Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 276 Attacked
The security measures around Jiuquhe Airport were brought to their highest level early the next morning.

The entire security regiment responsible for airport security was mobilized, with guards posted every three steps and sentries every five steps, completely surrounding the airport.

The heavily armed soldiers patiently scanned every corner.

Inside the airport, squads of soldiers conducted a thorough search, turning over and turning over every manhole cover in the hangars, control tower, runways, and even sewers several times.

In the words of those American bystanders, now not even a Japanese spy, let alone a rat, could slip out of this area without alerting anyone.

Doolittle and his group of Americans, who had been forcibly dragged out of their hangovers, along with Pi Ruoyu, Li Gaoyuan, Lu Shaobin, and other officers who had stayed behind in Wutai County, all arrived early at the airport tarmac, standing in the cold wind, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Around 10:20 AM.

At the horizon, a deep and powerful engine roar came from afar.

Everyone's spirits were lifted!
Soon, more than a dozen massive C-54 Sky Kings transport planes, each with four engines, appeared in the azure sky like soaring eagles. Their enormous bodies blocked out the sunlight for a moment, casting huge shadows on the ground.

An uncontrollable surge of excitement erupted from the crowd at the airport.

Soon, guided by the control tower, the first C-54 transport plane descended smoothly and aligned itself perfectly with the runway. The massive wheels made a screeching sound as they touched the ground, raising a wisp of smoke.

As the hatch slowly opened, the hydraulic suspension ladder was smoothly lowered, and a tall figure appeared at the hatch entrance.

He wore a crisp, gray military uniform without any extra accessories, gleaming riding boots, and a face that looked exceptionally young and composed in the sunlight.

Su Yaoyang is back.

He simply stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over the dark mass of people below, and an invisible aura, unique to the supreme commander, instantly enveloped the entire helipad.

"stand at attention……"

The officer on duty nearby shouted loudly.

"Shh!"

Doolittle, Li Gaoyuan, and all the militia officers present suddenly brought their feet together, straightened their bodies, raised their right hands, and gave the most standard military salute to the figure on the suspended ladder.

"Commander-in-Chief... You must have had a long journey!" Pi Ruoyu and Lu Shaobin, the commander of the Third Regiment, were the first to greet him.

"Ruoyu, Shaobin, thank you for your hard work at home while I was away."

Without any formalities, Su Yaoyang reached out and patted the two men's shoulders firmly, the solid force warming their hearts.

Then he turned to the other side.

"Boss! Welcome back!"

Doolittle smiled and hugged Su Yaoyang.

The one-eyed Jack and a group of American pilots behind him also saluted, but their posture was noticeably more casual.

"Jimmy!"

Su Yaoyang smiled and walked towards Doolittle, using an American-style address to bridge the gap between them, "While I was away, you didn't dismantle my precious jewels (referring to the P-47 fighter jets), did you? Also, how much of my whiskey stock at the club is left?"

"Report to the boss!"

Doolittle laughed, "The planes are intact and ready to give those Japanese a good beating! As for the whiskey... they've made an outstanding contribution to maintaining high morale!"

"Hahaha!" The Americans burst into laughter.

One-Eyed Jack's intact eye gleamed as he grinned, "Boss, if your bonus is right, we can blow up Tokyo!"

"There will be a time when you are satisfied."

Su Yaoyang's smile was full of confidence. Then his gaze passed over the group of soldiers and landed on a beautiful scene not far away.

Elizabeth, leading her medical team, stood there quietly.

Dressed in clean and tidy nurse uniforms, they stood like beautiful flowers in this airport filled with steel, smoke, and male hormones.

Su Yaoyang came to them, and even his voice became much softer.

"Miss Elizabeth."

His voice carried a hint of teasing laughter, "Seeing you all still looking so radiant puts my mind at ease. It seems that Tom and his gang of bastards haven't caused you too much trouble yet."

As the captain of the medical team, Elizabeth has a pair of bright blue eyes and a tall, voluptuous figure; even the loose-fitting nurse's uniform cannot completely conceal her stunning curves.

She maintained a professional smile, but a faint blush crept up her ears.

“They… they’re just a bit too energetic, Commander. But it’s all under control.” She covered her mouth and smiled. “Anyway, welcome back safely.”

Su Yaoyang's gaze then turned to Anna and several other young nurses behind her.

Anna's breasts were already incredibly full, and now, due to her excitement, they rose and fell slightly with her breath, her snow-white fullness almost bursting the buttons on her chest.

He chuckled knowingly, “Ladies, enjoy these precious few moments of leisure, because starting tomorrow, you probably won’t even have time to get a good night’s sleep. I’ve brought back a new mission; there will be countless wounded waiting for you to treat. I hope you still have enough medical supplies.”

This half-joking remark elicited a variety of expressions from the young nurses—some were nervous, some were excited, and Anna boldly retorted, "As long as you give us a share of Tom's bonuses, we're willing to work 24/7!" "I can consider that request," Su Yaoyang said, "but if you're willing to marry Tom, I can promise you right now that from now on you'll collect all of Tom's bonuses on his behalf!" This remark caused a burst of laughter.

"God... tell me this isn't true!" Everyone except Tom laughed.

