Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 173 Victory Day! Three Days of Celebration!

Seeing this, Jason felt a chill run down his spine—the plane arrived way too fast!

Jason wasn't the only one to discover the enemy coming from the sky; the other soldiers in the camp did as well.

No one paid any attention to the tanks charging towards them; instead, they frantically shouted for cover, either hiding in buildings or crawling into craters or similar terrain...

In their struggle to seize the same bunker, some even started fighting, failing to notice that their bunker, the armored vehicle carrying people, and the A-37 Dragonfly attack aircraft were aligned in a straight line!
The next moment, a horrific scene unfolded.

The 12.7mm Gatling gun spat fire, mercilessly reaping all lives in that straight line!
The dense barrage of large-caliber bullets first struck the front of the Brazilian-made EE-11 armored vehicle, and then, like zipping up a zipper, pulled it to the vehicle's position.

To ensure maximum lethality against all targets, the heavy machine guns on attack aircraft are usually loaded with a mix of armor-piercing and high-explosive rounds!
Buzz!
Bullets rained down from the sky, tearing through the armored vehicle's steel plates. A large amount of shrapnel and explosions ripped apart the people inside and around the armored vehicle. The fragments and flesh were mixed together, turning the inside of the vehicle into a blood grinder!
Blood mixed with flesh and bone fragments even spurted out from the hatches of the armored vehicle!

The "bunker" located in a straight line was even worse off. Because everyone was crammed together in such a dense formation, the bunker instantly became a hellish place.

The lieutenant, who had just been discussing with Jason how to kidnap the girl who had appeared on TV, and the other gamblers and womanizers, were instantly reduced to a cloud of blood mist.

Jason instinctively lay down, watching helplessly as enemy planes recklessly swooped down on the barracks, watching his adjutant's body disintegrate and limbs fly everywhere. He simply buried his head deeper, wishing he could throw away everything that symbolized his identity.

No one rushed to the nearby machine gun positions, picked up a machine gun, and tried to fight back against the enemy.

It's very simple: because they're afraid of dying.

Anyone who dares to pick up a machine gun and open fire will inevitably become a prime target!
In such situations, scattering and fleeing offers the best chance of survival from such an attack.

After the dragonfly finished its first round of licking the ground, Jason jumped off the ground in a disheveled state and ran towards a dilapidated military jeep a little distance away.

Only a fool would invest in high-value targets these days!
boom!
Jason had barely taken two steps when he heard the sound of another 152mm high-explosive shell exploding behind him—his command post was engulfed in flames.

Three shells accurately hit three high-value targets.

If the first two shots could be attributed to luck, the third shot made Jason realize that the enemy not only had howitzers, but also guided artillery shells!
Round after round of heavy firepower suppression by multiple branches of the military was not just overwhelming, it was suffocating!
"Damn!" Jason was relieved that he had escaped quickly enough, while mentally analyzing who the enemy was.

Yes, only after his own defenses were destroyed, his command system was taken down, and he suffered heavy losses was Jason finally able to spare a little time to analyze who the enemy was.

There's a Dragonfly attack aircraft with a howitzer, and it's hostile to Lopez...

With these factors combined, the answer is actually quite obvious.

Only Milton!
"Damn it, how did he even get past all those defenses?"

"Never mind! Let's retreat to a safe place and ask Lopez for help..."

Seeing several soldiers running toward the same vehicle, Jason breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got into the back seat, and urged them to drive off.

Milton's "Dragonfly" will definitely prioritize attacking armored vehicles; the ammunition from this aircraft is absolutely insufficient to destroy all the vehicles in this military camp.

He can escape!
The car's engine had just started, and the gear hadn't even been put into gear yet, when suddenly a loud, rapid burst of artillery fire came from behind!
Jason was already on edge; as he lowered his head, he turned and glanced behind him.

"The armored formation has already charged up?! So fast?!"

"Run!!!"

"Quick, step on the gas! Step on the gas! Their primary target isn't us, run!"

