Thunder Warrior Saves the World

Page 4

Unaware that they had lost their advantage in night combat, the 503rd Battalion continued their march. Because they were only advancing along the outer edge of the jungle, they were fortunate enough to avoid the 4th Company of the 8th Engineering Battalion, which was building a road, and arrived east of Wakan Village around 8 PM. The journey was arduous. Although the entire 503rd Battalion had taken Cat's Eye Pills, the unfamiliar and complex terrain not only slowed their march but also resulted in over ten soldiers getting stuck in the swamp and suffering casualties. Under the combined effects of these injuries and the effects of the drugs, the soldiers of the 503rd Battalion were now filled with rage, ready to unleash their fury on the enemy in the village.

Just ten minutes before they launched their attack, they heard the sound of machine gun fire, which was etched into their DNA, coming from the northwest—the direction of the front line of Wakan Village—interspersed with the sound of rifle fire.

Hermann instinctively shrank back, then ecstatic. He lowered his voice and rallied the surrounding soldiers: "Warriors of the Empire! The brothers of the 501st Battalion have held back the Elginian chariots! The Elginian attention is focused on the main battlefield; no one can stop our advance! Now is the perfect opportunity to serve the Empire and avenge our defeat!" He watched with satisfaction as his men holstered their bayonets on their rifles, then drew his pistol from its holster and brandished it: "For the Empire, charge!"

9. Although Hermann issued the order to attack, the soldiers of the 503rd Battalion did not blindly shout and launch an assault. Instead, they divided into small teams and began their advance, as getting as close to the enemy's position as possible before being discovered was paramount. However, they never expected that before they had completely escaped the cover of the jungle, a Berezovsky tank from the 6th Platoon of the 2nd Company in the eastern defense zone of Wakan village detected shadowy figures in the jungle using thermal imaging night vision. Knowing that guests had arrived from the east, Katerina transferred the 3rd Platoon, which Vasily had left behind, to the eastern defense zone to reinforce its defenses.

In order to maximize kill efficiency, the commander of the eastern defense zone deliberately set the firing distance at 200 meters. This gave the 503rd Battalion the illusion that they had not been discovered. Just as the lead soldiers were overjoyed, thinking that they were about to enter the village without alerting the enemy, the 3rd and 6th platoons opened fire.

The artillery fire that tore through the night made the Belken soldiers realize they had been exposed. Although the vanguard had fallen like leeks harvested by a sickle, the soldiers behind them showed no fear. They roared and, no longer crouching low, charged forward one after another with their rifles raised.

"Holy Mary, are these Belken people on drugs?!" The veteran who had been thrown onto Guadalcanal and fought the Japanese at night saw this unusual yet familiar scene. His hand holding the gun trembled slightly as he recalled the hellish time in the jungles of Guadalcanal.

〇……

PS1: It's perfectly reasonable for us Soviets on Anton to be fighting the Japanese at night on Guadalcanal, right?

PS2: This book is under contract. There will be a second update today. Starting in November, I will try to update two chapters a day. I hope you will all support me.

PS3: I've seen feedback from readers regarding the 10mm rifle's caliber. Initially, I planned for it to fire pointed bullets using smokeless powder. However, after some consideration, I realized that caliber doesn't seem entirely reasonable. Even considering Ens's supposedly stronger physique compared to current Earthlings, he might not be able to withstand prolonged use of a 10mm rifle. Furthermore, this caliber rifle could pose a threat even to fragile targets like the BMP. Therefore, all 10mm rifles in the story will be replaced with 8mm caliber, while machine guns will remain at 10mm. Further feedback is welcome.

Volume 1: Chapter 18, Section 17: Bloodshed in Wakan Village

However, Lieutenant Colonel Hermann never expected that the sounds of battle coming from the northwest were not due to the 501st Battalion launching an attack. On the contrary, it was the defenders launching a counter-offensive—five Berezok tanks lined up in a single column, like a sharp arrow, piercing through the trench network woven by Cody.

Vasily, taking advantage of his one-way control of the battlefield, acted with impunity on the 501st Battalion's position, creating a dense line of fire across the battlefield. The chaotic reports relayed back to command from the 501st Battalion led the Belken to the misconception that the Georgian defenders had deployed their main force to hinder their earthworks. Therefore, he ordered the 505th Battalion to join the battle, entering the battlefield from both flanks of the 501st Battalion's position, determined to leave the main Georgian force on the 501st Battalion's lines and form a pincer attack with the 503rd Battalion.

