Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1138 Strategy
"A trap?"

The cook started scratching his bald head again.

Song Heping suddenly changed the subject and said, "Tell me your thoughts on the Crimean events at the beginning of the year."

"Why do you ask that?"

The cook was even more confused.

"Why do you think your president decided at the beginning of the year to send the greenbacks to intervene on the Korean Peninsula and directly hold a referendum to annex it into your country?"

The cook said helplessly, "I understand talking to you about how to make borscht, or even how to fight a war. But these things... well, I have no interest in studying them. But I think..."

He finally stopped scratching his head, picked up a bottle of mineral water and took a big gulp before saying, "There is our naval port there, the only outlet to the Black Sea. Moreover, it was originally a legacy left to us Russians by Catherine the Great, but it was transferred to Uzbekistan by that traitor Khrushchev during the Soviet era."

He paused, then continued, "Song, you may not know this, but when the country split up in the 1990s, many of our high-ranking generals opposed giving the peninsula to Ukraine. However, due to the circumstances at the time and a combination of factors, we were forced to let Ukraine retain the peninsula. But we have an agreement with them that we must retain our naval port and interests there. But look at what happened at the beginning of the year; they purged the pro-Russian faction and are now clamoring to join NATO. If they succeed, let alone whether we can get back this outlet to the sea, we won't even be able to guarantee the security of our borders."

The cook wasn't stupid; his analysis wasn't wrong.

But what Song Heping wanted to hear was not these things, but rather the thoughts of the Russian top leadership back then.

So he smiled and said, "That's not what I wanted to discuss with you. I wanted to talk about why your president made that decision at the beginning of the year. It's very similar to the current situation. Chef, you really should study international politics. You can't just be a henchman."

"Why would I learn those useless things?" the cook scoffed. "I'm just a businessman! I don't care about those bureaucratic matters!"

Song Heping smiled bitterly in his heart.

It seems the cook can't be persuaded to come.

In fact, having a foundation in international political studies is essential for making judgments about the overall strategic direction, which is especially useful since both my cook and I work in the international defense industry.

"Your president actually had several options back then, but he ultimately chose to send troops to launch a surprise attack and occupy Crimea in order to minimize the damage."

"Stop the loss?"

"Yes, stop the loss."

Song Heping tapped the table lightly with his fingers.

"The person you supported had already fallen from power, and it happened very suddenly. It would be too costly for your leader to send him back and put him back on top. That would require sending troops to occupy the entire territory, which would also be morally wrong internationally. But taking Crimea would be no problem at all, especially since there is a historical connection there."

He pointed to the map of Celia on the wall.

"It's the same here now. Having learned from the lessons of the beginning of the year, I predict that your leader will not stand by and watch Hafez fall and lose access to the Mediterranean. He will also cut his losses, especially since he has already broken ties with NATO. There is no room for any illusions left."

“But I’ve inquired and haven’t heard anything about the Kremlin showing any intention of sending troops,” the cook said.

Song Heping said, "I originally predicted that your boss would send troops to intervene in the next few days. It seems that Haibaib and De Hook's victories have given them some illusions. They hope that you and I will bring our resources here to risk our lives to stabilize the situation for them..."

The cook fell silent.

Song Heping's words lingered in my mind, slowly being digested.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Song Heping's words made a lot of sense.

"Then what do we do?" the cook asked. "Should we retreat and force them to leave?"

“Withdrawal is not an option. I can do it, but you can’t…” Song Heping pointed at the cook: “You have a contract with the Kremlin. If you withdraw, you will be violating the contract, and you can forget about working in Russia from now on.”

"You have a plan?"

Seeing Song Heping's calm and collected demeanor, the cook seemed to understand something.

“Well, since they’re counting on you and me, let’s put on a good show for them.” Song Heping said calmly, “You go and rest first. I still have some things to do here. I’ll let you know when I’ve made my plans.”

The cook opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he realized that he couldn't be of much help anyway.

He had unwavering faith in Song Heping's abilities.

I'm sure he'll find a solution.

This is Song Heping's consistent style; there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

After the cook left, while waiting for Henry to send over the latest intelligence, Song Heping closed his eyes to rest, but his brain was working at high speed, deducing every aspect of the plan and possible unexpected events.

An hour later, Henry's encrypted file arrived on time.

Song Heping quickly browsed the information on the screen—

Jackson, deputy director of CIA Operations, is a former Delta Force officer who joined the CIA Operations Department after retiring. He is ambitious and ruthless. He was promoted by Kelly for his outstanding performance in several black operations and is regarded as Kelly's "butcher" and successor.

After Kelly became a vegetable, he took over as acting director, eager to achieve results in order to be officially appointed.

