151: This is a mountain town on a high plateau with complex terrain!

The blue arrows representing the National Defense Force had already formed a three-sided encirclement of Potosí.

Meanwhile, the red markers representing Zia Jackson's rebel forces were huddled within the city, teetering on the brink of collapse.

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

"Commander-in-Chief, I believe we should launch a general offensive on Potosí immediately!"

A young general stood up and spoke with agitation.

"Strike while he's down! We can't give Zia Jackson any room to breathe!"

"I object!"

Another general immediately countered.

"Potosí is a plateau mountain city with complex terrain; it's easy to defend but hard to attack."

"Zia Jackson has been entrenched there for years, and the city's fortifications are solid. A direct assault will inevitably cause heavy casualties for our forces!"

"Furthermore, the latest intelligence shows..."

"...that the Americans have just sent them a batch of advanced individual weapons. Urban warfare would be extremely disadvantageous for us!"

Arguments broke out one after another, with no one able to convince the others.

Eventually, everyone's gaze converged on the head of the table.

Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Force, Oliver.

His expression was calm as his fingers moved slowly across the sand table, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long while, he looked up and turned to his Chief of Staff.

"Mateo, what is your opinion?"

Mateo stood up and walked to the sand table.

Instead of answering directly, he pointed to a small town south of Potosí.

Tupiza.

"Everyone, is our vision too limited to Potosí?"

Mateo's voice was steady and powerful.

"A direct assault on Potosí is the worst possible plan. Besieging Vila-Vila, on the other hand, would overextend our front lines."

"Why don't we change our approach?"

He picked up a baton and tapped it heavily on the location of Tupiza.

"Here, Tupiza, is less than two hundred kilometers from Potosí."

"More importantly, there is an airport here capable of handling large transport aircraft!"

"As long as we take this place, it will be like driving a nail right next to the enemy's heart!"

"We can use Tupiza Airport to directly airlift heavy equipment and follow-up troops. Tanks, heavy artillery—we can have as many as we need!"

"Using Tupiza as a base, we can advance steadily and consolidate our gains as we push northward."

"By then, Zia Jackson in Potosí will be like a turtle in a jar!"

"I call this plan the 'Leapfrog Tactic'!"

The entire war room instantly fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by Mateo's bold and novel tactical concept.

Oliver's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He slammed his hand on the table.

"Good! Let's do it!"

He looked around at everyone and issued the order.

"Order! The 2nd Army Aviation Brigade, in coordination with the Special Operations Regiment, move out immediately!"

"I'm giving you eight hours. Before dawn, you must take Tupiza Airport intact!"

"Felipe!"

"Present!"

From the crowd, a tall officer with sharp eyes stepped forward.

Felipe, the Commander of the Special Operations Regiment.

"Your unit just returned from the Delta Force. I know you're tired."

Oliver looked at him and said in a low voice.

"But the country needs you. This battle is critical. Failure is not an option!"

Felipe straightened his back, gave a crisp military salute, and spoke with a powerful, resonant voice.

"Mission guaranteed!"

2:00 AM.

In the Special Operations Regiment's camp, a piercing alarm cut through the night sky.

The Soldiers, who had been lying down for less than three hours, leaped from their beds.

No complaints, no questions.

Putting on gear, checking weapons, assembling, and boarding—every action was seamless and dizzyingly fast.

4:00 AM.

In the skies above the town of Tupiza.

A massive roar tore through the silence of the night.

A massive fleet of over a hundred helicopters, like a swarm of metal monsters from hell, cast a dark shadow over the entire town.

The gale kicked up by the rotors made the trees on the ground shake violently, sending sand and stones flying.

Inside the airport tower, several drowsy guards were scared out of their wits by the sudden turn of events.

"Enemy attack! It's an enemy attack!"

A Soldier tremblingly grabbed his walkie-talkie and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Quick! Open fire!"

Around the airport, at several crude anti-aircraft positions.

Soldiers of the New 3rd Brigade scrambled to operate twin-barrel anti-aircraft cannons, desperately pouring fire into the sky.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!"

Orange tracer rounds streaked across the night sky, weaving into a sparse net of fire, fruitlessly chasing those nimble steel raptors.

However, a counterattack of this level was like a mere tickle to the battle-hardened National Defense Force pilots.

"Enemy anti-aircraft fire points detected, coordinates XXX, XXX."

"Copy that."

Inside an apache attack helicopter at the front of the formation, the pilot calmly locked onto the target.

He curled his lip in disdain and pressed the fire control button.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several Hellfire missiles detached from their pylons, trailing long plumes of flame as they lunged precisely toward the anti-aircraft cannon positions on the ground.

A second later.

"Boom—!!"

Deafening explosions rang out one after another, and fireballs soared into the sky, lighting up half the night in red.

Those crude cannon positions, along with the Soldiers on them, were instantly torn to shreds.

The whole world went quiet.

"Anti-aircraft fire has been cleared. Cleared for landing."

"Copy that."

With the order given, the massive super stallion and Black Hawk transport helicopters immediately began to descend.

They landed steadily on the airport runway.

The cabin doors swung open.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"Quick, quick, quick! Establish a defensive line!"

Felipe took the lead, being the first to jump off the aircraft.

Fully armed Soldiers of the Special Operations Regiment poured out of the cabins like a tide.

Their movements were swift and professional as they quickly occupied key positions throughout the airport.

The tower, hangars, fuel depot... in less than ten minutes, the entire airport fell under the control of the Special Operations Regiment.

The battle ended so quickly it could hardly be called a battle.

It was simply a one-sided crushing.

Stationed in the town of Tupiza was only a battalion from the New 3rd Brigade.

When the battalion commander brought his subordinates, who were scared witless by the explosions...

...and rushed from the town to the airport, what they saw were the dark muzzles of guns and faces full of murderous intent.

The battalion commander was stunned on the spot.

Where the hell did these divine Soldiers descend from?

He had no doubt that if he dared to order a charge, he would be riddled with bullets the next second.

"Commander, what should we do?" the adjutant beside him asked, his voice trembling.

The battalion commander swallowed hard.

He looked at those menacing attack helicopters on the airfield, then at his few hundred men and their handful of crappy guns.

He decisively made an incredibly wise decision.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Report back to brigade headquarters!"

Having said that, he was the first to turn around, leading his troops away without a backward glance.

He ran faster than a rabbit.

Meanwhile.

At the New 3rd Brigade headquarters.

Brigade Commander Terry Ward was sound asleep in his luxurious office, holding a scantily clad woman.

A piercing telephone ring woke him from his beautiful dream.

"Damn it! Who is it!"

Terry Ward irritably grabbed the phone, his tone extremely unpleasant.

From the other end of the line came the extremely anxious voice of the Chief of Staff.

"Brigade Commander! This is bad! Something big has happened!"

"Tupiza... Tupiza is lost!"

Terry Ward jolted upright in bed, half-sobering from his drunken stupor instantly.

"What did you say?!"

"How could Tupiza be lost? Isn't the National Defense Force in a standoff with us at Vila-Vila?"

"How did they get there? Did they fly there?"