Meanwhile, Vasily gradually noticed that the number of Belken soldiers on the battlefield was increasing rather than decreasing. He saw what appeared to be a figure crawling forward on the ground directly ahead and quickly called for the artillery to fire a few shells in that direction, eliminating a potential threat. "Blyat! Why are these Belken soldiers getting fiercer at night?"

These Belken reinforcements were fearless, with many braving the fire of 30mm cannons to force their way closer and throw grenades. The machine gunners also seemed unconcerned about potential friendly casualties, opening fire on the largest clusters of sparks on the position, which put some pressure on Vasily.

"Vasily, retreat! I see the Belken have brought in two or three hundred men to surround us." Because the 505th Battalion wanted to quickly maneuver to both flanks of the position, they didn't follow light control during their advance. After all, from their perspective, the main force of the Eljaas was right on their side of the battlefield. Even if they discovered their intentions, withdrawing from the battle wouldn't be quick. Therefore, they used some lighting to increase their marching speed. This, in turn, led to Katarina in the village discovering the Eljaas' movements. Vasily's charge had achieved its objective; there was no need to continue engaging the enemy.

By this time, some of the 505th Battalion soldiers who had already entered the battlefield had begun to construct machine gun positions, and the Belken heavy machine guns firing green tracer rounds became Berezok's favorite targets. But the sacrifice of these machine gunners was not without result; some fearless Belken soldiers, carrying explosives, successfully approached within 200 meters of the infantry fighting vehicle—only to be riddled with bullets by the scattered soldiers of the 1st Company.

"Young man, we're leaving! Keep up, anyone who falls behind will be responsible for burning manure at the camp for a week!" Vasily shouted over the radio. More and more Belken soldiers appeared on the field, and Vasily saw more and more green tracer rounds appearing before him, their shooting accuracy also beginning to improve. He finally gave the order to retreat.

A sudden burst of wailing filled the radio channel. Vasily's "burning shit" had no special meaning; it was exactly what it sounded like. The excrement they left in their field toilets was usually mixed with gasoline and burned to prevent disease. The process produced an extremely unbearable odor that everyone wanted to avoid. No one wanted to take on this task. The infantrymen, who had dismounted and were fighting from the trenches, sprinted back to their vehicles like their parents had lost two legs. Once everyone was on board, the drivers immediately accelerated, and the company commander's vehicle prepared to withdraw from the battle.

The nearby Belken soldiers noticed that the enemy fire was moving further away. Ignoring the risk of exposing their friendly forces encircling them, they fired two flares into the sky. Now, Vasily's five infantry fighting vehicles were clearly exposed to Colonel Cody.

This infuriated Cody. The main force of the Ergians was still holed up in Wakan village, and his plan wasn't working as efficiently as intended. The 503rd Battalion did seem to have drawn the enemy's main force into the village, but damn it, the 501st and 505th infantry battalions couldn't even take down five enemy tanks on their own positions. How could this be? Everyone has two arms and one head, and the Ergians don't have any cat-eyes, so how could they possibly suppress five or six hundred men?

"Get the 22nd Battalion and the guard company up there! At all costs, we must keep this tank unit here!" Cody grew angrier and angrier, his anger beginning to cloud his judgment. He was like a gambler, betting everything on the table, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the dealer's hand dealing the cards.

A mournful battle whistle blew across the battlefield. Seeing the few remaining "Elgians" boarding their chariots to escape, the Belken felt confident once more and launched another charge. Seeing those figures chasing youth under the moonlight, Katarina felt a stirring in her heart.

"Gary, when will your engineering company be able to repair the roads in the jungle?"

"No way, no way, Lady Katarina can't even beat a bunch of old-fashioned soldiers still using bolt-action rifles? I'll find a few Algerian bards right now..." Gary's incredibly obnoxious voice came through the radio.

“These Belken people are so enthusiastic, they’ve even cut themselves up, plated themselves up, and served them to me. I have to show them respect, don’t I?” Katarina explained her thoughts: “The Royal Fusiliers seem desperate, they’re charging the whole regiment up in the middle of the night. Now that you’ve fixed the road, the armored company and the air assault company can at least get a hot meal.”

"No, weren't the orders from above to keep the Belkens hanging for two or three days, and then lure the enemy to the base for a decisive battle?" Gary was a little confused. What was wrong with this little sister?

