30: Success or failure hinges on this!

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

An Iraq Air Force transport plane landed at the Basra military airport amidst a deafening roar.

The cargo door opened, and Uday stepped out wearing a crisp Republican Guard major's uniform and sunglasses.

Surrounded by a group of guards, he walked quickly down the gangway.

His expression was cold and stern, but his tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling fingertips betrayed his inner anxiety.

"Young Master Uday!"

The highest-ranking local administrative official in Basra, a chubby middle-aged man.

Accompanied by a group of subordinates, he had been waiting on the tarmac and was now approaching, sweating profusely.

"Why have you suddenly come to Basra? And to this... this kind of place?"

The official's eyes drifted toward the southeast, the direction of Fao Port, which was also the most brutal frontline of the Iran-Iraq War.

Uday took off his sunglasses and glanced at him impatiently.

"Do I need to report my itinerary to you?"

"Of course not!"

The fat official waved his hands in panic, bowing even lower.

"It's just that in Fao Port, shells don't have eyes right now; it's simply too dangerous!"

"You are a person of great importance. If anything were to happen to you, we... we couldn't bear the responsibility!"

"Nonsense!"

Uday scolded irritably.

"Do you think I don't know it's the frontline? I'm going to the frontline!"

He couldn't be bothered to waste more breath on this fat-headed fellow and gave a direct order.

"Prepare a convoy for me, the best off-road vehicles! Immediately! Right now! I'm going to Fao Port!"

"Yes! Yes!"

The official didn't dare to persuade him further and could only nod and bow as he went to make arrangements.

However, he kept his wits about him and quietly whispered a few words to his adjutant.

He told him to immediately mobilize a reinforced company from the Basra garrison, equipped with heavy weapons.

They were to follow behind Young Master Uday's convoy to ensure nothing went wrong.

An hour later, a convoy of humvees, kicking up clouds of yellow sand, arrived at Fao Port at breakneck speed.

The port had long been placed under martial law by Uday's trusted aides, and Soldiers with live ammunition were everywhere.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and the salty tang of seawater, and the muffled thuds of artillery could be heard faintly in the distance.

"Young Master!"

His trusted aide trotted over and gave a military salute with excitement.

Uday pushed him aside and strode toward the pier.

His gaze was instantly captured by the huge cargo ship quietly docked at the berth.

The oriental pearl.

The large Chinese characters on the ship's side were particularly striking in this part of Iraq.

Uday's heart rate accelerated again; he took the stairs two at a time and stepped onto the gangway.

As soon as he stepped onto the deck, his breath completely hitched.

Five!

Five huge military trucks were parked quietly in the center of the deck.

The trucks were painted in desert camouflage, full of cold metallic texture and a sense of power.

Most eye-catching were the twelve huge, side-by-side launch tubes at the rear of the trucks.

The caliber of each launch tube was terrifyingly thick, and the pitch-black muzzles exuded a terrifying aura of total destruction.

"This thing... is absolutely badass!"

Uday's eyes lit up. He couldn't help but walk forward, reaching out to stroke the cold outer wall of the launch tube with a gesture bordering on pilgrimage.

Was this the "ultimate weapon" that young man sold him?

The BM-30, "Tornado" self-propelled rocket launcher!

Just its imposing appearance was worth the price!

"Young Master Uday."

A steady voice sounded from the side.

Uday turned his head and saw a tall, dark-skinned Chinese man.

He was the captain of this ship and also one of David's Death Sworn.

The captain held a sealed document bag in his hands and respectfully handed it over.

"This is the detailed specifications and operating manual for the 'Tornado' rocket launcher. Mr. David asked me to deliver it to you personally."

Uday grabbed the document bag and tore it open impatiently.

The first thing he pulled out was the sheet recording the core specifications.

[BM-30 "Tornado" Long-Range Rocket Launcher]

[Caliber: 300 mm]

[Number of Launch Tubes: 12]

[Maximum Range: 90 km]

[Minimum Range: 20 km]

[Time for One Full Salvo: 38 seconds]

When he saw the line "Maximum Range: 90 km," Uday gasped.

Ninety kilometers?!

The Soviet-made "Grad" rocket launcher, currently the longest-range equipment in the Iraq army, only had a maximum range of just over twenty kilometers.

The range of this thing was more than four times that of the "Grad"?!

This wasn't a rocket launcher anymore; this was practically a short-range ballistic missile!

His gaze moved down further, landing on "Time for One Full Salvo: 38 seconds."

