Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 192 Turn them into soap

While clearing out the attack airfield, Milton was also constantly receiving news from the front lines.

“The enemy isn’t entirely useless.” Milton didn’t seem too nervous. “This little combo wiped out one of the rebels’ few mortar positions. They’re not bad; at least they know how to use their advantages.”

Flora shrugged and said, "It was a kind of information asymmetry. They hid their own counter-battery radar, which made the rebels misjudge the speed of the enemy's counterattack on the artillery positions. Ross, the leader of 'Grey Wolves,' is indeed different from the useless commanders we've encountered here."

"Yes...they're even sending us weapons."

On the Milton front, the government forces exhibited a pattern of passive resistance.

Even recently, Milton's dashboard received a notification that government forces were attempting to smuggle a shipment of weapons out of his port of Champellico!
They completely disregarded Milton's tax office, and were immediately arrested and caught red-handed. On the same day, the batch of weapons was sent to the front lines, where they annihilated a significant number of enemy troops.

Just as Flora was complaining that the government forces were too abstract, an officer approached, glanced at Milton with a complicated expression, and whispered, "'Godfather,' we've just received some intelligence..."

Milton nodded and said, "Go ahead."

"Just now, our frontline soldiers received some intelligence... well, I wouldn't call it intelligence." The soldier seemed a bit bewildered, and it was clear he didn't know how to explain it. "Didn't we previously incorporate some surrendered government troops? The government troops managed to contact them."

Milton checked the names on the monitoring panel constantly, making sure no one had betrayed them, and then nodded again, asking, "What did they say?"

"Well, they said they have a batch of mortars that they haven't fired since they got them, except for a few limited training sessions. They asked if we needed them and offered to sell them to us cheaply."

"The enemy is promoting it very hard, afraid that we won't buy it... saying that this cannon is a 99% new and good product."

Even with their vast experience and knowledge, Milton and Flora fell into a long silence after hearing these words.

On the front lines of the battle, enemy soldiers secretly approached us, asking if we could sell them some artillery!

What kind of war is this? Is this just a warlord conflict?
Flora broke the silence first, asking, "Uh, so do we need this batch of mortars or not?"

Milton pondered for a long time, processing the news thoroughly, before finally asking, "How many are there?"

"Seven mortars...the configuration of an artillery battery."

An artillery company...

Milton took a deep breath and asked again, "How much do they want?"

To be honest, Milton doesn't lack mortars right now, but it's one thing for him to have them, and it's another for the enemy to have them.

The important thing wasn't that we bought a few mortars; the important thing was that we destroyed an enemy artillery battery.

It's much cheaper to take out an enemy artillery battery by simply spending money!

The soldier still had that extremely tense expression: "One gun costs $2, and the ammunition and firing table are included. That's $14, and they're selling us all the equipment from their artillery company as a package deal."

An artillery battery is worth $14...

“Buy it, but taxes will be deducted. It’s $12.6 in total, cash on delivery.” Milton immediately made the decision, finalizing this highly profitable deal. “Also, any future transactions like this must be reported to the Supreme Command – this is not an ordinary transaction, but a tactical decision to weaken the enemy.”

“In our military, there is absolutely no room for trading. Business is strictly prohibited in the military. Anyone who does so will be sent to a military court. Do you understand?”

Military discipline is relatively good now, but it's hard to say whether this situation will occur in the future, so Milton must establish the rules now.

The soldier immediately saluted solemnly: "Yes, sir!"

"They said that if this deal goes smoothly, there will be follow-up deals for man-portable air defense missiles..."

"Understood. Tell them to keep these missiles; I'll buy them."

"..."

After the soldier left, Flora sighed, "It seems that Lopez's elite troops have really all been transferred to the front lines of the resistance."

“Indeed, according to the intelligence that Lark gave us, the enemy forces attacking the stronghold are very strong,” Milton said. “If things continue like this, the resistance’s defenses can only hold out for a week at most.”

A week is definitely not enough time for Milton to complete the mission of capturing Retalu Leu, breaking through the defenses along the way, and finally capturing Quetzaltenango.

Flora shook her head: "Not only that, Lopez might even have time to call back his army to confront us, and there's a good chance he can hold onto Quetzaltenango... It's not that we can't win, but as you said, we really don't have the money."

To put it bluntly, Pan Madre Group's current cash flow isn't even enough to last another 10 days.

Perhaps the Lopez Group thought the Pan Madre Group was terrifyingly powerful and would be completely destroyed if the rebels weren't defeated soon, but they didn't expect Milton's side to be on the verge of collapse as well.