"It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know the Belken people were so easily provoked? They got angry so easily." Katarina's innocent voice on the radio made Gerry's blood pressure rise a little. "Don't talk about that. How's the road construction going?"

"It's finished." Gary replied casually. Although Lu Wu gave them two days, the road to be repaired wasn't too long. Although the terrain was a bit rough, twenty-odd hours was enough for the engineering company to complete the task. "Wait, are you planning to move the battlefield for annihilating the Belken people to Wakan Village?"

“Right! These Belken people are lying down on their own, it wouldn't be right for me not to cooperate. Alright, now that your road is repaired, have the 1st and 48th Companies get ready. I'll mention it to the commander.” Katarina finished speaking and ended the call, connecting to the base's command channel. Based on her understanding of Lu Wu, he would most likely agree to the change of battlefield; if not, well, that was another story. Anyway, these Belken people were so weak, annihilating them would be a piece of cake.

……

Bonus chapter for those who sign contracts~

Volume 1: Chapter 19, Chapter 18: Annihilation

The battlefield is unpredictable; anything can happen. One second you and your teammates are happily eating hotpot and singing in point C, the next a Pe-8 with a gas canister is showing up to torment you. No one can guarantee that events will unfold exactly as planned. Therefore, the military grants junior commanders considerable autonomy, and it's perfectly acceptable for Katarina to change operational plans on the fly.

After weighing the pros and cons briefly, Lu Wu agreed to Katarina's new plan.

Admittedly, launching a night raid went against Lu Wu's initial idea of ​​letting the Ergia observe. However, he reconsidered. His purpose in letting the Ergia observe was to flex his muscles. The supplies captured after annihilating the Royal Flintlock Regiment and the enemy corpses on the battlefield could also serve the purpose of flexing his muscles. There was no need to dwell on whether the Ergia could see the battle.

What Lu Wu hadn't expected was that the two Ergia men, instead of sleeping, had come to his command post late at night. They had been awakened by the sudden burst of gunfire in Wakan village and had come to the command post immediately to find out the situation. Having learned that the Amelia Volunteer Army was about to launch a general offensive to annihilate the Royal Fusiliers Regiment, they wanted to go to the front lines to see what was really going on.

Lu Wu decided to deploy a Mi-4 helicopter as his air command post, carrying two Algerians to the front lines. The 46th Air Regiment was also deployed in full force to escort the Mi-4. The Algerians, after donning night vision goggles, were completely stunned. In less than a day, they had witnessed far more weaponry than they had ever imagined—steel fighter jets capable of ground attacks, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for infantry transport, new armored vehicles with flimsy armor but high firepower, lightweight and stable new rifles, and inexpensive, highly protective bulletproof vests… and now, they had to add night vision goggles to turn night into day. They wouldn't be surprised if this Algerian volunteer army produced any new equipment—that was their initial thought, until they saw a group of T-72 main battle tanks advancing into the forest through the night vision goggles.

"Gods above, what kind of monster is this..." The staff officer's throat was dry. The Mi-4 was hovering above the tank group. They could clearly see the large pipe on the turret, which looked to be almost as thick as their 105mm howitzer. Weren't the Amelias afraid of damaging such a thick thing by putting it in such a small space? Gunpowder smoke, recoil, and reloading all require a lot of space.

“This is our Amelia’s T-72 tank. While not the most advanced, its armor-piercing rounds can penetrate 445mm of homogeneous steel armor at a range of 500 meters, which is sufficient for us.” Lu Wu didn’t provide detailed performance parameters. Hearing this, the Algerian was somewhat confused: “Your T-72’s main gun looks thicker than the Berezov’s, so why is its armor-piercing capability so much lower?”

"Those are two completely different things, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. It would be too complicated to explain them now. If you want to learn more about them, we can discuss these two weapons together later." There's not much to compare between anti-tank missiles and armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot projectiles, and Lu Wu wasn't interested in discussing the differences between them in terms of production difficulty, combat application, and countermeasures, so he chose to gloss over it.

The deputy division commander nodded, and after watching the entire tank group advance into the jungle without missing a single one, he couldn't help but ask, "Your engineering corps is outstanding. They were able to clear a path for the tanks in the jungle in such a short time."

