Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1308 Temporary Calm

In the town of Tuz, Nassin breathed a long sigh of relief as he watched the 1515th Regiment retreat like a tide through his binoculars.

His uniform had a slit on the left shoulder from a stray bullet, and the blood that had seeped out had already dried.

Throughout the morning, the Quds Force suffered more than 200 casualties, with one-third of its company-level officers either killed or wounded.

If the fighting continues, the defensive line could really be breached.

"They've retreated, Commander."

The adjutant's voice carried a sense of relief at surviving a close call.

Nassin frowned: "The retreat was too orderly... It doesn't look like they were repelled by us."

After a moment's thought, he ordered, "Get Song Heping here immediately."

A few minutes later, the radio connected to the Baiji command post.

“Song, 1515 has retreated, but I feel something is wrong,” Nassin said directly.

Song Heping's voice came through the receiver, his tone calm as usual: "They received news that Titrick had been attacked, so of course they had to retreat, otherwise their base would be gone."

Nassin paused for a moment, then suddenly realized: "I see... So you planned this from the very beginning?"

"Plans can never keep up with changes; it's just a matter of having a few backup plans."

Song Heping said calmly, "Hurry up and consolidate your defenses, treat the wounded, and tally the battle losses. There shouldn't be any large-scale attacks in the next few days, but we still need to be on guard; no one knows what might happen."

"What about Tetrick..."

"I will make Abuyu retreat. Once the objective is achieved, Ahmed's main force will return to reinforce, and the two sides will not even have a chance to meet."

Song Heping paused for a moment, then said:

"This is exactly the result we wanted."

After hanging up the communication, Nassin stood in front of the command post window, which was riddled with bullet holes, and looked at the dust raised by the retreating 1515 unit in the distance. His awe of Song Heping deepened.

The same dialogue also took place in the town of Fayhat.

After listening to Song Heping's explanation, Jiang Feng only said one sentence: "Old squad leader, you always think three steps ahead of your opponent when playing chess."

“Not three steps,” Song Heping chuckled on the other end of the phone, “but at least three steps to consider how your opponent will think of you.”

With the failure of Operation Balance Beam and the withdrawal of the main armed forces of 1515 to Titrick, the battle situation in northwestern Iriego suddenly entered a delicate period of calm.

The overall situation is gradually becoming clearer:

Song Heping's forces firmly control a key area centered on Baiji, radiating to western Mosul and parts of Kirkuk.

Through the border crossings controlled by Samir, the land route between Siria and Ilig is firmly in his grasp.

The 1515 armed group was effectively divided into two parts: the main force in the east centered on Siljaraq, and the Ahmed faction based in the Iligoti-Trik-Ozam region.

Although both parts were under Bakdadi's leadership, they were geographically separated, making mutual support of troops and supplies extremely difficult.

Thunder Defence and its American-backed Iligor government forces and Qord militants control key areas of the Kurdistan Region, including Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, as well as the central provinces surrounding Baghdad.

After Colonel Kurt's disastrous "Operation Balance Beam," they also gave up and abandoned their ambition to launch a large-scale offensive against the occupied 1515 area.

A fragile and unpredictable strategic balance has emerged. (Map attached)

Any party that tries to disrupt this balance will face joint countermeasures from the other two or more parties.

The key to breaking this deadlock lies in Song Heping's hands.

However, Song Heping did not seem to be in a hurry to fight the 1515 armed forces. Instead, he focused on developing his power and consolidating his defenses in his own territory.

Two weeks later, at the Baiji refinery.

After round-the-clock repairs, this industrial behemoth, which was almost destroyed in the fierce battle, has partially recovered. The cracking tower is once again spewing out white steam, and crude oil transported from the direction of Kirkuk is continuously entering the plant area, with black gold flowing through the oil pipelines once again.

Although production capacity has only recovered to 40% of pre-war levels, it is already a miracle.

Song Heping and Afanti walked side by side on the main road in the center of the factory area, followed by a group of guards.

"incredible."

Nasreddin, the powerful figure in the intelligence department of the Persian Revolutionary Guard, shook his head and sighed, “The last time I came here, this place was still a ruin. Now… it reminds me of the Persian proverb, ‘A palace built overnight in the desert.’”

Song Heping smiled slightly: "As long as you're willing to spend the money, you can build a ski resort even in the desert. Stable employment and generous income are more likely to win people's hearts than any slogan."

Afanti nodded in agreement, then changed the subject: "Now it's not just Baiji, the entire western route of Iligo bordering Siria is open. From Ahvaz to Deir ez-Zor, and then to Baiji, there are now hundreds of trucks running on this road every day."

He was referring to the "Shia Crescent," which Shia forces have long dreamed of.

The land route from Persia through Iligo to Syria, and finally to the Mediterranean.

In the past few years, this passage was initially controlled by the Americans in the Iligo section, but was later blocked by the 1515 armed group.

Now, with control of Baiji and western Mosul falling into Song Heping's hands, the final piece of the puzzle is finally complete.

“Our supplies and personnel can now enter eastern Syria without hindrance.” Afanti lowered his voice. “President Hafez’s forces are under great pressure in the Deir ez-Zor direction. If this passage is not opened, he will be in a difficult situation.”

Song Heping understood what Afanti meant.

Through this route, Persia could directly transport weapons, ammunition, and volunteers that would otherwise have had to be transported by sea or air to the Sirian government forces.

In the long run, Afanti's ultimate goal was to be able to transport supplies through Celia to places like Libanon, and even into the Kassa region.

“Amad will not stand idly by.”

Song Heping cautioned, "Although he is currently caught between us and the Kold'd, he still has nearly 20,000 troops at his disposal. If the situation in the Raqqa region becomes critical, he might risk a breakout towards the Sirian border in an attempt to re-establish contact with Raqqa."

"That's why we need to maintain pressure."

A sharp glint flashed in Afanti's eyes. "Nassr's Holy City Brigade will continue to strengthen its defenses in Tuz and Fahit, and I will also send three thousand men to help. In addition... Tehran has agreed to your previous proposal and can provide Samir's 'Liberation Forces' with equipment for two battalions—including thirty armored vehicles and matching anti-tank missiles."

This is an important signal.

Having seen the tangible benefits and effects, the Persians stopped making empty promises and began to provide real money, now substantially arming the local forces of Ilig.

“Samir will appreciate this support,” Song Heping said. “His troops are currently under great pressure, controlling a border stretching over 400 kilometers. With this equipment, he can better control the passage and expand his forces.”

The two stopped at a repaired oil storage tank.

Afanti took out a pack of Persian cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Song Heping, who shook his head.

He smiled and lit a cigarette for himself.

"Song, there's something I have to say."

Afanti exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression turning serious. "The power you wield now... is already keeping many people up at night. Tehran has it, Moscow has it, and of course... Washington has it even more."

Song Heping waited silently for what would happen next.

“Especially the Americans, they won’t accept defeat,” Afanti continued. “Curt is dead, but they’ll send someone even more formidable. Next time, they might not choose direct military confrontation, but rather…”

“Political tactics? Divide and conquer? Assassination?” Song Heping replied calmly. “I know. I guess they’ll invite me to Bakhta soon.”

"You really dare to go?" Afanti looked at him in surprise: "Now? The situation is not entirely stable yet..."

“It is precisely because of this instability that I must go,” Song Heping said. “I want to hear what the Americans have to say now. I also want to see some… old friends.”

　Second update!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)