Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1313 Baige's Waiting and Planning
It was already afternoon when we got back to Baiji.

As the refinery's repair work progressed rapidly, some equipment has been put back into operation, and black crude oil is flowing through the repaired pipelines to the cracking tower, with the roar of machinery returning to the plant area.

Song Heping went straight to the command post without taking a break.

Jiang Feng and several staff officers are analyzing the latest reconnaissance report.

"Old squad leader, you're back." Jiang Feng greeted him. "What did the Americans say?"

"The newly arrived Major General Duke said he needs to consult the Pentagon before making a decision; he needs time." Song Heping took off his coat, walked to the map, glanced at the icons on it, and asked, "What's going on with Ahmed?"

“It’s very quiet.” Jiang Feng pointed to Titrick’s location on the map. “Our drones have been monitoring it. Unit 1515 has redeployed around Titrick and built fortifications, but there’s no sign of large-scale mobilization. However…”

"But what?"

"After the border crossings in the Mosul direction were blocked by Samirka, we monitored the opening of a new supply line in 1515."

Jiang Feng's finger moved across the map, starting from the town of Gaim on the border of Syria, along the east bank of the Euphrates River, all the way to Lake Celsar.

“They transported the supplies across the river from here, then loaded them onto trucks and headed north, bypassing our surveillance area. Although this route is longer, it is more concealed and avoids the mountains, making it suitable for transporting heavy equipment.”

Song Heping stared at the route, his brows furrowing slightly: "How long is this route?"

“The land route is about 200 kilometers, and with the waterway, the total transport distance exceeds 500 kilometers,” Jiang Feng said. “It’s not very efficient, but it can indeed maintain the supply of the Titrick 1515 unit. Moreover, if they establish a transit station along the shore of Lake Selsar, they may try to open up a more direct land route in the future.”

“Amad isn’t stupid; he’ll definitely find a way to survive.” Song Heping pondered for a moment. “Inform Samir to intensify reconnaissance on the east bank of the Euphrates, but don’t alert them.”

"Understood." Jiang Feng recorded the order, then asked, "What about Hurmatu? Will Duke really hand over the defense to us?"

"Yes, but we can't accept it yet," Song Heping said with a smile. "The Americans haven't accepted my conditions yet, so we'll hold back until then. By the way, have Tuz and Fahart's troops withdrawn?"

"As per your orders, the evacuation began yesterday and should be completed by noon today."

Jiang Feng was puzzled. "Old squad leader, I don't understand. We finally managed to take these two places, why should we give them up? Although the defensive pressure is high, with the Persians cooperating, we should be able to hold them."

Song Heping did not answer directly, but instead asked, "If you were Ahmed, what would you think if you saw us suddenly abandon Tuz and Fahit?"

Jiang Feng thought for a moment: "I would suspect a trap... but I would also think that we might not have enough troops and have to shrink our defenses."

“Yes.” Song Heping nodded. “What is Ahmed most afraid of right now? He’s afraid I’ll set a trap for him. We’ve been guarding Tuz and Fehat for half a month, and if we suddenly give up, his first reaction will definitely be suspicion. But what happens after suspicion? Faced with the strategically important Hurmatu that’s within his grasp, will he not be tempted?”

Jiang Feng's eyes lit up: "Are you luring the enemy?"

“Not entirely.” Song Heping shook his head. “Abandoning Tuz and Fehat was indeed partly due to the consideration of shrinking the defensive line and concentrating forces. Our current front line is too long. We are already stretched thin in Baiji, western Mosul, parts of Kirkuk, and we are also preparing to take over Hurmatu. Our forces are already stretched thin. Abandoning these two salients is a necessary strategic choice.”

He paused, a profound light flashing in his eyes: "But the way and timing of the retreat can be manipulated. If Ahmed thinks we were forced to retreat because of insufficient troops, he might take the opportunity to retake these two places, or even... he might be tempted by Hurmatu again."

"You want him to fight Hurmatu?" Jiang Feng understood, but then asked doubtfully, "Does he dare?"

“So we need to wait,” Song Heping said. “Wait for Duke’s call, wait for the Americans to officially hand over Hurmatu to us. Until then, we have to let Ahmed guess, hesitate, and test the waters. We’re not in a hurry; it’s the Americans and the 1515 militia who are in a hurry.”

