Strongest Soldier King

Luo Zheng, hearing Lan Xue had an idea, perked up and after thinking for a while, said, "Perhaps our ideas are the same; this spot is two hundred meters from the base of the hill, and anything above two hundred meters should be safe. This place is large, and the cost to mine a two hundred meter circular hillside would be quite high, which is the limit of what the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group can afford. Moreover, two hundred meters is safe enough; there's no need to extend the range. So, we could hide above two hundred meters and engage the enemy from a distance. What do you think?"

"You're thinking exactly what I was, though it's time consuming. We should still go back and discuss it with everyone else." Lan Xue smiled upon seeing Luo Zheng's similar line of thought, her eyes full of gratification. She hadn't expected Luo Zheng to grow so rapidly, always able to think calmly and maintain a strategic perspective.

"Your smile is truly beautiful." Luo Zheng looked at Lan Xue, who smiled sweetly, a stark contrast to her usual icy demeanor, and he couldn't help but feel moved as he spoke earnestly.

"Smooth talker, let's go." Lan Xue said with a light smile, unoffended. She turned and retraced the path they had come by. Luo Zheng carefully deactivated a tripwire and disabled the traps in the bushes before catching up with her. They maintained a ten-meter distance, covering each other alternately and remaining vigilant against any surprises.

Twenty minutes later, the two returned to the camp and found that others had also gradually arrived. After pooling everyone's opinions, the consensus was reached that the two hundred meters downward on the other two sides also contained minefields. Attempting a sneak attack through the dense forests surrounding the mountains was exceedingly difficult; even the river to the south was filled with traps and impassable. Put simply, there were only two ways into the valley: one was by a bridge, but about two hundred meters past the bridge, a concealed Dark Fortress had been constructed—something Ghost Hand was certain of; the other was by helicopter, a vehicle that was part of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group's means of connecting with the outside world, revealed by the team responsible for reconnaissance in the north who spotted helicopter blades in a courtyard behind the base buildings.

The base of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group was located in the primeval forest of the Million Mountain, a place scarcely trodden by humans, essentially without any trails. That bridge was likely used solely by the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. With minefields on three sides, the only way out of the valley was by that bridge, and leaving the forest on foot would take about half a month—an endeavor rendered more feasible with a helicopter.

Luo Zheng, having considered everyone's opinions, thought the wolf's den was a defensive stronghold tough to breach, and turned to Lan Xue. Lan Xue subtly nodded, and said seriously, "You all know the situation; the enemy has bunkered down, making this fight difficult. For now, our only option is to devote more time and wear them down using sniper tactics."

"By sniping to diminish the enemy's manpower and create panic, thus breaking down their resistance?" Ghost Hand asked in return.

"Exactly, we have ten people. Teams of two will take turns going into action, day and night, concealed in the dense forests on all four directions, each looking for opportunities to strike. Little by little, it won't take many days before the enemy collapses. I refuse to believe they will stay hidden in their houses every day without coming out," Lan Xue said coldly.

"There's one problem—if the enemy does indeed bunker down, what then? Don't forget, there are many women, children, and elderly in the wolf's den who could easily handle domestic tasks, eliminating the enemy's need to expose themselves. Staying hidden in a room and sleeping is much more comfortable for them than us hiding in the forests. If it comes to it, we won't last, but they'll be unaffected," Mountain Eagle warned, vigilant as he glanced towards the dense forest depths.

"What is it?" asked Lan Xue in surprise, her expression turning serious as she looked into the deep forest where leaves rustled in the wind, yet there was no other movement. She then looked towards Ghost Hand.

Ghost Hand furrowed his brows and listened intently for a while before responding uncertainly, "I'm not sure, you guys continue discussing; I'll go check it out. Something feels off."

"I'll go with you." Luo Zheng, relying on a hunter's instincts honed in the jungle, also sensed something amiss though he couldn't pinpoint it, and thus proposed the idea. Ghost Hand nodded, looked at Lan Xue, who after a moment's thought, also nodded in agreement, but cautioned them to be careful and instructed everyone to spread out and remain alert.

Luo Zheng and Ghost Hand, guided by their instincts, headed to the dense jungle without a specific direction, keeping about ten meters apart and alternating cover as they moved forward. Soon, a wild beast's roar came from up ahead, startling them; they exchanged a glance, and Ghost Hand motioned for Luo Zheng to provide cover while he carefully approached. Reaching a clump of trees, he looked ahead and his expression turned unnatural as he slowly raised his gun.

"What's the situation?" Luo Zheng asked through the headset.

"A pack of Wild Wolves, they've killed a young elephant and are now confronting an adult one," Ghost Hand reported quietly.

Luo Zheng was shocked, these Wild Wolf packs were everywhere. After a moment, he said, "Never mind, we shouldn't stir trouble; better to pull back. As long as it's not the enemy, we can manage. It's survival of the fittest in the jungle, and it's none of our concern."

"That's right, as long as they don't bother us, we're good," Ghost Hand agreed, slowly withdrawing his weapon as they quickly retreated. They marched hurriedly back to their original camp, briefly reported the situation, and everyone, upon hearing it was just the Wild Wolves hunting, didn't pay much attention. They were rather curious about Ghost Hand's keen sense of the distant wolves, especially the members of Ghost Team, but no one brought it up.

"Alright, let's get back to our earlier discussion. The enemy is bunkered down; should we use sniper tactics to gradually wear them down and induce panic, ultimately forcing them to submit without a fight, or should we try another approach?" Lan Xue redirected the conversation.

The group quickly dismissed the Wild Wolf incident as a normal occurrence in the jungle, agreeing that as long as the wolves didn't provoke them, all was well. They continued with their previous train of thought, and after a while, Mountain Eagle said, "Sniping is a good method, but it has a drawback, which is the issue of time. As Ghost Hand said, if they send out women, children, and the elderly, we're helpless. We can't just kill unarmed people, and we can't afford to drag this out."

"Another point is that if it takes too long, the enemy might gather more reinforcements, which would be unfavorable for us. Perhaps we should first look for the enemy's weaknesses and formulate countermeasures. In the meantime, we could still utilize sniper tactics as a temporary measure," Snow Leopard suggested.

This statement seemed to support Lan Xue's suggestion, and everyone looked at Luo Zheng. Luo Zheng continued to ponder; using sniping could indeed be effective, but it wasn't a lasting solution and would only serve as a deterrent. If the enemy were to hide, the valleys and the chaotic nature of the rooms would provide ample cover from a distance, indeed a vulnerability needed to be identified.

"Tell us, have you thought of something?" Lan Xue asked Luo Zheng.

"Yeah, come on, share your thoughts; don't hold back," urged Snow Leopard.

ps: Please help me by recommending this to attract more readers. Thank you.