Chapter 706 The gray wolf who doesn’t play by the rules
Fang Chang’s concerns are not unreasonable.
The prerequisite for encircling a point and calling for reinforcements is that the besieged defenders still have some will to resist.
For the nearly three thousand imperial soldiers who were surrounded in the "Kraba Market", whether they owned this thing was obviously a mystery.
But compared to simply capturing a prince, he actually has a greater ambition...
Camp Lowell.
The murderous dagger wearing an exoskeleton found Lacy, who was sitting on an ammunition box and playing with LD-47, and got straight to the point.
"Come to life."
Putting the new toy he had just received aside, Lacy stood up and jumped off the ammunition box, bowing and nodding.
"At your command, my lord."
Murderous Dagger didn't waste any time. He took out a tablet and stuffed it into his hand. He clicked on the map and the battle plan listed next to it with his index finger.
"About three thousand remaining soldiers retreated to the Kelaba market. They commandeered the houses and all available bunkers in the market, and used the remaining ammunition and individual anti-armor weapons to build a new line of defense around this area. The good news is that they drove out
With the civilians in this area out of the way, we can freely use all available supporting firepower. As for the bad news, we haven’t seen it yet.”
"But even so, you still can't be careless and underestimate the enemy. I don't want a group of water dogs to suddenly regain their confidence. You need to do what we say, step by step, first surround the market, and then
Apply pressure on the besieged troops from four directions, southeast, northwest, and force them to break out..."
Pointing his index finger on the map, Murderous Dagger paused and continued.
"...We speculate that they will not go directly to the north. Both the east and west are good options. In order to reduce uncertainties, we need you to exert more pressure on the west and conduct some feint attacks appropriately to give them as many options as possible.
The east side is the main breakout direction."
Laci frowned and looked at him in confusion.
"Why let them go? I can catch them all for you."
Murderous Dagger said patiently.
"This involves the second step of the plan. We hope to intercept them as they retreat and drive some of the deserters to positions outside the settlement. Taking advantage of the support of the tens of thousands of troops outside the settlement, we hope to capture those who fled outside the city.
Eat it together with the tens of thousands of people lying outside the city."
This method can be regarded as an alternative to encircling the point and calling for reinforcements.
Alaya, who was stationed outside the settlement, made no new moves after deploying a team of 10,000 people into the trenches on the front line. It seemed that he planned to let the defeated troops in the settlement organize their own troops to break out, and the reinforcements
Mainly cover.
It seemed that General Alaya did not intend to lose more soldiers for this stupid attack plan, which just further proved that the attack itself was an accident.
Just like the thousand-man team that "landed on the beach" at French Fries Port.
There was an expression of surprise on Lacy's face. On the one hand, he was surprised by the plan of the alliance brothers, and on the other hand, he was surprised by their appetite.
That’s a whole team of ten thousand people!
And he is also the most elite ace in the empire!
However, there was no timidity on his face. He just thought about it briefly and asked an insignificant question that he was curious about.
"Since we want to let them go, why not just let them go from the north? Isn't it closer there?"
Murderous Dagger was stunned for a moment, looked at this guy with a strange expression, and asked.
"In other words, would you run directly north?"
Laxi was also stunned for a moment.
why not?
Regardless of this guy's confused expression, Murderous Dagger raised his head and glanced at the sky, then continued speaking quickly.
"It's getting dark, and we judge that they will choose to rest for the night and stick to their position until dawn the next morning. Generally speaking, that is the most relaxed moment and the most suitable time to break out... This is the plan. If there is a new
We will notify you of changes, but now we need you to act immediately."
With a fierce look in his eyes, Lacy reached out and picked up the rifle placed next to the ammunition box, and nodded seriously.
"give it to me."
Looking at Lacy who turned around and walked towards the camp radio station, Murderous Dagger suddenly remembered something and called out to him again.
"etc."
Laci stopped and looked back.
"Is there anything else?"
The murderous dagger pointed at the tablet in his hand.
