After ending the call with Tang Ziyi, Kilo 2 realized her team's situation wasn't unique. Kilo 3 encountered the same threat. Perhaps because the gang didn't possess night vision devices, the headlights of their convoy could be seen from miles away.
Kilo 2 and 3 were prepared to face the oncoming formation, armed to the teeth. Every member of the team was equipped with specialized weapons. One word was appropriate to describe their prowess—explosive fierceness: Javelin, wire-guided missile, Stinger missile, RPG-7s, automatic grenade launcher, and autonomous mortar. Every operator could explode their targets. The least threatening member among Kilo 2 and 3 might be the heavy-duty machine gunner and sniper, wielding .50 caliber rounds to pierce through average armored vehicles or even hit low-flying helicopters. Kilo 2 and 3 were infantry units, purposely built as weapon squads.
Both teams had already noticed the enemy's fleet. Though not directly, the movement of headlights behind the hills, as the vehicles likely navigated several curves, gave everything away. Athena was also about to report the movements, but when Kilo 2 and 3 succeeded preemptively, she didn't mind staying in the background. She knew that Spirit Fox operators were beginning to suspect her identity—an AI or a group of intelligence liaison officers using a voice changer. So, as long as she could hide her identity for a while longer, she didn't care about taking credit.
Both leaders of Kilo 2 and 3 sharpened their focus after confirming orders from Tang Ziyi. Even though they weren't saints to pity anyone, they weren't ruthless like machines without any emotion. One word from Tang Ziyi sentenced the lives of gangsters. Looking at their equipment, they lamented the fate of having no strength—oh, no, of being enemies of Spirit Fox. They always cheated. They were also looking forward to seeing what more cheats Tang Ziyi could come up with: protection, firepower, and now even spatial devices.
"Team leader, are we really going to use expensive missiles to destroy the convoy? I bet these gangs don't even have an armored vehicle apart from a few technicals."
"Yeah, boss. Don't you think we're going a little overboard and wasting our President's money?"
Spirit Fox operators exchanged glances as they lifted the Javelin missile uncomfortably. According to the math, a few broken cars couldn't buy a quarter of the missile's cost. Even the wire-guided missile seemed more expensive. Though blowing stuff apart and causing explosions were pure music and enjoyable, they couldn't afford to play wantonly. The battlefield was never a short one. They had to keep fighting for another two days before they could retreat.
Ling Qingyu (weeping with joy): Oh, she didn't raise her girls wrong in vain.
Kilo 2 Team leader listened to her subordinates' suggestions and shook her head. "Don't worry about the money. It's not ours anyway. Our boss is so rich that she spends everything luxuriously, don't you understand? She's never stingy with us. And she also brought so much stuff, piled several meters high in our temporary warehouse."
Ling Qingyu: …Should she say thank you?
Please gave her back her feeling of gratitude. These girls didn't deserve it. Oh, but what else to do but spoil her girls...
If Ling Qingyu ever knew about their discussion, these might be her exact thoughts.
"Okay, quit the chatter. We're going to ambush when the convoy drives on the straight road perpendicular to us." The leader pointed her finger and quickly drew an efficient plan. Each step was explained succinctly. Considering her subordinates' request to remain frugal, she also limited the use of weapons based on the actual situation. It wasn't too late to switch to Plan B if a heavier target appeared. Spirit Fox never conducted any operations without additional plans, backups, and contingencies if everything failed.
Several minutes later, the combined engine roars grew louder. The first headlights emerged from the curves out of the hills.
"Steady," Kilo 2 leader whispered, patiently waiting for the best moment. The line grew longer until no more cars came out—more than a dozen vehicles to reinforce the city. Obviously, many gang members had been left behind to guard their peripheral bases. Whether the leader decided to scout the situation first before changing plans or had other goals, Kilo 2 didn't bother to speculate.
Once Kilo 2 saw every vehicle had entered the designated spot, she waved her hand. "Fire!"
Two wire-guided missiles flew out of the launcher and landed on the targets in a few seconds. The first and last vehicles blew up, and all the doors inside slammed open. Smoke and fire churned inside and gradually began to engulf the entire frame. The convoy slowed down and came to a sudden halt. The gangs were caught off guard by the sudden attack. Their belated reaction to drive away from the choke point failed because the road was blocked ahead. Even driving backward wasn't possible. The convoy was trapped on the narrow road from both sides.
