Thunder Warrior Saves the World

Page 5

Hiraghi's words undoubtedly sparked a discussion in the command center, but in the end, everyone's eyes turned to Kaineng, who was sitting in the middle.

"Send a telegram to Fabian, requesting that the royal family send a representative to Svorbella to discuss cooperation with the Amelians. Emphasize the benefits of cooperating with the Amelians and our current predicament. Clerk, send the minutes of this meeting along with the telegram," Kaineng instructed, pressing his acupoints.

Book 1: Chapter 23 (Twenty-Two) - The Elgins' Invitation

The Elgins acted with unexpected speed. This could be due to the country's state of war and increased administrative efficiency, or it could be due to the Belken's imminent arrival at the capital, causing them to panic. In any case, within just a day and a half, the Elgin royal family sent a telegram agreeing to cooperate. Accompanying the telegram, besides several appointment letters, was a set of negotiation guidelines—the Elgin government had efficiently drafted a preliminary negotiation outline, roughly defining the scope of the negotiations. As long as the negotiations fell within these boundaries, Kenen and Shiragi, who were in charge of the negotiations, could make their own decisions.

Upon receiving the telegram, Shiragi, who had been pacing back and forth in the command post, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Kaineng immediately dispatched an envoy to the 7th Brigade base, inviting Lu Wu to Svobera for negotiations. The outcome of the meeting was quickly determined, and the scope of cooperation was settled within two hours. However, the 7th Brigade headquarters was struggling with who should go, how many people should go, how many guards should be brought, and the choice of vehicles.

One faction, led by Yelena, advocated that Lu Wu remain at the brigade headquarters while another representative went to Svorbella; another faction, led by Davis, insisted that Lu Wu go to Svorbella as a representative, but with sufficient escorts, infantry fighting vehicles, and tanks to demonstrate the 7th Brigade's formidable military strength and thus secure greater benefits in the negotiations; as for Lu Wu himself, he wanted to travel light, keeping the group to about ten people, and using an unarmed version of the GAZ-2330 Tiger armored vehicle from the system store for transportation.

Both Yelena and Davis strongly opposed Lu Wu's idea. They argued that in the event of an emergency, the small squad, lacking heavy firepower and manpower, would be at a disadvantage. However, Lu Wu offered his reasons: Swobella was still considered a rear city, making it less likely to be attacked by a large Belken force. And if something did happen, they had a Su-7BMK attack aircraft and a squadron of Hinds on standby at the airport. Furthermore, an unexpected incident on Eljai territory could be used as leverage in negotiations to extract more supplies from the Seventh Brigade.

As for the possibility of overturning in case of an accident… the system provides a specially modified version of the GAZ-2330 Tiger armored vehicle. Anton Star's engineers sacrificed the roof-mounted weapon racks, reduced interior space, and decreased speed, but extensively covered the interior and undercarriage with bulletproof and blast-resistant materials. The windows were also replaced with heavy-duty bulletproof glass capable of withstanding 12.7mm bullets at a certain distance. Even in an ambush, it offers excellent personnel protection. Furthermore, he and his bodyguards are all veterans tested in several Chechen wars, so holding out until the Hind enters the battlefield shouldn't be a problem. After all, with Ens World's World-class weapons, they think they can take down our elite Russian troops? Who do you think you are?

Davis sighed, convinced by Lu Wu's words. "Alright, I agree to the commander's plan." Miller, the company commander of the 48th Air Assault Company, Bai Xue, the company commander of the T-72 Company, and Vasily of the 2nd Company exchanged glances and no longer insisted on their own opinions.

"I don't operate on a one-man rule. Our 7th Brigade must uphold the style of military democracy. Let's vote by show of hands." (Si)

Seeing this, Lu Wu understood what was going on, so he spoke these words with an air of righteous indignation. This made Yelena's cheeks puff up with anger; she glared at the only man standing in the conference room, wishing she could bite him right then and there. (Three)

Lu Wu, seemingly oblivious to Yelena's gaze, said, "Those who agree with Comrade Yelena's plan, please raise your hands."

Only the commander of the 46th Air Regiment, Golden Eagle No. 1, and the company commanders of the 2nd Company, Katerina and Yelena, raised their hands.

"Those who agree with Comrade Davis's plan, please raise your hands."

There was no one there. Miller, Snow White, and Vasily silently avoided Yelena's sharp gaze. Davis kept fiddling with the cap of his pen, seemingly mesmerized.

"Those who agree with my proposal, please raise your hands." Z

In a flash, including myself, a total of 12 hands were raised.

"Three people agree to Comrade Yelena's plan, zero people agree to Comrade Davis's plan, twelve people agree to Lu Wu's plan, and one person abstained. Based on the voting results, we will proceed with my plan." Lu Wu then announced this unquestionable result, naturally earning Yelena a huffy expression. He continued, pressing his advantage, "Davis, Vasily, you two will come with me to Svorbella. Yelena, you stay here; the Seventh Brigade is in your hands..."

"Commander, I request to accompany you to Svorbella." Yelena stood up before Lu Wu could finish speaking, looking straight ahead and completely ignoring his direction. "You are the supreme commander of the 7th Brigade, and as your adjutant, I must ensure your safety."

