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

Chapter 762 Michael's End!!
Standing on the watchtower of the mountain stronghold, Migo watched as the ragged, dejected remnants of his army returned to his "Awa Mountain Stronghold" one after another, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to his heart.

This retaliatory sabotage operation against the "Old Miao Village," a stronghold that the assault team had built up over many years, not only failed completely, but also destroyed the last of his hard-earned assets.

Although there are still more than two hundred newly recruited soldiers stationed in the stronghold, these greenhorns who have not been tempered by war are of no use at the moment.

The dozens of survivors who escaped were all badly wounded and demoralized.

Michael was acutely aware that the "Awa Mountain Village" was in an unprecedentedly weak state.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he felt no pain whatsoever.

Several months ago, Zhang Jincheng's Sharp Sword Commando Team and the mountain people's self-defense force of "Laomiao Village" launched a thunderous raid on "Awa Mountain Village".

In this operation, they not only completely destroyed Michael's painstakingly built "Factory No. 4", but also completely destroyed the "Factory No. 4" finished products worth hundreds of millions of yuan, causing him to lose his biggest source of wealth.

The raid was flawless. The Sharp Sword Commando, with lightning speed, killed and wounded more than two hundred of Michael's veterans during the operation—these were the core combat forces that Michael had painstakingly cultivated over many years.

This powerful punch struck Michael directly in his vital spot, severely damaging his vital energy, from which he has yet to recover.

In fact, "Awa Mountain Village" is currently in a weakened state and has no intention of confronting the Sharp Sword Commando Team head-on.

However, Zhang Jin claimed that the "alternative planting plan" being promoted by his team touched upon the fundamental interests of warlords such as Migo and Dx.

The plan aims to help the people of the "Golden Three Regions" escape the poison of British and Soviet planting and turn to growing cash crops to live a self-sufficient and normal life.

This beneficial policy won the support of the vast majority of ordinary people in the area, but made warlords like Michael feel extremely uneasy.

Because if the local people give up planting Yingsu, they will lose their source of raw materials for manufacturing "No. 4" and their source of income will be cut off.

Without enormous sums of money for drugs, they could not maintain their large private armies; without armed forces, these warlords' extravagant and corrupt lifestyles would also be unsustainable.

It can be said that this conflict is one in which the interests of both sides are fundamentally irreconcilable; it's a matter of life or death.

Faced with the aggressive advance of "Operation Sword," the DX warlords entrenched in the "Kim San Region" did not surrender but launched a series of frenzied counterattacks in an attempt to obstruct the smooth implementation of the "Alternative Planting Plan" in this sinful land.

Among these DX warlords, Michael was undoubtedly the one who understood "Operation Sharp Sword" the most thoroughly.

As events unfolded, he gradually realized the true purpose of Zhang Jincheng and others' visit to the "Jin San area".

If we were to discuss who in the Golden Triangle region truly hated Zhang Jincheng and his commando team, aside from Boss Lang, who was secretly plotting in Langzhai, Mi Gao would be the one who was most furious.

Zhang Jincheng's commando team not only repeatedly dealt heavy blows to Mi Gao's power, but also killed his eldest son Mi Yuan in a battle, which made Mi Gao hate him to the bone and plot revenge at all times.

To be honest, this raid on the "Old Miao Village" was not a momentary impulse by Mi Gao, but a carefully planned operation.

Michael's spies kept sending back intelligence: Zhang Jin said that the "bilateral trade company" founded by their commando team was in deep trouble.

Several villages that had just agreed to abandon poppy cultivation and switch to cash crops have recently been attacked and sabotaged by reactionary forces such as the DX warlord.

Zhang Jin said he had to personally lead the Sharp Sword Commando Team to "put out fires" and carry out rescue operations everywhere, and he was already overwhelmed with other tasks.

Faced with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Michael's heart burned with the flames of revenge.

Although he was still afraid of directly confronting Zhang Jincheng and his Sharp Sword Commando Team, raiding the Sharp Sword Commando Team's headquarters—"Old Miao Village"—was a sure-fire and excellent choice.

As the earliest base of the Sharp Sword Commando Team, "Lao Miao Village" is not only a model village that responded to the "alternative planting plan" in the first batch, but also the most successful example of the entire plan.

The Sharp Sword Commando Team has devoted a great deal of effort to this project, transforming it into a model project showcasing the results of the "Alternative Planting Program".

For this reason, "Old Miao Village" has now become a thorn in the side of the surrounding warlords.

Michael planned to launch a surprise attack while Zhang Jincheng and his men were busy running around, which would not only severely damage their opponents but also give the mountain people who were watching or had already joined the "alternative plan" a bloody warning—this is the consequence of betraying tradition and siding with the new Z.

The night wind howled, scattering the cold sweat from Migo's forehead.

He slowly loosened his clenched fist, revealing blood spurting from his fingernails piercing his palm.

The suppressed groans of wounded soldiers drifted from afar, cutting at his last shred of sanity like a dull knife.