"There are a few people up there that we want to keep alive. There are others. If anyone surrenders, try to stay alive if you can... Remember, the living are worth more than the dead."
Lacy nodded slightly.
"As commanded."
…
Kraba Market.
This is the largest market in Golden Gallen Port. It is located in the center of the northern city. It consists of hundreds of shops and stalls, surrounded by rows of square houses.
Usually these stalls are usually filled with colorful food, spices, textiles, trinkets, animals tied to ropes, and even some used electronic products and mechanical clocks shipped from other places.
Not only the poor and citizens will come here to buy daily necessities, but also some big business merchants and small nobles in luxurious clothes will come here on a whim, looking for some rare goodies or picking things up from the hands of inexperienced people.
.
It is no exaggeration to say that as long as it is something that is available in the Xilan Empire, whether it is cheap red clay or toys produced in Ideal City, you can find it here if you spend some time.
Usually this market will be busy from dawn to sunset, but today it is as lively as ever.
The only difference is that the bustling crowd changed from shouting merchants and select customers to a group of fleeing "grey wolves"...
"Stop! What are you doing!? This is my house, you can't-ah, it hurts!"
A man in his thirties was grabbed by the arm and thrown out of the door by a soldier. He was thrown out onto the street along with his two disheveled wives and six children.
Judging from the clothes and appearance of this family, although their status is not high, they are definitely not snakes, rats, insects or birds.
But this made no difference to a group of defeated soldiers who had just suffered a defeat.
Without even listening to the angry-looking man's argument, the soldier directly raised the muzzle of his PU-9 submachine gun and pressed it against the man's forehead, yelling.
"This is not your home! Now! Immediately! Leave! If you don't want to ask for trouble!"
The cold touch made his heart feel like it was falling into an ice cave, his hands and feet felt cold, and his lips trembled, unable to speak.
There is another house not far away.
An old woman hugged a soldier's leg tightly and refused to let go. She begged and begged, but she was kicked in the door.
Not long after, there was a burst of gunfire, and then a group of soldiers carrying a machine gun crossed the bleeding threshold.
The man was completely stunned, and a warmth flowed down his trouser legs to the ground.
After glancing at the man who was so frightened that he peed his pants, Dilip didn't even bother to speak and just stepped over the threshold and entered the house.
The guard following him reached out and grabbed the man's collar, pushed him to the ground, and said a cold word.
"This is for your own good."
"roll!"
The man didn't dare to stay, so he stood up and hurriedly pulled the family away without even bothering to brush off the dust on his body.
The entire market was in a mess, and the disgraced residents were pushed out of their homes without even having time to pack their luggage.
A group of people huddled at a loss on the dirt road two streets away from the Kraba Market, looking at the unfamiliar streets around them at a loss.
There was a mother with a frightened face running around looking for her lost child, a well-dressed man hesitantly knocking on a nearby door to ask if he could take her in for the night, and someone was unbuttoning a piece of bread so hard that it could break a tooth...
…
Children separated from their relatives huddled on the ground and cried bitterly, devout believers clasped their hands in prayer, and some sat on the ground in despair and muttered.
"what should we do?"
"How long are they going to stay..." A gray-faced man muttered in a low voice, "Are we going to wait here forever if they don't leave?"
The old man next to him sighed, with a sad look on his face.
"...We can only wait."
At this moment, everyone's fate seems to have temporarily become the same, no matter what shape of label is attached to them.
Looking at the streets gradually blending into the dusk, some people rocked the children in their arms and hummed softly, some sang along, some closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment of tranquility and equality, weaving together a sea of noise and chaos.
song...
They are actually quite lucky.
Most of the soldiers here have suffered defeat for the first time, and they still regard them as subjects of the empire to some extent. If they lose a few more times, it's hard to say what will happen.
The defeated army that retreated to the Kraba Market finally completed the construction of the defense line before dusk, and at this moment gunshots were heard from all directions.
They discovered that what seemed to surround them was not the devils summoned by the Alliance, but militia troops composed of local people.