Just then, smaller explosions followed, overturning a few vehicles and shattering glass. If unlucky, the small objects smashed inside the vehicles, causing them to meet the same fate as the first and last ones.
Kilo 2 leader glanced at her subordinate beside her, who pressed the trigger of an automatic grenade launcher as soon as the ambush started. The team had already zeroed in so that the grenades hit the convoy accurately. The explosions staggered from the front to the rear.
.50 caliber rounds shredded the vulnerable metals. No passengers escaped as bullets ripped through their bodies. Those on the trunks of pickup trucks, who jumped away to find cover, fell, their bodies riddled with pieces. Any lucky ones who managed to escape were dealt with by powerful sniper bullets. Kilo 2 gave no quarter.
The firefight didn't stop until the team leader ordered a ceasefire. The deadly orchestrated symphony turned eerily silent. Kilo 2 leader timed the battle and clicked her tongue. 30 seconds, more or less. Everything was over. The convoy was wiped out.
Vehicles overturned. Tires blown apart. Ruptured pieces of glass as well as burnt corpses littered the area. Burning bodies and cars. The gangsters never expected an ambush ahead. They were too confident and careless.
Job done for Kilo 2, the leader reported the situation back to Tang Ziyi. Further orders prompted them to find and set up a new defensive spot in case they had to fall back since the wreckage might inform the enemies of their presence later.
The darkness surrounded the flames. The crackles and smell of gasoline and roasted meat permeated toward Kilo 2. Time had ticked close to dawn. No signs of sunlight yet.
"Team leader, I don't think I can eat meat in the next few days… Uugh." Someone vomited, eliciting a group chuckle.
Kilo 2 leader shook her head and scolded, "Don't think too much. If you try to visualize it, you'll feel worse."
"Tsk…tsk…it's not like you haven't killed someone before." Seeing her subordinate retching, the team leader was speechless.
"It's not the same. The smell of barbecue and this ultimate sight…forget about your heartlessness."
At Kilo 3's location, the same scene played out. The fight didn't last longer than a minute. They were a little fiercer since the convoy was larger than what Kilo 2 encountered. Plus, the team also deployed several RPGs to destroy the remaining vehicles. Same tactics, but more violent.
All the enemies were neutralized before they dismounted from their iron coffins, apart from very few who had quick reactions but still died from targeted sniping and machine-gun strafing.
"Copied. Keep up the good work, and don't slack off. Athena will post updates. Command out." Tang Ziyi smiled at Ling Qingyu and signaled the problem was solved. Without this bastard's existence, she knew Spirit Fox operators would never have been able to end the fight in 30 seconds, purely by firepower.
A small-arms ambush would never have worked properly. Heck, even the city encirclement was a dream, and rescuing the primary objectives leaned toward near impossible if the same life-threatening scenario happened.
"Aunt, these gangs even pulled out an arsenal," Athena voiced her concern.
"What happened?" Tang Ziyi asked. Ling Qingyu didn't interfere and entertained herself, swearing never to fight again, particularly after being exhausted tonight.
"Drone footage has captured gang members setting up mortar positions."
"Three to four locations."
"Uh… Any location endangering civilian infrastructure?" Tang Ziyi asked, watching her tablet screen and contemplating.
"Negative, except one on the rooftop. I recommend Kilo 1 fire a preemptive mortar strike while I lase the targets."
"Good idea," Tang Ziyi agreed and radioed Kilo 1 to prepare. The latter was serving as a support element, ready to reinforce any Kilos. After switching roles with Kilo 7, Kilo 1 also took away a few pieces of equipment from the 'warehouse.' Automatic mortars were included in the list.
"Huh?" Ling Qingyu turned her gaze.
"Go and order Kilo 7 to select two girls to set up the mortar system here… Quick!"
Ling Qingyu nodded without hesitation and hastened away. She wasn't a troublemaker when a serious operation was at stake.
Tang Ziyi directed, "Kilo 1, mark and prepare for fire mission, 3 mikes.