Chapter 282: Operation Hunt 001!
Cheng Cai and the others took a car to the airport, then transferred to a military transport aircraft.
Originally influenced by Wu Zhe and still skeptical, the group saw they would even take a helicopter out, and their mentality immediately showed obvious change.
This was their first time going out on a mission, and a thought involuntarily popped into their minds.
“Still taking an airplane? Could it really be actual combat??”
Cheng Cai, Wu Liu Yi, and the other six all thought this, but only the staunch skeptic Wu Zhe became even more suspicious that this was a show.
Only fakes need to be this exaggerated, using all sorts of things to disguise.
The real thing doesn’t need it at all!
This reasoning logic was sound and applied to the vast majority of situations, but not all situations.
Yuan Lang and Chen Jun knew everyone’s thoughts but made no explanations, because there was no need—everything would be clear once they arrived on site.
Only during the downtime on the airplane did they tell everyone the basic situation.
This action codename was Hunting “Hunting 001”, heading to the border area in the southwest region to intercept a gang of armed smuggling group that had illegally entered.
Also acting together were B Defense WJ and JC, and they had already begun tracking and searching.
The expected action time was about two days.
Wu Zhe specifically reminded everyone that this armed smuggling gang was extremely wicked, and in previous arrest D operations, many JC and WJ had been killed.
Everyone must put in 120% effort, absolutely no slackness allowed.
Yuan Lang had never been this serious, Ba Te Er, Cheng Cai, and Wu Liu Yi basically believed half, and their hearts felt an added heavy pressure.
Tuo Yonggang and Xu Sanduo had grave expressions, basically fully believing now.
Only Wu Zhe was still skeptical, even muttering sarcastically in a low voice: “Act, keep acting, I want to see how long you can keep it up.”
Chen Jun heard Wu Zhe’s muttering but wasn’t displeased; instead, he appreciated it more.
Maintaining skepticism toward everything in the world and always keeping a skeptical attitude could make one more vigilant and greatly reduce risk.
A mature special operations team needed someone like Wu Zhe.
…
Under the circumstances of the team members each harboring their own thoughts, the military helicopter slanted across more than half of China’s map, finally landing at an airport in some place in the southwest.
The WJ convoy waiting in advance at the airport picked up the hunting squad and the accompanying supplies, racing for several hours to deliver them to the secret command post.
When Chen Jun and the others got off the car, the sky outside had completely darkened.
At a glance, the surroundings were all vast jungle, with no way to know exactly where they were, only that it was definitely a border area.
The first thing after landing was to arrange meals, then they were taken to the tents for rest.
The accompanying equipment and supplies were helped off the car and transported to designated places for storage by WJ comrades.
“You rest in this tent tonight, always be ready to depart. I and the captain are going to a meeting; I’ll tell you if there’s any special situation.”
After Chen Jun instructed the team members, he walked out of the tent with Yuan Lang straight to the command center.
At this time, inside the large tent of the command center, it was brightly lit with a serious atmosphere, and representatives and persons in charge from each unit had all gathered.
“Lieutenant Colonel Yuan, Captain Chen, welcome.”
A middle-aged JC in a crisp police uniform smiled and walked over to shake hands and greet, then introduced: “I’m JD Wei Haiming from Rui Tian City, and this is Company Commander Liu Qingyun of the B Defense WJ Squadron.”
Both positions were company commander, but Yuan Lang was a lieutenant colonel while Liu Qingyun was only a captain.
This showed how high the level of special forces was!
“Hello.”
Wei Haiming had reported his identity and name right away, clearly having checked the information in advance, so Yuan Lang didn’t introduce himself again, just shook hands courteously.
All action personnel were in place, and Wei Haiming began to host the meeting.
“According to reliable tip-off…”
Wei Haiming was the person in charge of this action, handling the informants and intelligence, so he had the latest firsthand information.
As he announced various information to everyone, they all learned the current latest situation.
The armed smuggling group headed by Kun Jiang had now set off from the neighboring country, attempting to smuggle across the border through a secret route in the primitive jungle.
There were thirty-eight armed smugglers, all carrying various weapons.
There was also a pack horse team of over ten people, with a total of fifteen pack horses carrying over one ton of smuggled D goods, worth more than 10 million USD.
