Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

Chapter 30: War Rekindles on the Border

"What do you know!" Old Zhou glared at him. "It's precisely because it's on the border that trouble is likely to happen. What did Deputy Company Commander Lin teach us before? The calmer it is, the more vigilant we must be!"

Mentioning Lin Zhe energized the soldiers.

"Squad Leader Zhou, do you think Deputy Company Commander Lin is particularly capable now that he's in the special forces?"

"Of course! I heard that in this exercise, Deputy Company Commander Lin led his men and wiped out the special operations team from the Jinghua Military Region!"

"I really hope Deputy Company Commander Lin can come back and visit..."

As they were talking, Old Zhou suddenly raised his hand to signal for quiet. He squatted down and listened carefully to something.

"There's movement." He lowered his voice. "There's someone at three o'clock, about three hundred meters away."

The soldiers immediately went into combat readiness. After Lin Zhe's months of training, their tactical skills had improved significantly—they quickly spread out, found cover, and pointed their guns at the source of the sound.

Under the moonlight, several dark figures moved swiftly and professionally. They were not ordinary smugglers or illegal immigrants.

"At least ten men," Old Zhou observed through his night vision goggles. "Fully equipped, with tactical vests, night vision gear... Damn, they're professionals!"

"What should we do?" Xiao Li asked nervously.

"Proceed according to the plan," Old Zhou said calmly. "Group one, engage me head-on. Group two, flank and outflank from behind. Remember what Deputy Company Commander Lin taught us: the enemy outnumbers us, so focus on harassment, don't engage in a direct confrontation."

The six people split into two groups. Old Zhou led two people to approach from the front, while the other three approached from the side.

The distance is getting closer and closer, one hundred meters, fifty meters...

"Stop! Who goes there!" Old Zhou suddenly turned on his flashlight, shining a bright beam at the other person.

The other side clearly didn't expect to encounter a patrol team here. They were stunned for a moment, but reacted extremely quickly—spreading out instantly and opening fire at the same time!

"Bang bang bang!"

Gunshots pierced the night sky! The enemy wasn't using ordinary weapons; they were using standard automatic rifles with heavy firepower!

"Take cover! Fight back!" Old Zhou shouted, rolling behind a rock.

The battle erupted instantly. Bullets crisscrossed the night sky, sparks flying as they struck the rocks.

"Squad Leader Zhou, their firepower is too strong!" Xiao Li shouted from behind cover.

"Hold on! Group Two will be here soon!" Old Zhou shouted while keeping an eye on the situation.

The other side was indeed professional. Their tactical movements were clean and efficient, their teamwork was seamless, and they had clearly received rigorous training. Old Zhou even saw them communicating with hand signals—tactical hand signals used only by special forces!

"They're not ordinary militants..." Old Zhou's heart sank. "They might be foreign special forces!"

Just then, gunshots rang out from the side—the second squad had arrived! Three soldiers launched an attack from the flank, disrupting the enemy's formation.

"Good!" Old Zhou seized the opportunity and ordered the front team to increase their firepower.

The two sides exchanged fierce fire under the cover of night. Although the soldiers at Eagle's Beak Cliff outpost were outnumbered, they were well-trained by Lin Zhe and possessed good tactical skills. They used the terrain to their advantage, providing cover for each other, and fought tenaciously.

The other side was clearly shocked. A patrol team from a border outpost actually possessed such combat capabilities? This completely contradicted the intelligence they had!

"Captain, they're too fierce! They're not like ordinary border guards!" one of the opposing team members shouted in a foreign language.

"Nonsense! Keep fighting! We must break through here!" the team leader gritted his teeth and said.

The battle lasted for more than ten minutes. The soldiers at Eagle's Beak Cliff outpost fought hard, but they were outnumbered and poorly equipped. While moving to a new position, Xiao Li was hit in the thigh by a bullet, screamed in pain, and fell to the ground.

"Xiao Li!" Old Zhou tried to rush over, but was suppressed by the firepower and couldn't lift his head.

Just then, a muffled thud was heard—someone on the other side had thrown a grenade!

"Grenade! Take cover!" Old Zhou shouted.

Boom! The explosion sent mud and debris flying. A soldier, unable to dodge in time, was struck in the chest by shrapnel and died instantly.

"Big Liu!" Old Zhou's eyes reddened.

"Squad leader, we can't hold on!" another soldier shouted. "Let's retreat!"

Old Zhou glanced at his fallen comrade, then at the wounded Xiao Li, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Retreat! Retreat with the wounded!"

The remaining four soldiers fought and retreated, taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, and quickly disappeared into the jungle.

The enemy did not pursue. Their mission was not to wipe out the patrol, but to infiltrate the country. Now that they had been exposed, they had to change their plans.

