The drivers inside the heavy tanks could only feel darkness engulfing them. The immense impact swept rapidly through the interior of the tank chassis.
"Enemy attack!!!" the Carter Group Army in front directly shouted.
They then began to scan their surroundings, but no matter how hard they searched, they could not locate the attacker's position.
"Boom!!!"
Another deafening blast erupted.
Chen Fan's specially-made anti-tank manganese steel armor-piercing round was fired again, striking the exact spot of impact.
As the Carter Group Army looked on, the dented area on the tank was directly pierced by the bullet.
However, they could only hear the gunshot, seeing no indication of the origin of the damage.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan had completed ejecting the spent casing and reloading.
Despite the large crater Chen Fan had created on its side, the tank could still move.
But the Carter Group Army remained frozen, scanning the surrounding hills.
The general commanding the operation arrived at the front from a military jeep behind.
"What's going on! Why aren't you advancing!!" the general dismounted from the military jeep.
The soldiers in front saw the general and immediately reported.
"Report!!! We are under attack by an enemy sniper!"
"How many?" the general asked.
The soldier directly replied, "One."
Upon learning that there was only one sniper, the general, who clearly hadn't grasped the situation, immediately decided to proceed.
In this general's view, as long as tanks were present, the Middle Eastern and enemy nations would be no match for him. Even soldiers in "medieval armor" couldn't withstand his cannons.
This was the general's mindset.
The soldier who had reported to the general, seeing him order them to advance, quickly stated,
"Report, General, the enemy sniper is using an anti-materiel sniper rifle to attack us!!"
The general, who was about to move, heard the soldier's words.
He was about to speak, but before the words could even leave his lips.
"Boom!!!"
Another distant gunshot echoed.
Chen Fan's anti-tank manganese steel armor-piercing round hurtled directly towards the general.
Chen Fan, peering through his scope, saw the general. He had been wondering why the general hadn't appeared yet. Now that the general was in his sights and within range, he immediately pulled the trigger.
After all, there's an old saying in China: "To catch the bandit, first catch their king."
The general never would have imagined that he would be killed by an anti-materiel sniper rifle.
The general, directly in front of the soldier.
In an instant, he was torn to shreds by the anti-tank manganese steel armor-piercing round, leaving not even a trace behind.
Witnessing the general's immediate disintegration before his eyes by the anti-tank manganese steel armor-piercing round, the soldier began to shout frantically!!!
"The General is dead!!! Everyone, be vigilant and watch your surroundings!!! Retreat!!!"
The two-thousand-strong force dispatched by the Carter Group Army immediately began to withdraw.
But Chen Fan would not give this force any opportunity.
Another shot rang out.
Chen Fan's anti-tank manganese steel armor-piercing round severed the track of the leading tank, causing it to halt on the road.
The surrounding Carter Group Army soldiers heard the explosion and instantly knew its direction. The entire force turned their gaze towards the hillside to their left.
In the Middle East, apart from the areas surrounding cities which might have oases, the terrain was predominantly barren earth and sand.
The hillside to the left of the Carter Group Army was either bare earth or rocky terrain, with no sign of human presence whatsoever.
The soldiers of the Carter Group Army were utterly bewildered.
Most of them had heard the gunshots coming from that direction.
But upon turning, they found no one.
This was the most vexing part.
Without an enemy to target, how could they fight?
Yet, Chen Fan's gunshots continued.
Chen Fan's intention was to disable the tank, which would at least require the Carter Group Army to spend time moving or recovering it later. If the Carter Group Army didn't want it, Chen Fan wouldn't mind helping them with the recovery.
Chen Fan wasn't aiming for the tank's vital components. Each of his shots was directed at the tank's weakest points and the areas most susceptible to transmitting force, its sides.
Chen Fan's plan was to incapacitate the driver through the shock, but he never expected that even with the side being blasted with a large crater by the anti-tank manganese steel armor-piercing round, the driver inside was still alive.
"As expected, America's weapons are advanced," Chen Fan mused. But then he couldn't help but smile.
Initially, it was expected that the Carter Group Army's forces, with the general's death, would scatter rapidly. But for some unknown reason, the soldiers who were retreating suddenly stopped.
They regrouped and continued to advance towards the First Regiment's position.
This left Chen Fan utterly perplexed.
"Why are these people heading forward again?" Chen Fan, lying on the ground, continued to observe carefully.
A small detachment of the Carter Group Army, with the death of their general, saw his deputy assume command. They regrouped the troops and continued to advance towards the First Regiment's position.