Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 882 Besieged
Inside the Seine Army headquarters office, the blades of the ceiling fan cut through the stagnant air, emitting an irritating hum.

General Ula held the latest battle report in his short, stubby fingers, sweat dripping down his dark, round face, leaving dark stains on his uniform.

"The rebels have retreated?"

His voice sounded like it was being squeezed out of his throat, and his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. His distorted reflection was shown in the thick liquid in the coffee cup on the desk.

The adjutant standing in front of the desk maintained a standard standing posture, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"Reporting to the Commander, it's absolutely true. Three hours ago, the MLC forward command post was attacked. Kandal's tent was directly hit by a rocket, and his condition is currently unknown."

"The US special forces that came to reinforce were ambushed in the valley. Two hours later, the rebel alliance forces fell into chaos due to the loss of command. Lumar led the 3rd and 5th Brigades in a full-scale counterattack, and the rebels have been driven back. Judging from the current situation, they will retreat back into Usera within a day..."

"enough!"

General Ula's obese body slumped back into the leather chair, which groaned under its own weight.

He waved for his adjutant to leave, and only turned to the French military advisor sitting in the shadows after the heavy oak door was completely closed.

“Mr. Fernando.”

Ula's voice was low, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the ivory paperweight on the table. "What do you think about this? Don't you have any opinion at all?"

The Frenchman slowly emerged from the shadows, sunlight filtering through the blinds and casting striped shadows on his angular face.

Fernando de Clermont, former Foreign Legion major, is now the chief military advisor to the Seine government forces.

He slowly took out a Gitanes cigarette and lit it, the flame of the gilded Dupont lighter dancing in his gray-blue pupils.

“General,” he exhaled a perfect smoke ring, “you’re not worried about the rebels’ defeat, but rather the consequences of victory, aren’t you?”

General Ula's forehead was beaded with sweat, which he wiped with a silk handkerchief. "That Chinese man, Song Heping... he actually did it. The rebels we couldn't defeat in six months, after expending two brigades, he accomplished in just one week with only thirty-odd mercenaries..."

"This proves your incompetence."

Fernando interrupted him, uttering the embarrassing remark bluntly.

Seeing Ulla's flushed face, he added, "Please forgive my bluntness, but it's time to face reality. This victory will spread like wildfire throughout the country, and the one who lit that fire is the opposition general Lumar and that British lackey."

Ula jumped to his feet, his large belly slamming against the edge of the table, knocking over a coffee cup: "The British! I knew it! That Song Heping isn't a free agent at all; he's an MI6 henchman!"

Fernando's lips curled into a slight smile as he took a manila envelope from his briefcase and pushed it towards Ura with his long, slender fingers: "Take a look at this. Three days ago, at Lumar's temporary command post."

In the photos, Lumar and Song Heping are talking inside a military tent, and one of them clearly shows a military map of the capital Butare spread out on the table.

"This is"

"The intelligence was provided by my informant who was planted next to Lumar."

Fernando's finger pointed to a blurry figure in the photograph.

"Did you notice the map? This isn't a bandit suppression operation, it's a coup plan. Lumar and he are discussing a coup."

Ula's hands began to tremble uncontrollably, the photograph rustling between his fingers: "They really dared to do that."

"What matters is what the president will believe."

The French advisor grinned slyly: "Think about it, while the people are still cheering for victory, we expose this shocking conspiracy. Who will your cousin, the President, thank?"

Three hours later, in the underground operations room of the Presidential Palace in Seine.

"This is impossible!"

President Noel slammed the photograph on the table, his gold-trimmed cufflinks gleaming under the light. "Lumaar doesn't have the guts to stage a coup!"

Fernando calmly turned on the projector: "Your Excellency, please watch this video."

In the picture, Lumar is shaking hands with a white man in a suit.

"This is the meeting last week between the British military attaché in Côte d'Ivoire and this," he switched the screen to show a weapons list.

"The British-made equipment, transshipped through Nigeria, was destined for Lumar's private military camp."

Ula's fat face was plastered with feigned anguish: "Cousin...no, Your Excellency President, we must do it before they make a move."

Noel suddenly grabbed a crystal ashtray and smashed it against the wall, shards flying everywhere: "Arrest them immediately! Leave no one alive, not a single one involved in the rebellion!"

Fernando gave a graceful half-bow: "General Ura has already arranged a whole battalion of guards at the camp where Song Heping will return. As soon as Song Heping returns to base..."

"No!" Noel's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "I want a public trial, so that the whole nation can see the fate of traitors."

As they left the presidential palace, Ula nervously rubbed his hands together: "That Chinese mercenary is not easy to deal with; his squad is full of elites."

Fernando lit a second cigarette, his smile flickering through the smoke: "They fought the Americans and probably lost more than half their forces. You think you can't even handle the remaining twenty-odd remnants with a well-equipped Guards battalion?"

As he spoke, a hint of disdain flashed in the corner of his eye.

Ula's old face flushed red again.