Knowing the inside story, Flora asked, "What do you plan to do after you take the airport? What planes will you get? How will you use the air force?"

"According to the battle report from Lak, Lopez has bought two P-51 Mustang fighters this time. Do you have a way to counter them?"

The P-51 Mustang was an old aircraft from World War II, but due to its large production volume and low price, it remained popular in many small countries after the war.

It has good firepower and is very effective against enemies without anti-aircraft defenses.

Milton currently lacks fighter jets, and relying solely on its A-37 Dragonfly attack aircraft, it may not fare well in dogfights against the P-51 Mustang.

Despite the A-37 being more advanced and the P-51 being an old WWII aircraft, the P-51 was an air superiority fighter with formidable maneuverability and six 12.7mm heavy machine guns, giving it a significant advantage in attacking ground-attack aircraft like the A-37.

Lopez's purchase of the Mustangs was likely a countermeasure against Milton's Dragonfly attack aircraft.

Milton chuckled: "Don't worry, we can definitely counter it as long as we take the airport."

“Okay…” Flora nodded. “I believe you definitely have a way. I’m curious to see what kind of plane you’ll conjure up for me. But are you sure you don’t want to tell Lak the relevant information? They probably still think they have to hold out for at least another two weeks?”

Milton shook his head: "Needless to say, if the commanders and soldiers are to formulate plans and fight according to the goal of resisting for half a month, they might be able to hold out for a week; but if they are to hold out for a week, they might only be able to hold out for three or four days."

"The resistance has been on edge for over 30 years, and now the fighting is more intense than ever before. It could break at any moment."

"A goal that is difficult to achieve but still has hope is the best—besides, one should always prepare for the worst."

"Well, that makes sense."

"..."

While the two were chatting, the clearing of the airport roads was finally completed.

The officer in charge of the sweep looked anxious, but still maintained basic restraint. He approached Milton and began to report: "Reporting to 'The Godfather,' we can begin the attack on the enemy airfield!"

"set off!"

Milton stood up: "Let our attack aircraft take off to cover the ground offensive—many of the enemy's anti-aircraft missiles are temporarily unable to enter the offensive sequence!"

Three minutes later, a tank company consisting of three Type 59 tanks and the armored infantry following behind began to advance at full speed toward the airport's defenses.

The artillery unit, consisting of the 107th Artillery Corps, which was further behind, also began to provide comprehensive fire coverage to the airport area.

Contrary to popular belief, a proper airport is extremely difficult to damage. Generally speaking, the structures next to the runway that can be damaged are the fortifications that guard the airport.

The runway itself is made of extremely sturdy concrete; even if a large-caliber high-explosive shell were to hit it, it would only leave a small crater.

With such a large runway, this small crater has absolutely no impact on its use.

Unless you use large-caliber naval guns or high-yield aerial bombs for carpet bombing, it is not an easy thing to paralyze an airport.

If the engineers are skilled enough, an airfield could be restored to function within a day after being bombed.

So Milton's order was to bomb without hesitation!
As long as the runway and airport functions remain, the loss of those buildings will not affect the redemption of aircraft.

shhhhhh...

Numerous rockets flew overhead, hurtling towards the airport and turning the area into a sea of ​​fire.

The terminal building where people are most likely to be hiding is the primary target!
Under the cover of artillery fire, the armored forces charged forward at breakneck speed, with the lead tank smashing through the barbed wire surrounding the airport and launching a general offensive from the runway direction!

"Target spotted, a convoy of jeeps with heavy machine guns, fire!"

boom!
The 115mm high-explosive shells directly covered the entire convoy.

Milton, on the infantry fighting vehicle behind, was also operating the machine gun, continuously suppressing that area. Due to the suppression of artillery fire, the enemy was only able to fire a few shots.

The bullets from the heavy machine gun, which were originally terrifying, were no different from tickling the tank.

Milton made a quick observation and continued to issue orders: "Watch out for anti-tank missiles that may be hiding in the buildings. Attack aircraft sweep all high-value targets—do not engage them in CQB. Raze the entire airport to the ground. I only need the runway!"

"Be careful near the airport; the enemy may be lying in ambush."

"The enemy's will to resist is strong; all actions should proceed with caution!"

Ishimaya's voice came from the other end of the radio:
"Silver Lion received!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the lead tanks had already run over the burning wreckage of the convoy and were firing their coaxial machine guns at the enemy who were still trying to escape on the runway.

