Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 100：Attack

Startled by the sudden turn of events, Old Wu and the others were at a loss, unsure of how to react.
Lei Kun swiftly grabbed the water he had prepared earlier and splashed it over several cloths.
He distributed them to the group, instructing them to cover their mouths and noses and to keep their eyes shut.
Jiang Fan and the others hastily took the damp cloths and pressed them to their faces.
Thankfully, because they were on the open bridge, the tear gas's smoke was largely blown away by the wind.
Lei Kun donned his goggles and, amidst the haze, picked up an AK-47.
The officer, gazing toward the center of the bridge where thick black smoke billowed, smirked in satisfaction.
He was certain that within ten seconds, everyone would be driven out by the smoke.
Seconds ticked by, and twenty seconds later, no one had emerged.
This puzzled the officer.
It couldn't be—this was tear gas. Without protection, no one could endure for even ten seconds!
The smoke on the bridge soon dispersed, carried away by the wind from the river below.
Yet, still, there was no movement.
The officer's suspicion grew—had Jiang Fan and the others disappeared?
He quickly grabbed the radio and barked into it, "Helicopter, report the situation!"
"The people on the bridge are gone, they must have hidden inside the vehicles!"
The officer's face lit up in realization. So, they had hidden inside the cars.
The guards had already been taken out, and the remaining individuals were unarmed Dragon Kingdom citizens—easy to deal with.
"First squad, move up!"
At his command, the front line of officers with riot shields began advancing.
However, after they had moved just two meters, a barrage of gunfire erupted, the bullets striking the ground barely a meter ahead of them.
The officers scrambled back to their original positions in alarm.
The officer, stunned, shouted, "Covering fire, covering fire!"
After a tense pause, the gunfire ceased. The officer, still shaken, grabbed the representative from Ziguang Technology who had surrendered earlier.
"Damn it! You lied to us!"
The Ziguang representative, now terrified, feared the officer might shoot him on the spot.
"I... I didn't lie, I swear!"
"We already hit those nine guards, so how come there's still someone firing, and judging by the precision, it's a pro!"
At that moment, the representative recalled Lei Kun's words and quickly added,
"Sir, there are still bodyguards inside, and they're highly skilled!"
"Bodyguards?"
The officer muttered to himself, realizing things were not as simple as he'd initially thought.
They had already spent four hours on this operation, and his patience was running thin.
Furthermore, the higher-ups had given him orders to use force, but not to harm the Dragon Kingdom citizens.
With that in mind, he decided to make an example of them first.
He grabbed the radio and commanded,
"First squad, second squad, prepare to target two meters in front of the vehicles. Attack in twenty seconds!"
"Open fire!"
As soon as the officer gave the order, both sides of the bridge erupted in gunfire.
The noise was deafening, bullets striking the bridge surface and sparking off it.
The ricocheted bullets hit the cars, producing loud, jarring noises.
The group huddled together, instinctively covering their ears, trembling in fear.
"Everyone down, don't stand up!"
Lei Kun, judging from the sound and force of the bullets, was certain that they were being intimidated—nothing more.
The bullets rained down like a storm, ricocheting off the cars.
The car windows cracked under the impact of the stray rounds.
After a few moments, the gunfire ceased.
Then the officer's voice rang out over the loudspeaker,
"My patience has run out. You have two minutes left. If Jiang Fan isn't handed over, don't blame me for what's coming next!"
Jiang Fan, hiding in the car, felt a sense of fear creeping over him.
Yet, his stronger emotion was guilt—after all, they were after him, and now Old Wu and the others were caught up in it.
"Wu Lao, I have some important files on my computer at home. Please tell my teacher..."
Hearing this, Old Wu immediately understood Jiang Fan's intention.
"Jiang Fan, you can't go out! If you're caught, you may never return to the Dragon Kingdom!"
Jiang Fan sighed helplessly.
"I know, but I can't let you all be in danger because of me."
Lei Kun, observing Jiang Fan's composure despite his youth, couldn't help but admire his selflessness.
"Jiang Fan, don't worry. As long as I'm here, they won't get to you!"
"But if they do start shooting, then all of you..."
Just as they were talking, the officer on the bridge glanced at the time and shouted into the radio,
"Helicopter, drop grenades! Don't hurt them!"
"Understood!"
"Boom!"
A massive explosion rocked the area, and one of the cars beside them was sent flying three meters into the air, before crashing back to the ground with a deafening thud.
"Did you see that? Hand over Jiang Fan, or the next bomb will be your car!"
"You have thirty seconds left!"
Jiang Fan, just about to stand up, was pulled back by the representative from Huawei Technology.
"Little brother, you're so young yet so accomplished. The Dragon Kingdom needs you.
Please listen to Professor Wu, don't go out. Hold on until the end, and believe that our country will come to rescue us."
"Yes, Jiang Fan, we'll hold out until the very end!"
The others in the car chimed in, offering encouragement and support.
As they thought of their homeland, a newfound sense of resolve surged within them, dispelling the fear they had felt earlier.
They held each other's hands, finding strength in unity, waiting for the miracle to come.
Thirty seconds passed quickly, but no miracle came.
Seeing no one emerging from the car, the officer, furious, shouted into the radio,
"Attack!"
...
In the office of the Foreign Minister of F Country,
Alexis, sipping his wine and watching the video footage of the Alexander Bridge, muttered to himself,
"Those foolhardy Dragon Kingdom people!"
At that moment, a three-star general in military uniform walked in.
"Minister Alexis, what have you done to the Dragon Kingdom?"
Alexis, caught off guard by the question, looked bewildered.
The general immediately pulled out a satellite image.
Ten of the Dragon Kingdom's most advanced J-20 fighter jets were visible in the Atlantic, and they were clearly targeting them!
The Hainan No. 1 aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean was also heading toward their country.
Alexis dropped his wine glass with a loud crash.
He quickly instructed his secretary to establish a direct connection with the person in charge at Alexander Bridge.
When the call was connected, Alexis roared into the phone,
"Stop the operation immediately!"
"Do not attack!"