Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 849 Spare his dog's life

The situation began to deteriorate rapidly.

Antonov, hiding in the building, watched as the entire trio was riddled with bullets from Song Heping's grenades and rolled on the ground, and he laughed out loud.

"Boss, you're really something! You even came up with this idea!"

"Stop flattering me. Keep a close eye on them; they'll definitely come back to snatch people."

Song Heping's judgment was correct.

Seeing their BOSS fall to the ground, the "Wild Wolf" squad outside the factory area immediately began to fire wildly to suppress the enemy, while sending one member to charge quickly to the open ground to retrieve the shield.

There was only one shield; it was the only thing that could save Simon.

"They're coming!"

"Kill that guy, don't let him get the shield."

Song Heping knew very well that the other side was going all out.

They knew that charging naked was practically suicide.

But they were also betting that they didn't have many grenades, and that once they got the shields, they could rescue Simon as before.

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Antonov fired two shots at the "Wolves" member who was charging toward the three-man team.

The man quickly collapsed to the ground.

The three-person team had rushed from the woods outside the factory to the open space in the factory area, where they collapsed, a distance of nearly 100 meters.

This distance was directly exposed to Antonov, Nura, and others inside the factory, making it a death trap for the "Wild Wolf" squad.

Song Heping returned to the third floor.

Antonov told him, "These guys are really fearless. Two of them charged, and Nura and I took them down. I don't know if they'll charge again."

"Let them charge."

Song Heping glanced down at his watch.

It's almost time.

The mysterious squad outside is constantly sending people to attack, which will only waste their manpower.

When Nassin's Persian squad arrives, it will be time for a full-scale counterattack.

Overall, Simon and his "Wild Wolves" squad are clearly at a disadvantage.

This old fox originally wanted to stage a play to eliminate both himself and Jasper, thus removing the two biggest obstacles to his future.

But now it's all messed up.

He's gotten himself involved.

Song Heping always maintained a cautious and apprehensive attitude towards Simon.

Dealing with CIA agents like this is all about interests; there's no room for personal relationships.

Compared to soldiers in the army, Song Heping preferred to deal with guys like Peter and Mister, who at least didn't have as many ulterior motives.

The factory was filled with the mixed smell of gunpowder and blood. Song Heping leaned against the window on the third floor, his fingers gently tapping the barrel of the VSS silenced sniper rifle.

After losing two members, the "Wild Wolf" squad seemed to have stopped their futile rescue efforts.

They also knew that the initiative was now completely in the hands of the few people inside the building.

In the distance, Simon lay on the ground like a stranded fish, futilely twisting his body, still cursing, but his voice was no longer as strong as before.

But Song Heping knew that this old fox wouldn't die so easily.

“Boss, that old guy is still moving.” Antonov grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. “Should I give him a quick death?”

After saying that, he raised the AKM assault rifle in his hand.

“One shot is all it takes to send this guy to hell,” he said.

Song Heping did not answer immediately.

He glanced down at his watch—there wasn't much time left before the safe house system was restored.

Simon is now in dire straits.

Once communications are restored, the forward command will certainly try to establish a communication channel, at which point Simon will no longer be able to hide the truth here.

Simon understood this time pressure better than he did.

“Wait.” Song Heping narrowed his eyes. “He will make a choice.”

"We're not going to kill him?"

Antonov was somewhat disappointed; he had thought Song Heping would choose to eliminate this CIA mole who had betrayed him and wanted to kill him.

Song Heping said, "I wanted to kill him before, but now I think it's unnecessary."

Antonov worriedly said, "If he doesn't die, he might still be a threat."

Song Heping said, "Now we have enough dirt on him. If we keep him on a leash, he probably won't be able to bite us. But if we kill him, we'll completely lose our inside man within the CIA. The advantages and disadvantages of killing him or not are obvious."

“Okay…” Antonov tilted his head, making an indifferent expression. Song Heping was right; this guy betrayed his colleagues, colluded with Song Heping, and secretly used funds to train a private assassination squad.

Any one of these incidents, if taken out of context, would prompt Langley to send "cleaners" to physically eliminate him, ensuring he doesn't live a single second longer.

Sure enough, not long after, Simon's voice came from the open space. "Song, let's talk."

Antonov scoffed, "Now you want to talk? Weren't you just trying to wipe us all out?"

Song Heping shouted, "Simon, you're in a situation like a butterfly pinned to a specimen board. What bargaining power do you have left? You have no leverage."

A few seconds later, Simon yelled, "The safe house system is almost back up! It won't do you any good if I die here. Think about what happened before, think about Darfur and Mogadishu. You won't have had it so easy without my help!"

Song Heping raised an eyebrow.

This guy may be cunning, but he's definitely not stupid; he knows his own worth.

He certainly had no bargaining chips, but his dog's life still had some value.

"Get to the point," Song Heping said coldly.

