Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 213 With us soldiers here, there's nothing to be afraid of.
Now that both parties have reached an agreement, the next step is the specific implementation phase.

Kara took this very seriously and ordered the main force of her most elite newly formed First Brigade to be stationed nearby, ostensibly to protect the safety of Z side's technical personnel.

At the same time, he actively recruited workers and made preparations for the mining operation.

The team of geological experts arrived at the mining area quickly and, after systematic exploration, confirmed that the reserves in the area far exceeded expectations.

This major discovery delighted both sides, especially Kara, who was almost always willing to grant the mine's requests.

He provided whatever was needed, which greatly facilitated the full-scale commencement of mining operations.

As high-quality minerals are continuously mined and transported out, large quantities of domestically produced machinery, equipment, and building materials are also arriving. The local infrastructure team simultaneously launched local infrastructure projects.

Just as the cooperative project was progressing smoothly, Guo Baoqing called.

"Chen Jiang, this is Lao Guo. My phone was trampled and broken, so I had to find a public phone to call you."

Chen Jiang immediately sensed that something was wrong.

But since Guo Baoqing called me, it must be something important, otherwise he wouldn't have called so easily.

"Hold on there for a bit, I'll send someone over right away."

As always, Chen Jiang acted swiftly, leading his men to the scene. Upon arrival, he found a massive crowd. Continuing to drive forward would only exacerbate the conflict, so he ordered some people to get out of the car.

Chen Jiang was the first to jump out of the car, and a wave of scorching heat immediately hit him.

He strode towards Guo Baoqing.

"Old Guo, what are the details?" Chen Jiang asked loudly, his voice almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.

Guo Baoqing jumped off the excavator, his military uniform completely soaked in sweat: "Three days ago, small groups of villagers started causing trouble. This morning, a large number of people suddenly arrived, led by several young men from local tribes."

Chen Jiang squinted and scanned the crowd, noticing several young people who were dressed much better than ordinary villagers standing in the front row. They wore exquisite necklaces around their necks and had some strange totems on their bodies.

“They have someone backing them up,” Chen Jiang said in a low voice. “Ordinary villagers wouldn’t be so well organized.”

Just then, a tall young man pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. He was dressed in a semi-traditional, semi-modern outfit, with an exquisite bronze badge hanging on his chest.

“I am Mbuwa Kasongo, the son of the guardian of this land.” The young man said with pride, “Your machines have desecrated the sacred land and disturbed the slumber of our ancestors.”

Chen Jiang noticed two burly men standing behind Kasongo; their posture and gaze clearly indicated military training. This was no ordinary village protest.

“Mr. Kasongo,” Chen Jiang responded in a calm but firm voice, “our engineers have avoided all known holy sites when designing the route. Even during construction, we have been extremely careful, and I have never done anything to offend your gods. If there is any misunderstanding, we can sit down and talk.”

Kasongo sneered, "Talk? Our land has been destroyed, how can we talk?" A murmur of discussion broke out among the crowd.

Chen Jiang keenly noticed that several people who were clearly not villagers were walking back and forth in the crowd, whispering to those around them.

Guo Baoqing leaned close to Chen Jiang's ear and said, "I received a report half an hour ago that there was a new situation at the diamond mine, but our people have resolved it."

"What just happened?" Chen Jiang asked.

There was silence for a while.

But Chen Jiang's perception was incredibly strong. His sharp gaze immediately locked onto a young man, making him unable to meet his eyes and slink away in shame.

"Forget it, I believe he was just temporarily misled. Let's not let it happen again."

Kasongo was slightly moved by Chen Jiang's tolerance, so after hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded: "If you insist on talking, then your construction must stop immediately!"

“We can suspend construction until we reach an agreement,” Chen Jiang conceded, while giving Guo Baoqing a wink.

Guo Baoqing understood and immediately issued a stop-work order via walkie-talkie. The roar of the heavy machinery gradually subsided, which seemed to calm the villagers down a little.

Chen Jiang led Kasongo and several figures who appeared to be elders toward the temporary command post, while whispering orders to his subordinates: "Investigate the background of this Kasongo family, especially their relationship with high-ranking government officials. Also, pay attention to those people in the crowd who are clearly not farmers; I suspect there is external interference."

Stepping into the temporary command post, converted from a shipping container, the cool air from the air conditioner made everyone involuntarily breathe a sigh of relief. Chen Jiang gestured for everyone to sit down, and a soldier brought over tea.

“Mr. Kasongo,” Chen Jiang said bluntly, “you said we desecrated the holy site. Could you specify which location? We have already avoided the religious sites marked on our map.”

