Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1212 Support Becomes the Main Force!
Titrick, the underground command center of 1515.

In the dimly lit basement, Basmu, the highest-ranking military officer in charge of the local defense, received a report of victory from the front lines of the Tuz Valley. His face, covered by a large beard, instantly lit up with ecstasy and extreme excitement.

"Praise be to the Most Gracious and Merciful God! The Greatest Allah! The warriors of the Tuz Valley have dealt a heavy blow to those infidels and traitors! With their blood and lives, they have proven that the path of jihad is unstoppable!"

He waved his fist, his voice distorted with excitement.

They defeated the legendary "ghost" Song Heping!

This is absolutely fantastic news!

At that moment, the scene of Supreme Leader Bakhdadi personally rewarding him was already flashing through his mind.

It should be noted that since Song Heping appeared in northwestern Iligo a year ago, he has clashed with the 1515 militants several times, attacked and briefly occupied Mosul twice. Bakhdadi was furious and issued several kill orders, ordering the 1515 militants in the northwest to kill Song Heping at all costs and send his head to headquarters.

It's easier said than done.

Even if Song Heping's men were hiding in the Persian Plateau, no one would dare to provoke him, not even if he were in northwestern Iligo.

Anyone familiar with Song Heping's past glorious achievements knows that provoking him could very well mean a path to hell.

Although the victory in the Tuz Valley was only a minor one, eliminating only a reconnaissance detachment sent by Song Heping, the practice of exaggerating military achievements is not something only Americans know how to do; the leaders of the 1515 armed group are also very good at it.

Just as Basmu began to plot how to inflate his victory record and claim credit, his older, gloomy-looking deputy was not blinded by the triumph.

After carefully inquiring about the details of the battle, especially the enemy's reaction after being ambushed and the timing of the A-10's appearance and attack, he spoke:

"Boss."

The deputy's voice was like a bucket of cold water being poured over him.

"Victory is certainly something to celebrate, but we must not let our joy cloud our judgment. According to reports from the front, although the enemy's reconnaissance unit suffered heavy losses, their main force was unharmed. Moreover, they displayed extremely high discipline after the attack, quickly halting their advance and switching to defense, which is inconsistent with their usual aggressive offensive style. More importantly, the timing of the A-10 and the drone's support was... too 'precise.' The reconnaissance unit had just been wiped out when it appeared and took out our men, as if it had been waiting there all along."

Basmu's fervent emotions cooled slightly, but his brows furrowed: "You mean?"

"I think this is very likely not a simple skirmish."

The deputy walked up to a simple map.

“I think it’s more like there are problems within their coalition forces, a power struggle between different factions. That Eastern commander’s troops may have been used by their American allies as pawns to test our firepower. And now that Easterner seems to have realized that he’s a pawn being used, and he seems to be… not planning to go any further.”

Basmu's eyes lit up, and he urged, "Go on!"

"If my judgment is correct, Song Heping will definitely not launch another attack on Hurmatur in the short term. So now that the pressure on us has been greatly reduced, this is a golden opportunity for us!"

The deputy's finger suddenly jabbed towards Ozam in the south of the map.

"Immediately and secretly transfer the most elite 'Black Angel' battalion and its attached artillery units from the Hurmatu garrison. Send them south at top speed through the secret passages we control to reinforce Ozam! That is the main direction of the infidel coalition's attack. As long as we can severely damage or even repel the main force of the government army at Ozam, the entire battle situation will be reversed, and the initiative will be firmly in our hands!"

"And what about Hurmatu's side..."

Basmu was still somewhat hesitant.

After all, mobilizing elite troops to reinforce Ozam would mean that their own city defenses would be weakened.

Even with this small force, they weren't confident in dealing with Song Heping...

Then transfer them away...

Isn't this just waiting to die?!

