The eastern front of Lion State is filled with boiling flames and thick smoke, but the West Borneo Sea on the other side is quiet and peaceful.
Three fully loaded large cargo ships were sailing smoothly on the sea, their majestic bows breaking waves one after another.
Standing at the edge of the deck, facing the sea breeze, Henke had a smug expression on his face. The upturned nose bridge was exactly the same as the bow of the ship that split the waves.
There is no doubt that he is a pure-blooded Wilant man, and he was born in the triumphal city with supreme glory and wealth.
However, because the Triumph City was too crowded, when he was still young, he followed his parents to the distant New World to open up territory for the Weiland people in the new land.
His father was a centurion. If there were no accidents, he should have become a glorious soldier like his father and made meritorious deeds on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, the tiger's father had a son. He was really not a war material. He failed in both the youth army selection and the reserve officer assessment one after another.
Especially the selection of the youth army.
He didn't even make it to the second round. He was screened out in the first round of physical examination. Among the many physical fitness tests, only swimming barely passed.
Facts have proved that even if they are a race born for fighting, not everyone is good at fighting.
The frustrated Genk once gave up on himself and drank all day to numb himself. Until one day, a friend he made in the youth training camp brought him a bottle of "Big Bird Rotary" from the "Old World"
Vodka", he suddenly woke up from his confusion——
What kind of horse urine did you drink before?
The spicy taste has a slight sweetness that can make people forget all their worries. Ever since he tasted it, he has been obsessed with this feeling, and drinking other wines feels boring.
However, the origin of this stuff is in the distant alliance. Even in Triumph City, it is not easy to get it. Most of the best sources are monopolized by the Eastern Legion.
Although the manufacturing process of this thing is not complicated and the raw materials are very simple, the imitations produced by Triumph City Winery always feel like there is something missing.
He knew what those fakes lacked, and that was the thing that made him most intoxicated - that sweetness that could make people forget all their worries and sometimes hallucinate.
In order to be able to drink better in the future, Henke temporarily came out of his depression. He first made a homemade continuous distiller, and then tinkered with brewing in his own warehouse and improved the brewing process... Unexpectedly, after a lot of tinkering, he actually succeeded.
It really restored that "slight sweetness that makes people forget all their worries".
In fact, the secret to making people forget their worries lies in the "methanol within the safe measurement range".
The distillery in Triumph City is obsessed with improving the distillation process, pursuing the pursuit of brewing the purest vodka, and striving for excellence in quality, but they have ignored what the people at the bottom of the Willante really need.
They don't have time to order a glass of special cocktails in a fancy restaurant and savor the smooth and rich taste. What they need is something that can forget all their worries, even if they have a splitting headache the next day.
It would be even better if you add the advantage of being cheap, even if this happiness is not healthy.
In short, thanks to this "invention", Henke became a well-known wine merchant on the east coast of the New World in one fell swoop, turning vodka from an "exotic product" into something that even ordinary people could afford to drink.
If nothing unexpected happens, he may sell wine for the rest of his life, and then the business will grow bigger and bigger, and even export the "Chicken Vodka" he made to the distant Dawn City, so that the guys from the alliance can also
Witness his cleverness.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and the profit from selling wine was still too low.
Although his "Chicken Vodka" was popular for a while, it was only for a while.
Especially in this industry, there are no barriers to entry.
Since he can imitate the alliance's products, others can naturally imitate his.
Moreover, poaching people from his winery to Triumph City is much easier than poaching people from the Alliance. All it takes is a boat ticket and a house in the suburbs of Triumph City.
Seeing that his career was at a bottleneck, Henk could only, like most self-made Wilantes, turn his attention to other new fields that were less complicated and had promising prospects.
In the Legion, only arms are the eternal trade, and their status is the highest among all merchants.
As luck would have it, at this moment, the respected marshal once again opened a window for him.
The Southern Army is building momentum for war!
Although this war is nominally a war between the Xilan Empire and various rebels, the thirty thousand "mercenary armies" are truly rare even in the history of human civilization.
As expected, the alliance also came to an end.
And it is foreseeable that companies, colleges, and even all survivor forces in the Great Rift Valley and the eastern part of the old world will participate in this war.
The local industry and transportation capacity of the Southern Army were obviously unable to support the material expenses of this war on their own, and the expansion of the Western Army happened to be stuck in an expansion bottleneck, with a large number of unsaleable arms piled in warehouses with nowhere to go.