And this also made these wolf soldiers trapped in the market extremely angry.
In their view, this is undoubtedly a betrayal.
Fortunately, the combat effectiveness of these militiamen was not very strong. Although they tried to launch several feint attacks under the cover of mortars, they did not have any obvious effect, so they retreated and changed to encirclement.
Every now and then, fire off a cold shot.
But even so, no one dared to relax.
The rampaging big crab left a deep impression on them. No one can guarantee that those crabs will not follow the militiamen outside in the next round of offensive...
The sky is gradually getting darker.
The double-knife flag with a green background is still not flying on the roof of the Governor's Palace, but Prince Dilip, who is in trouble at this moment, has no time to dream about that unrealistic dream.
Glancing at the communications soldier who was still debugging the radio, he waved to his bodyguard to come over and gave instructions.
"I'm hungry, get me something to eat."
The guard nodded quickly and called the accompanying servants to prepare food.
After a while, a bowl of ginger-yellow paste with floating beans was brought up, along with a small plate of onion juice and two pieces of sesame-sprinkled pancakes in a basket.
Several of the guards guarding the room swallowed involuntarily, but Prince Dilip frowned.
"It's just beans."
The servant who brought the food said with a grimace.
"Sir, this is the only thing they have in the kitchen..."
Dilip's brows twisted into a twine.
The cake sprinkled with sesame seeds was okay and had a buttery aroma, but the beans were fed to animals and not for human consumption at all.
After hesitating for a long time and still not taking his mouth, Prince Dilip pushed the food away in disgust.
"Search in other houses, I want to eat meat."
The servant did not dare to say anything, and the guards on the side nodded quickly and performed a military salute.
"yes!"
As he watched the guard leave, Dilip noticed that the other guards in the room were swallowing their saliva, so he ordered his servants to share the food with them.
Looking at the gobbling bodyguards, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curl up with a trace of ridicule.
A group of low-class people who have no respect for themselves.
The frustrated sense of superiority seemed to be recovered from elsewhere, and Prince Dilip felt much better.
It just so happened that at this time, the radio station was finally repaired and the communication with the rear headquarters was finally restored.
Overjoyed, Dilip immediately ordered the communications soldier to call the rear headquarters, then grabbed the phone and shouted before Alaya could speak.
"What the hell are you doing! Why did I call for artillery fire for a long time and didn't even see the shadow of a single shell?"
There was a rustling electric sound in the receiver, but there was no response.
Seeing that Alaya was frightened by his momentum, Dilip took a deep breath and continued in a gentle tone.
"Because of your poor support, there is a situation on the front line now, but it's not a big problem... In short, I need reinforcements. Give me another five thousand people and twelve artillery pieces as well as more anti-armor weapons and explosives. The alliance doesn't know where to come from.
Get an Ironhead, damn, we should borrow some tanks from the Legion!"
Alaya waited patiently for him to explain everything, and then calmly replied with only two words.
"return."
Dilip was stunned for a moment, and then his whole face turned red.
"You're ordering me!"
There was another long silence in the communication channel.
Seeing no reply for a long time, Dilip's originally sullen mood suddenly gave rise to a trace of panic.
It wasn't until this moment that he truly understood his current situation.
He was not playing a war chess game with His Majesty in the palace, but standing on a real battlefield, even surrounded by enemy troops!
If this guy leaves me alone——
Dilip's lips trembled. After waiting for a long time, he finally squeezed out a plea from his dry throat.
"help me."
There was finally an echo from the other end of the radio station.
"...Tomorrow at five o'clock in the morning, I will try to launch a round of artillery bombardment on the city near the Kraba Market to cover your breakout from the encirclement. There is a team of ten thousand people outside the city to pick you up. Listen, this is your only chance to avoid being surrounded.
Alliance prisoners, a chance to come back alive."
Memorizing every word on the radio carefully, Dilip nodded tremblingly.
"yes!"
Before Alaya could finish his words, he paused and continued.
