Chapter 44 Bombing
ave this matter behind. I don't want to deal with you anymore, hearing your voice makes me angry!"Seeing Wang Haoran put his hands in his pockets and mimic a character from the popular TV drama "Slam...Chapter 44 Bombing
"Knocking使者折斷翅膀。手機快速閱讀文字版心靈也要如羽翼一樣向地平線矚目※南斯拉夫詩人。
On the night of March 27, Yugoslav forces shot down a US stealth aircraft. The Chief of Staff of the Yugoslav Army, General Ojdani, held a press conference to announce this and said, "Please don't ask how we did it; that is military secret."
On the evening of March 28, during a candlelight concert, people could be described as jubilant. A speaker took the stage and said, "Sorry, Americans, we shot down your stealth plane, and we didn't know it was invisible."
On April 1st, US and NATO bombings escalated into their fourth phase. In addition to continuing strikes on military targets to eliminate Yugoslav forces' combat effectiveness, they began bombing government institutions and important civilian facilities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
NATO declared that during this phase, it would completely dismantle Yugoslavia's "war machine," increasing the number, intensity, and density of bombings almost without pause; targeting governmental bodies in Yugoslavia and Serbia; destructive attacks on civilian infrastructure, destroying bridges, power grids, and water supply systems; intensifying strikes against the capital Belgrade, which began to suffer from electricity and water shortages at night plunging the city into darkness. River transport on the Danube towards the Black Sea was completely severed, with ship convoys between two destroyed bridges unable to advance or retreat, helplessly drifting and lamenting.
Oil depots were bombed, causing a week-long absolute smog cover over the city, resulting in severe pollution.
A train heading for Thessaloniki was hit by bombing and derailed, resulting in several deaths.
The headquarters building of the Serbian Socialist Party located on the left bank of the Sava River in New Belgrade, is the tallest building in Belgrade and Yugoslavia. After the bombing, the external contour of this building remained intact.
But internally, it was completely destroyed. The television antenna atop the building still stood, leading NATO to bomb a second time shortly after, destroying the antenna entirely. This building was an iconic structure for Yugoslavia, and its destruction aimed at undermining Yugoslav people's belief in their country as well as weakening the credibility of the ruling Serbian Socialist Party and Milosevic.
Even among the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, there were legends circulating that during World War II, American planes fought German ones over Yugoslavian skies. An American pilot parachuted after his plane was shot down, landing in a village in Yugoslavia. Villagers risked their lives to rescue this American pilot who later returned to America. Half a century later, an American aircraft bombed the same village, reducing it to rubble. The pilot bombing that village might be the descendant of the rescuer by Yugoslavians.
The Republic of China Embassy in Yugoslavia.
Lin Guozhou climbed up the stairs to the rooftop platform of the embassy office building. The night was deep, and many embassy staff were densely gathered beside him. The battle in the city area at night was intense, with planes flying by like meteors, and anti-aircraft guns firing non-stop. The artillery fire rapidly pursued the planes soaring through the sky, but they often fell after circling downward. Planes bombed their targets, causing flames and smoke to rise up, followed by loud explosions.
Little Liu from the embassy told Lin Guozhou about the life of the staff members. His eyes reflected the flickering fires. "When we go out to buy food and vegetables, we often encounter bombing raids. The Yugoslav people are very friendly; some who know that we are from the Chinese Embassy even offer us fruits without accepting payment. Our lives can still be managed, and our nutrition is adequate, though power and water cuts have become common."
Lin Guozhou frowned. "How long do these power and water outages usually last"
"If NATO destroys a power plant, it's very serious; it takes a long time to repair. If the equipment is imported, it’s even more difficult. I've seen NATO use graphite bombs before—they’re not big, like canisters—dropped over high-voltage lines and explode at low altitude. The box scatters metal threads finer than hair which cause short circuits by touching live wires and neutral wires; this burns out transformers and power generation equipment! We have generators but they can only supply electricity for a limited time in an emergency. As for water, when there is water supply, every household fills buckets and basins with it; sometimes even bathtubs are filled because we might not be able to take a shower for a week!"
"We've gradually gotten used to the bombings, and our courage has grown as well. We all want to witness the real combat scenes firsthand, so we often come up here to watch, though Ambassador Pan has requested that we don't observe from the rooftop. It’s only because Counsul Lin you have especially asked us for this visit that we’re here; tomorrow is your last day before you depart for home, so please be very careful!"
Lin Guozhou nodded, turning to look at the city where flames occasionally rose up into the night sky. The stars could still be seen in this late hour, but it was now a spring ravaged by war.
A low whistle sounded as the wind suddenly grew fierce; the faces of the embassy staff nearby changed color simultaneously, and they all fell to the ground: "Hit the deck!"
A cruise missile flew over them with a fiery tail. Lin Guozhou’s long coat fluttered in the wind, making rustling sounds.
The missile instantly shot into a hotel several hundred meters away by the Danube River; there was an explosion, and glass and bricks turned to dust. The extent of destruction caused by these fragments even as they flew out was all calculated precisely by NATO's war machine.
After the shockwave passed, the staff members who had been lying down slowly got up, looking at Lin Guozhou standing before them with admiration in their eyes.