"Of course, no problem! There are only a dozen or twenty of them!"

As evening fell, several bullet-riddled jeeps, trailing dust, drove toward a Seine government base about forty kilometers behind the front lines.

Song Heping sat in the passenger seat of the lead car, the abrasion on his forehead had scabbed over, and his camouflage uniform was covered with dried blood.

"We're home, brothers."

He patted Gabriel on the shoulder in the driver's seat.

In the rearview mirror, the following convoy was crammed with wounded special forces soldiers, and another vehicle was full of corpses.

This battle was more arduous than any of the previous ambushes.

It must be said that the Green Beetle squad was absolutely ruthless, and they caused us considerable losses as well.

The gates of the military base slowly opened, but there were no guards in sight.

Song Heping was slightly taken aback and looked towards the military camp.

Unlike the bustling scene before, the camp was as quiet as a graveyard today.

Just as he was filled with doubts, the convoy slowly drove into the military camp.

*Snap*—Blinding searchlights suddenly illuminated the surroundings.

boom--

With a sharp gunshot, the tires of the lead vehicle burst.

In an instant, hundreds of fully armed soldiers from the Republic of Seine government poured out from behind their bunkers, the reflections of their sniper scopes flashing on the surrounding rooftops.

"Get off the bus! Everyone, hands above your heads!"

The commands coming from the loudspeaker were accompanied by static.

Song Heping slowly raised his hands, his eyes quickly scanning the battlefield: four armored vehicles blocked the exit, at least two companies of troops formed a ring around it, and there were at least six sniper positions on the high ground.

His Adam's apple bobbed; this was a death sentence.

Oh shit!

They actually capsized here.

Despite all his careful planning, he never expected to be betrayed after his victorious return.

He quickly recalled Umar mentioning Sena's current situation to him, and he immediately understood.

He did not want to get involved in political struggles.

But it seems trouble has come knocking on our door.

General Ula slowly emerged from among the soldiers, his golden star shining brightly under the searchlight: "Song, congratulations on your glorious victory."

His smile looked so fake, as if it were painted on.

"However, there are still some procedures we need to go through."

"What problem requires you, General, to mobilize so many men to surround us? Are we the enemy?"

Song Heping turned to look at the sniper's position. "Didn't anyone tell you that this kind of jungle camouflage is too conspicuous in desert areas?"

Ula's smile froze.

He raised his hand, and a government army major stepped forward, took out a document, and began to read it aloud—

"...According to reliable intelligence, 'Musician' is assisting the domestic opposition in a conspiracy to overthrow the president..."

Gabriel suddenly roared, "We just fought a battle with the US special forces! More than a dozen brothers died! We helped you thwart the rebel offensive, and you say we're plotting..."

Before he could finish speaking, a soldier stepped forward and slammed a rifle butt into his back.

Gabriel fell to the ground with a thud.

Song Heping's muscles tensed, but after looking around, he forced himself to relax.

Since we're already in a desperate situation, we might as well face it calmly.

If things don't work out in the end, that's fate.

"Where's the evidence?"

He asked rhetorically.

Ula proudly showed Song Heping the photos: "A few days ago, you and Lumar were secretly plotting to seize the presidential palace in the tent!"

"This was a meeting held three days ago to discuss joint operations."

Song Heping sneered. He suddenly remembered that although his brief conversation with Umar in the tent that day had not yielded any results and he had refused Umar's invitation to participate in the coup, he guessed that the walls had been overheard.

"Our conversation lasted no more than ten minutes. If this was a planned coup, it's far too frivolous, isn't it?"

Ula's expression changed drastically.

Because Song Heping's rebuttal was very reasonable and well-founded.

A coup d'état is a major event that requires careful consideration and time to plan.

A coup d'état planned in just ten minutes?
It's not like inviting someone to dinner and then just leaving or doing something on a whim.

To discuss such a momentous matter in such a short time is simply a pipe dream.

Ula suddenly realized that he was being a bit brainless.

Perhaps Song Heping is truly innocent; he was just not thinking things through and acted impulsively.

Just then, Song Heping's cell phone vibrated.

Ula heard the vibration and frowned.

"Give him his phone!"

A soldier stepped forward and took out Song Heping's satellite phone.

Ula took the phone and pressed the speakerphone button.

Lumar's voice came from inside: "Song, don't go back to the camp. I've received news that Ula is going to make a move against you. Your friend Jiang is with me now. Come to the front-line command post immediately!"

When Song Heping heard the contents of the call, his scalp tingled.

paralysis!

Africans are just rough around the edges!
Without even asking if it was you, you just jump right in and say all this...

This is practically throwing myself into a fire pit!
Ula smiled, revealing a gleaming gold tooth in his large mouth.

He said smugly to Umar on the other end of the phone, "Lumar, thank you for giving me the best evidence, you traitor! You traitor!"

After saying that, he abruptly ended the call.

Then, with an impatient wave of his hand, he said, "Take them away! Lock them all in the basement!"

(End of this chapter)