Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"This behavior is the most serious form of betrayal!"

"From what you're saying..." Zeta asked, "after this is all over, you're planning to teach them a lesson, right?"

"Of course, the current state of Nanzhou, from the state government to the municipal government and even the grassroots officials, is no longer clean. Once the rebels under the Red Peril are completely wiped out, the entire South will undergo a major reshuffle. This is the price he pays for choosing the wrong side."

Albert was full of confidence, as if victory was already in his grasp, after witnessing that scene.

Zeta said with a smile, "Then, I wish you a successful start."

His gaze then turned to Zeta, and suddenly turned cold.

“Uncle, it’s all thanks to you… Over the years, if it weren’t for your repeated indulgence and tolerance, these guys would never have grown to this size. They have become a deep-seated worry for all those in power, including the elders in the family.”

"We've tolerated this for far too long. Now it's time to set things right and get everything back on track!"

……

Zeta didn't say a word; his gaze seemed to pass over him, then over the wall behind him, and into the unknowable void.

"Uncle, your expression... is it that you're questioning me, asking if I can really be 100% certain that we'll win this war, right?"

Albert said in a deep voice, "Or would you rather that regime in the South, made up of barbarians, dwarfs, wanted criminals and serial killers, win and hang all our heads on spears?"

“I just hope you know what you’re doing right now,” Zeta said calmly.

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Albert glared at him, then turned to the side and began to roughly stroke the green iguana with his palm. “His rebel army is called the ‘Lamoon Raiders.’ We’ve also found out their background.”

"La Mohn was a Confederate commander during the Civil War who organized a Rangers force that frequently used surprise attacks and assault tactics. They constantly harassed the enemy by taking advantage of complex natural cover such as mountains and jungles; they were a bunch of shady fleas and bedbugs."

"In 1863, this Ranger unit was completely annihilated by a force organized by Colonel Jek Siswell of the Union Army. La Mohn was killed in action, and the unit disappeared from history."

"This rebel army, the Lamoine Raiders, was originally composed of a group of exiled Confederate soldiers. Their tactics and techniques are derived from those of the Rangers. If Sisley could defeat them once, he can defeat them a second time!"

"Moreover, their numbers number only four thousand. The entire American army has more than forty thousand people. In terms of tactics, equipment, and numbers, we are ahead."

"Twenty years have passed, and Jike has been promoted from colonel to major general. However, due to a lack of sufficient military achievements, he has remained at this level, stagnating. After the civil war, a large number of senior generals emerged. To advance further on this basis, mere management is not enough; the right methods must also be found!"

"As long as he leads this war and annihilates the rebels, such great military achievements will be enough to allow him to smoothly enter the ranks of 'general'!"

Albert snapped his fingers, his tone quite smug. "I'm different from you, Uncle. You like to fund our enemies, while I like to fund our friends."

"The Sisley family, the Uranus family, the federal government, the senators, and the president himself—they are our friends!"

----

“I remember you were... old Miston’s son, right?” Zeta suddenly brought up Albert’s father, shaking her head with a smile. “That’s quite a long time ago.”

"But you still made it this far, to this position."

"No matter how strong your personal abilities are, it's useless if you want to climb the ladder. It's not just about ability, it's also about connections. In other words..."

"Without the support of the main family's bloodline, this position is the limit you can reach now."

Albert tried his best to keep his expression hidden, but a slight twitch at the corner of his eye betrayed his inner thoughts.

"From having nothing to where you are now, you've won more than enough. I think the straw millionaire in the story is no different."

"It's time to stop and take a break."

……

Albert looked him into the eyes, and after a long while, said coldly, "Once this matter is over, Southern Equality will completely dismantle the Sanyuan Group..."

"I am someone else's network."

Having said that, he stopped wasting words with Zeta and turned to leave.

The large room fell silent once more. Zeta returned to her mundane routine, continuing to flick her finger at the green iguana that had witnessed everything.

A strange smile appeared on his lips.

Chapter 972: Ah, three days!

The moment he lifted the tent flap, a strong stench of blood hit him, causing Baal to frown. He instinctively wanted to raise his sleeve to cover himself, but stopped abruptly upon seeing the imposing, dignified figure.

Even though the figure was currently facing away from him, intently using a hunting knife to cut fur and antlers from a bloodied white-tailed deer, Baal dared not slacken in the slightest. In front of his father, any hint of retreat would be detected; he would gaze at you with those despairing eyes, expressing his disappointment and lack of expectation.

The unsettling smell of blood was coming from that small iron bucket.

The area where the rear army was stationed was bordered by forests and mountains to the west, forming a natural barrier.

