Chapter 856 - 135: The Bait Operation of Military Technology

US-Mexico Border.

The scorching sun blazes down, with temperatures in the Evil Land even exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. Only vehicles equipped with special cooling modules can travel for long periods in such an environment.

Like the Mackinaw Pickup Truck, designed from the beginning with long-distance transport in mind.

Roar——

A super pickup, gigantic even by pickup standards, roared its engine, speeding across the rugged Evil Land!

A swarm of drones circled above the pickup truck, while behind it was an entire Military Technology armed force!

Whoosh!

A massive octant drone took off from the Military Technology convoy, overwhelming the pickup truck!

Bam!

However, the people inside the vehicle were clearly not ordinary. Despite both sides racing across the Evil Land at speeds exceeding 100 km/h, they were able to hit these high-speed flying drones!

The Military Technology Commander leading the operation had a cold expression, but was also deeply troubled:

President Miles is working to make New America great again, and if a country can’t control its borders, it can’t be considered a country.

In recent years, thanks to the booming development of military technology and a significant victory in the Unification War, the US-Mexico border has returned to New America’s control, and Mexico has had to reconsider respecting New America’s trade rules...

Everything changed after that battle two years ago!

New America’s control over the California border wall significantly weakened, with the Night City Hamburg Criminal Group continuously launching direct attacks on the wall over the past two years, causing maintenance costs to skyrocket.

However, increased investment still doesn’t yield the desired effect!

The California border wall’s primary function is to lock down Night City, relying on Southern California, which has returned to New America, to control Night City’s land trade.

Before that incident, Arasaka controlled land trade, and Military Technology controlled ports. Now, Arasaka had to relinquish the port, and Military Technology couldn’t hold onto the land!

It’s now known that the Adkaduo Tribe of Wanders has undoubtedly secretly received official support from Night City, and armed nomads, whose population may reach or even exceed a million, are gradually being integrated into Night City, becoming the main force in land trade disruption.

Their equipment might not be the best, but it’s sufficient, mainly because they have the advantage in numbers, cunning, unity, and resilience.

New America can no longer manage US-Mexico border trade: if they continue to maintain high tariffs to support domestic enterprises, these enterprises will prefer to use Night City’s channels——

Though reluctant to admit it, New America has already begun adjusting policies due to the Hamburg Criminal Group’s existence over the past two years.

Night City has grown increasingly prosperous under this damned criminal group’s protection, and the newly appointed City Defense Army has even expanded Dog Town into a genuine military base...

It’s bewildering how Night City’s people accept having a military base within their city.

However, a turning point has come: recently, a high-ranking Military Technology official was killed in Mexico City, using extremely forceful methods. The city’s Terrorist Mobile Team, police, and even the local bosses like the Mehta Group and other criminals either dared not intervene or lacked the capability——

A Military Technology and New America Commander, who went on a business trip to Mexico to probe Mexico’s stance, was mercilessly targeted, ending up dead in a hotel. This incident undoubtedly further boosted the Hamburg Criminal Group’s morale.

Just that...

It appears now that the Commander was used as a sacrificial lamb.

Most of the Commanders involved in the siege of Dog Town two years ago have been reassigned, but those remaining near Night City met inexplicable deaths...

The term "inexplicable" mainly refers to the deaths being accompanied by massive security force casualties each time.

This event is also one of Night City’s terrifying legends. Yet the Commander was recently transferred to Mexico, clearly indicating that Military Technology used him as bait.

It’s rumored... the airborne fortress is already on its way.

The Bimong Armored Vehicle follows at the rear of the main force, steadily advancing as a drone hub and command center, with off-road armored vehicles and mobile units for combat passing by the Military Technology Commander’s window one after another:

No matter what, the legends of Night City had witnesses, and over the past two years, they haven’t gone without shedding blood either.

"The King and big shots... once you all rot in hell, only the supposedly long-dead Hamburger will be left, haha..."

Bam——

The Commander’s Krensky suddenly pushed to maximum power:

An electromagnetic bullet, trailing a faint blue streak, completely pierced through the road’s armored vehicle and combat mecha, the immense kinetic impact altering the vehicle’s trajectory, and the mecha losing its balance...

The Bimong Armored Vehicle plowed into the out-of-control main force!

Boom!

The Bimong crashed through the armored vehicles, breaking through the explosion of mecha flames, and looked up in the direction the bullet came from——

A Magic Lizard Tank appeared on the horizon!

The Adkaduo reinforcements have arrived; this is what the Military Technology forces on the US-Mexico border constantly have to face:

These damn Wanderers can emerge en masse like cockroaches at any moment!

[Military Technology Colonel #0201: Lock onto the target! We still have support!]

But unfortunately, the support he anticipated won’t come——

Not until they’re all wiped out.

...

Washington.

Rosalind Miles looked at the intelligence before her, fiddling with an invaluable decorative pen in her hand.

[Intelligence Bureau Report: European Union suspected of intervening in the conflict, transoceanic signals captured in Mexico City.]

President Miles has already ordered the airborne fortress to halt deployment, but she remains unsatisfied:

The Burger King criminal gang almost certainly harbors a rogue AI, with the Burger King himself hiding many secrets. This is known within corporate circles.

But over the past two years, neither the European Union nor Arasaka has physically interfered with her pursuit of these criminals on the American Continent, not even providing a hint of involvement. Why now?

It was precisely because of two years of pursuit without resistance from other parties that the Intelligence Bureau plotted this operation...

Why did the European Union suddenly change their stance?

She has already sent an email to the European Union, hoping to ensure the airborne fortress’s safety through diplomatic means before taking action——

The airborne fortress is massive, but who knows how those peculiar Europeans think?

In front of the European Space Agency’s mass projector, things like the Arasaka Aircraft Carrier and Military Technology’s airborne fortress are just targets.

What she didn’t foresee is that the European Union is also scratching their heads...

Military Technology’s pursuit of the Burger King is something they haven’t concerned themselves with in a long time, so why initiate diplomatic communication suddenly?

When did Rosalind Miles become... so polite?

In a while, she received a reply:

[Do you want to cooperate? But the European Union doesn’t have many resources in America.]

Miles suddenly froze, rage rising to her brow: they’ve all been played!

The Burger King... isn’t dead!

[Operation Iron Rain Report: Commander lost contact.]

Just in this brief moment, her operation failed!

[President Miles: Intelligence Bureau, schedule a meeting immediately, update intelligence: change the wanted status of target code "Burger King" to "Suspected Alive"!]

...

"Get the hell out, you son of a bitch!"

On the raucously speeding Mackinaw, V clutched the window frame, giving the finger to the remains of the Military Technology convoy!

The Adkaduo convoy joined her, heading grandiosely toward Night City——

On one pickup truck, Pan’an poked her head out: "V! You can’t keep doing this! It’s too dangerous!"