At this time, the Western Army and the Southern Army signed a tax exemption agreement for military supplies.
Henk, who had caught wind of the rumor, spotted the business opportunity at a glance and immediately invested all his worth in it.
No one reacts faster than him.
Not surprisingly, he will probably be the first New World businessman to mine the first pot of gold from Borneo...if you don't count the big shots who jumped the gun early.
After becoming the largest private arms contractor in West Sails Port, he would sell his "Chicken Vodka" to the local Willant soldiers.
He believed they would fall in love with the addictive feeling.
And this can be regarded as a way to "save the factory through curves".
Several white birds flew from a distance and hovered over the plywood, as if they wanted to stop and rest their feet.
"Gah——"
Listening to the ups and downs of the cry, Henk felt indescribably happy.
"It's a seagull! Haha, it seems we are almost reaching the shore!"
Walking next to him, the captain with tanned skin grinned and held back his complaints.
"That's an albatross, sir...and it seems to be a mutant. You'd better not tease it."
They still have more than 20 hours of flight from Borneo, and they won't be able to dock until noon tomorrow at the earliest.
Looking at this guy's excited look, he guessed that this boss was probably going to sea for the first time, not to mention that this guy couldn't even tell the difference between an albatross and a seagull.
Henk didn't care, he just laughed to get over the embarrassment.
"Hahaha! No matter what it is, it is my lucky bird! Go get some bread...remember to get the kind that is about to expire." As he said this, he pushed the secretary next to him with an urging look on his face.
The helpless secretary returned to the cabin.
The captain grinned, thinking that this boss from the New World was quite humorous.
I heard that people in the New World are like this, they are more tactful and cunning than the "Old World" Wilant people.
However, he has never really lived there, and what he knows about it is all hearsay.
The person who introduced him to the captain's job was a businessman from the Southern Legion, and he only stopped briefly at the port of the New World before boarding the cargo ship bound for the Borneo Sea.
There was peace and quiet on the deck, just like the calm sea.
The undisciplined sailors either put their hands on the railings to bask in the sun, or used beer bottle caps as chips to play chess to pass the time, or they planned where to have fun when they got ashore.
At this moment, no one noticed that a periscope quietly stretched out of the sea, stared at them for a while, and then quietly retracted.
The secretary who went to get bread from the cabin had not returned yet. Henk was about to go to the cabin to urge the guy, but he saw large bubbles rolling out of the surging waves.
Something was quickly approaching his cargo ship, and it looked like it was quite big.
Henk suddenly remembered a story told by a sailor who was bragging to him in a tavern before boarding the ship.
It is said that in the distant Borneo Sea and southern seas, there is a sea monster called Laken.
That thing is like a giant dragon swimming in the deep sea, which can easily overturn a cargo ship with a displacement of thousands of tons.
But Henk is not worried. After all, his three cargo ships are all over 50,000 tons, and they are also equipped with sonar to drive away alien species.
Seeing the "big fish" getting closer and closer, he even stuck his head out of the side of the boat and shouted excitedly.
"What is that? Laken?"
The captain smiled when he heard this and walked to Henk's side.
"Laken won't be interested in us, we fired the sonar wave——"
Just as he was mid-sentence, his expression suddenly changed, and he roared behind him in horror.
"torpedo!!!"
He had never encountered this kind of thing before, and he didn't know how to deal with it, but he still instinctively pulled off the life jacket hanging on the guardrail, threw one to Hunk, and put the other on himself.
Almost at the same time, a deafening roar came from beneath the two of them.
A torpedo hit the side of the cargo ship!
Facing the terrifying destructive power that can sink a warship, a mere 50,000-ton cargo ship is as fragile as a toothpick.
With no time to care about the situation of the other two cargo ships, Henk just felt himself flying up, flipping over, and falling into the sea with a plop.
Things developed so suddenly that he didn't even have time to be frightened before his consciousness was cut off...
…
A few minutes ago, under the sea.
Inside the steely bridge, a dozen officers in military uniforms were staring seriously at the images projected on the holographic screen.
Twenty-four hours ago, Commander Li Minghui issued a combat plan codenamed "Laken".
As ghosts lurking under the West Borneo Sea, they will attack the transport ships carrying ammunition to West Sails Port.
This is the safest method when you are unsure of the true strength of the opponent's warships.
On the one hand, it can attack the logistics of the Southern Army and delay the frontline offensive. On the other hand, it can force the Western Army to come out to escort, thus exposing their true combat effectiveness.