"Leave two-thirds of our forces behind, relying on strong city fortifications and underground bunkers, and adopt a flexible defense strategy. Only a small number of observation posts and snipers will be deployed at the front, while the main force will retreat to second-line positions and core fortifications. As long as we don't launch a preemptive strike, Song Heping shouldn't launch a large-scale offensive. I feel... he's playing a game with the Americans! We must use this opportunity to concentrate our forces and first eliminate the government troops deployed in the Ozam direction. Once the government troops are defeated..."

His fingers tapped lightly on Ozam's spot a few times.

"Their alliance will definitely collapse then. After all, the Americans are willing to join forces for two reasons: first, to eliminate us, and second, to allow the government troops and the Kolds they support to reclaim large swathes of lost territory. If Ozam is lost, the US military intervention will not be very meaningful."

Basmu gritted his teeth and thought for a moment before finally making up his mind: "Then let's do it your way! You will personally take charge of this support operation!"

Two hours later.

Just as Song Heping's troops began their retreat from Daguge, chaos erupted among all parties involved in Operation "The Furnace".

In the Quartet, the Persians and Russians were not actually the most distressed. The most distressed were the Americans, the Ilig government forces they supported, and the Kold'd people in the Erbil region.

After all, these two are the two most important forces among the three army groups directly involved in the attack on the 1515 militia within Ilig.

Originally, Song Heping was to lead the main force southward to take Titrick, thereby attracting most of the 1515 armed forces in northwestern Ilig, while Kold and the government forces would only play a supporting role.

Now that Song Heping has retreated, it's as if he has left the Ilig government forces and the Kold'd people at the forefront of the battle.

When the news reached the Erbil Kurdish Armed Alliance Command, General Shahr, a veteran commander of the Kurdish armed forces, looked at the emergency report from the intelligence officer about the ambush in the Tuz Valley and the cessation of the Song Heping forces' attack. His already dark face became even more gloomy, as if water could be wrung out of it.

He immediately summoned his chief of staff and several frontline brigade commanders for an emergency situation assessment. "Gentlemen, the worst may be happening."

General Shahr pointed to the location of Hurmatu on the map.

"Two hours ago, a fierce battle broke out in the Tuz Valley. Song Heping's mercenary reconnaissance team suffered heavy losses due to incorrect intelligence provided by the Americans. Now, according to reliable intelligence, Song Heping's men have begun to retreat, seemingly not intending to continue their southward advance to attack Hurmatu..."

"They actually retreated?!"

A frontline brigade commander stared at the arrows on the map and exclaimed, “General! This means that those lunatics from 1515 will soon be able to divert troops from Hurmatu to deal with us! The pressure on our flanks and our front will increase dramatically! Our current troops and equipment are simply insufficient to cope with them simultaneously!”

The chief of staff present was relatively calmer: "General, Brigade Commander Zaham is right. We must adjust our deployment immediately. The original plan to attack in the southwest direction must be canceled immediately. All troops must be put into a full defensive posture, and existing positions must be reinforced, especially the flank junctions. Anti-tank teams and engineers must be added to prevent enemy attacks."

General Shahr nodded heavily; he was well aware of the gravity of the situation.

According to the original plan of Operation "The Crucible", they were located on Song Heping's western flank and were responsible for providing support.

After Song Heping captured Dagug, he continued south to Hurmatu, and their battle lines also advanced accordingly. They did not encounter much fierce resistance along the way—after all, most of the 1515 armed forces in northwestern Iligo had been drawn away by Song Heping and were all transferred to the Titrick and Hurmatu directions.

Song Heping has now withdrawn...

What's going on?!

He withdrew, exposing himself as a flank; on the map, he's now the salient!
Damn Song Heping!

He actually left!
Where are the fiercest mercenaries they were promised?!

That's it?

They retreated after being ambushed once?!

Seeing that the pointed column representing his troops on the map was now completely isolated, Shahr immediately ordered: "Send a telegram to the American liaison officer in Bakda immediately, in the strongest possible tone! Tell them that due to Song Heping's troops' retreat, our defenses are facing unprecedented pressure, enemy reinforcements may arrive at any time, and we may be caught in a three-sided attack."

