Chapter 51: Butterfly Effect and Captain America_2
"The Night Wanderer has a far greater range of influence and density of outposts on the outskirts of Night City in the Evil Land compared to us. They are widespread and numerous, with the Chaotic Blade Association as a major ally, always ready to launch attacks on us from any time, any direction."
"If this situation continues, it will undoubtedly be very unfavorable for us."
As he spoke, the view of the model zoomed out to cover a small part of the outskirts of Night City, densely populated with Night Wanderer outposts, far surpassing Adcardo and Stone Ridge Mountain combined, and they were surrounded.
Lin Miao continued,
"Once my people advance on the Stone Ridge Mountain tunnel, the Night Wanderer from these outposts will immediately get the news and swarm over to support, and with continuous reinforcements, our small numbers will be further magnified, it's impossible to outlast them."
"Therefore, our tactics must not only take the Stone Ridge Mountain tunnel but also further inflict damage on the Night Wanderer's forces."
He drew attack arrows from the Night City side of the tunnel model, and on the other side drew an arc surrounding the tunnel entrances.
"Encircle and attack reinforcements! Eliminate the Night Wanderer's active forces!"
"My team will launch an attack from the Night City side of the tunnel entrance, continuously pressuring the Night Wanderer inside, they will inevitably seek aid from nearby outposts, you'll ambush the other side of the tunnel entrances, whoever comes to support, you attack them, if the Night Wanderer inside tries to break out, you block them."
Yes, the Night Wanderer has more numbers, but you can't spread out in the tunnel, can you? Adcardo blocking the largest tunnel entrance with dozens of people, what does it matter how many they have?
"No way."
Sol shook his head at this point,
"The Stone Ridge Mountain tunnel won't have only the two largest entrances, inside it's networked with paths, the Night Wanderer hoarding and smuggling goods, weapons, population, hidden passageways are not few."
"I know."
Lin Miao grinned, reaching out to Lucy behind him, who immediately understood, and retrieved a yellow plastic-like object from the car, placing it in Lin Miao's hand, wrapped with tape, detonators, wires, and chips.
Jianxue and the unnamed others' explosives crafting skills are getting proficient.
Simultaneously, red dots appeared throughout the tunnel model.
"This is the small passageways I've found so far, although certainly not all, blowing up these tunnel entrances can also throw them into chaos, at least greatly delaying their chance to retreat alive."
"I'll have Mann and the others handle this."
The mercenary squad is not suited for frontal assault type battles, such small team special missions suit them better.
"Encircle and attack reinforcements..."
Mitch and Panam showed a hint of confusion on their faces.
Lin Miao noticed they seemed unfamiliar with this tactic.
No way...
The butterfly effect in play at such a point?
Lin Miao had forgotten the East University in this historical period remained hidden, leading to further repercussions.
It's 2075 in the cyber world now, where people around the globe still think everyone at East University practices martial arts, Tai Chi, has bun hair, cheongsam, a personal panda, unable to afford meals… filled with stereotypes. (This is true; a board game author set it like this, in the 1990s the East University internationally was unknown, leading Cyberpunk 2020 creators to write it that way, but we all know it's impossible)
In Europe and the US Military, historically, they didn't rely mainly on maneuver warfare; they focused on strategic decisive battles, fort defense systems.
The most typical battles, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk all followed these principles.
During World War II, France's Maginot Line was born under such defensive tactics.
Result was it was bypassed and pierced through by the Germans.
Thus, Europeans and Americans were indifferent to being surrounded, as long as their supply lines were intact, it's a battle of attrition in defense and offense, whoever lasts till the end wins.
The advent of Air Force further made them less sensitive to encirclement; with air forces dropping supplies, they could always hold on.
In Western history, the closest battle to 'encircle and attack reinforcements' was Napoleon against Austria.
Napoleon indeed encircled the fortress, and kept battling Austrian reinforcements.
But actually, Austria approached Napoleon with the intention to engage in a decisive battle, only due to poor mobility stretched their forces long like a snake.
Brutally turned the decisive battle into attritional warfare, it's unsurprising they ended up defeated by Napoleon.
East University remained hidden, only showing Kangtao's hand briefly outside these years, but overall kept silent; naturally, their World War II tactics against major parties went unnoticed.
Though they've never heard of it, doesn't mean Sol and the others didn't understand.
Veteran Mitch, seeing Lin Miao's deployment, had an epiphany,
"This tactic is interesting, using the Stone Ridge Mountain tunnel's significance to the Night Wanderer to lure them, the target seemingly the tunnel, but in reality it's these reinforcing Night Wanderer. Although they have considerable numbers, due to distance must deploy in batches, thus we appear fewer, but can achieve local superior forces, outnumber them, staying cool."
"This is simply a genius tactic."
Sol was curious, "This tactic is your idea?"
But Lin Miao replied,