Chapter 210: If you rely on asking for instructions to fight, you'll never get to eat a hot meal

In the sky, thick smoke was still rolling, obscuring a large area.

Even from several kilometers away, that terrifying cloud of fire could be clearly seen.

Where once stood the elite armored cluster the Di Guo was so proud of, now only a patch of scorched earth and twisted metal wreckage remained.

The Taiyang soldiers gathered on various high grounds, watching all this in a daze.

Many faces showed complex expressions, a mix of joy at the enemy suffering heavy losses and fear of such a terrifying weapon.

"My god, the Long Country actually has this kind of weapon," a Taiyang officer whispered, "No wonder they are so confident in fighting the Di Guo."

"Have you ever seen a weapon that could burn 'Patton' tanks like this?" another soldier pointed at the distant wreckage, "Look at that steel, it all melted like wax."

Jin Zhengzhe listened to the soldiers' discussion, his expression grave.

He turned to the adjutant beside him: "Report today's battle situation to headquarters immediately, and describe the Long Country's new-style weapon in detail, especially this... Cloud Bomb."

The adjutant nodded and hurried away. Jin Zhengzhe continued to look at the distant battlefield, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

On one hand, he felt fortunate to have such a powerful ally; on the other hand, the appearance of this destructive weapon also gave him a certain hidden worry about the future.

If after this war ends, the Long Country continues to develop these kinds of weapons...

He shook his head, suppressing these complex thoughts.

The most important thing right now was to utilize this Victory to strengthen cooperation with the Long Country and jointly resist the Di Guo's aggression.

……

Meanwhile, inside the Di Guo's rear command post, there was chaos.

"Total annihilation? What did you say? The entire 3rd Armored Battalion was completely wiped out?" Brigadier General Hansen stared at the liaison officer in disbelief, his voice distorted by shock.

"Yes, sir," the liaison officer's face was pale, his voice trembling, "The Long Country people used some kind of unprecedented weapon. Witnesses described it as a burning cloud, with a temperature high enough to melt tank armor. Our M46s... they melted just like candles."

Brigadier General Hansen slumped into his chair, unable to speak for a moment.

In just one day, he had lost almost all his air power, artillery power, and now even his pride, the armored force, had been destroyed.

This was no longer a simple tactical setback, but a catastrophic rout.

"This is impossible," he muttered to himself, "How could the Long Country have this kind of weapon? This defies all common sense..."

The other officers in the conference room also fell into silence.

They were all experienced commanders who understood one fact: facing an unknown weapon capable of destroying armored clusters, continuing the attack would be an act of suicide.

"Sir," the Chief of Staff finally spoke, his voice low, "I believe we need to retreat immediately and re-evaluate the war situation. The Long Country army possesses weapon systems we know nothing about; rashly attacking will only lead to more casualties."

Brigadier General Hansen did not respond immediately.

He knew the Chief of Staff's suggestion was reasonable, but as a Di Guo officer, retreating was almost a disgrace to him.

However, reality would not allow him to hesitate. Another Communication Soldier ran over hurriedly, bringing more bad news.

"Sir, reconnaissance planes report that Long Country troops are advancing in our direction! They seem to intend to pursue!"

Brigadier General Hansen raised his head abruptly: "They dare to pursue us?"

The Communication Soldier nodded tremblingly: "Yes, sir. And... and they seem to be carrying more of that terrifying weapon."

The conference room was deathly silent.

Everyone understood that if the Long Country army was truly pursuing with that kind of destructive weapon, they would face the danger of total annihilation.

Brigadier General Hansen took a deep breath and finally made up his mind: "Order a retreat. All troops are to withdraw to a safe area immediately and regroup." He turned to the Intelligence Officer,

"At the same time, I want to know all the intelligence on these Long Country weapons. Where did they get them? Who designed them? How many are in stock?"

"Yes, sir." The officers responded one after another and moved quickly.

Brigadier General Hansen walked to the window, looking at the battlefield still burning in the distance.

That orange-red firelight was like a nightmare, branded onto his retinas.

"Retreat, everyone retreat!" Brigadier General Hansen's hoarse voice spread to every corner of the battlefield via radio.

The Di Guo soldiers were like frightened birds, scrambling to flee toward the rear.

Their only thought was to escape this hellish battlefield.

The once well-trained elite troops were now left with only fear and chaos.

And on the other side of the valley, Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes, a cold sneer curling the corners of his mouth.

"Lao Zhao, see that? The Di Guo soldiers are nothing much. Just a moment ago they were acting all high and mighty, now they're running away with their tails between their legs." Li Yunlong patted Zhao Gang on the shoulder, saying triumphantly.

Zhao Gang looked at the distant flames and the fleeing enemy troops with a complex expression, pondering for a moment before saying:

"Lao Li, the power of this Cloud Bomb... is indeed a bit too astonishing."

"Astonishing? That's what they deserve!" Li Yunlong snorted,

"Didn't they use flamethrowers to burn our villages? Didn't they use Napalm to burn our common people? Today, let them taste the feeling of being burned too!"

Li Yunlong raised his military binoculars, carefully examining the enemy's retreat route, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration:

"Good opportunity! They are in a complete mess right now, it's the perfect time for us to pursue!"

Zhao Gang was stunned: "Pursue? Lao Li, our troop strength..."

"To hell with troop strength!" Li Yunlong interrupted him, "The enemy is scared out of their wits now, it's the best time for us to seize strategic strongholds!" He turned abruptly and roared at the Communication Soldier:

"Pass on my order, all troops prepare to advance and pursue the routed enemy! Split into three columns: the first column goes straight along the highway to the enemy's logistics base, the second and third columns flank from both sides to cut off the enemy's retreat!"

The Communication Soldier quickly relayed the order, and soon, the Long Country army's tracked vehicles and infantry phalanxes began to move.

Li Yunlong stood at the forward command post, watching his troops advance in an orderly fashion, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Lao Li, what about the Taiyang troops?" Zhao Gang asked.

Li Yunlong turned to look at Jin Zhengzhe: "Lieutenant Colonel Jin, are you coming along too? It's a rare opportunity to beat a drowning dog!"

Jin Zhengzhe hesitated for a moment, a trace of longing flashing in his eyes, but he quickly returned to caution: "I need to ask my superiors for instructions..."

"To hell with instructions!" Li Yunlong waved his hand impatiently, "The battlefield changes in an instant; if you rely on asking for instructions to fight, you'll never get to eat a hot meal! Look, the enemy is almost gone!"

Jin Zhengzhe's expression was very conflicted. In his understanding, the Di Guo army was an invincible Steel Torrent.

A few hours ago, he still thought the Long Country troops were merely boasting, yet now...

"I..." While he was still hesitating, a Sun Country soldier suddenly rushed over and shouted excitedly: "Lieutenant Colonel! We must keep up with the Long Country troops! Look, the enemy is fleeing! They are really fleeing!"