148: Listen, what's that noise?

Villa Tunari town.

A few Soldiers wearing tattered uniforms were leaning lazily against the sandbag fortifications.

They had half-smoked cigars, acquired from who knows where, dangling from their mouths, chatting aimlessly.

"Damn it, the monthly pay wasn't issued again. If this goes on, I'll have to pawn my pants."

A tall, thin Soldier spat on the ground, his face full of resentment.

"Be content, at least you still have food to eat. I heard the higher-ups are increasing taxes again; the people in town are almost bled dry."

"In another two months, we probably won't even have food to eat."

The companion beside him curled his lip, his eyes numb.

They were Soldiers of the rebel Second Division.

Once, they were regular troops of the former government, but now, they were more like a pack of bandits occupying the mountains.

Their weapons and equipment were antiques from decades ago, and their logistics and supplies relied entirely on plundering the people's wealth.

Because David's new government had blockaded all major river transport ports and border crossings.

Their sources of supplies were completely cut off, and their lives were getting worse by the day.

"Hey, do you guys hear that? What's that noise?"

A sharp-eared Soldier suddenly raised his head, listening intently.

A low hum came from the sky.

The humming sound came from afar, growing louder and louder, making people feel a tightness in their chests.

"What noise? Bird calls?"

The tall, thin Soldier impatiently picked at his ear.

"No! That's not a bird!"

That Soldier's face instantly turned pale.

He stood up abruptly, pointing at the sky, his voice changing pitch due to extreme fear.

"In the sky! Look at the sky!"

Everyone instinctively looked up.

They saw a few silver-gray shadows streaking across the azure sky at terrifying speeds, with dangerous flashes of fire beneath their wings.

That sleek, sci-fi design was something they had never seen before.

"Holy shit! Planes!"

"It's the National Defense Force's planes! How dare they..."

Before the words could finish.

A sharp whistle tore through the air.

The next second, the ground shook violently.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions detonated simultaneously at the town's arsenal, command post, and barracks.

Flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke rolled out.

A massive shockwave, carrying debris and shrapnel, spread wildly in all directions.

The few Soldiers who were complaining just moments ago were torn to shreds by the blast wave before they could even scream.

At the same time.

Puerto Villarroel town, the inland smuggling port that the Second Division relied on for survival, also suffered the same devastating blow.

A formation of JF-17 Thunder Block 3 fighter jets precisely dropped bombs.

Sending the cranes, warehouses, and several docked cargo ships at the pier straight to hell.

The air raid was just the beginning.

While the Second Division's command system was still in chaos, the steel torrent of the National Defense Force's Third Army had already crossed the provincial border.

Leading the way were not tanks, but dozens of wheeled assault guns mounted with heavy machine guns and 30mm autocannons.

"Fire!"

The order was crisp and decisive.

Dense tongues of fire erupted, and a metal storm composed of bullets and shells instantly covered the Second Division's positions.

Those crude fortifications built with sandbags and wood were as fragile as paper in the face of modern firepower.

The old rifles in the hands of the rebel Soldiers couldn't even pose a threat to the fast-moving armored targets.

"Surrender! We surrender!"

A rebel regiment commander, watching his men get shattered in the first exchange, had his psychological defenses completely collapse.

He was the first to throw down his gun and raise his hands.

The power of example is infinite.

With someone taking the lead, the rest immediately followed suit, throwing down their weapons and kneeling on the ground.

In just half an hour.

A full regiment deployed by the Second Division at the border was just gone like that.

What made the rebels even more desperate was when the National Defense Force's troops entered the town.

The common people, who had been oppressed by them for so long, were not afraid; instead, they ran out of their homes and actively guided the troops.

"Officer! I know where their ammunition depot is! I'll take you there!"

"Soldier! That bastard mayor's house is over there; he's hidden quite a lot of good stuff!"

"Kill these animals! They stole the grain from my house!"

The hearts of the people were clear, and the difference was immediately obvious.

The Third Army's speed of advance was astonishing.

In less than a day.

The capital of Cochabamba Province was declared captured.

The main force of the rebel Second Division had over two thousand men annihilated and over six thousand captured.

The remaining remnants were completely disorganized and fled in panic toward the surrounding mountains like stray dogs.

Oruro Province.

Fourth Division Headquarters.

In the conference room, the atmosphere was depressingly terrifying.

Zia Jackson, the commander of the Fourth Division.

A burly, bald man was sitting at the head of the table with a gloomy face, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the tabletop.

In front of him, a group of officers were arguing incessantly.

"Commander! We can't just stand by! If the Second Division is finished, we'll be next!"

"We must understand the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold!"

A young, radical officer's face flushed red, spittle flying everywhere.

"How do we help? With our heads?"

Another older officer immediately retorted.

"The National Defense Force is playing for real this time! Look at the intelligence; the Third Army and the Sixth Army are all their trump cards!"

"They've even brought out their heavy armored units! Is our meager equipment enough to even whet their appetites?"

"What are you afraid of! At worst, we fight them! We occupy Oruro Province and Potosí, the terrain is treacherous, and it's easy to defend and hard to attack!"

"I don't believe David's teeth are that strong, that he can swallow us in one bite!"

"Bullshit! You're just sending the brothers to their deaths! Stepping out now is just being cannon fodder for the Second Division!"

"In my opinion, we should immediately consolidate our forces and hold Potosí; that is our foundation!"

"You are brave but lack strategy! That's the courage of a brute!"

The arguing grew more intense, and the entire conference room was as chaotic as a wet market.

"Shut the hell up, all of you!"

Zia Jackson slammed the table, making a huge noise.

Zia Jackson's gaze swept across everyone, and the ferocity in his eyes made everyone shudder.

He spoke slowly, his tone cold.

"Arguing? Can arguing produce a result? A bunch of useless trash!"

He stood up, walked to the map, and stared in the direction of Cochabamba, his eyes flickering.

Reason told him that rushing up now would be throwing his life away.

The National Defense Force's offensive was too fierce, and the speed of the Second Division's collapse far exceeded his expectations.

"Commander, how about... we symbolically send some people over?" a trusted officer suggested cautiously.

Zia Jackson snorted coldly.

He was silent for a long time, as if making a difficult decision.

Finally, he turned around, having made up his mind.

"Pass on my order!"

"Transfer the Division Headquarters' directly subordinate Special Operations Battalion, and set off immediately!"

"Huh? Commander, this..."

Everyone was shocked.

The Special Operations Battalion was his prized possession, the most elite force of the Fourth Division.

"Tell them to contact the remnants of the Second Division, tell them not to think about counterattacking, and get their asses into the mountains to fight a guerrilla war!"

"I want to see how long David's one-hundred-thousand-strong army can last in the mountains! As long as we can stall them, we have a chance!"

He was planning to sacrifice the remnants of the Second Division to buy himself time.

Sacrificing others to save himself; he was better at this game than anyone.

"Yes!"

The officers immediately accepted the order.

Just at this moment.

The door to the conference room was slammed open.

A communications Soldier came tumbling in, his face full of terror.

"Commander! It's bad! Something huge has happened!"