the engine, he suddenly grabbed He Qiu's arm: "Old He, have the intelligence department immediately retrieve all the terrain data around the old city. Especially..." His voice was drowned out by the suddenly increased engine noise, so he could only whisper in He Qiu's ear, "...and also check if we have any..."

As the helicopter took off, the scenery on the ground shrank rapidly.

Liu Wu looked southwest through the porthole, where the outline of the old city was faintly visible in the twilight.

He stroked the letter in his hand, the paper trembling slightly in the air.

He Qiu saw Liu Wu draw a conspicuous circle in red on the four characters "not even chickens and dogs are left" with three question marks next to it.

Two hours later, Liu Wu and He Qiu arrived at the autonomous prefecture by helicopter. After being notified, the prefecture's military sub-district immediately picked up Bale and brought him to the military sub-district compound.

Accompanied by the leaders of the military sub-district, Liu Wu arrived at the reception room. Bale was sitting nervously inside. When he saw several leaders walk in, he stood up awkwardly.

Bale did not know why he had been brought there. The military district cadre who went to pick him up only told him that there was something important to talk to him about, but did not say what it was, because the cadre who went to pick him up did not know either.

He Qiu introduced Liu Wu to Bale. Liu Wu noticed Bale's nervousness and smiled as he said to Bale, "Hello, Mr. Bale. I should have come to visit you and your family sooner to thank you for the important help you provided in the operation to destroy Boss Lang's missile base. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you."

There's another reason I'm here; I need your help with something.

Hearing Liu Wu say this, Bale felt much more at ease and immediately said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I wonder how I can help you? Please feel free to ask."

Liu Wu took the folder from He Qiu and handed it to Bale, saying, "Please take a look at this letter."

After reading the letter, Balai looked at Liu Wu and asked, "Did Boss Lang send this?"

"Indeed, Mr. Bale, I would like to ask what sinister methods you think Elder Lang would use to deal with the innocent..."

(End of this chapter)