In this flat terrain, the overwhelming superiority of armored units over infantry units is immediately apparent!
Milton, on the other hand, turned his guns around and fired short bursts at the entrance to the airport runway from the terminal, trying to coordinate with the artillery to completely block the enemy forces inside the building from both sides.

call out!
Suddenly, in Milton's view, a burst of fire exploded on the second floor of the terminal, followed by a rocket launched towards the armored convoy. However, the rocket completely missed the convoy, which was advancing at full speed on the runway and deliberately making erratic maneuvers. The tandem armor-piercing warhead, designed for penetration, also had an extremely slow velocity, and it only struck the concrete, creating a very small crater.

Before Milton could even aim his cannon at the direction of fire, a rapid reaction attack aircraft swooped down from the sky and dropped a bomb precisely into the building.

Milton even felt the terrifying shockwave from the aerial bomb.

The building was instantly reduced to a small patch of ruins, and the government troops who had been fiercely resisting fell silent—the power of the aerial bombs that exploded indoors was unimaginable.

It would be lucky if it turned into powder.

"Seeing our stance, they still dare to fight back?" Flora was shocked. "Their fighting spirit is so strong? Why?"

Milton said expressionlessly, "We'll know once we take it down... By the way, have the people in the back move our vehicle-mounted gas chambers over here. Brandon, that guy, the thing he designed is actually pretty useful."

Especially when dealing with drug dealers, they don't even need to find the raw materials for the poison gas themselves, which is humane and considerate.

Two minutes later, gunfire erupted from another location, as enemy troops attempted to mow down the slightly less armored infantry fighting vehicles with heavy machine guns.

As expected, they were met with a salvo of tank gun fire and an aerial bomb.

As soon as gunfire is heard, the next second will be filled with the most intense firepower.

But at this moment, some bad news arrived.

"The aircraft has run out of bombs. Should we return to resupply, or continue the mission using machine guns?"

Milton thought for a moment and replied, "Let the planes go back to resupply with ammunition."

To be honest, the A-37 is now primarily used for tactical bombing missions. Although it can carry aerial bombs, the bomb load is still too small, which is quite inconvenient.

Flora's voice came again: "We have swept away the small buildings such as the hangar, and only the enemy in the terminal is still putting up a stubborn resistance."

“It’s alright. The front of the terminal has been almost completely destroyed by 107 fire, leaving only the side facing the runway.” Milton wasn’t worried at all. “They’re about to be wiped out.”

Flora thought for three seconds and then reminded him, "'Tax collectors,' I don't think they're any smarter than us; they don't believe they can fight us head-on. They're probably planning to stall until we run out of ammunition and then escape from our side?"

"After all, we are just elite soldiers, but not many in number, so we may not be able to block their escape routes."

"So...why didn't they run away before we attacked?"

Milton wasn't surprised at all: "So what? Even when a plane crashes, people go back to get their luggage. It's perfectly normal for these bastards who sell out entire artillery companies to have interests they'd risk their lives for."

Flora sighed deeply: "...I understand, our company used to be like that too. So, how do you plan to solve the logistical supply problem? The roads are severely damaged, and it's already difficult for the convoys to supply the front lines. What can we say? Deduct supplies from the front lines first?"

Logistical support is also one of the reasons why Lopez is confident he can hold out in Quetzaltenango.

When roads are damaged, the difficulty of logistical resupply increases exponentially with distance, rather than linearly.

Milton's dagger will become increasingly dull.

“The enemy forces in the terminal are probably just waiting for us to leave,” Milton chuckled. “How can we let them have their way? Let’s forget about diverting supplies from the front lines; I’m not the kind of person who’s short on supplies at the front while enjoying plenty at home.”

"Don't forget, although we haven't completely taken over the airport yet, the runways are in my hands."

"The fleet is not large, but it is more than enough to resupply our small squadron."

Flora: "Good heavens... no wonder you're broke after fighting like this."

"Stop talking nonsense. It's always better to solve it with money than with your life."

"..."

Not long after, the sound of a noisy old-fashioned piston engine came from the sky.

beep...

In Milton's view, several Y-5s began to approach and land on the airport runway.

All sorts of artillery shells and machine gun bullets were transported down from above.

There were even a large number of canned goods among them.

They clearly showed a stance of not giving up until the terminal was completely flattened and not retreating.

Before resupplying, Milton ordered the entire squad to fire almost all of their remaining ammunition, leaving only a small portion for guard duty.

"Prepare to begin resupply..."

