Chapter 43: Is That You?

Ten minutes later, Zhou Guodong led Li Qi and Tian Miao into a command vehicle.

Li Qi suddenly spoke up.

"We cannot go through Niuxin Town. The town is crawling with people from the small coal mines, and someone will definitely tip them off."

Zhou Guodong nodded.

"Don't worry, it's already arranged. The troops will bypass it via Huanxiling Lotus Village. We have a shooting range there, so the troops moving through won't draw any attention."

In that era, certain military units would establish shooting ranges to practice infantry and artillery fire.

Regulations were also much laxer back then. After training sessions concluded, local children would scavenge for spent casings at the shooting range and dig the tips out of target berms.

Some unexploded bullet tips could be fitted together with empty casings to form a complete-looking bullet. Li Qi even had a few of them at home.

Artillery practice was even more exaggerated. Once the troops finished firing, scored their targets, and pulled out, the surrounding villagers would head up the mountain carrying pickaxes and iron buckets.

They went to dig up the fragmented artillery shells to sell the copper and aluminum for money.

With management being so lax at the time, absolutely no one interfered with this.

Hearing this, Li Qi finally relaxed.

Half an hour later, the group arrived at Lotus Village. Looking out the car window at the heavily armed troops wearing camouflage uniforms under the night sky, Li Qi felt a strange sensation rise within his heart.

When he had been contemplating how to sneak into Four-Dragon's illegal coal mine and rescue Li Shi, he had only seen insurmountable difficulties, viewing it as a completely impossible mission.

Yet if the iron-willed army before his eyes made a move, what was the meager arsenal in Four-Dragon's hands? Worthless trash.

The group got out of the vehicles and entered an uninhabited farmhouse that had been temporarily requisitioned as a command post.

Several officers wearing military uniforms with rank insignia on their shoulders stood inside the room, a map already hung upon the wall.

Upon seeing Zhou Guodong, they all stood at attention and saluted.

"The troops have assembled, and the operational plan has been issued. We are ready to move out at any time.

Xiao Tang, brief Political Commissar Zhou on the combat deployment."

Another officer with a resolute expression pointed at the map with his hand.

"The mineral resources in Niuxin Town are relatively concentrated, and the five small coal mines on the mountain are very close to each other, so we will strike them simultaneously.

First Company is responsible for perimeter封锁 and establishing a security cordon, while Second Company will occupy the commanding heights to provide covering fire.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Companies are responsible for thrusting into the core area and destroying any resistance...

The Vanguard Platoon will operate on the outer perimeter..."

The combat plan was simple and clear.

Every step was translated into concrete action plans and personnel assignments, with subsequent contingency plans fully considered.

Cold, direct, and effective.

With the fastest speed and the most effective firepower coverage, all resistance would be dismantled, leaving the enemy no time to react.

After listening, Zhou Guodong did not offer any opinions, but suddenly asked Li Qi.

"Do you have anything you'd like to add?"

Li Qi had long since transformed into a little fanboy, wanting nothing more than to sing praises of surrender to the People's Liberation Army soldiers.

At this moment, he firmly believed that this gang of thugs led by Four-Dragon didn't even have the slightest sliver of a chance.

However, since Zhou Guodong asked, he still spoke up.

"The five coal mines have each deployed many sentries around their outer perimeters. There are over a dozen people in town I know who do this for a living. Once they are alerted during the operation, the miners inside will very likely be in danger."

The officer called Xiao Tang chimed in.

"The first wave of assault teams will wear snow camouflage and enter the designated area on foot. Using the cover of night and terrain, they can swiftly eliminate the personnel in the sentry posts.

Mobile patrols can be directly neutralized using decoy tactics."

Li Qi nodded.

"I have no further questions."

Zhou Guodong nodded.

"Begin the operation."

Tian Miao raised her camera and bounced right up.

"I'm going to the frontline to get first-hand coverage."

Zhou Guodong glanced at the commanders in the room, and the officer nodded.

"That shouldn't be a problem. The battle will be over very quickly."

Thus, the three of them, accompanied by several other soldiers, walked out of the command post.

They were simply unable to keep pace with the well-trained soldiers. After only a short while, the vanguard troops had already left them far behind.

"Gather as a ball of fire, scatter as countless stars."