"...The target search was completed and multiple 120mm field guns were found. The cargo carried on the ship was undoubtedly munitions." The observer sitting in front of the control desk looked back at the captain and said with certainty.
The captain nodded expressionlessly, without any hesitation, picked up the communicator and issued the order.
"Combat units at all levels are ready! Send them to see Laken!"
An echo soon came from the communication channel.
"receive!"
As the order was issued, the crew of the entire attack nuclear submarine immediately started to act like clockwork gears.
After the sonar locked the target, the torpedo cabin began to accumulate water, and then a black and thick torpedo was launched from the torpedo cabin, like a submerged harpoon, piercing the unsuspecting cargo ship.
This is a battle without any suspense, and the opponent doesn't even have the means to detect them.
They fired a total of three torpedoes, all of which hit their targets.
Looking at the exploding flames and the steel slowly sinking into the water, everyone on the bridge did not celebrate.
After all, the target that was sunk was not a warship, so even if we won, there would be nothing to celebrate.
But that doesn't mean they have any regrets about participating in this operation.
No matter what form or reason, since you participate in this war, you must be prepared to pay the corresponding price.
Just like them standing here.
They knew exactly what they were facing, and what consequences they would face if they were targeted by the opponent's warships...
After confirming that the target had sunk, the captain immediately gave the order to dive.
With the cooperation of all units, the submarine quickly sank to the bottom of the sea as if it had never appeared before.
At the same time, in the sea more than ten kilometers away, there was a cargo ship full of immigrants.
Hearing the distant explosion, Arman standing on the deck and the crew beside him were stunned.
"……what happened?"
Listening to the boss's inquiry, the captain standing next to Arman frowned and said in an uncertain tone after a moment.
"Three explosions... maybe they were torpedoes."
"Can you hear this?" Arman glanced at him in surprise, not expecting this guy to have such an ability.
"Otherwise, could it be caused by alien species?" The captain made a helpless expression and shrugged his shoulders.
Seeing the boss's worried look, he whispered some advice.
"We'd better not get involved in this matter... You should know well that working for those big shots will never do anything good."
Arman naturally understood what he meant, but in the end he sighed and said.
"...The teachings of the Silver Moon Sect cannot be left to die without saving people who have fallen into the water. No matter what, I have to go over and see if there is anyone alive. Of course, I will not ask you to accompany me on the adventure, I just
Just bring a few people who want to go with me."
If anyone is still alive, they must be fished out before they are targeted by the alien creatures in the sea.
Guessing what the boss would say, the captain made a helpless expression and sighed.
"I'm even more worried about letting you go alone. I'll take a few people with you."
Without wasting a long time, several diesel-powered lifeboats were lowered from the ship and rushed towards the water where the explosion occurred.
When they arrived at their destination, the raised bow of the ship had basically sunk into the water, leaving only some wreckage and garbage mixed with scattered burning fuel floating on the sea.
Yaman didn't know what the three sinking cargo ships were carrying, but fortunately there was no secondary explosion.
After discovering the survivors who fell into the water, he immediately called on the crew to drag them into the lifeboat, and then left the dangerous waters before the fire spread...
The Southern Army wanted to limit the war to the province of Borneo, and the Western Army wanted to hide behind the scenes and make a fortune. However, things may not always develop in the direction they expected.
Just like the messy train station and warehouse area in Saifan Port, as well as the tanks that were blown up on the plains of central Shizhou, the three transport ships that sank to the bottom of the sea and the arms worth tens of millions of dinars were just
Just the beginning.
At the same time that Arman was rescuing his compatriots who had fallen into the water back to the boat, five teams of ten thousand people led by Captain Ryan finally pushed murderously to Ridbull County, only one step away from the Lion City.
The area has one of the few hills on the entire plain, and several tributaries of the ever-flowing river system cross here and merge into a freshwater lake called "Sunrise Lake".
Like Surak County, this "Li County" also belongs to the territory of a nobleman with a big surname, but this Viscount Ridbull is not as lucky as Viscount Surak.
As early as the "Tianwang Rebellion", he was tied up and beheaded by a group of rebellious serfs and tenants. Only a few distant men of the family were killed.
Later, after Janusz died, the Heavenly King's Army changed its banner and became the Kingdom of Borneo. Only then did his family's bloodline remain intact. Some land and property were sold, so that the farmland all over the mountains and plains was finally not abandoned.
However, the good times did not last long.
Just as the seedlings in the field were finally starting to grow, the Southern Army attacked again.
