Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 265 The Generous American
Port Champellico, a highly controlled military restricted area.

buzzing...

In the sky, a shadow streaked across the sky as a small drone carrying a mortar shell was launched at the enemy ship, which was simulating full-speed maneuvering.

boom!
Ships with a speed of 13 knots are too cumbersome and too large a target; they can't dodge bombs falling from the sky no matter what they do.

Flames rose up and successfully destroyed the pre-set target on the deck.

Meanwhile, in the command post not far away, Flora watched this scene with immense shock in her eyes.

It's not that others weren't shocked by this new form of warfare; it's just that, unlike Flora, they hadn't served in frontline troops around the world and witnessed the Gulf War firsthand.

This drone attack is... more terrifying than you can imagine.

Milton truly possessed a war-fighting understanding that transcended that of ordinary people!
Brandon then had a sudden inspiration: "Boss, what do you think about us applying this tactic to land warfare, sending drones equipped with anti-tank weapons to attack enemy armored vehicles, or even just to steal other high-value targets?"

"The main purpose is to train drone pilots. It doesn't require such high costs or such a long training time."

That's exactly how things will be done in the future...

Milton shook his head with some regret: "With today's technology, it's not very meaningful... First of all, the range is not long enough. What drones can do on land, rocket-assisted projectiles or precision-guided projectiles can also do. They are cheaper and have a wider coverage."

"Secondly, there's the issue of cost. The army's most advanced and expensive front-line equipment is nothing more than the main battle tank. How much does a main battle tank cost? As for the navy, do you know how many of the most advanced main battle tanks you could buy with an old and dilapidated warship?"

"We can use drones to bomb warships because warships are truly high-value targets, few in number and with high unit value, making it a 'small-scale victory over a large one'."

"If we switch to tanks or army units, given the current costs, it's really hard to say which is smaller and which is larger."

Even the repair and duplication of the panel will charge a certain number of red points depending on the value of the equipment!

To truly realize "drone swarms," ​​we still need to wait several more decades for the technology and supply chain to develop, to reduce costs to the extreme, and to improve performance.

Flora stared at the screen, watching the drone return smoothly from a first-person perspective, and said, "There's another problem: the drone can only carry too few explosives, so it might not be able to break through the defenses."

“Yes.” Milton nodded affirmatively. “Moreover, the bombs fall from the sky, only hitting the deck, and their yield is too small to sink an enemy ship.”

"Hmm... So our tactic is to first use drones to sweep the enemy ship's deck, focusing on attacking their weapons and equipment to disarm them, and then use our speed advantage to catch up and sink the enemy ship completely with our naval guns."

“Not bad.” Milton nodded. “We really have to thank the Americans for giving us their technology open source for free. Things are mostly settled at sea. Now, let’s talk about our army. How are the PDAs going?”

Compared to drone attacks, which are too advanced for their time and have only tactical significance with questionable strategic value, individual digital assistants are what Milton is most concerned about.

If there are enough PDAs to be deployed down to the platoon level, the Milton Army's combat capabilities will experience a qualitative leap!
Operational costs will also be significantly reduced!

At least there's no need to exhaust every possible way to power those high-powered radar devices. Power logistics only needs to keep the PDA running, which will allow Milton's still-unskilled artillerymen to become the most advanced modern artillery.

The extremely expensive guided projectiles can save a great deal of money.

Flora was even happier: "This little thing looks small, but it's really practical! What level is it at... Let me give you an example. If we were to hold a martial arts competition, even a rookie using a PDA might be at the top 10 level."

"I've already put the self-propelled artillery units on PDAs. In such a short time, they haven't even learned how to use them properly yet, and it's already reduced the counterattack time by a full 40 seconds!"

"With more training, reducing the counter-attack time from 3 minutes to 2 minutes will not be a problem."

"I'll have them send you a report in a while."

"..."

While Milton was reviewing the successes of the past period in the war room, making every effort to familiarize the troops with the new equipment, and actively preparing for the upcoming naval battle, an intelligence officer personally came to his door with a document.

After passing through several security checks, the official said breathlessly, "'The Godfather'... there's big news in Mexico!"

Milton turned slightly to the side, took the document, and asked as he read it, "What big news? Tell me the gist first, and I'll look at the details."

The intelligence officer, not daring to be negligent, said, "Just recently, the Pan American Cartel, that drug alliance, held a joint military exercise?"

"Drug traffickers? Holding joint military exercises?" Milton almost lost his composure. "That's fucking outrageous! Won't this cause an uproar in Mexico?"

No, this spectacle is unprecedented not only in Mexican public opinion, but also on a global scale.

Intelligence officials only highlighted the key points, leaving the specific details of the "military exercise" to Milton: "At the end of the exercise, they also gave an interview and issued a statement."

Milton glanced at the farcical "military exercise" in the intelligence report and chuckled, "What statement?"

"They've made it clear that this fleet is targeting us, and that we are the hypothetical enemy in this 'military exercise'... Finally, they also said that this warship will target all merchant ships heading to Champellico port, and that they will roam the waterway, indiscriminately shelling all merchant ships intending to dock at Champellico port."

