Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1229 I Remain Unmoved
The following afternoon, in Bakta, at the Green Zone Command Center.

Colonel Kurt stared at the almost still "Musician" defense force signal on the screen, his brow furrowed.

A whole night and half a day had passed, and apart from constructing fortifications five kilometers outside Hurmatu and conducting some low-intensity reconnaissance activities, Song Heping's troops showed no signs of launching a large-scale attack.

This is so abnormal!
Logically, whether to fulfill a promise or to seize a so-called "opportunity," Song Heping should have launched an attack as soon as possible while the troops' morale was still high.

Delaying will only allow the defenders to strengthen their defenses and gradually erode the morale of the attackers.

What is he waiting for?

Kurt couldn't help but mutter to himself.

He retrieved intelligence from various sources and analyzed Song Heping's troop deployment. He found that his main force was indeed stationary, but it seemed that some units had disappeared from the monitoring range. However, this was common on battlefields of this scale, and it could be due to electronic silence or entering a signal blind spot.

Overwhelmed by intense doubt and a sense of being kept in the dark, Kurt finally couldn't hold back and ordered the communications officer to connect to Song Heping's tactical communications channel.

"Song! It's me, Kurt!"

Over the radio, Kurt's voice carried obvious dissatisfaction, as if a superior were questioning a subordinate.

"Why are your troops still stalled on the outskirts of Hurmatu? According to our intelligence, the enemy's defenses are being strengthened every second, and reinforcements from all over are converging on Hurmatu! Delaying will only make your mission more difficult! I expect you to provide an explanation and launch an attack immediately!"

Soon, Song Heping's voice, tinged with a lazy, teasing tone, came back: "Yo, Colonel Kurt. What's this? Now the US military even controls when mercenaries get up to fight? I think I'm still the commander-in-chief of 'Operation Crucible' for the time being, right?"

Kurt was taken aback, then his temper flared up: "Song! I'm not joking with you! You took the money and the mission, so you have to fulfill your responsibilities! Your inaction now is wasting precious time and testing all of our patience!"

"Fulfilling duties?"

Song Heping chuckled dismissively, “Colonel Kurt, may I ask what my core objective is? Is it to take Hurmatu? No, that’s just a means to an end. The real objective is to contain and draw away most of the 1515 armed forces in the northwest, relieving the pressure on the government forces in Ozam and the Kold's forces in Agra, thus breaking the deadlock in the entire northwest. So tell me, isn’t the pressure in the Ozam direction greatly reduced now? And hasn’t the Kold's infantry division besieged in Agra also resumed contact with the outside world, and its pressure has been greatly reduced?”

Kurt opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that what Song Heping said was true.

Because of the frantic troop redeployment from Ozam and even Mosul to reinforce Hurmatu in 1515, the pressure on other fronts was indeed greatly relieved.

He cannot deny this.

"This……"

Kurt was speechless for a moment.

"Isn't this the end?"

Song Heping's tone was full of mockery.

"Do you Americans know how to play Go? Do you understand the art of war? Do you think fighting is just about charging in with guns without thinking? Or like you, calling in the air force to bomb indiscriminately?! No wonder you were so badly beaten by my grandfather's generation on the peninsula with such advanced weapons."

"My strategic objectives have been initially achieved. As for when and how to take Hurmatu, that's a matter of my tactical deployment. I have my own plans on how to fight, and it seems unnecessary to report everything to you, Colonel. Or perhaps you have some 'valuable' guidance on the art of command for us Easterners?"

The subtext of these words couldn't be clearer—I don't trust you Americans, and if you don't understand my tactics, don't spout nonsense.

Kurt was furious, his face turning pale, but he couldn't gain the upper hand in the argument. He could only suppress his anger and say curtly, "I want you to know what you're doing! If the operation fails because of your delays, you will be fully responsible!"

"No trouble."

Song Heping replied casually and then ended the call.

"Fake!"

Kurt slammed the headphones onto the control panel, feeling as if his chest was about to explode.

Song Heping was like a slippery eel; not only was he impossible to control, but it was also impossible to figure out what he was going to do next.

More importantly, he even mocked the US military's habit of calling in air support...

Does he not need US air support now?

The news that Song Heping was leisurely "sunbathing" on the outskirts of Hurmatu quickly spread within his own troops.

On the main force's position, soldiers hid in newly dug foxholes or tents, avoiding the increasingly intense sunlight, and whispered amongst themselves.

"What's going on? Weren't we supposed to come and fight Hurmatu? We've already spent the money, so why are we standing still when we get there?"

