The Man Who Arrived with Firelight and Explosions

The battle broke out exactly when expected. The rebellious police force charged in aggressively without the slightest attempt at concealment, hugging the west side of the highway as they approached the camp. Various light and heavy weapons immediately poured fire onto the defenders' outer perimeter, and the outer line was breached almost instantly.

"This police force has no small amount of combat power. Their mix of fire support and the design of their attack routes are very methodical. Are they really just police, and not regular troops?" Watching the guard force retreat in disarray through a surveillance satellite, forced to rely on the camp to re-establish their defense, the assault team member sent back by the Weather Witch was full of suspicion.

Saber sneered, "Police, my ass. If these aren't elite cadres of the Ten Rings, I'll eat my computer."

"You're dreaming," Xiang Qian glanced at him coldly. "This computer is mine; if you want to eat one, go buy your own."

"In other words, the Kuliya armed police have been completely infiltrated by the Ten Rings. Hashimov's collusion with them runs deep; I wouldn't even rule out the possibility that he is a member of the Ten Rings himself." Vector began to step into her role as an intelligence analyst. Intelligence, logistics, and tactical support—this was one of her defined roles within the Special Task Force.

Fortunately, the situation did not continue to deteriorate. Although the coalition forces had been somewhat lax regarding the counter-terrorism operation, they had strictly adhered to battlefield regulations when initially establishing the command post. Centered around the command post, various bunkers and fortifications remained well-organized. As long as the enemy lacked heavy armored units or heavy saturation fire, it would be difficult for them to break in with light equipment alone. This was the main reason Xiang Qian and the others could still trade barbs and crack jokes.

Xiang Qian was still waiting for the Ten Rings' next move. If his previous speculation that Temugin had a backup plan was only sixty or seventy percent certain, he was now nearly one hundred percent sure.

Fifty elite soldiers capable of holding their own in a positional battle against a superior force were a rare, major investment for the Mandarin's organization; they wouldn't just be thrown away as cannon fodder.

Xiang Qian didn't have to wait long. The first change on the battlefield arrived: two riot armored vehicles from the police force crossed the militants' skirmish line, wedging into the guard force's line like two nails. The roof-mounted positions, originally intended for grenade launchers, had been fitted with heavy machine guns. Large-caliber bullets rained down on the guards, triggering a chorus of wails.

The guard force immediately launched a counterattack. Tiered fire support quickly concentrated its focus, and a dense net of fire instantly enveloped the breach opened by the armored vehicles. Those two vehicles were, after all, only police riot vehicles. Facing heavy machine-gun fire, their thin armor was no defense. One vehicle was hit in the engine by a burst of fire just as it prepared to reverse. After two "pop-pop" sounds, thick black smoke billowed from the hood, and it stalled on the spot. Seconds later, a dazzling ball of flame erupted from the front, and a moment later, the roof was blown off in a deafening roar, turning the vehicle into a giant fireball.

The morale of the defenders soared, and they let out excited howls, momentarily pushing back the momentum of the attackers. But before they could press their advantage to take out the second armored vehicle, two missiles descended from the sky with a shrill whistle, instantly shattering the heavy machine-gun position.

"Javelin," Saber said in a low voice. The attack trajectory of those two missiles was all too familiar—they were the infamous American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The appearance of the Javelin dealt a blow to the morale of the defenders who had just gained the upper hand, and their counterattack stalled. Worse, before the heavy machine gun was destroyed, they hadn't managed to take out the second armored vehicle. It stopped reversing and resumed pouring fire onto the defenders. There were no other effective anti-armor weapons to be found in the camp. This couldn't be blamed on the incompetence of the coalition forces; after all, this was a command post, not a frontline combat unit. No one expected it to be attacked, let alone that the attackers would have armored vehicles.

According to normal logic, dealing with a group of terrorists who usually hid and practiced hit-and-run tactics required no heavy weaponry. At the start, the coalition command's operational plan only required infantry units. The armored battalion deployed in the second line had only been brought out to bolster the facade, as the Tajik military wanted to show the importance they placed on the operation. But looking at the current situation, that armored battalion had become an important bargaining chip for the command post to turn the tide of the battle as quickly as possible. Even through the tents, Xiang Qian and his team could hear the desperate shouting inside, ordering the armored battalion to reinforce them.

It was at this moment that a series of explosions suddenly erupted on the east side of the otherwise calm camp. From the outer perimeter to the edge of the camp, successive explosions rang out in a near-straight line, giving the impression that a cluster bomb had been dropped there.

But everyone soon realized they were wrong. There were no cluster bombs. A figure rushed out from the fiery light of the explosions; the earth-shattering blasts and scorching flames had no effect on him. Great masses of fire danced around the man, chasing the guards behind the bunkers, yet they never touched his body. Instead, they flowed through the air following the movements of his waving arms, accompanied by the thunderous roars of explosions.

Wherever the explosions reached, the defenders suffered heavy casualties. A gap was abruptly torn into the intact defensive line. Behind the flames, a small squad of a dozen men followed closely, fanning out to protect the arsonist's flanks and rear, using disciplined, rhythmic fire to eliminate or suppress any resistance.

Watching the incredible scene before him, Xiang Qian felt a strange sense of familiarity. He remembered watching lion and dragon dance performances at the Lantern Festival as a child; the way this man manipulated the fire was vaguely similar to the performers responsible for dancing the dragon's head.

The flickering firelight illuminated the man's face, allowing Xiang Qian to confirm his identity at a glance: this person who had arrived amidst fire and explosions was none other than his target—the legendary son of the Mandarin, Temugin.

Seeing the target appear, Xiang Qian didn't get overly excited. He lowered his body and calmly issued his orders: "Vector, go back to the command post and get our civilian personnel to the safe zone. Second squad, follow and protect them. First squad, move into position and provide fire suppression."

The orders were issued one by one, and the efficient, decisive execution displayed the quality of the Special Task Force. Vector's teleportation ability could ensure a safe and efficient retreat, and the assault team members were all battlefield veterans; he didn't need to worry about how to reasonably configure their fire support.

Xiang Qian waited until everyone had returned to their positions before revealing a playful smile to Saber, who was the only one left. "Well? I told you that you'd only see the big show if you stayed here. Capturing Temugin alive is the only main event here—don't you dare mess it up."