Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1024 Bureau
An eerie silence fell over the command post.

The previous doubts, worries, and fears have not completely disappeared, but have been overwhelmed by a huge, dizzying shock.

The scene described by Song Heping was too crazy, yet... damnably tempting!
Without lifting a finger or taking any direct risks, all they need to do is spread the word that a billion dollars (or weapons) will be enough to send countless knives at the heart of the American cause.
The risk seemed to have shifted instantly.

"Damn... a billion..."

The polar bear muttered to himself, bending down to pick up a cigar from the ground, his fingers trembling slightly, "This damn thing... if it really works... that bastard Saif won't last three weeks..."

The hunter pursed his lips, his arm holding the gun slowly relaxed, and although there was still doubt in his eyes, the cold resistance had clearly melted away.

He nodded slowly, a small gesture, but it represented a softening of his attitude.

"Theoretically..."

Henry's glasses reflected the light from the electronic sand table. He adjusted his glasses, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement, "This is indeed the most leverage-efficient strategy. With minimal direct intervention, it can create the greatest chaos. As long as the news spreads widely, quickly, and credibly enough, some organizations will inevitably be tempted. The Americans are in the open, we are in the shadows, and their pressure will increase exponentially."

"But the risks are also very high."

The Queen's voice remained calm, but the technical denial had faded, replaced by analysis: "How can we conceal the source of the bounty? How can we ensure we aren't traced back to ourselves? How can we guarantee the credibility of the source and payment of such a huge sum of money? And, what if no organization is capable of succeeding..."

"source?"

Song Heping interrupted her, a sharp glint in his eyes, "Of course, someone can help us make it flawless. As for money and weapons..."

He paused, his voice carrying an undeniable force, "My word, Song Heping's word, is as firm as a nail driven into a board! If the ship sinks, I'll sell everything I own to keep my promise! As for whether anyone succeeds..."

He sneered, "A billion dollars is enough to turn cowards into warriors and fools into brilliant ideas. Everywhere this ship passes, every inch of sea, or every dock, there could be desperate criminals or suicide bombers. We just need to patiently wait for the first stone to be thrown."

Jiang Feng slapped his thigh, his face flushed with excitement: "Damn it! Sergeant! This is what you call a 'family-exterminating' strategy! Let those bastards bite off more than they can chew! We'll just watch the show!"

He rubbed his hands together, as if he could already see the fireworks over the Mediterranean.

Collins grinned, revealing a blood-stained smile: "I like this way of playing."

Chaos is the best cover.

Let the Americans worry about it. Guess who wants to kill them?

Klein nodded calmly: "The essence of a surprise attack is to break conventional thinking. The Americans would never have imagined that anyone would dare to offer such a bounty on their warships. This in itself is a perfect psychological attack. I agree."

Ferrari let out a long breath, his complex expression finally settling into a wry smile mixed with astonishment and a hint of worry: "Song, your brain... it's fucking divine. The risk has been transferred, but this move... is too big. What if..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear: what if it turned out to be an empty promise, or it provoked even more intense retaliation?

"Nothing unexpected."

Song Heping said decisively, "This is the only way. Either we'll be worn down and blown up, or we'll overturn the table and make sure no one has an easy time! Now, let's vote!"

Their eyes met again. This time, although a shadow of doubt still lingered in the corner, the flames were more ignited by the billion-dollar bounty.

The polar bear took a deep drag on his relit cigar, and amidst the swirling smoke, he nodded heavily.

The hunter nodded silently again.

The Queen tapped an invisible confirmation on the tablet with her finger.

Jiang Feng, Collins, Klein, and Henry all explicitly expressed their agreement.

Ferrari looked into Song Heping's unfathomable eyes and finally slowly raised his hand.

"it is good!"

Song Heping's voice carried a chilling sense of finality, "Plan approved. Code name: 'Tsunami Bounty'."

His gaze swept over Ferrari and Henry with lightning speed.

"Prepare a detailed intelligence summary of the 'Marlin' immediately, the more detailed the better, especially its route, weaknesses, and possible armament configuration. This is the whetstone we are preparing for 'Knife'."

"understand!"

Ferrari was invigorated.

Song Heping said no more, turned around and strode towards the communications room in the corner of the command post. When the door closed heavily, it completely shut out the noise from the outside world.
-
In the communications room, Song Heping sat at a table, a dark blue interface on his laptop screen.