“Some of our well-informed partners, especially the railway construction contractors, have called to inquire about this matter. They are very concerned about the safety of the route.”

This intelligence officer wasn't very knowledgeable about military matters, and given that drones were kept strictly secret, he couldn't hide his worry when he saw the roar of enemy ships' cannons and imagined the enemy fleet sinking.

Milton had almost finished reading the intelligence. He put down the documents in his hand and waved his hand, saying, "Tell them not to worry. Everything will proceed as planned... If any problems arise, I can fully compensate for the losses."

"Yes!"

The intelligence officer left behind the videotape and hurriedly departed, leaving behind a group of people with amused expressions.

Milton had read the written description, but he still picked up the tape and plugged it into the player—these kinds of things were more intuitive when viewed in video.

Because of its relatively small scale, this "military exercise" did not last very long.

Milton's team finished watching it very quickly.

"...Damn it, they used high-explosive shells to make the scene more grand, huh? Can't they have any shame?"

Flora couldn't help but laugh twice: "Have some understanding. Look at the so-called imaginary enemy ships they built. They're all just cobbled together from rotten wood. If they actually used armor-piercing shells, they'd definitely overshoot them, and the scene would be quite ugly."

"Uh, even if it's a high-explosive bomb, the fire rate is wrong... I feel like they might have piled up a lot of fuel in the cabin."

"It is indeed spectacular, and the ship looks quite good, but they are still limited to engaging the enemy from the broadside and using cannons to bombard enemy ships, haha!"

Milton didn't join in the吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or ridicule). He watched the video carefully, then suddenly tapped the table: "Don't rush to laugh... First, tell me your thoughts on this 'military exercise.' What do you think of the gunners' performance?"

"I calculated the hit rate of the shells. I'd say I'm a decent gunner, not particularly outstanding, but not a complete novice either."

Milton frowned. "That's strange... What kind of people are drug dealers? They usually only have a few large aircraft carriers; they would never have experience operating naval guns. How can they have gunners like that so soon after the ship arrived?"

The group hadn't paid much attention to the gunners' performance because they weren't planning on playing a symmetrical war, but now that they were reminded, they immediately noticed the blind spot.

“There are definitely more than just members of the drug cartel on board!” Flora said. “Either there are Americans on board, or there are retired Mexican naval soldiers on board.”

"As expected... how could a drug cartel not have any restrictions if it wanted to buy this kind of equipment?"

"I wonder what the generous Americans will send us this time?"

Milton stood up: "Don't be careless... Have the intelligence personnel continue to monitor the situation over there. Flora and Brandon, you two come with me aboard the ship and prepare for battle."

"Roger that!"

Almost instantly, Milton's helicopter flew to the port and arrived at the designated area for military vessels to dock.

There are now eight different ships docked here.

The main battleship was naturally the "Tax Scorpion," while the escort ships were assault boats that had been purchased, captured, or received. Their firepower consisted mainly of machine guns or heavy machine guns.

Next to the "Tax Scorpion," a transport ship that had been lightly modified, temporarily fitted with many signal transmission towers, and covered with a shed stood quietly to the side.

Many people have seen the ship, but no one knows its exact location.

Some speculate that it might be a temporarily modified gunboat, for example, with tanks towed onto it to increase firepower, while others think it's a supply ship.

No one would have guessed that the ship's cabin already contained a full 20 "Pointer" individual soldier drones and their supporting logistics!
Milton, protected by guards, entered the "drone carrier." All the soldiers saluted him.

"Have the final debugging and checks been completed?"

"Reporting to 'The Godfather,' everything is complete! Ready for battle at any time!"

Milton nodded: "Everyone, get ready for battle. We'll follow the enemy ships once they leave port."

……

Port of Guadalupe Island.

Following the military exercises, the drug cartel had expanded to an unprecedented size, with many drug dealers, driven to depression by Milton, gathering together for a wild party on the eve of their departure.

"Damn it!" a gang leader complained angrily while eating, "I was doing business peacefully in Tapachula, but as soon as Milton came over, he didn't listen to any reason and confiscated all my men and goods!"

"That's nothing! My son was fighting with the CJNG in San Cristóbal... Milton, and they surrounded the city, cut off its food supply, and ended up having cannibalism! Damn it, my son, such a good young man, who was surrounded by three cops and killed two of them to protect my goods and escape, was starved to the point of being unable to walk, and then was eaten by the CJNGs who were fighting amongst themselves!"

"Me too……"

"You're nothing! Do you even know how I lost my hand?"

"I used to be a small leader... with a dozen or so men under me, but then I ran into Milton's men..."

"I'm the only one left in my family!"

"..."

As these drug dealers chatted, they discovered that there were far too many drug dealers who had fallen on hard times because of Milton—and they were even considered quite lucky.

Because those less fortunate drug dealers no longer have the opportunity to complain here.

Many of them became "material" for spreading the word about how terrifying Milton was.

“It’s alright, Milton’s good days are over!” A drug dealer, slightly drunk, took a puff of marijuana. “At least from now on, we can find channels at sea, and Milton certainly won’t dare to bother us.”