"We urgently need more air support to cover our retreat to safety. If we do not receive timely and sufficient supplies and support, our current front line cannot guarantee that it will not collapse, and the northwestern gateway to Erbil risks being reopened!"

He glanced at the anxious faces of his generals, lowered his voice, and added to his chief of staff, "Also... try to establish some... informal contact with Song Heping's non-military personnel through our own, most secretive channels. Don't involve any specific military matters, just express... our 'sympathy' for their plight, and casually ask them... whether they can continue south to launch an attack, or even a feint, at least until we retreat to a safe area..."

Amidst the chaos on all sides, Song Heping was not idle either.

He held a final, brief situation assessment meeting with Jiang Feng and other key commanders.

"It's obvious, the Americans are behind this!"

Jiang Feng made his judgment after reviewing the latest intelligence analysis.

"Look, the intelligence the Russians sent us indicates that 1515 troops had already entered the Tuz Valley, but the battlefield intelligence the Americans gave us was at least half an hour behind. This is tantamount to letting our reconnaissance team walk into a trap they've set!"

Samir added, "My informant in Bakhda said that the Americans had already sent A-10 attack aircraft to the airspace near the Tuz Valley an hour before Joseph's reconnaissance detachment was attacked. This explains why the US A-10 attack aircraft 'happened' to be there after Joseph's detachment was decimated..."

Song Heping crossed his arms, staring at the map with a gaze as sharp as a knife.

The so-called "explanation" given by Kurt when he contacted him after the reconnaissance team was ambushed is still vivid in his mind.

Based on the current intelligence, it seems the Americans are indeed using underhanded tactics.

I was worried that I might wrongly accuse these grandsons.

Now it seems they were just a bunch of shameless bastards.

Now that I've confirmed my theory, it's time for me to be shameless for once.

“They want to play us, and then pretend to be gentlemen after betraying us. Since that’s the case, then we don’t need to be polite.”

Song Heping's voice sounded unusually calm.

"Then let them see clearly who truly controls the course of the war in northwestern Iligor!"

He turned abruptly, strode back to the command vehicle, and issued a series of crisp and decisive orders as he walked:
"Order: All frontline troops, including the main force of the two mercenary battalions and all attacking units of the Abuyu Brigade's 'Liberation Forces,' shall immediately disengage from the enemy and withdraw to Dagula Town and the surrounding pre-established defensive area. Utilizing the favorable terrain, they shall immediately establish a multi-layered defensive system!"

"At the same time, in my name, I sent a formal telegram to the U.S. Joint Command in Bakta. We can use 'polite' and 'gentlemanly' language to tell them that the tactical intelligence provided by the U.S. military was seriously inaccurate and had a major and fatal deviation from the actual battlefield situation, which led to our forward reconnaissance troops being ambushed by the enemy's pre-planned heavy forces in the Tuz Valley, resulting in extremely heavy personnel and equipment losses. The officers and soldiers on the front line were in uproar and their morale was severely damaged."

"Based on our emergency battlefield assessment meeting, our situation is now precarious. Continuing to launch a forced attack on the well-developed defensive system of Hurmatu is obviously extremely risky. After deliberation, it has been decided that our unit will suspend all offensive operations against Hurmatu and withdraw the entire army to Gugge to rest and await further orders. At the same time, we urge the United States to make a decisive breakthrough in the Ozam direction first, or at least launch an offensive in that direction sufficient to effectively contain 1515 troops, to demonstrate their sincerity in cooperation and to effectively share the pressure on our front. Only after this will our unit consider the feasibility of the next offensive plan."

Retreat to advance, cease the attack!
This is Song Heping's counterattack!
The order was swiftly and resolutely carried out without any compromise.

The massive attack group, consisting of the "Liberation Forces," the "Abuyu Brigade," and the "Musicians" defense mercenary battalion, began to disengage in an orderly manner. Tanks and armored vehicles roared as they turned around and retreated in an orderly fashion towards Dagug.

This move was like toppling the first domino, immediately triggering a series of violent chain reactions throughout the war in northwestern Ilig and even eastern Cyria.

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)