Without the slightest hesitation, he typed a long string of incredibly complex commands on the encrypted keyboard.

The screen flickered a few times, the deep blue faded, and a connection indicator began to pop up.

Time seemed to stretch out.

The few seconds of waiting felt exceptionally long in the deathly silent communications room. Song Heping leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the cold alloy armrests.

The scorching heat of the Lebian Desert, the infighting within the command center, the perilous situation in Savinnu, the shock and pressure brought by the billion-dollar bounty...

Everything settled down, transforming into a cold flame deep within my eyes.

Finally, a flash of blue light appeared on the screen, and a blurry human figure emerged.

The background appears to be a study decorated with intricate Persian-style tapestries, and the lighting is somewhat dim.

The figure's face had been digitally altered, leaving only a blurry outline, but its eyes, even through the screen and layers of encryption, were sharp enough to pierce through the heart.

"Song?"

A deep, magnetic English voice with a distinct Persian accent rang out, carrying a perfectly balanced hint of surprise and familiarity. "What a rare guest. My dear old friend, it's been so long since you last contacted me. What brings you to this line of work? I heard you've been getting that old fox Vincent in Lebia in a bit of a headache lately?"

The voice belonged to Afanti, Song Heping's old friend who held a high position within the Persian Revolutionary Guard.

Song Heping smiled and said, "Afanti, my old friend. The sandstorms in Lebia are too strong, they hurt my eyes. I wanted to chat with my old friend and hear a different perspective."

His tone was relaxed, but the heavy pressure was subtly conveyed through his voice.

"Ha ha!"

Afanti let out a low laugh, with a knowing glimpse into the world, "The sandstorm that hurts your eyes is probably no ordinary sandstorm, is it? Is it a hurricane blowing from Washington, or poisonous gas blowing from Tel Aviv?"

His words went straight to the point, clearly showing he was well aware of Song Heping's recent predicament.

The Revolutionary Guard's intelligence network was not just a name.

"All."

Song Heping's smile faded, and his voice turned serious. "Old friend, time is of the essence, so let's skip the pleasantries. I'm backed into a corner. Vincent, the hoopoe, and an MI6 agent are teaming up to use Saif, this blunt knife, to slowly bleed me dry."

"Oh?" Afanti's voice held a hint of amusement, but his eyes sharpened. "That's typical of them. Like boiling a frog in slowly heating water. Need an old friend to help you dig a hole in the corner?"

He took the initiative to ask, striking a very confident pose.

The enemy of my enemy is my natural ally.

"The hole isn't big enough."

Song Heping leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing through the screen as if it were a tangible force, locking onto the blurry figure. "I need an earthquake to overturn their plans!"

He stopped beating around the bush and spoke with absolute clarity: “I need you to use all your most secretive and powerful channels to spread a bounty throughout the Middle Eastern underworld.”

"A bounty poster?"

Afanti's tone rose slightly, clearly indicating that he had been greatly interested.

The target of the bounty that Song Heping offered with such seriousness must be quite large.

"Target: USS Marlin, an arms transport ship belonging to the U.S. Military Sealift Command."

Song Heping coldly uttered the name, “Bounty: One billion US dollars in cash, or the equivalent in military supplies provided by our ‘Musician’ Defense.”

A brief, vacuum-like silence fell over the communication channel.

Even the subtle background noise of the encrypted signal seemed to disappear.

On the screen, the blurry outline of Afanti seemed to freeze for a moment. Even for someone of his stature and knowledge, the sheer impact of a billion dollars and its target—an active-duty arms ship flying the Stars and Stripes—was enough to make one's breath catch in their throat.

A few seconds later, Afanti's voice rang out again, hoarse with a mixture of shock, admiration, and extreme excitement: "One billion dollars... sink the 'Marlin'... Song, my old friend..."

He seemed to be searching for the right words, finally letting out a low gasp of astonishment, "Your work... is truly earth-shattering! This isn't just digging a tunnel, you're blowing the entire underground palace into the sky!"

He then let out a low, suppressed laugh, tinged with excitement: "Hahaha! Good! Excellent! Every American ship that sinks is one less! I love this deal! I'd be happy to oblige!"

Afanti's attitude was within Song Heping's expectations.

Persia and the United States are mortal enemies. The Revolutionary Guard would do everything in its power to make the Americans suffer heavy losses and be in a mess, especially since they don't even have to take direct action themselves.

