Under normal circumstances, the first round of artillery fire is usually a fixed-point shot, primarily used to gather information for subsequent targeting. Its accuracy is often not very precise.
However, the Syrian army, which isn't considered a top-tier ground force, managed to land the first shell with incredible precision.
This could only be attributed to extraordinary luck.
In such an unusual and improbable event, even though Long Zhan responded as quickly as possible and did his utmost to protect Lei, he was still left dazed by the shockwave. His head spun, and his ears were filled with an overwhelming buzzing sound, making it impossible to hear anything else.
The impact on his brainstem caused a loss of balance control, making it difficult for Long Zhan to even stand.
It felt as though he was drunk—many things he wanted to do were simply beyond his ability at that moment.
Fortunately, Sonny and Brock, who were at a safer distance, were not heavily affected by the explosion. They hurried over and helped both Long Zhan and Lei off the rooftop, one supporting each.
Long Zhan was in a state of confusion during the descent. He could see Sonny shouting at him, but he couldn't make out a single word.
All he could hear was an overwhelming mix of buzzing and crackling noises.
At the same time, his brain and body were completely out of sync. His mind tried to cooperate and respond, but his body refused to follow any commands.
Lei's condition was almost identical to Long Zhan's—both were temporarily incapacitated.
It was at that moment that Long Zhan finally understood what kind of state violent criminals subjected to the shockwaves of directional explosive breaching during CQB must experience.
*This damn thing just leaves you utterly stunned,* he thought. *Completely out of it, unable to react to anything.*
The two of them remained in this disoriented state as they were carried from the rooftop to the second floor, then down to the first floor, before finally sitting down in the lobby to recover.
Fortunately, the mortar shell wasn't very powerful—likely a small-caliber round carried by infantry.
By the time the Quick Reaction Force arrived in the town and parked on the road outside the hospital, Long Zhan and Lei had mostly recovered.
Although they still suffered from some tinnitus and a slight headache, it wasn't enough to hinder combat operations.
Before Lei began helping civilians onto the vehicles, he made a point to approach Long Zhan and said with gratitude, "Thanks for earlier. If you have time after all this, I'd like to invite you to my baby shower."
Long Zhan knew that this was the American tradition of celebrating a baby's upcoming birth. Typically held before the child is born, it's a highly private event involving close family and friends.
Lei's invitation signified a shift in how he viewed Long Zhan, likely influenced by the fact that Long Zhan had saved him.
As the second-in-command of Bravo Team, Lei's goodwill was something Long Zhan was more than willing to accept.
Even though Long Zhan knew, based on the timeline of events in similar scenarios, that Lei's wife had likely already given birth prematurely—making this baby shower irrelevant—he still cheerfully replied, "Witnessing the arrival of a new life is a wonderful thing. Even if I'm busy, I'll find a way to attend."
"Great, it's a deal," Lei said enthusiastically.
Lei's evident happiness at Long Zhan's response was reflected in his firm handshake.
The Quick Reaction Force had arrived in three vehicles. One was a standard military truck, easily capable of carrying all the civilians.
The other two were more specialized: tactical-modified HMMWV military Humvees, produced by GM under contract with the U.S. military.
These Humvees were equipped with reinforced doors, bulletproof windows, and armored bodies capable of withstanding direct hits from 7.62mm rifle rounds.
Their tires were special military-grade, designed to keep running for over 80 kilometers even after being shot through.
Rugged and highly durable in defense, these vehicles were equally formidable in attack.
Each vehicle featured a machine gun turret mounted on the roof. Operated by a gunner, the turret held an M2 heavy machine gun capable of 360-degree rotational fire.
The turret was shielded on three sides by half-meter-high protective plating, ensuring the gunner's safety while firing.
The two modified Humvees, each armed with a .50 caliber heavy machine gun, provided the perfect setup for Long Zhan and Sonny to take control of one each.
After the sniper fire from Long Zhan's team, the Syrian forces had been too intimidated to advance along the main road.
Under the cover of suppressive mortar fire, the Syrian troops finally approached the hospital. But by that time, Bravo Team had already used the opportunity to evacuate all the civilians onto the vehicles.
The team members divided themselves between the two combat vehicles, with one leading and one trailing the civilian truck as they charged out of the area.
Perhaps witnessing Long Zhan risking his life to save Lei had earned him Sonny's respect. For once, Sonny—who loved violence and adrenaline—relinquished his favorite position in the lead vehicle, choosing instead to ride in the trailing one.
This allowed Long Zhan to take the lead Humvee and enjoy the chance to unleash his full capabilities with the heavy machine gun.
And what a thrilling experience it was!
As soon as the convoy burst onto the road in front of the hospital, they encountered advancing Syrian forces, sparking an immediate firefight.
Syrian soldiers emerged from buildings like groundhogs, trying to attack the convoy.
But Long Zhan, like a hammer in a whack-a-mole game, put his mastery of the heavy machine gun to the test. His ability to observe, react quickly, and aim precisely gave him a significant advantage.
These were precisely the skills that had impressed everyone during Long Zhan's selection for the Green Team.
His towering and muscular physique added to his intimidating presence, making him seem as immovable as a mountain.
The recoil of the M2 heavy machine gun, which could shake apart an average person, seemed like nothing in Long Zhan's hands.
This was why American machine gunners were often large and exceptionally strong—the recoil of a heavy machine gun was simply unmanageable for smaller individuals.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The .50 caliber machine gun roared as it unleashed a relentless barrage. The turret spun 180 degrees, and deadly streams of bullets whistled through the air.
Syrian soldiers who had just emerged to attack the convoy were preemptively taken down by Long Zhan's overwhelming firepower.
The devastating power of the .50 caliber machine gun meant that even glancing hits were catastrophic.
A direct hit would sever limbs, split torsos in two, or obliterate heads entirely. The gruesome results resembled watermelons exploding under extreme pressure.
As the convoy pressed forward through the town, the number of Syrian casualties mounted exponentially.
The path was littered with the mangled remains of soldiers, with no intact bodies to be found—a scene so horrifying it could make even seasoned combatants weak at the knees.
Even the war-hardened Syrian regulars, accustomed to years of civil conflict, were paralyzed with fear.
By the end, they were too terrified to emerge from their hiding places, watching helplessly as the convoy stormed out of the town and disappeared into the distance.