Shadow Empire

Chapter 1256 We were attacked, we defeated the enemy
When the bus was still more than 100 meters away from the farm, the officer knew that they had been exposed.

There were some roadblocks piled up on the road outside the farm, preventing the bus from entering the farm's yard directly.

His expression was somewhat serious. Although the entire farm seemed quiet at the moment, he knew very well that deadly dangers were lurking in those unseen places!
"Stop for now," he instructed, and the driver stopped the car in front of the roadblock.

He stood up, turned around, and looked at the young people in the carriage. His tone was heavy. "It seems we've been discovered. This is not good news. It means that as soon as we get off the train, we could be attacked by the enemy."

"Do you remember what I just told you?"

“We are facing a group of vicious criminals. No matter if they look like a farmer, a cowboy, or even a prankster woman, at this moment, they are all thugs!”

"They will use their weapons to shoot deadly bullets at you; you will be shot, you will be wounded, and you will die."

“I don’t want to say these nasty things, but that’s the truth, and I need you to remember it!”

"Mercy towards the enemy will turn into bullets fired at yourselves or your comrades, so have no mercy on the battlefield!"

He took a deep breath. "Now, put on your bulletproof vests and prepare for battle."

"If anyone can't adapt, they don't have to get off the bus, but you all need to protect yourselves. This is not a mandatory task!"

He said he picked up a bulletproof vest that had just been unfolded and put it on.

Modern bulletproof vests are bulky, but they are undeniably useful. Although being hit by a bullet can cause immense pain, bruises, fractures, and potential internal bleeding, a bulletproof vest can definitely save a life!

Almost all young people have started to dress up. At their age, what they find most unbearable is being rejected by everyone and being looked down upon by everyone.

Even though they were terrified, at that moment, they silently put on their bulletproof vests, loaded their weapons and magazines, and prepared to start the fight.

"Our goal is to clear out all the enemies from the farm, and if they surrender, we'll handcuff them to something."

"If they don't surrender, shoot them!"

The somber atmosphere made everyone feel heavy-hearted.

Seeing that no one objected, the officer waved his hand and said, "Let's begin."

He led the way and walked at the very front. Almost two seconds after he stepped off the bus, a dull thud was heard from inside the bus, followed by gunshots in the distance.

The officer was startled and quickly rushed to the curb, using the difference in elevation between the slopes as cover to fire two shots in return towards the direction from which the gunfire was coming.

After firing two shots, he looked at the bus with some annoyance, "Why aren't you getting off?"

At that moment, the driver pushed open the car door and jumped out, scrambling down the curb and collapsing beside him with an expression of disbelief on his face, "...dead."

"The bullet penetrated the car and hit his liver; he has a very low chance of not surviving."

Upon hearing this, the officer was visibly stunned for a moment, about two seconds. He knew that casualties would occur in this battle, but he did not expect them to occur so quickly.

He turned to look at the bus and shouted, "Put him there, everyone else get off immediately..."

The next second, even more intense gunfire erupted. The young people who had been hesitating to get off the bus no longer cared about getting out of the door. They smashed the windows with their weapons and jumped out hastily.

Some people even fell on the shards of glass, leaving several bloody cuts.

Several more young agents emerged from the car and were shot dead on the ground. The officer's face showed little change in expression, as if none of this could shake his composure.

"This is the battle, gentlemen. I hope you will be mentally prepared for the worst before making any decisions."

"Now, follow me and let's take revenge on these sons of bitches!"

Perhaps it was the sight of their companions, with whom they had spent months, dying before their eyes that terrified them to the extreme, or perhaps it was the extreme anger brought about by their companions' deaths that ignited the strongest emotions within them. Everyone gritted their teeth and, following what they had learned in training, bent over and headed towards the farm.

Even if they were asked to hold back at this point, they wouldn't. They wanted to completely eliminate these rioters and avenge their brothers!
Two other buses quickly caught up, and the group began a fierce firefight around the farm.

They brought some heavy weapons, and the firefight wasn't as one-sided as expected, whether it was on the farm or among the security agents outside.

You could even sense that the agents from the Security Bureau were gradually gaining the upper hand!
They have more space to move around, while the cowboys in the farmhouses are constantly being squeezed out of space.

Rifle bullets could easily penetrate the wooden walls, and even hiding inside a house was not necessarily safe. Several petrol bombs were thrown onto the farmhouse, and the house quickly burst into flames.

Seeing that the counterattack seemed to be getting weaker and weaker, the officers seemed to feel relieved.

Although the process was somewhat bumpy and some trainee agents died, the result was acceptable.

It's worth paying some price to take this place.

Just like war.

Everyone knows that war kills people, but doesn't the president sitting in the presidential palace know that?

