Chapter 351: Advance Deployment

In the Dongbei region of Long Country, in a remote mountainous area 150 kilometers from the frontline.

Late at night, on a small mountain road, a massive convoy is moving forward slowly.

All vehicle headlights are extinguished, relying only on the drivers' night-vision equipment to navigate through the gloom.

"Slow down, all of you, slow the fuck down! If you crash, I'll skin you alive!"

The commander sits in the passenger seat of the lead jeep, shouting in a lowered voice into the walkie-talkie.

This convoy consists of 48 specially modified trucks; they look like ordinary military transport vehicles on the outside, but inside they carry Long Country's latest secretly developed weapon—the "Thor MK-1" ultra-long-range rocket launcher.

Li Mingyuan rubs his throbbing Taiyang; he has barely closed his eyes for the past few days.

From the completion of the rocket launchers' mass production to their secret transport and deployment, he has personally supervised every step, fearing the slightest mistake.

"Lao Li, you should get some rest too," Lao Liu, who is driving, says with concern, "If you keep pushing yourself like this, your body won't be able to take it."

"Sleep my ass," Li Mingyuan takes out a cigarette, lights it, and takes a deep drag, "Those Di Guo bastards could launch a surprise attack at any moment; it would be a miracle if I could sleep."

Lao Liu smiles, "Do you think those devils are truly stupid or just playing dumb? We're making such a huge commotion, yet they haven't noticed a thing."

Li Mingyuan exhales a ring of smoke, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes,

"It's not that they're stupid, it's that we've hidden it well. In their eyes, the rocket launchers' range is at most fifty kilometers; who would imagine our 'Thor' can hit three hundred? They can't even dream that we could strike their nest directly from one hundred and fifty kilometers behind the frontline."

The convoy finally arrives at its destination—a hidden basin surrounded by mountains.

This was once an abandoned coal mining area, now secretly converted by the Long Country Military into a rocket launcher position.

"Disembark, unload quickly!" Li Mingyuan jumps out of the vehicle and immediately enters command mode,

"A Group is responsible for launch vehicles 1 through 12, B Group for 13 through 24, C Group for 25 through 36, and D Group for 37 through 48! Unloading and initial camouflage must be completed within two hours!"

The soldiers move like the wind; in just an hour and a half, all 48 rocket launcher vehicles are in position and have undergone initial camouflage.

Each launch vehicle is loaded with 12 Rocket Shells, totaling 576, enough to raze enemy facilities within a radius of several hundred kilometers to the ground.

"Get the camouflage done before daybreak," Li Mingyuan says to the officer standing beside him,

"Remember, during the day everyone must wear logistics uniforms, and all vehicles must be covered to disguise them as a supply depot. Any behavior that exposes the true identity of the rocket launchers will be treated as a security breach!"

The officer gives a standard military salute, "Yes, Chief Engineer Li!"

Li Mingyuan walks into the temporary command post—an underground bunker disguised as a warehouse.

Communication equipment and tactical maps have already been set up inside.

"Is the signal connected?" he asks the Communication Soldier.

"Connected, the encrypted channel is functioning normally."

Li Mingyuan picks up the microphone, "This is 'Thor' Forward Command, calling 'Air Strike' Command Center, please respond if you hear me."

Static comes through the microphone, followed by a clear voice, "This is 'Air Strike' Command Center, 'Thor' call received, please speak."

"What is the status of 'Air Strike'?"

"All six guided aircraft are ready, 20 'Air Strike-1' Missiles are loaded, and we are ready to take off for the mission at any time. Ground crew are working in three shifts, maintaining a 24-hour standby status."

Li Mingyuan nods with satisfaction, "Very good, maintain vigilance and be ready to receive combat orders at any time."

After hanging up the communication, Li Mingyuan paces in front of the tactical map.

The map marks the locations of various important military facilities of the enemy country, among which three red markers are particularly striking—those are the enemy's biochemical weapon research and storage bases.

"If you want to play dirty," Li Mingyuan sneers, "then don't blame me for being ruthless."

At four in the morning, all deployments are ready.

Li Mingyuan walks out of the command post and looks up at the starry sky.

The east already has a faint glow; dawn is about to arrive.

He takes out his walkie-talkie, "Attention all units, I am now issuing the highest level of alert. From this moment on, maintain absolute Silence across the board; all unnecessary radio communication is strictly prohibited. Each unit is to receive only and not transmit, maintaining absolute concealment. Anyone who violates this order will be dealt with by military law!"

After brief acknowledgments from each unit, the entire position falls into Silence. Only the footsteps of the Sentinels and the occasional sound of the wind break the stillness of the night.

Li Mingyuan lights his last cigarette and takes a deep drag.

The spicy taste of the tobacco fills his lungs, allowing him to briefly forget his exhaustion.

"Two more days," he mutters to himself, "Di Guo bastards, are you ready to face the wrath of Thor?"

……

At the rear base, Minister Zhang is holding a meeting with several Advanced generals to discuss the final combat plan.

"According to the latest intelligence, the enemy country is indeed planning to launch a biochemical weapon attack immediately after the negotiations break down,"

Minister Zhang's voice is grave, "We have already formulated an emergency contingency plan. Once the enemy country makes any abnormal move, we will immediately launch a full-scale counterattack."

An old general slams the table and stands up, "Such insane behavior must be met with the most severe punishment! We must not show any mercy!"

"Rest assured," Minister Zhang gives a cold smile, "This time, we will make them pay an unprecedented price."

He points to several points on the map,

"Once the operation begins, 'Thor' Remote Rocket Launchers will first conduct a saturation strike on the enemy's frontline command and airfields, destroying their frontline command system and air power. At the same time, 'Air Strike-1' Missiles will directly strike the enemy's biochemical weapon bases in the rear, ensuring their conspiracy is thoroughly bankrupt."

"What if the enemy country still manages to launch some biochemical weapons?" a general asks worriedly.

Minister Zhang says solemnly, "We have already secretly equipped our frontline troops with anti-chemical gear and antidotes. Although it cannot provide total immunity, it can greatly reduce casualties. Most importantly, we must strike fast and hard, and not give the enemy a second chance!"

After the meeting, Minister Zhang remains in the room alone and lights a cigarette.

Outside the window, the sky is brightening; a new day is about to begin.

……

At the Long Country Frontline Command, the atmosphere is terrifyingly heavy.

On both sides of the negotiation table, the Long Country delegation and the enemy delegation sit facing each other, and an indescribable sense of tension permeates the air.

"According to the consensus reached previously," the chief negotiator for Long Country says gently but firmly,

"Both sides should complete the final details of the ceasefire agreement within this week and officially sign it next Monday."

The chief representative of the enemy country, Wilson, listens expressionlessly, then suddenly reveals a strange smile.

"Regarding this question," he said unhurriedly, while calmly glancing at his watch, "our side has some new considerations."

Just then, the door to the conference room was suddenly pushed open, and a Di Guo military officer walked in quickly and whispered a few words into Wilson's ear.