For the next two weeks, both Baiji and Mosul entered a state of intense preparation.

Repair work on the oil refinery continued to accelerate, the city walls and outer fortifications were further reinforced, and newly recruited local soldiers began training; weapons and equipment transported from Persia through the border crossings continued to arrive.

Song Heping maintains daily contact with all parties.

He coordinated the defense deployment of the Persian Holy City Brigade with Nassin; discussed border surveillance and reconnaissance with Samir; communicated with Afanti in Tehran about the transportation of supplies; and even had a brief call with Moscow via encrypted channel.

He was waiting for Duke's call, and also for Ahmed's reaction.

As for Titrick, just as Song Heping had predicted, Ahmed, that big fish, was now much more anxious than he was.

At 10:00 AM, at the 1515 Armed Command Post.

Ahmed stared at the map on the wall that he had looked at countless times, his finger tapping repeatedly on the two points, Tuz and Fehat.

His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with doubt.

"Are you sure they really left?" he asked the same question for the third time.

The commander in charge of reconnaissance nodded affirmatively: "Confirmed, Commander. Our scouts have entered Tuz town, which is deserted, except for some abandoned fortifications and a small amount of supplies that cannot be taken away. The same goes for Fehat town. The Persians and mercenaries have all withdrawn and headed towards Baiji."

“Why…” Ahmed muttered to himself, looking puzzled: “Song Heping went to great lengths to take these two places, held them for less than ten days, and then suddenly gave up? This doesn’t make sense.”

The staff officer cautiously said, "Commander, perhaps as we analyzed before, Song Heping's forces are insufficient. He controls Baiji, western Mosul, and parts of Kirkuk, and also has to guard against us, so the battle line is too long. Abandoning Tuz and Fehat and shrinking the defensive line is a reasonable choice."

“Reasonable?” Ahmed sneered. “Song Heping never does things based on what seems reasonable on the surface. Every step he takes may have three steps behind it.”

He walked to the map and pointed from Tuz and Fehat to Baiji, and then to Hurmatu.

“If he truly lacks sufficient troops, then by retaking Tuz and Fehart, we can re-secure our flank. And then…”

Finally, his finger stopped on Hurmatu.

"The Thunder's defense is crippled right now, Hurmatu's defense is wide open. If we can take that..."

"Commander, this is too risky."

An older chief of staff warned, "Last time, we were forced to abandon our attack on Hurmatu because Song Heping attacked our rear. If he manages to outflank us again this time..."

"Therefore, we must be fully prepared."

Ahmed's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "After retaking Tuz and Fehat, deploy heavy troops to defend these two places, build strong fortifications, and ensure that even if Song Heping attacks, we can hold out for at least a week. Seven days is enough time for us to send reinforcements from other places."

"What about Hurmatu's side..."

"Take it as quickly as possible." Ahmed clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Thunder Defense has less than a thousand men capable of fighting right now, and their morale is low. If we concentrate our superior forces, we can definitely take it in three days, five days at most. Once we take Hurmatu, we'll have a solid strategic foothold. We can advance to threaten Erbil, or retreat to hold out for reinforcements."

The staff officers looked at each other in bewilderment.

The plan sounded feasible, but everyone was wary of Song Heping.

That guy from Tokyo University is too cunning; you never know what he'll do next.

"commander……"

An intelligence officer began, "We just received word from Cyria that Raqqa headquarters is providing us with another batch of weapons and ammunition, along with two thousand experienced soldiers. They will be transported via the newly opened Gaim-Selsar Lake route and are expected to arrive in five days."

Ahmed's eyes lit up: "Great! This is exactly what we need! Tell Raqqa headquarters that we need more anti-tank weapons and troops!"

3pm.

The town of Tuz was unusually quiet in the afternoon heat.

The wind whipped up dust as it swept through the deserted streets, past abandoned fortifications and scattered ammunition boxes.

Several machine gun emplacements built with sandbags remained intact, but the weapons inside had long since been removed. Ahmed stood at the southern entrance to the town, raising his binoculars to observe carefully.

His brows furrowed into a knot.

It was too quiet, unsettlingly quiet.

The reconnaissance troops had entered the town by morning and searched every street and every building, but found no enemy, no traps, and no explosives.

The Persians and mercenaries made a clean withdrawal, leaving nothing behind except a small amount of supplies they couldn't take and damaged equipment.

