179: Throw in a firebomb

They were full of doubt: Could it be that this smoke screen had no effect on the enemy?

Just as the doubt arose, a rapid and deadly "da da da" sound suddenly rang out, the sound of death's footsteps, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Get down, machine gun." A soldier shouted almost instinctively.

In just a moment, the lives of dozens of soldiers vanished under this merciless storm of steel.

But the nightmare did not end there; a denser rain of bullets struck again, from more cunning angles, leaving no chance of survival.

The scene before them was despairing; none of their comrades in front survived, all falling in pools of blood.

Facing such a tightly woven web of firepower, as if a net from heaven and earth had descended, every soldier's heart couldn't help but feel an unprecedented fear.

They realized that the opposite side was not ordinary people, but true battlefield demons!

In the distance, Norvich angrily threw the binoculars in his hand to the ground, his eyes bloodshot, his face red.

"Damn it." He roared, "How on earth did those guys at the Malyshev Military Factory do it? To be able to accurately locate and destroy our tanks in such an environment."

At this moment, the Signal Corps Operator's anxious voice came from the radio: "Officer, we must retreat."

If we continue like this, we will surely lose."

Norvich gritted his teeth: "I know, I of course know."

On the smoke-filled battlefield, Captain Norvich's voice carried a hint of weariness: "All retreat... temporary retreat."

As soon as his words fell, it was as if his last bit of strength was drained away, and his whole spirit became dazed.

In his military career, he had experienced countless battles, but such a humiliating defeat was unprecedented.

Even with the cover of smoke bombs, the enemy struck precisely as if they saw through everything, which made him feel incredibly frustrated.

"Am I really going to lose to these rabble?"

Norvich muttered to himself in a low voice, so faint that only he could hear it, a nearly desperate murmur.

In fact, Harvey, in order to completely eliminate Xu Ning, who was a thorn in his side, specially dispatched the elite of the elite. Although this young warrior had a rough appearance, he was actually not yet thirty years old and had already been internally designated as the future Captain candidate.

However, in this encounter, Xu Ning actually overshadowed such a man.

On the other side of the battlefield.

"The enemy is starting to retreat."

Little John shouted excitedly, reporting the news of victory to Xu Ning.

He was completely in awe of Mr. Xu's command art, having not expected the enemy to be defeated so quickly, and his admiration for Xu Ning surpassed that of before.

At this moment, even the craziest order, Little John would execute without hesitation, because he firmly believed that Mr. Xu always had his well-considered reasons.

"Should we pursue?"

Xiao Adam, equally excited, turned to Xu Ning, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Not so fast."

Xu Ning said in a deep voice, then fell into thought.

The dense smoke still enveloped the surroundings, and the potential danger had not been completely eliminated.

The enemy infantry might just be feigning withdrawal, secretly setting up an ambush to wait for an opportunity to counterattack.

Although the Qiongqi's radar was powerful, it was helpless against infantry hidden in the mist.

The ancient adage "Do not pursue a cornered foe" seemed particularly apt at this moment.

After some consideration, Xu Ning nodded, confirming that his decision was wise.

In reality, he had never personally experienced a real battle. All his previous victories were almost entirely due to the element of surprise brought by the Hunter Vulture Squad and the advanced weapons they used.

Now facing one of the world's well-trained and well-equipped strong armies, relying solely on technological superiority was no longer enough to guarantee victory.

Therefore, acting cautiously was the best choice at the moment.

Xie Biao's previous battlefield experience was mostly limited to delicate small-scale special operations and he was not proficient in large-scale frontal engagements.

Therefore, in Xu Ning's eyes, being able to fight the enemy to a draw was already a luxury. He knew that every step needed to be like walking on thin ice, and a slight mistake could lead to total defeat.

The sudden appearance of the enemy, like an undeclared surprise attack, forced them to hastily engage the enemy.

Choosing to set up a formation in the open area outside the factory was not only because it was suitable for utilizing the advantage of heavy armored forces, but more importantly, to buy valuable time for the Gongda Family who couldn't evacuate in time, allowing them to safely retreat from the back door.

With his thoughts reaching this point, Xu Ning quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie, trying to get in touch with Xie Biao.

"Xie Biao, has the Gongda Family all safely withdrawn?"

He asked anxiously.

However, at this moment, Xie Biao was still immersed in the incredible scene from just now. Under the smoke, his own troops were actually able to accurately strike the enemy. This was simply as magical as magic.

It wasn't until Xu Ning's voice came from the walkie-talkie that he was pulled back to reality.

"Ah... Oh... Yes, the workers have all safely left."

Xie Biao responded in a daze.

Learning that the workers were safe, Xu Ning breathed a sigh of relief, but then came another wave of tension.

He turned to Xiao Adam, just about to give instructions, when he heard Little John's panicked voice: "This is bad, our team has already charged out."

Looking through the observation port, he saw three tanks had already charged out of cover first, and the other tanks followed suit upon seeing this, advancing forward like an unstoppable force, their metal tracks grinding against the ground with a dull sound.

In an instant, except for the tank Xu Ning was in, all the other tanks that had been waiting for orders had joined the charge.

Cold sweat dripped down Xu Ning's forehead, and a sense of unease enveloped his heart.

"Quickly recall everyone."

He almost roared, "The enemy infantry is moving slowly, and it's very likely there are still remnants uncleared. If they close in on us in the smoke, we'll be in danger."

Xiao Adam: "Understood, I'll go relay that now."

Xu Ning's gaze was fixed on the observation window, watching the three steel behemoths charging ahead.

At this moment, they had advanced deep into the battlefield, almost swallowed by the dense smoke.

As a deafening explosion echoed through the sky, the thick fog began to gradually dissipate, revealing a tragic scene, the location of one of the "Qiongqi" tanks.

Just as Xu Ning had feared, the enemy infantry used the smoke screen for cover, silently approached, blasted open the hatch with explosives, and then threw in an incendiary bomb.

Immediately, desperate screams came from inside the vehicle, flames spewed out from every gap, turning the entire tank into a blazing fireball.

The air echoed with the enemy's shouts of victory.

"Ulah."

The sound rang out.

Those soldiers who thought they could safely retreat stopped in their tracks upon hearing the roar of the tanks behind them and sought cover.

They were astonished to find that the tanks, which should have been far from danger, seemed like willing sacrifices delivering themselves, so they quickly adjusted their strategy and launched a counterattack.

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