Ten minutes later, at the entrance of the valley cave, Luo Zheng rushed out with a group of people, shocked at the devastated valley. In the middle of the valley, there were three large pits connected together, with soil blasted open everywhere. A lot of earth from the cliff also collapsed and fell onto the valley floor, turning the once flat valley into a rugged terrain, making passage impossible.
The only consolation was that the missiles hadn't fallen into the trenches at the valley entrance; otherwise, all their efforts would have been in vain. Walking from the cave to the trenches now required passing over a large blasted pit, adding considerable difficulty and taking much more ti. Luo Zheng's expression beca serious.
"These pits will affect the speed of troop movent. We must prepare in advance, mainly with ammunition. The trenches need to be sufficiently stocked, as transferring supplies later will be troubleso," Lan Xue reminded softly.
"Indeed, the road is hard to pass now," Luo Zheng said gravely, looking up at the sky, and pursued through the earpiece: "Headquarters, what's the situation at the enemy missile base now?"
"It's great to hear your voices; it ans everyone's okay and got through it. The enemy missile base is silent; they likely won't bomb again anyti soon. Missiles cost money after all," Lan Xing joked.
Upon hearing this, Luo Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, quickly looking at Hook and saying, "Deploy the troops into battle imdiately and stock up on ammunition."
"Understood," Hook quickly agreed and went to command the troops.
Luo Zheng turned to Wei Jian, Shadow, the Drunkard, and Snow Fox and said, "Take the anti-aircraft forces and weapons into the trenches too. The enemy will certainly use helicopters to bomb first; it'll be up to you."
"No problem," the four replied in unison and went to prepare as well.
"Scholar, Farr, Florist, and Farr, you are responsible for the anti-aircraft defense on top of the cliff. The terrain here is treacherous; enemy helicopters must fly low to attack. RPGs are enough; be careful," Luo Zheng instructed. On the battlefield, any accidents can happen, and Luo Zheng must consider every possibility, preventing any unforeseen occurrences.
The four agreed and went to prepare. Luo Zheng looked at Mountain Eagle and solemnly instructed: "Your n are scattered in the trenches; they must snipe valuable targets and eliminate enemy commanders and heavy firepower imdiately, especially enemy Stingers and heavy machine guns. You know how to proceed, be careful."
"Yes," Mountain Eagle agreed and led his squad into the trenches.
Soon, the cave entrance beca empty as everyone who received orders rushed out. Not long after, Hook ca over with Bao Li and Lang Sen, saying solemnly, "The troops are preparing for the big battle. Only three hundred n are needed in the trenches; the rest are on standby in the cave and ready to fight. Is there anything else you need to do?"
The Hook Tribe has three units stationed in the valley: Hook's guard of a thousand, Lang Sen and Bao Li each lead a unit of a thousand. Although most care for the tribe's people at other outposts, many are close by. The two together have nearly a thousand n, aning Luo Zheng can deploy two thousand of the Hook Tribe's ard forces, not counting two additional external units. Defending the position, manpower isn't a significant problem.
"This battle may result in heavy losses. It's still possible to retreat now; are you sure you want to fight to the end?" Luo Zheng's face grew solemn, asking seriously.
"Absolutely sure, leaving here would get us discovered and subjected to relentless air strikes. Staying here eliminates that worry; it's proven by the fact that three missiles only blasted three pits without causing us losses. Defending this position is the right strategy. We have to fight. The only way to secure respite and attract others to join us is to hurt the enemy in this battle. There are political and military purposes, so why not fight?" Hook said gravely.
Luo Zheng stared intently at Hook, seeing persistence and no regret in his steadfast eyes. He sighed silently, smiled, and said, "Since you've made the final decision, then fight. We can always retreat through the secret passage. But to achieve the political and military goals you ntioned, there must be casualties. I hope you're ntally prepared. As an old friend, I fully support your decision."
"Thank you," Hook expressed his gratitude.
"Enough talk. Have soone build a bonfire here; let's brew so tea. We'll command the battle right here, letting the troops see us and know we're behind them, boosting morale significantly. Let Bao Li and Lang Sen check the preparations to avoid mistakes," Luo Zheng instructed.
"Alright," Hook replied enthusiastically, agreeing wholeheartedly. After instructing Bao Li and Lang Sen on a few things, they quickly left.
Hook and Luo Zheng chatted at the cave entrance for a while. So brought over dry wood and started a fire. A few wooden stools were pulled over, a rack set up on the bonfire, and a kettle hung on it, filled with water and local tea leaves for brewing. Luo Zheng, Lan Xue, and Hook sat around the bonfire chatting casually.
After a while, Captain Li also ca over, found a place to sit, and laughed, "You're quite laid-back, brewing tea amid the impending battle and discussing strategy here on the battlefield. It's interesting; the enemy should be arriving soon. I checked the trench positions; they're all ready. No less than a thousand n will prevent the enemy from charging through."
"If the enemy loses a thousand n, they won't agree. They'll withdraw after five hundred losses. Don't worry; they'll likely adopt a siege strategy. A prolonged battle is inevitable," Luo Zheng chuckled bitterly.
"No matter, the landscape here is beautiful; treat it as a vacation. Staying for a month isn't an issue. Hook, is there enough food?" Captain Li laughed, looking at Hook.
"Enough for a month. If not, you can airdrop supplies, right?" Hook joked.
"True." Captain Li laughed.
After chatting for a while, Lang Sen and Bao Li also ca over, and everyone continued discussing the enemy's possible attack strategies. Ti passed unconsciously, and suddenly, Lan Xing's voice sounded in the earpiece: "They're here, about three kiloters from you. The enemy has stopped and seems to be preparing to dig trenches."
Luo Zheng paused, suddenly realizing a serious problem. The enemy intends to go for a protracted battle, then laughed. If there were no cave here, food and water, or secret passages leading outside, such a battle would be deadly, but with these assets, there's no worry. He sneered, "The enemy is digging trenches for a prolonged battle with us? Interesting, let them dig."
"Enemy helicopters are coming," Lan Xing's voice continued over the earpiece.
"Huh?" Luo Zheng didn't expect the enemy's ground forces to dig trenches for a prolonged battle, while their air forces couldn't wait to attack. His face tensed, and he shouted, "Anti-aircraft forces, aim and fire, take them down."
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