If they really succeeded in transporting it over, it would likely shatter thousands of families.
For this.
The superior had issued the mission.
They must wipe out this smuggling gang completely. To ensure better completion of this mission, all participating troops were specially granted freedom to open fire.
This meant that as long as they encountered the smuggling gang, no communication was needed—they could attack them directly.
This was very rare domestically!
After all, constrained by national conditions, our enforcement usually tries courtesy before force, attempting communication first, then striking with force if communication fails.
Granting freedom to open fire at the start of the action showed how dangerous it was.
Everything was ready, but there was still one difficulty.
That was not knowing the specific entry position!
This smuggling route was extremely secretive, personally scouted by Kun Jiang himself; no one else knew it except him.
Even his trusted aides who had followed him for years didn’t know the specific route.
Kun Jiang was so cautious with this line, not leaking a bit of information, so the informants naturally didn’t know the exact location.
The only useful information sent was the time Kun Jiang’s team set off.
Without knowing the specific entry position, they could only use the dumbest method: calculate based on time and lock down a dozens-of-kilometers border line area.
Then, the B Defense JD team suggested to B Defense WJ, requesting it mobilize personnel to cooperate in a large-scale search.
The WJ troops attached great importance to this, deploying an entire squadron’s troops, searching in shifts of two classes around the clock by squad.
The search had now lasted nearly two days without finding traces of Kun Jiang’s entry.
Fortunately, these two days weren’t wasted; the search area had been greatly compressed. Even without finding them, it was expected to narrow to within 5 kilometers by tomorrow morning.
Once the border line was compressed to within 5 kilometers, finding entry traces would be much easier.
This was good news amid the bad.
After the meeting, it was already past nine at night. Wei Haiming still needed to stay at the command post for dispatching, so the travel-weary Yuan Lang and Chen Jun returned first to rest.
Only with full spirit and stamina could they cooperate in action at a moment’s notice when needed.
The actual situation was even more serious than imagined; a gang of over thirty armed men was no small number, not to mention the leader Kun Jiang was no simple character.
To hide the entry route so concealed showed this person acted with extreme meticulousness.
Such a person would definitely be very careful, finding methods to hide traces, with sensitivity to crisis far exceeding others.
Finding him in the vast primitive jungle would not only greatly increase difficulty but also be more dangerous.
Who knew where he would hide; if discovered first by him accidentally, dozens of guns opening fire at once—that destructive power was exaggerated.
Not to mention special forces soldiers who were still flesh and blood—even immortals would lose a layer of skin.
Realizing the mission’s unprecedented difficulty.
Even battle-hardened Yuan Lang and Chen Jun felt their mood turn heavy in this situation, putting in 120% effort for pre-battle preparation.
The first thing back was a meeting, telling the team members the situation exactly as it was.
Letting first-time combatants like Cheng Cai and Wu Liu Yi deeply realize the danger of this action, avoiding accidents in combat due to negligence.
Even when the meeting ended and they were leaving, Yuan Lang unusually said a few words specifically to Wu Zhe—
“You maintaining a skeptical attitude toward everything isn’t a bad thing in my view—it’s even your strength. But today is an exception: put away your skepticism. I don’t want to bring your ashes back.”
After hearing Yuan Lang’s words, Wu Zhe frowned, his heart sinking heavily.
“Could this really not be acting?”
Wu Zhe watched Yuan Lang’s departing back, standing there motionless for a long time.
…
The next day.
Just after six in the morning.
The sky had been clear yesterday, but now it was overcast with drizzling rain, making the forest unusually damp and oppressive.
The sun that should normally have risen over the hilltop was nowhere to be seen.
Without sunlight penetrating the forest, the already relatively dim primitive jungle turned into a dark, damp world.
“Beep beep beep…”
“Put on raincoats, full assembly!”
Chen Jun wore a black raincoat, with a tactical backpack on his back, holding a Type 95 Rifle, fully geared and ordering outside the tent.
Because it was their first actual combat operation, under the torment of tension, excitement, anticipation, and anxiety, the team members who hadn’t slept at all last night quickly came out fully geared one after another to assemble.