Before Milton could finish speaking, a sharp-eyed soldier next to him suddenly shouted, "Sir, look over there, look over there... there's a white flag?!"

Everyone's eyes followed his finger.

Sure enough, a tattered white cloth was hanging precariously from a metal pole on the second floor of the terminal building, while various firearms and rocket launchers were being thrown down from the building.

"They surrendered?" Flora stared in disbelief, glancing at the plane behind her. "They saw you airlifting supplies and chose to surrender completely?"

“Surrender is fine, it’ll be good to see what kind of shady business they’re doing.” Milton, hidden behind the tank, spoke up, “We’re out of money, hurry up.”

"Don't rush in blindly. First, confirm whether they are truly surrendering or feigning surrender."

"Roger that!"

A small squad of soldiers immediately boarded the vehicle and headed in that direction, while the remaining armored units remained on guard, ready to fire at the slightest sign of trouble.

However, these government troops did surrender without any resistance, and cooperated by allowing Milton's men to tie them up and send them over.

Seeing the number of those who surrendered, Milton was still somewhat frightened—even after such an intense attack and indiscriminate bombing, nearly 40 people still came out to surrender!
Including the enemy troops that were killed or escaped, at least two, or even three, infantry companies that were not at full strength were deployed near this airport.

Milton couldn't help but glance at his bank account again, then asked the highest-ranking officer, "Why have you been resisting for so long? What are you protecting? Are you risking your lives?"

The disheveled officer's eyes darted around: "It's...it's just some ice from the north! For our own use..."

boom!
Milton raised his gun without hesitation and fired, blowing the man's head off. He then turned to the second-highest-ranking officer and asked, "You tell me—think it through before you speak."

That alone is absolutely not enough to keep these people here and put up a last-ditch resistance.

Seeing this madman, known as the "Hell Tax Collector," stepping on their superior's head, the adjutant was terrified.

"I said! I said!"

“It is indeed ice, it has been sold, it’s Juarez’s product… But, as you know, the market here has long been divided up, there’s nothing for us, so we need to explore new markets.”

"But there are many conscripted soldiers in the army, and they are a new market that can be developed! We veterans have high ranks and positions, and we can force them to obey orders. This new market belongs to us... Who knew that you would attack so quickly, and we didn't have time to leave."

“This is Juarez’s cargo. If we just leave it here, we won’t make any money, and we’ll lose money! If we can take it with us, we can earn enough to go to America. Even if it’s not enough, this money will be enough for us to live a good life in Guatemala City!”

"Just a little bit more, just a little bit more..."

The adjutant couldn't help but feel annoyed. He looked up at Milton with pleading eyes and said, "'Hell Tax Collector' officer, I... I can give you the list. These people are addicted to being scammed by us. They feel like they're going to die if they don't take it every day!"

"This is all money, more money than you can earn... They were all ordinary people before, with excellent credit, and they could borrow money from banks, as could their families. Selling your stuff to them is like robbing a bank, no, it's even more profitable than robbing a bank!"

"I've told you everything, please spare my life!"

No wonder they were reluctant to leave; drinking soldiers' blood was indeed much more profitable than robbing a bank.

He was tricked into joining the army by Lopez, became cannon fodder, and even if he died, he wouldn't receive any compensation. Even if he lived, he would be forced to become an ATM and become addicted to drugs under the coercion of officers...

It would be better to die.

Milton had no sympathy or empathy for drug dealers—he looked at Flora and asked, “I suddenly feel that Brandon’s gas chamber is a bit too humane.”

Flora swallowed subconsciously and asked, "What do you want to do?"

“Are there any soap factories like this locally?” Milton asked. “Saponification doesn’t require particularly strong industrial capabilities.”

Upon hearing the word "soap," Flora had a bad feeling: "This... I really don't know. You, you're planning to?"

“It’s alright.” Milton stopped looking at the bewildered drug dealers, pointed at them, and said, “Once I take over this city, there will be a soap factory here—and raw materials too.”

"Take them away."

What kind of soap? What kind of saponification reaction? What kind of factory?
The drug dealers were put into the car, looking bewildered but also terrified as they left.

They were illiterate and didn't even understand how they would die.

Flora looked at the people being led away, shook her head pitifully, and turned to Milton: "We've taken the airport, what's next?"

“Go back and rest, get some sleep.” Milton glanced at the panel and said, “Resting and recuperating… Tomorrow will be the end of Lopez’s Air Force, no, the end of Lopez.”

(End of this chapter)