Spellcasting Gods

After saying that, Yelena pointed to a gray building ahead and said to the driver, "We've arrived! Park the car at the entrance! Remember, don't fire unless absolutely necessary, or you could easily cause a lot of trouble."

"More troublesome than fighting the Americans in Baghdad?" the fully armed driver grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

The reason the team left Baghdad so quickly was to avoid a large-scale search and manhunt by the US military.

Regardless, they delivered a resounding slap to the CIA and the U.S. military this time, and even went so far as to shoot down an Apache attack helicopter that came to provide support.

"Idiot! It's a different story! The CIA is a competitor and an enemy of our organization! The current rulers of Fallujah are our valued clients, understand?" Yelena rolled her eyes in annoyance, then pushed open the door and jumped out of the car, forcefully kicking open the tightly closed metal door.

Less than five seconds later, a robust woman wearing a white tank top, desert camouflage trousers, and brown military boots pushed open the door and came out, opening her arms to give her a warm hug: "Wow! My dear little darling, what brings you here?"

"Damn it! Let me go! You muscle monster!" Yelena struggled to push the other person away, quickly putting on a serious face, and whispered in his ear, "Not long ago, I was ambushed by the CIA in Baghdad! That woman may have betrayed us all!"

Chapter 0840 A Crazy Decision

"Betrayal? You mean Aimeila?!" The muscular woman, known as the muscle monster, frowned instinctively, her two blue eyes flashing with icy coldness.

Yelena nodded without hesitation: "Yes! It's her! After arriving in Baghdad, apart from a few soldiers who were ordered to come and rejoin me, she was the only one who knew my whereabouts. And according to reports, she has been out of contact ever since."

“Damn it! I knew this woman wasn’t trustworthy! She only joined us to steal more intelligence and then find a buyer who could afford it. But don’t worry, this is Fallujah, the CIA wouldn’t dare mess around here. As for the others, don’t worry. I believe they’ve all changed their identities and appearances and gone undercover according to plan after receiving the news. No one can find them.” As she spoke, the muscular woman gently patted Yelena’s shoulder.

Because of the significant difference in height and build between the two, the scene looked extremely awkward, as if one of them was an adult and the other a minor.

"No! You don't understand! This intelligence leak will hinder our plans in Iraq and delay deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars." Yelena rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Fortunately, Zarqawi recently placed another arms order, and it's quite large. Most of them are heavy weapons like RPG rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, explosives, landmines, and mortars, which should make up for some of the losses." The muscular woman shrugged helplessly.

"Heavy weapons? At this time! What about the US military? Have they made any moves recently?" Yelena seemed to realize something, and her expression changed drastically.

The muscular woman seemed to notice Yelena's intense reaction and quickly pulled out her phone to make a call. After a brief conversation, she immediately hung up, cursing through gritted teeth, "Damn it! That bastard Zarqawi actually hid the movements of the US military from us. No wonder he ordered so many heavy weapons, especially rocket launchers, sniper rifles, landmines, and explosives—it's for urban warfare. Latest news: the US 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is ready for battle and will be heading to Fallujah in a few days. We have to retreat now."

"Retreat? Why retreat?" Zhang Cheng asked, having somehow gotten out of the car and standing next to the two women.

"Are we just going to stay and wait to die if we don't retreat? Once urban warfare breaks out, the Americans won't care about civilian deaths. Any target they deem a threat or a potential threat will be blown to pieces by artillery shells, missiles, and bombers. At that point, there won't be anywhere safe in this city." The muscular woman gave her answer without hesitation.

It's clear that she was well aware of the intensity and brutality of urban warfare, which is why she made her choice immediately after receiving the news.

Zhang Cheng smiled and shook a finger gently: "No, no, no, the choice you're making now is only based on your own assessment of your strength, and it doesn't include me. In fact, not only do we not need to retreat, but we also need to teach these arrogant Americans a lesson and let them understand who the real controllers are on this land."

"What...what do you want to do?" Yelena's voice trembled slightly.

As someone who knew her boss's true identity all too well, she was acutely aware of how terrifying this seemingly harmless young man could be when he went berserk; it could easily become a world-shaking news story.

"Hahahaha! Of course, it's a game called reaping what you sow. Just imagine, if we secretly sold a US-made hydrogen bomb to Zarqawi, allowing him to wipe the First Marine Expeditionary Force off the map, how would the Americans react? Outrage? Launch a full-scale war? Or tremble in fear? Just imagining it is exciting." Zhang Cheng laughed unrestrainedly, his eyes revealing a chillingly crazed glint.

Based on the deciphering of the map by several experts and professors, it has been basically determined that the seal is located somewhere within the city of Fallujah.

Therefore, he would not allow the American army to wage a brutal street battle in this ancient city, which would destroy too much and make it exponentially more difficult to find the entrance.

