Chapter 1972 - 1436: Impenetrable Trap

Robbin's words were like a stone thrown into calm water, stirring waves in Lemont's heart.

He froze for a moment, then quickly understood the deeper meaning.

"You mean... Song Heping's transaction this time is only for that batch of 'ordinary' equipment?" Lemont asked, "And for the sensitive equipment valued at 300 million dollars, does he have other plans?"

Robbin stood up and walked back to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside, Baghdad's noontime sun was blazing, casting sharp shadows on the buildings of the Green Zone.

This city always swayed between light and shadow, much like the game they were playing.

"Think about it," Robbin said as he turned his back to Lemont, his voice calm and analytical, "Song Heping isn't a fool. The fact that he can get the rights to dispose of this equipment from the Pentagon indicates he has some connections in Washington. Someone like that surely understands the restrictions of the Arms Trade Treaty and knows how many procedures it takes to transfer a Stinger missile to Iligo."

He turned around, his eyes sharp, "If he really intended to handle all the equipment to the Iligo Ministry of Defense in one go, why wouldn't he ship all the containers to Mosul? Why only three trucks? Lemont, what did your intelligence say was inside those containers?"

Lemont quickly skimmed the brief: "Light weapons, night vision gear, individual communication devices... all urgently needed by Iligo's Special Forces, but not considered 'highly sensitive' equipment."

"Exactly." Robbin nodded, "He's essentially an arms dealer. AK-74 assault rifles, PKM machine guns, PSO-1 sights—these can all be bought on Iligo's black market, just that their quality and origins aren't as good as the US Army's current inventory weapons. But the Javelin anti-tank system, Stinger anti-aircraft missile, AN/PSQ-20 enhanced night vision goggles... these are truly sensitive equipment, the part we AAFES are genuinely interested in."

Lemont felt like a student being led by a teacher to solve a complex puzzle.

He was experienced in intelligence, but in this multi-layered legal-commercial game, Robbin was indeed the master.

"So Song Heping's plan is in two steps." Lemont organized his thoughts, "Step one, use the equipment to establish trust with Safar, opening up a fast track with the Ministry of Defense through him. Step two, once the channel is solid, gradually handle the sensitive equipment?"

"More precisely." Robbin corrected, "He intends to use the transaction of ordinary equipment as a cover to establish a legal arms transfer channel in Iligo. Once this channel is officially recognized, subsequent transactions of sensitive equipment will be much easier. Moreover..."

Robbin paused, walked to the map of the Middle East on the wall, and pointed his finger at the junction of Iligo with Siria and Persia.

"Furthermore, if everyone believes that these arms were sold to the Iligo Ministry of Defense through 'legal channels,' then if any sensitive equipment 'leaks' to other directions, the responsibility no longer falls on Song Heping. He can claim to have already completed the end-user verification, placing the blame on the Iligo government's lack of oversight. Such things have happened before in Iligo, right?"

Lemont recalled a scandal from three years ago.

At the time, a batch of US-made M4 carbines was transferred to Iligo's anti-terrorism force through legal channels, but six months later, they ended up in the hands of the Syrian opposition forces. The investigation eventually went unresolved, with all parties shirking responsibility.

"If that's the case," Lemont said, with a hint of excitement in his voice, "then we have a double opportunity. On one hand, we can monitor the transaction process of the ordinary equipment, looking for procedural loopholes. On the other hand, we have to keep a close eye on the whereabouts of those sensitive pieces of equipment."

Robbin nodded approvingly but remained serious: "Correct, but not deep enough. We need to develop a layered response strategy."

He walked back to the desk, took a black leather notebook from the drawer, and flipped it to a certain page.

Lemont noticed that the writing in the notebook was neat and compact, structured as clearly as a military operation plan.

"First layer." Robbin began explaining, "If Song Heping violates the procedure in the transaction of ordinary equipment, such as bribing Safar to skip the necessary review, we can immediately report it to the Pentagon. This will not only terminate the transaction but could also result in Song Heping losing subsequent rights to dispose of the equipment."

"Second layer." He continued, "If the transaction of ordinary equipment appears legal on the surface, but we find any signs of malpractice, such as document forgery or false end-user declarations, we can leverage higher powers to prompt Congress to initiate a hearing process, freezing the entire transaction chain. The Iligo Government, for its self-preservation, is very likely to cooperate with us."

Lemont interjected: "What if Song Heping keeps the sensitive equipment for his handling?"

Robbin smiled, a smile like a hunter watching prey walk into a trap: "That's the third layer, and also the most interesting. If the sensitive equipment isn't included in this transaction, it means Song Heping has other plans. And those plans... often leave more traces than legal transactions."

Lemont's mind raced.

He began to understand Robbin's complete strategy. This wasn't just about blocking a transaction but weaving a vast net in which Song Heping would be caught no matter which path he took.

"We need to enhance monitoring of several key nodes." Lemont said, "First, the storage location of those sensitive pieces of equipment. Song Heping can't leave them in Iligo; he must be transporting them elsewhere, to sell abroad."

Robbin nodded in agreement: "My analysis team believes he will certainly first move the equipment to Hulmatu or the Kold Autonomous Region, then use an established arms smuggling network to transfer the equipment to Turkey or Siria, and then reroute them elsewhere."