139: Chapter 139 Bloodstained Midnight: A Desperate Charge Under Technological Overwhelm

Naypyidaw

Min Aung Hlaing received a new battle report, and his face darkened again.

"Zhang Cheng... he does not play by the rules," he muttered.

Originally, he had thought that Zhang Cheng would launch a reckless assault regardless of casualties, which would have allowed him to use tunnel tactics to deplete the enemy's manpower. Once Zhang Cheng's troops were exhausted, he would launch a counterattack.

But now, Zhang Cheng had switched to a smarter and more vicious tactic—not rushing to break through, but patiently cleaning out the tunnels inch by inch.

At this rate, the first line of defense would last at most two more days.

"General, there is news from the international community." The Chief of Staff came in with a telegram. "The USA, UK, France, Japan, and eight other countries have issued a joint statement, calling on both sides to cease fire immediately and resolve the dispute through negotiations."

"Negotiations?" Min Aung Hlaing sneered. "Will Zhang Cheng negotiate?"

"The statement says... if Zhang Cheng refuses to negotiate, they will consider implementing an arms embargo and further sanctions."

"Arms embargo?" Min Aung Hlaing acted as if he had heard a joke. "Zhang Cheng's weapons are made by himself! An embargo is useless!"

He walked to the map and looked at the defensive deployment of the Mandalay urban area.

"How is the second line of defense prepared?"

"It is ready," said the Chief of Staff. "Based on the old city walls and factory areas, a complete defense system has been built. We have stored enough food and ammunition in the city to last for three months, and we have also mobilized fifty thousand militiamen..."

"Not enough." Min Aung Hlaing interrupted him. "Defense alone is not enough. I want a counterattack. Before Zhang Cheng completely breaks through the first line of defense, launch a large-scale night raid."

"Night raid?"

"Yes." A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Min Aung Hlaing's eyes. "Zhang Cheng's troops are very powerful during the day, but what about at night? Their drones and helicopters will have reduced effectiveness at night. We will sneak up under the cover of night and catch him off guard."

This was a bold plan, and also a desperate gamble.

If it succeeded, perhaps it could severely damage Zhang Cheng's vanguard troops or even turn the tide of the war.

If it failed...

Min Aung Hlaing dared not think about it.

"Order the frontline troops to launch a full-scale night raid at midnight tonight." He said every word clearly. "Tell the soldiers that this is the battle that decides the life and death of Myanmar. If we win, the country is safe; if we lose, everything is over."

"Yes!"

The order was passed down.

The first day of the Mandalay campaign ended in a bloody tug-of-war.

And a more brutal night battle was about to begin.

Zhang Cheng's troops were about to face the largest night raid since the founding of their army.

And what Min Aung Hlaing did not know was—Zhang Cheng's "Sky Dome" system had all-weather combat capabilities.

Night vision goggles, thermal imaging, low-light cameras... these pieces of equipment made the night like daylight for Zhang Cheng's troops.

North of Mandalay, midnight.

Thick dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and the battlefield was pitch black. Only sporadic sparks flickered in the distance; those were the armored vehicles destroyed during the day that were still burning.

Behind the first line of defense, at the Myanmar Army assembly point, five thousand selected assault troops were silently organizing their equipment. Most of them were only equipped with AK-47 rifles and a small number of RPG-7 rocket launchers, with two or three grenades hanging from their waists, and their faces were painted with black mud to reduce reflection.

"Brothers, this is our last chance." A captain with a scar on his face gave a low lecture in front of the team. The tactical tablet in his hand was displaying direct orders from Naypyidaw. "General Min Aung Hlaing has personally ordered that tonight we must show the fighting spirit of Myanmar soldiers!"

The soldiers were silent, their eyes mixed with fear and determination. Many of them had already heard the news from Naypyidaw—General Min Aung Hlaing was sitting in the capital, mobilizing the remaining elite troops in the country to move north for reinforcements, while frantically seeking support internationally.

"The General has already received new aid." The scarred captain lowered his voice. "Friends from the north sent a batch of night vision equipment. Although the quantity is not large, it is enough for our elite teams to use."

Several squad leaders brought over a few boxes containing twenty sets of old Soviet-made PN-14 night vision goggles and fifty AK rifles equipped with infrared laser pointers. These things were ridiculously primitive in front of Zhang Cheng's troops, but for these Myanmar Army soldiers, they were already "high-tech equipment" capable of changing the tide of the war.

"Our mission is simple: infiltrate under the cover of darkness, wipe out Zhang Cheng's forward observation posts, and destroy as many armored vehicles as possible." The captain pointed to several red dots on the map. "Especially these 'Iron Claw' mechanical dog charging stations. As long as we can destroy them, the pressure tomorrow during the day will be much less."

He looked at his luminous watch: "At 00:30, we set off on time. Remember, this is not a suicide mission—as long as the mission is completed, everyone will be promoted by one rank, and their families will receive permanent residency and subsidies in Naypyidaw!"

Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men. The soldiers' eyes began to glow.

