223: Chapter 223 Counterfeiting Technology Becomes Increasingly Advanced

Controversy, shock, anger, support, skepticism... all sorts of voices swept across the internet like a tsunami. Many military bloggers and open-source intelligence analysts immediately began a frame-by-frame analysis of the video.

"Look at 03:17. The moment the B-02 is hit by the drone, the sequence of the reactive armor blocks on the side of the hull detonating is completely consistent with real physical properties. It's very difficult for CG to look this natural."

"The distribution of dust particles kicked up by the explosion and the changes in light and shadow are flawless."

"Those drones are of an unknown model, but their flight trajectories and attack patterns are extremely professional. They are by no means comparable to ordinary homemade drones."

"The choice of ambush location, timing, firepower configuration, and retreat route... this is fucking special forces-level tactical planning! Since when did the Gaza Resistance Organization have this kind of capability?"

Faced with the surging public opinion, the Squid Nation military and officials finally reacted after nearly two hours of silence (or rather, chaos).

At seven in the evening, the military spokesperson held an emergency press conference, his face ashen.

"This afternoon, during a routine patrol in the eastern Gaza region, an armored squad of our forces was subjected to a cowardly ambush by terrorists, resulting in casualties and equipment loss," the spokesperson said in a heavy tone, though he still attempted to remain firm. "We express our deep condolences to the fallen soldiers and our sympathies to their families. The Defense Forces will investigate this to the end and take severe retaliation."

A reporter immediately raised their hand and almost shouted the question: "Mr. Spokesperson, the video circulating online shows that four 'namell' armored vehicles were completely destroyed and all soldiers were killed. Is this true? The ambushers used drone Swarms and thermobaric bombs. Does this mean the Resistance Organization's tactics and equipment have been upgraded?"

The muscles on the spokesperson's face twitched as he flatly denied it: "The video circulating online is elaborately forged and edited, designed to spread terror, mislead public opinion, and damage our morale. Its content is seriously factual incorrect. We call on the public not to believe these terrorist propaganda tools."

"Inaccurate?" another reporter pressed aggressively. "How do you explain the details in the video? Including the serial numbers of your armored vehicles, the camouflage paint, and even some of the soldiers' reactions?"

"Forgery technology is becoming increasingly advanced," the spokesperson forced out. "The terrorists and their supporters will stop at nothing. Our investigation is still ongoing, and there is no more information to disclose at this time."

However, this pale and weak "forgery theory" appeared laughable and fragile in the face of a more than four-minute-long "live-action" video with terrifyingly rich detail. Not only did most international netizens disbelieve it, but voices of doubt even began to appear within the Squid Nation itself.

"What is the military hiding?"

"If the video is fake, why don't they dare to release the real footage?"

"Are our 'namell' vehicles really that vulnerable?"

"Minister Lavitz's 'pacification within a week' now looks like a joke..."

Public opinion spiraled completely out of control. The Squid Nation military tried to control comments and delete posts, but the video had already been backed up and spread through various channels; they simply couldn't delete them fast enough. The topic "Gaza is still resisting" firmly occupied the top of social media trending lists in many countries. Numerous international human rights organizations and anti-war groups spoke out, calling for attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and questioning the "necessity" and "effectiveness" of the Squid Nation's military operations.

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Defense building in Jerusalem, Minister Lavitz's office was brightly lit. He no longer had the high-spirited appearance he'd shown on TV during the day; his face was livid as he roared at the frontline commander on the other end of the phone:

"Investigate! Find out for me! Who did this! Where did they get the equipment and training! I want to see the heads of these rats on my desk within a week! Otherwise, you can take off that uniform and get the hell out!"

However, roaring could not change the facts that had already occurred.

The boast of pacification within a week was shattered in just half a day by a loud and bloody slap from the depths of the ruins.

Arrogance requires capital. And when that capital is proven by a four-minute video to be nothing more than a pile of burning scrap metal, arrogance becomes a clown performance in the eyes of the whole world.

Naypyidaw, a secret room.

Zhang Cheng closed the news page showing the Squid Nation military spokesperson's pale defense. On another screen was the explosive growth curve of that video on TikTok, along with screenshots of front-page headlines from major global media outlets.

In front of him, a split screen displayed status reports from Sinwar and Houssa. Sinwar's was brief, just one line: [Mission accomplished, safely relocated, analyzing spoils of war.] Houssa's was longer, reporting on the progress of the training camp in the southern mountains of Yemen and a successful harassment of a Saudi Arabian border outpost.

Zhang Cheng's gaze finally fell on the freeze-frame at the end of the video—the burning armored vehicles and the phrase "We are still here."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip of the tea, which had already gone cold.

The taste seemed a bit sweeter than before.

Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

This drone operations center, located deep in the Mojave Desert, maintained a constant temperature and low light year-round, like a giant tomb buried under the sun. Hundreds of drone operators in blue jumpsuits, like ghosts resurrected in a tomb, stared at the neat rows of circular display screens in front of them, holding joysticks and stepping on rudders, deciding the fate of some corner thousands of miles away.

"Reaper Squadron, all eyes on me."

Squadron Commander Colonel William Black stood behind the central command console, his voice echoing through the hall via an encrypted channel. He was tall with an aquiline nose, and his eyes held a cold, detached appreciation for the aesthetics of violence typical of a technocrat.

"According to joint directives from the Pentagon and Tel Aviv, the 17th Expeditionary Drone Squadron is officially intervening in Operation 'Iron Shield' as of today. Our mission is simple—" He paused, his finger tracing an arc on the touchscreen to point at a red-circled area on the map, "—to turn Gaza into a transparent glass house. Every heat source, every radio, every pickup truck—as long as they dare to show their heads, we'll use the AGM-114 'Hellfire' to put a hole in them."

A suppressed murmur of excitement rippled through the hall. For these "gamers" sitting in air-conditioned rooms drinking Starbucks, this was real combat, merit, and the most beautiful footnote on a promotion resume.

"Colonel," a young pilot raised his hand, his face flushed with eager excitement, "I heard the Resistance Organization over there is still using AK-47s and homemade rockets? Are we... using F-22s to swat mosquitoes?"

A cynical curve tugged at the corner of Colonel Black's mouth: "Mosquitoes? No, Lieutenant, they don't even count as mosquitoes; at most, they're just rats in a sewer. But the President needs to demonstrate our 'precision counter-terrorism' capabilities to Congress, and Tel Aviv needs our eyes and fists. So, let's teach those Middle Eastern primitives the rules of twenty-first-century warfare."