Li Qi sighed with genuine admiration. No matter how high an estimate of the troops' combat effectiveness he had made beforehand, upon actual contact, he still felt he had underestimated them.

It was already the dead of night, the deepest and darkest hour right before dawn. The group crunched through the snow, the only sound in their ears being the rhythmic crunch of footsteps.

A voice suddenly crackled through the radio in Zhou Guodong's hand.

"Post number two, three individuals secured."

"Post number five, two individuals secured."

"Post number six, four unconscious individuals discovered."

They had found Wang Fuliang and his men.

"Post number seven, four individuals secured."

"Mobile patrol secured. Wait, not a mobile patrol, just someone out taking a leak.

The detainee confessed that it's freezing in the second half of the night, so no one goes out to patrol. The vanguard battalion can pick up the pace."

Hearing this, Tian Miao grew visibly anxious. She suddenly lunged onto Li Qi's back.

"Li Qi, hurry up and carry me forward! If we're too late, there won't be anything left to photograph."

Li Qi didn't move, instead looking toward Zhou Guodong.

Zhou Guodong thought for a moment and nodded.

"You two be careful. I'll assign four soldiers to provide cover for you. Go."

Li Qi hoisted Tian Miao onto his back and sprinted off, covering a vast distance almost instantaneously. This caught the four soldiers assigned to cover them off guard, and they hurriedly gave chase.

What a fast lad...

With Tian Miao on his back, Li Qi moved across the snow-covered forest as if walking on flat ground. Extremely familiar with this mountain region, he quickly brought Tian Miao to an open hill overlooking Four-Dragon's coal mine.

To Li Qi's astonishment, by the time the two of them arrived, the battle seemed to have already reached its final stages.

The entire residential area was illuminated as bright as day by floodlights.

"Drop your weapons, or you will be executed on the spot!"

The chilling warning echoed through Four-Dragon's illegal coal mine. Those thugs who usually acted arrogant and lorded over the ordinary people of Niuxin Town were now trembling like chaff in the wind. Without needing anyone to order them, they ran out of the rooms with their hands clasped behind their heads, terrified of being accidentally shot.

A few reckless ones, however, emerged holding firearms and attempted to resist.

"Tat-tat-tat..."

A torrential downpour of covering fire erupted instantly.

The rest of the thugs were scared out of their wits, making noises that didn't even sound human as they raised their hands high.

"Government! We surrender! Don't shoot!"

Tian Miao could no longer restrain herself and bolted down the hill.

If she didn't go down now, the battle would be completely over, and she wouldn't be able to photograph a damn thing.

Resigned, Li Qi pulled his black cloth mask back over his face.

Tian Miao could charge in blindly, but he could not.

The memories of his past life were still vivid. Even after the "Strike Hard" anti-crime campaign, Four-Dragon's ultimate sentence had somehow only been a suspended death penalty.

Furthermore, his wife hadn't served prison time and continued to live in Niuxin Town.

As for Four-Dragon's underlings who hadn't been deeply involved in the mine's operations, they were released after serving a year or two.

Upon their release, these individuals continued to follow that boss's wife, engaging in marginal enterprises around Niuxin Town.

Such as trafficking scrap metal, running usury rings, and operating karaoke bars and teahouses.

This world was never simply black and white, and he still had to live in Niuxin Town for some time. He did not want to bring unnecessary trouble upon himself, his father, or his eldest sister.

If these people retaliated against him, the consequences would be immeasurable.

Li Qi kept himself stationed by Tian Miao's side, his heartfelt admiration for this brave woman growing once again.

She always managed to find the most piercing angles to capture details that struck straight at the heart.

Without needing to see the final photographs, Li Qi could already imagine the immense power contained within those compositions.

These images would undoubtedly leave a heavy mark in history.

Until the makeshift shed where the black-market miners were locked up was finally opened.

The abyss was empty, and the demons walked the earth.

A sickening stench washed over them. This was no dwelling place for human beings; it was filthier than a pigsty!

Over a hundred people were crammed into a nearly airtight space, their only source of warmth being human body heat.

Many of them bore obvious scars and traces of abuse.

Most of them wore numb expressions, their eyes glazed and devoid of any reaction even when facing the PLA soldiers who had come to save them.

Until finally, from amidst a pile of tattered cotton wadding, a hoarse voice sounded out.

"Tian Miao, is that you?"