152: The National Defense Forces have returned!

He could hardly believe his ears.

There were over a hundred kilometers of mountainous terrain between Vila-Vila and Tupiza.

It was impossible for the main force of the National Defense Force to have bypassed them in such a short time.

"Brigade Commander... they might have actually flown here!" The Chief of Staff's voice trembled.

"According to reports from the retreating Soldiers, the enemy deployed over a hundred helicopters and seized Tupiza Airport via an airborne assault!"

"They must have used ultra-low-altitude flight to evade our radar detection!"

The Chief of Staff quickly analyzed the situation over the phone.

"Brigade Commander, we're in big trouble now! Losing Tupiza is like being stabbed in the back by the enemy!"

"They've driven a nail right into our heartland!"

"Once they use the airport to bring in heavy equipment and reinforcements and establish a foothold, we'll be completely surrounded!"

"We must! We must retake Tupiza immediately!"

Terry Ward's expression became incredibly grim.

Although he was a warlord, he still possessed basic military common sense.

He naturally understood the importance of Tupiza Airport.

It was a vital corridor for him to request support and supplies from Potosí to the north.

Now, this corridor had been cut off.

Even more critically, the enemy could use this airport to continuously deploy troops and heavy equipment into his hinterland.

This was practically the death of him!

"Pass down my orders!"

Terry Ward leaped out of bed.

"Order the New 8th Regiment and the New 9th Regiment to assemble immediately!"

"Use every vehicle that can move—military vehicles, trucks, even tractors!"

"Get to Tupiza at top speed!"

"Tell them they must retake the airport before dawn! If anyone fails, they'll pay with their head!"

Hanging up the phone, Terry Ward paced irritably back and forth in the room.

Damn it.

When did these National Defense Force guys become so capable in combat?

The movements of the New 3rd Brigade could not outrun the eyes in the sky.

High above, a Rainbow-7 reconnaissance drone hovered silently.

On the ground, the lights of the rebel convoy shone.

They formed a long dragon of fire in the night, appearing crystal clear under the monitoring of infrared cameras.

Real-time footage of the battlefield situation was transmitted back to the National Defense Force headquarters in La Paz.

On the massive electronic screen, dots of light representing friend and foe were moving rapidly.

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief: two regiments of enemy forces have been detected rapidly approaching Tupiza from different directions."

The operations staff officer pointed at the red arrows on the screen and reported loudly.

Oliver nodded, his expression solemn.

The enemy's reaction was even faster than he had anticipated.

However, everything was still going according to plan.

He picked up the encrypted phone and connected directly to Felipe on the front line.

"Felipe, enemy reinforcements are coming—two regiments are heading your way."

Oliver's voice was steady and powerful.

"I'm handing command over to you now; I trust your judgment."

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"

Felipe's voice remained as resonant and forceful as ever.

Hanging up, he immediately gathered his battalion commanders.

"You're all clear on the situation."

Felipe pointed at the simple map, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

"The enemy's goal is to retake the airport and cut off our reinforcements. We cannot let them succeed!"

He paused, his tone growing even colder.

"I order the 1st and 2nd Special Service Battalions to move out immediately and establish defensive lines at several key intersections outside the town!"

"Your mission is to hold off the enemy's assault at all costs!"

"Delay them for at least one hour!"

"In one hour, our reinforcements will arrive!"

One battalion commander asked with some concern.

"Regimental Commander, we only have two battalions, while the enemy has two regiments. We don't have the numerical advantage."

Felipe gave a cold laugh.

"Who says we only have two battalions?"

He pointed at the menacing attack helicopters on the apron.

"We also have fifty attack helicopters! That is our greatest source of confidence!"

He looked around at everyone and issued the final order.

"WZ-10 formation, take off immediately!"

"Don't worry about ammunition consumption; hit them hard!"

"I want you to be like a swarm of annoying flies, constantly harassing them and slowing their march!"

"Tell the pilots their only goal is to ensure these rebels don't crawl into Tupiza before dawn!"

"Yes, sir!"

At Felipe's command, over twenty WZ-10s were the first to start their engines.

Whipping up a gale, they ascended into the sky, turning into hunters of the night as they pounced toward the winding dragon of fire in the distance.

Inside a department of the General Staff.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The operations staff officer pointed to a corner of the screen, where Vila-Vila, the headquarters of the rebel 4th Division, was located.

"According to intelligence, Terry Ward has mobilized almost all his mobile forces to retake Tupiza."

"Currently, the forces in Vila-Vila are extremely thin!"

The operations staff officer's voice was filled with excitement.

"I suggest we immediately dispatch a surprise force to conduct an airborne landing in Tarija City!"

His finger traced a sharp arc across the electronic map, pointing directly behind Vila-Vila.

"Tarija City is a major logistics supply point for the rebels. Taking it would effectively cut off Terry Ward's retreat!"

"Then, by launching a frontal assault from Tupiza, we can create a pincer movement and wipe out these rebels in one fell swoop!"

Oliver looked at the map, his eyes flickering.

Chief of Staff Mateo added, "Commander-in-Chief, I agree with the staff officer's suggestion."

"Terry Ward is currently focused entirely on Tupiza. He would never expect us to pull the rug out from under him like this!"

"Good!"

Oliver no longer hesitated and slammed his hand on the table.

"Let's do it!"

He grabbed the phone and connected directly to the commander of the 1st Army Aviation Brigade, Theodore.

"Theodore! I order you to split your forces immediately!"

"Dispatch a portion of the transport helicopters carrying Soldiers from the 1st Brigade of the 1st Corps to land in Tarija City!"

"Take the city at the fastest possible speed!"

"Everyone else, fly to Tupiza!"

"Tell Felipe his reinforcements are on the way!"

"Yes, sir! Mission guaranteed!"

Theodore's booming response came from the other end of the line.

Tarija City.

In the night, a massive roar approached from the distance, shattering the city's tranquility.

Dozens of large transport helicopters, like steel behemoths descending from the sky, slowly landed in an open field on the outskirts of the city.

The hatches opened, and fully armed Soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 1st Corps of the National Defense Force filed out and quickly assembled.

The people in the city were awakened by the massive commotion.

At first, they thought the rebels were up to some new mischief, and they were all too scared to step outside.

But when they peeked through their window cracks and saw the familiar National Defense Force patches on the Soldiers' arms, the entire city erupted.

"It's the National Defense Force! The National Defense Force is back!"

"My God! We're saved!"

It was unclear who shouted first, but soon, countless doors were pushed open.

Citizens spontaneously ran out of their homes, their faces filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

Since the 4th Division rebelled and occupied this place, their lives had been miserable.

Those rebels were nothing more than a gang of bandits in uniform, committing extortion and every kind of evil.

Now, the regular army was back!

"Long live the National Defense Force!"

"Quick! Lead the way for the Soldiers!"

"I know where the rebels' armory is!"

The enthusiasm of the people exceeded the Soldiers' expectations.