Don't the generals in the Ministry of Defense know this?

Don't those military officers know?
In fact, everyone knew that war would kill people, and many people would die, but they still sent the men of the Federation to the battlefield to die without hesitation.

They knew this would happen, but they still did it anyway; that's politics.

A behavior that goes against one's instincts.

Perhaps some trainee agents died today, but those who survived can gain huge benefits from this operation. In that case, their deaths were worthwhile for those who survived.

After all, no one cares about the feelings of the dead. As long as the compensation is paid in full, even their families can accept the fact.

People eventually die, and once they die, they know nothing and there is no future.

Those who are alive are still alive, and their future is obviously more important.

The gunfire inside the farm was no longer as intense as before. Both sides had suffered casualties, and the farm seemed to be facing a greater problem.

There are quite a few cowboys left here, but there are also many ordinary people. The cowboys who are at the forefront resisting these "invaders" have already suffered considerable casualties. If reinforcements don't arrive soon, they may not be able to hold on.

Some peasant women were already holding up their skirts and firing their rifles out the windows, not because they lacked the will to fight, but because their ammunition reserves were running low.

No one could have imagined that someone would come knocking on their door like this. Not to mention the overalls, even no one in the Lawrence family could have predicted such a thing would happen.

Within a radius of tens or hundreds of kilometers, who doesn't know that the Lawrence family is the undisputed ruler of this land?
They have been complacent for too long, especially after the boom in the liquor business, from which they have made huge profits. It cannot be said that they have completely lost their sense of crisis, but rather that they are not quite aware of it.

With the relocation of the farm, basically only one factory remains in operation, so the ammunition reserves are not high.

Once they run out of bullets, they'll most likely be finished.

"How many bullets are left?" The man in overalls was hiding behind a window. In front of him was a toppled table, and behind the table were some books, all meant to be used as bulletproof shields.

Even if a bullet can penetrate a table after it has pierced a wall, it cannot penetrate the books that the other person is holding together.

These books may look like just one book, or even a very thick one, but they are effective at stopping bullets.

His childhood friend wiped the blood from his forehead; a ricocheting bullet had grazed his scalp and embedded itself in the floor, giving him a fright.

Fortunately, the bullet only tore his scalp, not his head.

"I have two boxes of bullets left, but there probably aren't many left elsewhere. The boys' firing rate has slowed down quite a bit."

Overalls gritted his teeth, "Damn it, I called ten minutes ago, why isn't he here yet?"

His subordinate said with a wry smile, "There are at least five minutes left."

The new farm is located a bit far away, which is to better plan the Lawrence family farm as a whole. They invited a famous designer to do the design.

The farm was divided into several sections, like building a town, to establish the new farm.

This way, the farm can be upgraded and developed in the future without having to replan as it grows. So they chose a suitable location, even though it's a little far from here.

However, this distance is not too far for the cowboys; they can get there in fifteen minutes. Moreover, the train tracks will extend there, so it will not affect the delivery of alcohol or the collection of raw materials.

Looking at the few bullets he had left, the man in overalls casually began loading them. "Fuck!" he cursed, then closed his shotgun and, taking advantage of a lull in the gunfire outside, suddenly stood up and fired a shot.

The smoke from the gunpowder was blown back into the room by the wind, and the peculiar smell of gunpowder gave people a strange sense of security. Now, the overalls could only hope that reinforcements would arrive quickly, otherwise they would never see him again!

Several officers who had already begun infiltrating the farm also noticed this.

"Their firing rate has decreased; perhaps there's a problem with their ammunition."

Another officer nodded, and as he spoke, he loaded bullets into the magazine, saying, "Let the lads push them a bit."

At the command of their superior, the agents launched another attack on a building. The gunfire was noticeably more intense, but it was like the final burst of an old man's life. As they repelled the attack, the frequency of the gunfire dropped significantly.

With victory in sight, the officers' expressions returned to that "everything is under control" look.

"That's about enough, you can start calling out now."

After a brief discussion, the group immediately made a decision.

Someone holding a megaphone shouted into the farm, "We are agents of the Federal National Security Agency, here on behalf of the federal government to investigate illegal and criminal cases. Don't resist! Put down your weapons, raise your hands, and come out of the rooms—that's the right thing to do..."

Perhaps because of the shouts, or perhaps for other reasons, the gunfire completely stopped at that moment, which made the officers even more certain that the farm might not have enough ammunition.

Ammunition is a consumable item, but not a large-scale, readily available consumable.

Federals don't even keep a lot of food at home, let alone bullets that might misfire after getting damp; it's mainly because there's no need for them.