Ah Tai, the last surviving brother of the "boss" mountain stronghold, dragged his injured right leg up to the watchtower. His military boots left dark red bloodstains on the wooden planks. "I just finished counting. Only fifty-seven of our brothers have returned, and twenty-three of them are injured to varying degrees."

Furthermore… most of them lost their weapons and ammunition… alas… we have suffered heavy losses this time…

Upon hearing this, Michael suddenly sprang to his feet and kicked over the machine gun ammunition box next to him.

The gleaming bullets tumbled down from the watchtower, tracing eerie golden arcs in the moonlight.

"When did those peasants in the old Miao village become so good at fighting?" He grabbed Atai by the collar, spitting foul-smelling saliva in the other's face. "Didn't they say that the 'old Miao village' only had a self-defense force formed by hunters?"

A flicker of fear crossed Atai's single eye: "I don't know, boss. Their firepower is too intense, and their tactical maneuvers are far superior to those of ordinary elite soldiers."

We were completely powerless to fight back. As soon as the firefight started, they sniped Lieutenant Du, leaving us leaderless. Our mortar platoon was wiped out before they could even fire a single shot...

Boss, I suspect they are special forces soldiers. Otherwise, how could those peasants have such strong combat capabilities? It doesn't make sense.

Didn't our people see with their own eyes that those special forces led the main force out of the old city and went to the mountain village in the south to carry out a rescue?

How did they end up in the 'Old Miao Village'?

"Damn it, we've been tricked! This is a trap! If they had been prepared, they would have just been waiting for us to walk right into it!"

"How did they know we were planning to raid 'Old Miao Village'?" Michael suddenly realized, and then said fiercely.

Atai swallowed hard, a hint of hesitation flashing in his one eye: "Boss, I suspect there's a mole among us." These words were like a sharp knife, piercing straight into Michael's heart.

Migo's pupils suddenly contracted, and the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably.

He turned abruptly and looked towards the flickering firelight deep within the mountain stronghold, where his most trusted confidants were located.

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!" Michael growled through gritted teeth, his voice sounding like it was squeezed out of hell. "Lock up everyone who was there that night and interrogate them one by one!" His fingers unconsciously rubbed the ivory pistol at his waist, which he had bought with the money he earned from the first batch of "Number Four" pistols, but which had now become an ironic symbol of his declining power.

A commotion suddenly arose below the watchtower.

A scout covered in blood stumbled forward, shouting in terror, "Boss! Something's wrong! A convoy has been spotted to the south! Someone's attacking our stronghold..."

These words struck him like a bolt from the blue. Michael staggered to the railing, and Yao looked into the distance and saw dozens of bright car lights piercing the night on the mountain road, approaching them like the scythe of death.

It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly. The "Awa Mountain Stronghold" had just suffered a crushing defeat, losing all its elite troops and leaving only two or three hundred inexperienced recruits whose morale was at its lowest point.

At this most vulnerable moment, they were attacked by enemy forces.

Looking around, there were more than 30 military vehicles, which looked menacing and were conservatively estimated to carry at least three or four hundred fully armed soldiers.

In terms of both troop strength and combat power, the "Awa Mountain Village" was no match for them at this moment.

"It's over!" Michael felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight up to his heart, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Boss, what should we do? Please make a decision!" Atai's voice trembled with anxiety as he looked at Migo's ashen face. His wife, children, and elderly parents were all back in the mountain stronghold. Thinking of this, his fingers unconsciously dug into his palms.

Michael slowly turned his head, his eyes vacant like a walking corpse: "Tell me... what should we do?"

Atai's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed hard, his voice barely audible: "How about... we run away?" As soon as he said it, he lowered his head in shame, his nails digging deep into his thighs.

"Escape? Where to escape to? Our mountain stronghold only has this one road in and out, and now it's completely blocked by the enemy." Mi Gao's cold gaze swept over Atai like a blade, sending chills down his spine.

Atai felt a chill run down his back, and his clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

He knew that Michael was ruthless, so he could only suppress his fear and grit his teeth, saying, "Boss, I'll take the brothers to the front camp to hold off the enemy. You take your family and retreat from the back mountain. As long as we're alive, we can always fight again!" With that, he turned and was about to rush out.

"Stop!" Michael roared, raising his hand to deliver a resounding slap, the crisp sound echoing in the air.

Atai staggered backward after being hit, and half of his face immediately swelled up and burned.

He covered his burning cheeks, his voice trembling, "Boss, what's wrong?"

"Pass on my order: let the old and weak in the mountain stronghold flee to the back of the mountain to save their lives."

"But all the able-bodied soldiers in the stronghold must stay and resist; anyone who dares to run will be executed on the spot," Michael said with a crazed look in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Atai trembled, and a hint of despair flashed in his eyes.

He knew Michael all too well; this order meant that all the able-bodied men in "Awa Mountain Village" would become Michael's sacrificial offerings.

The roar of the convoy in the distance grew closer.