After all, there are traces of human habitation here dating back to ancient Babylonian times, and the word "Fallujah" itself means "branch" in Syriac, because the Euphrates River branched out here thousands of years ago.

"My God! Are you crazy?"

The muscular woman was undoubtedly terrified by this reckless and reckless madness. She turned to stare at Yelena, as if asking, "Where did this lunatic come from?"

"I need to make a phone call!" Yelena ignored the muscular woman, took out her phone with a serious expression, and directly contacted the underground base on the deserted island in the Pacific Ocean.

In the blink of an eye, Leonid's figure appeared on the screen, asking impatiently, "What happened now? Didn't I tell you that you are fully in charge of the Iraq situation and don't need to report to me anymore?"

“I’m sorry, Chief, something unexpected happened. He… he wanted to sell Zarqawi a hydrogen bomb…” Yelena’s lips twitched as she gave the reason.

"Wh...what?! Repeat that again!" Leonid could no longer remain calm and jumped up from his chair.

"Give me the phone, I'll do the talking." Zhang Cheng snatched the phone from Yelena's hand and explained directly, "Those American soldiers are too much of a nuisance. I want to get rid of them and, incidentally, help you make a name for yourself. What do you think?"

“But…but that’s a nuclear weapon!” Leonid licked his lips nervously.

I couldn't help but be nervous!

Since the deafening atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the continuous upgrading of nuclear weapons by the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, during the Cold War, with yields ranging from tens of thousands of tons to a staggering fifty million tons, the entire human society has inevitably developed a "nuclear phobia."

No one knows what the consequences of detonating a nuclear warhead in a real war would be, especially when it is used on the head of the United States, currently the world's only superpower.

"Relax, don't be so tense."

The world is far more complex than you imagine, and the United States is not as powerful as you think.

In fact, I could have resolved this matter in a much more moderate way, such as by using my influence to get the U.S. military to postpone the attack plan.

The problem is that this approach is too cumbersome and fails to have a deterrent effect.

You must understand that if you want to stand at the top and become a player, bloodshed, destruction, and death are indispensable.

Try to think about this: if the Soviet Union had been more assertive during the Cuban Missile Crisis, would the United States have really dared to wage a nuclear war regardless of the cost?

Would those Wall Street banks that control American finance, with their powerful capital, allow everything they've worked so hard to build to vanish into thin air?

Do not!

will not!

This time, I will expose their humility and weakness to the whole world!

As he uttered the last word, Zhang Cheng took out a thermonuclear warhead that had been shrunk countless times by magic and placed it directly at the front door of the house.

Chapter 0841 Big Business

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a high-ranking al-Qaeda leader who was once wanted by the United States with a $10 million bounty, and whose price has risen steadily since the capture of Fallujah, now reaching $25 million, is enough to drive all the mercenaries in Iraq crazy.

Unfortunately, no one has been able to claim this large reward so far.

Despite being a cripple with only one leg, he repeatedly evaded the tracking and capture of professional intelligence organizations, including the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, and rapidly grew in strength within a few years, gathering a large number of extreme and fanatical religious militants willing to sacrifice their lives for the so-called "jihad."

But today, he no longer displayed the confidence and composure he usually showed in front of his subordinates. Instead, he frowned and stared intently at the military map hanging on the wall.

The reason is very simple!

In preparation for the Iraqi general elections to be held in January 2005, the United States finally decided to launch a military operation to completely remove Fallujah, a thorn in the side less than 80 kilometers from the capital Baghdad.

Intelligence indicates that the opposing force, including US, British, and Iraqi government troops, deployed a total of 15,000 personnel, equipped with the world's most advanced tanks, heavy artillery, armored vehicles, and air support—a classic case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It should be noted that Zarqawi can only mobilize about 5,000 armed personnel in Fallujah right now, most of whom are only armed with light firearms and have very few explosives, landmines and RPG rocket launchers.

On paper, the difference in strength between the two sides is like heaven and earth.

Holding Fallujah under these circumstances is almost an impossible task, so he is considering a withdrawal, leaving about half of his men to fight a fierce urban battle with the US military, while the rest will preserve their strength and wait for an opportunity to make a comeback.

In any case, in the Middle East, which is Islamic land, any external invading force will eventually be defeated; it's just a matter of time.

Just as Zarqawi was considering letting those men go and keeping the others, a man with a thick beard rushed in from outside, shouting, "Boss! That infidel woman who supplied us with weapons last time is here again! She says she has something very important to discuss with you immediately."

"You mean Bertha?" Zakawi quickly pictured a very muscular woman in his mind.

As the leader of an internationally wanted terrorist organization, he was well aware that there were very few arms dealers willing to take the huge risks to provide him with weapons and ammunition, and this particular company happened to be one of them, providing the most scarce heavy weapons.