"...In addition, we cannot rule out the possibility that our enemy will deliberately open a road for you in order to lure you away from the position, and then put you in his pocket and catch you all. Remember, before setting off, send people to perform several feint attacks to test the strength of the firepower. It is easiest if you cannot leave."
That's the way to go."
When the voice fell, the communication was also hung up.
Prince Dilip felt his back was soaked with sweat, and he sat down on the chair exhausted.
Looking out the window at the last glow that was gradually sinking into the roof, he seemed to be staring at the hope that was about to fall into darkness, his eyes filled with despair.
Hope I can survive tonight.
hope……
At the same time, at the command post more than ten kilometers away, Alaya slammed the phone on the table, and then sat on a chair with his eyebrows pressed in pain.
The surrounding officers were silent and no one spoke.
Saving that idiot Dilip is already the best outcome, but if that doesn't work, it would be better if he dies on the way to break out.
At least he won't be captured by the Alliance.
Otherwise, another chip will be added to the enemy's hand.
As for the remaining nearly three thousand Gray Wolf Army warriors...
I can only leave it to fate.
…
The long night finally passed, and a flash of whiteness appeared on the dock of Golden Gallen Harbor.
However, it was not the first ray of sunshine that shone on this land in the morning that tore away the last trace of tranquility in the night, but the deafening sound of cannons.
"fire!"
The Gray Wolf Army's artillery position roared loudly, and 100mm grenades rose into the sky one after another, falling towards the city near the Kraba Market.
Facts have proved that General Alaya has two skills.
All day yesterday, he had been testing the ultimate range of the Union artillery, and after completing the test, he dispersed the artillery beyond the effective range of the port artillery positions.
But in contrast, this distance is basically close to the limit of the range of the Empire's 100mm howitzer.
One after another "Brownian motion bombs" were scattered in the city, only two-fifths of them landed around the Kraba market, and even one-fifth fell in the market.
As for the remaining two-fifths, no one knows where they will end up.
"Oh my god... these guys really don't regard the survivors here as their own."
Standing on the wall of Camp Rowell, Murderous Dagger looked at the billowing smoke rising from the city in the distance with a surprised look on his face.
If Dawn City hadn't been like this, he almost didn't even remember whose territory the fight was on.
"It seems that there are indeed people in Kelaba Market who they want to take back at all costs." Looking down at the survivors under the wall who had blocked the entrance, the Kidney Fighter said helplessly, "Who can explain to them?
, encountering this kind of direct firepower... this wall breaking is actually useless, it is more dangerous if they are all gathered together."
To put it cruelly, a grenade hit the roof. Although it was probably fatal to the family, most of the fragments and shock waves could be buried by the wall.
From the perspective of minimizing casualties, the safest thing at this time is to stay at home instead of swarming on the streets.
In particular, Camp Lowell is considered a strategic location. Even if it is not the main direction of attack of the Gray Wolf Army today, there is no telling what will happen tomorrow.
Murderous Dagger sighed.
"I'll go try it."
Although he felt that there was no point in doing so...
At the same time that the Gray Wolf Army's artillery launched an artillery bombardment on the northern urban area of Golden Gallen Port, nearly 3,000 defeated troops trapped in the Kraba Market also began to break out.
Soldiers of the Gray Wolf Army holding rifles gathered along the edge of the building, and in units of a hundred people, they launched a fierce attack on the militiamen outside the Kraba Market from four directions: southeast, northwest, and southeast.
The gunshots echoing inside and outside the market were like firecrackers, and the bullets were flying like a shower.
The wooden stall was pushed down on the street and used as a shooting shelter, and soon it was riddled with bullets.
Soon, a group of soldiers wrapped the broken bricks and soil blown away by the shells in sheets and piled them on a two-wheeled truck to make a temporary shelter.
One person pushed a cart filled with obstacles and charged forward, while nine people followed behind, firing and charging forward desperately.
From time to time, someone would be shot and fall down, but someone else would soon come up.