Five kilometers away, at the "Titan" Division forward command post.

Zhang Cheng looked at the light spots representing the Myanmar Army assault teams on the holographic combat map, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Do they really think the night is their ally?" He turned to Old K. "Infrared signals show they have obtained some night vision equipment."

"Very primitive models." Old K pulled up the analysis data. "Soviet-made PN-14, effective distance no more than 150 meters, severe ghosting, battery life only three hours. Compared to our troops' AN/PVS-31 fourth-generation night vision goggles, they are simply not in the same era."

"But it's enough for them to see our sentries." Zhao Yuxun interjected. "Do we need to adjust the deployment?"

"No need." Zhang Cheng waved his hand. "Let them see. Order the forward sentries to withdraw into underground bunkers. Set up the 'Iron Claw' charging stations as bait—put a few mechanical dogs waiting for repair inside, and bury anti-personnel mines around them."

He walked to the screen, his fingers sweeping across several areas: "The Myanmar Army's target must be these high-value targets. We will let them 'successfully' infiltrate, and then..."

Zhang Cheng made a closing gesture: "Close the door and beat the dog."

"Understood!"

At 00:30, the Myanmar Army assault teams set off on time.

Twenty squads equipped with night vision goggles led the way, followed by the main force. Through the green night vision view, they could vaguely see the outline of Zhang Cheng's unit positions—silent, with only a few searchlights scanning slowly.

"Too quiet." An ominous premonition surged in the scarred captain's heart, but the arrow was on the bow and had to be fired. "According to the plan, split up and act."

The assault team was divided into more than a dozen groups, sneaking towards the predetermined targets.

The first group's target was a position suspected to be a command vehicle. Four soldiers approached silently, used pliers to cut the barbed wire, and crawled through the minefield—most of the mines had been detonated during the shelling during the day, leaving a safe passage.

Fifty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters...

The leading soldier could already see the outline of the vehicle. He raised the RPG-7, aimed, and pulled the trigger—

"Whoosh—Boom!"

The rocket accurately hit the target! But in the explosion, the vehicle was only overturned and did not explode.

"It's a fake!" the soldier exclaimed.

Before the voice fell, blinding bright lights suddenly lit up around them! More than a dozen high-power searchlights turned on simultaneously, illuminating the area like daylight!

"It's a trap! Retreat!"

But it was too late.

"Da-da-da-da—!"

The machine guns in the bunkers opened fire. The machine gunners equipped with thermal imaging sights did not need to aim with the naked eye, and the bullets drilled into the bodies of the Myanmar Army soldiers as if they had eyes.

Meanwhile, other groups also encountered similar ambushes.

The second group successfully approached an "Iron Claw" charging station. They used explosives to blow up the charging piles and the three mechanical dogs inside. Before they could celebrate, the ground suddenly exploded—anti-personnel bounding mines popped up from the ground and exploded in mid-air, with steel balls covering a radius of twenty meters.

The third group was even worse. They thought they had discovered Zhang Cheng's artillery position, but as soon as they sneaked in, they were locked on by the automatic alert system. Four remote weapon stations hidden under camouflage nets opened fire simultaneously, and 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets tore a dozen soldiers into pieces.

"Retreat! Full retreat!" The scarred captain roared on the radio.

But the retreat route had already been blocked.

The sound of propellers came from the sky—not an apache, but the MQ-8 "Fire Scout" drone specifically used for night reconnaissance. These small drones were equipped with infrared and low-light sensors, hovering like ghosts in the night, transmitting the positions of the Myanmar Army soldiers back to the rear in real-time.

Immediately after, the real "Iron Claw" mechanical dogs were dispatched.

Three hundred mechanical dogs swarmed from all directions. Their thermal imaging sensors saw clearly in the night, and the tracer bullets of the 7.62mm machine guns drew fatal trajectories in the night sky. The Myanmar Army soldiers' night vision goggles completely failed under the strong light interference, rendering them blind.

"I can't see!"

"Where to run? Where to run!"

Chaos, total chaos.

Some soldiers collapsed, threw away their weapons, and knelt down to surrender. Others were still resisting, but most of their bullets hit empty space, and occasionally hitting a mechanical dog caused no fatal damage.

The scarred captain took the last few dozen personal guards and hid in a partially collapsed bunker. He panted, looking at the battlefield outside which was like a hunting ground, and despair welled up in his heart.

"Captain, we..." a young soldier said tremblingly.

"Shut up!" The captain gritted his teeth. "Hold on until dawn, wait for reinforcements..."

Before he finished speaking, a "click" sound came from the top of the bunker.

They looked up and saw a cylindrical object thrown in from the damaged roof.

"Gren—"

"Boom!"

The thermobaric grenade exploded, instantly emptying the oxygen in the bunker, and the high temperature and shockwave killed everyone.

Five hundred kilometers from Mandalay, Naypyidaw, Ministry of Defense Command Center.

