Chapter 1965 - 1433: Key Figure (2)

He paused, thinking.

"But on the flip side, if this is a genuine invitation from the White House, my refusal or delay could also lead to problems. That arms agreement was signed with the White House, and if I don't cooperate with the follow-up procedures, they have every reason to freeze or even cancel the agreement."

A dilemma.

Going might be walking into a trap.

Not going might mean losing the biggest support.

Song Heping closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, calm and decisive once more.

"Prepare two plans," he said to Jiang Feng: "First, handle the arms as per the original plan. Accelerate the transaction with the Ministry of Defense and complete the handover within a week. Second, prepare my trip to Washington. But during my absence, maintain the highest alert status here. You'll personally oversee in Mosul, keep close contact with Yusuf, and have Samir's troops and Abu You's armed forces enter a combat-ready state."

"Understood," Jiang Feng nodded: "But if Robbin acts while you're in Washington..."

"Then let them act," Song Heping's lips curled into a cold smile: "If they think my departure gives them free rein, they are gravely mistaken. Remember this: if any 'accident' happens while I'm away, don't hesitate to retaliate in the harshest manner. The target isn't Black Water or Sparta's subsidiary, but Robbin himself, take him out directly..."

"I'll be prepared," Jiang Feng said: "Worst case, we can always retreat to Africa if things become untenable here."

Song Heping walked to the armory, opened the cabinet door, and looked at the neatly arranged weapons inside.

Pistols, rifles, sniper rifles, explosives...

Every piece was well-maintained and ready for immediate use.

His fingers brushed over the body of an HK416, feeling the coldness of the metal through his fingertips.

"There's one more thing," he said, his back to Jiang Feng: "Before I go to Washington, I need to do something first."

"What is it?"

"Meet someone." Song Heping closed the cabinet, turned around and said: "Yusuf once mentioned that Defense Minister Rahim has a nephew who is in charge of a Special Forces unit in Mosul. That unit has been facing equipment shortages and lagging in training. Arrange for me to personally deliver a batch of equipment there early tomorrow morning: rifles, machine guns, night-vision devices, and send two instructors to assist with training for a week."

Jiang Feng paused before realizing: "You're looking to strengthen ties with Rahim."

"Not just that," Song Heping said: "I want Robbin to know that in Illigo, I'm not just surrounded by enemies. I also have friends, and they're quite significant friends. If he really wants to make a move, he'd better think carefully about the consequences of offending the Defense Minister."

He walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and circled Rahim's name, drawing a line connecting to his own name.

"It's a multi-level game, Jiang Feng," he said softly, as if speaking to himself: "Robbin, Lemont, CIA, the White House, the Illigo government... everyone is playing a game of chess. Our task is not to win every match but to ensure we're still on the board when the game ends."

He put down the pen.

Outside the window, the night in Baghdad deepened.

But dawn will always come.

And before dawn, there is still a long way to go.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn.

As Baghdad's dawn barely pierced through the night sky, two bulletproof SUVs departed from the Green Zone, heading toward Mosul.

Outside, the city, scarred by war, remained asleep.

"Old squad leader, we've passed the second checkpoint," Jiang Feng, in the front passenger seat, turned to report: "When we reach the fourth checkpoint, General Samir's men will be there to meet us."

Song Heping grunted in acknowledgment, his gaze never leaving the barren landscape outside the window.

He was all too familiar with this land.

When he first set foot in Illigo, he entered from the Kuwaiti border, traveling north through this expanse known to the US Army as the "Highway of Death."

He was then just a small merchant selling sundries, praying daily not to encounter IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).

Now, over a decade later, much has changed; the once-small merchant now stands as a player on the edge of the board in Illigo and across the Middle East.

How things change over the years.

Life truly is a fascinating journey.

But for the man he is today, time is his most scarce resource.

Seven days, 168 hours, to complete a multi-billion US Dollar arms transfer within the bureaucratic quagmire of Illigo.

This isn't business; it's a war, against not armed insurgents with AKs, but bureaucrats in air-conditioned offices, corporate giants looming in the shadows, and "allies" who calculate their betrayals even as they shake hands with a smile.

"Jiang Feng, did you speak with Henry?" Song Heping suddenly asked.

"We spoke last night." Jiang Feng glanced at him in the rearview mirror: "Henry sent over Safar's complete dossier."

"Tell me."

As the vehicle traversed a bumpy stretch, Jiang Feng skillfully steadied the wheel, beginning to recite the key information:

"Safar Al-Rahim, thirty-two years old, born into a military family in Baghdad. His grandfather was a Lieutenant General in the army during the previous regime, and his father Jamal al-Rahim served as the Commander of the Third Armored Division of the Republican Guard in the 1990s. After the 2003 US invasion, most senior officers were purged, but Jamal managed to retain some family influence through deft political maneuvering and became an advisor at the Ministry of Defense during the transitional government period."