Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1086 Everything is under control

One week later, in Persia, at Tehran XX International Airport.

The airport terminal was bustling with people, and the air was filled with a mixture of various languages, spices, sweat, and disinfectant.

Travelers, businessmen, diplomats, and locals of all kinds from all over the world come and go, and outside the huge glass windows, the sunlight bakes the asphalt on the tarmac until it is slightly distorted.

Jiang Feng walked out of the international arrivals area carrying a huge, heavy, weather-looking tactical backpack, wearing a half-new, unbranded outdoor jacket, 511 tactical pants, and dusty high-top combat boots.

He wore sunglasses that covered half of his face, and had stubble on his chin that he hadn't shaved for days. He was burly and walked with a steady gait. He seemed to be casually surveying his surroundings, but his eyes behind the sunglasses were like radar, scanning every corner of the hall, the location of every camera, and every possible surveillance point.

Years of battlefield experience instilled in him an almost instinctive vigilance.

Without stopping, he followed the instructions and went directly to the domestic flight transfer channel.

An hour later, he boarded a small domestic flight bound for Mahabad, a city in northwestern Persia.

The plane was old, and the cabin was filled with a strong smell of engine oil and mutton.

Most of the passengers were locals, curiously eyeing the burly man who was clearly a foreigner. Jiang Feng leaned against the porthole, looking down at the increasingly desolate, ravine-filled plateau landscape, silently making plans in his mind.

A few hours later, the plane landed at a more rudimentary airport in Mashhad.

He didn't linger there and walked straight out of the airport terminal.

A white, Iranian-made Samand sedan, which looked extremely ordinary and even somewhat dilapidated, with local license plates, silently glided up to him and stopped.

The car window rolled down, and the person in the driver's seat, wearing sunglasses, nodded slightly at him.

Without any hesitation, Jiang Feng opened the car door, threw the huge backpack into the back seat, and sat in the passenger seat himself.

As soon as the car door closed, the car quickly merged into the traffic outside the airport.

"Is the journey smooth?"

The driver spoke, his voice deep and familiar.

Jiang Feng finally relaxed completely, took off his sunglasses, grinned, and punched the driver's shoulder hard: "Damn! Sergeant, you actually drove yourself? Didn't Afanti assign you someone?! That's so unfair!"

The driver was Song Heping.

He laughed and said, "The situation here is special, I don't trust anyone else to come."

"That's great, that's very kind of you as the host."

Jiang Feng leaned back comfortably in his seat, gazing at the Mashhad street scene outside the car window. Exotic architecture, women in traditional black robes, walls covered with revolutionary slogans and portraits of deceased spiritual leaders, mixed with modern billboards, created a bizarre and surreal scene.

Traffic was congested on the streets, and horns blared incessantly.

"This car is pretty good. Is it a local Iranian product? The steel plates are thick enough, but the engine sounds like a tractor."

Jiang Feng joked, while skillfully pulling out a cigarette case from his jacket pocket.

Song Heping glanced at Jiang Feng's cigarette case: "Smoking is strictly prohibited in public places here."

Jiang Feng shrugged, lit his cigarette, took a deep drag, rolled down the car window halfway, and exhaled the smoke into the dry air outside: "Old squad leader, how's Persia...? It seems pretty peaceful all the way here."

Song Heping skillfully maneuvered the vehicle, dodging a minibus that had forcibly merged into his lane, and replied calmly, "On the surface, it's just calm. Persia is an extremely complex contradiction. What you see is an ancient civilization, the hospitality of ordinary people, and their religious piety. But beneath the surface, undercurrents are surging. Various factions within their own borders are vying for power."

The car drove out of the city and began to travel northeast along a dilapidated, potholed road into the border mountains.

The scenery on both sides gradually became desolate, with loess slopes, exposed rocks, and scattered drought-resistant shrubs replacing the hustle and bustle of the city.

"The commotion you've caused this time..." Jiang Feng's smile faded, and he lowered his voice, "I heard it's been quite a blow to the CIA?"

Song Heping looked ahead and nodded slightly: "Henry's assessment is that their network in northwest Iligo is basically paralyzed. This is our window of opportunity."

"Awesome!" Jiang Feng slapped his thigh excitedly. "That's going to give those suited gentlemen a run for their money. Now, can we really go all out? Let's train these greenhorns quickly, march back to Yili, and raise our banner..."

“No rush,” Song Heping interrupted him. “First, you need to help me train these people into real soldiers, not just armed militia. Second, the situation here is more complicated than you think.”

He paused, glanced at Jiang Feng sideways, his eyes serious: "There are a few things you must always remember. First, it's not absolutely safe here. The Persians have provided us with shelter and some support, but that's for their strategic interests, not because we're all in this together. Their intelligence agencies are everywhere, and they're full of factions. To us, they are both collaborators and monitors."

Jiang Feng nodded thoughtfully, his playful smile fading considerably.