In the federal government, bullets are sold in supermarkets as readily as everyday necessities, and they are not expensive. People don't need to keep many on hand because they can buy them anytime, anywhere.

Just when they thought they had the game in the bag, one of the officers suddenly turned and looked towards the distant farmland. His colleague noticed something was wrong, noticing the confusion and a hint of seriousness on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Did you... hear that?" he said softly, his eyes fixed on the distant farmland, but he couldn't see anything.

His other two colleagues looked at each other, "What did you hear?"

The officer with the strange expression suddenly lay down on the ground, his ears pressed against the ground, his expression extremely serious.

Seven or eight seconds passed, and a look of horror appeared on his face. If he had noticed the coffee table under the eaves of the house not far from him, and the water in the cup on the coffee table was inexplicably rippled, then he would have been certain of his judgment.

"Someone is moving rapidly towards us, a large number of horses..."

One of his colleagues suddenly seemed to remember something, "Have you seen that movie?"

“In the movie ‘The Great Rift Valley,’ when the male protagonist was attacked by the natives, he was also…”, he said, but then he suddenly couldn’t continue.

This is a classic movie. In the movie, the male protagonist and his group steal sacred objects from an indigenous tribe. They thought they were safe, but soon they realized that something was wrong.

Then, a traitor who had betrayed the native inhabitants suddenly lay down on the ground, pressing his ear to the ground. Two minutes later, a large number of native knights appeared and surrounded the protagonist and his party.

This scene left a deep impression on many people; the primitive, somewhat barbaric practices and the subsequent plot developments are unforgettable.

The three of them were silent for a few seconds, looking at each other. "Let's hope it's not that bad."

Another officer snatched the megaphone from the detective. Although he wasn't sure if there was really backup, he had to finish the "job" here as soon as possible and then take the prisoners back to the city!

"I am... the commander of this operation. You have only one minute to consider. After one minute, we will launch another attack, and everyone will be treated as criminals in a criminal organization."

"Before everything is beyond repair, you still have a chance to change things. Put down your weapons, raise your hands, and come out of the house. I will guarantee your safety."

“I know you are not directly involved in the crimes. I can assure you that nothing will happen to you. We represent the federal government, and any resistance is futile!”

"Don't let your foolishness ruin yourselves and your families!"

He was repeating the second time, and just as he was about to finish, a hot, wet spray suddenly hit his face, which startled him!

Just as he looked to his side, a gunshot rang out in the distance!
The cowboy at the front pressed the still-smoking rifle back onto the gun rack on the side of the saddle, and picked up another rifle, raising it as he moved.

"Fuck!" The officer, whose face was sprayed with blood, shuddered and immediately fell to the ground, raising his gun to return fire. But as soon as he fired the first shot, everything went black, and he instantly vanished into nothingness.

A large number of knights charged out of the wheat field amidst shouts of "Hoo-ha!" These cowboys possessed superb riding and archery skills, and they completed the actions of raising and firing their guns while galloping.

In just a few seconds, the situation inside the farm changed dramatically!

What made them feel even more desperate was the appearance of armored vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with squad machine guns; despair was evident on everyone's face.

Are these a bunch of criminals?
These are a bunch of armed militants!
The man in overalls slapped his thigh hard in the room. "Fuck, get the brothers to open fire! Give them a good beating!"

As the pickup truck crashed into the farmyard, armored vehicles followed, and machine guns roared. Even those who had taken cover were riddled with bullets in a very short time.

The tearing effect caused by machine gun bullets is terrifying; even if you're wearing bulletproof vest, they'll still blast a hole in your body.

From a closely fought exchange of fire to a one-sided massacre, the agents' faces were filled with despair.

A few minutes later, people gradually came out of the house; the farmers, the women, and the cowboys were all carrying weapons.

The dust kicked up by the bullets gradually settled on the farm, where corpses and bullet holes littered the ground, leaving it pitted and uneven.

Albert dismounted. Although he had reached the "front line" this time, he wisely did not cause trouble for the young men. He only fired a few shots from a distance and did not take any further action.

He rode in from outside only after the gunfire had completely subsided.

An officer whose leg had been broken was forced to kneel on the ground. He looked up and met Albert's downcast gaze, and his heart trembled.

Lance learned of this immediately, and after hanging up the phone, he dialed Lieutenant General Bruni's number.

Yes, Bruni has risen from major general to lieutenant general. He has successfully helped the Department of Defense and the military solve problems and provided appropriate solutions on several occasions. In addition, he has accumulated some civilian military merits during the war. After the president took office, the Department of Defense officially awarded him the rank of lieutenant general.

This can also be seen as the president's way of showing goodwill to the Department of Defense and the military.