The jeep lurched and lurched forward, just as Jason had predicted. The armored vehicles in the military camp were the primary targets and were subjected to the first round of artillery fire.

Countless armored vehicles exploded, sending debris flying...

These pieces of equipment that Lopez originally intended to use to defend the city and fight against Milton's forces were either rendered useless by the suppression of air power or became consumables for Jason to buy himself even a second to escape!

Boom boom boom...

Even those who were lucky enough to get on the vehicle and weren't locked onto by the plane immediately accelerated and sped towards the city after gaining control of the vehicle.

Boom boom boom...

"..."

As Jason watched in terror, the sound of cannon fire gradually faded into the distance.

The original military camp had been completely reduced to a sea of ​​fire—Milton's armored convoy crushed the position as easily as crushing an ant, but it still caused some delay and Jason managed to leave them behind.

The only dragonfly that could catch up with them also seemed to have run out of ammunition and was preparing to return for resupply.

This attack aircraft should be unable to engage in combat for at least half an hour...

"Boss, boss..." Hearing the artillery fire gradually recede into the distance and seeing that the charging armored vehicles couldn't catch up with them for the time being, the other soldiers in the vehicle finally caught their breath from their shock. "What should we do next?"

"Run away?"

The moment the word "escape" was uttered, the atmosphere on the vehicle immediately became much more lively. The soldiers, who had been terrified and silent, began to chatter amongst themselves.

"Yes, let's run away quickly! How can we possibly beat Milton... Haven't you heard what he did in Mexico?"

"Yeah... no one can beat him, let's go quickly."

"Right now we can still escape along the highway directly to Retaluleu City, and then to Quetzaltenango. If we hesitate any longer, that madman Milton will definitely blow up the road!"

"Yes, let's run! We can't beat him..."

Jason's forehead throbbed with rage. He kicked the passenger seat and yelled, "Run, run, all you do is run! What's the point of running? If Champerico falls, where can we run to? Do you think Lopez will put us in a military court?!"

In reality, only Jason would be sent to a military court; even if Lopez was unreasonable, he wouldn't implicate ordinary soldiers.

Jason had to trick them into boarding the ship, otherwise he would definitely lose command and be sold out by these soldiers.

The soldiers, already incapacitated by extreme fear, didn't hesitate and immediately asked, "Then, what do we do?"

"Enter the city and immediately take over the remaining defensive forces within!"

Jason knew that Milton's raid had killed many people and armored vehicles, but it was impossible to wipe out all the defensive forces.

The reason why the battlefield situation is now one-sided, and why our side seems to have no ability to resist, is because Milton was able to "teleport" directly to the vicinity of the rear command post for some reason, and directly paralyzed the command system.

With artillery fire raining down from the sky and no one issuing orders to stabilize morale or instructing the soldiers on what to do next, wouldn't that lead to a complete rout?

Now Jason's task is to quickly find a way to rebuild the command system, relying on the remaining military and police personnel in the city and the stockpiled weapons in the warehouses to organize street fighting. No matter what, he must sacrifice countless lives to hold Milton back.

If he can hold out, he's a hero—even if reinforcements arrive but they still can't defeat Milton, the responsibility for the defeat doesn't lie with him.

If it can't be delayed, everything will come to an end.

"Immediately contact the police station, or the radio station, or anything else you can find that will allow me to contact the remaining defenders immediately. Build their confidence first!"

"quick!"

"We don't have much time left. If we delay any longer, you'll experience the same predicament again: being bombarded so hard you can't lift your head, having your floors washed by rockets, being licked by dragonflies just as you're about to leave, and finally, when you look up, the enemy's armored vehicles are already in your face!"

Milton's plane has left; this is our only chance!

"Listen to me, we still have a good chance of turning things around."

The soldier driving the car remembered the suffocating pressure he had just felt and quickly pressed down on the accelerator.

beep beep beep...