"Commander, safe."

The company commander in charge of reconnaissance ran over to report, "We found some traces in the town square. It looks like the enemy withdrew overnight. They left in a hurry, but in a very orderly manner."

"Have you found any signs of landmines or explosives?" Ahmed asked.

"The engineers checked the main roads and key buildings with mine detectors, but found nothing. However..."

The company commander hesitated for a moment before saying, "However, we found booby traps in several buildings, but the fuses have all been removed. It seems they were left there on purpose to scare us."

Ahmed sneered: "Is that all Song Heping has to offer?"

Despite saying that, he was not at all relaxed.

The safer something appears, the greater the potential danger it may conceal.

"Commander, the main force has arrived outside the town. Should we move in?" the staff officer asked.

Ahmed did not answer immediately.

He looked around the abandoned town, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons.

The town of Tuz is indeed strategically important; controlling it would be tantamount to reclaiming the western gateway to Titrick.

But the question is, why did Song Heping give up?

Is it truly a case of insufficient troop strength, forcing them to shrink their defensive lines?

Or should I deliberately feign weakness to lure him in?
"First, send a battalion to establish a defensive line around the town."

Ahmed remained very cautious, but he did make a decision.

"The remaining troops will set up camp three kilometers outside the town and maintain mobility. Tell the troops that they are to be on high alert, with double guards at night to prevent enemy night attacks."

"Yes!"

The order was given, and the 1515 armed soldiers began to cautiously enter the town of Tuz.

They worked in groups of three, back to back, searching each building, their guns always pointed at corners where enemies might be hiding.

Engineers set up roadblocks at major intersections, and machine gunners established firing positions on high ground; everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

But Ahmed's heart remained uneasy.

He stood in the command vehicle, staring at the location of Tuz town on the map, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table.

"How's the situation on Fayhart's side?" he asked the communications officer.

"It has been occupied, and there has been no resistance. The garrison commander reports that the town is deserted, but the fortifications are basically intact and can be used with minor repairs."

Two empty cities.

A strategically important location that is within easy reach.

"That's strange...it's really strange..."

Instead of feeling excited, Ahmed became even more uneasy.

This is too much like a trap—first you get a taste of the good things, then suddenly tighten the noose when you lower your guard.

"Commander," the chief of staff said in a low voice, "if Song Heping is indeed luring the enemy, what will his next move be? Will he wait for us to advance in large numbers and then bombard us with artillery? Or will he launch a surprise attack with armored forces?"

“Anything is possible.” Ahmed stared at the map. “But he won’t be that simple. This man’s tactics are always a series of interconnected schemes.”

His gaze moved across the map, from Tuz to Fehat, then to Baiji, and finally settled on Hurmatu.

An idea suddenly popped into his head, sending a chill down his spine.

"What if...his target isn't Tuz and Fehart?"

Ahmed muttered to himself, "If he deliberately abandoned those two places and concentrated his forces to garrison Hurmatu..."

"They're going to move into Hurmatu!" the staff officer interjected. "Hurmatu is still under the control of Thunder Defense, but they're crippled. The Americans have definitely invited Song Heping to take over the defense of Hurmatu!"

Ahmed's face darkened: "If that's the case, it will be too difficult for us to take over Hurmatu once he moves in..."

The staff officer then asked, "So what do we do?"

Ahmed drew a line on the map with his finger: "If we attack Hurmatu now, the main force will leave Titrick and move north. At that time, Song Heping will have two options: either send troops from Baiji to cut off our rear; or... attack Titrick directly."

There was silence all around.

Everyone was terrified by this possibility.

Titrick is their stronghold in northern Iligo. If they lose it, even if they capture Hurmatu, they will be rootless and trapped in the northwestern triangle.

When logistics are cut off and we are surrounded by enemies, destruction is only a matter of time.

"So... should we still attack Hurmatu?" the staff officer asked cautiously.

Ahmed remained silent.

This is a dilemma: if we don't fight, we'll miss a golden opportunity; if we fight, the risks are enormous.

His eyes darted back and forth across the map, his mind racing as he calculated every possibility.

Troop strength comparison, marching time, logistics and supplies, weather and terrain...

All factors must be taken into account.

Ten minutes later, he looked up, a decisive glint in his eyes: "Fight! But with a different approach."

　This is the third update; the chapter is now over 10,000 words.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)