Chapter 79: The Arrogance of Him

  Mohammed Fahim, Masood's deputy, took over as the military commander of the Northern Alliance after Masood was assassinated in a suicidal bombing attack. The two men had established their relationship during the current anti-Soviet war.

  Fahim is also Tajik, and his evaluation in later generations is much richer. Some people say he was the most influential Afghan military man and politician, while others say he was a brutal warlord and executioner. In short, this person's character is very complex.

  Arrogant and unyielding, and ethnic sentiment is even heavier.

  Now, when this person hears Muhammad mention unity, he immediately raises the sharpest question, annexation.

  Two guerrilla units merged together to fight a battle. There can only be one leader, and whose orders are followed relates to the issue of military power.

  Upon hearing Fahim say this, Ramel immediately came forward to mediate: "Fahim sir, Muhammad sir didn't mean it that way."

  "So you've come to join us?" Fahim said: "Mr. Mohammad has a lot of experience in commanding and has won many victories, he joined our Panjshir guerrilla force, I will give him my deputy commander position."

  Although it is said that way, the provocative meaning has already been very clear. This guy is very repulsive to Muhammad and does not want to unite and act together.

  It is said that the people who followed Muhammad, Khwaja, Usama and Durrani, were all dissatisfied with their own side's absorption. They had come over mountains and waters to unite and fight against the Soviets together. The guy in front of them was really ungrateful!

  Muhammad looked on quietly, Masood had just rebuked him, but Fahim didn't mind, it was clear that the two were playing good cop and bad cop to give themselves an upper hand.

  Thinking of this, Muhammad couldn't help but despise it in his heart. If it weren't for Masood's reputation and the desire to stop Afghanistan from being in chaos again, Muhammad wouldn't have come to muddy the waters.

  Fahim's back, carrying that rifle, wasn't simple. Although it was an old-fashioned gun, a scope had been installed on it. Muhammad knew this guy must also be a sniper, and people like him were very arrogant.

  That's a blow to this kind of person's pride!

  Fahim made Muhammad feel very uncomfortable, for a person like that, he had to be attacked from the thing he was best at!

  "Mr. Fakhim, you're a good shot, aren't you?" Muhammad asked.

  "Of course, this rifle of mine was left to me by my father. I used it to liquidate thirteen Soviets. Every time I liquidated one, I would scratch a line on the rifle handle." Fahim proudly took down his rifle from his back and showed Muhammad the fine lines scratched on the handle, the sniper's greatest pride.

  "Cough, cough." Behind Muhammad, Khwaja coughed twice and unslung the rifle he was carrying on his back. The stock of this SVD rifle already had dozens of scars carved by bayonets!

  "My gun handle was too slippery, so I stopped carving on it," Khwaja said.

  Looking at Khwaja's gun handle, Fahim's eyes flashed with some unusual emotions, anger, jealousy, resentment, and various emotions.

  "This one is also a sniper, shall we have a try?" Fahim said.

  Khawaja looked at Muhammad, Muhammad shook his head, so Khawaja replied: "Sorry, every bullet in my barrel is reserved for the Soviets."

  Contempt! This is absolute contempt! Fahim's face was filled with irritation, and he suddenly raised his gun.

  "Caw, caw." In the sky, a crow flew high overhead.

  "Bang." He raised his gun, took aim, and fired in one swift motion. Fahim barely even aimed before pulling the trigger.

  The crow in the sky flapped its wings hard in the gunfire, and after just two flaps, it let out a miserable cry and fell from the sky.

  Several Panjshir guerrillas immediately ran over the slope on that side to pick up the downed raven.

  "Good luck, we can drink crow soup soon," Fahim said.

  "Good, not bad, Fahim brothers, your marksmanship is really good." Muhammad said: "Since that's the case, let's exchange fire, Khwaja, you also bring down a bird to add to the pot."

  After being with Muhammad for so long, Khwaja was also able to coordinate with Muhammad seamlessly. Upon hearing Muhammad say this, Khwaja immediately nodded in agreement, without drawing his gun, but instead pulled out a black cloth from his clothes.

  Fahim's face gradually became very unsightly, he looked at Khwaja covering his own eyes, and then picked up the gun.

  The Soviet SVD rifle! A dedicated sniper rifle! Fahim had actually captured one in battle before, but after comparing it, he found that the accuracy couldn't even match his own old bolt-action rifle that had been passed down from his ancestors, so he continued to use his old gun.

  Fahim seemed to be taking it easy, but in fact he was already fully focused, and the person in front of him actually wanted to fight with his eyes closed, how is that possible?

