Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1147 You are not qualified
Petrovsky seemed to sense his confusion and continued, "The battle in Holmes will be taken over by the reinforced battalion of the naval infantry brigade tomorrow; that's within the scope of the regular forces. Our SSO resources are precious, and we won't easily commit them to this kind of frontal defensive battle. In fact, our original plan was simply to pass through Holmes for a brief rest and resupply before continuing our maneuver northeastward."

"Oh?"

Song Heping became interested. "What made you 'casually' take action, and why did you specifically seek me out?"

Petrovsky's gaze sharpened: "Because we received intelligence en route confirming that you are in Holmes. And our next mission may... require your assistance."

"Need my assistance?"

Song Heping was even more surprised.

The Russian military's most elite SSOs carry out top-secret missions, so why would they need the assistance of a foreign defense company owner?
This sounds like a fantasy.

"Yes."

Petrovsky's expression turned unusually serious. "We have received an urgent rescue mission. A very important person is currently being held in the northeastern Hasakah province, in the village of Latamila, near the Ilig border."

Hasek?
Latamila village?
Song Heping quickly recalled a map of northeastern Syria in his mind.

That area is controlled by the YPG/SDF, which is backed by the US military. At the same time, the region is also an area where the extremist group "1515" is active, making the situation extremely complex and sensitive.

The Russian military has virtually no direct power projection capabilities there, and the no-fly zone established by the US military is a huge obstacle for them.

"Haseik..."

Song Heping pondered for a moment and said, "That area is now Kold's territory, bordered by ISIS activity zones, and there's also the presence of US troops. Although your SSO is elite, isn't it too risky to go deep into that area to carry out a rescue mission? Besides, what does this have to do with me?"

Petrovsky leaned forward and lowered his voice: “The risk is indeed extremely high. Because the situation there is so complex, we cannot deploy a large force, and even air support will be severely limited. Conventional infiltration and rescue routes are fraught with uncertainty. However, our latest intelligence indicates that… the target’s condition is not optimistic, and we must act as soon as possible.”

He paused, his gaze fixed on Song Heping: "The reason we're looking for you is because Hasakah is right next to the border with Iligo. And we've learned that you have a sizable force operating in the Persian Plateau and northwestern Iligo, reportedly numbering in the tens of thousands, with considerable fighting power, and you're very familiar with the local terrain and the distribution of power."

Song Heping was startled.

How could the other party know so much about my situation?
The size and scope of the secret camps on the Persian Plateau were kept extremely secret.

It seems that Russian intelligence has put in a lot of effort.

He smiled calmly. "Major Petrovsky, your intelligence work is very meticulous. However, you are right, I do have some troops on the Persian Plateau. But sending my troops into Silia, especially into the Kold's controlled territory, would be tantamount to directly challenging the US military's bottom line and would have unpredictable consequences. Why would I take such a big risk to help you rescue someone I don't even know?"

“We can pay the fee.”

Petrovsky immediately replied, "A very substantial fee is more than enough to cover your risks and losses."

Song Heping shook his head, his tone calm but firm: "Money? Major, at my level, money is important, but it's no longer the primary consideration. Especially in the face of risks that could involve great power rivalry and trigger regional conflicts, money alone isn't enough."

He looked at Petrovsky and slowly continued, "When I, Song Heping, do business, I emphasize the balance of interests and risk control. Helping you with this is extremely risky, and what would I get in return? Besides the dollars that might cause me a lot of trouble, what else? Geopolitical benefits? Security guarantees? Or... a promise from Moscow at a higher level?"

Petrovsky was stunned. He clearly hadn't expected Song Heping to refuse so directly and to escalate the issue to a political and strategic level.

He was merely a colonel-level officer on a mission, with limited authority, and indeed could not make promises beyond the scope of military operations. The atmosphere in the room became somewhat tense for a moment.

Song Heping stood up, straightened his collar, and softened his tone, but his stance remained unchanged: "Major, I understand the urgency of your mission. I also thank you for your help in Holmes earlier. For Yevgeny's sake, I personally admire the professionalism of your SSO. However, help is fine, but the deal needs to be reciprocated."

He walked to the door, stopped, and turned to look at Petrovsky, whose expression was uncertain: "If you really believe that this mission cannot be accomplished without my assistance, then please let someone who can offer a sufficient price come and talk to me. My meaning is very clear: if you need me, Song Heping, to use my influence on the Iligo border to provide guarantees or even support for your operation, then please have the Kremlin's higher-ups speak directly with me. Otherwise, I'm afraid I cannot help you."

After saying that, Song Heping opened the door and walked straight out, leaving Major Petrovsky alone in the room, deep in thought with a solemn expression.

Back at the command post, the cook immediately greeted him and asked with concern, "How did it go? What did that guy want with you? He was being so secretive."

Song Heping briefly reiterated Petrovsky's request.

"Rescue people? In Hasakah? And you need to send troops to help?"

The cook's eyes widened in disbelief upon hearing this.

"Are you crazy? That's American and Kold's territory! You agreed to that?"

"I didn't directly refuse, but I didn't agree either."

Song Heping sat down, picked up the kettle and took a sip of water. "I told him to find someone in the Kremlin who can make the final decision to talk to us."

"Katsugu?!"

The cook gasped, his voice rising eight octaves, "Suka... saving just one person, is it really necessary to alarm the Kremlin? What kind of person must they be?"

Song Heping's gaze was deep as he slowly said, "Cook, think about it. What kind of 'important person' would warrant the Russian army mobilizing its most elite SSO special forces, risking direct conflict with the US military, to go deep behind enemy lines to rescue him? Moreover, the location where this person is being held is so sensitive, and the time is so urgent? Ordinary scientists, engineers, or even a captured officer probably wouldn't warrant such a large-scale operation, much less come to me, an 'outsider,' for help."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "I suspect this person's identity involves extremely high political, military, or technological secrets, and may even directly affect Russia's strategic layout in Syria and the Middle East. That's why they're so eager, even willing to lower themselves to come to me. Since the matter is so significant, it's natural that the person negotiating with me can't just be a colonel. I want to see just how much the Kremlin is willing to pay for this person."

After hearing this, the cook was speechless for a long time, only muttering, "Damn it... this is a huge mess..."

Before their conversation was over, Major Petrovsky reappeared at the entrance of the command post.

His expression was even more serious than before, with a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

He strode up to Song Heping and said succinctly, "Mr. Song, please come with me again. There's a phone call from Moscow... they're online right now."

Song Heping and the "cook" exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

So fast?
It seems that the "important person" is more important than they imagined.

Song Heping took a deep breath, stood up, collected his thoughts, and nodded to Petrovsky: "Let's go."

He knew that what was about to take place was a negotiation of truly vital interests. And the voice on the other end of the phone, from the Russian high command, would determine whether he should step into that more dangerous and complex game in northeastern Syria.

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(End of this chapter)