274: Side Story ● The Desperate Situation of the Three Kingdoms 1

The wind in the Kashmir region was coarse and dry.

Carrying the sand of the Gobi and the chill of the snow-capped mountains, it swept across this land that had weathered so much.

It blew over trenches riddled with bullet marks and bloodstains, and swept past charred, tattered military flags.

It wailed among the twisted steel wreckage, as if recounting countless unfulfilled oaths and eternal disputes.

Major General Arif stood outside the makeshift command tent, his crisp military uniform already covered in a thin layer of yellow sand.

In his hand, he clutched the frontline battle report just delivered by a communications soldier, the edges of the paper slightly crumpled under his firm grip.

His gaze crossed the undulating hills and scattered shrubs in front, casting toward the depths of the India positions.

There, the smoke of gunpowder had not yet fully dispersed, hanging over the skyline like an ominous haze.

Inside the tent, the continuous "buzzing" of radio static and the sounds of conversation mixed together, forming a strange background noise with the wind outside.

Reports of victory from the front line came through the radio waves again and again, striking this land repeatedly scorched by war, and also striking the hearts of every Pakistan soldier.

"Major General!"

The young communications soldier ran over quickly again, his face glowing with a mix of exhaustion and excitement.

Dust was plastered on his sweat-dampened cheeks, but it could not hide the excitement flickering in his eyes.

"The 'Sky Dragon' drone swarm has completed its third round of saturation bombing! Confirmed results: India's three main artillery positions in the southern Kashmir region, codenamed 'Grizzly', 'Bastion', and 'Fireblade', have been completely destroyed!"

"Their division-level forward communications hub, 'Echo Station', has also been precisely eliminated and blown to ruins!"

Major General Arif nodded slightly, his face devoid of any frivolous joy, showing only the composure and coldness of a veteran of the battlefield.

He raised his hand and, with the back of his white-gloved hand, gently wiped away the sand accumulated on his forehead and a trace of imperceptible sweat.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the wind, carrying unquestionable majesty and decisiveness.

"Order the First Armored Division to follow up immediately. Follow the southern gap torn open by the drones and advance at full speed."

"Tell Major General Rashid that I need him to take the 'Eagles Nest' highlands west of Rawalpindi before sunset."

"Occupying that place will allow us to overlook and control with fire the two main supply roads leading to the heart of India, completely cutting off the retreat of their remaining forces in the Kashmir region, and splitting their defense system in two."

"Yes! General!"

The communications soldier stood at attention, saluted, turned around, and ran quickly back to the communications vehicle.

This was the first time in months, after Major General Arif had painstakingly reorganized the army and deployed the advanced equipment provided by his mysterious ally from the East, Li Yi.

The Pakistan army launched a comprehensive strategic counterattack against their archenemy, India.

Every step of the advance, every encounter, was not just about the outcome of a single battle.

It was more about whether the long-lost dignity of Pakistan could be regained, and about the future destiny of the nation.

The stars on his shoulders carried the expectations of the entire nation.

He turned and walked back inside the tent.

On the massive tactical sand table and electronic display screens, the blue arrows representing the Pakistan army were fiercely piercing into the red areas controlled by India from multiple directions, like several unsheathed sharp swords.

The arrows mainly originated from the Kashmir region, pointing sharply toward the heart of India.

Major General Arif stared at the dense markings, contour lines, and friendly/enemy symbols on the map, his thoughts drifting away for a moment.

He recalled the meeting a few months ago with the young arms dealer named Li Yi.

In exchange for 10 billion tons of coal that Pakistan might be able to mine in the future, which seemed out of reach, he had obtained the terrifying armed force now under his command—

Thousands of sets of the "Tianlei Series Anti-Aircraft Missile" system covering both high and low altitudes.

Thousands of steel-beast-like "Fierce Rhino" main battle tanks and "Fierce Tiger" armored personnel carriers.

And the "Sky Dragon" drone swarm that had completely changed the rules of the battlefield...

It was these advanced pieces of equipment, continuously transported in, that had armed the originally slightly bloated and backward Pakistan army into today's sharp-edged, almost fully mechanized torrent of steel.

This blade, forged from resources and future promises, was finally going to strike hard at their archenemy today, attempting to sever in one fell swoop the shackles that had entangled Kashmir for decades.

"Major General," the voice of the operations staff officer pulled him back from his memories to reality.

The staff officer pointed to a path marked with a red dashed line on the sand table, his expression serious.

"We just received the latest intelligence from the drone reconnaissance unit 'Falcon Eye'."

"On the India side, their elite 7th Mountain Group Army's 19th Infantry Division and 11th Armored Brigade are urgently maneuvering from the Punjab region, attempting to reinforce the Kashmir theater."

"Their lead armored convoy has already crossed Chandigarh, and the estimated time for them to reach the Kashmir front is..."

He looked down at his watch, "About fourteen hours from now."

"However, our two 'Sky Dragon' drone attack formations have been ordered to move out and are locking onto their marching column. It is expected that in two hours, when they enter the canyon area, we can launch a precise ambush."

Major General Arif's mouth curled into a cold arc, a smile belonging to a hunter who had everything under control.

He walked to the sand table, his gaze as sharp as a knife, as if he could pierce through the sand table and see the enemy army marching in a hurry in the distance.

"The 7th Group Army? Hmph, that old guy Rajesh Kumar, his reaction isn't slow, but it's still too late."

He snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"Do they think that, just like in the past few decades, as long as they press all their defensive focus and elite troops onto this Kashmir line, relying on the rugged mountains and troop density, they can block the will of our Pakistan forever?"

His finger tapped heavily on the model representing the 'Eagles Nest' highlands, and then he slashed forward forcefully, pointing toward the interior of India.

"Pass the order to all frontline commanders, especially Rashid of the First Armored Division and the Third Mechanized Infantry Division flanking on the side!"

"Tell them, the pace of the attack must not slow down! What I want is not to rout, but to annihilate! Not to push back, but to crush!"

"The advance speed of the armored units must be faster!"

"Use our absolute advantage in mobility to disrupt their deployment, and before their reinforcements arrive, eat up all their main forces in Kashmir!"

His voice raised a few decibels, carrying the will of iron and fire, echoing inside the command tent.

"I want those lords in New Delhi, and their arrogant generals, to know clearly—the days of their illegal occupation of Kashmir are over, starting from today!"