At this moment, the Mi-4 released its hovering, maintaining an altitude slightly above the treetops, and followed the T-72s on the ground towards Wakan village, along with the herd of doe. As they drew closer to the battlefield, the Ergiyans' breathing became rapid, and their palms became unknowingly damp.

"Commander, the 1st and 48th companies have reached their positions. Please give instructions." The deputy division commander heard a heavily accented "commander" coming through his headset. What a novel way to address someone. He looked at the young man in the cockpit.

"Comrades of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 48th Companies, let these Belken bastards see the fury of the 7th Guards Brigade."

"Hula! Hula! Hula!"

The sudden burst of battle cries outside the cabin couldn't even completely suppress the noise of the helicopter formation. The deputy division commander shuddered, disregarding everything else, he opened the cabin door and peered out. The cold air rushing in from outside seeped into his collar, sending a shiver down his spine. The scene in his green night vision goggles was something he would never forget—

The front of Wakan village was already filled with Belken infantry. The Royal Fusiliers had deployed two full battalions and a large, damaged artillery battalion here. These soldiers were like the tides on the beach; as the first wave receded, the next wave would become a new one, crashing against the shore again and again.

Wakan village was like a curled-up hedgehog, its quills the flames spewed by tanks and guns. Now, a pack of ferocious beasts emerged from the depths of the jungle, tearing at the unsuspecting rear of the Belken. The Mi-24s, flying close to the treetops, were the first to enter the battlefield. These Hinds were not as gentle as their name suggested; flames shot from the rear of the cylindrical fins mounted on their short, stubby wings, and the rockets, as the Amelia called them, were like whips in the hands of a war god, lashing the Belken positions and creating a bloodbath. Following behind the Hinds was a group of T-72 tanks. These behemoths roared in at 30 kilometers per hour, each shot from their long-barreled main guns sending up a cloud of sparks among the Belken infantry.

The moment this integrated air-ground armored force appeared on the battlefield, the Berezok tanks in Wakan village also sprang into action. Twenty-five Berezok tanks coalesced into an arrowhead, charging out from the front of Wakan village. Colonel Cody's desired pincer movement had finally arrived, but the way it came seemed to differ subtly from his plan.

Faced with these steel behemoths, the Belken soldiers discovered for the first time how powerless their 8mm rifles were; even heavy machine gun bullets couldn't tear through the armor of these vehicles. Machine gun bullets struck the vehicles, sending up a shower of sparks, but the enemy vehicles simply turned around and sped towards the machine gun positions, crushing the slower machine gunners along with their guns into the soil of Ireland.

The doe tanks, which had been diligently ploughing the airspace above the station, began to retreat. Some continued to provide fire support from the front of the tanks, while others moved to the rear of the 1st Company and slowly descended. Soldiers jumped from the hatches and landed on the ground, raising their assault rifles and charging alongside the tanks, completely cutting off the Royal Fusiliers Regiment's retreat.

Volume 1: Chapter 20, Chapter 19: The Invitation

The Royal Fusiliers' resistance lasted only twenty minutes. Most of the Belken soldiers were reduced to dust in the chaos of war, and only a little over two hundred who hadn't taken too much poison and were still somewhat sane chose to lay down their weapons and surrender. As for Colonel Cody, his regimental command post, being a gathering place for the troops, naturally became the target of the T-72s. A single 125mm high-explosive shell blew the bunker away, killing every last member of the Royal Fusiliers command who remained at the post.

In just a few dozen minutes, an elite infantry regiment of nearly two thousand men was annihilated by four companies, less than six hundred men.

After the battle, a BMP-2M helicopter guarded more than two hundred prisoners of war, while a Mi-4 helicopter slowly landed on the front lines of Wakan village. Two Algerians jumped out before the helicopter had even fully landed and ran quickly towards the ruins of what appeared to be the headquarters of the Royal Fusiliers Regiment.

“It really is the Royal Flintlock Regiment…” When the deputy division commander arrived, the soldiers of the 48th Company had already collected some of the spoils. They immediately spotted a tattered flag: two flintlock muskets crossed below a golden crown, and the words “Royal Flintlock Regiment” in cursive script on the bottom ribbon were particularly eye-catching—this was the regimental flag of the Royal Flintlock Regiment. Some documents whose contents were still legible also indicated that this was the Belken command post.