Kasongo took the tea but didn't drink it: "Your map? What gives you the right to decide which places are sacred and which aren't? This entire land was left to us by our ancestors!"

An elderly villager was speaking urgently in his local language when Kasongo impatiently interrupted him. Chen Jiang noticed this detail and made a mental note of it.

“If there are any sacred sites we are unaware of, please point them out, and we will immediately modify the route,” Chen Jiang said patiently. “But the railway is crucial to your development; it can…”

“Development?” Mbowa sneered. “Like the ‘development’ that diamond mines brought us? My father said that’s what the French said when they came decades ago!” Chen Jiang’s eyes sharpened.

People from country F.

This keyword alerted him.

In recent months, they have been causing some trouble, and the other party's company has indeed lost several important mining contracts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We are different from those guys in the past,” Chen Jiang said firmly. “The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is involved in all our cooperative projects, and profit sharing is transparent and open. Look at the schools and hospitals we are building.”

"Enough!" Mbowa suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "We don't want your schools and hospitals! Please leave our land!"

The atmosphere in the command center instantly became tense. Chen Jiang noticed that the two "bodyguards" behind Mbuwa reached for their waists—where weapons were clearly concealed.

Just then, Chen Jiang's satellite phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was the embassy number in Kinshasa.

"Sorry, I have to take this call." Chen Jiang walked to a corner, spoke a few words in hushed tones, and his expression gradually became serious.

After hanging up the phone, he returned to his desk, his tone becoming serious: "Mr. Kasongo, I just heard some interesting news. Last week, a representative from a French mining company visited your father and offered a generous reward if we could obstruct our project."

Kasongo's expression changed instantly: "This is slander!"

“Not only that,” Chen Jiang continued, “we found at least six non-locals carrying weapons in the crowd, whose motives are highly suspicious.”

Several older relatives looked at Kasongo in surprise: "Kasongo, is this true?" The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and Kasongo's face turned from red to white, and then from white to green.

Just then, the two men behind him suddenly pulled out weapons.

"Get down! Everyone get down!" Chen Jiang shouted, lunging at Kasongo to protect him.

The Ninth Company reacted very quickly, immediately making adjustments based on their usual training. The scoundrel was quickly subdued, and everyone then realized what had happened.

Several elderly villagers stood up, trembling: "Commander Chen, it seems we...we've been deceived. Someone told us..."

Chen Jiang understood what they were trying to say, but this was not the time to assign blame; the bigger picture had to be prioritized.

“Lies!” Chen Jiang said firmly. “Now come with me outside and explain the truth to your compatriots.”

Kasongo slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant and lifeless: "How could this happen?"

Chen Jiang pulled him up: "Come on, let's work together to solve all this."

When they came out, the crowd was already in an uproar.

The villagers looked at each other in confusion.

When Chen Jiang and Kasongo appeared together in front of the crowd, the noisy crowd gradually quieted down.

Chen Jiang took the megaphone and said in a steady, powerful voice:

"These two men aren't one of yours; they're employed by a foreign company! They're mingling in the crowd, trying to cause chaos!" On his orders, the two were brought forward.
A murmur broke out among the crowd.

An elderly man from the tribe walked forward shakily, carefully examined the faces of the two men, and then angrily spoke a few words in the local dialect.

Without a doubt, everyone now understands the whole story.

Just then, Chen Jiang's walkie-talkie rang again.

Ma Xiaoshuai's urgent voice came through: "The mine has been attacked by armed forces, and the enemy is well-equipped!" Chen Jiang's heart tightened; this was indeed a conspiracy.

"Old Guo, you stay here and keep watch. I'm assigning you a platoon from the Ninth Company. Be careful of enemy ambushes."

As Chen Jiang jumped into the armored vehicle to leave, Kasongo suddenly grabbed his arm: "Commander Chen, my family might be in danger. Those despicable guys said they would harm my family if the plan failed."

Needless to say, Chen Jiang had to make a choice: on one side was a place of great importance to them, and on the other was the matter of the local people. At this moment, Chen Jiang kept the mission of the peacekeeping force firmly in mind.
"Kasongo, follow me and lead the way." He led his troops forward quickly, with Kasongo as their guide.

Kasongo knew perfectly well what Chen Jiang's actions meant. His eyes welled up with tears as he felt absurd and regretful for his previous behavior.

In particular, when Chen Jiang pulled him up to get into the vehicle, he was greatly encouraged to sit in the armored infantry fighting vehicle. When he saw the well-trained soldiers, his confidence increased.

(End of this chapter)