The federal president can appoint the Secretary of Defense, but the Secretary of Defense does not necessarily have overall control over the Department of Defense.

While the Department of Defense is essentially a civilian agency, not much different from departments like the Department of Education or the Department of Science and Energy, it also has some differences because it serves as the link between the federal government and the military.

Despite the military's disdain for the civilian generals in the Ministry of National Defense, over the long course of their work, they have gradually come to regard the Ministry of National Defense as part of the military, albeit a disliked one.

But no matter how much they dislike it, it's still part of the military.

It is virtually impossible for any newly appointed Minister of Defense to immediately intervene in the work and personnel arrangements within the Ministry of Defense; the people below them will not give them any face.

Of course, a smarter defense minister would be told before taking office that they were just a figurehead, at least for the first four years.

In the next four years, he might have a little bit of real power, but only a little.

During his previous term as president, he attempted to consolidate his rule through a tacit war with the emperor to salvage their respective political careers.

At the time, the Ministry of Defense and the military publicly stated that they would not support any acts of war, which shows that these two violent departments did not have much respect for the president.

After each president takes office, they will generally give the Department of Defense and the military some promotion opportunities. This can be seen as a way to win people's hearts or appease their emotions and prevent them from causing trouble.

Major General Bruni's achievements, abilities, background, and connections were all on the verge of promotion. The president approved the promotion of more than a dozen officers, including him.

Major General Bruni was very happy to hear Lance's call, knowing that Lance had played a significant role in his promotion to lieutenant general.

Although many people feel that this has nothing to do with Lance, in fact, without Lance, he might not have been able to make it onto the list of those promoted.

Moreover, his interests and Lance's interests are somewhat intertwined.

“I have an awarding ceremony next month. If you’re free, you can come over and we can get together,” Bruni invited Lance directly.

The conferment ceremony is also a very important ceremony for a civilian officer like him, and he will invite some important people to attend the ceremony.

Lance readily agreed, but quickly added, "Will President Porter be there?"

"Of course, it was he who conferred the rank upon me."

The conferment ceremony is usually conducted by the president or members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. For less important officers, the ceremony is usually handled by senators.

Only important military officers are awarded ranks by the president in person.

President Porter didn't want to offend the military, and since this was his first conferment of ranks since taking office, he would attend in person.

Lance laughed and said, "If I were to participate, he might not have a very good impression of you."

Major General Bruni said with a smile, "How did you offend him this time?"

In his view, Lance offending the president was no longer a big deal; it was simply a change in status.

In the past, he would have thought Lance was courting death, but now he thinks it's just a normal clash between two people.

After pausing for two or three seconds, Lance said, "His men are attacking my brewery, but judging from the results they've received, there's a high chance these people won't make it back alive."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. After about ten seconds, Lieutenant General Bruni's laughter stopped. "You're joking with me, aren't you?"

"joke?"

"No, Bruni, I'm discussing this seriously."

Lieutenant General Bruni couldn't help but let his emotions show, "Wang Defa?"

"You have to tell me what happened!"

Lance briefly recounted the course of events and the impending outcome, saying, "That's roughly the situation. I might need the cooperation of the Ministry of Defense in my work."

Lieutenant General Bruni was sweating slightly. "Are they really the President's men?"

Lance laughed at this point, "Of course not, they were a band of robbers who made a living by looting villages and passing vehicles. This time they planned to attack my farm, but they were unlucky and we took them down."

"I need you to issue a statement first to clarify the nature of this matter."

Lieutenant General Bruni wiped the sweat from his brow. "I haven't been awarded my rank yet..."

"Bruni, don't worry, he will give you what is rightfully yours, unless he wants to offend the Department of Defense."

Lance interrupted him, "If he won't give it to you, I'll have the new president give you one after the election!"

This statement was filled with a powerful confidence. Major General Bruni hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to cooperate with Lance.

He and Lance have many vested interests, and the military, the Department of Defense, and Lance also have more or less vested interests. If they don't stand on Lance's side now, Lance might not be eliminated by President Porter.

After all, he still has the Socialist Party members behind him. Although the Socialist Party lost the election, it doesn't mean they have no influence at all.

Then Lieutenant General Bruni would offend Lance and those members of the Socialist Party.

Although he was a general, he was ultimately a civilian general, a general in the Ministry of Defense, not a true military leader. The political arena and Congress would still have a significant impact on his future.

He sighed, "Hopefully, this won't cause any bigger trouble!"

He put down the phone, muttered to himself for a moment, then picked up the phone and called one of his men over. "Go contact the media and tell them that a group of robbers in Likale State thwarted an attack. They were trying to raid and steal defense supplies, but with the help of local police and civilians, they have been killed..."

(End of this chapter)