"What are you all standing there for?" Michael pulled out his ivory pistol, the muzzle gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "Go and bring out 'Number Four' and all the money from the warehouse, and distribute it to every brother!" His lips twisted into a ferocious smile. "Tell them that I have plenty of money, and I'll reward them with ten thousand yuan for every enemy soldier I kill."

"Yes!" A-Gui turned around and went down the watchtower to carry out Migo's orders.

Soon, squads of Michael's men began knocking on doors, one by one.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

A villager from a stilted house opened the door, put on his clothes, and asked, "Sir, what's wrong?"

"Enemy troops are attacking the mountain stronghold. By order of Commander Mi, all the elderly, weak, and women should go to the back mountain to take refuge, while the able-bodied men should stay behind to resist the enemy..."

"But sir, we're not soldiers..."

"You son of a bitch, shut up! Everyone assemble at the front of the stronghold immediately!" Mi Gao's men rudely kicked open the door, the muzzles of their guns gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "Boss Mi said, anyone who dares not go will be shot on the spot!"

The villagers stared in terror, their eyes wide, as they used the moonlight to make out the ferocious expression on the soldier's face.

He trembled as he pulled his sleeping child to his feet, but one of Michael's men grabbed his collar: "Old man, your son has to go too! Not a single able-bodied man in the stronghold can be missing!"

From afar came the sounds of banging on doors and shouting, plunging the entire mountain stronghold into chaos.

An elderly man with white hair knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Sir, my grandson is only fifteen years old!" Before he could finish speaking, he was hit on the ground with a rifle butt, and blood flowed down his wrinkled forehead.

Atai stood in the shadows, watching these tragic scenes of families being torn apart, his eyes filled with tears.

He reached for the pistol at his waist, but froze when he heard Michael's hysterical laughter.

On the watchtower, Michael was brandishing a burning torch, waving it wildly: "Listen up, all of you! Tonight, it's either them or us who die!"

Following Migo's order, the "Awa Mountain Village" was thrown into complete chaos.

The cries of the villagers echoed throughout the mountain village, and then they were forced to flee for their lives in the valley behind the village.

Michael's trusted men carried boxes of "Number Four" and distributed them to their soldiers one by one.

A guy accidentally tore open a bag, and white powder drifted out in the firelight, like a strange snowfall.

Michael stood atop the watchtower, coldly surveying the camp below.

The soldiers were greedily inhaling "Number Four," their pupils gradually dilating, their mouths twitching uncontrollably, and the last shred of reason in their eyes being devoured by madness.

"Hahaha," Michael grinned maliciously, his voice particularly grating in the night wind. "Go, my brave warriors! Annihilate all those invading enemy troops!" He spread his arms wide, as if casting some kind of evil blessing. "Money, beauties, number four... as much as you want!"

His response was a beastly roar. The drug-controlled soldiers had completely lost their humanity; they twisted their bodies and emitted chilling howls: "Roar!" The sound echoed through the camp like a call from hell.

Some people were shouting, some were tearing at their uniforms, and everyone was in a state of frenzy.

The attacking army consisted of a commando team led by Zhang Jincheng and a battalion of soldiers from Kang Jiasheng in the old city.

After successfully repelling the invading enemy from "Old Miao Village," Liu Xiaotao obtained a crucial piece of intelligence through interrogating prisoners.

It turned out that they had just annihilated the last elite troops under Michael's command.

According to the prisoners, the "Awa Mountain Village" is now outwardly strong but inwardly weak.

Although Michael still had two or three hundred soldiers under his command, most of them were new recruits who had never fought in battle, and their combat effectiveness was far inferior to that of the elite troops that had been annihilated.

Liu Xiaotao immediately informed Zhang Jincheng of this important information.

Upon learning this news, a glint of light flashed in Zhang Jincheng's eyes. He keenly realized that the best time to completely eradicate Migo's forces had arrived.

Not to be missed.

Zhang Jincheng planned to take advantage of Migo's greatly weakened strength and immediately send troops to eliminate this stubborn DX warlord.

To ensure the operation went perfectly, Zhang Jin immediately contacted Kang Jiasheng, who was stationed in the old town.

After in-depth communication, Kang Jiasheng not only fully agreed with the operation plan, but also expressed his full support.

Kang Jiasheng quickly selected an elite battalion from the old city's garrison, which was personally led by his most trusted adjutant.

This elite force marched through the night, arriving at the outskirts of "Awa Mountain Village" under the stars and moon, and successfully joined forces with Zhang Jincheng's main force.

After the troops arrived at "Awa Mountain Village" and everything was ready, Zhang Jincheng ordered: "Mortar platoon, open fire immediately and blast the gate of the village open for us..."

"preparation!"

"Three rapid-fire shots, fire!"

"Boom boom boom..." The sound of artillery suddenly tore through the night sky, and more than a dozen mortar shells whistled across the sky, exploding into blinding flashes of light on the gate of the stockade.

Wood chips and rubble flew everywhere, and the village gate collapsed in the explosion, raising clouds of dust.

Zhang Jin raised his binoculars and, using the light from the explosion, saw the chaotic scene inside the village.

(End of this chapter)