It's hard to imagine that with a major battle imminent, the father would still have the mind to go into the forest and hunt with his subordinates.

“Father…” Baal called out to him.

"From the moment you step into the army, you will be addressed by your rank." The words spoken by that figure were calm yet cold. "Here, there is no father of yours."

“Uh…” Baal paused for a moment, then corrected himself, “Major General Sisley.”

Jike Sissweh, the man, finally stopped what he was doing and slowly turned around.

There is no better way to maintain one's health than holding a high position and wielding power. In his fifties, Jike showed few signs of aging; he had a very thick beard, long hair, and deep-set features like a thinker.

A pair of round glasses sat on his nose, and his eyes, hidden behind the lenses, were like solidified lava, like a stone, revealing no emotion.

At this moment, his hands were covered in blood, making him look more like a skilled butcher.

“Captain Barr.” He took off his gloves and tossed them aside. “You should already know that this battle is imminent.”

"Given my experience in defeating the La Mohn Rangers during the Civil War, the Federal Government and the American Army have temporarily entrusted me with full command of this campaign."

"I called you here tonight because there are some tactical plans that I need you to implement."

"Am I the only one here? What about my brothers..." As soon as he said this, Baal realized his mistake. Following his previous logic, if there was no father, then there shouldn't be any brothers in this military tent either. So he changed his words and said, "Where are Roy, Patrian, and Rogge?"

“They all have their own missions.” Zeke pulled out a roll of maps from the mountain of maps, shook it a couple of times, and spread it out on another table. “You are too.”

“…Pennsylvania.” Under the light, Barr quickly identified the location of the map.

"correct."

In a calm and methodical tone, Zeke said, “You have to realize that the rebels are nominally the ‘Lamoine Raiders,’ and they retain the Confederate formation. But if you treat them like the Confederate army of 30 years ago, you’ll be at a great disadvantage.”

"The leader of the rebels was not Meteora, but Zhang Renfeng."

“Zhang…person…” Barr looked suspicious. “Never heard of him.”

"Over the years, he has been hiding behind the scenes of the Southern Sanyuan Group, claiming to be 'getting rich'."

"Some of the intelligence about him is classified as top secret, and I have no right to view or access it. The task assigned to me by the federal government is to ensure that he dies under the continuous firepower offensive in the early stages of the war, and to dismantle all the forces he left behind in the south."

"The only thing we can refer to is the 'Battle of Takashu' 14 years ago, and the 'Battle of Lagras' before that. The specific course of the battle is unknown because too much time has passed. However, after extensive investigation, we have still managed to obtain some information."

"Zhang Renfeng is a man who is very good at blitzkrieg tactics."

"This time, the rebel army he led numbered only about 4000, roughly equivalent to a fully staffed brigade in the north. His objective was also very clear."

Jike pointed to the location on the map and looked at his son with the questioning gaze of a teacher.

"...They launched a rapid advance from Pennsylvania, employing a blitzkrieg and leveraging the strengths of the Confederate Rangers, advancing all the way into the old front states..."

Barr's finger traced a path northward across the map, his pupils dilating slightly. "Are we going to fight all the way to Washington? This...this is a bit too much..."

"Arrogant?" Zeke stared into his eyes. "Is that what you mean?"

"With only four thousand troops, to break through Binzhou, they would have to overcome layers of fortresses, outposts, gun turrets, trenches, and countless defensive lines. Even if they broke through Binzhou's defenses, they would still have to face our central and rear armies. This is simply too much..."

"Then what if I told you that this Zhang Renfeng once led a group of Native American savages to annihilate our army of several thousand soldiers in the Battle of Gaoshu?"

……

He was exaggerating a bit when he said that.

Although the Hightree tribe were Native Americans, they were not savages. They also knew how to use guns, but they simply lacked the ability to manufacture firearms and military equipment.

Furthermore, Zhang Renfeng wasn't the only one involved in the Battle of Gaoshu. The Raiders of Lamo'en also came to support them. However, in the final battle, almost all the light was captured by Zhang Renfeng alone. As a result, during that period, the northern army felt a sense of dread whenever he was mentioned.

Ultimately, the land of Gaoshu was forced to be given up.

Hightree occupied half of Granite State. Once it broke away from its control, the entire state would naturally fall under the control of the Triple Alliance in no time. From then on, Granite State, New Elizabeth State, and New Austin State, which had long been conquered by the Red Center Gang, became an enclave, a state within a state.

“I…I’m not sure…” Baal’s tone became somewhat hesitant.

