Just then, a strange engine roar echoed from the distant mountain. Dudarev's face hardened, and he cocked his ear to listen carefully before blurting out, "Uh—that's the sound of a drone! Those damn Americans, damn it!"
The bearded Akh beside him asked Dudarev curiously, "Hmm—Dudarev, why would the Americans send a drone over here?"
"They send the drone first to capture images and gather intelligence. Then, next step, they'll send troops over to destroy our opium poppy fields! What a headache—if they come, our losses will be huge! Damn it!" Dudarev frowned, his thick brows furrowing in anxiety.
Colonel Hank Han stepped forward to add, "That's a Predator Drone! Fully automated, carries five tons of ground attack weapons, including Sidewinder missiles. They might not even need troops—just that drone could destroy a huge portion of your opium poppy fields!"
At that moment, a strange, milky-white drone appeared faintly on the summit ridge across the valley. It circled along the edge of the mountain, not moving very fast, but everyone could already see several missiles mounted under its belly, as well as several dark cannon systems attached to its wings.
The tribal militia leader saw this and quickly ordered his men to back up the three large trucks, while Dudarev's face turned even uglier. He shouted in frustration, "Damn! It's really a Predator—looks like they're gearing up to blast our opium poppy fields. This is bad, I don't have any precision anti-air weapons, can't shoot it down! Our poppy fields are doomed! Damn Americans, always showing up to mess things up just when we're about to harvest! We're screwed—totally screwed!"
"Mr. Dudarev, let's make a deal!" Fiona Tang suddenly said.
"Oh? A deal? What do you want to talk about?" Dudarev asked quickly.
"I'll help you shoot down that drone. You buy those three truckloads of Afghan women for me and transport them to the Chinese border. Plus, you can take the drone wreckage back to Russia and sell it to the military for research—enough for you to make a fortune! Add in saving your opium poppy fields, and I think you'll come out ahead! Deal?" Fiona Tang said quickly.
Dudarev looked at Fiona Tang in confusion and asked, "You—you have a way to shoot down the drone?"
"Don't worry about that. Just answer me—are you in or not!?" Fiona Tang pressed.
Dudarev's mind raced, then he quickly replied, "Alright! Deal!"
"Brother Shawn Young! I need your help—come with me to the hillside!" Fiona Tang turned to Shawn Young.
"Oh, okay—" Shawn Young responded quickly, then he and Fiona Tang darted toward the right ridge, moving much faster than ordinary people as they channeled their Celestial Essence.
"Hmm—not bad, they really have some skills! Hope I make a killing this time!" Dudarev's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Shawn Young and Fiona Tang scrambled up the ridge, spotting the Predator Drone circling overhead, its engine buzzing with a "bzzzz—" sound. A red light flashed atop the aircraft, its high-speed camera in operation.
"Brother Shawn Young, give me a boost—send me ten meters into the air so I can launch this Solo Thermobaric Launcher!" Fiona Tang unstrapped a single-soldier thermobaric tube from her shoulder and loaded the warhead into the launcher.
"Got it!" Shawn Young immediately channeled his Celestial Essence, forming the Seal of Supreme Clarity with his hands and quickly chanting: "Celestial Wind, Earth Shifting Clouds, Lotus Star, Five Peaks Divine Thunder, Supreme Star of the Platform, Respond and Transform, Hurry as the Law Commands—Release!"
Finishing the spell, he quickly formed a sword-finger gesture and pointed at Fiona Tang—"whoosh!" A red light instantly enveloped her, and Fiona was lifted by a mysterious force, soaring into the air as if riding clouds. Guided by Shawn Young's will, she shot toward the Predator Drone like a meteor chasing the moon.
The Predator Drone's radar system suddenly detected an approaching anomaly, identifying it as a surface-to-air weapon. The drone tried to bank away, but in that split second, Fiona Tang fired her Solo Thermobaric Launcher—"whoosh!" The warhead streaked toward the drone, trailing a brilliant tail of flame, and struck the fuselage just as it turned.
"Boom!" A violent explosion erupted in midair, a blazing fireball lighting up the sky. The powerful Solo Thermobaric warhead struck the Predator Drone directly, blasting it in two and sending black smoke billowing as it plummeted toward the hillside.
Caught in midair, Fiona Tang couldn't evade the combined blast from the warhead and the drone. The shockwave sent her tumbling backward, but Shawn Young quickly reinforced her with mystical force, casting a Diamond Protection Charm around her body. Shielded from the explosion, she landed safely on the ground.
Down the hill, Dudarev raised his thick brows in awe and exclaimed, "Wow! This is the first time I've seen a Solo Thermobaric Launcher used like that! That Chinese chick is amazing! How did she get so high up in the air? Was it that kid's help?!"
After landing, Fiona Tang and Shawn Young quickly ran down the ridge to Dudarev. Fiona said, "Mr. Dudarev, your problem is solved! Now it's time to keep your promise!"
"Oh! Oh! Of course! You two really have some skills! Hahaha—" Dudarev waved over the tribal militia leader who was hiding from the drone, then spoke to him in the local language. Dudarev then pulled out a strange-looking phone and made a call.
Soon, two heavily armed men in black bulletproof vests and tactical goggles walked over from the market, one of them carrying a black suitcase.
The two mercenary-looking men quickly reached Dudarev and handed him the suitcase. Dudarev passed it to the tribal militia leader, who opened it to reveal a full case of green U.S. dollars!
The militia leader immediately lit up with excitement, gave Dudarev a bear hug, and then carried the suitcase of cash down the slope. He signaled his men, climbed into the lead truck, and the three trucks loaded with Afghan women started up again, rumbling down the muddy mountain road into the distance.