Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 104 Chain Reaction (Part Two)

Zion's execution was highly efficient; on the very day the plan was finalized, Intelligence Director Mordecai Holon flew to Amman with a personal letter from Prime Minister Hilbert.

When the plane landed at the Malka military airport, the Hashim royal guards had been waiting by the runway for quite some time.

King Setis received him in a private reception room. The monarch, who was nearly sixty years old, was dressed in a smart military uniform and had a very imposing presence, somewhat like a warlord from an aristocratic family during the Republic of China era.

“Zion hopes that the Hashem will remain neutral in the upcoming war,” Holon said without further ado, placing his handwritten letter directly on the table: “In exchange, the disputed territory on the east coast of the Hashem can be redrawn, and Zion is willing to recognize the Hashem’s permanent sovereignty over the existing controlled areas.”

At the same time, we propose signing a ten-year non-aggression treaty.

“We are at war now,” King Setis sneered. “Do you want the Hashemite to become a traitor to the Arab world?”

“Let’s be realistic,” the Zion intelligence chief said bluntly. “You should be aware of the current situation; Surria is no match for us.”

As for Masr, they don't care about you Arab allies at all. Their only goal is to retake the Sinai Peninsula; everything else is irrelevant.

Mordecai Holon proudly declared: "The course of this war is already set. Zion will win the war just as it did eighteen months ago. It's just a matter of time."

King Setis lit a cigar, his eyes gleaming amidst the swirling smoke.

As one of the Arab frontline states bordering Zion, Hashim is actually one of the weakest in terms of military strength.

In addition, the loss of the west bank of the Hashim River (formerly Arafat territory) and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War severely damaged its military strength.

Therefore, in the Yom Kippur War, apart from openly supporting the Arab states' campaign against Zion, Hashim only sent an armored brigade to support Suriya, and did not put up much resistance himself.

The main reason is that they were too scared of being beaten and didn't have the strength to continue fighting.

"The winds have shifted, Your Majesty." Intelligence Chief Holon pushed a battle report over: "In another week, the conditions may not be so favorable."

Will you choose to continue sinking in the same boat as other Arab countries, or will you choose to become the true guardian of the Hashemite Empire?

King Setis's cigar hung in mid-air, its ash falling softly onto the Persian carpet.

Director Mordecai's lips curled into a smile; he knew all too well how this Third World king would choose.

In the "war for nation-building" in Zion twenty years ago, these sanctimonious countries came to support Arafat under the guise of aiding their "Arab brothers," but in the end, Masr occupied the Gaza Strip, and the Hashim seized East Jerusalem and large swathes of land on the west bank of the Hashim River.

For someone with a criminal record, betrayal is either zero times or countless times.

As expected, King Setis looked at the documents on the table and finally nodded slowly: "I agree."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, Lu Lin was unaware of the series of chain reactions that would result from his defeat of Garnam.

Okay, I know at least part of it.

The oil embargo was an important strategic element that Prince Mohammed had mentioned to him. If Arab countries wanted to completely defeat Zion, they could not rely solely on military strength; they also had to curb international aid to Zion.

After all, Zion is a country with a very small territory. Whether it is building up an army or developing military industry, it is difficult to spread it out on a large scale, and its war potential is very limited.

After waking up, he went to the airport in Ghanam to meet with envoys from home.

As soon as the plane landed, Lu Lin saw a man in a white robe get off the plane. The man smiled broadly when he saw Lu Lin and jogged over to him.

"Your Highness Amir, do you remember me?"

Lu Lin looked at him, noting his glasses and round face, and a vague recollection crossed her mind. "Are you the one who read the king's decree in Nukhsil before?"

"Oh, yes, it's me!" The man was overjoyed: "I didn't expect you to remember me! Congratulations, you've done another great service!"

After saying that, the man took out the parchment scroll. Seeing that Lu Lin did not react, he gave him a wink.

They still had to put on an act, so Lu Lin and Ibrahim bowed with one hand on their chests.

The man then began to read aloud the king's decree of commendation:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Merciful,
In the name of His Majesty the King of the Two Holy Lands and His Majesty Shams bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Protector of the Two Holy Lands.

Major General Amir bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Commander of the Northern Expeditionary Force, is commended for his outstanding tactical command and fearless fighting spirit in the Battle of Ghanam, which led his troops to defeat the main force of the Zion 45th Armored Brigade, liberate the strategic location of Ghanam, and completely cut off the supply line from Zion to the Kikurk oil field, giving the Arab coalition a significant strategic advantage.

He is hereby awarded the First Class 'Double-Edged Scimitar' Military Medal.

He also served as the interim governor of the Canam region, with full authority over military control, economic recovery, and resource allocation in the region until the end of the war.

May Major General Amir, in the name of Allah and with the glory of the two nations, continue to lead his troops in valiant fighting, living up to the trust placed in him by the Royal Family and the people.

October 11, 1393 AH.

Lu Lin felt like he had heard something incredible.

Governor-General?

After the man finished reading, he handed the parchment to Lu Lin.

Lu Lin: "Isn't there anything else?"

"Uh?" The man was a little confused by the question: "What are you talking about?"

"Nonsense, it's for supplies, of course!"

Lu Lin angrily said, "My artillery battalion needs shells, my soldiers need cigarettes and cola, and the tanks need spare parts and lubricant, but all you've sent me is a commendation order!"

The man was clearly at a loss for words; the person standing before him was no longer the noble young master from Nukoshir.

He was Shuangzhi's youngest border region commander since the founding of the nation, a general who earned real power through his own battle achievements.

Fortunately, Ibrahim came to the rescue, saying, "Alright, supplies aren't their responsibility, why make things difficult for a messenger?"

The man nodded repeatedly, "The general is right!"
Lu Lin snorted coldly, then waved his hand to indicate that he could leave.

The man felt like he had been granted a pardon and quickly boarded the plane, asking the captain to return to base.

“If you’re worried about the shells, we just looted some from the city. While we didn’t have your favorite 203mm shells, we did have quite a few 105mm and 122mm,” Ibrahim said. “Would you like me to help you gather them all together?”

“This is what’s giving me a headache right now,” Lu Lin said, raising the parchment scroll in his hand. “How am I supposed to explain this to my men and the guerrillas? Besides, I have absolutely no experience with this!”

Ibrahim adjusted his glasses: "If you're comfortable with this, just leave it to me."

This statement, though made casually, conveyed a sense of absolute certainty.

Lu Lin then remembered that before becoming his chief of staff, this guy was Prince Muhammad's capable secretary.

He immediately realized why the prince had sent Ibrahim to him.
Thinking of this, Lu Lin gasped. Could this have been part of your plan, Old Deng?

(End of this chapter)