Shirley looked up, her eyes scanning the dense network of firepower relentlessly shooting towards the sky.
Besides her transport plane, two other transport planes had already been shot down.
The sky was filled with artillery fire, smoke, and paratroopers descending like mushrooms.
According to the original plan, this was supposed to be the rear area, allowing for quick assembly and support for the front lines after parachuting.
No one had anticipated how rapidly the situation would change. By the time the transport planes arrived, this area had already become the front line, turning the rows of transport planes into literal targets.
The paratroopers who jumped were immediately plunged into heavy enemy encirclement.
Meanwhile, at the negotiation site between the two countries.
Qingyun, Shirley's nation, was negotiating with the enemy, Shanling.
Although Qingyun possessed a large territory, a developed economy, and formidable military strength, they had unexpectedly lost eight out of ten battles since the war began, including all crucial engagements.
Under these circumstances, Qingyun was forced to proactively request peace talks.
However, Qingyun's military seemed to be in a state of panic. Despite repeated defeats, they refused to withdraw, insisting on increasing military investment and engaging Shanling in a fight to the bitter end.
Qingyun's politicians, in order to protect their own economies and interests, decided to proactively leak defense maps of a frontline position and recent military plans to Shanling, as a gesture of their sincerity in seeking peace.
This led to the scene described earlier.
"So, regarding our previous proposal for peace talks, has your side considered it?"
"And... by now, fighting should have already broken out over there. I believe you must have felt our sincerity."
The Qingyun representative said with a fawning expression.
He would have preferred to be more assertive, but he truly lacked the leverage. With their inability to win on the battlefield and the politicians at home exerting bottomless pressure, where was the room for negotiation?
"Heh, betraying your own soldiers who are fighting and bleeding on the front lines – that's something only your Qingyun nation would do."
The Shanling representative mocked without any reservation.
"How can this be called betrayal? It is the rebellious generals who disobey the will of the nation's head of state. This is the just punishment for those who defect!"
"This also demonstrates our stance; we will show no mercy to those who disrupt peace talks."
"Furthermore, to express our gratitude for your assistance in judging this matter, we are willing to offer 10 billion worth of crude oil and steel after the war to compensate for your war losses, cancel all tariffs on Shanling, and provide preferential subsidies to Shanling enterprises within our country..."
The Qingyun representative said eagerly.
"Hmm... I need to report this matter to my superiors. As you know, I'm just a messenger, with no real authority!"
The Shanling representative gently patted the Qingyun representative's shoulder, then looked around evasively and said:
"I'm feeling a bit hungry..."
The Qingyun representative quickly replied with a smile, "We have prepared local specialties for you, as well as dishes from your hometown. Please, do come and sample them..."
In reality, both sides understood the situation perfectly.
Since it was a peace talk, both representatives held the authority to set the terms.
The reason Shanling was delaying the signing was simply to expand their battlefield gains further, exert pressure on Qingyun's politicians, and thus secure greater profits.
At this moment, the Shanling representative's assistant calmly walked in and whispered a few words into his ear.
The Shanling representative waved his hand dismissively and said:
"I have some urgent matters to attend to. I must be going now!"
Then he hurried off with his assistant.
"Something happened?"
The Qingyun representative was bewildered.
Normally, the Shanling people carried themselves with an air of arrogance, looking down on everyone.
Today, the assistant's expression was so calm; it must have been to mask his inner unease.
Something must have happened to Shanling, but he had no idea what...
Just then, the Qingyun representative's assistant also approached and whispered:
"There's been an incident on the front lines!"
The Qingyun representative frowned. This was all within expectation; why the nervousness?
He brought his assistant back to his office and asked:
"What could possibly happen on the battlefield? Has the enemy army already captured the entire western region?"
The assistant shook his head and said:
"I fear... it's more serious than you imagine..."
Hearing this, the representative was so startled that he shot up from his seat, his face filled with shock.
"Could it be... have they already advanced into the capital?"
"No wonder these fellows were unwilling to negotiate with us; they had this plan all along!"
"But is our army so weak that they could advance to the vicinity of the capital within a single day?!"
The assistant quickly waved his hands, stammering,
"No, no, Representative, you've misunderstood!"
"Our capital is fine, and the western front is also fine."
"But... Shanling's strategically important town, Tiegu Mountain, is under fierce attack by our army..."
"Wh-what?!" The representative was now ten times more shocked than before!
They were clearly at a disadvantage in the war and were seeking peace.
Furthermore, he had just received the politician's instructions to leak the military deployment map.
Under such absolute disadvantage, their army had not only successfully counterattacked within half a day but had also advanced the front line by over fifty kilometers?
This was during a state of war!
Advancing fifty kilometers into enemy territory, even under favorable combat conditions, would typically take three to five days.
Now, advancing fifty kilometers in half a day was equivalent to driving there directly, as if entering an uninhabited land.
This was too preposterous!
Had the enemy been negligent in their defenses, allowing a small unit to slip through?
But even so, Tiegu Mountain, with its garrison of sixty thousand troops and heavy armor, shouldn't be described as under "fierce attack" to such an exaggerated degree!
"Which squad was it?"
The representative asked.
"It was Special Task Force Squad Fifteen!"
The assistant replied.
"What?!!"
The representative's eyeballs nearly popped out.
Special Task Force was a designation for newly recruited soldiers assembled by the military on an ad-hoc basis. While it sounded impressive, it was essentially used as cannon fodder to cover the retreat of the main forces.
They were clearly a bunch of miscellaneous fighters... yet they had managed to push into enemy rear lines?
This was utterly unbelievable...
Meanwhile, at the Tiegu Mountain command center.
"This is absolutely unbelievable!"
The commander, looking at the battle reports being relayed from the front lines, was beside himself.
"Forward positions breached..."
"Suburban operations failed..."
"Bridgehead defense battle failed..."
"Station defense battle failed..."
"Currently engaged in chaotic street fighting. We don't know the enemy numbers, only that our forces are rapidly depleting..."
The commander clutched his hair, shouting in agony:
"Who in the hell can tell me what is going on?!"