Chapter 24

"Fatty has landed. Coordinate position 1045.2207. Safe. Follow-ups, converge on me."

"Fatty" was Tian Kaiwen's well-deserved nickname. Originally, Rashid wanted to call him "scoundrel," but Tian Kaiwen firmly refused. He said, "Call me either 'hero' or 'fatty'."

There's no such despicable hero. Your medal doesn't prove anything. Everyone said, so it was decided to call him fatty.

The deputy positions are generally filled by the elite among the scouts. When operating in a squad, the deputy squad leader takes the lead; when operating in a platoon, the deputy platoon leader walks at the front. Of course, deputy battalion commanders and above are exceptions. In other words, during an operation, the highest-ranking military position at the front is the deputy company commander.

Finding it rather absurd, the fatty opened the cockpit door and spat forcefully. The outside air had a damp smell. The mechas of the soldiers from the 1st Company were landing one after another in the sky. The boosters on the mechas were turned to the maximum, making a loud rumbling sound. The rapidly falling mechas, about fifty meters above the ground, seemed to be held up by an invisible hand. This was the effect of the booster's recoil force acting on the ground.

These mechas were the best standard-issue equipment of the Leray Federation. Due to the special nature of the special forces, almost all weapons and mechas that could be mass-produced would be given priority to the special forces.

The 1st Company was equipped with three types of mechas. The most numerous was the seventh-generation "Warrior" mecha. It was a single-soldier mecha but had extremely high mobility and defense capabilities, enough to rival the sixth-generation medium-sized mecha. Ordinary soldiers were driving the general-type "Warrior Pioneer," while Rashid was driving the same "Leader" as Grant, the special forces battalion commander. He got it from Nadal. Nadal was using his personal mecha, which had been professionally modified and equipped with many personalized configurations, making its combat power higher than that of the standard mecha.

There was also a type of medium-sized anti-joint quadruped mecha used by the communication team. These two mechas, with the military name "Antenna," were mainly used to maintain communication with the rear and coordinate with the air force. In battle, the greatest function of this type of mecha was electromagnetic interference. It could cut off the enemy's communication links and attack electronic devices such as radars, mecha computers, scanners, and locators, paralyzing or confusing them.

The last type was the "" Fury"—class heavy—fire—support mecha. The 1st Company was equipped with a total of four such mechas. The "Fury" was also a seventh-generation mecha, a scaled-down version of the sixth-generation heavy mecha. The reduction in volume brought an increase in strength. This mecha, which could carry five people, was equipped with a curved-firing cannon, three energy-gatling guns, and a missile launcher. Its fuselage was made of a stronger alloy with extremely strong external armor defense and was equipped with a large-scale energy shield. Basically, it was a mobile fortress with fierce firepower.

The fatty was originally equipped with a "Warrior Pioneer," but he firmly refused it. So, the only personal mecha in the 1st Company was the fatty's "Logic.". The soldiers of the 1st Company greatly admired the new vice-company commander for daring to risk his life and go to the battlefield in such a tattered mecha.

The fatty stared closely at the scanner and radar of the "Logic.". There were no signs of enemy mechas in the vicinity. However, this quiet mountainous jungle would soon be filled with swarming Gacharin Empire mechas. They had to evacuate this area within ten minutes.

The airborne assembly of the 1st Company was quick and silent. Each of these battle-hardened special reconnaissance soldiers knew exactly what to do and how to do it. The mechas, with their boosters turned off, moved silently through the jungle towards the position where Tian Kaiwen was. Only when some larger-sized mechas forced their way through the thick bushes would there be the sound of branches breaking.

Two minutes after landing, the mecha computer of the "Logic" gave a clear prompt. The two "Antennas," four "Furies," seventy-seven "Warrior Pioneers," and one "Warrior Leader" of the 1st Company had all arrived.

