"Commander." Jackson said helplessly, "That Lin Chuan is really formidable, there's no denying it."

"What are you trying to say?" The Commander looked coldly at Jackson.

"I mean to say, Dark Soldier is indeed formidable; even our Seal Team or Delta Force is no match for them." Jackson beat around the bush and said, "I think just Shrek and Colonel Hans won't be able to snipe Lin Chuan and his team."

"No!" Tony said annoyed, "Damn it, I heard they even shot down one of our Night Hawks?"

"This…," Shrek immediately went blank.

Because he had dispatched the Night Hawks himself; two had gone out, but only one returned safely.

Now, Tony stared at Shrek and said, "Shrek, where is the damaged Night Hawk?"

"This…" Shrek was sweating profusely, he stood up, his face full of guilt, "Commander, I am very sorry, the Night Hawk was towed away by Fire Fox's people. They took it back to Abbas Town. I… I am incompetent. Please punish me, Commander."

"Bang!"

Tony slammed his fist onto the conference table, seething with anger and his face turning livid, "Colonel Shrek, splendid job. You've cost our military a Night Hawk. For this matter, you must figure out a solution for me; otherwise, prepare to face military court."

Sss...

Everyone at the scene took a sharp intake of breath.

To be facing a military court over a disagreement, wasn't this method a bit too extreme? However, nobody dared to speak out loud; everyone just sat quietly in their own places, minding their own business. It was Shrek who had made the mess, so let him deal with it.

At that moment, Jackson stood up and said, "Commander, Shrek is my partner, and I also share the responsibility in this matter. Thus, I will bear the consequences with Shrek."

"Good!" Tony nodded his head and said, "I don't care how you do it, but you must take that Night Hawk back for me. Otherwise, you both will face military court. I will hold you accountable for your crimes."

"Yes, Commander." Both men nodded.

Colonel Hans couldn't escape the blame either. After Tony left, the three of them could only sit down to discuss strategy. After all, the loss of a Night Hawk was not just a financial loss, but the loss of the core technology contained within it was the most lethal. The Night Hawk Armed Helicopter represented the cutting-edge technology of the United States in armed helicopters. Should this technology fall into other countries' or malevolent hands, then this cutting-edge technology would likely be acquired by others.

By then, the loss wouldn't just be a matter of a few million US dollars, but the technology that has been leading in the field of armed helicopters, which is crucial for survival.

"What should we do?" Jackson asked with a smile, looking at Shrek and Hans, then laughingly said, "We are facing an unprecedented challenge right now."

"Yes," Shrek said with a bitter smile, "It's not difficult to snatch the Night Hawk back from Fire Fox's hands. However, if Lin Chuan and his team are also there, then it would almost be an impossible task. Guys? What should we do?"

"It seems we have no choice but to use brute force." Hans, the Colonel, said with a resigned smile.

"A brute force attack?" Jackson was startled and quickly shook his head, "If we were to attack forcefully, then unless three thousand soldiers joined the attack, using a combined land and air assault, only then would we have a sliver of a chance of victory. But if we are to deploy three thousand soldiers, our authority clearly isn't enough, and we would also need the cooperation of fighters and bombers; otherwise, we couldn't possibly win."

"That is also my opinion," Shrek nodded, "From what I know about Lin Chuan, if we must resort to a brute force approach, I'm afraid it won't work. Just attacking from the land, even if three thousand soldiers could be victorious, it would come at too great a cost. Even if we retrieved the Night Hawk, we would have to face a responsibility heavier than the loss of a Night Hawk. The domestic public opinion wouldn't let us off easily. So think carefully."

"What should we do?" Colonel Hans asked.

"Try negotiating with Lin Chuan." Jackson gritted his teeth, "First, we engage in peace talks, and if that doesn't work, then we'll have a reason to attack them."

"Agreed!" Shrek nodded.

"Alright," Hans agreed, "As things stand, it seems this is the only way."

Subsequently, the three immediately departed, heading to Abbas Town to negotiate with Lin Chuan. This time, they only brought a five-man team of US soldiers. These five were enough to ensure their safety on the road and wouldn't make Lin Chuan perceive them as a threat.

...

Abbas Town.

It was already afternoon, and the desert's heat radiated onto the land. Abbas Town boasted a forest, with a decent coverage of greenery. It was like a green gem in the middle of the desert. In this oasis, they seemed to have seen a glimmer of hope.

Silver Fox had already ordered a strict defense of Abbas Town, with no suspicious individuals allowed to slip through. Abbas Town is located at the intersection of two main arteries in the northeast of Afghanistan, forming Abbas where the two roads meet. Fire Fox had deployed heavy forces and set up checkpoints at the four entrances and exits of the two roads. Any suspicious person would be strictly interrogated, with no American soldiers allowed to infiltrate.

