“Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group, assemble!”
At Captain Lu’s command, Zhou Chenguang, Wu Tianlong, and the other team members quickly ran from their positions.
They lined up in front of him, standing tall and straight.
“Salute!”
“Swish!”
The perfectly synchronized military salute represented their determination.
“Board!”
Captain Lu turned first, striding onto the transport plane’s rear ramp.
The team members followed closely behind.
In the dormitory building not far away, Gu Lina Zha stood quietly, taking in the entire scene.
She didn't go to see him off because she knew he didn't like farewells.
She just watched as the massive transport plane slowly taxied, finally roaring into the night sky at the end of the runway.
She took out her phone, and the light from the screen illuminated her tear-stained face.
She quickly composed a text message and pressed send.
“Waiting for you to return, then we’ll get married.”
Inside the cabin.
The team members sat in their respective seats, checking their equipment and making final preparations.
Zhou Chenguang leaned over to Captain Lu: “Lu Team, I have a suggestion.”
“Speak.”
Captain Lu was wiping his sidearm, not even looking up.
“Shouldn’t our team expand a bit?”
Zhou Chenguang gestured.
“Look, every time we carry out a mission, with just us few guns, sometimes it really feels like we’re short-handed.”
“If we encounter any unexpected situations, even fire coverage becomes a problem.”
“This is special operations, not mass assault.”
Captain Lu stopped his movements and looked up at him.
“Playing human wave tactics, that’s what regular troops do.”
Wu Tianlong chuckled beside him and interjected:
“Brother Guang, you’re a typical case of late-stage firepower deficiency phobia.”
“Our team emphasizes ‘precision,’ understand?”
“Besides, with our entry standards, where are we going to find suitable people?”
“We can’t just go to the military academy entrance and ask people, ‘Hey classmate, want to pilot a Gundam?’”
Captain Lu said indifferently:
“Tianlong is right, if there’s no suitable candidate, we’d rather have too few than too many.”
He returned his pistol to its holster and ordered everyone.
“Everyone, hurry up and rest, conserve your energy.”
“According to intelligence, as soon as we land, we need to immediately enter deployment status; there won't be time for you to adjust.”
“Yes!”
The team members responded in unison, then leaned back in their seats, closing their eyes to rest.
Two hours later, the transport plane began to descend.
Through the porthole, the outline of a huge, brightly lit airport on the ground could be seen.
The plane landed smoothly, and the cabin door opened.
At the bottom of the gangway, several military officers and a military off-road vehicle had been waiting for a long time.
“Captain Lu, welcome to the First Military Region.”
A colonel leading the group saluted, speaking very politely.
“The command center is ready; please follow me.”
Captain Lu nodded, quickly led his team members off the plane, and boarded the off-road vehicle.
The vehicle sped along a dedicated internal airport road, finally stopping in front of a heavily guarded command building.
Entering the command center, there were huge electronic screens and staff officers moving back and forth.
An old man with a general's star on his shoulder and a majestic face was standing in front of a large sand table.
“Reporting to the Commander! Cheetah Special Forces Brigade Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group, reporting for duty as ordered! Captain, Lu Mingyu!”
Captain Lu walked up to him, stood at attention, saluted, and spoke in a clear voice.
Zhou Pingcang, the Commander of the First Military Region and the overall Commander of this operation.
He turned around, returned a military salute, and sharply scrutinized the young man in front of him.
“Good lad, I’ve finally waited for you.”
Captain Lu’s gaze shifted, and he saw another old man standing beside Zhou Pingcang, who was his grandfather.
The lines on his face softened slightly, and he saluted again.
“Grandpa.”
Lu Wei nodded, his eyes showing both relief and worry.
Zhou Pingcang didn't exchange many pleasantries, directly pointing to the electronic sand table behind him.
“Time is pressing; let’s get straight to the point.”
On the screen, a high-definition satellite terrain map and a detailed troop deployment map immediately appeared.
“This is our preliminary security plan, developed based on existing intelligence.”
Zhou Pingcang pointed to several red dots on the map.
“Wolf Fang, Meng Hu, and Black Bear three special operations teams.”
“They will be deployed in these three areas, forming a triangular defensive network to guard the core area.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Captain Lu’s voice rang out.
“Reporting, Commander, I believe this deployment has three problems.”
At these words, all eyes in the command center focused on him.
Many staff officers showed expressions of shock and confusion.
This was a plan that the Commander and the general staff had stayed up several nights to finalize.
This young lieutenant colonel actually completely negated it the moment he opened his mouth?
Zhou Pingcang looked at him with interest, signaling him to continue.
“First, the forces are too dispersed.”
Captain Lu walked to the sand table, showing no timidity.
“Although the three special operations teams are all ace units, they are too far apart from each other.”
“Once one of them encounters a strong enemy, it will be difficult for the other two to provide effective support in the first instance.”
“Second, this will create opportunities for the enemy.”
He pointed to several routes on the map.
“The enemy is very likely to concentrate superior forces and attack one of our points.”
“Once our support troops are dispatched, they are highly likely to be ambushed halfway.”
“This is a typical ‘encircle the point and strike the reinforcements’ tactic.”
“Third, our defensive posture is too passive; we are completely waiting for the enemy to attack us.”
Captain Lu’s words stunned everyone.
His analysis was clear, incisive, and the problems he pointed out were indeed the fatal weaknesses of this plan.
Zhou Pingcang was silent for a moment, then slammed the table and said:
“Well said!”
He looked around and said to all the staff officers:
“Did you all hear that? This is the difference!”
Then, he looked at Captain Lu.
“From now on, the battlefield command authority of the Meng Hu, Black Bear, and Wolf Fang special operations teams will be handed over to you!”
Captain Lu showed no surprise or hesitation, as he had already known this outcome.
He picked up the pointer and redrew lines on the sand table.
“My suggestion is for the three teams to contract their lines and deploy in a triangular defensive formation, supporting each other.”
“Ensuring that any point under attack can receive fire support from the other two points.”
He paused, then heavily pressed the end of the pointer onto a red area on the map marked as extremely dangerous.
“And our Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group.”
“Will act as a sharp dagger, abandoning all defensive tasks, striking directly into the enemy’s heart, and destroying Mandalay’s lair.”
Hearing this plan, Lu Wei’s heart sank.
He knew this mission meant a ninety percent chance of death.
But he looked at his grandson’s unwavering face, and then at his old comrade Zhou Pingcang’s resolute eyes.
He knew this was the only way.
Lu Wei took a deep breath, suppressing the worry in his heart, his voice steady and powerful.
“I agree; this time, we must be determined to completely eradicate this venomous snake, ‘Viper’!”