Personality analysis data shows that this person is extremely arrogant, has an almost fanatical loyalty to Kelly, and considers killing Song Heping as his primary task and personal obsession...

"As expected..."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Song Heping's lips.

Obsession and impatience are major taboos in espionage operations, and also fatal weaknesses that can be exploited.

He picked up the satellite phone again and dialed Simon's number. The phone rang several times before being answered. Simon's voice was very low, and the background noise was quiet, indicating that they were in a completely private environment.

"You shouldn't be contacting me at this time. What's wrong?"

His tone carried a hint of barely perceptible tension and resistance.

"relax."

Song Heping's tone was relaxed, as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"I just wanted to ask about my 'health'. As for Jackson... how far along is the plan to make me 'die accidentally'? Is he getting anxious because he can't find an opportunity to poison me?"

Simon paused for a few seconds, seemingly assessing what to say: "...Your information network is excellent. Jackson is indeed very impatient. He has used several inside contacts and even tried to bribe the servants near your residence, but you and your people are too well-protected. Your food is inspected by special personnel, and your whereabouts are unpredictable. They cannot find a safe opportunity to strike. He just complained to me that you are like a slippery eel."

"It seems Jackson needs some help."

Song Heping chuckled, "Subordinates who always disappoint their superiors don't have a very bright future, especially in a place like Langley."

Simon didn't respond, seemingly trying to figure out Song Heping's true intentions.

Song Heping stopped beating around the bush and threw out the bait directly: "Listen, Simon. I want to make a deal. I can give Jackson an opportunity he can't refuse, an opportunity that can perfectly solve my problem. An opportunity that seems foolproof."

"What?!" Simon's voice was filled with shock and disbelief. "Are you crazy? What are you trying to do?"

"I'm not crazy."

Song Heping's tone suddenly turned cold. "I know Jackson wants me dead, but I want to see if he and his men have the ability. I need your cooperation to 'accidentally' leak a 'top secret' intelligence to the Operations Department."

"What kind of intelligence?" Simon asked warily.

"It's very simple."

Song Heping spoke slowly, each word crystal clear, “Two days later, I will invite Hafiz to my residence, ostensibly to discuss the war in the north, and I will also arrange dinner. I will instruct the kitchen to purchase more food that day, especially some imported foods, such as caviar, which the chef likes. These are currently in high demand in Damascus, and those of you here should be able to sense the opportunity…”

The implication is already very clear.

Song Heping believed that someone of Simon's intelligence would understand immediately.

Simon on the other end of the phone said coldly, "Are you using yourself as bait?! You want to lure Jackson into an assassination attempt? And then what? You definitely have an ambush! Catch the assassin?"

Song Heping chuckled inwardly; he had overestimated Simon.

Unexpectedly, the acting director of the CIA failed to anticipate his two-birds-with-one-stone plan.

Forget it.

There's no need to explain too much to this guy.

Whether there's an ambush or not is my business.

Song Heping said coldly, "What you need to do is ensure that this intelligence is received by Jackson in some 'accidental' way without any doubt. And I must emphasize that this is the only chance in the short term. If we miss this opportunity, I don't know how much longer I will stay in this safe house."

"You're putting me in this mess too," Simon said, displeased. "Aren't you worried that Jackson will become suspicious of me afterward?"

"You?" Song Heping couldn't help but burst into laughter: "You old fox, dealing with a muscle-bound operative like Jackson, you think he'd find something on you? Don't be ridiculous! Simon, I know you've always had your own private intelligence network and private army in the Middle East, they're all your people. It's incredibly easy for you to slip some 'insider information' into that network, a 'side dish' (fake intelligence). Jackson's already in a panic, he'll probably take action immediately after seeing this intelligence, what does it have to do with you?"

Simon fell silent.

He could clearly sense that this was a huge trap.

Song Heping definitely has a backup plan.

But what's the backup plan?
He himself hadn't thought of it at the time.

However, he knew even better that if he refused Song Heping, his fatal weaknesses would immediately appear on the desks of CIA inspectors and even the media.

"...How do I know you won't sell me out later?"

Simon asked with difficulty.

"Simon, don't I have enough to offer? You're like someone who doesn't care about having too many lice or too much debt. What difference does it make whether you have a little more or a little less?"

Song Heping's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

"Besides, it won't do me any good if something happens to you."

After hearing Song Heping's sarcasm, Simon knew he had no way out.

“…Alright. I’ll do as you say. I’ll handle the source and transmission of the intelligence, making sure it looks flawless. But…I hope you know what you’re doing.”

"Of course I know."

After finishing his sentence, Song Heping hung up the phone immediately.

After sitting at the table for a moment, Song Heping got up, walked outside, and called out to the cook's room, "Cook, come here, we need to discuss something!"

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)