"Are you scared? I heard there are over ten thousand '1515' lunatics in the city now, along with a lot of anti-tank missiles and mortars..."

"Is the commander waiting for something? For American air support? Or for a better opportunity?"

"Who knows... Just waiting like this is making me nervous. It's better to have a real fight!"

The local militia forces that had been temporarily reinforced were particularly unsettled, with several leaders even approaching Samir to subtly express their doubts about remaining inactive and their concerns about morale.

Song Heping seemed to ignore these discussions and doubts.

He occasionally appeared on the front lines, sometimes inspecting the fortifications, sometimes using binoculars to observe the distant city of Hurmatu.

More often than not, it's like now, sitting on a folding chair in the command post, with a simple tea set in front of me, slowly brewing the little green tea that's left.

Sunlight shone on his slightly tanned face. He squinted, his expression calm, even with a hint of contentment, which was completely out of place with the anxious and tense atmosphere around him.

Only his old subordinates who knew him best, such as Jiang Feng, knew what kind of turbulent undercurrents were hidden beneath this calm.

They noticed that although Song Heping appeared to be leisurely drinking tea, his gaze would occasionally sweep over his wristwatch or look northwest towards the location of Mosul.

He is waiting.

He was waiting for the Abuyu Brigade's long-distance raid to arrive, and for the 5,000-strong Persian Revolutionary Guard to cross the border and rendezvous with the Abuyu Brigade.

He was waiting for Milos's squad to approach the enemy's heart silently in the dark tunnels, like deadly fangs.

He was waiting for the ambush troops along the Haditha Highway to act like an iron gate, firmly blocking the enemy's reinforcements or escape routes.

He was waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity that would be enough to overturn Bakdadi's carefully laid trap in the Battle of Hurmatu, along with his stronghold in Mosul!

As the aroma of tea wafted through the air, time ticked by.

The 1515 garrison in Hurmatu, under the supervision of their commander Basmu, kept their eyes wide open, on high alert for any possible attack, their nerves taut to the extreme.

Meanwhile, the world outside the city, and all the forces watching this war, held their breath, watching the man leisurely sipping tea in the sunlight, wondering what earth-shattering move he would make next.

A storm is brewing fiercely beneath the calm surface.

Time passed in tense anticipation.

Song Heping sat in his folding chair, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but his ears were constantly listening to every message coming from the radio.

Suddenly, the communications officer looked up: "Boss, urgent message from Commander Selim!"

Selim was the commander of the thousand-strong force that was fighting for reinforcements in the Haditha direction. It seems that the reinforcement-fighting force has finally sent back some information.

Song Heping took the communicator: "This is Song Heping, speak."

Selim's voice came through the noisy radio waves, tinged with urgency: "Boss, we've spotted a convoy! About forty to fifty vehicles of various types, including armed pickup trucks and troop carriers, coming from the direction of Mosul along the highway. Judging from the flags, they're numbered 1515, and their strength is estimated to be around a thousand! They're moving towards Hurmatu! They're about two kilometers from our ambush zone! Should we take them out?!"

All eyes in the command post instantly focused on Song Heping.

If a thousand reinforcements were allowed into Hurmatu, it would undoubtedly make the already difficult siege even more difficult.

Samir couldn't help but whisper, "Boss, should we hit them? We can't let them in anymore! There are already enough lunatics in the city!"

Song Heping clearly gave the order into the communicator: "Selim, listen up, let them through. Your men stay concealed, don't fire, don't expose yourselves. Repeat, let them through, keep silent."

"What? Let it pass?"

Selim's voice was full of confusion, "Boss, this..."

"Excuting an order!"

Song Heping's tone left no room for argument.

"...Understood! Let them pass, and keep quiet."

Despite his doubts, Serim chose to obey.

After ending the call, Samir asked anxiously, "Why did you let them in? The more enemies there are in the city, the harder it is to fight!"

Song Heping coldly said, "What's there to be afraid of? Going in will only add another bunch of mouths that need to consume food and ammunition, and another group of turtles trapped in the city. Hurmatu is a trap, a net. What I want is for them to concentrate their forces here! The more people here, the emptier Mosul will be, and the greater Abuyu's opportunity will be. This number of people cannot change the overall situation; on the contrary, it will make Basmu more convinced that I want to launch a strong attack on Hurmatu."

Before he could even process what was being said, the communication from the forward observation post came in again: "Command! Command! This is the forward observation post! Enemy activity has been detected in the direction of Hurmatu! About a company of troops, in a dozen or so armed pickup trucks, are leaving their outer defensive line, and it seems... it seems they are moving towards the rear of our right flank!"