The deputy division commander's hands trembled uncontrollably. This news, once relayed back to Fabandi, would greatly boost the morale of the nation. Since the start of the war, the Kingdom's army had suffered defeat after defeat, losing almost all of its southern and western territories within a month. The Belken had routed the Kingdom of Ireland's defenses with minimal casualties, barely exceeding 5. In just one month, Ireland had lost nearly 50 soldiers—almost a quarter of its army. A somber atmosphere within the country fostered a climate of defeatism. As the Belken approached, the surrender faction gained increasing strength, and even the army lost faith in the outcome of the war. Although this victory was not achieved by the Irish, it brought precious hope to the Kingdom of Ireland.

The complete annihilation of an infantry regiment bearing the "Royal" designation was undoubtedly a powerful boost to the army's morale, and the entire nation was thrilled by this fact!

Thinking of this, the deputy division commander's gaze toward the regimental flag became even more ardent, but the regimental flags alone could not satisfy his desire. The messy scene before him was more tempting than anything else in his eyes at this moment—the documents, the radio wreckage, the officers' sidearms, all of these were treasures!

He wanted to ask Lu Wu for these things, but they were entirely the spoils of war of the Algerian Volunteer Army; the Algerian army hadn't contributed a single bit. He felt too embarrassed to ask. But thinking of the situation back home, the deputy division commander gritted his teeth. He was over fifty anyway; he might as well lose face!

He discovered that the young lieutenant general wasn't there. Suppressing his excitement, the deputy division commander walked back the way he came. Sure enough, the lieutenant general was beside the helicopter, holding a black board and gesturing with his fingers, seemingly unconcerned about the outcome of the battle. He then continued walking towards Lu Wu.

The deputy division commander was very happy, and Lu Wu was also very happy.

In this battle, the 7th Brigade annihilated over 1,600 Belken soldiers and captured over 200, while only three of its own soldiers were wounded by 105mm howitzer shells, but all were minor injuries and would recover quickly. Upon completing the mission, the reward arrived, and as usual, the Su-7BMK attack aircraft should be parked in an unused hangar. It was time to commission a new cyborg pilot to operate the aircraft.

Lu Wu plans to establish a new air regiment centered around this Su-7. The 48th Air Regiment will continue with its two-aircraft configuration, responsible for frontline air defense and reconnaissance missions—although it's estimated that no aircraft in this world will challenge him for air superiority. The newly formed 588th Air Regiment will be responsible for all ground support and bombing missions. Previously, the maintenance of the 46th Air Regiment was entirely handled by the equipment support company of the 8th Engineering Battalion. Now, he plans to separate this equipment support battalion from the 8th Engineering Battalion and convert it into a dedicated ground support unit for the 64th Air Regiment at the base. With artillery not being provided in Andong, this Su-7 will be the 7th Brigade's only high-yield support firepower.

He opened the customization menu, which resembled the character creation interface of "3D Custom Maid 2," and carefully adjusted each parameter. Just then, a sudden sound made his finger tremble, accidentally touching the "nude" button. He quickly pressed the screen-off button on his tablet and looked up to see the deputy commander of the 44th Infantry Division.

It took him quite a while to adjust his mood before he noticed the deputy division commander's somewhat troubled expression.

"General Shiraji, what happened?" — The deputy division commander's surname was Shiraji, and his rank was brigadier general.

“Um, General Lu,” General Lu was a typical yellow-skinned man, and his tall stature made him look more like a Donghuang person. Therefore, Brigadier General Hiragi racked his brains to recall the Donghuang grammar he had learned during his military exchanges with Donghuang, hoping to shorten the distance between them. After all, he had heard that Donghuang people had a strong sense of hometown sentiment, so this could be considered as catering to their preferences. “I have a favor to ask, but I don’t know if I should say it.”

It's inappropriate to say that, since you've already said it's an unreasonable request, then it's even more inappropriate to say that.

Upon hearing this, Lu Wu instinctively wanted to argue back—but reason made him swallow these immature words. On the contrary, he had to put on a smiling face and ask Shiraji what he wanted to say.

"I hope to borrow some of the spoils of war from the Amelia Volunteer Army," Brigadier General Shiragi finally said, his neck stiffening.

"Those rifles? No problem, take them, you can take them all. But are the Belken rifles and your rifles compatible with each other's ammunition? If not, ammunition and ammunition supplies will be a problem." He thought Shiragi was going to say something to put the old man in a difficult position. Even if the Belken were giving him those old rifles for free, he wouldn't bother accepting them; he'd rather do the Elgins a favor and give them to them.

