Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1065 Maintaining Composure
“It’s not ‘want’, it’s ‘already preparing’.”

Song Heping took back the tablet, his tone cold and precise.

"Before 1515, the US had fostered a mad dog to destabilize Syria. Now, this mad dog is not only biting people, but also biting its master's backyard! Iligo is a 'democratic model' that the US spent hundreds of billions of dollars and sacrificed thousands of soldiers to 'reform.' If even the capital, Bakta, is captured by 1515 and the black flag is raised, it will be a catastrophic blow to the US's global strategy and prestige! It will be a resounding slap in the face to the White House! They cannot afford this price!"

He walked to the tent entrance, lifted the curtain, and looked in Hadid's direction.

"The Americans were ambiguous before because 1515 hadn't truly threatened their core interests yet; they were still fantasizing about using this mad dog to overthrow the government in Syria. But now, this mad dog is biting their own flesh! Once it bites and feels the pain, they'll finally decide to pick up a stick and beat the dog! What we need is to wait! Wait until 1515 breaks through Hadid, takes Tikrit, and then marches on Bactria, biting the Americans even harder! Only then will the Americans realize that they've been tolerating not just a mad dog, but possibly another Bin Laden!"

Song Heping turned to Samir and said, “So what we need to do now is not to rush in as cannon fodder, but to preserve our strength and wait for the Americans to make the first move. Believe me, that’s the best time for us to strike! And by then, we’ll have the equipment and funds in place, allowing us to precisely hunt down their leaders and reclaim lost territory! Instead of using piecemeal tactics to try and fill the gaps in Hadid, which is destined to fall!”

Samir stood there, stunned, the anger on his face gradually fading, replaced by a complex sense of shock and contemplation.

Song Heping's analysis seemed very realistic and reasonable, even with a hint of calculation, but it hit the nail on the head and was full of chilling strategic vision.

He's right.

The current "Jie Lijun" rushing in is pointless except for sending themselves to their deaths.

And Americans...

It seems they've really been cornered.

Song Heping is now gambling with the Americans.

Who can afford to lose?

"But...boss..."

Samir's voice lowered: "What if... what if the Americans still don't make a move? What if Hadid really falls soon, and 1515 really besieges Bakhta? We... no, wouldn't I be watching my country perish?"

Song Heping picked up the kettle on the table, took a sip of water, and sneered:

"If the 1515 militants are allowed to enter Bakhta, what do you think the consequences will be?"

Samir opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word.

He couldn't describe it.

Because that's unimaginable.

If that happens...

That only shows that the country is rotten to the core, and even the Americans think it is beyond saving and not worth investing a single soldier in.

If it really comes to that...

"If the Americans can afford to lose hundreds of billions of dollars in investment, then I can also bet my life and fortune, and fight alongside the Persians to the death against 1515. As long as the Americans really give up Ilig and withdraw from this land, then the future victory will belong entirely to you. You can make the decisions, take back your sovereignty, and stop listening to the Americans, understand?"

Samir seemed to understand, yet he also seemed not to understand.

He nodded, then shook his head.

Song Heping continued, "Now listen to me, don't make any moves, send your scouts to keep an eye on the battle situation in Hadid's direction."

"I understand, boss. I'll arrange it right away!"

Samir didn't fully understand it yet.

But he knew he had no other choice now.

They either listen to Song Heping, or they take their men to Hadid to their deaths.

“Very good.” Song Heping nodded. “Move quickly and discreetly. Send out the reconnaissance team most familiar with the terrain to contact your informants in the Bakhta government, and also your cousin Yusuf. Have them closely monitor the battle situation in the Hadid direction, especially the movements of the main force of 1515 and any signs of possible US air activity. Report any abnormalities immediately!”

"Yes!"

Samir straightened his back, gave a military salute, and strode away.

The tent was finally quiet again.

Song Heping sat back down on the cot, picked up the encrypted satellite phone, and dialed the emergency number Henry had left behind.

The phone rang several times before being answered.

“It’s me,” Song Heping said in a low voice.

"Boss? What's your position in Iligo now? What about Hadid's side..." Henry's voice was tinged with urgency.

"I know the situation in Hadid's direction. You don't need to worry about me. Just proceed according to my plan."

Song Heping interrupted him, "Key points: First, closely monitor the air power movements of US military bases in Kuwait and Qatar, especially the takeoff and landing frequency and payload of early warning aircraft, refueling aircraft, and attack aircraft."

"Second, monitor all public and encrypted military communication channels to look for signals that the US military or NATO is about to launch an air strike, especially test signals on specific frequencies, changes in commander codes, etc."

"Third, use your network of contacts within the Kold Autonomous Region and the Baghdad government to investigate whether there are any signs that the U.S. military advisory group or special forces have been secretly deployed. I think if the Americans are making a move, they will definitely contact the Kolds to assist them in their attack."

"Understood! Boss, don't worry, my 'net' has been cast!"

Henry said confidently, "However... the risk of spying on these things is very high; the Americans are not to be trifled with."

“I know the risks. With double the reward, someone will always be willing to take the risk.”

Song Heping's voice remained completely calm: "What I want is results; money is not an issue."

"Okay, wait for my news!" Henry hung up the phone decisively.

Song Heping put down the phone, walked to the tent entrance, and looked south again.

The sky in Hadid's direction seemed more gloomy than elsewhere.

A storm that will determine the fate of Iligo and the entire region is brewing fiercely in that land.

As night fell, the embers of the campfire flickered in the night wind, and the muffled sounds of distant cannons pounded on Samir's taut nerves like the ominous pulse of the earth.