"I heard from the boss that they really plan to rob Milton's ship!"

"Really? I heard Milton also has a warship, and its firepower is quite strong. Will he really just stand by and do nothing?"

"Ha! How big is Milton's ship? Two hundred or three hundred tons? Ours is over six hundred tons. I heard it's a retired US warship. It's not even in the same league."

A drug dealer who was blind in one eye took a bite of chicken leg and said coldly, "I signed up a long time ago. There's a spot for me on the 'Guadalajara'... Milton made me lose everything and took my eye. I have to get everything I lost back."

"I'm jealous!"

“It’s okay. I’ve seen many pirate captains in movies who are blind in one eye. I think your appearance is very suitable for making a living at sea.”

"I'm going to sleep now. I'll be leaving port tomorrow. Everyone, wait for our good news."

"..."

After finishing his food and beer, the drug dealer walked back to his shack, imagining the scene of robbing a merchant ship the next day, making a fortune, and taking revenge on his enemies. He was so excited that he didn't fall asleep for a full hour.

The next morning, he opened his eyes and subconsciously observed the position of the sun to make sure he wasn't late. He immediately jumped up, rinsed his mouth casually, and rushed to the dock.

They were the lowest-ranking crew members. They didn't need to board the ship in advance or operate any equipment. Their job was simply to transport goods, clean, and rush to the front lines to their deaths during robberies.

Not long after the drug dealers boarded the ship, they were surrounded by twenty or thirty people—each of whom had some obvious injuries.

Upon inquiry, it turned out they had all been persecuted by Milton.

Those who managed to escape alive were all blessed by Lady Luck.

Fueled by hatred and with such a powerful warship beneath their feet, the drug traffickers were even more eager to set sail.

More than ten minutes later, the captain of the "Guadalajara" came out of the captain's cabin with a booklet in his hand. He casually called out the names to make sure the number of people was correct, then waved his hand to let the ship set sail.

Before leaving, the captain gave a special instruction: "On the ship, do more, observe less, and ask less... There are important figures on board whom you cannot afford to offend, understand?"

"Yes!"

Boom boom boom...

The old engines of the "Guadalajara" started up, and the short, stout ship slowly left the port, accelerating to a full speed of 13 knots, gradually disappearing from the horizon and heading towards its planned location.

On the deck at this moment, besides the very excited crew members, there were two men who were obviously better groomed and whose eyes often flashed with disdain.

“Belter... I would never have done this job if they hadn’t offered me so much.”

“It’s a mission, there’s no way around it.” Belt sighed. “Life with the seals was so good… I heard they’re going to start some kind of color-coded squads, red, blue, green, black or something, but unfortunately we can’t make it.”

"Look on the bright side, at least you can make a lot of money by cooperating with these drug dealers."

"Hehe, I heard Milton robbed a lot of money. It's said that the amount of dollars hidden in his vault is comparable to Pablo's. I really want to rob him."

"Forget it, Milton has no chance of coming."

Belt leaned against the wall and stretched comfortably: "It's a pity we can't go over there either; his air force is still quite intimidating."

"I'm really looking forward to how much money we can make this time... I've heard, just heard, that Milton has business dealings with China, so maybe we can manage to steal one of their ships this time."

"..."

Time passed slowly, and the "Guadalajara" swayed and rocked its way forward in the waves, patrolling a section of the sea.

Two former seals were also enjoying the winter sun on the sea.

As basking in the sun, Belt waved his hand because a small black dot had appeared in his field of vision for some reason... However, this phenomenon called "floaters" was so common that he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Hmm, that's about it." About half an hour later, Belt stood up. "There might be a battle soon, I'll go to the main gun fire control to prepare."

"Okay, you go first, I'll rest for another 5 minutes."

"You're really something else."

"What are you afraid of? The person in charge of reconnaissance is also our man. You know how professional he is. We haven't even found the enemy yet, so what problems could there be... Don't worry too much. At most, our enemy is just a small warlord. He did achieve some success in fighting SAD, but when was it not a sneak attack, a case of outnumbering the enemy? If Milton dares to send his fleet over here, we'll teach him a lesson right away."

"Okay, I'm leaving first."

Bert got up and left, taking several steps forward.

As he walked, he grumbled:
"This old ship is really too old. The engine is probably having problems again. Why is there a noise I haven't heard before?"

boom!
A sudden loud crash threw Belt to the ground, nearly sending him tumbling into the vast ocean!
Bert's strong will to survive made him desperately grab the railing.

He endured the tinnitus and dizziness, a damn guess flashing through his mind: Damn it, the boiler exploded?!
However, as soon as Belt regained his balance, he saw that where his comrade had just stood, there was only a large amount of blood and pieces of clothing, and a blood-soaked corpse slowly slid into the sea.

It was completely swallowed up in the next second.

No, it wasn't a boiler explosion!

It's a bomb!
Where did the bomb come from?!
Belt subconsciously looked up... and then, the former SEAL, who felt 50 years ahead of the world, saw a scene he had never seen or even heard of in his life.

One drone after another was already hovering above his head!
This was the first time Belt had a direct understanding of the name "Milton".

"...Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

(End of this chapter)