"Uh, not those weapons. What I want is a trophy with significant symbolic meaning, like the Royal Flintlock Regiment's regimental flag." Shirag shook his head. Although the rifles of the Kingdom of Elgia and the Belken were the same 8mm caliber, the ammunition specifications were different, so they wouldn't need the Belken's weapons.

……

The battle of Wakan Village is over. What do you all think of the battle descriptions and tactical designs so far? Are there any shortcomings?

Volume 1: Chapter 21 (Chapter Twenty) Lu Wu's Ambition

Lu Wu was slightly embarrassed, but he quickly adjusted his mindset: as long as you have thick skin, it's others who will be embarrassed.

"The Royal Flintlock Regiment's flag?" Lu Wu asked with a hint of amusement. What could the Ergia do with that tattered flag? They'd use it for propaganda, of course. Although the Royal Flintlock Regiment wasn't annihilated by the Ergia, it proved the Belken weren't invincible. They, like the Ergia Kingdom's army, could also fail, die, and even be wiped out. Unlike those broken rifles, these symbols of the Royal Flintlock Regiment's identity were useful to the 7th Brigade. Once the 7th Brigade considered the Ergia Kingdom's army utterly useless, Lu Wu would immediately go and cooperate with other Ergia armed groups. He didn't believe there weren't a few guerrillas in the occupied territories, and these things would be the best weapons to gain their trust and persuade them to cooperate. This stuff couldn't be given away for free.

"General Lu, rest assured, we don't intend to steal the credit for the Amelia Volunteer Army's achievements. We will explain it clearly to the people," Shirag quickly explained, fearing Lu Wu might misunderstand. "This defeat of the Belkens will greatly boost the morale of our people, rekindle the fighting spirit of our troops, and at the same time, curb the arrogance of the Belkens..."

"Haha, General Shiragi, we are here for only one purpose: to drive the Belken people out of the Kingdom of Elgia. We will do anything that helps achieve this goal." Lu Wu interrupted Shiragi before he could finish speaking, "Of course we are willing to lend you these spoils of war. After all, we hope to have a formal meeting with the government of the Kingdom of Elgia as soon as possible to establish a relationship of mutual assistance."

Yes, Lu Wu planned to lend these things to the Ergia in exchange for a meeting with the Ergia Kingdom government. Yes, he had now established a connection with the Kingdom's army and was about to establish military cooperation, but his ambitions were far greater than mere military cooperation.

According to the system's description, after they transmigrated to the Ens world, they could never go back, nor would they be thrown into various battlefields to be minced meat like before. So they should consider how to survive better in this world.

Yes, they are an independent armed force with advanced equipment far beyond the reach of this era and combat skills more professional than anyone else. They are the most professional soldiers, but should their lives be spent in endless battles?

Lu Wu's answer was no.

The long years of war on Anton Star had left him utterly weary of it—flying limbs, a sky full of blood, the ceaseless roar, pain, death… War was like a millstone, throwing soldiers from both sides into it, leaving the survivors like the dregs. War inevitably changed those who participated; his hands bore thick calluses from gunfire, his first instinct upon arriving in a new place was to survey the terrain, and even the swinging of his arms while walking was uneven. More than ever, he longed to return to a peaceful daily life. And now, he saw an opportunity to escape this endless cycle of war.

He was unfamiliar with the political landscape of Ens World, but he was certain that his advanced equipment would attract the covetous eyes of nations worldwide. He also couldn't guarantee that if the 7th Brigade joined any nation in Ens World, it wouldn't become the vanguard of a war. Therefore, he had to ensure the 7th Brigade's independence. Thus, he packaged the 7th Brigade as a defensive volunteer force aimed at maintaining regional peace. His plan was to gain recognition from the Algerian government for the volunteer force during the Algeria-Belken War, using this as a springboard to enter the international community and ultimately establish a haven for the 7th Brigade. Therefore, contact with the Algerian government was an indispensable part of this plan.

Brigadier General Hiraghi was unaware of Lu Wu's plan, and even if he had, he wouldn't have objected. He might even have used his political capital to push the plan forward. The limited cooperation previously agreed upon by Davis and Kaineng alone could greatly enhance the military strength of the Kingdom of Ergia. This would not only improve Ergia's defense capabilities but also significantly advance its industry and scientific research. Therefore, he stated almost without hesitation: "Of course, no problem. I'll immediately push this forward after I return."