Min Aung Hlaing stared at the big screen, his face ashen. On the screen were sporadic images sent back from the front line—most communications had been interrupted, but satellite images and a few drones that were still working transmitted some of the battlefield conditions.

He saw the moment the searchlights suddenly turned on, and saw his soldiers being hunted like prey.

"Five thousand people... five thousand of the most elite assault troops..." His voice was trembling.

"General, the second batch of aid supplies from the north has arrived at the border." The Chief of Staff said cautiously. "Including more night vision goggles, and... 'Kornet' anti-tank missiles."

"Is it useful?" Min Aung Hlaing smiled miserably. "Zhang Cheng's troops can even turn the night into day! We take these outdated equipment to fight against a future army?"

He walked to the window and looked at the silent night of Naypyidaw. This city had not yet been affected by the war, but panic was spreading. The rich began to flee, politicians were secretly connecting, and even within the army, different voices appeared.

"That old thing, Wu Than Shwe, did he go to contact Zhang Cheng again?" Min Aung Hlaing asked suddenly.

The Chief of Staff lowered his head: "Intelligence shows that General Than Shwe's nephew went to Lashio secretly yesterday..."

"Traitors! All traitors!" Min Aung Hlaing punched the windowsill. "Tell the front line to continue holding! I have mobilized the 88th and 99th Mechanized Divisions from Yangon to move north, and they will reach Mandalay within three days! Just hold on for three more days!"

"But General, Mandalay's food reserves are only enough for a week, and the ammunition..."

"Then let the soldiers save ammunition! Make the common people hand over their food!" A hint of madness flashed in Min Aung Hlaing's eyes. "This is a war of national defense! Everyone must make sacrifices!"

He looked at the satellite map of Mandalay on the screen. The city had sparse lights in the night—to prevent air strikes, strict light control was implemented throughout the city.

"Zhang Cheng, you want to take Mandalay?" Min Aung Hlaing muttered to himself. "Then I will let you bleed dry here. Mandalay will become the second Stalingrad. Every building, every street, I will make you pay with corpses!"

Mandalay front line, 3 AM.

The battle was basically over. Five thousand Myanmar Army assault troops, more than 3,200 killed, 1,100 captured, and the rest were scattered. Zhang Cheng's troops suffered minimal losses—twenty-three mechanical dogs damaged, some ammunition consumed, casualties: seven dead, fifteen injured.

In the command vehicle, Zhao Yuxun was reporting the results: "...The Myanmar Army's night raid failed completely. But we found a problem."

"Speak."

"They clearly had tactical coordination during the attack, and they focused on attacking our logistics nodes." Zhao Yuxun pulled up several photos. "This shows they received intelligence support, and it is very likely they have an inside line, or... have higher-level reconnaissance means."

Zhang Cheng narrowed his eyes: "Drones?"

"Our electronic reconnaissance found some abnormal radio signals. The frequency and coding methods are not commonly used by the Myanmar Army." Old K interjected. "We are analyzing it, but the preliminary judgment is that a third party may be providing intelligence support."

"The north?" Zhang Cheng thought of a certain major power immediately.

"It cannot be ruled out." Old K said. "Min Aung Hlaing is frantically active in Naypyidaw, trying to rope in all the forces he can. According to 'Shadow Blade' intelligence, at least four batches of foreign military advisors have secretly entered Myanmar in the last week."

Zhang Cheng laughed: "Interesting. Then let them see what kind of military advisor can stop our steel torrent."

He stood up and walked to the operational map: "Order the troops to rest until dawn. Starting tomorrow, change tactics."

"No more forced breakthrough?"

"No." Zhang Cheng pointed to the Mandalay urban area. "Since they want to fight urban warfare and want to turn Mandalay into a meat grinder, we will change the way we play."

He looked at Old K: "How is the 'Swarm' system prepared?"

"Five hundred reconnaissance types, three hundred attack types, all in place."

"After dawn tomorrow, conduct all-weather non-stop reconnaissance. I want every Myanmar Army firepower point, every line of defense, and every command post in the Mandalay urban area to be clearly marked on the map."

He looked at Zhao Yuxun again: "The engineering troops should strengthen tunnel operations. Since the Myanmar Army likes tunnels, we will dig more tunnels—dig directly under their positions and use thermobaric bombs and incendiary bombs to solve them from underground."

Finally, he turned to the communications officer: "Contact the rear and tell Li Lanzhi to speed up the production of 'special equipment.' In this battle of Mandalay, I want to take it down with the lowest casualty cost. We must not only win, but win beautifully, win so that the whole world can see clearly—"

Zhang Cheng's eyes were cold: "What is called a modern urban attack battle."

The order was quickly passed down.

The sky was gradually whitening, and a new day was coming.

And the cruelest stage of the Mandalay campaign had just begun.

What Zhang Cheng's troops would demonstrate was not just the power of a steel torrent, but a brand-new form of intelligent and information-based warfare.

Min Aung Hlaing and his defenders would face a comprehensive, multi-dimensional dimensionality reduction strike from ground to underground, from reality to electromagnetic.