Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 857

Persia, at a military firing range.

Song Heping was conducting nighttime shooting training at the firing range, and the muzzle flashes were particularly dazzling in the darkness.

Nine-millimeter bullet casings clattered to the ground, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

It's been a long time since I've had such an exhilarating shooting practice at a proper shooting range; that long-lost feeling of exhilaration has returned.

Sometimes he felt that touching a gun was more pleasurable than touching a woman.

Some people are born for war.

Afanti watched from the sidelines, and Song Heping's marksmanship amazed him.

Although he knew that Song Heping was a retired sergeant from a special forces unit in China and that he was very strong, seeing him fire an entire magazine of bullets into the bullseye still shocked him like never before.

Suddenly, Song Heping's phone vibrated in his pocket.

He had to stop shooting and take off his noise-canceling headphones.

“Henry?” Song Heping glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly.

Receiving a call from Henry at this time is definitely not a good thing.

"Boss, something's happened."

Henry's voice came through the satellite line, accompanied by unnatural electronic noise.

"Ferrari has gone missing."

Song Heping's fingers unconsciously tightened, making a slight creaking sound as he gripped the phone case.

He turned and left the shooting range, walking toward the SUV parked in the shadows.

“When did it happen?”

"Four hours ago. His contact in Bucharest was killed, and a encrypted message was sent saying it was a trap."

Henry paused for a moment. "The last message was: 'Don't come to Eastern Europe, Katrin is bait.'"

"What's going on?! How come I didn't know about this beforehand?"

Song Heping abruptly opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.

The car windows shut out all outside sounds, leaving only his heavy breathing and Henry's waiting on the other end of the phone.

"He told me not to say, and he left in a hurry, saying he would be back in three days." Henry felt a little guilty, after all, he had followed Ferrari's orders and hadn't consulted Song Heping in time, and now that something had happened, he also bore responsibility.

“I helped him contact a former Romanian intelligence officer, Major Mihai, and asked him to arrange everything for him. I never expected that he would be targeted as soon as he arrived, and Mihai was also killed.”

“Kathrine? His sister?” Song Heping’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible. “Wasn’t he a journalist in Western Europe? How did he end up in Eastern Europe?”

"That's right, but I heard she went to Eastern Europe recently to investigate a news lead about human trafficking, and disappeared shortly after arriving in Romania."

Henry sighed.

“I checked. Katrin was indeed kidnapped by the gang. That information is true; it wasn't a trap.”

"Who's got their eye on Ferrari? Have you thought about that? Sure, maybe the mob kidnapped Karina, but how did they know Ferrari would come to Romania to rescue her? Where did they get their intelligence?"

Song Heping closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.

A common tactic of the CIA is to use family ties to set a trap and then use someone else to do the dirty work.

The gangsters are that knife.

They couldn't possibly have known Ferrari would come.

Those with such capabilities are definitely not ordinary gangs; it's obvious to anyone with a brain that they are intelligence agencies.

Ferrari has always been very clever.

But he was a bit too overconfident in this matter.

The CIA has been suffering setbacks lately, especially in Yemen where so many people died.

It's not surprising that they're now going to such lengths to target me, even those closest to me.

I was indeed negligent; I should have thought of it earlier and warned the company's core members.

I've been busy in Persia helping Afanti investigate the mole, but I never expected my own company to run into trouble...

"They don't want Ferrari, so Ferrari and his sister are probably safe for now."

Song Heping already had the answer in his heart.

“Yes, that’s what I think too,” Henry said bluntly. “The Ferrari is just bait. They know you won’t abandon any of your brothers.”

Song Heping opened his eyes and started the car.

The deep roar of the engine perfectly mirrored the anger surging in his chest at that moment.

"Send me the final position of the Ferrari."

After hanging up the phone, Afanti came over and knocked on the car window.

Song Heping opened the car door, and Afanti sat in the passenger seat.

"problem occurs?"

