Chapter 53: Taxation Only Within Machine Gun Range! Chapter 51: Even Too Corrupt

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Protagonist:

Milton

Mins

Milton stepped out with Flora and the other two, leaving the clinic and returning to the pharmacy.

The three of them had only just joined the team, and Milton wasn't comfortable letting them into the underground fortress, so all the pre-battle planning was arranged in the garage.

Flora sat casually on the ground and said, "To be honest... this operation of yours has already exceeded the scope of 'security'; it counts as a black operation."

Milton glanced at her: "So, are you going or not?"

"Going! Hehe." Flora didn't hesitate at all, "For the projects you promised to approve for us! But, going to attack someone else's turf is a dangerous mission. Do you have any plans and deployments?"

She was actually hinting covertly that Milton could provide the detailed checkpoint intelligence so their squad could formulate a viable attack plan.

As retired veterans, Flora didn't believe Milton could produce a better combat plan than their side.

Milton nearly rolled his eyes: "You take me for a fool? Go straight to our deaths without any preparation? I'll decide the attack plan, because I'm far more familiar with the checkpoint than you are. Trust me, paper intelligence can never compare to a single field reconnaissance."

Flora hesitated for several seconds, then gave a slight nod: "Mm... alright, let's hear your arrangement. That, let me say something offensive—we're all retired veterans who've received formal training; we might be able to help you refine the attack plan."

Having fought in Guatemala for this long, Flora had long since experienced just how incompetent the people here really were.

The vast majority of gangs, even soldiers, had no informationized tactical awareness whatsoever.

Being able to produce a combat plan along the lines of "bring two guns, you front me back, charge straight in, kill everyone" already counted as top-tier.

It was only because the opposition was equally stupid, and the Latin American region's matchmaking was excellent, that driving a few cars swaggering into someone else's courtyard, jumping out and spraying wildly wasn't tantamount to suicide.

That movie scenario where enemies queue up to die like NPCs simply doesn't happen in actual combat.

Milton took out a sheet of white paper, roughly sketched a few lines and a few matrices on it with a pencil, and slapped it onto the ground.

Flora looked at the lines that barely qualified as a map, and the corner of her mouth twitched: "This... isn't it a bit too sketchy?"

"Sketchy to others, enough for you lot." Milton pointed at the few rectangles, "When you reach the checkpoint, you'll know where these buildings I drew are... they are advantageous cover. We're fighting outnumbered, so we must occupy these cover positions. With your professionalism, you'll definitely be able to tell once you're on site."

Flora's expression changed instantly; she immediately studied the "map" intently, committing the marked locations to memory.

In combat, it's not the case that just because both sides are behind cover, the situation is even.

If one side's cover resembles cars or a small storage room, spaced far from other cover, the gunner can only pop out from two or three fixed positions to shoot—that is a clear disadvantageous cover.

Because dealing with such cover requires processing far too little information; a competent gunner can just hold the angle effortlessly.

Conversely, if you're inside a building with more windows and a broader flank, that is relatively advantageous cover—such cover forces the opponent to process vastly more information.

Gunlines can come from any window, any doorway, even the building's flank at any moment; the enemy simply cannot effectively hold angles.

A gunner in disadvantageous cover facing a gunner in advantageous cover will often be suppressed within a few shots, unable to even lift their head, yet still unable to determine where the opponent is!

The few matrices Milton drew are advantageous cover; occupying them levels the numbers disadvantage!

Coupled with equipment and marksmanship superiority, they can very easily wipe out Varta's men.

The reason it's drawn so simply is because once Flora's group arrives on site, they can rely on their rich combat experience to reach the same judgment.

Flora looked at Milton with some surprise: "Impressive, Tax Collector... you keep talking, we'll follow your arrangement."

As a professional, Flora could naturally tell this plan had extremely strong executability.

Not complex, yet like a sharp sword stabbing straight at the enemy's weak point.

Looks like this place still has people who know how to fight...

Since Milton's tactical arrangement was sound and he held more on-the-ground intel, he would command.

As long as it raised the combat win rate, a three-man squad that had survived countless life-and-death situations wouldn't care about so-called face.

Milton nodded and continued: "According to the intel I've got, the checkpoint's senior officials all left with the Station Chief; the enemy command system is extremely fragile. I need one person at a slightly farther position to maintain firepower suppression and destroy the enemy's Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) loop."

"Suppression task goes to 'Anvil'. I have an M224 Mortar and a PKM Machine Gun; if you decide to fire, you must use reverse slope fire—don't expose your position lightly."

By rights, this mortar requires at least two people to operate, but there's no choice; they're short-handed, so one person has to do it.

"Need a firing table? Original US version."

Flora's gaze at Milton had already changed significantly; she shook her head: "Don't need a firing table, we've got this thing engraved in our bones... you... I just suddenly feel you're way more capable than I imagined."

"Anvil" grinned proudly: "I told you, following the Tax Collector is a guaranteed fortune! Definitely no mistake—he's really not the same as those stupid, self-unaware types who love giving random orders that we've seen."

"Cut it out, I see you're just after the 24/7 water and electricity here..."

"Poison" fell silent for a moment, then exclaimed: "I just feel that ever since the Soviet Union collapsed, our army has become even more corrupt. Mortars can even be smuggled here!"

Milton nearly shook his head listening—now the US military and other NATO armies are called corrupt? Wait thirty years and look again.

Spending 500 million USD procuring military aircraft, then immediately breaking them up for scrap and reselling for 30,000 USD—that sort of thing doesn't even count as a major scandal.

Milton pointed at the direction of the checkpoint's main gate on the map: "There's only one observation post here, lax security; I have an M24 Sniper Rifle, can easily take it out."

"After 'Anvil' takes out the observation post, the three of us immediately break through, occupy all advantageous cover according to the on-site environment, eliminate the enemy, seize a vehicle and leave. The other part of the checkpoint garrison is controlled by Menard; he most likely won't attack us, but we can't be overly careless either."

"The weapons the opposition uses are almost all crap guns like Uzis, Type 56 Assault Rifles... AK-47 tier guns are relatively few; the maximum firepower won't exceed the FAL."

"Also, from now on all your radios use the ones I provide." Milton produced the 4 captured radios, "These are military frequency-hopping radios; I'm worried the checkpoint might have monitoring equipment."

"Lastly, a small detail... you guys should all have night vision devices..."

"..."

With tactics arranged, Milton looked at the three who had gradually fallen silent, frowned: "Why's nobody talking? Think my plan's bad? Then speak up now, speak freely—I trust the judgment of you retired veterans."

"No, no." Flora shook her head in denial, "I just feel... your equipment and firepower are even better than ours? You're just a Tax Officer!"

And what shocked Flora most was that Milton had a very clear understanding of "informationized warfare".

How long has it been since the Gulf War ended? A checkpoint Inspector in a remote small country already has this strong a grasp of "information"?

Analyze Milton's tactics closely and you'll find he's been seizing the information advantage from start to finish!

"Nonsense, how can you collect taxes without absolute firepower? Stop with the useless talk, move the equipment, get in the car, prepare to depart!"