Brigadier General Shirag glanced at the Belken prisoner of war who was squatting on the ground with his head in his hands, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Um, Lieutenant General Lu, I wonder what arrangements the Amelia Volunteer Army has for these prisoners of war?"

Good heavens, they're even trying to take prisoners of war?

Lu Wu's incredulous gaze made Brigadier General Shirag blush. He rubbed his hands and explained, "These prisoners of war can increase the credibility of our propaganda. On the other hand, we have quite a few prisoners of war in the hands of the Belken people, so... Of course, we won't take them for free. If you need food or supplies, you can ask for them, and we will try our best to meet your needs..."

"Alright, alright, we don't really need these prisoners of war anyway. Keeping them is a waste of food and manpower. Giving them to you will at least provide some surplus value." Lu Wu waved his hand, not caring much. In the past, when they captured prisoners of war on Andong Star, they always handed them over to friendly forces. Who had time to waste on these prisoners? However, Lu Wu, handling this matter according to past experience, did not notice Yelena's hesitant expression.

Brigadier General Shiragi naturally noticed the changing expression on his adjutant's face. He also knew that his repeated requests for supplies from the Volunteer Army were rather unethical. After finishing his business, he felt embarrassed to linger and excused himself to return to Svorbella. Only after the Ergians left did Yelena reach out and tug at Lu Wu's sleeve.

sousUo：侕"〇＄＄弎∮∷≤6娰“Hmm, what’s wrong?” Lu Wu, who had just taken out his tablet to continue ordering the pilot, turned to look at Yelena.

“Um, Commander,” Yelena said with a troubled expression, prompting Lu Wu to reach out and pinch her smooth cheek. “Just say what’s on your mind, don’t hold it in.”

"Yes. Yelena requests to speak, Commander."

Seeing the girl standing tall and head held high, Lu Wu chuckled and patted her head. Yelena was always this serious; he had figured it out long ago. She probably only softened up at night. But now they had just annihilated a main force regiment of the Belken and successfully established contact with the Erji people. Was there anything important he had overlooked? "Permission to speak, Lieutenant Colonel Yelena."

"Commander, I think your attitude toward the Ergians is inappropriate."

Volume 1: Chapter 22 (Twenty-One) - Dynamics of Both Sides

"Why?" Lu Wu immediately dropped his relaxed attitude.

“Commander, I think you’re putting yourself in too low a position. If you give the Ergias whatever you want, won’t they look down on us and think we’re afraid of them, which would affect our leading position in future cooperation?” Yelena offered her opinion, knowing Lu Wu’s plan.

After a moment's thought, Lu Wu said, "I don't think so. I believe that after today's battle, the Ergias will see our fighting strength clearly, and they won't, or rather, won't dare to, harbor any wicked intentions. Under this premise, our friendly gesture may actually win the favor of the Ergias and promote deeper cooperation."

Is it really true that all four things will happen? Yelena felt uneasy. The 4th Brigade, from top to bottom, consisted entirely of soldiers, completely apolitical—or, to put it more politely, politically naive. Even Davis of the military intelligence company lacked experience in political maneuvering. How should they, lacking political experience, adopt when negotiating cooperation with other regimes for the first time? This was a question worth considering. Yelena was clearly more cautious, tending to protect herself by cultivating a strong image to avoid being at a disadvantage in the cooperation.

Lu Wu's approach was completely the opposite.

"Think about it, if you had a neighbor who was strong and had a gun, and when you were being robbed in your home, he would help you subdue the kidnappers. In your daily interactions, he wouldn't think he was superior just because he had a gun, or order you around. On the contrary, he would be very friendly to you and help you with any small troubles you might have, would you have the nerve to refuse if he asked you for a small favor later?" He then gave an example.

"...That's impossible. The kidnappers would be shot by me as soon as they break in," Yelena said quietly, leaving Lu Wu speechless. "Besides, won't this neighbor be taken advantage of for being easy to bully, tricked into giving up his gun, and then killed?" War exposes the darkest side of human nature. On Andong Star, Yelena had witnessed too many soldiers die tragically because of their good intentions. But Lu Wu was the most important person in her life; he gave her life and meaning. For Lu Wu's safety, she didn't hesitate to assume malice towards others.