"but!"

He became cautious: "The timing of releasing the bounty is crucial. The bounty must be distributed on a large scale only after the 'Marlin' leaves Kuwait's port of Shuweh and enters international waters. We need to expose this ship, with its full cargo of munitions, like a mobile, billion-dollar, juicy lure on the high seas, exposed to the sight of all the jackals and hyenas! Let them and the Americans be caught in a bind!"

His analysis was precise and ruthless, instantly grasping the essence of the plan.

"That's right, great minds think alike."

Song Heping nodded. "With the ship in port, they can easily strengthen defenses or even cancel the voyage. Only by letting it sail into the vast ocean, becoming an isolated island, can the power of the bounty be maximized. Moreover..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "If we issue a bounty after the ship leaves port, what will the Americans suspect first?"

Afanti immediately understood and chimed in, "An insider! A leak! They'll scrutinize every aspect of the Kuwaiti port, suspecting someone inside leaked ship information and voyages! This will cause immense suspicion and chaos within their ranks, consuming a lot of their energy, which will actually provide cover for the external forces that are actually taking action! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

He was once again amazed by the ruthlessness and meticulousness of Song Heping's plan.

“Therefore,” Song Heping said in a deep voice, “I need you to pinpoint the exact departure time of the ‘Marlin.’ Once it leaves port and enters international waters, the bounty must spread like a virus, reaching the entire Middle East in the shortest possible time through every possible, most secretive and effective dark web channel, underground broker, and secret liaison stations of regional armed groups…! This news must become the hottest mobile treasure ship in the underworld within 24 hours!”

"Don't worry, Song."

Afanti's voice was filled with powerful confidence: "Our network and channels have a deeper influence in the Middle East than you can imagine. Letting a message sweep across the land like a desert storm is one of our specialties. A billion dollars to sink a US arms ship? That bait is too tempting. I guarantee it will burn through every dark crevice like wildfire in less than half a day."

“Very good.” Song Heping was satisfied with this answer. He understood the power of the massive intelligence machine behind Afanti.

"In addition," he changed the subject, his tone becoming lower and more solemn, "old friend, while you are issuing the bounty, do me a favor."

On the other end of the screen, Afanti's blurry outline seemed to lean forward slightly, showing great concentration: "You speak."

Song Heping lowered his voice, his lips moved slightly, and he spoke a few words quickly and clearly into the encrypted microphone.

The only sounds in the communications room were his deep voice and the hum of the fan.

On the screen, Afanti listened quietly without interrupting.

The information Song Heping provided was completely sealed off by the perfect encryption signal and the soundproofing of the communications room, without a single leak.

Two minutes later, Song Heping finished speaking and leaned back in his chair.

There was a few seconds of silence on the communication channel.

Afanti seems to be processing the last things Song Heping told him.

Then, his low, amused laugh rang out again, but this time, there seemed to be something else in it.

"Hehe... I see. One thing leads to another... Song, you always manage to surprise me."

Afanti's voice carried a knowing admiration, "This matter... is a bit troublesome, but not impossible. Especially at this critical juncture, it might actually have unexpected results. Rest assured, I will personally arrange the most reliable manpower to work in sync with the bounty."

He did not ask Song Heping about his specific purpose in doing so; their years of tacit understanding and shared interests meant that they did not need much explanation.

All he needed to know was that this was beneficial to striking at their common enemy and was an integral part of Song Heping's entire insane plan.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, old friend,” Song Heping said solemnly. “The signal for the Marlin to leave port is the order to begin the operation.”

"Waiting for good news."

Afanti's voice carried immense confidence and a hint of excitement at an impending storm: "Just wait and see the fireworks over the Mediterranean. God bless... may these fireworks be spectacular."

He added meaningfully, and then the image on the screen flickered, the communication was interrupted, and it returned to a deep, dark blue.

The only sound in the communications room was the hum of the fan.

Song Heping sat quietly in the darkness, only the faint light from the screen illuminating half of his cold, hard face.

The last thing he entrusted to Afanti was like an anchor sinking into the deep sea, temporarily hidden in the darkness, waiting for the right time to stir up new waves.

He slowly exhaled a long breath and closed his eyes.

The game has been set, and a storm is brewing.

Now, he needs to wait, wait for news from the port of Kuwait, wait for the ship of death named "Marlin" to sail into the eye of its destined storm.

　Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)