Not long after, two American jeeps sped towards the town.

Rustling...

Over twenty of Fire Fox's armed holy warriors immediately intercepted them. Jackson jumped out of the car and raised his hands, chuckling, "Don't panic, buddy. We mean no harm. We're just here to find Lin Chuan, looking for your leader, Silver Fox."

The leading warrior sneered, "You stay put here and wait, we'll talk after I've reported this."

Having said that, the warrior immediately turned and walked inside.

Soon after, another warrior jogged over and said, "Let them through."

Rustling...

The twenty or so armed warriors promptly put away their weapons. Jackson and his company hurriedly drove in.

Upon learning of Jackson and his team's arrival, Lin Chuan and Silver Fox immediately understood their intent for this visit. Silver Fox was somewhat surprised: "They actually dare to come alone to our turf. Are they tired of living? Aren't they afraid I'll detain them all?"

"Heh heh..." Lin Chuan chuckled, "It's not customary to execute envoys in battle. If you really dare to detain them, I'm afraid the Americans won't let it slide. Fire Fox will quickly be listed as a member of terrorist organizations by the United States."

"Hmph!" Silver Fox huffed coldly, "I couldn't care less."

"It's not the same," Lin Chuan said. "At least, for now, the Americans are still somewhat amicable towards you. Once you turn against them, you'll definitely be targeted."

"Not afraid of them," Silver Fox said with a scoff.

"You may not be afraid, but Abbas Town cannot be covered in the flames of war," Lin Chuan said seriously. "If peace is possible, we should strive to maintain it."

"So, what are they here for this time?" Silver Fox asked.

"Nine times out of ten, it's for that Night Hawk," Lin Chuan said with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Ah?" Silver Fox was taken aback and quickly asked, "Then... what should we do?"

"Just follow my lead and you won't go wrong," Lin Chuan chuckled.

As Lin Chuan and the others had barely sat down in the mansion, Jackson and Shrek, among others, had already walked in from outside.

These were not people meeting for the first time, but rather a group who interacted frequently. Jackson was in charge of the camp, managing over three thousand American soldiers. Behind him were Colonel Shrek and Colonel Hans. Following behind were five more American soldiers, entering with their weapons.

Lin Chuan stood up with a beaming smile and said, "Jackson, I really didn't expect you guys would come all the way from the camp over two hundred kilometers away. Although we're old friends, there's no need to be so enthusiastic, right?"

Jackson's expression darkened, he squinted his eyes and said, "Lin Chuan, what do you think I'm here for?"

"Should be because you haven't seen me for a long time, so you made a special trip to catch up, right?" Lin Chuan smiled.

"Lin Chuan, you're quite the joker!" Jackson said with an icy face.

"Haha, old friend, what brings you to me?" Lin Chuan's hand hooked around Jackson's shoulder as he continued with a beaming smile, "When old friends meet, I think we should have a few drinks first, how about that?"

"I'm not in the mood for that," Jackson pushed Lin Chuan's arm away, saying, "As an old friend, you actually stormed my prison, released hundreds of prisoners, robbed my ammunition depot, and moreover, you took away one of my Night Hawks. Are these things done by an old friend? It's practically the act of a bandit, a robber."

Lin Chuan, already prepared for this confrontation, faced the question without surprise or shock, but instead started to laugh, "Jackson, you can't say it like that. You captured our people; naturally, we had to rescue them. Asking for their release from your Ministry of Defense didn't work. So, faced with special circumstances, we had to take special measures."

Jackson scoffed, "Is that the way you Chinese do things?"

Lin Chuan grinned and then said, "Jackson, you can't put it that way. We were left with no other choice."

"Lin Chuan, I don't want to delve into this matter with you," Jackson once again pushed Lin Chuan's arm away and then said, "Right now, I just want to discuss one thing with you."

"Go ahead!" Lin Chuan smiled and with a generous wave of his hand, said, "If possible, I will certainly help you through and through."

"Return the Night Hawk to us," Jackson stated seriously, looking at Lin Chuan.

"This..." Lin Chuan hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, "Jackson, I'd really like to help you, but I genuinely can't. After all, this isn't my territory, it belongs to Fire Fox, and here my word doesn't count."

Jackson was taken aback, then lifted his head to look at Silver Fox: "Silver Fox, as the leader of Fire Fox, we have quite a few cooperative relationships between us. Tell me, will you return the Night Hawk or not?"

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