Before they had run very far, a very distinctive sound, the sound of a propeller, suddenly came from the sky.

Jason subconsciously looked up.

The SA-341 "Gazelle" attack helicopter—its dark cannon muzzle already pointed at the jeep speeding across the ground.

Don't be fooled by the helicopter's seemingly "slow" pace and loud noise; by the time you hear its sound, it's already right in front of you!
Oh no! In their panic, they completely forgot that Milton also had attack helicopters; their air power wasn't just limited to one attack aircraft...

It's just that attack aircraft arrive faster than helicopters!

The driver was terrified and desperately tried to accelerate, wishing the car could fly.

From the helicopter's perspective, the cars on the ground appear to be moving at a standstill.

Bang bang bang!
The 20mm cannon was aimed at the jeep and fired.

In Jason's final gaze, he seemed to see, through the helicopter's windshield, the pilot's eyes filled with disappointment and impatience.

It was as if they had only killed an insignificant target, and they wanted to kill him quickly so that no other potentially important target might escape.

boom!
Amidst the intense gunfire, a high-explosive shell struck the jeep's fuel tank, instantly igniting the fuel inside.

The explosion engulfed everyone in the car.

……

In the distance, Milton sat in an armored vehicle, closely following the vanguard as they charged toward the enemy lines.

Flora exclaimed, "The Soviet Union's Krasnodar 2K25 is just so good... one shot, one kill, it's so satisfying!"

“It can effectively make up for our lack of artillery experience,” Milton said. “But this shell is too expensive, so we can’t use it in bulk. It’s just right for taking down this enemy radar station.”

Each shot costs tens of thousands of dollars, but it is truly effective. All you need is one person at a distance to continuously illuminate the target with specialized observation and aiming equipment.

“I think it’s not just a radar station, but also a very important military base…” Flora chimed in, “Sigh, really, how many times have I told you, disperse them, disperse them, and now look what’s happened, we’ve wiped them all out in one fell swoop?”

Milton chatted with Flora while summarizing various reports from lower-level combat units.

As the "frontline radar station" was being crushed, the armored group responsible for the assault was charging toward the target behind them, but the enemy's counterattack was slow to arrive.

why?

Milton was a little confused.

"They can't be completely incapacitated after just one attack, can they?" Milton frowned. "They definitely still have a lot of man-portable anti-tank weapons..."

Even if they're well-equipped, they'll still struggle, right?

Judging from the situation on the front lines with the rebels, Lopez's men wouldn't be so afraid to even fire back.

As for the Empty City Stratagem, that's even more impossible—in modern warfare, using the Empty City Stratagem is practically suicide.

Flora didn't think too much about it: "Who cares? Since the enemy isn't fighting back, let's pursue and annihilate them!"

“Hmm.” Milton didn’t think much of it and nodded. “First, try to control key targets in the city, such as the radio station, police station, post office, city government... try to control the entire city’s administration.”

"What next?"

Milton said, "Forget about all that, let's announce our victory first, reassure the citizens, and then slowly clear out the enemy forces in the city."

Once most of the occupation and administrative control are achieved, the counter-espionage system in Port Champelli can be activated, and the remaining enemies will be easier to deal with. "Alright, let's go to the broadcasting station first!"

"Air power, provide cover at any time!"

Boom boom boom...

The armored convoy drove straight into the city. Many police officers heard the explosions and rushed into the streets with their guns, only to be stunned by the scene before them.

Did this army fall from the sky?!
But they dared not resist... They could only quickly drop their weapons, raise their hands, and watch helplessly as the armored convoy drove into the city.

Milton's convoy soon arrived near the radio station.

The streets of Champerico were emptier than Milton had imagined, and the progress was slightly smoother than planned.

Although the roads here are not wide, there are no shops operating nearby, so even armored vehicles can pass through without any hindrance.

Meanwhile, soldiers kept shouting through loudspeakers, ordering everyone to draw the curtains and stay away from the windows.