“I surrender.” Simon’s voice suddenly became unusually clear. “Spare my life. The Wild Wolf Squad will be under your command, and I will cover their expenses. I still have room for advancement in the CIA, and I can continue to be your inside man in the future. Although you are capable, without me, you will not escape the CIA’s long-term pursuit.”

Antonov whirled around, a murderous glint in his eyes: "Boss, this kind of venomous snake should be shot dead!"

Song Heping raised his hand to signal him to be quiet.

He stared at Simon's wriggling figure in the distance, his mind racing.

Killing Simon would certainly eliminate the threat forever, but a living Simon might be more valuable—especially if he were to actually become the CIA's deputy director.

Antonov lowered his voice, "These CIA veterans, they'll turn on you tomorrow if they survive today!"

Song Heping's lips curled into a slight smile: "So we need to make sure he doesn't dare to bite back."

He pressed the intercom button: "Simon, have your entire Wolf Squad come out, lay down their weapons, and put their hands behind their heads. Then, I want you to personally hand over the squad's personnel information and financial account details."

Simon groaned in pain, "I...I've been shot and I can't move."

“Then have your teammates help you up.” Song Heping’s voice was as cold as Siberian ice. “Remember, this is your only chance.”

Outside the factory area, the members of the "Wild Wolf" squad in the woods looked at each other in bewilderment.

Simon's weak but clear command came through their headsets: "All personnel, lay down your weapons and do as he says."

A burly team member muttered a curse: "Fuck! Are we just going to surrender like this?"

“Shut up, Max.” The team leader sniper took off his headset. “The boss is in charge.”

Ten minutes later, the remaining six members of the "Wild Wolves" squad lined up, raised their hands, and walked to the open space, coming to Simon's side.

Song Heping stood at the third-floor window, his gun steadily aimed at them.

"Stop," Song Heping ordered. "Unload all weapons and equipment, retreat ten meters, and lie prone on the ground."

The team members did as instructed, and the sound of metal hitting the ground was particularly jarring in the quiet factory area.

Antonov and Nura stood guard with guns drawn, their eyes filled with distrust.

Simon laboriously pulled out a USB drive, held it above his head, and shouted, "Here... is all the data on the Wild Wolf Squad and their Swiss bank account information. Get it now, there's not much time left. Once the system is back to normal, they'll send people if they can't contact us anymore, and then everything will be ruined!"

"Khalid, go and get that thing."

Song Heping gestured for Khalid to go and fetch it.

The former Yemeni army medic rushed downstairs, jogged over to Simon, grabbed the USB drive, and retreated back into the building.

Song Heping took the USB drive, inserted it into his tablet, quickly browsed it, and nodded: "Looks like it's true. Complete files for 18 team members, three offshore accounts, totaling $78 million."

With these, they have essentially secured command of the "Wild Wolf" squad.

This information is extremely detailed. As members of a black assassination group, once their identities are exposed, death is the only thing waiting for them.

He then pulled out the USB drive, plugged it back in, and opened it again. After confirming that there was no self-destruct program, he led his men out of the building and slowly approached Simon and the "Wild Wolves" team members in the open space.

His gaze swept over the former "Wild Wolves" team members standing in the moonlight.

They were dressed in uniform tactical gear, and their expressions varied—some were angry, some were numb, and some had shifty eyes.

"Did you hear that?" Song Heping raised his voice. "From now on, you will work for me. Your salaries will double, and you'll enjoy the highest benefits among our company's mercenaries, including protection for your families in case of emergency. But your loyalty must be one hundred percent. Anyone who objects can leave now—but you must take a bullet with you."

No one moved.

“No problem.” The team leader looked up. “We only listen to the money. Whoever pays, we’ll risk our lives for.”

Song Heping smiled: "Very good. Then welcome to the 'Musician' defense."

He turned to Simon, who was struggling to sit up from the ground.

Song Heping pulled him up and then squatted down in front of him.

"Now, let's talk about your future, Mr. Deputy Director," Song Heping's voice was terrifyingly soft. "You know the consequences of betraying me, don't you?"

Simon's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "I understand the rules of the game better than you do, Song. I lost this time, but cooperation is beneficial to both sides."

Song Heping stared into Simon's eyes—those eyes held too much: fear, scheming, and a hint of deeply hidden hatred.

But at that moment, the will to survive overwhelmed everything.

“I need your assurance,” Song Heping said. “We used to be partners, but you’ve disappointed me so much that you actually tried to get rid of me.”

Simon swallowed hard. "I can record a video pledging my allegiance to you right now. With that, you can kill me anytime you want."

“No problem, but let me give you a heads-up first,” Song Heping said calmly. “I will store the video and your related incriminating evidence in a secret place on the internet. I’ve set up a program that will automatically send everything to the email addresses of major media outlets around the world and intelligence agencies in all different countries if I don’t log in and re-enter the verification code every month. Even if you kill me, you won’t be able to escape. So remember, don’t do anything stupid in the future.”

Having said that, he reached out and gently patted Simon's pale, blood-stained face, as if warning a child: "Don't forget who gave you a second life today."

(End of this chapter)