Song Heping's tent was silent, except for the lingering electronic buzzing of the encrypted satellite phone after it was disconnected.

Henry's intelligence network was in place, but it was too far to solve the immediate problem. The artillery fire from Hadid's direction seemed to be getting denser.

Song Heping walked to the cot, picked up another satellite phone, hovered his fingertips over the cold buttons for a moment, and finally pressed a number from deep in his memory.

The signal traveled thousands of miles and rang out in a high-rise apartment in Manhattan, New York.

"baby?"

Angel's voice, tinged with surprise and worry, came from the other end of the phone, against the backdrop of the low rumble of Manhattan that couldn't be filtered out even through the glass.

"Why are you calling me at this hour? What happened?"

Her voice carried a languid quality, as if she had just been startled awake.

"I'm currently in Iligo, you're aware of the situation here, right?"

Song Heping said, "With the main force pressing in on the border in 1515, the local militia leaders are in disarray, and Hadid is on the verge of collapse. Now, the only thing that can stop the black flag from being raised over Baghdad is Washington's determination. I need to know... just how much determination they have?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone; Angel was clearly processing this explosive information.

"God...is this really the case?"

Her voice lowered, "Specific military decisions... Song, you know, those are top secrets of the White House Situation Room and the Pentagon, beyond the reach of media like mine. However, we can try to find out through some brokers who specialize in lobbying in Washington..."

"I don't need to know the specific battle plan."

Song Heping interrupted her: "I need the wind direction! The wind direction on Capitol Hill! What Lloyd and Susan decide in their closed-door meetings is irrelevant; ultimately, it's Congress that needs to provide the money and authorization! Pay close attention to the closed-door meetings in Congress over the next few days regarding emergency military appropriations, amendments to the special military operations authorization, or any additional military budgets related to the Middle East! Especially the Armed Services Committees and Appropriations Committees of both the Senate and the House! The agendas, the focus of the discussions, the flow of funds… especially to Central Command! The movement of these 'purses' at this level is the clearest signal of war!"

Angel fell silent again, and only her soft breathing could be heard on the phone.

Song Heping could almost picture her frowning as she rapidly assessed the risks.

"……Understood."

Her voice regained its professional clarity and composure, “I’m doing my best. The budget changes at the Middle East Command… there were definitely signs. Wait for my message, keep this channel open.”

"Be careful."

Song Heping gave one last piece of advice and then hung up the phone.
-
Time crawled by in a state of anxious anticipation.

Early on the third day, bad news came flooding in like a burst dam.

"It's fallen! Hadid... is lost!"

Nassin rushed into the tent with the telegram he had just received, his face ashen.

"The last line of defense was breached by a group of suicide trucks in the early morning! The black flag of 1515... has been planted over the city hall!"

Song Heping expressionlessly took the telegram and glanced at it. The cold words on it described purgatory: collapse, massacre, black flags waving...

He tossed the telegram onto the makeshift table with a soft "thud".

"As expected. What about the Tikrit direction?"

"The vanguard of 1515 has already advanced rapidly eastward along the road! The government forces... have offered almost no decent resistance! While they are burning, killing, looting, and consolidating Hadid, the main force is surging towards Tikrit like a tidal wave!"

Samir's voice was hoarse, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed on Song Heping, filled with pain, anger, and a last, almost desperate plea.

"Boss! We can't wait any longer! If Tikrit falls, Bakhda is finished! Let's strike! Even if it only delays them a little, it'll be fine! We can't just stand by and watch..."

"Attack?"

Song Heping turned around abruptly, his eyes piercing Samir like ice spikes.

"Samir! Look at yourself! Look at your brothers outside! What do you have in your hands? An impregnable wall that can stop suicide trucks, or a heavy artillery piece that can blow up a 1515 armored vehicle? Tell me, what will you use to attack? Will you use your own flesh and blood and those of your thousands of brothers to fill the gaps?!"

He strode to the map and slammed his finger on the dot representing Tikrit: "Tikrit! It was Saddam's stronghold back then, and its fortifications were ten times stronger than Hadid's! The garrison was also far better equipped and more numerous than Hadid's! Even they collapsed at the mere sight of it, and you expect your small force to go against the tide? I admire your courage, Samir."

Song Heping shook his head.

"But war isn't won by courage alone! You are now the commander of the 'Jieli Army,' not a commando! What is a commander's responsibility? It is to preserve the greatest strength at the lowest cost and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy at the most critical moment! Not to let your brothers be wasted on a road destined for defeat!"

Samir was pale, with a lot to say but no idea how to begin.

Nassin stood to the side, remaining silent throughout.

Just then, the satellite phone in Song Heping's pocket emitted a distinctive buzzing sound.

It's Angel!

Song Heping immediately walked to the corner of the tent, turned his back to the two of them, and quickly answered the call: "Baby?"

"Well, it's me."

Angel's voice was very low, and he spoke very quickly.

"The wind has shifted! In the past 24 hours! The Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Appropriations Committee held highly confidential emergency closed-door meetings! The core issue was only one: approving a special appropriation of $15 billion for 'emergency operations and contingency response' to Central Command (CENTCOM)! The purpose of the appropriation was extremely vague, only emphasizing 'responding to the imminent threats in the Middle East and protecting the vital interests of the United States of America and the security of its allies'! The meeting minutes showed almost no debate, and it was passed almost unanimously and swiftly! The money... has already been disbursed!"

Song Heping's fingers tightened suddenly as he gripped the phone.

really!

I guess I made the right bet!

The tent was deathly silent, and even the distant sounds of artillery fire seemed to have faded away.

"Received. Well done, baby."

His voice was unusually calm, but a barely suppressed smile crept across his lips.

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)