Otherwise, it will be directly regarded as a hostile act and subjected to artillery fire.

Even if enemy troops were hiding in nearby residential buildings, they would hardly pose a significant threat to the convoy. The only way to attack the convoy under these circumstances would be through faith-based shooting, but the accuracy of faith-based shooting is questionable.

Soon, the armored vehicles leading the way arrived at the entrance of the broadcasting station and surrounded the entire station.

As soon as the vehicle stopped, the soldiers inside immediately got out and took their designated positions in less than 10 seconds. After repeated emphasis from the instructors and intensive training, they knew that armored vehicles were not actually safe.

In many situations, it is the infantry who should provide cover for the armored vehicles, rather than the armored vehicles serving as human shields for the infantry.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, sporadic gunshots came from inside the broadcasting station, spraying bullets indiscriminately across the street.

Several soldiers were caught off guard and grazed by stray bullets, but thanks to their body armor, the impact was minimal.

Milton and Flora also got out of the car.

"As expected, there were still some sporadic acts of resistance."

"Why?" Flora asked, somewhat puzzled, from behind cover. "How can they have this kind of fighting spirit? Shouldn't their legs go weak at the sight of armored vehicles?"

“Losing the port like this will definitely lead to a court-martial for all the officers,” Milton sneered. “I guess some mid-level and junior officers are using this as an excuse to coerce the remaining soldiers into continuing the resistance.”

"Their strategic goal is to stall until reinforcements arrive. This goal doesn't seem difficult; it's within reach. So they probably still have some will to fight."

Flora nodded: "How do you plan to attack?"

“They’re definitely going to let the people in the building experience a hail of bullets.” Milton rolled his eyes. “With the strength we have now, it’s impossible for us to go and fight them in CQB anymore.”

"Fire a warning shot and give one minute for unauthorized personnel to remove their clothing and come out."

"Then, we can use firepower to overwhelm those who don't obey."

boom!
Gunfire rang out.

Screams, footsteps, and the chaotic sound of various objects falling to the ground filled the air. Several gunshots rang out from the broadcasting station, indicating that officers were trying to control the crowd. But no matter how terrifying they were, they were not as terrifying as armored vehicles and cannons.

Soon, a number of naked people ran out of the broadcasting station with their hands raised.

"Don't shoot! We surrender!"

“I can provide information from inside! I’m not with the military…and I have children!”

"There were more than 20 of them...all on the second floor and above!!!"

"..."

These people were immediately brought under control.

During the evacuation, several smoke grenades were thrown down from the building, seemingly to obscure the view and buy time.

Milton glanced down at his watch and said coldly, "Time's up."

Boom boom boom! ! !
No sooner had the words been spoken than the armored vehicles on the street roared to life, and high-explosive shells poured into the broadcasting station from all directions, unleashing a barrage of fire.

Immediately afterwards, combat teams of eight people approached from different directions and surrounded every entrance and exit of the broadcasting station.

They were tasked with clearing out any remaining enemy forces that might be near the broadcasting station—despite the heavy artillery fire, there were bound to be some who slipped through the net.

Milton and the others will need this broadcasting station later, so they can't really blow it up completely.

The engineers can still make emergency repairs to the current level of damage from the shelling, but if they were to bombard it a few more times, the damage might be much worse.

Milton prepared a large number of stun grenades and hand grenades for each attack team, aiming to clear the radio station without engaging in close-range gunfights.

boom!boom!boom……

Soon, a major cleanup operation began at the radio station, with all sorts of stun grenades being thrown in like they were free, as if they wanted to hit every room with three or four of them.

“A war of affluence,” Flora shook her head as she looked at this method of attack. “Thinking back to not long ago, we are truly rich now.”

Under this level of firepower, the remaining government troops, hiding in the building and armed with only a few light weapons, were powerless to resist. In less than five minutes, Milton received good news over his walkie-talkie.

"Sappers, get back to work at the broadcasting station as soon as possible, I need to give a speech!"

