Jiang Yexing Base.
The gate had been opened at some point, revealing a three-meter-long electromagnetic flat trajectory cannon, its heat sink spinning rapidly.
A gunner knelt behind the cannon, his hand hovering over the touch screen on the gun's body. A single tap would fire a shot. He had fired the previous few shots. The cannon had almost no recoil, making it as simple as playing a game.
The electromagnetic infantry cannon, delivered by Jiang Yexing early yesterday morning, fired shells that, in addition to their powerful impact, also emitted microwaves with billions of watts of power for a fraction of a nanosecond, paralyzing the electronic equipment of the target and burning out internal components.
"Report! First shot hit! Second, third, and fourth shots hit! Took down four little yellows!" the observer shouted.
"Good! All units sortie, capture the little yellows!" Che Zhen said loudly, standing by with his hands behind his back.
Little Yellow was the nickname Che Zhen had given to the mining robots outside, a fitting name for the golden mining machines.
The long-awaited mechanical soldiers immediately scaled the wall and poured out of the base’s perimeter like water, charging in all directions in a dense mass.
The little yellows outside panicked and desperately tried to retreat.
The main gate was blocked, but there were three other gates.
However, as soon as the little yellows reached the entrances of the other three gates, the cannons roared again!
Shells came from the nearby hills from three different directions. At least six cannons fired simultaneously, clearly an ambush that had been prepared in advance!
The distance was too great to see the gunners. The little yellows milled around, feeling stunned.
The enemy gunners’ accuracy was terrifying. Every shot was a bullseye. Several little yellows at the gates were knocked down, their mechanical legs blown off, scattering parts like rain.
Black coal chunks spilled out, like the black blood of a giant beast.
In the blink of an eye, the other three gates were also blocked by dead little yellows and coal.
Several hundred little yellows that had not managed to enter the base were now at a loss, running around in confusion.
The mechanical soldiers had already pursued them. Several mechanical soldiers surrounded one little yellow, like several ants swarming a large insect.
The mechanical soldiers had specialized roles and cooperated with remarkable skill.
Two mechanical soldiers were responsible for throwing sticky bombs.
These were also newly delivered weapons, similar in appearance to grenades, but containing a viscous, mutating green substance inside.
When detonated, clumps of thick goo would coat the joints of the little yellows, rendering their mechanical joints immobile within seconds, as if their joints had suddenly grown flesh.
The little yellows were directly immobilized, their engines roaring and vibrating on the ground.
A mechanical soldier climbed onto one, inserted a strong signal jammer into its forehead, kicked it twice to verify its stability, and as soon as it was firmly in place, the soldier quickly jumped down and ran off.
With each signal jammer inserted, an angry curse would sound from the underground bunker of the opposing military base as the little yellow’s signal was completely cut off.
The other four mechanical soldiers responsible for cleanup quickly moved forward, tying steel cables to the limbs of the little yellows, leaving upward-facing lifting rings.
A roar echoed from the sky.
Dozens of ornithopters descended from the clouds, as light and graceful as dragonflies touching water.
Long steel cables dangled from the ornithopters.
The mechanical soldiers on the ground immediately grabbed the cables and attached them to the lifting rings.
The ornithopters then rapidly ascended, each carrying a little yellow beneath them, flying into the distance.
The entire process was incredibly smooth. From the mechanical soldiers to the ornithopters, everyone was as proficient as if they had been doing similar work for ten years, moving with seamless efficiency.
In just ten minutes, not a single living little yellow remained on the coal mountain!
Most of the little yellows were captured.
A small number attempted to breach the wall and enter the military base, but they were all destroyed by cannon fire.
A few more tried to preserve their lineage and fled down the mountain.
As soon as they reached the mountainside, they despaired. There were mechanical soldiers ambushing them here as well, not in large numbers, but all carrying electromagnetic pulse rocket launchers.
The mechanical soldiers were not polite. Upon seeing a little yellow, they raised their launchers and fired.
Not a single little yellow escaped; all were blasted into immobility.
…
That evening.
Jiang Yexing Base was filled with jubilation.
The soldiers were as happy as if it were New Year’s, as their first battle had been a great victory, putting them one step ahead of the enemy.
No, to be precise, it was a complete victory. All the enemy little yellows were either destroyed or captured, completely eliminated. Their own side suffered almost no losses. The captured little yellows had already been sent to the mechanical factory at Camp Liming One for repair and modification and would soon be deployed for mining.
Che Zhen stood by the office window, gazing at the opposing Danxing Base, but his expression was devoid of joy.
"Why aren't you happy?" the click-clack of high heels sounded as Xu Yan entered from the doorway.
"The other side must have more tricks up their sleeve. I'm trying to guess what they are," Che Zhen said.
"They might not have any more tricks. My construction team is currently inventorying building materials. In 48 hours, they'll be able to start building three more military bases, and they'll be finished within three days," Xu Yan said. "Once four bases are established, overwhelming force will be applied. What methods could they possibly have?"
"What is that?" Che Zhen suddenly frowned, looking at the horizon.
Xu Yan walked to the window and followed his gaze.
The sky was filled with black residual clouds, and in the distance, some small points of light were approaching, as tiny as glowing insects.
The sound of hurried military boots, Che Zhen and Xu Yan turned simultaneously, looking towards the open office doorway.
An officer, holding a tablet computer, rushed in. "Commander! The enemy's helicopter fleet, carrying new models of mining machines, is approaching!"
Che Zhen snatched the tablet. The magnified image on it showed the approaching fleet: at least fifty to sixty heavy helicopters painted with the "Environmental Protection" logo, carrying orange mining robots, flying in a triangular formation.
These mining robots were a full circle larger than the previous "little yellows." Most importantly, the robots had transparent manned cabins in the front.
A scene flashed through Che Zhen's mind, and he immediately understood.
"They've switched from unmanned mining machines to manned ones," Che Zhen said with a grim expression. "According to the rules, we cannot kill any living person. With these new mining machines, operated by people, we cannot use cannons on them. If we kill someone, we will be immediately disqualified."
"Commander… then what should we do…" the officer asked, at a loss.
"Surround them!" Che Zhen ordered. "Transmit my command: dispatch another thousand men from Camp Liming One. If they deploy their mining machines, we will surround them with our men. Once surrounded, they won't dare to continue mining."
…
Two-thirty in the morning.
The gates of Danxing Base had been cleared.
With a rumbling sound, the new model excavators, "Little Oranges," charged out, each driven by a soldier.
The gates of Jiang Yexing Base also opened simultaneously!
Over a thousand soldiers poured out in formation, followed by three thousand mechanical soldiers, a vast and mighty force.
Within minutes, soldiers and Little Oranges were spread across the mountainside, locked in a stalemate.
Several soldiers and mechanical soldiers surrounded one excavator, forming a human wall.
The excavators dared not move. These heavy excavators could crush living people with a slight turn.
The soldiers inside Danxing Base were both angry and anxious, but dared not come out. They could only curse through the cockpit windows.
However, the cockpit had excellent soundproofing. The soldiers outside could see the people inside turning red with anger and shouting hysterically, but they couldn't hear a single sound.
The mountain ridges were silent. The sky was dark, with only the lights of the Little Oranges and the headlamps of the mechanical soldiers illuminated.