Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1305 Telephone and Transactions

Baiji, oil refinery, command post.

The satellite phone's distinctive buzzing broke the silence of waiting.

Song Heping opened his eyes from the chair and glanced at the caller ID—a number that had been encrypted through multiple redirects, but he knew who was on the other end.

He didn't answer immediately, but let it ring five or six times, as if he had picked up the receiver casually after completing some insignificant task.

“This is the headquarters of ‘Musician’ Baigi.” His voice was flat.

"Mr. Song, I am Miller."

On the other end of the phone came Lieutenant General Miller's voice, which was trying to remain calm but still revealed a hint of tension.

This was a private satellite phone, but Song Heping answered it and said it was the "command center".

The meaning is self-evident.

“I think you should already be aware of the situation in the Titrick and Hurmatu directions,” he said.

“I’ve heard a little about it.” Song Heping’s tone was devoid of any emotion. “It’s regrettable to hear about Colonel Kurt. The situation in the war seems to be somewhat unfavorable.”

Miller decided to stop going around in circles, because time wouldn't allow him to.

"Yes, the situation is bad and very bad. Hurmatu is at great risk of falling. We need your help, Mr. Song. As an ally, you should send troops to help us stop the 1515 militants from occupying Hurmatu."

"ally?"

Song Heping repeated the word softly, and Miller's heart seemed to skip a beat on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, ally."

Miller affirmed, “Despite potential disagreements and misunderstandings between us, our interests are aligned on the common goal of combating extremist terrorism. The fall of Hurmatu to 1515 would be a disaster for everyone. We need your ground forces to intervene quickly, stabilize the Hurmatu defenses, or at least conduct effective flanking maneuvers and delay operations against 1515’s attacking forces. We can provide real-time satellite intelligence, aerial reconnaissance, and, if necessary, coordinate air support for your operations.”

The conditions were set out. Although for Song Heping, intelligence sharing was something he could partially obtain through other channels, and the coordination of air support was even more delicate, he did not point these out immediately.

He was silent for a few seconds, a brief silence that was extremely agonizing for Miller on the other end of the phone.

He had to make the other person feel this torment.

But you can't go too far.

Just like fishing, once a fish takes the bait, you can't pull the rod too hard, or the line will break; nor can you pull too slowly, or the fish will get away...

If Miller really turns against you, then this big fish will escape, which is not the outcome you want.

"The defenses of Hurmatu are weak, and 1515 is gaining momentum. If we send reinforcements from the front, my troops will suffer heavy casualties, and they may not be able to arrive in time."

Song Heping spoke slowly, his tone very cautious, as if he were weighing the pros and cons and making a difficult choice before making a decision.

"I need more effective strike points to disrupt their plans and shake their resolve."

"What are your plans?" Miller asked immediately, his tone filled with anticipation.

“I looked at the map, and the two places that are interesting are Tuz to the west of Titrick and Fayhat to the north.”

Song Heping bluntly stated, "The 1515 garrison in these two towns is currently weak, but their locations are crucial. Taking them would seriously threaten the flanks and supply lines of the 1515 main force attacking Hurmatu. If Ahmed does not want to be cut off and trapped under the walls of Hurmatu, he must return to reinforce, or at least divide his forces for defense, which would naturally frustrate the offensive."

Miller's team was clearly seeing people quickly checking the map and whispering among themselves.

Miller's voice rang out again soon, tinged with relief and a deeper sense of apprehension: "A very... ingenious flanking maneuver. It's certainly more effective than throwing yourself into the Hurmatu meat grinder. What support do you need?"

“My men will act together with our Persian friends.”

Song Heping took the opportunity to publicly reveal the "secret" of the Persian presence in northwestern Iligo.

Although everyone knew the truth before, no one said it out loud.

Now, Song Heping wants to take this opportunity to "normalize" it.

"I need your intelligence to confirm the garrison situation and defensive weaknesses of these two targets, and, once the attack begins, to pay close attention to the movements of any reinforcements that may be sent from Titrick and Mosul. As for air support... I hope you can respond promptly when my unit's markings are very clear and a clear request is made."

He did not request that the US military directly bomb the 1515 unit on the front of Hurmatu, as that would have brought complicated collateral damage and political problems, and would have easily exposed his deeper intentions.

"can!"

Miller agreed almost without hesitation.

Song Heping's plan sounded feasible, and the fact that it didn't immediately demand sensitive things like control of Hurmatu made him feel somewhat at ease.

"We will coordinate intelligence support immediately. Please keep this communication channel open. Mr. Song... Hurmatu, I'm counting on you."

“I will do my best to prevent 1515 from occupying Hurmatu and keep it under your control.”

Song Heping made a very precise promise—to prevent the occupation, rather than to ensure complete control or defeat of the enemy.

Miller may have noticed the subtlety of the situation, but he had no time to delve into it at the moment. "Thank you for your promise and help. Then it's settled. I will immediately convene a meeting and do my best to mobilize resources to assist you. Please keep in touch."

The phone hangs up.

Song Heping put down the receiver, his face expressionless, though a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.

He stood up and said to Jiang Feng, who had been waiting beside him, and Nassin, who had just been called back, "The time has come. Proceed according to plan."

The group then left the somewhat stuffy command post and came to a relatively open, hardened area within the refinery.

A somber atmosphere permeated the open space.

On the left are about three thousand soldiers from the Quds Force of the Persian Revolutionary Guard.

They were dressed in desert camouflage combat uniforms, well-equipped, with solemn expressions and a steadfastness akin to a religious mission.

Armored vehicles, modified pickup trucks, anti-tank missile launchers, and mortars are arranged in an orderly manner.

On the right are two reinforced battalions of the "Musician" defense company, totaling about 800 men.

The members came from diverse backgrounds, but all shared a high level of discipline, their eyes cold and professional. Their equipment was more "international" and modular, complete with heavy machine guns, sniper teams, drone control consoles, and communication relay vehicles. Jiang Feng stood at the head of the team, his posture ramrod straight.

Song Heping walked to a slightly elevated spot between the two groups of people. Without giving a passionate speech, his voice, transmitted clearly and calmly through a simple megaphone, reached everyone's ears:

"Mission objectives: Tuz and Fehat. The Persian Brigade will be responsible for Tuz, while the 'Musicians' Battalion 1 and 2 will be responsible for Fehat. Intelligence indicates that the garrison is small, but we cannot underestimate them. Our objective is a rapid assault to precisely destroy key resistance points, capture the high ground and transportation hubs on the outskirts of the town, and then immediately transition to defensive fortifications."

"This is not the end. The real test will begin after we take it. The main force of 1515 is likely to return to reinforce, so we must be prepared to fight a tough and difficult battle. Remember your training, trust your comrades, and obey the commander's orders."

"action!"

No unnecessary nonsense.

The order was given.

The two teams, like war machines wound up tightly, started instantly.

The roar of the engines merged into a deep sonic boom, and the tracks and wheels rolled over the ground, raising clouds of dust, splitting into two torrents of steel that rolled toward Tuz and Fehart.

Song Heping stood there, watching the dust settle in the distance, and whispered instructions to his adjutant beside him:

"Notify Samir to strengthen the blockade of the border crossings in Syria, paying particular attention to the Mosul direction. Tell the Baiji city defense forces to raise the alert level. Also, reconnect our backup communication channels with Moscow and Tehran... There are some situations that need to be communicated in advance."

　Third update! I'll cook first, then I'll release the fourth update later!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)