Song Heping continued, lowering his voice even further: "Secondly, and most dangerously: internal traitors. The internal situation here is extremely complex, with various forces intertwined and infiltrating each other. Besides the major families within Persia each harboring their own ulterior motives, the CIA, Mossad (Israel), MI6, and even Turkey may have planted spies and accomplices through various means. Our previous operations were successful largely because we were operating in the shadows and utilized the 1515 weapon. But now, as our power grows, we will inevitably attract more attention. Any negligence could lead to annihilation."

"Understood." Jiang Feng's expression turned completely serious.

“Third,” Song Heping pointed to the desolate mountains outside the window, “the place we’re going to is near the border, and the situation is even more chaotic. In addition to the government army and the Revolutionary Guard, there are various local armed forces, tribal forces, smuggling groups, and even possibly remnants of extremist organizations roaming around. Do not trust any unverified strangers. All handovers and communications must be conducted strictly in accordance with encrypted procedures and codes.”

"Yes, I've got it all." Jiang Feng nodded emphatically.

The two then exchanged in-depth views on the situation in northwestern Iligor.

They discussed the possible retaliatory actions that 1515 might take, the mentality of the various swing tribes, and the key directions for future training.

The dilapidated car drove along the bumpy road, the cabin filled with tobacco, dust, and the unspoken trust and tacit understanding between the two old soldiers.

As darkness fell, night came quickly on the plateau, and the temperature dropped sharply.

Song Heping left the main road and drove onto a rougher, more uneven dirt road that was almost impossible to discern.

The vehicle moved forward amidst violent bumps, surrounded by pitch-black mountains, with only the headlights illuminating a small patch of constantly bouncing road ahead.

After nearly two hours of arduous driving, the vehicle stopped at the entrance to an inconspicuous valley.

Song Heping turned off the engine and switched off the headlights. Instantly, the whole world fell into a deathly silence and pure darkness, with only the whistling sound of the highland wind sweeping over the rocks.

Song Heping picked up a dim flashlight and flashed it rhythmically a few times into the depths of the valley.

A few minutes later, several howls, like those of wolves, came from the darkness.

Song Heping responded a few times.

"The code is correct. Let's go."

He said in a low voice, restarted the car, and slowly drove into the valley.

After traveling about another kilometer, a few faint lights appeared ahead, and some caves dug into the mountainside and low, camouflaged shacks could be vaguely seen.

Several figures dressed in mixed combat uniforms and carrying AK-series rifles appeared in front of the car headlights, watching the vehicle warily. They only relaxed slightly when they saw Song Heping in the driver's seat and signaled for the vehicle to pass. "We've arrived. Welcome to our secret camp," Song Heping said to Jiang Feng as he stopped the car.

Jiang Feng jumped out of the car, took a deep breath of the cold, thin air, stretched his stiff limbs, and quickly scanned the hidden camp in the dim light.

A moment later, an excited smile appeared on his face: "A good location, easy to defend and difficult to attack, only the conditions are a bit rough. Where are my students?"

"Most of them have already rested. Starting tomorrow, they are yours."

Song Heping patted him on the shoulder, "Let me show you where you live and get something to eat first."

"No rush to eat!" Jiang Feng yanked open the car door and pulled out the heavy backpack. "Take me to see the equipment depot and training ground first!"

Looking at his eager old friend, Song Heping smiled again.

Bringing in Jiang Feng, this "devil instructor," would definitely be the best choice.

Clearly, Jiang Feng did not disappoint Song Heping.

For the next two days, Jiang Feng worked almost non-stop.

He held several lengthy meetings with Samir and Nassin to learn in detail about the composition, personnel background, existing equipment, and current tactical level of this so-called "Iligor Liberation Force."

"The foundation is worse than I thought."

After understanding the specific situation, Jiang Feng pointed out bluntly: "The individual military skills of soldiers vary greatly. Many of them only know how to fire a gun. They are undisciplined, lack coordination, and have virtually no tactical awareness. They are slightly better than those militias in Africa who only know how to hold the trigger, but only by a small margin."

But then he changed the subject, his eyes gleaming: "However, their foundation is indeed quite solid! Many of them have actually fought against those bastards from 1515, seen blood, are not afraid of death, and hatred is their greatest motivation. What they lack is a way to discipline them and unite them as one!"

He immediately and swiftly began a drastic overhaul of the team.

His training methods were highly personal—brutal, direct, and practical, each a survival and killing technique gleaned from bloody battles.

Soon, the entire camp was filled with his hoarse roars, the exhausted panting and groans of the militiamen, and the crackling of blank rounds during simulated firefights from morning till night.

Jiang Feng was entrusted with training the troops, while Song Heping focused his attention on monitoring and analyzing the situation in Iligo, closely following any developments in northwestern Iligo and the entire region through the intelligence channels of Henry and Afanti.