At this time, there were still sporadic gunshots and even explosions in the port of Champellico.

The battle is far from over.

Flora followed Milton into the broadcasting station and asked, "We bypassed the enemy, and they might come to our aid... How are you going to fight them then?"

“We have no choice but to fight head-on,” Milton said nonchalantly. “Now we’re on the defensive, and we can get supplies from the port. Lopez will be the one with a headache.”

Lopez's attack relied on land transport; Milton's defense relied on sea transport. The logistical costs for the two were simply not on the same level.

If they really attack, they could wear down Lopez, who has already lost the port, into bankruptcy.

The same logic applies: Milton's biggest concern isn't that Lopez will launch an attack, but rather that Lopez will ignore the fall of Champeriko and launch a full-scale assault on the front lines to wipe out the resistance in one fell swoop.

buzzing...

At that moment, the sound of Dragonfly attack aircraft came from the sky again.

Gunfire continued to be heard nearby.

Flora nodded slightly: "Yes, it seems we'll need another two or three days to completely take over the city."

"Never mind all that, the important thing is to announce the victory as soon as possible."

"This is called all's fair in war—Lopez must be convinced that Champerico has completely fallen."

When war breaks out, you have to be a master of winning.

Milton soon arrived at the makeshift, repaired studio and picked up the microphone.

The person standing next to him nodded, indicating that it was time to begin.

Milton immediately turned on the microphone and said in a calm tone, "Attention all citizens! This is the tax office. We have now lifted the illegal government's control over the city."

"The previous government was corrupt, colluded with foreign forces to sell out national sovereignty, and evaded taxes, thus losing its legitimacy to govern."

"A curfew will be imposed in the city effective immediately. The special operations unit of the tax bureau will take over security. All public facilities will continue to operate as usual, and the supply of materials will be guaranteed by the tax bureau."

"This is not a rebellion, but a special operation targeting treason!"

"To reiterate, we have taken control of the entire port city of Champerico. Anyone spreading panic will be executed on the spot, and a reward of 2000 ghats will be given to anyone who reports the conspiracy!"

"Victory belongs to us!"

"victory……"

"……win!"

"..."

The "declaration of victory" thus spread to every household in the port of Ciampellico—although true victory was still some time away.

After finishing his speech, Milton finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to a soldier: "Look, there isn't a working television here yet. Isn't Lopez going to give a speech? I'd like to see how he's going to give his speech."

Soon, the soldiers found a working television on the first floor. After connecting a makeshift generator, Milton was able to see footage of Lopez's speech.

At this moment, the guards were brutally beating the protesters who were watching, and blood and flesh were flying everywhere. A middle-aged man, wailing, fled the scene with his dying daughter in his arms.

It looks like it was a wounded soldier demanding unpaid wages, but the protest was suppressed?
It's been about a while...

Serving as a soldier under such a warlord was truly miserable—to get a pension, you had to resort to the classic "how can you prove you're dead?" approach.

On the screen, Lopez waved a sign that read "Peace Agreement" and delivered a passionate speech.

However, not long after, a man hurried over and whispered a few words in Lopez's ear.

Upon hearing this, Lopez could no longer conceal the shock on his face.

Reporters immediately noticed this unusual situation.

"Congressman Lopez, what news have you received?"

"Mr. Lopez, what message did your men just pass on to you?"

"Is it about the front lines?"

"..."

Lopez's expression shifted, then he suddenly forced a smile and shouted, "Yes! Now I have some good news to announce to everyone—the despicable, desperate enemy attempted a suicidal attack on our beautiful port of Champellico, but was completely annihilated by the valiant defenders there!"

"Our initial estimate is that we killed at least 500 enemy soldiers!"

"The parliament will immediately pass legislation declaring today a great victory day, a three-day holiday for everyone!"

"We won!"

The Milton man staring at the television screen was almost dumbfounded: "?"

P.S.: Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets and donations, thank you so much!

(End of this chapter)