Lu Wu paused for a moment, then understood. He initially kept Yelena behind mainly because she had been with him the longest, and with her in command, he wouldn't have to worry at all. However, after a brief thought, Lu Wu didn't refuse further. "Then who do you think should command the Seventh Brigade?"

"Katarina." Katarina, who had been watching the drama unfold, suddenly snapped to attention. As someone who always enjoyed watching gossip, she never expected to be caught up in it herself.

"Then Katerina will be in charge of the 7th Brigade during my absence. Yelena will come with us to Svorbella. We'll continue to use the base as a center, sending out small detachments to search outwards, wary of Belken retaliation. Losing a main regiment will drive the 73rd Infantry Division crazy." Lu Wu didn't dwell on the matter, looking at Katerina and instructing her. Perhaps it was time to promote someone to deputy brigade commander to assist him. After all, the expansion of the 7th Brigade was inevitable. As the Amelia Volunteer Army grew larger, the things he needed to manage would increase dramatically. Furthermore, he would have to deal with the Erjiyans politically in the future, so his time and energy devoted to the 7th Brigade would naturally decrease.

"Understood, Commander." She hadn't expected the lieutenant general to compromise so quickly, and hurriedly replied loudly.

That concludes the recent arrangements. Are there any objections or additions?

"No." "Net." Everyone in the conference room shook their heads. It was no joke; even a blind man could sense Adjutant Yelena's displeasure. Who would choose to bring this up at this time, especially since they didn't seem to have anything to report... As for Adjutant Yelena's mood? Well, let the lieutenant general handle it himself; they couldn't help him!

Volume 1: Chapter 24, Section Twenty-Three: The Attack

After finally managing to appease Yelena overnight, Lu Wu spent a considerable amount of Golden Eagles the next day to exchange for four defensively specialized GAZ-2330 Tiger armored vehicles, which, led by guides from the 44th Division, advanced towards Swobella.

The major sent by the 44th Division to act as a guide was clearly full of questions, especially after seeing the four Tiger armored vehicles; his eyes were like those of a perverted scoundrel. One shouldn't, at least not, become aroused by an armored vehicle. Lu Wu barely managed to suppress his urge to see a doctor and sat with Yelena in the back of the third Tiger armored vehicle.

The Tiger armored vehicle has a large interior space, originally designed to accommodate 4-10 soldiers. However, the engineers on Antonstar added armor plates, taking up a lot of space, leaving only two seats in the back for heavily armed soldiers. But Lu Wu felt this sacrifice was worthwhile. He had previously encountered a rebel RPG attack in Syria, and would have been killed if he hadn't been in a Tiger armored vehicle. Therefore, the Tiger armored vehicle had left him with a very reliable impression, and coupled with its rugged appearance, Lu Wu had long wanted to buy a few Tigers; now, he had finally fulfilled a wish.

With the guidance of an Elgin guide, the Tiger armored convoy arrived outside Svobera in just one hour. Because the vehicles had been adorned with the orange seven-star rose flag representing the Kingdom of Elgin and the red star South China tiger flag of the 7th Independent Guards Brigade before departure, the Elgin army along the way did not attack the convoy. They merely observed the unusually shaped vehicles with curiosity, secretly wondering who the important figures inside were.

The meeting place arranged by Kaineng was one of his private estates in the heart of Svorbella, so the convoy headed directly towards the city center after passing the city checkpoint. Lu Wu and Yelena watched curiously as the buildings flashed past the window. The streets were mostly lined with simple, two- to three-story detached houses, but as the convoy went deeper, five- or six-story duplexes gradually became the norm, their decorative styles taking on a more luxurious feel. The road surface looked like old asphalt, with potholes and cracks; if a T-72 were to take a detour around Svorbella, the Svorbella road administration would probably be in tears. Although the Belken were already approaching Svorbella, the civilians hadn't been evacuated. Almost everyone on the street wore a look of worry about the war, and even the street vendors seemed listless. There weren't many cars on the road; in ten minutes, Lu Wu only saw two sedans.

At this moment, the convoy stopped in the middle of the road. Yelena immediately pressed one earpiece and whispered, "Commander, vehicle number 1 reports something is wrong ahead. There was a car accident on the road, and a lot of people are watching. There is a suspected IED on the roadside. Requesting further instructions."

"Am I fucking back in Syria? I should never have taken the Tiger tank." Lu Wu glanced out the window, feeling like he was being watched by extremist Muslims hidden in the crowd. "The front group switches to the rear group, have that guide take a different route, we'll go around. Also, have the driver of vehicle number one keep an eye on things." Lu

Although Lu Wu didn't explicitly say to keep an eye on anything, Yelena understood his meaning. Many people probably knew that Amelia's volunteer army was coming to Swobella today, but fewer knew which route the convoy would take. After ruling out the cyborgs, this guide from the 44th Infantry Division became suspicious.

"Pass the word down, prepare for battle. I suspect they have a backup plan." Lu Wu pulled a 6094 vest with bulletproof inserts from behind his seat, tore off the Velcro straps, and pulled it on. He kicked off his leather shoes and put on a pair of combat boots. Then, he pulled an AKS-74U from under his seat, unfolded the stock, adjusted the large lever to its lowest position, and cocked the rifle. This series of actions left his once crisply pressed military uniform wrinkled, creating an incongruous and comical look when combined with the outfit.

