Chapter 671: Tactic
Perhaps due to the justifiable reasons the Union presented this time, many more countries participated in the war. Furthermore, the army was more homogenous than last time, composed primarily of U.S. soldiers. This was because everyone anticipated the U.S. would reap all the spoils of war. Consequently, the U.S. didn't expect significant military support from these countries.
The U.S. had no intention of dividing the conquered territories. At most, they would share some technological acquisitions, contingent on public support from these nations.
Since only the U.S. Army was attacking, their access was limited to the Malacca Strait and Yi Ta Strait into the Indian Ocean. This was because Luo Yue ceded Jason Miambi Island to minimize losses. Otherwise, the U.S. fleet would have had to enter through the Malacca Strait.
The land army could only invade via Ethiopia and Kenya; there was no alternative route. During their first attempted invasion, the commander launched an all-out attack upon arrival, resulting in swift defeat. This time, Wales surrounded Luo Yue, but proceeded cautiously.
The head commander, Ye Xing, surveyed the densely packed fleets with disdain. He said coldly, “They intend to wage war on land, but they’re too late. Six months ago, when we had only a few thousand troops, if they had kept a portion of Luo Yue’s forces occupied with the navy, defending Xi Tan Valley would have been extremely difficult. Now, that’s not feasible. Luo Yue is unsuitable for land battles.”
“Why is this location unsuitable for land battle? Furthermore, they have so many ships,” Xu Ping asked.
Ye Xing laughed, “Because Luo Yue now has me.” He was aware their intelligence differed greatly from the actual numbers, but he remained unconcerned.
Everyone understood they were being manipulated by Ye Xing, yet they acknowledged his competence. Without him, protecting the country would have been incredibly challenging. Moreover, the defense system Ye Xing had created was exceptionally powerful, making a landing on Luo Yue with several hundred thousand troops exceedingly difficult. Luo Yue’s navy didn’t even need to engage; they merely needed to wait.
The enemy appeared to be at their doorstep, a dangerous situation. Yet, for Luo Yue, proximity to home equated to safety.
“Commander Ye, didn’t we attack when they were several hundred miles away last time? Why don’t we attack now? Our missile system can obliterate them,” Guo Qi asked, confused.
“I want to observe their strategy. I possess an ultimate weapon; if they prove unworthy, I won’t bother deploying it. Furthermore, although we can engage at long range, accuracy would be diminished,” Ye Xing smiled.
The Union Army didn't keep them waiting long. On the command center's large screen, swarms of jets appeared, descending upon Luo Yue like locusts.
“How do they possess so many planes? There must be a thousand! Why hasn’t our missile defense system reacted?” Xu Ping asked, shocked.
Ye Xing calmly replied, “Because they’re unmanned drones. Our defense system can identify them, and neutralizing them is straightforward; we simply need to fully activate our defense system.”
Xu Ping worriedly asked, “Why did they deploy so many autopiloted planes?”
Ye Xing explained, “While these drones can drop bombs, they are simple munitions and pose no significant threat. Their primary purpose is to deplete our missiles. They know we have limited missiles, so they came prepared.”
Although Xu Yuehua and Xu Ping knew Ye Xing had developed a new type of missile, it remained untested, so its effectiveness was unknown. Failure could deplete Luo Yue's missile supply.
“Then let these drones come. Ignore them!” Xu Ping said, frowning.
Xu Yuehua shook her head, “I believe we should still use these mini-missiles to destroy them. We have ample supply. We'll save the larger missiles for their naval and land forces—”
Ye Xing interrupted, “I disagree. It’s clear: most ships surrounding Luo Yue are also autopiloted. Regardless of their resources, they couldn't deploy this many ships. Therefore, we'll let them have their way. We'll use the imported missiles to target those autopiloted planes and ships.”
“But—” Xu Yuehua and Xu Ping exchanged worried glances.
Ye Xing smiled, “It seems you distrust me. Trust me, my mini-missiles are far superior to those imported larger missiles. Commander Guo, those planes are approaching Luo Yue. Activate the defense missile system and destroy them all. If those ships are within range, engage them as well.”
The planes, seemingly fearless, plummeted into the Indian Ocean one by one, yet continued their relentless advance on Luo Yue.
The sky was filled with explosions and black smoke, as if night had fallen prematurely.
The Union Army, seemingly enraged, continued launching missiles from their ships. However, Luo Yue’s missiles intercepted them all, sending them into the ocean.
…
Aboard the U.S.’s largest mothership, Wales watched his ships sink from the command center, his expression impassive. As Luo Yue wasted its missiles, a contemptuous smirk played on his lips.
“They have no real reserves. They aim to dominate the entire Indian Ocean with only a strong defense and an interference system. Arrogant fools! I still don't understand how we lost last time!” Wales shook his head.
In Wales’s view, a nation that began as a company, daring to challenge the U.S. for world dominance, was essentially courting death. They lacked proper military strategists. He had employed a tactic they failed to discern, instead playing right into his hands.
Once they depleted their missiles, it would be time to launch the final attack.
Soon, 1000 planes and a similar number of ships had been sunk. Luo Yue, however, had lost a television tower.
Upon noticing this, Wales’s expression soured slightly. While the objective was to deplete Luo Yue's missiles, they had expended a considerable amount. Luo Yue's defense missile system was remarkably effective, boasting a near 98% success rate.