Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1249 The Arrogant Thunder Defense

The instant the militiamen pointed their guns at the American mercenaries, Thunder Defense's mercenaries also demonstrated their astonishing reaction speed.

The personnel who were building a defensive perimeter and unloading equipment almost simultaneously turned their guns around the moment the militiamen raised their weapons, and the more advanced M4A1 carbines and squad automatic weapons instantly locked onto the militiamen on the other side.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and the two sides formed a sharp standoff on the open sand, with tensions running high and any tiny spark could ignite a full-blown conflict.

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the command center in the center of Hurmatur town.

After hearing the report, Jiang Feng, who was on duty, strode into Song Heping's office and said urgently:

"Sergeant, the Thunder Defense guys are up to something! Just as expected, they've been in a standoff with Samir's men in Area 4 on the southeast flank for a short time, and they almost went to war! The other side is extremely arrogant. The leader is a former SEAL sergeant major named Sanders. He doesn't care about communicating with our people at all, and he's trying to forcibly occupy our forward observation post. He's even insulting the militiamen."

Song Heping was standing in front of the map, pointing his finger at an area where enemy and friendly forces were intertwined in the direction of Mosul, analyzing the latest intelligence that had just been sent back.

Upon hearing this, he raised his head, showing no surprise whatsoever.

He put down his marker, walked to the map, and circled "Area 4" in red.

"Area 4..."

Song Heping's voice was calm, as if he were assessing the value of an item.

"With a wide field of vision, strong control over the front, and guarding the auxiliary passage to Mosul and several nearby villages that can provide supplies and information... the location is indeed good, a good place to make a foray."

His finger lightly tapped the red circle, his tone tinged with sarcasm:
“This Sanders is quite capable. He knows how to pick his location. He came here and immediately tried to seize a small choke point in our southeast direction, both to demonstrate his presence and to monitor our movements nearby.”

"Should we make Samir's stance even tougher? We could even send more people to force them out of there?"

Jiang Feng suggested, "We can't let them get away with this so easily!"

Song Heping slowly shook his head: "No, not for now. The ink on the agreement is still wet. If we directly use force to drive them away, it will give Winslow and Kurt the very excuse they want to see. They would love for us to break this fragile 'understanding' first."

He turned around, his sharp gaze fixed on Jiang Feng, a clear and ruthless plan already taking shape in his mind.

“Tell Samir,”

Song Heping issued a clear order: "Have his men withdraw from Area 4 immediately. Maintain restraint and avoid any direct firefight. Temporarily 'give' that forward observation post to them."

Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment, somewhat surprised, but when he saw the familiar light in Song Heping's eyes—

He immediately understood when he saw the calmness and patience of a seasoned hunter setting a trap.

Song Heping walked to his desk and said calmly, "However, starting today, all our existing routine armed patrols around Area 4 will be suspended. Personnel at the civilian liaison points and supply points in the three nearby villages will be temporarily withdrawn, and all public activities will cease."

He paused, a cold glint in his eyes, and continued, "Also, find a way to 'accidentally' let 'vague intelligence' about small reconnaissance units or suicide bombing groups possibly operating in that area of ​​1515 leak out through 'appropriate' channels. Remember, the intelligence should be vague, the source should be indirect, and it's best if its authenticity is difficult to verify. In addition, have Samir mobilize his informants throughout the northwest to spread the message that we have reduced troop strength in Area 4 and have defensive vulnerabilities."

Finally, he raised a finger and pointed it in the air: "Also... stop supplying fresh water over there, stop our patrols along the transport route to Area 4, and let those Americans get their own water if they need it, or bring it from Hurmatu City themselves. It's more than ten kilometers from here to the checkpoint in Area 4. If the people in 1515 are smart, they'll make a fuss about it..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng's eyes lit up, and he revealed a knowing smile:

"I understand! You want to... use someone else to do the dirty work? Or at least make them deaf and blind, leaving them to suffer in silence?" "Use someone else to do the dirty work? That's too obvious, and it would be too easy for them. The people of 1515 aren't stupid; they won't easily pull chestnuts out of the fire for us."

Song Heping smiled coldly: "What I want is for them to feel that this 'feng shui treasure land' in their eyes has become isolated and dangerous. To keep them on high alert at all times, with only static noise on the monitoring channels, and patrol teams only catching a few wisps of sand, not even a single valuable ghost. To prevent them from obtaining supplies or even a clean cup of water from the local area. To let all their 'professional experience' and 'high-tech equipment' slowly lose their effectiveness in endless isolation, suspicion, and exhaustion."

He walked to the window and looked southeast, as if he could see through the wall and into the hilly area where the standoff was taking place.

"At the same time, we must make it clear to the bureaucrats in Washington and the Pentagon that this 'professional force' that they have placed their hopes on to 'counterbalance' us will, once it arrives at the front, waste precious resources and create friction between allies, achieve nothing on the real battlefield, and may even become a burden and weakness that needs extra protection because of their arrogance."

Song Heping's voice was deep and powerful, each word like a carefully calculated chess piece falling on the chessboard of fate:

"Of course, this is only the first step. If they can't withstand this invisible pressure and isolation, and try to break the deadlock by doing something underhanded, or 'accidentally' cross the line we've drawn that they don't know about, stepping into our truly core area of ​​interest... for example, trying to infiltrate and scout towards the town, or interfering with our other supply lines..."

He paused, turned around, and looked intently at Jiang Feng:

"Then, if any 'accidents' happen, such as being ambushed by 'unidentified' individuals, or stepping on an improvised explosive device left behind by '1515,' they can only blame themselves for being unskilled or unlucky. After all, this land is fraught with danger and full of unknown risks. Isn't that right?"

Jiang Feng finally understood Song Heping's intentions.

This is not a simple concession, but a strategic retreat that has laid an invisible net.

We can't directly violate the agreement and drive them away, but there are ways to make these self-righteous former special forces soldiers deeply understand what it means to be "unaccustomed to the environment" and what it means to be "beyond the reach of an invisible wall." In the end, they will either slink away from their activities on their own or, in some "just right" "accident," completely withdraw from this game that they should never have been so deeply involved in.

"Understood! I'll arrange it right away, making sure it's done flawlessly, leaving them with no way to complain!"

Jiang Feng was full of confidence, his eyes shining with admiration for Song Heping's strategy.

This is the old squad leader he knows well, adept at using rules, environment, and people's hearts to achieve the most effective strategic goals with minimal cost.

"Ah."

Song Heping nodded, sat back down at the table, picked up the intelligence report about Mosul, as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter.

"By the way, Ferrari and White Bear will arrive in Hurmatu tomorrow. Have the logistics team prepare a welcome dinner for them tomorrow night."

"They're almost here?!"

Jiang Feng was overjoyed.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Ferrari and the others. I miss them quite a bit. Did they come to discuss with you what they're doing in Afghanistan?"

"Correct."

Song Heping said, "The Americans gave us a logistics contract, a contract worth six hundred million US dollars a year, but I thought... they wouldn't give us such a big reward. I guess there's poison in this candy. I can't get away from things here for the time being. Ferrari will come here first to meet up with us, and then we'll all come up with a plan. A month later, they'll go to Afghanistan to pave the way, and after I take over Titrick, I'll go to Afghanistan to take a look around."

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)