278: Chapter 278 Intercepting the "Blunt Knife"

"The myth of the Squid Nation's security has been shattered! Completely and utterly!"

Governments around the world reacted differently.

Western governments issued statements "condemning all forms of assassination and terrorist acts."

But at the same time, they were forced to "urge all parties to maintain maximum restraint."

The tone was awkward and solemn.

Intelligence agencies in many countries began a frenzy of analysis—what kind of support network was behind Sinwar?

In the Arab world, public sentiment was boiling over.

Sinwar and the "Liquidation" operation became symbols of the weak resisting the strong and successful revenge.

Houssa issued a brief statement in Sana'a.

"The aggressors must pay the price for their crimes."

He warned: "Any force attempting to replicate similar acts of aggression in the Red Sea will face unpredictable consequences."

He subtly linked the deterrence in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with the assassinations in Gaza.

Tensions in the Middle East spiked instantly.

Tel Aviv.

Office of the Minister of Defense.

Lavitz finished watching the video.

He sat motionless in his chair, silent.

The adjutant knocked cautiously on the door.

"Minister? The emergency cabinet meeting..."

Lavitz slowly raised his head.

The adjutant was startled—the Minister's eyes were bloodshot, and his face was ashen, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

"Minister, you..."

"Help me up," Lavitz's voice was raspy.

When he stood up, his steps were unsteady, and he nearly fell.

The adjutant quickly supported him.

"Cancel all public appearances," Lavitz said. "The Ministry of Defense is to enter a state of maximum alert."

"Yes, sir."

“And...” Lavitz paused, “assign three more teams of bodyguards to my home.”

The adjutant was stunned. “But Minister, there is already a company of troops stationed near your home...”

“Add more!” Lavitz suddenly growled. “Don't you understand?! If they could kill Nissim, they can kill me! Add three teams! No, five teams!”

His voice was trembling.

The adjutant didn't dare ask further. “Yes, I will arrange it immediately.”

Emergency cabinet meeting.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

No one spoke.

There were only occasional, muffled coughs.

A senior member of parliament finally couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence.

“If they could kill Nissim and Bar, they can kill any of us!”

His voice was on the verge of breaking down.

“How are we supposed to fight this war?! Are we supposed to command from bulletproof cars and sleep in safes?!”

No one answered.

Another minister whispered, “Perhaps... perhaps we should re-evaluate our strategy for Gaza.”

“Consider a real ceasefire.”

“Ceasefire?” a hardliner snapped his head up. “A ceasefire now? Then what were all our previous sacrifices for?!”

“They were for nothing!” the senior MP slammed the table. “But at least we'd be alive! Do you want to be the thirteenth on that list?!”

An argument broke out.

But it soon subsided into silence.

Because everyone knew in their hearts—fear had already been planted.

For the first time, they truly realized that the enemy could do more than just destroy tanks.

They could slip into their homes like ghosts.

And deliver death to their pillows.

Naypyidaw, Presidential Palace.

Zhang Cheng turned off the news summary screen.

“The effect is good,” he said to Old K. “The knife that is Sinwar was used with great precision.”

Old K nodded. “Lavitz's psychological defenses have already collapsed.”

“Notify Sinwar,” Zhang Cheng ordered. “The ‘Liquidation’ operation was a complete success; give it the highest evaluation.”

“Next, shift to the defense and public opinion consolidation phase.”

“Have ‘Gaza's Eyes’ continue producing content, appropriately leaking the state of panic among the Squid Nation's top brass.”

“Further demoralize them.”

“At the same time, increase material supplies to Sinwar, especially medicine and high-end reconnaissance equipment.”

“Ensure they can withstand the retaliatory bombings.”

Old K recorded the orders. “Yes, sir.”

“In addition,” Zhang Cheng thought for a moment, “send a commendation to Houssa.”

“His tough stance in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has objectively shared the pressure.”

“Tell him I can consider providing the ‘YJ-18’ systems he requested in batches.”

“But demand that he must establish a more complete coastal defense system controlled by our core Death Soldiers.”

Old K: “Understood.”

Zhang Cheng walked to the window.

The sky over Naypyidaw was gradually brightening.

The two fires in the Middle East, one in Gaza and one in the Red Sea, were burning fiercely, echoing each other.

Old K was just about to leave.

The door to the control room was suddenly pushed open.

Li Lanzhi walked in quickly, holding a piece of intelligence that had just been decrypted.

Her expression was grave.

“President.”

“NSA monitoring shows that the American ‘Gray Wolf’ special forces have been secretly deployed to the Diego Garcia Base.”

“Their mission briefing mentions ‘decapitation’ and ‘infiltration support.’”

Zhang Cheng turned around.

His eyes turned cold.

Naypyidaw, Presidential Palace Underground Command Center.

The intelligence page in Li Lanzhi's hand looked somewhat glaring under the lights. The last few words she read out caused the air in the control room to freeze instantly.

“The American ‘Gray Wolf’ special forces have been secretly deployed to the Ubon Ratchathani Air Force Base in Thailand. According to cross-verification from internal NSA channels, their mission briefing is codenamed ‘Operation Blunt Knife.’ The core objective: infiltrate our federal territory to carry out destructive strikes on key infrastructure or command nodes, or... execute a decapitation of high-value targets.”

Old K's gaze suddenly became as sharp as an eagle's. “Gray Wolf... the US Army's top special operations unit, often coordinating with Delta Force. Experts in long-range infiltration, surgical strikes, and strategic sabotage. If they've appeared in Thailand, their target can only be us.”

Zhang Cheng didn't speak immediately. He walked back to the massive circular screen, his fingers sliding rapidly across the console. A satellite map was pulled up, focusing on the Myanmar-Thailand border, especially the continuous mountain ranges where eastern Shan State meets Thailand's Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son.

“Specific scale? Predicted infiltration routes?” he asked, his voice steady and showing no emotion.

Li Lanzhi quickly pulled up the follow-up data: “Intelligence indicates a full Operational Detachment of about 60 people. Divided into a command group, assault group, sniper/reconnaissance group, communications/electronic warfare group, and logistics support group. Equipment is expected to include modified MH-60M ‘Pave Hawk’ stealth helicopters, all-terrain vehicles, prototype individual exoskeletons, and the latest individual communication and reconnaissance kits.”

“Infiltration routes,” Old K took over, walking to the map and tracing several possible paths with his finger, “most likely utilizing the complex border terrain, entering eastern Shan State from the Thai side via foot or low-altitude infiltration, then moving inland. Target areas... could be military and political facilities in Naypyidaw or Mandalay, energy infrastructure at Kyaukpyu Port, or...”

He looked at Zhang Cheng: “The Presidential Palace itself.”

“Decapitate me?” Zhang Cheng laughed, a laugh devoid of any warmth. “Lavitz can't sleep in Tel Aviv, so the gentlemen in Washington want to make sure I can't sleep soundly in Naypyidaw either? A nice idea, but unfortunately...”