  Khawaja knew that he absolutely could not lose face in front of his instructor, his sniping ability was innate, and the training afterwards was step by step taught by the instructor, which greatly improved his sniping level.

  Sniping is all about precise calculation! Calculating wind speed, calculating the opponent's movement speed and your own bullet arrival speed, making them happen at the same time and place for a intimate encounter.

  "Bang! Bang!" Another bird flew over, Khwaja raised his gun and the muzzle followed the bird as it moved. Then he pulled the trigger.

  "Bang." With the sound of the gunshot, the bird fell from the sky.

  How is this possible? Even Masood next to him was startled, and he can hit it with his eyes closed?

  "The goal is too big," Muhammad said: "Let's change another one."

  After finishing speaking, Muhammad took out a coin from his chest pocket and threw it high into the sky.

  "Clang." Another crisp sound, the coins in the sky made a light ringing sound.

  The coin fell at Fahim's feet, he picked it up and saw a big hole in the middle of the coin, which was left by the bullet passing through. Even with his eyes open, focusing intently on aiming, Fahim didn't have this grasp.

  Khawaja took off his black cloth, put the gun back behind him and said: "What a pity, two bullets were wasted."

  Khawaja was heartbroken. These were specialized sniper bullets, originally meant for the Soviets, now being wasted like this.

  Fahim's face was full of surprise, he really wanted to rush up and grab the sniper rifle from Khwaja to see if there was anything strange inside, but he finally endured it.

  "God is great, your guerrilla forces have achieved so many victories, it's really a hidden dragon and crouching tiger, this sniper is too strong, we admire." Masood finally spoke up: "I don't know what important business you have come to the Panjshir Valley for this time?"

  At this time, Masood still did not accept the proposal of unity. Muhammad knew that he had just arrived here and wanted to let Masood fight side by side with him, which was impossible. Comrades-in-arms are people who can entrust their backs to each other on the battlefield, but the relationship between Tajiks and Pashtuns has not been so close yet.

  "We have received news," Mohammad said. "The Soviets have assembled two regiments of superior force to enter the Panjsher area and sweep through."

  The Soviets are coming again! After resting for a winter, the Soviets are finally going to make their move.

  Mohammad had made adequate preparations, the mountainous region north of Jalalabad was already Mohammad's domain, he had ample strategic space to launch guerrilla warfare against the Soviets.

  Mohammad knew he had become a thorn in the eyes of the Soviets, but when he received the news from Jalalabad, he realized that the Soviets did not intend to annihilate themselves, and the main goal of the Soviets was placed in the Panjshir region.

  This is the main transportation hub of the Soviet Union. If the Soviets cannot open up this place, their logistics supply will always be in danger. No matter where they launch an offensive, they need a large amount of military supplies, such as tanks, which consume a lot of fuel every time they move.

  Two regiments! This means that this time, the Soviet troops who came to sweep through will have around 4,000 people, and they will definitely be accompanied by government troops. The total number of people will exceed 5,000. The Soviets are fierce and want to make a final push to completely solve the transportation hub of Panjshir.

  He got this news and also came to meet Masood with Muhammad.

  As expected, Masood's expression, which had just calmed down, changed to another look, more solemn and serious.

  "Thanks to our friends," Masud said. "This is a timely message, the Soviets want to launch a sweep against us, we will lead them in the mountains and they won't be able to withstand it."

  Masood is an experienced guerrilla commander who has been able to gradually expand in the Panjshir region, and his personal leadership ability is inseparable from it. The essence of guerrilla warfare is to protect oneself and eliminate the enemy.

  The Soviet troops arrived in large numbers, and they retreated, taking advantage of the favorable terrain in the mountains to kill one by one. When the Soviets left, Masood could lead his men out of the caves again and continue to ambush Soviet transport convoys on both sides of the highway.

  These convoys coming from the distant north are the arteries of the Soviet presence in Afghanistan.

  After saying these words, Masood looked at Muhammad, composed himself and said: "Muhammad Sahib, can I invite you to fight shoulder to shoulder with us?"

  At this time, more power is the best.

  "We have come just to strike at the Soviets." Muhammad said: "I hope we can fight shoulder to shoulder."

  In the face of real threats, Masood's originally rejected psychology took a back seat. With the addition of Muhammad's fresh troops, their guerrilla warfare could be even more effective.

  It was then that Masood heard a sentence from Muhammad which made him tremble instantly.

  Before the Soviet sweep, I had an idea, let's give the Soviets a good beating first!