Chapter 233: Supplies Arrive, Enemy Copies Cluster Bombs

Li Yunlong slammed the table hard: "Damn it, these Di Guo bastards are too cunning! Taking advantage of us before we've even established a firm footing, they launched a flank attack!"

"Fortunately, we made preparations in advance," Lieutenant Colonel Jin Zhengzhe said,

"The camouflage positions and dummy targets played their part, and most of the Hexin equipment was luckily preserved.

Especially the Feilong-1 System and the Cloud Bomb inventory; the loss is less than 20%."

"What about those Drones?" Li Yunlong asked.

"Five were lost, and 15 remain intact," Zhao Gang replied, "The ones hidden in the mountain caves were not discovered by the Di Guo bastards."

Li Yunlong nodded, feeling slightly more at ease.

But he knew the situation remained grim.

"The biggest problem is the supply line," he pointed at the map, "With this bombing by the Di Guo bastards, our material transport has become a complete problem. Plus, winter is coming, and heavy snow will seal the mountains; what are we to do?"

Just then, a Communication Soldier ran in: "Frontline Commander-in-Chief, Comrade Li Mingyuan is on the line, saying he has an urgent matter to report."

Li Yunlong immediately grabbed the phone: "Hello, Xiao Li, what is it?"

On the other end of the line, Li Mingyuan's voice was calm but urgent:

"I just received news that our main supply line has been bombed and severed by the enemy.

But don't worry, I have already thought of a countermeasure. First, the Light Crawler Vehicle can travel on mountain and snowy terrain; we have increased production by 300 units and can transport supplies under various harsh road conditions.

Second, we have developed a new type of winter combat equipment, including Bulletproof Cotton Jackets and Insulated Food Containers, which can allow soldiers to maintain combat effectiveness in an environment of minus 20 degrees."

Li Yunlong's eyes lit up as he listened: "Really? How long until these things reach the front line?"

"The first batch is already on the way," Li Mingyuan replied, "At the same time, we are stepping up production of more Drones and Cloud Bombs to replace the losses."

Hanging up the phone, Li Yunlong's mood improved significantly.

He turned to the others: "Good news! Li Mingyuan says there are Light Crawler Vehicles that can transport in the snow, and there is new winter gear; our logistics problem is saved!"

Zhao Gang let out a sigh of relief: "That's great. To be honest, what I worried about most was the winter supply issue. The timing of the bastards' bombing was truly vicious."

Li Yunlong nodded, his gaze becoming firm:

"Temporarily contract the defensive line and concentrate our forces to hold the Hexin positions. At the same time, strengthen camouflage and anti-aircraft measures, and be wary of another enemy surprise attack.

We must survive this winter, and when spring comes, we will give the Di Guo bastards a big surprise!"

As the north wind howled, the winter ice and snow arrived on schedule, and the mountains and rivers of Taiyang were draped in a white coat.

The situation of the Long Country army became increasingly difficult; the severed supply lines were almost impossible to repair in the ice and snow, and transport became exceptionally difficult.

The soldiers began to face the problem of food shortages.

The limited food was strictly rationed, with only one hot meal per person per day; the rest of the time, they had to rely on freeze-dried wild vegetables and coarse grains to stave off hunger.

"This is fucking suffering," a young soldier huddled in a trench, rubbing his frozen, red fingers,

"The rice ran out last week, and now even the wild vegetables are almost gone."

"Stop complaining," the squad leader handed him a bowl of steaming thin porridge,

"Think about our Comrade Lao Li; he eats just one meal a day like you.

Besides, the Di Guo bastards aren't doing any better; their tanks can't move in the snow, and their planes can't fly because of the weather."

Just then, a roar of an Engine came from afar.

The soldiers looked up alertly, only to see a strange team of vehicles struggling forward in the snow.

Those were the Light Crawler Vehicles developed by Li Mingyuan, designed specifically for mountain and snow terrain; although they were not fast, they could transport supplies in road conditions where conventional vehicles could not pass.

"Supplies are here!" a Sentinel shouted.

The soldiers cheered and rushed out of the trenches to help unload the supplies.

The vehicles were fully loaded with food, ammunition, and the most precious item—Bulletproof Cotton Jackets.

This new type of winter gear was made of special materials; it was not only excellent at keeping warm but also had a certain bulletproof function, capable of resisting pistol Bullets and shrapnel.

"Put it on and try it," the squad leader smiled and threw a cotton jacket to the young soldier, "This was personally designed by Li Mingyuan; I hear it's very warm."

The young soldier couldn't wait to put on the cotton jacket and immediately felt a warm current surround his whole body: "Wow, this is fucking comfortable! This is even warmer than my quilt at home!"

Across the entire front line, although supplies remained tight, with the support of this special equipment, the Long Country army was finally able to hold on through the harsh winter.

The Light Crawler Vehicles traveled back and forth between the rear and the front line day and night, delivering precious supplies into the hands of the soldiers.

……

At the same time, the enemy's scientific research personnel were not idle either.

The Cluster Bombs that hadn't exploded last time were collected by them.

The Di Guo scientific research personnel immediately began research and were surprised to find that the design concept of this weapon was extremely advanced, far exceeding the current level of military technology.

"Look at this release mechanism," a weapons expert pointed at the anatomical diagram,

"The Main Bomb bursts at a preset altitude, releasing hundreds of Submunitions, each with an independent Fuse and delay device.

We have studied this design in theory, but have never realized a practical product."

Another expert added: "The most surprising thing is the material science. The shells of these Submunitions use a special alloy that can produce a large number of high-speed fragments upon explosion, with astonishing lethality."

The Deputy Minister of National Defense nodded: "Can it be copied?"

"It can, but it will take time," the Chief Scientist replied,

"We have already formed a specialized team and expect to produce the first batch of imitations within three weeks.

At the same time, we are also developing defensive measures, such as improving the top armor of armored vehicles and developing an Electronic Countermeasure System capable of detonating aerial Cluster Bombs in advance."

The Deputy Minister smiled with satisfaction: "Very good. We have the scientific research power of the entire Star-Spangled Country. I believe we can adapt to and counter their new weapons faster."

It was truly as he said; the Di Guo scientific and industrial system demonstrated astonishing adaptability.

Just three weeks later, the first batch of imitated Cluster Bombs was put into use, and at the same time, an Electronic Interference System targeting Long Country Drones began to be deployed on the front line.

The battlefield situation began to change subtly.

Although the enemy army was still wary of the Long Country's Cloud Bombs and Anti-aircraft System, they had already found a certain way to cope.

They avoided the known defensive zones and used imitation Cluster Bombs to conduct precision strikes on the Long Country positions, causing the battlefield lethality to increase sharply.

The Long Country military's defense became increasingly difficult, especially under harsh winter conditions, and the effectiveness of the Anti-aircraft System also declined.

Just as this war of attrition remained deadlocked, an exciting piece of news reached the front lines—Long Country follow-up forces were entering Taiyang territory on a massive scale!