Driven by the desire to survive, the soldiers of the Gray Wolf Army were like hyenas forced into a corner, bursting out with astonishing fighting power. In one moment, they defeated the militiamen several times their number and were unable to lift their heads.
Seeing the hope of escaping, Prince Dilip, who was hiding on the second floor of a private house, excitedly stuck his head out of the window and yelled at the soldiers in the market with his hoarse voice.
"Rush over! The way home is in front of you! What's standing in front of you is just a bunch of cannon fodder! Hopeless trash! Cowards who betrayed the empire! Use the rifles in your hands to tell them who is the real one.
The true brave——!”
Fortunately, there were continuous gunshots and artillery fire all around, so the soldiers leaning on the edge of the bunker couldn't hear his roar. Otherwise, it's hard to say whether someone would have looked up and shot him.
Captain Satish, who was taking command nearby, happened to hear it. His brows twitched fiercely, but he could only suppress the anger in his chest and pretend not to hear.
What the hell!
Who caused them to be trapped here?
Just as he was cursing, new news came from the front line.
A team of 100 men has successfully penetrated the defense line deployed by the puppet troops on the east side and opened a way to retreat outside the settlement.
Listening to the good news reported by the frontline officers on the radio, the commander took a deep breath, returned to the downstairs of the private house where Prince Dilip was staying, and shouted loudly toward the second-floor window.
"...Sir, our soldiers have opened a gap in the east! Come down quickly, we will cover your retreat!"
Just as Prince Dilip was about to respond, he suddenly remembered General Alaya's previous warning and quickly swallowed back the words that had come to his mouth.
"No! I won't go from there! That's the alliance's trap! Have you forgotten how fierce their firepower was yesterday? How could they let us go so easily! This must be their conspiracy, they deliberately took us away from
Release them to the east, and then catch us all in one fell swoop!"
Hearing these willful remarks, Satish almost spit out a mouthful of blood.
There is one thing to say, this analysis is indeed not unreasonable.
If he were the commander on the opposite side, he would also consider using the tactic of "surrounding three and defeating one", but shouldn't this be something discussed before starting to break out?!
Now that the defense line has been opened, everyone has seen the hope of escaping, but you said you can't leave from here?!
What a joke!
This guy really treats the people under him as war chess in the sandbox?!
"We have no choice!" Holding back his anger, Satish shouted at him, "In order to open this line of defense, we have abandoned at least more than five hundred brothers. Even if it is a trap, now we can only gamble.
Rush over! This is the only chance! They can't capture everyone!"
"Captain Satish, I say it again! This is an order! The soldiers who have broken through the defense line continue to advance, and the remaining people break out toward... toward the north! If you refuse to obey the order, just wait for His Majesty's punishment!"
Prince Dilip roared sternly, his pale face full of panic and madness.
To be honest, he didn't know what to do.
When deducing chess pieces on the sand table, there are no bullets and artillery fire flying all over the sky. Every wrong decision may cost him his life.
Perhaps the only thing he is better than an outsider is that he knows that no matter what he does at this time, it is better than doing nothing.
Just do what Alaya says.
If you lose, you can still pass the blame to that guy.
He now felt extremely regretful. He should not have opened his mouth in the first place and asked Alaya to ask the five thousand people to attack the Governor's Mansion.
But it's too late to say anything now.
The plan was not on the track he expected from the beginning, and every unexpected order made the situation worse.
If only the enemy could allow him to press the pause button and think about it...
It's best to let him take another look at his hand.
Satish looked desperately at the prince standing on the second floor, stumbled back two steps, his lips trembled for a long time, and finally took the phone from the hands of the signal soldier and shouted in despair.
"The units that have broken through the defense line continue to advance! The remaining units launch an attack on the defense line on the north side of the market! Rush over to me at all costs!"
There is no point in doing anything now.
Loyalty to His Majesty will at least preserve his family.
Now that things have come to this, he can only break the jar...
…
The east side of Kraba Market.
The continuous sound of gunfire suddenly died down and stopped without warning, like a candle flame blown out by a gust of wind.