After Lu Wu and Yelena were fully equipped, the convoy had readjusted its direction and begun its detour. Just then, a violent explosion occurred on a vendor's cart about ten meters to the left rear of the lead vehicle, number 4. Simultaneously, several armed men wielding submachine guns rushed out from behind the onlookers behind vehicle number 1 and charged towards it.

"Enemy attack! Requesting fire!" The two soldiers from the 7th Brigade in vehicle number 1 already had their fingers on the triggers, applying slight pressure, bringing them to the point of firing. Eliminating danger in its initial stages to prevent further escalation or serious consequences is a common practice of the 7th Brigade.

"Yes, no! The situation is unclear, we can't open fire first!" Considering the potential political problems that might result from firing first, Lu Wu quickly brought the car to a halt. "Be careful to identify targets, don't accidentally injure civilians! What's the situation with vehicle number 4?!"

Lu Wu ignored vehicle number 1, because even with their submachine guns, these men wouldn't be able to penetrate the composite glass's defenses quickly, even if they fired at point-blank range. Vehicle number 4, however, had lost contact since the explosion, and the force of the blast—the sound and dust were comparable to a 75mm grenade, suggesting a significant yield—made Lu Wu worry about the occupants of vehicle number 4. More armed men, about a dozen or twenty in number, appeared on both sides of the street and surrounded the convoy.

“Commander, there’s still no response from vehicle number 4. Vehicle number 1 says that armed men have surrounded their vehicle. They claim to be the Ergia guerrillas. The Kingdom’s army betrayed us. If we don’t want to die, we should get out and go with them,” Yelena said.

"Ignore these armed men. As long as we're in the car, they can't touch us with their guns. Find a way to take car number 4 with us..."

Before Lu Wu could finish speaking, gunfire suddenly erupted from the rear of the convoy. Seeing that they couldn't get the car doors open and that the convoy was showing signs of starting to leave again, the armed men dropped their camouflage and opened fire with their submachine guns at the narrow side windows of the Tiger armored vehicles. To their surprise, even after a burst of bullets, though the glass was riddled with cracks and bullet holes, it remained standing before them, faithfully fulfilling its duty.

"Open fire. Anyone who dares to fire at us will be shot." Lu Wu's expression remained unchanged: No matter who you are, if you show hostility towards the Seventh Brigade, you're going to get shot.

Volume 1: Chapter 25 (Twenty-Fourth Chapter) What the hell do you mean by "friendly forces"?

The firing ports of the Tiger armored vehicle opened from the inside, revealing the AKS-74U's distinctive horn-shaped flash suppressor. Upon seeing this, the militants surrounding the vehicle hurriedly tried to sidestep to avoid the line of fire, but how could their twisting speed compare to the speed of their index fingers pulling the trigger? The militants standing by the vehicle quickly collapsed in a series of convulsions.

"How's car number 4? Still can't get in touch?" The armed men approaching from both sides of the street saw that this group also had automatic weapons, and they stopped charging in as brazenly as before. Instead, they began to blend into the crowd on the street to avoid being noticed.

At this moment, the smoke and dust surrounding vehicle number 4 finally dissipated a little, allowing Lu Wu to see the current state of vehicle number 4—the side facing the explosion had some dents and many areas were blackened by smoke and fire, but apart from these, it seemed to be fine.

"Vehicle 4, Vehicle 4, response received!" Lu Wu took the headset Yelena handed him, put it on, and called out. The guards who had come with him had been with him for many years, closer than even blood brothers. Even the death of just one of them would be hard for him to accept. But after a while, he still hadn't received a response from anyone. "Blyat! Construct a defensive position centered on Vehicle 4! Yelena, have you called the Doe?"

"I've already called! ETA 24 minutes!" Yelena responded while firing three rounds out of the vehicle; she had called for support the moment the attack began. Hearing Lu Wu's words, the driver turned the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator, and the Tiger armored vehicle roared towards the stalled vehicle number 4.

Three intact Tiger armored vehicles formed a triangular defensive position around vehicle number 4. Yelena, on the outer side of the position, switched the fire selector to full automatic mode, while Lu Wu opened the inner door of the vehicle and rushed towards vehicle number 4. Upon opening the door, he saw several cyka inside, their faces bruised and swollen, as if they had been raped after drinking some kind of wild boar tea. The medic from vehicle number 2 arrived at this time, dragged the cyka out of the vehicle, and checked their vital signs with Lu Wu.

"He's still alive. He was probably either knocked unconscious by the shockwave or hit his head. He's not in any life-threatening danger," the medic judged based on his experience.

"Very good." Lu Wu patted the medic on the shoulder, grabbed the AKS-74U he had thrown on the ground, and ran back to the rear of the Tiger armored vehicle. He quickly peered out and surveyed the surroundings. Now, two armed squads of seven or eight men each were approaching the convoy from two directions. The civilians on the street knew they couldn't stay on the streets, and those who could run had already fled. Therefore, these two enemy squads could only rely on the carts left behind by street vendors in their escape for cover.