"Oh?"

Song Heping raised an eyebrow, showing no sign of nervousness, but rather a look of "I knew it was coming."

"It seems the people in the city are getting restless and want to test my strength, to see if I'm just a paper tiger?"

He immediately switched channels, speaking rapidly: "Drone Company, this is Song Heping! Immediately release the 'Cruiser' drones, keep a close watch on this enemy force, transmit images in real time, and accurately pinpoint the location of each of their vehicles!"

"Artillery command, listen up! The drones will soon provide you with coordinates. Target: enemy troops probing outside the city. All units—122mm howitzer battalion, 120mm self-propelled mortars—get ready! On my orders, unleash the most intense artillery fire upon them! One salvo should cripple them! Infantry are not permitted to engage. Talk to them with artillery shells!"

"understand!"

"Roger that!"

The command was executed swiftly.

A moment later, a low hum came from the sky, and two medium-sized "Patrol" reconnaissance drones, like keen falcons, rose from the rear positions and sped toward the direction where the enemy troops were leaving the city.

High-definition real-time footage transmitted by the drone quickly appeared on the large tactical screen in the command post.

A dozen or so armed pickup trucks, equipped with heavy machine guns and recoilless rifles, were seen forming a sparse skirmish line and cautiously maneuvering towards the right flank of the position, kicking up dust.

The 1515 militants in the vehicle, holding rifles, cautiously observed their surroundings. They were clearly trying to find out the firepower and defensive weaknesses of the "inactive" enemy outside the city through this probing attack.

Unbeknownst to them, Death's eyes had already locked onto them from high above.

"Coordinates transmitted! Parameters set!"

A report came from the artillery command post.

Song Heping stared at the slowly moving red target markers on the screen and issued the order to fire without hesitation: "All gun positions, fire five rounds at once!"

The order was like a thunderclap, instantly spreading throughout the entire artillery position.

The first to roar was the 122mm heavy howitzer located at the rear of the position, under the camouflage net.

bang——

bang——

bang——

bang——

The thick, long cannon barrel recoiled violently, and scorching gas gushed out from both sides of the muzzle brake, stirring up dust on the ground like the roar of a giant beast.

Then, even more 120mm self-propelled mortars joined this death chorus.

“Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—!”

"Boom--!"

The piercing whistling sound of shells tearing through the air grew louder as they approached, instantly enveloping the enemy convoy that was maneuvering around the enemy lines.

The next second, a devastating explosion suddenly erupted like a flower blooming on the desolate Gobi Desert!

The first salvo landed with extreme precision!
At least four 122mm high-explosive grenades directly hit several pickup trucks at the front and center of the convoy.

A huge fireball shot into the air, accompanied by a deafening explosion, and steel vehicles were easily torn apart and overturned like toys!
Shattered car parts and tire fragments, along with severed human limbs, were thrown tens of meters into the air by the violent shockwave!
"Boom! Boom boom boom!"

More shells rained down like hailstones, and the explosions and thick smoke merged into one, instantly engulfing the entire convoy.

The shrapnel from the 122mm grenade, like the scythe of death, sprayed wildly in a fan shape in all directions, sweeping down hordes of militants who were lucky enough to escape direct hits.

The 120mm mortar shells, falling at a near-vertical angle, slammed into the gaps in the convoy, and the overpressure and pre-fragmented debris from the explosions caused devastating damage to the enemies hiding in the shadows of the vehicles.

The drone's camera was shaking violently, and the footage it transmitted was breathtaking—

A pickup truck was hit directly by a shell and instantly turned into a burning pile of scrap metal; a gunner holding an RPG had just jumped off the vehicle when flying shrapnel sliced ​​off half of his body; scattered firing positions attempting to hold off the enemy on the sand dunes were quickly and precisely covered by subsequent shells with corrected trajectories, blasting them into the air along with the dunes...

In just two or three minutes, more than a hundred shells of various calibers were unleashed on this area of ​​less than one square kilometer.

As the artillery fire gradually subsided and the smoke dissipated, the images transmitted back by the drone showed that the once menacing enemy convoy was no more, leaving only burning wreckage, charred shell craters, and scattered, almost unrecognizable, broken corpses.

A fully reinforced company, along with its vehicles, was completely wiped out under the fierce artillery fire, without even being able to put up a decent resistance.

Suppressed cheers erupted from the front lines.

In the command post, Song Heping calmly watched the screen and said on the radio, "Well done. All units continue to maintain vigilance and guard against enemy retaliation. The order remains the same: stay on guard, hold your positions, and do not launch any offensives."

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)