Chapter 45: Operation Angry Dragon (Part 10)

The squad's current position was less than a kilometer away from the pontoon bridge leading to the reservoir dam. The dense subtropical jungle and thick tall grass ahead had suddenly vanished, and this was not a natural occurrence. Upon closer inspection, the vegetation bore recent cut marks.

Clearly, this tract of forest and grass had been cleared by the garrison forces stationed here and was regularly maintained for the purpose of clearing the defensive firing arcs and creating a vast open field.

With an open area stretching over 800 meters long and more than a kilometer wide, flanked by mountains on both sides, the garrison forces only needed to station a few snipers across the way to ensure that any invading enemy would perish without a burial place—not to mention that at both ends of the pontoon bridge, two fortification bunkers stood with the dark muzzles of heavy machine guns aimed straight at the bridge ahead.

Even though this place lacked the dense cluster of booby traps or the lurking, man-eating hazards in the dark found in other military strongholds, these deployments alone meant that for any enemy daring to cast their eyes here—let alone a four-man special operations team, but even a full battalion of a main force—there would only be one outcome: total annihilation!

This open area was a veritable death zone!

A bit further away, the garrison barracks were built against the mountain on the eastern side of the dam. To their back were steep mountains, to the south lay a vast expanse of water, and to the north, several permanent fortifications had been built upon a series of undulating hills to defend the flanks of the dam and the barracks. In front of the barracks, at the center of the dam, a three-story watchtower had also been constructed.

They were already extremely close to the enemy. Even without using any reconnaissance equipment, Wu Yun could clearly sense that there was currently one Jipan soldier in each of the two fortifications at both ends of the dam, one soldier in the watchtower, and seven soldiers inside the barracks fast asleep.

It appeared that although the capital city was in total chaos and the main force stationed at the dam had been lured away, everyone still assumed that the turmoil in the city was merely a coincidence. Even if those Yakuza factions were fully involved, as long as the well-equipped and highly trained forces of the Great Jipan Empire arrived, wouldn't the enemies scatter like birds and beasts? The vigilance of the remaining troops had not reached a sufficient level, and their defense was somewhat casual.

Wu Yun grinned, then frowned.

If time permitted, the squad would naturally have had numerous ways to crack the enemy's defense. Whether launching an aerial assault using gliders or secretly wading around through the water, relying on the members' military proficiency, they could have slipped silently onto the dam and launched a fatal strike against this empty barracks of just ten men.

But right now, time was short!

Operation Furious Dragon had officially begun, and the subsequent combat phases were interlinked, leaving no room for error. Furthermore, Lei Dou and Bei Shiliang's operations had also commenced. The four-man team's actions had to be concluded within the allotted time to minimize the pressure on Lei Dou's group. Although everyone had complete confidence in Lei Dou, Wu Yun still did not want to see his brothers engaged in a bitter struggle against a mechanized force a hundred times their size!

There was only one path before them: to risk their lives crossing this death zone and launch a frontal assault against the opponent!

Wu Yun looked up at the sky, then glanced at his watch. According to the latest weather report, a violent rainstorm was set to strike the capital city and its northwestern mountainous region tonight. If so, it would bring great convenience to the concealment of the operation. Yet right now, starlight still dotted the overhead sky, showing not the slightest sign of gathering storm clouds.

"We can't wait any longer!"

Estimating the distance and the route, Wu Yun wore an indifferent expression on his face as he made his final decision.

Lang Tianyu had established a sniper post behind a large tree on a small hill. The muzzle of the .50 caliber sniper rifle slowly protruded from the dense grass, his right eye pressed against the scope while his left eye continuously observed the surrounding situation. He then lightly rubbed the communicator three times to send the signal of being in position.

Wu Yun, Song Jingang, and Luo Haoran quietly moved to the edge of the dense forest. This would be their departure line for the attack, and right in front of them lay the open field exposed to the enemy's line of sight—they had to cross this deadly zone before the enemy discovered them. The three men performed a final check on their anti-infrared camouflage combat uniforms and the weapons in their hands, then began smearing anti-infrared grease onto their exposed skin.

"Brothers, our lives are in your hands!" Once the three of them finished coating themselves and put on their night vision goggles, Wu Yun chuckled and muttered into the communicator. Lang Tianyu lightly rested his finger on the bolt of the sniper rifle and replied in his usual gloomy tone, "Got it!"

Following that single word, three figures darted swiftly out of the dense forest, spaced about twenty to twenty-five meters apart, advancing in a triangular assault formation with alternating cover, and shot like lightning straight toward the pontoon bridge!

The three men had good luck; right up until the bridgehead, the garrison on the dam had not noticed their movements. Wu Yun lunged behind a huge boulder at the bridgehead, letting the dark rock and shadow conceal his figure. Letting out a long breath, he gestured with his hand. Song Jingang and Luo Haoran quickly tucked in the cuffs and collars of their combat uniforms, prepared for armed swimming, and then slowly sank into the water, quietly slipping toward the fortifications at both ends of the dam.

Wu Yun held his breath, concentrating entirely on sensing every move of Song Jingang and Luo Haoran. Years of grueling and brutal training, coupled with repeated tempering in actual combat, had elevated the technical and tactical standards of every member of the Furious Dragon Brigade to an almost unimaginable level. The two men had descended into the water more than a kilometer away from the fortifications, yet their blind dive through the pitch-black underwater followed a completely error-free, straight trajectory along the riverbed, silently approaching the base of the fortifications.

Sensing that the two men had slipped like fish into the water about a meter beneath the base of the fortifications, Wu Yun suddenly leaped to his feet and charged like a whirlwind onto the pontoon bridge.

The pontoon bridge, made of synthetic resin similar to round oil drums, was sturdy yet very light, bobbing and weaving on the water's surface. Yet Wu Yun ran across it as if on solid ground. His combat boots struck the bridge body, producing a rapid series of pattering footsteps that blended together like a rainstorm beating against lotus leaves, and in a flash, he rushed forward dozens of meters.

The abnormal commotion instantly alerted the soldier on the watchtower. The sentinel whipped around, immediately pointing a .32 automatic rifle at Wu Yun running across the bridge.

"Strike!" Wu Yun uttered softly. On the hilltop, Lang Tianyu slowly exhaled a breath and gently squeezed the trigger. The .50 caliber rifle, equipped with a silencer, made a muffled "thump." A 12.7mm heavy bullet instantly crossed a distance of over a thousand meters, precisely piercing the sentinel's forehead. A burst of blood exploded in the air, and the sentinel crashed to the ground!