These dilapidated wooden carts might be able to stop 9mm pistol rounds, but they couldn't stop the 5.45x39mm rifle rounds fired from their AKS-74Us. Lu Wu sneered, raised his gun, turned sideways, and fired a short burst at an armed man hiding behind a cart. With a spray of wood chips, the figure behind the cart fell heavily to the ground, letting out a scream.

Seeing this, the militants in that direction immediately realized that the cart couldn't protect them, so they abandoned their plan to approach it. Someone shouted, "Go and get the explosives over there! This stuff is dangerous!"

However, they seem to have misjudged the protective capabilities of these armored vehicles.

Hearing the shouts of the militants over there, Lu Wu ordered a ceasefire, saying, "We'll take them all out after they bring up their explosives."

The words had barely left his mouth when the loudspeakers on the utility poles along the road blared. Lu Wu curled his lip; the Ergia's reaction was incredibly slow. At least five minutes had passed since the explosion, and the Ergia Kingdom's army was now on high alert. Were their sentries deaf? Couldn't they hear anything? Perhaps they could donate their ears to those in need. Little did he know that almost both brigades of the entire 44th Infantry Division had been urgently conscripted from the local population after the outbreak of war. In the past, these soldiers hadn't even finished their basic training. To issue a city-wide alert within five minutes was considered a rapid response.

While Lu Wu was inwardly grumbling about the snail-paced movements of the Kingdom of Ergiah, the militants on the other side retrieved explosives from their planned ambush position and delivered them. At that moment, a detachment of about ten Kingdom soldiers arrived. Seeing the Kingdom soldiers' distinctive pointed helmets and long rifles, the militants exchanged glances, instantly abandoning their attack, throwing down their submachine guns, and scattering like birds. The money from the Belken people was tempting, but it was only worthwhile if you were alive to spend it!

"Damn it!" Seeing this, Lu Wu was immediately enraged. Were the Kingdom's army here to help or to cause trouble? He fired his AKS-74U rapidly, shouting, "Don't let those guys get away!"

Sensing that the Kingdom's army seemed to be on their side, they began firing their rifles at the fleeing militants. However, they couldn't capture all of them. A smoke grenade successfully disrupted the firing range of the Kingdom's army and the 7th Brigade, creating an opportunity for the militants to escape. Perhaps they weren't very capable, but they certainly knew how to escape. Getting a meal from the Belkens wasn't shameful.

After the smoke cleared, looking at the dozen or so unidentified corpses on the ground, Lu Wu's mood wasn't good. He'd been inexplicably bombed, and his attempt to capture and interrogate some people had been thwarted by "friendly forces"—it would be a miracle if he was in a good mood. He called Davis aside and gave him a few instructions. Davis then went to the Elgin guide and bluntly stated a few words:

"Please convey to your commander that, given your inability to even maintain security in your own controlled areas, we strongly doubt whether the safety of both sides can be effectively guaranteed during the consultations. We request that the consultation venue be changed to the suburbs where we last met."

Hearing this, the Elgins were in a panic. Although Davis's words were full of polite formalities, the anger he contained was palpable, and the incident was indeed a serious dereliction of duty on their part. For such a heinous incident to occur on their territory, the fact that these Amelias hadn't immediately severed all cooperation and negotiations was already a considerable act of restraint. Now, they had no choice but to agree, promising that the Kingdom's army would provide a satisfactory explanation to the Amelia volunteers.

Volume 1: Chapter 26 (Twenty-Five) - Selling Antonstar Arms

Due to the change in the location of the negotiation, the 48th Air Assault Company's Hinds ultimately did not enter the city of Svorbella, but instead completed their infantry air assault on the outskirts. Captain Miller quickly led his men to construct a temporary position in this suburb. So when Kainen arrived with a delegation of Elgin officers and several Svorbella administrative officials, what they saw was a defensive position with machine guns everywhere, sandbag trenches, and barbed wire. Of course, the most eye-catching thing was undoubtedly those huge, bizarre-looking creatures. After Brigadier General Shiragi explained, these Elgins finally understood what these creatures were for.

Upon entering the meeting tent, Kaineng immediately bowed and apologized, stating that they had captured the militants who had fled the attack and would soon interrogate them to uncover the mastermind behind it. He also indicated that they would thoroughly investigate the leak by the 44th Infantry Division. Lu Wu and Davis had only one request regarding Kaineng's statement: that the 7th Brigade participate in the entire interrogation. If anything was discovered, such as the identity of the mastermind, the 7th Brigade would arrest them, and the Kingdom's army would not interfere with the 7th Brigade's actions. Lu Wu did not seek monetary compensation for this matter; his idea was to address it openly and then let it go, seeking redress for the losses suffered by the Amelia Volunteer Army in other ways. Although Kaineng was curious why the Amelia people hadn't made specific compensation demands, saving the Kingdom some money wasn't a bad thing. With this in mind, he agreed without consulting the other members of the delegation.

Lu Wu was overjoyed. He exchanged a glance with Davis and then steered the discussion toward the true purpose of the meeting: how to carry out specific cooperation between the Kingdom of Elgia and the Amelia Volunteer Army.