The fatty transferred the command signal to Rashid through the mecha computer. With a wave of Rashid's hand, the aggregated mechas immediately dispersed. They moved in pairs, one in front and one behind, with three pairs in a row. The entire team formed a long snake that could coil up at any time. There were vanguards responsible for protection at the front, rear, and on both wings. The whole company started a rapid march, rushing towards the destination on the mecha's electronic map.

About fifty kilometers west of the drop-off point, there was a blind spot scanned by a space spy satellite. This area, which was pitch-black on the satellite military map, must have been equipped with anti-detection jammers. And this location was between two cities surrounded by the empire, thirty kilometers away from each in the north and south. A road passed by it. The most likely situation was that it was the enemy's air force base.

Radar and electronic jamming facilities were generally not set up near the road. The Federal Air Force had always suspected that this place was established when the enemy's giant transport ships landed and was later converted into an anti-air missile base. Because several missiles intercepted by the two cities in the north and south were launched from this direction. So, the Federal Military Intelligence Department's preliminary judgment of this black spot was a mixed temporary air force airport and missile base. This judgment was tempting enough to send a special company to attack it.

However, no matter how the fatty looked at it, he felt that this place was a bit strange. If it was really an air force or missile base, the airborne operation wouldn't have been so smooth. But if it wasn't either of these two, what could it be?

Soon, they were less than ten kilometers away from the target. The third platoon leader, Jason, led his platoon to stay behind and be the backup force. The moment Rashid's order was given, they quickly formed a circular defense formation. The vanguards responsible for perimeter observation automatically entered the alert position five hundred meters away. Since the start of the operation, Tian Kaiwen had been observing these subordinates he had only known for a few hours. The performance of these soldiers convinced him that he was in a well-trained team. These soldiers tempered by the flames of war showed a silent determination. They were decisive in judgment and swift in action, and their tactical movements were standard without being rigid.

One "Antenna" and one "Fury" automatically separated and stayed behind to cooperate with the defense. The others continued to move forward almost without pause.

Entering the range of the jammers, they might encounter patrolling enemies at any time. Tian Kaiwen and three "Warrior Pioneers" walked in the front. They had to ensure the safety of the team's advance. The fatty chose a small hillside on the southeast side of the base. From here, they could overlook the entire base.

The two platoon special reconnaissance soldiers unreservedly trusted the fatty's choice. They put their mechas into stealth mode and followed the tattered mecha in front, making twists and turns. Everyone felt it was rather strange. The mecha that had been billowing black smoke and making clanging noises during the day was now like a feline animal in the jungle approaching its prey, moving softly and silently. If they hadn't been close, they would almost have lost track of it. This tattered mecha seemed to have merged into the nighttime jungle. This phenomenon made the fatty seem even more mysterious in their eyes.

Under the fatty's leadership, they had penetrated to an area only about one kilometer away from the base. Along the way, the tattered mecha walking in the front would occasionally fire concentrated heavy particle shots that penetrated through hollow trees or holes in the ground. Without exception, there were enemy sentries inside. These sentries were killed silently in an instant. Without armor protection, their internal organs would be instantly destroyed by the concentrated heavy particle penetration.

But who would have thought that a concentrated heavy-particle machine gun would be in the hands of a mecha?

The soldiers of the special reconnaissance company following behind also couldn't imagine it. They just felt that this journey was unusually smooth. Logically speaking, five kilometers away from the target was already the shortest distance for their usual surprise attacks.

An enemy mecha patrol appeared on the radar of the "Logic.". It was a team composed of one imperial "Iceman"-type" mecha and a squad of infantry. They were patrolling parallel to the base wall. Ten minutes later, this leisurely patrol team would reach the position where the fatty and his team were.

The base, one kilometer away, was still quiet in the night. There was no sound of fighter jets taking off, nor the takeoff or landing of transport ships. This didn't match the characteristics of a battlefield airport. Whether to launch a strong attack or not had to be decided by Rashid.

The fatty stopped, and the mechanical arm of the "Logic" was raised high, making a fist.

After everyone hid, the signal was returned to Rashid.

One minute later.

The "leader" mecha issued the order for a full-scale surprise attack.