Xiao Liu was full of righteous indignation, "Damn NATO! I've been to that hotel before! Every Saturday they hold a craft fair where the owner would invite me for a drink of local beer. There were Serbian girls dancing and nightingale-like singing... all gone!"
Lin Guozhou patted his shoulder and took a sip, then turned back and said, "I leave in two days. I have been entrusted with the hopes of the country to bring back good news from here, and also to convey the hope that you will be safe. You must ensure your safety!"
The staff members looked at this ambassador with gratitude as they recalled these day and night struggles, their hearts filled with emotion. They were deeply attached to this land and longed for their homeland. In these days of war on the front lines, in these cities where fire and debris fly daily, every person who has stayed here shares a deep bond.
Before his return home, Lin Guozhou had exchanged opinions with many diplomats, and everyone was not very optimistic about the situation.
NATO's air strikes had been going on for more than half a month. Military targets had already been bombed several times, and NATO had few civilian facilities left to bomb. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia showed no signs of surrendering.
The bombing was now in a position where it could not be stopped without admitting defeat, something the US and NATO leaders couldn't afford to do. The Yugoslav side wasn't at its end yet and could still hold out. In this situation, NATO could neither stop the bombing nor ease up on it but had to continue expanding it and creating more sensational events and casualties to shake the determination of resistance in Yugoslavia.
And under these circumstances, Lin Guozhou's full ambassadorial visit came to an end and he returned home.
Before boarding the plane, Lin Guozhou made a special call to Ambassador Pan: "How is the negotiation going over there"
"The Red Berets are very cooperative. The progress has accelerated, and I believe we will have results soon. This time, we can give our country satisfactory answers!"
The third branch of Su Ran's family business in Xiahai City also opened its doors, choosing a location at the slope leading to No. 1 High School. There were many shops for rent there originally. By combining two units, Su Ran's family contributed an initial turnover of five ten-thousand yuan and borrowed another ten thousand from Uncle Zeng Quanming. Aunt Yin Shuying, who was initially not in favor during the family meeting, said: "Your family’s income does look good now; adding up the profits from your two stores for a year wouldn’t be a problem. Why do you still want to open another store Don't you know sometimes opening too many shops isn't beneficial and may even affect the earnings of your other two small branches, leading to losses"
"When we opened our second shop, we had similar thoughts, but now it's clear that there are indeed a few small stores around No. 1 High School, though their storefronts are very small, and they don't sell exclusively stationery; everything looks unprofessional. Our store will be more professional!"
I personally investigated the port environment there, considering factors like pedestrian traffic. There is a reason to believe that the business prospects would be even better than those of shops near Third Middle School." Mother Zeng A now has gradually changed as well; she speaks with more coherence and even uses the word "professional," which Su Can often mentions.
Believe that the business here will definitely be better. Why Because it's all about being professional.
Yoon Suk-yeong made up her mind then, while Zeng Na laughed beside them: "Don’t take auntie’s words at face value! I bet this matter was already decided by Su Can!"
Zeng He smiled awkwardly and said, "Of course. We trust our son's judgment."
Zeng Na shot a look filled with the expression of 'You spoil him!' at Su Can, but her eyes were brimming with amusement. Su Can felt extremely relieved; it seemed that Zeng Na did not report his ambiguous relationship with Tang Wu to others. Otherwise, given how sensitive his mother and aunt were towards such matters—although any backlash due to his current school performance was minimal—their nagging alone would have been enough to drive someone crazy.
Moreover, this uncle of mine is still somewhat old-fashioned; he might not mind me meddling in my parents' business operations, but he strongly opposes early dating.
Zeng Quanming nodded slightly. He was able to put his stock investment funds towards further expansion because he understood that Zeng He and Su Licheng's proactive approach had much to do with Su Can.
If the national-level top essay, outstanding academic achievements in qualifying for First Middle School, high scores at semester's end, and now being a top student, all concentrated on Su Can, were previously just dreams, he could not help but take his nephew seriously. To achieve positions like Construction Bureau Director and City Construction Committee Chief, upon careful reflection, it was hard to deny the intricate connections with him.
Zeng Quanming did not look at Su Can as if he were a monster; instead, he hoped that Zuo He and Su Licheng could follow their own inclinations, hence his firm support. A person might spend most of their life struggling for survival, but once they seize the opportunity to do something suitable, the burst of energy unleashed would be immense.
Like how before, when Zeng Quanming mocked Su Licheng as a mere employee and ridiculed Zeng He’s precarious job situation, and even belittled Su Can for being utterly useless compared to his sisters, this didn’t mean that after they made changes, they couldn't forge an enviable life.
Zeng Quanming had spent his entire life hiding behind a pair of reading glasses, laughing at the world's biases and observing human warmth and coldness. He liked comparing other people’s children to measure the gains or losses in his own child’s future prospects, such as what kind of development Xiao Laodaughter (Old Xiao's daughter) would have in the future and how high Old Zhang’s son could climb within an organization. But before him now was a direct relative who made him feel for the first time that he couldn't see through or guess. left with his companions.Here, the two girls from Second Middle School now looked at Zhao Yi with more interest. The two boys beside them appeared somewhat uneasy. In the school, Zhao Yi was quite a...