Eagle Sauce: The 055 destroyer was launched into the sea just after the founding of the country?

Smirnov stood atop his armored vehicle, his binoculars slowly sweeping across the empty plains ahead. The early summer sun shone on the lush grass, and the distant trees swayed gently in the breeze. After a hundred kilometers of marching, they encountered virtually no resistance. This eerie calm unnerved the experienced marshal.

"Comrade Marshal, there's still no sign of enemy forces ahead," the communications officer reported. "And the reconnaissance aircraft haven't detected any signs of a large-scale military buildup."

Smirnov frowned. As a veteran who had commanded troops during the Battle of Stalingrad, he knew all too well the cruelty and cunning of war. The Dragon Army couldn't possibly abandon such a crucial strategic location.

"Keep moving," he ordered, but there was a noticeable hesitation in his tone. "Maintain maximum alert."

The armored forces continued to advance, their tracks crushing the soft earth. Smirnov's gaze drifted into the distance, where lay the vast plains leading to Shanhaiguan, and beyond that, a passage leading directly to the imperial capital.

"Such an important strategic location, the Dragon people can't possibly be undefended," he muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armored vehicle's steel plate. "What on earth are they planning?"

Suddenly, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind: "Could it be... they are luring the enemy deep into our territory? Waiting for all our troops to reach the designated battlefield, and then using nuclear weapons to wipe them out?"

This thought made Smirnov shudder. He immediately grabbed the communicator and said, "Order the air defense forces to conduct an all-around search immediately! Focus on high-altitude and supersonic targets!"

A few minutes later, the air defense force reported: "Report to the Marshal, the radar did not detect any suspicious targets. Everything is normal in the airspace."

Smirnov fell into deeper confusion. If it wasn't a nuclear strike, then what exactly were the Dragons planning?

"Perhaps... they've built a large network of tunnels underground? They're waiting for us to pass by and launch a sudden underground war?" He dismissed the idea the moment it occurred to him. "No, that's not right. With Dragon Nation's current level of military technology, they can't possibly use such primitive tactics."

"Or perhaps they've deployed a large number of artillery positions in the mountains? They're waiting for us to enter range to launch a blanket bombing?" This hypothesis sounded more reasonable, but Smirnov immediately shook his head. "No, there's no way our reconnaissance planes wouldn't be able to detect a large-scale artillery deployment."

Sitting on top of the armored vehicle, Smirnov felt a surge of irritation. In his thirty years of military service, he had never encountered such a bizarre battlefield situation. The enemy, clearly a formidable military force, seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

"Could they have developed some new weapon?" The thought made his heart tighten. The incident of the J-20 shooting down the F-15 two years ago was still fresh in his memory. The speed of Dragon Country's military technology development far exceeded everyone's expectations.

But soon, the reconnaissance team reported back: "Comrade Marshal, we have not detected any abnormal electromagnetic signals or energy fluctuations. Everything is normal within a radius of 200 kilometers."

Smirnov rubbed his temples. Every assumption seemed untenable, but his military intuition told him that danger was lurking somewhere, waiting for the right moment to strike a fatal blow.

"Perhaps they're waiting for our supply lines to become longer? Then they'll cut off our logistics?" He muttered to himself, but this speculation also made him dissatisfied. "No, even if the supply is cut off, with our current ammunition and fuel reserves, we should be able to hold on until we capture Shanhaiguan."

The armored forces continued to advance, a torrent of steel stretching out in a long line across the plain. Smirnov stood on the roof of the vehicle, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. The sun was still bright, the breeze was still gentle, and everything seemed so peaceful.

But this calmness made him feel even more uneasy.

"Could it be an airborne operation? Will they suddenly descend from the sky after we penetrate deep into the enemy territory and cut off our retreat?" Smirnov checked the radar screen again. "No, modern airborne operations cannot completely evade our detection system."

Every hypothesis burst like a soap bubble, every possibility failed to withstand scrutiny. Smirnov felt an unprecedented sense of confusion and unease. For the first time in his military career, he felt the unfathomable depth of his opponent.

"Report to the Marshal," the communications officer's voice interrupted his thoughts, "The reconnaissance team ahead discovered an abandoned military camp. It looks like the Dragon Army evacuated it not long ago."

Smirnov raised his binoculars. In the distance, neat rows of barracks stood silently, without any signs of human activity. This discovery not only failed to resolve his doubts, but only made him even more confused.

"What on earth are the Dragons playing at?" he muttered to himself, his voice filled with confusion. "Why would they abandon such a crucial line of defense? Why would they allow us to advance so easily into this strategic position? This is completely inconsistent with their military tradition and combat style."

A deep sense of uncertainty enveloped the experienced marshal, who knew he was facing a terrible puzzle, and failure to solve it could have disastrous consequences.

"Maybe this is what they want," Smirnov clenched his fists, "to get us into this kind of speculation and doubt and disrupt our deployment rhythm?" But this explanation also failed to convince him.

The armored forces continued to advance, but Smirnov was filled with unease and confusion. He had a premonition that this seemingly peaceful battlefield must be hiding a massive, completely unfathomable trap. But what exactly was this trap? What were the Dragons planning? These questions, like a tangled mess, plunged the battle-hardened marshal into unprecedented bewilderment.