“Yes! Also, she drove a fully enclosed truck and wouldn’t let us inspect it, saying she had a big business deal to discuss with you.” The bearded man quickly nodded in affirmation.

“I love big business! What are we waiting for? Take me there now. Maybe this deal can teach those arrogant Americans a lesson.”

After saying that, Zarqawi suddenly stood up from his seat, his eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation.

He believed that if they could acquire enough heavy weapons, even if they left only half their manpower, they could still kill enough American soldiers in urban warfare.

……

Meanwhile, the muscular woman known as Bertha was sitting in the driver's seat of a fully enclosed truck, asking in a somewhat uncertain tone, "Are you sure you really want to sell this thing to an extremist terrorist? He's a real lunatic!"

"Why not? Don't you hate those nosy Americans?" Zhang Cheng asked with a half-smile.

“That’s not what you mean! Nobody in the world, except the Americans themselves, doesn’t hate them. But the problem is, hate is hate, but if a nuclear warhead were to be dropped on their heads, the entire world political situation would be violently shaken, or even plunged into chaos,” Bertha reminded her, frowning.

"Isn't chaos better? The more chaotic the situation, the easier it is for the organization to grow and infiltrate and control more areas. Remember, only when the existing order is broken will the various resources on this planet quickly enter the redistribution process. Otherwise, it can only tear apart its competitors bit by bit and use their flesh and blood to slowly grow itself. If it doesn't even have the courage to start a movement that breaks the existing political structure, what value does the organization have?"

As he spoke these words, Zhang Cheng's eyes revealed an incredibly deep light, like a bottomless pool of water.

Just as Bertha was about to argue, Zarqawi and his men finally came out of the house, laughing and greeting her, "Hahaha! Good afternoon, madam! I heard you have a big business deal to discuss with me? Tell me, what good stuff have you brought this time?"

“Believe me! You’ll be shocked when you see it! I promise!” Bertha said as she jumped out of the car, opened the trunk, and revealed the thermonuclear warhead inside.

"This...this is?!" Zarqawi's pupils contracted sharply when he saw this thing, and his face showed an expression of extreme horror.

It is important to know that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, a large number of nuclear weapons from Eastern Europe flooded into the black market. Some were dismantled into weapons-grade enriched nuclear materials, while others were sold as a whole package. Therefore, this terrorist leader was no stranger to this.

However, as time goes by, most nuclear materials gradually lose their value, especially hydrogen bomb warheads, which have a relatively short shelf life.

But now, a brand-new, high-yield hydrogen bomb warhead suddenly appeared in front of him, giving him an involuntary feeling of disbelief.

Bertha gently patted the massive bomb inside the truck and introduced it in a highly professional tone: "Mk-41, the largest mass-produced hydrogen bomb in the United States, with an explosive yield of over 20 million tons of TNT. So, do you like this item?"

"Oh, Almighty God! Where did you get this? Is it still usable?" Zarqawi asked excitedly, clutching his wildly beating heart.

"No problem! As long as you can afford the price, I'll give you a password. Enter it, press the button, and everything within a 25-kilometer radius will be reduced to nothing. Even people 70 kilometers away will suffer second-degree burns. Nothing can survive such an explosion, not even the supposedly most powerful US military in the world." Zhang Cheng had also left the cockpit at some point, a devilish smile on his face.

Having personally initiated a thermonuclear war that swept the world, he undoubtedly understood the destructive power of nuclear warheads of various yields better than anyone else.

"How much money would it cost to buy it?" Zarqawi's breathing suddenly became rapid, and his eyes flashed with an insane light.

“One hundred million dollars! For just one hundred million dollars, or the equivalent in gold, you can get the detonation code immediately. In addition, there is one small condition: I need you to mobilize your people to help me find some interesting things in this city.”

"make a deal!"

"You are such a generous and straightforward customer! I wish us a pleasant cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"

……

Chapter 0842 The Light of Nuclear Peace

“Ibrahim! Remember! You are a warrior of Allah! Do not be afraid! Do not be terrified! Just do as I teach you, and you will kill thousands of American soldiers and cripple those damned invaders. Then your soul can go to heaven and enjoy the supreme glory that Allah bestows upon you…”

Sitting in the back of the truck carrying the nuclear warheads, the young man with a full beard recalled the words Zarqawi had spoken to him before his departure. His heart was filled with fervent religious faith, and he was willing to give everything for it.

Just as he was holding the note and staring intently at the keypad on the side of the nuclear warhead where the code was entered, the latch panel in the driver's cab was suddenly pulled open, and the other young man driving shouted a warning: "Quick! Get ready! I can already see the American convoy. As soon as you hear gunfire, don't hesitate, proceed according to plan immediately."

“Understood! Don’t worry! I’m all prepared!” Ibrahim assured him firmly.

"Allahubarak!"

"Allahubarak!"

……