Chapter 90: The Pilot Refuses to Execute the Mission

The command post was deathly silent; everyone was suffocated by this news.

"Do you understand what this means?" Tang Siling's voice trembled, his eyes filled with despair.

"Our army's final advantage—air power—has also been neutralized by the enemy! We... we no longer have any possibility of victory."

The Advanced officers present looked at one another; no one dared to speak and break the heavy atmosphere.

Finally, Tang Siling slammed his fist heavily onto the table: "Convene an emergency meeting immediately! All commanders at the division level and above must attend within one hour!"

……

One hour later, the enemy high-ranking commanders' emergency meeting began.

The atmosphere in the conference hall was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

Tang Siling briefly reported the painful lesson of the failed air raid and the power of the enemy's new Anti-aircraft weapon.

"The situation is already very clear," Tang Siling said in a heavy tone, "The enemy not only has the advantage of the Rocket Launcher on the ground, but now they also hold control of the air. We must re-evaluate our strategic options."

As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce argument erupted in the hall.

"We must retreat immediately!" the commander of the Seventh Army slammed the table and stood up, "Continuing to fight is equivalent to suicide! The enemy's Rocket Launcher has already proven that our defensive lines are useless, and now that we don't even have air cover, the frontline troops are just waiting to die!"

"Retreating is surrender!" the commander of the Sanqijun objected, "We still have an army of three hundred thousand; how can we just stop fighting?"

"What does three hundred thousand people matter?" the commander of the Seventh Army sneered, "In front of the enemy's Rocket Launcher and Anti-aircraft weapon, no matter how many people there are, they are just cannon fodder! If you want to go die, don't drag my troops into it!"

The argument became increasingly intense; some advocated holding their ground, while others advocated retreating, and the scene spiraled out of control for a time.

Seeing the chaotic situation, Tang Siling slammed the table hard: "Quiet!"

The hall gradually calmed down, and everyone looked at Tang Siling.

"I understand everyone's anxiety," Tang Siling said in a deep voice, "but we must face reality. The enemy has already achieved an overwhelming advantage in weapons and equipment; this is not something that the courage of soldiers can make up for."

He paused and looked around at everyone: "What is more serious is that I have just received a report from the front line that the pilots have collectively refused to carry out new bombing missions."

This news exploded in the hall like a bomb.

"What? The pilots refuse to carry out missions?"

"This is a mutiny!"

Tang Siling shook his head: "It is not a mutiny; it is fear. According to the surviving pilots, the enemy's anti-aircraft fire is simply a scene from hell. Some witnessed an entire formation being shot down almost simultaneously; this kind of psychological trauma cannot be erased by military orders."

A flight squadron leader stood up, his voice hoarse: "Commander, I must tell the truth. The pilots all say that going to carry out missions again is not a battlefield, but a graveyard! Our planes are just going to their deaths under the enemy's anti-aircraft fire!"

The hall fell into silence again, and everyone was thinking about the outcome of this war.

Finally, Tang Siling sighed heavily: "Pass the order down: the entire army will begin an orderly retreat. If heavy equipment cannot be taken, destroy it on the spot."

His voice was filled with bitterness: "We no longer have the strength to continue this war."

……

Over the next few days, the enemy began a large-scale retreat.

Due to the hasty retreat, a large amount of heavy equipment was forced to be abandoned.

Tanks, artillery, vehicles, and even intact military aircraft were either destroyed on the spot or simply abandoned by the enemy.

The report brought back by the Scout made Li Yunlong overjoyed: "Commander, the enemy is retreating faster than rabbits! The whole road is full of equipment they discarded; it's practically endless to pick up!"

Li Yunlong immediately ordered the entire army to pursue: "Pass the order down: all units advance at full speed! We must seize the chaos of the enemy's retreat and deal them a fatal blow!"

Zhao Gang, however, was somewhat worried: "Lao Li, be cautious in the pursuit; don't fall for the enemy's baiting tactics."

Li Yunlong laughed out loud: "Baiting? Look at what this is!"

He pointed to the top-secret enemy documents just captured, "This is the combat order dropped by the enemy command post; they have truly collapsed! I have fought battles my whole life, and I have never seen an enemy so cowardly!"

After reading the documents, Zhao Gang could not help but be shocked: "Good heavens, the enemy is truly scared out of their wits by our Anti-aircraft weapon!"

The documents clearly recorded the enemy high command's fear of our new Anti-aircraft weapon, as well as their pessimistic conclusion that "there is no chance of victory if fighting continues."

"This is all the credit of Chief Engineer Li," Li Yunlong sighed, "That Anti-aircraft System of his is simply a divine weapon!"

The morale of the pursuing troops was high; every time they occupied an enemy position, it was like pushing over a domino, and the next position would immediately abandon resistance.

Many enemy troops fled in panic before our army even arrived.

Looking at the frontline constantly advancing on the map, Li Yunlong was in high spirits: "This battle is fought with great satisfaction! Send a telegram to the Military Department saying that the enemy has begun to rout, and our unit will press the advantage and fight all the way to the seaside!"

……

As reports of victory from the front line arrived one after another, the atmosphere in the Military Industry Department conference room in Jingcheng was unprecedentedly relaxed.

Yang was reporting the results of the Anti-aircraft System to his superiors:

"According to frontline statistics, the enemy air raid dispatched a total of 83 Bomber aircraft; 68 were shot down by our Anti-aircraft System, and 11 were heavily damaged, an engagement rate as high as 95 percent."

He turned to the next page of the report: "More importantly, the deployment of the Anti-aircraft System has completely changed the battlefield situation. After the enemy lost air superiority, the morale of their ground troops collapsed, and they have already begun a large-scale retreat."

A high-ranking general said excitedly: "Does this mean that Victory is right before our eyes?"

"You could say that," Yang nodded, "Li Yunlong's troops have already advanced more than one hundred kilometers to the east, and it is expected that all lost territory can be recovered within a week. The enemy's only option now is a full retreat."

A burst of warm applause erupted in the conference room.

"This credit must be attributed to Comrade Li Mingyuan," a leader said solemnly, "Without his Anti-aircraft System, it would have been impossible for us to achieve such a decisive Victory in such a short time."

Yang nodded with a smile: "Indeed. Chief Engineer Li not only designed the 107 Rocket Launcher, but also developed the Anti-aircraft Weapon System in time when the enemy was preparing for an air raid retaliation. It can be said that his individual contribution is worth the strength of several divisions."

"We must award him a Special Merit!" another leader proposed, "A contribution of this level is a national treasure-level talent in any country!"

Yang looked at the document: "It is already being arranged. However, in my opinion, compared to medals and honors, Chief Engineer Li might need more research and development resources. He has already submitted several design proposals for new weapons, all of which are very promising projects."