“Lieutenant General Lu, the equipment on this list doesn’t seem to be the same equipment I inspected the other day, does it? Where are the T-72 tanks?” Shiragi frowned and asked after Davis produced the list of equipment available for trade, compiled by the 7th Brigade after discussions. The first half of the list contained equipment that could be delivered immediately, while the latter half required full payment from the Kingdom of Elgia before delivery. There weren’t many items that could be delivered immediately. Besides a dozen or so firearms, Shiragi was most concerned about only five types of heavy equipment: the T-26 light tank, the SMK heavy tank, the BA-11 armored vehicle, and the SU-57 tank destroyer. Both the photos and the specifications showed that these items were completely different in quality from the 7th Brigade’s equipment, forcing Shiragi to be cautious.

These ground vehicles are all available for Lu Wu to redeem directly with Golden Eagles, so he included them in the list of vehicles that could be delivered immediately.

However, Lu Wu was prepared for this question from the Ergia. "Brigadier General Shiragi," he said, "mechanized units are absolute logistical monsters. Their formidable combat power is built on ample logistical support. Once logistics fail, the combat effectiveness of mechanized units will plummet. Do you know how much ammunition and fuel our 7th Independent Guards Brigade consumes every day?" He presented several figures that made the Ergia frown. "The more advanced the equipment, the higher its maintenance requirements. To be frank, the Kingdom of Ergia does not have the resources to independently maintain these advanced equipment. You will break them down in no time. Moreover, the Kingdom of Ergia has no prior experience using armored vehicles, which means you will need more training time to adapt to these new weapons. This process is prone to equipment damage due to misoperation. The pointless loss of expensive heavy equipment due to unfamiliarity with the equipment is something neither side can accept."

Lu Wu's words were entirely truthful, and his perspective from the viewpoint of the Kingdom of Elgia left Brigadier General Shirag speechless. Of course, besides these reasons, a major reason he chose to sell the old weapons was to profit from the Kingdom of Elgia's future upgrades and modernization. Once news of Elgia's tanks reached the Belken, it would inevitably push them to upgrade their own. This would render the equipment the Elgia currently possessed inadequate against the new tanks, forcing the Kingdom of Elgia, lacking its own research and development capabilities, to ultimately turn to the 7th Brigade again. This would only strengthen the relationship between the Kingdom of Elgia and the Amelia Volunteer Army.

"I imagine there must be quite a few people within your country who are uneasy about purchasing weapons and equipment from an organization they've never heard of. Spending so much money on such a small amount of equipment right off the bat will likely draw a lot of skepticism. After all, those in the rear can hardly truly grasp how advanced these weapons are; they want to see the frontline troops immediately change the war once they receive them. But as everyone knows, four or five advanced armored vehicles won't change the war at all. But these pieces of equipment are different. They are simple in structure, easy to imitate and mass-produce, inexpensive, and their performance is acceptable. The BA-11 armored vehicle costs only one-thirtieth of a T-72. You could order forty or fifty at once, send some back to the rear for research, and use the rest to form an armored regiment to alleviate the pressure on the front lines and accumulate experience in using armored forces. This would be far more effective than buying four or five T-72s."

Davis pressed his advantage, pushing the railway project forward. These words clearly appealed to the men in suits, who began whispering amongst themselves. After all, getting a lot done with little money is something everyone wants.

“According to the information we have, the armor of the Belken Mark I tank is about 60 millimeters thick. It seems that your armored vehicle’s main gun can only pose a threat to it at a distance of 100 meters,” an Ergia officer asked, turning the list to the BA-11.

"If the BA-11 uses the BR-240SP armor-piercing round, it can penetrate 62mm of armor at a range of 500 meters. Moreover, as a wheeled vehicle, the BA-11 can reach a maximum speed of 64 km/h, allowing it to easily outflank the Mark I and attack its weak points," Davis said eloquently. "Of course, if you think this armor-piercing capability is insufficient, you can also choose the SU-57 tank destroyer. This tank destroyer can penetrate 87mm of armor at a range of 1000 meters, which is more than enough to deal with the Mark I. Although its gun has a relatively narrow firing arc, its top speed of 73 km/h allows it to quickly complete the attack-relocation-re-attack cycle."

It must be said that Davis's salesmanship was quite good. After these words, Shiragi felt that the two vehicles were quite appealing, especially the SU-57 tank destroyer. The design concept of putting the field gun directly on the vehicle opened his eyes. He thought that maybe the 44th Infantry Division could also make its own anti-tank vehicle by following suit.

New Volume 1: Chapter 27 (Twenty-Six) ​​Settlement Method

Self-propelled anti-tank guns like the SU-57 are essentially emergency modifications, a kind of "I have an anti-tank gun + I have a vehicle = I have a self-propelled anti-tank gun" solution—not particularly technologically advanced. However, facing the Belken's tanks, the Kingdom of Elgia clearly had an urgent need for anti-tank capabilities, and this temporary emergency measure could certainly meet that need temporarily. Even if it couldn't defeat the Belken's tanks, at least this mobile and capable self-propelled anti-tank gun could buy them considerable time. Kaineng silently noted down this vehicle and continued browsing the Amelia Volunteer Army's cargo list.

"AK-74 assault rifle, is this the same automatic rifle you tried before?" Kaineng asked Shirag in a low voice.