A sharp glint flashed in his hawk-like eyes. "Yes, something's happened." Song Heping slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "The CIA has targeted key members of my company, using their relatives as leverage."

"Do you need my help?" Afan asked.

Song Heping nodded: "Use your intelligence network and resources in Eastern Europe to help me investigate the CIA's recent activities there, especially to find out if any important CIA figures have arrived in Eastern Europe."

Afanti nodded: "No problem."

He then asked, "Are you planning to go to Eastern Europe yourself?"

Song Heping sighed and said, "I have no choice. If I don't go, Ferrari will die. Moreover, Ferrari's position in the company is very important. He has too many secrets. If I can't rescue him in time, it will affect the entire company's overseas money laundering network and accounts."

Afanti shrugged: "That does sound very serious. It seems your friend has made a fatal mistake."

Song Heping said, "Everyone has weaknesses, and Ferrari is no exception. The CIA must have done an investigation and thoroughly studied his psychology."

Afanti said, "I estimate that among everyone in the company, your family members are the safest."

At this point, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking about the moles he had uncovered in the past few days.

Even his own Revolutionary Guard had been infiltrated to this extent; he had no face to say that Persia was safe.

Remembering the many promises he had made to Song Heping, that he would be safe here.

Song Heping has not agreed.

In retrospect, he was far too wise.

He then changed the subject, saying, "But have you considered that this is clearly a trap! Going there would be like walking into a snare! To be honest, in the Middle East I could still use my influence to protect you, but in Eastern Europe, I'm powerless... My personal opinion is that you shouldn't go to Eastern Europe and should think of another way."

“I think you need a more careful plan,” Afanti said. “At least first find out where Ferrari is being held, how many guards are there, and then send in a strike team—”

“There’s no time,” Song Heping interrupted him. “Every minute that passes increases the risk of Ferrari opening its mouth. If company secrets are leaked, we’re all finished.”

Afanti sighed.

“Listen, Song. I understand how you feel. But as a soldier with years of experience in military and intelligence work, I must tell you, this could be the perfect plan for the CIA to destroy your company. They've captured Ferrari, lured you to rescue him, and then wiped you out.”

Song Heping turned around and looked at Afanti.

So what's your suggestion?

"Activate emergency protocols."

Without hesitation, Afanti said, "Freeze all accounts Ferrari knows about, transfer funds, and cut off all communication channels with him. Then, we can only pray he holds out long enough."

"This is just a safety net. Even if I keep the money, I can't live with myself without the Ferrari."

Song Heping shook his head.

"I will not abandon any of my brothers. This is the promise we all made to each other when the company was founded."

"This is not giving up, it's survival."

Afanti sneered, "You're betting everything you have!"
Song Heping was silent for a moment, then took out his satellite phone.

"I need to make a phone call."

Afanti frowned: "For whom?"

"Some friends."

As he spoke, he stared intently at Afanti.

A few seconds later, Afanti seemed to wake up from his dream.

"Okay, I'll excuse myself for a moment."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and got out of the car, then remembered to close the door behind him.

The first number Song Heping dialed was Maria's.

Before escaping danger, this Doctors Without Borders left her a number, saying she would definitely contact her in the future.

In fact, Song Heping had almost forgotten about this matter.

Surprisingly, it actually worked this time.

Her brutish father was a gang leader who started in Eastern Europe. He went bankrupt and became a businessman, but he still secretly engaged in some shady businesses.

Therefore, within the underground networks of Eastern Europe, his intelligence network and connections were even more extensive than those of the CIA.

This matter is of great importance.

Song Heping must use all the resources at his disposal.

He needs to make three phone calls.

One is Maria, one is the cook, and the other is Ms. M.

The first two are easy to explain, but the last one is the real highlight.

Get MI6 to help you deal with the CIA.

It sounds like a fantasy.

However, Song Heping believed he could persuade the older woman, a manager or above, who sat behind bulletproof glass in an office building on the banks of the River London.

(End of this chapter)