Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 112 What the People Want

An M151 jeep, kicking up clouds of dust, drove up. From its appearance, this military jeep imported from the United States looked like a large slipper. Because it was prone to tipping over when turning at high speeds, the soldiers of the United States even gave it the nickname "washing machine."

(M151 military light jeep)
After the jeep came to a stop, Tamiya got out of the passenger seat and immediately saw the body of Deputy Secretary-General Al-Irag on the ground. She then asked Lu Lin, "Did you do this?"

Lu Lin nodded.

Tamiya sighed, "You acted impulsively. He's the deputy secretary-general of Al-Irag, after all. You could have at least detained him."

Lu Lin shrugged: "I couldn't help it."

Just then, an officer from Al-Irag suddenly jumped out, pointed at Lu Lin, and shouted, "What you're doing is against the rules! You're completely disregarding Al-Irag!"

Tamiya slowly turned his head, glancing at the audacious officer out of the corner of his eye, before speaking slowly and deliberately: "What do you mean? Execute a deserter?"

The officer was momentarily speechless, his momentum weakening slightly: "He's not a deserter."

“If he wasn’t a deserter,” Tamille stepped closer, “why didn’t he die on the defensive lines outside the city, but instead died on the way back?”

Lu Lin then noticed that Tai Miye was actually quite strong, standing there like a small mountain. In comparison, among his subordinates, Tai Miye seemed to be the weakest.

The officer from Al-Iraq was rendered speechless by the questioning, but Tamiel clearly had no intention of giving up. He narrowed his eyes and said, "If he's not a deserter, there's only one other possibility—he's a spy sent by Zion!"

Upon hearing this, all the officers in Al-Ilag changed their expressions.

Who would dare take on this charge?
“Write this down,” Tamiya instructed Ulima behind him. “Adi ibn Atiyah, the deputy secretary-general of Al-Ilag, has been executed immediately according to military law for deserting in fear of the enemy.”

That's how the matter was defined.

Then Lu Lin looked at Ahmed, whose marker had changed from white to green. Not only him, but all the guerrillas in the city had suddenly become his troops.

Lu Lin didn't really understand the principle behind it, but he still chose to trust the marking function of the Eagle Perspective, and since that was the case, he should be granted the corresponding military rank.

“I am prepared to confer it upon you,” Lu Lin said to Ahmed, then turned to Ibrahim, asking with his eyes the highest military rank he could bestow upon him.

Ibrahim immediately understood and added, "Major generals can usually be awarded ranks of captain and below, while majors and above require approval from the army group or the Ministry of Defense."

Army Group? Aren't I the commander of an army group?

After a brief moment of thought, Lu Lin announced, "Then I will grant you the rank of lieutenant colonel." He paused, then added, "and give you the organization of a mechanized infantry battalion. You will be responsible for recruiting personnel from the guerrillas."

"Yes!" Ahmed immediately knelt down before Lu Lin after hearing this.

Lu Lin was immediately a little embarrassed: "No need to kneel, we don't do that."

"Huh?" Ahmed was also taken aback, scratching his head awkwardly. "I thought all monarchies were like this."

He stood up, initially thinking it was his mistake, but then noticed several high-ranking officers from Shuangzhi looking at him with approval.

"I have high hopes for you." Tammy patted him on the shoulder affectionately.

As for the armored brigade recently acquired from Al-Iraq, which consisted entirely of T-62 tanks, Lu Lin planned to dismantle it. Half of his tank crews had lost their vehicles. The T-62 used the T-54's single-lever control system, which was exactly what Lu Lin's tank crews were training with; normal operation and firing shouldn't be a major problem.

The only flaw was the heavy artillery brigade. The equipment systems of the United States and Ant were not compatible. Whether it was ammunition or various parts, they were completely different standards. For example, the United States' M109 howitzer fired 155mm shells, while Ant, which was of the same level, used 152mm shells. This required a redistribution of the command system.

However, these are not major problems. Lu Lin said, "Let's go back, we don't have much time left."

The group boarded military jeeps again and returned to the command post.

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.

As the jeep rolled over the broken streets, Lu Lin noticed that people were gradually gathering on the roadside. They didn't cheer or push; they just stood quietly on both sides, their eyes following the convoy.

The windows on both sides opened one after another. A girl peeked out from inside, but then shrank back when she saw him. A few seconds later, more heads popped out, like rows of silhouettes.

On the street, women wore headscarves, men wore faded robes, and children peeked out timidly from behind their parents, their fingers tightly gripping the hem of their clothes, their eyes clear and focused.

An old man stood at the back of the crowd, holding a bowl of water in his hands. When he saw Lu Lin, he did not offer it to him, but simply raised it slightly, as if offering a silent blessing.

"It seems they are very grateful to you."

Looking out the window from the passenger seat, Taimiye said with a touch of emotion, "All my efforts to persuade you are no match for the determination you made in one go."

Fahd instinctively slowed down, but then heard Lu Lin say, "Keep going."

So the car picked up speed again, kicking up even more dust.

Several children clutched wildflowers in their hands, wanting to approach but too afraid. In the end, they simply tossed them far away toward the jeep, the petals falling to the ground and being run over by the wheels.

At the street corner, several guerrillas were resting against a mottled brick wall. When they saw Lu Lin's car drive by, they all stood up. Although no one spoke, the respect in their eyes was self-evident.

As the motorcade drove toward the city center, the crowd grew denser, and then a clear voice came over the loudspeaker announcing the royal appointment of Lu Lin as governor.

"Did you come up with this idea?" Lu Lin asked, looking at Taimiye.

He seemed to have figured it out a bit: why all the signs in the city had suddenly turned green.

"Anyway, you were originally appointed governor by the royal family, so it was only a matter of time before you told them."

Taimiye shrugged: "Besides, we always have to do something at times like this. If people's hearts are scattered, everything is over."

Outside the car window, some people were holding earthenware jars, and others were holding fruit. They just stood there, saying nothing, but their presence spoke volumes.

Looking at those rough hands and tired yet bright eyes, Lu Lin suddenly remembered a sentence he had read a long time ago:

"What is the real fortress of bronze and iron? It is the masses, the hearts of millions who sincerely support the revolution."

　There's another long chapter coming up later. Ah, when will I be able to get back to my normal morning update schedule?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)