"Captain, we have two dead and one wounded," a team member reported.

The team leader's face was grim. A patrol of only six men, and they'd paid such a price? What kind of border defense force is this?

"Withdraw, change route," he said through gritted teeth. "Mission continues."

The news reached the 127th Regiment the next morning and then spread to the military region.

Chen Jianfeng was eating breakfast when he received the report. Upon hearing that "the Eagle's Beak Cliff outpost was attacked, resulting in one death and two injuries," his chopsticks slammed onto the table.

"Who is the other party?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Commander, judging from the shell casings and traces left at the scene, they are not ordinary militants. It is very likely that they are foreign special forces infiltrating the area," the chief of staff reported. "The soldiers at Eagle's Beak Cliff outpost fought very tenaciously, killing two of them and wounding at least three."

Chen Jianfeng stood up and paced around the office: "Infiltration? What's the target?"

"It's not clear yet. But the fact that special forces can be deployed for infiltration means it's definitely not a small matter."

"Does Lin Zhe know?" Chen Jianfeng suddenly asked.

"I've notified Hunter Blade; Vice Captain Lin should already know."

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Lin Zhe strode in: "Commander!"

He had clearly run all the way here; there was sweat on his forehead.

"Lin Zhe, you know?" Chen Jianfeng looked at him.

"Understood." Lin Zhe's expression was solemn. "Commander, I need to go to Eagle's Beak Cliff."

"What are you going there for? Security has been increased there."

"I'm going to the scene," Lin Zhe said. "Old Zhou and his men are soldiers I trained. And... I want to see just who they are."

Chen Jianfeng looked at his determined eyes and nodded: "Okay, you go. Lead a small team, and be careful."

"yes!"

An hour later, Lin Zhe led a small group of the Hunter Blade Special Forces to Eagle's Beak Cliff by helicopter.

On the plane, the team members looked serious. They had all heard that the one who had sacrificed his life was Da Liu—that honest and kind old soldier, Lin Zhe's comrade-in-arms from the outpost.

"Team Leader Lin, please accept my condolences," Old Ma said in a low voice.

Lin Zhe didn't speak, but just looked at the mountains rushing past the window.

It was noon when we arrived at Eagle's Beak Cliff. The area around the outpost was under heightened security, and a company of soldiers had been deployed.

When Old Zhou saw Lin Zhe, his eyes instantly reddened: "Deputy Company Commander Lin..."

"Old Zhou, you've worked hard." Lin Zhe patted him on the shoulder. "Take me to the scene."

The scene had already been surveyed, but Lin Zhe wanted to see it for himself. He carefully examined the shell casings, footprints, and other traces... the more he looked, the more serious his expression became.

"Not ordinary troops," he said definitively. "Look at these spent cartridges; they're from the latest 5.56mm rifles from the US. The footprints show they're wearing professional tactical boots. And the tactical marks here... these are the work of highly trained special forces."

"What do they want to do?" Old Zhou asked.

Lin Zhe stood up and looked towards the border: "They've infiltrated; they must have an important target. It could be reconnaissance, sabotage, or even... assassination."

He recalled similar events from his past life. Infiltration by foreign special forces is often accompanied by major conspiracies.

"Commander, I request permission to lead the Hunter Blade to hunt down this infiltration team." Lin Zhe answered the call.

Chen Jianfeng's voice came through: "Approved! Lin Zhe, remember, this is not a drill. The enemy is real, and we are conducting intelligence gathering. Be careful!"

"clear!"

Lin Zhe turned to the Hunter Blade team members: "Comrades, our initial suspicion is that the other side is a foreign special forces unit, with the blood of our comrades on their hands. Our mission: Find them, eliminate them!"

"Yes!" the team members responded in unison, their eyes blazing with anger.

Lin Zhe began assigning tasks: "Divide into three groups. One group will track from the east, the second from the west, and I'll be in the middle. Keep communication open. If you spot the target, don't act rashly; report first."

"yes!"

The three teams quickly set off, tracking the enemy's possible retreat route. Lin Zhe led the way, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

This was his first time back here since being transferred from the border defense post. He never expected it to happen in this way.

He thought of Da Liu—the soldier who always had a憨笑 (a kind of simple, honest smile), the most serious during training, and the most responsible during patrols. Now, he had sacrificed his life.

Lin Zhe gripped the gun tightly. In this life, he would protect not only his country, but also his comrades.

Now, someone has hurt his comrades, and they must pay the price.

Deep in the jungle, the battle of pursuit and counter-pursuit is about to begin.

Lin Zhe was already prepared. He wanted to let those infiltrators know that the borders of the Dragon Kingdom were not places they could come and go as they pleased.

Blood debts must be repaid in blood.