119: Chapter 119 Iron Fist Strikes: The Lament of Myitkyina and the Steel Torrent

During the 24 hours of the ultimatum, every second felt like being fried in a pan for the defenders of Myitkyina.

Although Gan Shuang had received repeated assurances from William, he had no confidence at all as he watched his soldiers panic, with some even starting to desert in secret.

To save his life, he urgently mobilized three brigades of troops and constructed three lines of defense along the border. Trench after trench was dug, mines were laid densely, and anti-tank obstacles stood at intersections like Tombstones in a mass grave.

He also specifically hid several M777 ultra-light howitzers that William had just brought in on the reverse slope positions in the deep mountains, hoping these USA divine weapons could give Zhang Cheng's armored units a head-on blow, or at least stall for some time.

Time passed minute by minute.

When the clock hand crossed the last mark and the countdown hit zero, the earth suddenly trembled.

It wasn't the vibration of thousands of horses galloping, but a low roar that seemed to come from the depths of hell—the resonance produced by a cluster of high-power diesel engines.

“They're here!” a soldier at the forward observation post shouted in terror, his voice trembling.

In the sky, dozens of black dots rapidly grew larger.

“Tut-tut-tut-tut—”

That was the sound of Black Hawk attack helicopter rotors tearing through the air! Dozens of helicopters formed an attack formation, skimming low over the treetops. The gale kicked up by the rotors pressed the vegetation down, and the rocket pods and missiles mounted under the fuselages were like the fangs of the Grim Reaper.

They were in no hurry to fire; instead, like a flock of proud falcons, they circled the perimeter of the defense line, their infrared sensors coldly watching the ants below.

Just as the defenders were still wondering why they hadn't started bombing yet, the jungle on the ground was suddenly torn apart!

“Rumble—”

Towering trees were snapped and pushed down one after another.

M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tanks painted in desert digital camouflage, like beasts released from a cage, charged directly out of the seemingly impassable dense forest! Their tracks crushed the shrubs, their turrets rotated, and the black muzzles of their 120mm smoothbore guns pointed forward.

“Tanks! It's those unkillable tanks of Zhang Cheng's!”

Before the KIA soldiers could even pull their triggers, the tanks' muzzles spat fire.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Precise high-explosive shells smashed directly into the defenders' bunkers and machine gun nests. Rubble, concrete fragments, and severed limbs flew everywhere. Immediately afterward, the coaxial machine guns and roof-mounted remote weapon stations began firing frantically, the dense hail of bullets harvesting the soldiers who showed their heads in the trenches like wheat.

“Anti-tank missiles! Quick! Use the TOWs! Use the javelins!” Gan Shuang roared in the forward command post, his voice cracking from the strain.

Several TOW anti-tank missiles trailed exhaust flames, pouncing like venomous snakes toward the lead tanks.

“Die! You tin cans!” an operator sneered as he pressed the launch button.

However, those tanks seemed to have eyes. The Trophy active protection systems on the turrets activated instantly, radars locked onto the incoming targets, and interceptors were fired.

“Bang! Bang!”

Fireballs bloomed in mid-air a dozen meters from the tanks! The missiles were blown apart directly!

As the smoke cleared, those steel behemoths were unscathed, not even slowing down in the slightest as they continued to roar forward and crush everything.

This was no longer just a matter of a generational gap in equipment; this was despair! A total, helpless despair!

“Artillery! Where is our artillery?! Fire! Stop them!” Gan Shuang shouted desperately.

In the deep mountains, the hidden M777 howitzers finally opened fire. Several shells landed on the path of the advance, kicking up plumes of dirt.

But before they could fire a second salvo, the Black Hawk helicopters circling in the sky moved.

Drones had long since locked onto the positions of the artillery batteries, and the data link instantly transmitted the coordinates to the helicopter fleet.

“Target locked. Hellfire, launch.”

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—”

Dozens of Hellfire missiles whistled down, precisely tunneling into the reverse slope positions.

“Rumble—”

Violent secondary explosions echoed through the valley as flames soared into the sky. The artillery regiment Gan Shuang was so proud of, along with those expensive USA goods, was instantly turned into a pile of scrap metal.

“It's over...” Gan Shuang slumped to the ground, his face ashen.

The first line of defense was breached in half an hour.

The second line was pierced through in an hour.

Zhang Cheng's mechanized brigade was like a red-hot knife cutting through butter, incredibly smooth. The armored cluster commanded by T-01 didn't bother engaging the infantry; they used high mobility to penetrate and divide, cutting the KIA forces into isolated small pieces to be mopped up by the following infantry fighting vehicles and mountain brigades.

This wasn't a battle; it was an armed parade!

What made Gan Shuang collapse even further was that his communication system was completely paralyzed. All radio channels were filled with piercing noise and a looping surrender broadcast:

“Kachin brothers, lay down your weapons! Chairman Zhang Cheng only punishes the ringleaders and treats prisoners well! Don't throw your lives away for Gan Shuang and the USA! If you don't want to die, lie on the ground!”

This psychological warfare was more ruthless than shells. The KIA soldiers, whose morale was already low, threw down their weapons and surrendered in entire units.

Inside Myitkyina city, everything had turned into a mess.

Seeing that the situation was lost, William didn't care about his 'advisor' dignity anymore. He took a few bodyguards, hijacked a jeep, and attempted to flee toward the border.

“Take me with you! Mr. William! Take me with you!” Gan Shuang rushed out, clinging desperately to the car door, his eyes full of pleading.

“Get lost! You useless trash!” William kicked Gan Shuang in the face, sending him tumbling, his face covered in blood.

“You have no value anymore!” William left behind these cold words, stepped on the gas, and the jeep sped away.

Gan Shuang lay on the ground, watching the receding car with a mouth full of blood and eyes filled with resentment. He knew he had been completely abandoned.

...

“Sovereign, the enemy defense lines have completely collapsed. T-01 is only five kilometers from Myitkyina,” Old K reported from the Bangkok Camp.

Zhang Cheng looked at the blue arrows representing his troops on the screen. His face showed no emotion, as if all of this was within his expectations.

“Tell T-01 not to be in a hurry to occupy the government buildings after entering the city.”

Zhang Cheng's eyes were as cold as ice, and his fingers tapped lightly on the table:

“First, block those USA 'military advisor groups' for me. Seal off all exits from the city, especially the small paths leading to the border. Don't let a single one escape.”

“Since they came, they have to leave something behind. Even if it's just a corpse, it can serve as fertilizer.”