"I remember they used something called the AK-12, and it looked a bit different," Shiragi said, somewhat confused. The AK-12 used by the 7th Brigade wasn't the later, completely modified version of the 74 used by the Russian army, but rather the kind Fuze used in Rainbow Six Siege. It was all military green, with an L-shaped folding stock that was very different from traditional rifles, and the handguard had a Picatinny rail. The AK-74 that appeared on the list, on the other hand, had a stock that was no different from a traditional rifle stock, but the whole gun was orange and black, the orange magazine looked particularly peculiar, and there was a huge paddle-like device on the side of the receiver.

"Is this an improved version of the AK-12?" Shiragi couldn't help but ask. The difference between the T-26 and T-72 had subconsciously led him to believe that the larger the suffix number, the more advanced the equipment. However, if it were a more advanced model, why was the 7th Brigade still using these older models? Both fired 5.45x39mm rounds, so there was no issue of ammunition incompatibility. He saw on the list that there were nearly three thousand AK-74s in stock, enough for the 7th Brigade to re-equip a portion of them.

Lu Wu's expression was slightly subtle. In reality, the AK-12 was essentially a facelifted, modernized version of the AK-74. Its internal structure remained largely the same, with minimal performance improvements; the only difference was its ability to mount Western-designed universal equipment based on Picatinny rails. The three thousand AK-74s he possessed were purchased when the Seventh Brigade was formed, but after the system unlocked the AK-12, he immediately switched to the new equipment and stored all three thousand AK-74s away. He only remembered this batch in the warehouse yesterday when compiling the inventory. After explaining the difference between the two to the Ergjan, Kaineng nodded, turned the page, and continued browsing the inventory without commenting.

Lu Wu wasn't in a hurry. He picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table and took a sip. For him, this equipment, readily available, was a trial product—a one-off deal. He could sell it at a low price, or even give it away for free. These items were mainly used as bait to open up the market and encourage the Ergia to invest more in arms purchases. At the same time, this equipment could also help him accelerate his tech tree progression in the Ergia's hands. The 7th Brigade currently lacked artillery support units, which could only be unlocked by progressing through the tech tree. Lu Wu himself had noticed that the system, as expected of Anton, provided a pitifully small amount of research points per battle. Throughout the entire Wakan campaign, he had annihilated an entire enemy regiment, but only gained a thousand research points—just enough to unlock the production line for the BT-7 1937 fast tank.

The first self-propelled artillery piece updated in this version of "Red Dragon," the 2S3 "Acacia," has a research weight of 8.7, classifying it as a Tier V vehicle and requiring 390,000 research points. This self-propelled artillery is equipped with a 152mm 2A33 howitzer with a range of up to 17 kilometers. In addition to conventional high-explosive shells, it can fire illumination rounds, concrete-piercing rounds, chemical rounds, and nuclear rounds. Lu Wu was keen to spend some Golden Eagles to directly develop the "Acacia" and fill the gaps in the 7th Brigade's capabilities, but the massive research requirements for prerequisite vehicles extinguished this idea. Since research efficiency in a single battle is low, the only option is to focus on quantity, making the Ergia the ruthless ultimate laborers. After all, the update announcement stated that any system-produced vehicle participating in battle will earn research points, and there was no rule stating that research points could only be obtained by having the vehicle in the hands of the 7th Brigade.

Just as Lu Wu was thinking about how to quickly farm "Golden Acacia", an Ergia administrative official put down the list in his hand and said, "Lieutenant General Lu, I noticed that this list is missing weapon prices. Could you please provide a complete price list? Also, do you accept Ergia currency, Donghuang currency, or Federal currency?"

“Actually, we don’t intend to trade these weapons and equipment for currency.” Davis’s answer sparked a discussion among the Elgins, but he ignored it and continued, “If you want to buy these weapons and equipment from us, you will need to pay with resources such as steel, oil, and rare metals.”

Starting the production line requires resources, not money. If the Elgins provided money, they would have to find ways to trade resources in the market and transport them back to their base before production could begin, which would take away some of their manpower. More importantly, do you think these strategic resources can be bought in the Elgin market right now? Few countries maintain "free trade" laws during wartime. If the Elgins used currency for transactions, these Ens World currencies couldn't be converted into Silver Lions or Golden Eagles; they could only serve as foreign exchange, which is exactly what the 7th Brigade didn't need. So, Lu Wu and his team decided to only accept resources. This approach did save the 7th Brigade trouble, as all the complicated matters were shifted to the Elgin Kingdom. They needed to extract resources from the army and then organize transport teams to deliver them to the base of the Amelia Volunteer Army, which was no easy task.

The Ergia official who asked the question frowned: "Lieutenant General Lu, you should know the importance of strategic resources to a country. We find it difficult to agree to your request. We are willing to settle in Donghuang Coin or Federal Coin." In the Ens World, Donghuang Coin and Federal Coin are considered the two most trusted and globally accepted currencies. The fact that the Ergia were willing to settle in Donghuang Coin or Federal Coin shows a degree of sincerity.

But Lu Wu and his men weren't buying it. They didn't care about Donghuang currency or Federal currency; anything other than Silver Lion and Golden Eagle was out of the question. After all, the only ones in the world who could supply the Elgins were the Amelia Volunteer Army, and it was a seller's market. So they produced another list, a price list based on the production needs of the industrial zone's production lines. "These are our prices. Whether you accept them or not is up to you."