A clear look of disappointment flashed across Jike's eyes.

“I have asked your three younger brothers the same question. Their answers were either good or bad, but none of them were like you, avoiding the question itself.”

"..." Faced with the questioning from his father and superior, Baal had nothing to say.

In this extremely militarized and strict family, he was the only outlier.

“Zhang Renfeng is good at creating miracles, but miracles don’t always happen to him. A miracle is nothing more than a series of coincidences magnified to the extreme. However, under a tight and precise formation and strict discipline, there is no possibility of a miracle.”

"The venue I chose for you is here, Fordburg."

"This fortress was built during the Civil War, and they had to pass through this pass if they wanted to take the Capitol in Washington," said Jike.

“A few days ago, the transportation routes under the Krenchikov Industrial Group and the Atlantic Federation Industrial Group were already running at full capacity. The entire northern railway line was made way for this war... Building materials, military equipment, logistics, and twenty engineering personnel supply teams were all in place.”

"I gave them a strict order: five days, make any demands they may make, at any cost. While fortifying Ford Fort, build ten brand-new defensive forts around it, capable of accommodating gun emplacements and machine guns, with enough space for mutual support to form a complete defensive position."

“This…” Baal hesitated, “Five days for ten fortresses, isn’t that a bit too tight a schedule?”

“I’ve already said it,” Jik said calmly. “When it’s finished, these engineering teams will be withdrawn from the front by train.”

"If they complete the work, there will naturally be a reward waiting for them."

"If it is not completed, it will be treated as intentionally delaying the construction of military facilities, and those responsible will be held accountable and brought to a military court."

"..." Baal swallowed hard, speechless for a moment.

"It's the fifth night now. A telegram has arrived from the front that the ten fortresses are complete. The artillery and heavy machine gunners have all moved in one by one."

"The battlefield I've chosen for you is at Fordburg. You have ample fortifications, manpower, and logistical supplies. Don't worry about anything, use whatever means you choose..."

"Three days."

Zeke raised a finger and said, word by word, "No matter what, you must hold out for three days against that blitzkrieg master."

Chapter 973: Victory by Any Means!

Looking at the map, the so-called Fort Ford is nowhere to be seen, but the city of Morocco, which is more than ten kilometers away, is marked on it.

The thought of a war about to erupt in a place the size of a fingertip, and how many more Southern soldiers would be buried there, made Baal sigh.

"Thirty years ago, the South and the North fought a major war. In less than thirty years, less than a generation later, war has returned... Human beings are such animals, they really like to repeat the same mistakes and never learn any lessons."

He thought to himself.

"Major General, I need to know something," Baal said, composing himself before asking in a deep voice.

Do you still have questions about the current military deployment?

“No, I think with this configuration, holding off an assault by four thousand soldiers shouldn’t be a problem. Not to mention three days, as long as logistical resources are sufficient, it could hold out for three months.” Baal looked into his father’s eyes and asked, word by word, “I want to know.”

What will happen in three days?

……

The light from the electric lamp shone on Zeke's profile, making his shadow on the tent appear enormous and terrifying.

Zeke's tone was very calm. "Are you asking me to tell you everything about the troop deployments and execution plans for this war?"

“…That’s right, Major General.” Despite some apprehension deep down due to childhood fears, Baal persisted in his decision. “As the defending side, as a participant in the war, I need to know. Only in this way can I allocate personnel more efficiently and be prepared for any unforeseen events that may occur in three days.”

Perhaps this reason was somewhat plausible, and the coldness in Jike's eyes temporarily disappeared.

"There are no variables; all of this is part of a plan that must be executed."

"The figure of 40,000 troops is just a facade, the official number of the American Army. In fact, we can mobilize far more soldiers than that."

"Colonel Roy has his own mission. He will lead the Army and Navy special forces on a classified mission. The specifics are highly confidential, and I have no right to disclose them, nor do you have the right to know. You only need to know that he is also part of the war, and that is enough."

"Colonel Patricia will lead a fleet of 10 battleships to sail around most of America, land directly at Blue Magpie Harbor, and storm the southern stronghold, New Austin. A large number of soldiers will land there, strike at the heart of the enemy, and destroy White Torch City."

"At the same time, Colonel Rogge, along with the rest of the Union Army, will break into the southern border from the relatively weakly defended counties. This will draw fire and buy time for the naval raid. Their weaponry is the best; we have staked all of our heavy army firepower on this force."

"Some new weapons developed by Zeta Industries will also make their debut on this battlefield."

Baal's pupils dilated slightly, utterly shocked by the decision.

"You mean..."

"Rogge?"