The remnants of the Gray Wolf Army, which had already opened a gap in the encirclement, suddenly gave up their all-out offensive.
Except for the centurion that had already broken through and was still moving forward desperately, the remaining soldiers turned their guns and headed towards the north of the market.
It was as if they were trying to tear apart the defense line, with no intention of rushing through the already broken defense line.
Without the support of follow-up firepower, the hundred-man team that broke out of the encirclement was quickly captured, with a gun pointed at the back of the head, and squatted on the ground in disgrace.
The defense line on the east side of the market that had been penetrated was closed again due to the hesitant movement of a group of militiamen.
This strange scene exceeded everyone's expectations.
If it wasn't a human being standing on the front line, Lacy wouldn't believe it was true.
But even though he saw it with his own eyes, when he heard the report from his subordinates on the intercom, he was still stunned for a moment.
"...They really went north?"
"Yes... they concentrated all their forces to break out to the north! Damn, these guys have gone crazy!" Noisy gunshots and rapid breathing came from the other end of the walkie-talkie, showing how anxious the battle situation was.
Lacy asked immediately.
"How are you doing? Can you hold on?!"
Frontline officer: "The problem... shouldn't be big! Although there are many of them, most of them are exhausted... Do you want to let them go?"
Feeling relieved, Lacy pondered for a moment and gave the decisive order.
"Hold the position! Hold it at all costs! The brothers of the Alliance want the empire's lackeys to get away to the east, and we must not let anyone go north!"
The frontline officer replied firmly.
"yes!"
Hang up communication.
Lacy then ordered the subordinates beside him to withdraw the brothers who had filled the gap in the defense line on the east side of the market.
He knows very well who gave him the power in his hands, and he knows even more clearly that if he wants the alliance to always support him, he must show a value that matches it. And to do this, completing the order is even more important than victory itself.
important things.
He is eager to prove himself.
Even with every last drop of blood, he would twist the necks of those hyenas back from the north!
He still doesn't believe it.
These guys really don't want to go east!
but--
Although the "master's order" is more important than victory itself, it is impossible to say that Lacy has no doubts in his heart.
Looking at the wide-open market entrance not far away, he was silent for a long time before mumbling something in a voice that only he could hear.
"I just said they would retreat north..."
At the same time, on the wall of Camp Rowell, the murderous dagger overlooking the battlefield through a quadcopter drone also had a confused expression.
He saw with his own eyes that the remnants of the Gray Wolf Army trapped in the market broke through the defense line on the east side of the market.
However, before he could send an interception signal to the 3rd and 400th troops who had been lying in wait nearby for a long time, he watched as the group of "grey wolves" suddenly gave up their breakout and attacked to the north of the market.
What kind of operation is this?!
"It's unscientific..."
He muttered repeatedly, and his eyes were full of incomprehensible words.
However, just when he was about to report the abnormal situation to the temporary headquarters at the rear and request further instructions, the situation under the drone lens took a new turn.
As if they could no longer bear the continuous casualties, the remaining Gray Wolf Army soldiers gathered all their strength and launched a final round of fierce attacks towards the defense line on the north side of the market.
The last burst of intense gunfire was somewhat of a flashback to despair, and both sides also suffered huge casualties.
However, the militiamen who stood there still worked hard to maintain the defense line.
Several consecutive breakthroughs failed to make any progress, and the remaining more than a thousand "grey wolves" were finally defeated and scattered into a pile of sand on the solid defense line.
But even so, they still did not choose to withdraw from the east side of the market, even though the militiamen surrounding the market had left a door open for them there.
They dropped their weapons, raised their hands in the air and walked out of the bunker in despair. No matter how much their officers shouted, they couldn't stop...
Even after realizing that the scolding was useless, their commander also raised his hands and walked out.
Not only did the Murderous Dagger fall into silence, but even Fang Chang and Lao Bai, who were far away at the temporary headquarters, were also stunned after hearing the news from the front line.