Chapter 35

With a "boom," the 23mm shell easily tore through one side of the Hind's wing, causing the helicopter to sway violently. Fortunately, the short wing had already been broken, and the rockets and anti-tank missiles hanging below it fell with the broken wing without exploding. If those munitions had detonated, the helicopter would have been immediately destroyed.

The Shilka had just fired at maximum range, wounding the Hind, which continued to fly unsteadily, heading north toward the mountains.

Smoke was rising from the top of the Hind. The short wing had been broken, and the debris had hit the top engine. Although the engine was still running, it could shut down at any moment.

Damn the Shilka! When Muhammad saw it, he knew it would be the biggest threat to the guerrillas. Now, in their first encounter, it had given him a harsh lesson.

Muhammad tried his best to control the helicopter, completely ignoring the flashing red lights on the instrument panel. He had no idea what those red lights meant or how to handle them.

As they entered the mountains, the roar of the engines above his head suddenly disappeared. Both engines had stopped working simultaneously, and the large helicopter began to spin and plummet downward.

The guerrillas in the rear compartment clung tightly to the side handles, repeatedly calling out, "God protect us!"

Muhammad struggled to control the helicopter, making his final effort. As the mountain below rapidly approached, large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

With a "boom," an explosion sounded on the other side of the mountain, followed by a thick plume of smoke.

The front hatch of the Shilka opened, and a tall Soviet soldier emerged. He looked at the distant smoke with a mocking expression.

Hmph, an Afghan guerrilla who could even fly a helicopter was a miracle, but unfortunately, he had no idea how to evade. If it had been a Soviet pilot, they would have taken evasive action long ago.

"Move forward, find the wreckage of that helicopter," he said into his radio, giving orders to his vehicles.

The rising sun shone on the Afghan mountains, and the air carried a mix of earth and sunlight. As the sun rose, the land quickly dried out.

A group of men in Afghan government army uniforms walked along a narrow mountain path. Their faces were blackened by smoke, and they were in a sorry state, but despite their fatigue, they continued to walk.

In the group, two were already dead and were being carried. They were to be buried deep in the mountains.

After crossing the mountains and passing through the valleys, Muhammad was sure the Soviets would not pursue them. He finally relaxed and ordered, "Rest here."

Hearing Muhammad's command, the guerrillas immediately collapsed on the ground, lying on the rough stones, feeling the sun's heat, and closing their eyes. They were exhausted.

Muhammad looked at the two dead guerrillas. It was fortunate that most of the people had been able to escape the crash. The two who died had been hit by shrapnel that penetrated the crew compartment, severing their arteries. No one could save them, and they died within minutes.

The Afghan guerrillas had made great sacrifices to drive out the Soviet invaders, far exceeding the Soviet casualties.

In these recent battles, under Muhammad's leadership, they had killed enough Soviets to make it worth the cost. As the saying goes, killing one is breaking even, and killing two is a profit.

No one blamed Muhammad; on the contrary, they admired him. Under his leadership, they had ambushed the Soviet helicopter base, destroying all the helicopters. When they returned by helicopter and destroyed the remaining ones, and the ground troops were mowed down by machine guns, even if they had all died, it would have been worth it.

Seeing Muhammad lost in thought, Khwaja sat beside him, silently lighting a cigarette and taking a puff.

"They did not die in vain. They fought bravely, and their souls will ascend to heaven. God protect them," Khwaja said. "Instructor, your command was perfect. You are the leader that God has sent to our Pashtun people."

Muhammad looked at the sky and said, "Our battle was very successful, achieving our goals and destroying the Soviet helicopters. However, the Soviets have a massive defense industry. New helicopters will arrive soon, and they will realize that the quad-barreled self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is the most effective weapon against us. In the coming days, the Soviets will be even more ruthless in their attacks on us."

It was only 1981, and the overall situation in Afghanistan still favored the Soviets. The Soviets believed they would quickly suppress the Afghan guerrillas and gain full control of the country. They would secure a route to the Indian Ocean and periodically provoke conflicts with Pakistan to suppress American influence.

The Soviets were a massive polar bear, determined to take Afghanistan. What they did not know was that the Afghan war would be a powerful catalyst for the Soviet Union's collapse.

After Muhammad spoke, he lowered his head and saw that all the guerrillas had sat up, looking at him with hopeful eyes. In that moment, Muhammad realized he had said the wrong thing.

He was their instructor, and in their eyes, he was an invincible war god. His words of discouragement would clearly demoralize them and shake their confidence.

Muhammad inwardly criticized himself. What was wrong with him? How could he forget how to do political work?

"However, I believe that ultimate victory will be ours. History has shown that invaders are destined to fail. We are now in a tough resistance, but our strength will grow day by day, while the Soviets will be unable to bear the constant deaths and losses. God protect us, we will surely defeat the Soviet invaders."

As Muhammad spoke, the guerrillas' eyes gradually brightened. His words were inspiring.

"Of course, we will also make sacrifices, even great sacrifices. Many of us may not live to see the day when the Soviets are driven out, but our sacrifices will not be in vain. It is because of our brave contributions that we will regain Afghanistan's independence and sovereignty. Afghanistan will become strong, and we will not be slaves to the Soviets!"

"Yes, we will surely drive out the invaders!" Khwaja said.

"We will surely drive out the invaders!" More voices joined in, their eyes determined, unafraid of sacrifice.

"During this time, the guerrillas will be under Khwaja's command," Muhammad said. "The Soviets have just suffered a heavy blow, and they will not likely come to the mountains to sweep again in the near future. The main task of the guerrillas will be training and summarizing the experience from this battle."

Command under him? Khwaja looked at Muhammad, unsure of what he was planning.

"I am going to Peshawar," Muhammad said. "If we do not have a way to deal with the Hinds, we will always be at a disadvantage. I am going to Peshawar to find people who can provide us with support. We need portable anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles!"

The war in Afghanistan was not just the Afghans' fight. To help the Afghan people resist Soviet aggression, Western countries provided strong support. For example, to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 1980 Moscow Olympics were boycotted by all Western countries, leaving only Eastern European countries to participate, and the Soviets almost swept all the gold medals.

Pakistan, feeling the threat, provided the most aid to Afghanistan, even sending instructors like Muhammad to guide the guerrilla war.

As for weapons, as long as they applied to Western countries and explained the situation of the Afghan guerrillas, the West would support them.

Muhammad was very confident about this.

"Instructor, will you come back?" Hearing Muhammad's words, Khwaja neither opposed nor supported him. He asked the most critical question with concern.

The instructor was there to train them. Logically, the instructor should stay in the rear and not fight alongside them, let alone lead them to bomb Soviet planes.

Moreover, after training was complete, the instructor would return. Would the instructor come back to Afghanistan after going to Peshawar?

"Of course, I will," Muhammad said. "I will stay in Afghanistan until the Soviets are driven out. This is my second home."

At that moment, Muhammad thought of the future. Although the Soviets were driven out, the Afghans did not have a single day of peace. The guerrillas defeated the government army, then turned on each other, leading to the rise of the Taliban, which transformed Afghanistan into a theocratic state, regressing to the Middle Ages.

Although Muhammad's future had nothing to do with this place, having traveled back in time and fought alongside the guerrillas, especially seeing them die beside him, he knew he had fully integrated into this place. He would fight alongside them until the Soviets were completely driven out!