Volume 1: Chapter 28 (Twenty-Seven) - Misappropriation of Supplies

Unlike Lu Wu, who remained calm and collected, the Ergia delegation had to come outside the tent to discuss the matter.

"What exactly are the Ameliaans up to? Why are they throwing away perfectly good money to compete with the army for production resources?" The governor of Villand Province paced back and forth between Shiragi and Kenen. "What do they need these resources for? To ship them back home? Wouldn't it be more cost-effective and convenient for them to use their foreign exchange to buy from neighboring countries?"

“The problem isn’t what the Amelias want to do; the problem is that if we adopt this settlement method, we’re destined to be able to buy very little equipment. The higher-ups won’t agree to large-scale transactions using this settlement method,” Brigadier General Shiragi said worriedly.

Indeed, your weapons are very advanced, Emilia. Take the most basic equipment as an example: one assault rifle is equivalent to twenty conventional rifles, but the area controlled by twenty conventional riflemen spread out in a battle line is not something an assault rifleman can match. Although the production cost of an AK-74 assault rifle is only five times that of their conventional rifles, don't forget that its ammunition is not interchangeable with the Kingdom's ammunition, and its ammunition consumption rate is extremely fast. According to the organization of the Algerian Kingdom's army, a rifleman carries 100 rounds of ammunition, which is enough to last a soldier for two days. But if it were an assault rifle, according to the fighting style of the 7th Brigade in the Battle of Wakhan, 100 rounds of ammunition would probably be used up in one battle. They would need to prepare at least 500 rounds of ammunition for each rifle to temporarily meet their needs.

According to the prices on the list, an assault rifle costs five times as much as an Algerian rifle, and the cost of a so-called small-caliber intermediate-power cartridge is basically the same as that of an Algerian rifle cartridge. Therefore, resources that could have produced 10,000 rifles and their ammunition can now only produce 2,000 assault rifles and their ammunition. Meanwhile, a 10,000-strong infantry division can easily deploy a long defensive line with a front exceeding 100 kilometers and a depth exceeding 20 kilometers, while a 2,000-strong infantry regiment can at most deploy a defensive zone with a front of 20 kilometers and a depth of 15 kilometers.

Now that the Ergia are stretched out along a thousand-kilometer front, do you think the Ergia Kingdom would choose to throw resources into replacing their weapons with automatic ones? You're kidding me. You might hold your twenty-kilometer defensive line, but you've lost two hundred kilometers of defense on both sides. What good is that? The Belken can encircle them from both sides and trap them for a month or two. These two thousand men, lacking supplies, will collapse on their own without the enemy even lifting a finger.

“How many resources are left in Svorbella’s warehouse?” Kaineng asked abruptly.

"Why are you asking this? The steel and coal reserves are roughly..." The governor stopped in his tracks. He knew these basic figures, but then he bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "You wouldn't be thinking of taking these resources, would you? Let me tell you, these resources are going to the Royal Shipyard in Fapanti. The Navy is the King's darling; you can't just snatch them away like this!"

“How long does it take the navy to build a ship? By the time their battleships are launched, the kingdom might be gone. Don’t forget, the supreme commander of the Amelia Volunteer Army was attacked on our territory. We still need to give an explanation for that. If we can’t catch the rest of them,” Kaineng snorted. He did a rough calculation and found that the navy’s resources temporarily stored in Svorbella were enough for him to exchange for quite a lot of things, so a smile appeared on his face. “It’s okay, I’ll take full responsibility. If the higher-ups and the navy want to investigate, just put the blame on me.”

3. "Come on, you think you can just say it's all the responsibility?" If the King and the naval high command wanted to investigate, everyone from the warehouse keeper upwards, down to his level, whoever handled the resource transfers, wouldn't escape. He paced back and forth a few times, making Kaineng and Shiragi dizzy, and finally resignedly said, "Fine, I'll go back and sign a permit for you. Without my signature, your 44th Infantry Division can't even open the warehouse door with artillery fire. The Amelians are short of resources, aren't they? Then we'll give them resources and make them stand on our side!"

Upon hearing this, Kaineng and Shiraji immediately broke into bright smiles. "I knew you, Governor, were sensible and understood the bigger picture. Why don't you come to my place tonight? My niece brought me two bottles of Japanese sake a couple of days ago, and I haven't had a chance to try them yet."

"Get lost. I'll thank the gods if the equipment you bought is really as powerful as you say." The governor was clearly not in the mood for wine tasting. "Instead of wasting time on this, you should be thinking about which equipment to buy and how to use it."

Aysraji and Kaineng exchanged a knowing smile. They had already discussed their options before coming here: they would select a battalion from the newly formed 444th Regiment of the 59th Infantry Brigade, equip them entirely with Amelian gear, train them according to the Amelian volunteer army's methods, and form the first armored unit of the Kingdom of Algiers. They would then evaluate its effectiveness on the battlefield before wider deployment. As for why they chose the 444th Regiment, full of greenhorns, instead of the well-trained 441st Regiment, it was because the 441st Regiment was currently stationed on the Svorbella defensive line, guarding against an attack from the Belken!

