Familiarity breeds contempt.
Jing Mingqiu was not encountering an attack for the first time.
Facing over twenty tracking missiles flashing red light from below, Jing Mingqiu calmly raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The core defense system activated, shoulder armor rose, and hundreds of interceptor missiles shot out, forming a dense protective net that detonated all twenty-plus tracking missiles, turning them into a field of brilliant fireworks.
The bald man stared in disbelief, "Captain, it's over! Our missiles can't even hit him! Let's retreat quickly!"
"Get lost," the Sakura country special forces captain kicked the bald man away, "How can my Great Sunrise Empire have a cowardly wretch like you!"
"He can intercept missiles, can he!" The captain glared venomously at Jing Mingqiu, who was rapidly descending, "Men, prepare the fuel-air explosive! I want to see what you'll use to intercept flames that are formless and intangible!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Accompanied by continuous piercing sounds, Jing Mingqiu, who had just dealt with over twenty tracking missiles, was once again surrounded by missiles.
Jing Mingqiu disdainfully glanced at them and raised his right hand, about to snap his fingers again when a deafening "boom" sounded. The thirty-plus missiles surrounding him suddenly detonated all at once, forming a massive fireball that instantly engulfed him.
The flames, fueled primarily by liquefied petroleum gas, ignited the entire sky. Coupled with the boundless yellow sand on the ground, it created a scene of doomsday.
The raging fire continued to burn as it fell, and it was unclear how long it burned.
Two dark figures, one after the other, plummeted from the fiery cloud, crashing heavily into the desert.
The bald man removed a piece of ash from his head, his eyes vacant, "Captain, with a fire this big, even iron would melt. He must be dead by now!"
"He's definitely dead!" The special forces captain nodded vigorously, surveyed the surroundings, and raised his voice, "Quickly clean up the battlefield, and try to find Jing Mingqiu's remains before the Dragon Country army reacts! Then we can withdraw."
"Yes!"
The men received their orders and left, scattering in four directions, eyes wide, beginning their meticulous search.
Simultaneously, at the headquarters of the Dragon Country's First Army, upon receiving news of Jing Mingqiu's attack, the Commander-in-Chief's eyes blazed with anger as he slammed his fist onto the defense map.
"Professor Jing has bestowed great favor upon our army, and we haven't had a chance to repay him. Yet, in the area we are responsible for, Professor Jing encountered an attack with heavy weaponry."
"Wu Ziqiang, Li Anguo, are those eyes on your faces, or are they two gaping holes! It's one thing for those Sakura country brats to sneak in, but how did they bring in missiles and fuel-air explosives, such heavy weaponry?"
"Commander," Wu Ziqiang stood up and said softly, "The urgent matter now is to send people to rescue Professor Jing immediately!"
"As long as Professor Jing can be kept safe, I will accept any punishment the organization imposes afterward, without any complaints!"
Seeing that Wu Ziqiang wasn't shirking responsibility, a flicker of admiration appeared in the Commander-in-Chief's eyes, but his face remained furious.
"Do I need you to tell me that? I've already dispatched the Dragon Flame Commando, and the local forces have also set out to do their utmost to ensure Professor Jing's safety."
"The main thing now is to investigate why this happened. Li Anguo, you're in charge of radar, explain."
Li Anguo's face showed bitterness, "Commander, the specific reasons are still under investigation. However, the Taklamakan Desert is vast, there are often many tourists, and with the cry battery factory under construction, many large trucks come and go daily."
"To ensure the construction progress, we couldn't conduct detailed searches of every truck. They likely used this method to transport heavy weapons..."
While the headquarters was still investigating the cause, on the other side, the Sakura country special forces team encountered the Dragon Flame Commando sent by the First Army Corps for rescue.
Enemies meeting with red eyes, without a word, both sides directly engaged.
For a time, the desert, previously quiet, was shattered by the continuous sound of gunfire and explosions.
The Dragon Flame Commando was in a hurry to rescue the target. Besides conventional weapons, they did not carry much heavy firepower. Facing the continuous missile attacks from the Sakura country, they were at a disadvantage for a time.
However, they utilized the terrain, using sand dunes for cover, making it impossible for the Sakura country special forces to completely eliminate them for the moment.
Seeing time tick by and their situation becoming increasingly dangerous, in order to draw out the Dragon Country army, the Sakura country special forces captain took out a megaphone and laughed arrogantly.
"Hahahaha! Is this all the Dragon Country army has? You'd better surrender obediently, lest you incur more pointless casualties!"
"You!" The Dragon Country Dragon Flame Commando members, hearing the insults from the little devils, were enraged and drew their daggers from their waists, preparing to fight to the death, but were held back by their captain.
"Don't be impulsive, he's deliberately provoking you!"
Seeing that the Dragon Country army didn't fall for it, the Sakura country special forces captain opened the megaphone again, preparing to change tactics to provoke them further, when suddenly he felt a chill down his back. Immediately after, a powerful electric current coursed through his entire body.
Concurrently, another dark figure burst out from the other end, charging into the crowd amidst a hail of gunfire. With a few swift movements, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, he quickly took down a large number of Sakura country special forces members.
The Sakura country special forces captain, unwilling to accept defeat, managed to turn his head and, upon recognizing the attacker's face, widened his eyes in disbelief.
"You? You're Jing Mingqiu, how are you not dead?"
Jing Mingqiu flipped his wrist, throwing out over a hundred high-voltage projectiles. After cooperating to incapacitate all the Sakura country special forces members, he shrugged and glanced at him disdainfully.
"I research firefighting mechs. For this little fire to burn me is pure wishful thinking!"
"Long live the Great Sunrise Empire!"
Seeing that the situation was beyond saving, the Sakura country special forces captain, while shouting, reached for his waist, preparing to detonate the explosives on his body and take Jing Mingqiu with him.
Unfortunately, Jing Mingqiu had already used his system's scanning function to observe all his equipment. Just as he was about to make a move, Jing Mingqiu slapped him, rendering him completely unconscious.
"Brothers opposite, stop hiding," Jing Mingqiu waved towards the sand dunes, "I've already dealt with all these little devils. Take them back and interrogate them thoroughly to find out who let them in."
The Dragon Flame Commando captain quickly compared Jing Mingqiu's face, confirming it was the target of their mission. Without lowering his guard, he first made a gesture, signaling others to remain vigilant, then walked forward alone and gave a solemn salute.
"Professor Jing, I apologize for startling you!"
"It's nothing, nothing!" Jing Mingqiu was magnanimous, "Dragon Country is so vast, it's normal that you can't keep an eye on everything. I'll leave this to you. The production line for cry crystal batteries is having trouble again, I'll be going now!"
As Jing Mingqiu controlled his mech and prepared to leave, the Dragon Flame Commando captain suddenly stepped forward, forcibly blocking him.
"I'm sorry, Professor Jing, you cannot leave yet!"