Thirty-eight seconds... twelve rounds...

A terrifying image instantly appeared in Uday's mind.

In just over half a minute, twelve 300mm rockets carrying flames of destruction...

...could blanket an area ninety kilometers away.

What a terrifying fire projection capability!

"Someone! Call the dock crane immediately! Get these five gods down for me!"

Uday clenched the specification sheet in his hand and shouted at the shore.

"Be careful! If anyone dares to bump or scratch even a little bit, I'll throw him into the sea to feed the fish!"

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

Under the careful operation of the port workers, the five brand-new "Tornado" rocket launchers were finally steadily hoisted onto the pier.

Uday paced around these five steel behemoths, liking them more the longer he looked, unable to hide the smile on his face.

He made a decision on the spot.

"These three, transport them back to Baghdad by cargo plane overnight! Send them directly to the Republican Guard's armory!"

He said, pointing to the three rocket launchers in the best condition.

Such a badass weapon must be shown to Father immediately!

"As for the remaining two," he paused and pointed to the other two.

"Leave one at Fao Port for the garrison here. The other one, come with me!"

He wanted to witness the power of this "ultimate weapon" with his own eyes!

Uday jumped into a military jeep and roared at the driver: "To the frontline command post!"

The convoy started up again, heading toward the area where the artillery fire was most intense.

In the Fao frontline command post, Major General Ahmed was at his wit's end, staring at the map.

The attacks by the Lang Country forces were becoming increasingly frantic, and his defense line was in jeopardy.

Just then, a Soldier ran in with a panicked expression.

"General! Young Master Uday is here!"

"Who?"

Ahmed was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"Young Master Uday Hussein! He... he is outside!"

Before the words had even faded, the curtain of the command post was ripped open, and Uday strode in.

"Ahmed, my old friend, aren't you happy to see me?"

Ahmed looked at the First Prince of Iraq before him, his head aching.

My ancestor, why are you coming here to cause trouble!

He hurriedly went up to meet him: "Young Master! Why have you come here? It's too dangerous!"

"Alright, alright, don't say those useless things."

Uday waved his hand impatiently and asked straight to the point.

"I'm asking you, within a ninety-kilometer radius from here, is there any Lang Country target worth me sending a 'big gift' to?"

"Ninety kilometers?"

Ahmed was stunned.

At this distance, let alone their artillery, even Air Force planes would have to take huge risks just to fly there.

Why was Young Master Uday asking this?

Uday saw his confusion and patted his shoulder triumphantly.

"Don't worry about that; just tell me if there is such a target. Something heavy-hitting and explosive!"

Ahmed pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something. He walked to the map and pointed to a spot.

"Yes! Of course there is!"

His tone carried a gnashing hatred.

"Thirty kilometers behind Abadan Port, there's a giant ammunition depot belonging to the Lang Country bastards!"

"We've bombed it with planes, shelled it with artillery, and even sent suicide squads, but we couldn't do anything to it!"

"It stores at least a third of the ammunition for their entire southern front! If we could take it out..."

"Good! That's it!"

Uday slapped his palm hard, a bloodthirsty smile appearing on his face.

This was exactly the kind of tough nut he wanted!

He noted down the precise coordinates of the ammunition depot from Ahmed and immediately walked out of the command post.

Outside, one "Tornado" rocket launcher stood tall and proud, with its twelve launch tubes pointing obliquely toward the sky.

Several of Uday's confidants were each holding an operating manual, nervously and excitedly operating the launch vehicle.

It had to be said that the manual provided by David was simply "idiot-proof" instruction, illustrated and easy to understand.

"Report, Young Master! Target coordinates entered! System self-check complete! Ready to fire at any time!"

A subordinate ran up to Uday, saluted, and reported.

Uday took a deep breath and looked at the distant sky, the direction of the Lang Country ammunition depot.

He felt the blood in his entire body boiling.

Success or failure, it all hinges on this moment!

He raised his hand and then swung it down heavily.

"Fire!"

"Yes!"

The operator slammed the red launch button!

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering boom exploded!

A ball of orange-red flames erupted from the rear of the launch tube, as a 300mm rocket, several meters long...

...trailing a long white plume of smoke, pierced through the sky with an unstoppable momentum, whistling as it flew toward the target.

Immediately after, the second, the third, the fourth...

Rocket after rocket shot into the sky, one after another, carving arcs of death in the air.

The entire earth was trembling violently.