Once back inside the tent, the Algerian delegation, having reached a consensus, immediately began selecting appropriate equipment from the list according to their original plan.

Because the 73rd Belken Division, which was aiming for Svobera, possessed a tank brigade, Kenny and his men placed great importance on anti-armor capabilities. The SU-57 self-propelled anti-tank gun's 87mm penetration at 1000 meters immediately caught their attention. What? You say this gun has a limited horizontal field of fire, restricting its use? Didn't you see that the Belken tanks' guns are mounted on both sides? I have an advantage when facing the enemy head-on! Not to mention, they were also counting on reverse-engineering this main gun to create their own anti-tank gun!

The BA-11 wheeled armored vehicle has also become a candidate vehicle for the Royal Army. The six-wheeled chassis seems to be easier to replicate than the tracked chassis. This type of armored vehicle is a good choice to supplement infantry reconnaissance or firepower.

Having witnessed the combat capabilities of the 1st Company's T-72 tanks, Shiragi recognized the advantages of having turrets and firmly believed that tanks with independent turrets would be the mainstream of future development. He considered the Belken tank, with its multiple turrets mounted on both sides, to be nothing more than a showy but impractical weapon. The T-26 and BT-7 tanks shared the same firepower—a single 45mm main gun—and had similar armor. Their only significant difference lay in mobility: the T-26's top speed was only 30 km/h, while the BT-7 reached 73 km/h, more than double the former. This speed was unmatched, even by some vehicles, let alone the Belken. With this speed advantage, the Algerian army could employ various tactics, such as harassing Belken tanks to force enemy armored units to expose themselves, then luring them into an ambush position of SU-57 self-propelled anti-tank guns. The combined efforts of both would undoubtedly inflict heavy losses on Belken tank units! They could also use the armored advantage of their tanks to constantly penetrate and divide the Belken lines at high speed, then concentrate their forces to annihilate them one by one, continuously bleeding the enemy dry!

Volume 1: Chapter 29 of the Tank Biathlon (Part 1)

"Lieutenant General Lu, do you have samples of these equipment? If it's convenient, could you show them to us?" After agreeing to the resource settlement request, the Ergia also raised their own needs.

"Of course, no problem. However, all of this equipment is at the base. If you want to try it out now, you'll probably have to make a trip." Trying out the equipment before buying it is a perfectly reasonable request. "Which equipment would you like to try out? I'll have someone prepare it in advance."

"The three are: BT-7 fast tank, SU-57 self-propelled anti-tank gun, and BA-11 armored vehicle," Kaineng stated, indicating the delegation's decision.

“没有问题。”虽然陆武手上并没有对外出售的BT-7 1937型的现货，但他可以用金鹰够买一辆BT-7A/F-32来展示BT系列的高机动性，至于45毫米的20-K反坦克炮嘛，这玩意其实就是BA-11装甲车上的主炮。

The Ergia seemed unwilling to wait a moment longer, given that the Belken army was on its way to Svobera. Lu Wu understood this, so they rode in Tiger armored vehicles to the 7th Brigade's base. Unsurprisingly, the 7th Brigade's modern camp impressed the officers, but they didn't waste time on these details and headed straight for the firing range.

"These are Amelia's tanks..." After opening the car door and stepping down, Kaineng couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing the three distinctly different tanks lined up before him. Admittedly, these tanks weren't as large as the Belken's behemoths, but the dark muzzles of their cannons and the protruding machine gun barrels on their turrets indicated that these tanks were not as harmless as their small size suggested. Beside these tanks, 15 young female soldiers in green uniforms and black tank helmets stood in a row, heads held high, exuding an imposing aura. Although they were women, their veteran-like, stern demeanor prevented the Elgins from showing any disrespect.

The leader stepped forward, fists raised to his waist, body slightly leaning forward, and jogged to the group. He lowered his swinging arms to his waist, then raised his right arm again, drawing a short arc in the air before stopping at his temple. He reported in Russian, "Commander, the armored test unit is fully assembled. 12 men were expected, 12 men are present. Please give instructions! First Platoon Leader Lei Ming!"

Although he couldn't understand what the female soldier was saying—the language was difficult to understand and quite different from English, which was also one of the main languages ​​of the Ens world—the spirit and energy conveyed by her loud voice were undoubtedly more impressive to Kaineng than the equipment or the base itself. Even the royal guards stationed at the palace didn't have this kind of imposing presence when giving reports. After the female soldier finished her report and turned slightly towards him, making him the one receiving the salute, Kaineng raised his right hand in return—in the Ens world, military salutes were mostly performed in the same manner.

"Form ranks and rest."

"Yes, sir!" Lei Ming saluted again and jogged back to the ranks, resuming the same standing posture as the other soldiers.

"Your Amelia Volunteer Army is truly an impressive force." After listening to the translator, hastily arranged by Davis, translate the difficult "Amelia language" into English, and looking at the soldiers standing ramrod straight before him, without a single fidgety movement, not even blinking, Kaineng exclaimed sincerely. As a seasoned general who had led troops at the grassroots level, he understood that such a disciplined force would be the most formidable enemy on the battlefield.

Lu Wu smiled slightly, "Then let our soldiers demonstrate the actual performance of these vehicles to you."