"Trying to steal our guns won't be so easy. We now have the power to overturn the table; if they dare to reach out, we'll chop their hands off." Lu Wu was absolutely right. The capital of Ireland wasn't too far from the base. If Lu Wu wanted, the 7th Brigade's armored torrent could quickly break through into Fabandi and wipe out the entire Irish royal family in no time. Although doing so would likely provoke a fierce counterattack from Ireland, ultimately resulting in mutual destruction.

"However, your concerns are not unfounded. We should indeed be more cautious about this kind of diplomatic work in the future." Diplomacy is no small matter. People's imaginations are boundless. A subconscious act can have various meanings in the eyes of others. And Lu Wu's experiences over the years have long since turned him into a straightforward person. After all, communication on the battlefield requires accuracy and efficiency, but this approach is not so suitable when negotiating with other countries.

"Let's call Davis and the others over when we have some free time. Let's set it up after the Algerians go back. We can discuss how to carry out our diplomatic work in the future then." Lu Wu let out a breath. He wasn't good at this kind of work. It was always better to brainstorm than to bury himself in his own thoughts. It would also allow him to identify and correct mistakes in time.

"Understood, Commander."

"Come on, let's not talk about that anymore," Lu Wu waved the tablet in his hand, a smile on his face, "Let's customize a new pilot together?"

Actually, there's nothing particularly special about customizing everything together. Yelena wouldn't object even if Lu Wu created a Huang Laoju version of the Sun Warrior, as long as Lu Wu could tolerate it. After all, the new recruits' five attributes—eyesight training, situational awareness, overload tolerance, physical enhancement, and life amplification—would definitely be maxed out, and they'd most likely even get an ace certification—although with that certification, the new pilots' combat experience would still be zero. That's just how the system's bio-engineered human recruitment system is; no matter how maxed out your attributes, you'll still end up with nothing but raw recruits fresh out of military academy.

Of course, Lu Wu wasn't that despicable as to deliberately portray himself as an ugly person; he wanted a beautiful young woman instead. So, with the idea of ​​exploring the beauty of the human body in mind, Lu Wu and Yelena spent some time studying the visual changes brought about by different combinations of heads, hair, bodies, and clothing. Lu Wu would occasionally make suggestive comparisons between the effects displayed on the panel and Yelena's, making Yelena blush. To others, this would seem incredibly boring, but for Lu Wu and Yelena, it was their own private and leisurely time.

Lu Wu and Yelena spent over two hours working on the Su-7 pilot, codenamed "Witch No. 1." The newly customized ground crew wasn't so lucky; aside from maxing out their skill points, everything else was a random combination. Ground crew, after all, just need to get the job done; a random combination isn't shameful. After submitting the custom android request, the system would begin production. Lu Wu didn't know the specifics, but usually, one or more vehicles would spawn at the base a few hours later, carrying his customized androids.

After he finished expanding the air regiment, Brigadier General Shiragi also completed the inventory and loading of various spoils of war. After bidding farewell to Lu Wu, he returned to Swobela first. At three o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Wu left a platoon in Wakan Village and then led the rest of his men back to the 7th Brigade's base.

After confirming that no new tasks had been assigned by the system, Lu Wu convened all battalion and regimental commanders and deputy commanders of the 7th Brigade in the conference room to discuss future diplomatic work.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the 44th Infantry Division, more than 70 kilometers to the southeast, a meeting was also held targeting the Amelia Volunteer Army.

“Although we’ve never heard of the country of Amelia, the battle of Wakan Village proved that the Amelia volunteer army’s equipment was not just for show. And the Amelia behind them is very likely an advanced and powerful nation far larger than us.” The spoils of war that Shiragi brought back from the Amelia volunteer army, along with the color photographs provided by the Amelia, made Shiragi’s statement very convincing. “These things could not have been developed by a small organization or a small country in a year or two. There must be a complete scientific research and industrial system supporting them.”

"Based on our observations, we believe that the military doctrine of the Amelia Volunteer Army represents the ultimate form of the Belken's new tactics: relying on a variety of powerful and highly mobile vehicles, they can launch rapid offensives from the air and ground, cutting the enemy's lines into several pieces, and then encircling and annihilating them. Facts have already proven that the emergence of this new tactic will eliminate traditional trench warfare, and this new tactic will become the mainstream direction of future military development. Now, the Amelia are willing to establish a deeper cooperative relationship with us; we should seize this opportunity. Only in this way can we possibly defeat the Belken."