This interaction completely transformed the tense and serious atmosphere at the airport into a relaxed and lively one.

After greeting all the key personnel, Su Yaoyang, surrounded by a group of officers, walked towards the black sedan that had been waiting for him.

After a brief exchange, he did not linger at the airport and got into one of the three black cars that were already waiting nearby, along with Pi Ruoyu.

Immediately afterwards, two trucks loaded with fully armed guards started their engines, one in front and one behind the car, forming a convoy, and sped away towards the county town.

The black sedan drove smoothly on the dirt road leading to Wutai County, with the fields and villages outside the window rushing past.

Inside the car, Su Yaoyang leaned back against the soft leather seats.

Sitting next to him, Chief of Staff Pi Ruoyu was quietly reporting to him on some important recent affairs of the militia.

The convoy proceeded in a standard escort formation, with a truck full of guards leading the way, followed by a black sedan carrying Su Yaoyang and Pi Ruoyu in the middle, then another sedan carrying entourage, and finally a truck also full of soldiers bringing up the rear.

Everything seemed orderly and peaceful, just like this early summer afternoon.

As the convoy entered a section of road flanked by low hills and dense shrubs, the outline of the county town came into view in the distance, with less than two kilometers remaining.

At this moment...

"Boom..."

A terrifyingly loud bang, loud enough to tear eardrums, erupted without warning!
A bright orange fireball, mixed with black smoke and dirt, suddenly shot into the sky from under the truck that was clearing the way.

The military truck, weighing several tons, was lifted off the ground in an instant by the enormous force of the explosion, like a toy kicked away by a naughty child. The vehicle was twisted into a shapeless mass of scrap metal in the air, and the more than ten soldiers on board were torn to pieces in the flames and shockwave before they could even let out a scream!

A massive shockwave followed, slamming into the car Su Yaoyang was riding in.

With a loud crash, the car was jolted to one side, and the windows were instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks before shattering completely with a crash!
"Enemy attack!"

Almost at the same time as the explosion, Pi Ruoyu, who was sitting next to him, had already issued a warning.

He instinctively lunged at Su Yaoyang, trying to shield him with his body.

Su Yaoyang's body was violently thrown against the car door by the immense inertia, his forehead slamming heavily against the window frame, and a warm liquid instantly flowed down. The intense tinnitus and the stars before his eyes caused him to lose his senses for a moment, but the next second, a chilling killing intent that penetrated to the bone replaced all the dizziness!

The driver was terrified by the sudden turn of events and instinctively slammed on the brakes. The tires left two long tracks on the dirt road, and the entire convoy came to a chaotic stop.

Before the people inside the car could react...

"Da da da da da da..."

The unique, rapid, and crisp roar of a Czech light machine gun suddenly rang out from the earthen slope on the side of the road!
More than a dozen agents dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and with their faces covered by black cloths, like demons emerging from hell, leaped out from behind the bushes and embankments on both sides of the road.

Their movements were swift and deadly. Using machine guns as cover, their submachine guns and rifles spat out dense fire, wildly spraying bullets at the three black cars in the middle!
"Clang clang... Bang bang bang!"

Bullets pounded on the car's steel panels like hailstones, scattering a dense spray of sparks.

The car body was riddled with bullet holes, emitting a piercing metallic screech. The accompanying civilian staff in the other car were instantly riddled with bullets that had pierced through the vehicle, turning them into bloody, mangled sieves!

"Protect the Commander...retaliate...retaliate..."

On the truck bringing up the rear, a platoon leader roared with bloodshot eyes.

The dozen or so soldiers on the truck were finally jolted awake by the shock of the explosion. They roared, picked up their rifles and submachine guns, and used the truck as cover to fiercely return fire at the group of Japanese agents!

Gunfire erupted, bullets whizzed through the narrow road, and the air was instantly filled with thick smoke and the acrid smell of blood!

"Quick! Back up! Back up now!" Pi Ruoyu yelled at the driver in the front seat while pressing down on Su Yaoyang.

The driver then seemed to wake from a dream, his hands trembling as he shifted into reverse and slammed on the gas!
The car roared and sped backward.

But the Japanese agents' target was very clear: Su Yaoyang's car! Several agents even disregarded the bullets coming from the truck behind them and rushed forward fearlessly, trying to throw grenades at them!

"Protect the commander!"

The soldiers in the trucks behind were bloodthirsty! They knew that every second they held on increased their commander's chances of survival!

They abandoned all attempts to hide, stood up straight, and fired bullets from their guns at top speed, using their own flesh and blood to build a brief but tragic barrier for Su Yaoyang's retreat!

One soldier after another fell, shot and wounded, their blood staining the truck bed and the yellow earth beneath their feet.

But their sacrifice was worthwhile. Those brief, desperate seconds of cover bought Su Yaoyang's car precious time to retreat.

The car turned around frantically as it reversed, its tires kicking up clouds of dust, and fled madly back the way it came.

Through the shattered rear window, the last thing Su Yaoyang could see was the rearguard truck being engulfed in the flames of several grenades, and the young faces of those who fought to the last moment to protect him…

A surge of overwhelming, icy rage erupted from his chest!
(End of this chapter)