The ground was soaking wet with squelching sounds underfoot, rain pouring down on them, making the team members’ hearts feel especially heavy.
Everyone’s expression was extremely serious, brows furrowed into deep furrows.
Before departure, Chen Jun gave a pre-battle speech.
“Just five minutes ago, the search troops found target traces. The enemy may be nearby not far away. Due to the rain, the clues have been interrupted. The superior, worried about danger, specially sent us to support.
This battle is extremely dangerous, the enemy extremely wicked. All team members must be vigilant, obey orders strictly, absolutely no acting on your own. Everyone understand?”
“Understood!”
Everyone replied, voices resounding.
Though their hearts were tense, anxious, and filled with myriad thoughts, their fighting will was firm as steel.
“Captain, anything to add?” Chen Jun turned to ask Yuan Lang standing beside.
“None. Depart.” Yuan Lang ordered.
“Yes!”
Chen Jun saluted, turned and said: “Depart!”
With Chen Jun’s order, Cheng Cai and the others braved the drizzling rain, stepping firmly into the dim jungle.
Visibility in the forest was limited and the ground wet and slippery, so the team’s advance speed wasn’t fast.
Chen Jun led at the front, Yuan Lang at the rear, the other seven in the middle. After walking over a hundred meters, they stopped.
“Rest here a moment first, wait for the relieving search troops to hand over.”
Chen Jun issued the order, and everyone crouched by the roadside.
Wu Zhe, second to last in the team, saw things seeming more and more real and couldn’t hold back, turning to ask Yuan Lang behind: “Captain, last time it was factory D gas plus street fighting, now it’s airplane, rain, jungle for an exercise—does it have to be this exaggerated?”
“Have you seen such a realistic exercise?” Yuan Lang shot back with one sentence.
“Do you believe it?”
Wu Zhe himself was now hesitating, half believing half not, urgently needing validation, so he patted Xu Sanduo in front of him.
“I believe.”
Xu Sanduo nodded heavily, clear tension and anxiety in his eyes, yet no fear or terror, no matter how dangerous this trip.
Looking at Xu Sanduo’s face, Wu Zhe’s expression was complex, stunned for several seconds.
He asked no more!
At this time, a group appeared on the muddy road ahead; from their rain-soaked camouflage combat uniforms, they could be seen as B Defense WJ.
Their steps were very heavy and slow, looking extremely fatigued.
Seeing real WJ appear before them, and their state truly like having searched twelve hours, their spirit, energy, and mind couldn’t be faked.
The hunting squad’s expressions all changed dramatically.
Cheng Cai and the others, who had still harbored a trace of doubt, now looked extremely grave upon this sight, fully believing this was a combat operation.
And Wu Zhe, who had half doubted just moments ago, now tilted wildly toward belief.
Under the stimulation of inner panic and anxiety, when this group arrived and the leading WJ comrade handed over to Chen Jun up front.
The urgently seeking-answer Wu Zhe grabbed one of them and asked: “Hey, comrade, which squadron are you? Are there really armed personnel ahead?”
The grabbed WJ warrior was tired and weary, with huge mental pressure along the way, in no mood for joking, just wanting to hurry back to rest.
Seeing the smile on Wu Zhe’s face contrasted with his own dog-tired state.
He became even more impatient!
“Don’t tease me, comrade. You’re acting, right? Not real WJ, huh.” Wu Zhe, seeing the warrior silent, tried to ease with a joking tone.
The WJ warrior’s face darkened further, glared fiercely at him, and walked away.
Not a word the whole time, yet revealing much information.
After the WJ warriors walked a few meters away, gazes from Cheng Cai, Xu Sanduo, Wu Liu Yi, and others turned to Wu Zhe, eyes carrying affirmation.
Meaning to urge Wu Zhe not to doubt anymore—this action was nine out of ten real.
“I still don’t believe.”
Wu Zhe was like a cooked duck, only his mouth still stiff all over.
“Thanks, comrade, you’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to us.”
Chen Jun and the WJ leader completed the intelligence handover, learning the route to the clue spot, and immediately ordered again: “All attention, depart!”
The crowd, already infected by the atmosphere, followed with heavy expressions.
Their hands gripping the guns tightened even more.