He was waiting for a certain situation to occur.

That's the source of soldiers.

At present, the biggest shortage of "Liberation Forces" is manpower.

Upon entering Persia, recruiting soldiers was the most difficult task.

We can't exactly recruit soldiers in Persia itself.

Therefore, the only recruitment channel is still in Iligo itself.

He instructed Samir to maintain contact with the leaders of all the small, scattered militia groups within Iligor and spread the word that if any tribal militia were attacked by the 1515 militia and had nowhere to go, they could contact him. He promised to provide weapons, funds, and even shelter and training to unite their forces against the "Levant State" established by the 1515 organization.

If I'm not mistaken, after the 1515 militia suffered a Waterloo in Tikrit, their main force will inevitably retreat to the northwestern Mosul area to hold their ground.

Since advancing towards Bakhda is not feasible, they will certainly turn their attention to the northwest and southwest, expanding their territory in these two directions.

There are dozens of large and small tribal militia organizations in many regions of the Northwest and Southwest.

Most of these tribal militias were mountain bandits, and they weren't very enthusiastic about uniting to fight against the 1515 armed forces. In any case, the 1515's main targets were never these remote areas, but rather the bustling Bakta and the port cities further east.

Things are different now.

Their relatively barren territories will also be targeted, especially the northwest region, where there are oil fields, making it the easiest place for the 1515 armed group to target.

Therefore, if they make mistakes every time, these small tribal militia organizations that previously thought they could protect themselves by staying in their isolated corners will soon be in big trouble.

Everything turned out exactly as Song Heping had predicted.

A few days later, Samir excitedly found Song Heping, who was observing shooting training, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement: "Boss! Great news! Fantastic news!"

"explain."

Song Heping gestured for him to calm down, and the two walked to the side.

"The messages we spread through various channels have worked! In northwestern Iligo, several tribal militia groups that were nearly wiped out by 1515, as well as some small groups that were scattered in various places after the collapse of the government army, have contacted me, asking if I would be willing to accept them and allow them to join the 'Liberation Forces' to fight against 1515 together!"

Samir waved his arms excitedly, "I've done a preliminary screening and count, and those who have expressed strong interest and have a certain level of ability already number over four or five thousand! And I believe the number will increase in the future!"

Song Heping didn't show much surprise; it was all within his expectations and plan.

With the CIA network devastated, in order to consolidate its rule and eliminate potential threats, 1515 will inevitably resort to even more ruthless suppression and cleansing of any unstable elements, and these local armed forces, which were already struggling to survive and were under immense pressure, will be the first to bear the brunt.

They faced a desperate choice—either be completely annihilated or absorbed by 1515, or find a powerful enough patron to protect them and fight against 1515.

The "Liberation Forces," which had just dealt a heavy blow to the arrogant CIA and seemed to have strong Persian support, undoubtedly became the most attractive light in the current darkness.

“Tell them that we welcome all warriors who are truly willing to fight against 1515.”

Song Heping said in a deep voice, his gaze distant.

"From now on, we will accept any armed groups or tribal militias from northwestern Iligo who come to us with genuine sincerity."

Samir nodded repeatedly, unable to contain his excitement: "I understand! I understand! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We will soon become the most powerful force in the Northwest!"

“But, Samir.”

Song Heping abruptly changed the subject, his eyes sharpening like knives, his tone turning icy. "Enthusiasm shouldn't cloud judgment. The faster the expansion, the greater the risk. You must remember, these people are a mixed bag. There's no guarantee that there aren't new spies sent by the CIA after the network was lost, or informants and insiders planted by 1515, or even spies from other regional forces. We must establish the strictest screening and control mechanisms."

Samir felt as if he had been doused with cold water, quickly calmed down, and humbly asked for advice: "What do you think we should do? We will listen to you."

Song Heping's thinking was clear and ruthless, demonstrating his superb political acumen and caution: "First, all teams coming to join us, regardless of size, must be broken up and enter our controlled area in batches and phases. They are absolutely not allowed to come in large groups to prevent them from becoming uncontrollable or even turning against us. Second, once they arrive, immediately dismantle their original formations and integrate them into our existing forces under the leadership of our veteran soldiers and Political Commissar Nasin, for unified management and training. Third, background checks must begin immediately. Nasin's political department will use all means to carefully verify the backgrounds of every leader, every squad leader, and even every soldier who seems suspicious. If anyone is found to be problematic, it's better to be wrongly suspected than wrongly believed. If they are confirmed to be spies, take decisive action to eliminate them."

“I understand!” Samir nodded solemnly. “I will work with Nassin to carefully develop a takeover and reorganization plan to ensure that the sand is sifted out and only the gold remains, ensuring the purity and loyalty of the team.”

"When will the first team arrive?" Song Heping asked.

“Three days later,” Samir said, “but they couldn’t cross the border without our help, so we crossed over to the northwest to meet them.”

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)