In order to defend the Lion City, Captain Yudonovan waved his hand and filled up the 200,000-strong army with 100,000 troops.
These big-headed soldiers repaired fortifications, dug trenches, and filled in the crops that had finally sprouted, destroying most of the crops in the field.
Although they were said to be compensated, they were given in Borneo coins. No one knew what the use of this thing was, or even how long the Borneo country could survive.
However, the young Lidbull who inherited the title was a person who understood the overall situation and did not dare to rebel at this time. He even took the initiative to help these big soldiers with a group of servants.
On the contrary, some of the freedmen who had obtained the land were quite dissatisfied, but they tolerated it knowing the current situation.
I heard that the people in the legion were compensated with dinars, but this Absek was very picky about his own people, taking out a few scraps of paper and sending them away.
But after all, these complaining voices are only a minority. At least at this moment, most people still agree with Abu Saik.
Especially people in the military.
That guy is not a good person.
Cunning, philistine, indecisive... all negative descriptions can be applied to him, but one thing has to be admitted, he is more like a normal person than Anush.
This is actually pretty good—even rare.
There is no shortage of capable people in Borneo, but the strange thing is that there are very few normal people standing on the top of the tower.
Under this unanimous unity, criss-crossing tunnels quickly covered the mountains and fields of Ridpur County.
There are also caves with only entrances and no exits.
The soldiers carrying weapons and dry food went in without hesitation, ready to fill them with their own flesh and blood.
At the same time, the second batch of supplies aided by the Alliance also arrived at the front line.
Among the newly sent equipment to the front line, in addition to RPG rocket launchers and recoilless rifles, there are also some powerful metallic hydrogen explosives and landmines.
Especially the latter, as long as it is used properly, it is enough to pose a threat to the Legion's Conqueror No. 10 tank!
At least, they will not let the Legion easily take over the Lion City behind them.
…
Inside the Lion City.
Captain Yudonovan stared at the map on the command table, holding a burning cigarette on his index finger, with a sad look on his brows.
He was once a subordinate of King Janusz. Later, Janusz sent troops to attack Tiandu, so he was left behind in the Lion City, or in other words, he was left to the legions to "vent their anger."
At that time, Yudano thought he was dead, but he didn't expect that before the legion had time to attack, Janusz went ahead and was assassinated by a reformist officer in the main hall of the Tiandu Palace.
Later, Absek teamed up with several other kings to purge Yanush's old tribe and changed the flag of Borneo to the king's army. And he himself followed the general trend and took his subordinates to join the new authorities, and he also got a reward for it.
promoted.
Although in his opinion, this promotion was basically the same as asking him to die, but as Janusz's old subordinate, he didn't have much choice.
When it comes to handing over certificates of surrender, the Borneo Kingdom and the Heavenly King's Army are of the same origin. He also has his own certificate of surrender to hand in, and he is considered one of his own only after he submits the certificate of surrender.
The current task assigned to him by Absak is to lead the 200,000 troops stationed in Lion State to block the offensive of the Southern Army.
This is an almost impossible task.
"...The Alliance's armored forces are coming in our direction, and they are said to be one of the Alliance's elite units. However, their number is not large, and they only have the strength of one regiment."
"In addition, there are two armored regiments sent by the Tiger Army and the Black Panther Army, as well as a mechanized infantry division from the Golden Gallon Port... They have arrived at the southern side of Ridbull County."
Standing next to the command table, an officer in his early twenties spoke quickly and made a report. However, the good news did not completely relax Yudono's brows.
Three regiments can barely make up one division.
There is no need to worry about the alliance's armored regiments, but it is still unknown how much combat effectiveness the armored regiments of the Panthers and Tigers have.
Those people may not be willing to try their best.
The mechanized infantry divisions at Golden Gallen Port should be able to listen to the alliance, and they probably won't be able to command them.
After staring at the map for a long time, Yudono sighed and said.
"You can't rely on outsiders. In the end, you still have to rely on yourself..."
After calming down, he turned his attention to the officers standing in front of the command table.
"In any case, we have 200,000 troops in hand, and the Weiland people only have 50,000... This battle is our home field, and we must defend it even to death!"
Although the Mammoth Kingdom has a good idea, the Lion State is not the Dog State after all. The millions of residents of the Lion City are right behind them. Even if they want to retreat, they have no place to retreat. This battle cannot be avoided after all.
Reading the determination in the commander's eyes, the officers standing in front of the command table looked solemn and put their right fists on their left chests.