Time Travel 04: I Fight the US in the Middle East

Chapter 134 Nearly a ton of gold, more than 200 million US dollars, a very fruitful harvest!

Mandeli.

Amr-Elwan-Ibrahim stared wide-eyed as the boxes unloaded from the motorcycles were gathered together and began to be counted.

"Twenty gold bars, thirty-five bundles of US dollars!"

"Three diamonds, five necklaces, and a gold pistol!"

It took a full half hour to complete the inventory of all the supplies.

"Reporting to the leader, after inventory, we have harvested a total of 836 kilograms and 78 grams of gold, 235 million and 800 US dollars, and 361 diamonds. The exact amount is too high to estimate."

Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped, knowing the harvest would be plentiful, but never imagining it would be this plentiful!

Previously, it was thought that the Mahdi Army lacked sufficient funds to further develop, but now—the Mahdi Army is definitely the richest force in the entire Yitu region! If there were a rich list, they would absolutely be number one!

Under everyone's gaze, Azam spoke.

"Brothers, our provisional government of Yituo has only been in power for two months, and they've already embezzled and accepted so much in bribes! Our country is being controlled by such a bunch of parasites; sooner or later, it will be hollowed out!"

Actually, that's a bit unfair to those officials.

Having been in office for only two months, one would expect that they couldn't have embezzled this much. Part of what they plundered this time was the wealth that these officials already possessed in their families. None of the officials who could become officials were poor; they were all wealthy.

However, Azam wasn't wrong either; even if they didn't embezzle now, it was embezzled in the past! Therefore—

They weren't wronged!

The expressions of everyone present turned serious; the joy they had just felt had vanished.

Azam was very satisfied.

We must never give these people the illusion that we have money and can squander it. Any disciplined army can easily fall prey to sugar-coated bullets!

This statement now immediately sounds tragic.

The country has money, but all of it has flowed into the pockets of these officials!

What is the mission of the Mahdi Army? It's no longer just about driving out American soldiers; they also need to protect the nation's wealth from being plundered by these corrupt officials!

"What do you think we should do?"

"Kill the corrupt officials!"

"Return the nation's wealth to the people!"

Azam nodded: "Our homeland is the birthplace of One Thousand and One Nights, one of the four ancient civilizations. Now, our homeland is being ravaged. Our mission is not only to drive out the Americans, but also to bring about political order, ensure the people live in peace and prosperity, and restore the glory of Babylon!"

Whether these goals can be achieved is one thing, whether they are said to be true is another!

Now, hearing Azam say this, countless people feel a surge of pride and a sense of mission!

Azam was very satisfied; the Mahdi Army's core base was now secure!

"Leader Azam, what should we do next?" Amr-Erwan-Ibrahim asked.

"Previously, our Mahdi Army was unable to rapidly expand its strength due to insufficient funds. Now that we have ample funds, of course we must improve our strength. Next—"

Azam looked at the company commanders and said, "Starting from the first company, report the number of personnel you can recruit at any time!"

The Mahdi Army cannot recruit just anyone; only true anti-American fighters are allowed. Previously, Azam had each company send instructors to various parts of the country, and after a few months, the loyalty of some guerrillas could be determined!

"Report: We can recruit a thousand people in a row!"

Before the other companies could even report, Azam was startled just by hearing what the company commander, Khalil-Maliki, said.

The Mahdi Army only has about 700 men in total, but now, a single company can recruit over a thousand. If every company could do this...

So, wouldn't that be three or four thousand people?

"Report! Our Second Company can recruit 1,500!"

Ali-Hazim looked smug, saying that there were many guerrilla groups in the areas they went to, and now the people there were eagerly waiting to join the Mahdi Army!

Azam quickly waved his hand: "No, our troops can't grow that fast. The ratio of new recruits in each company cannot exceed twice the size of the original force."

Expanding the entire battalion from 700 to 2,000 is already quite large. If the expansion is too rapid at once, the proportion of new recruits in the unit will be too high, which will cause various problems. One veteran leading two new recruits is already the limit.

We can't keep asking; I don't know what these people are still trying to brag about.

"Loyalty is the first priority, combat skills are the second, and speaking English is also a plus. Select candidates according to these criteria," Azam ordered.

The company commanders below were somewhat dissatisfied, saying that it was only doubled, which was far too little.

However—the military generally operates on a three-three system; doubling the number means they will all be promoted one rank, from company to battalion, from battalion to brigade—

"Also, our assembly plants need to expand their capacity. Those who are particularly enthusiastic but cannot join the combat troops can start working in the production plants first."

Drones have demonstrated formidable combat capabilities, and since they are designed for single-use applications, the demand is enormous. No matter how many are assembled, it never seems to be enough. At the same time, other weapons and equipment can be developed, such as ballistic missiles.

This thing is hard to defend against and has a long range. It is definitely an effective weapon for the weak to deal with the strong. As for the technology—of course, we will get it from Lang Tuo. We'll see what opportunities come up in the future.

As his proud and capable generals went out to arrange for the expansion of the army, Azam turned his attention to the girl beside him.

"Mariam, these treasures are entrusted to you for safekeeping. I will also transfer a unit from the reinforced company to your command."

Mariam's eyes widened: "Leader Azam, I, I—"

Mariam could hardly believe that such a large sum of money had been handed to her. Even though she was now the de facto head of logistics for the Mahdi Army, she was still overwhelmed with gratitude.

Azam patted her head: "Keep it up!"

If even Mariam doesn't believe it, then there's really no one in this world you can believe.

Just then, a subordinate rushed in: "Reporting, sir! We just received news from Baghdad that they've started fighting!"

Azam was instantly delighted: "How far has the fighting progressed? How many people have died?"

"Not many people died, but the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense got into a fight. Currently, the Sixth Division has surrounded the Minister of Defense's villa, and they are in a standoff."

Dogs are fighting, finally dogs are fighting!

Azam's eyes gleamed. This trip to the Green Zone not only brought back a large sum of money, but also stirred up internal strife within the interim government. Not bad, not bad!

Within the green zone.

As the sun rose higher and higher overhead, Hazim-Shalan's forehead was covered in more and more sweat.

News kept coming from inside the city: last night, my nephew Jiping searched the entire Green Zone thoroughly, but now he has disappeared without a trace, and he has to take the blame for it.

The foreign military isn't making a move right now; they're just waiting for the Americans to arrive. Once the Americans come, their end will be near.

so----

Can't wait any longer!

Hazim-Shalan gritted his teeth: "Now, we need to rush out and find my nephew!"

Whether they flee with the wealth or bring their nephew back to appease the crowd, the nephew is the key; staying here means certain death!

"Then what are we waiting for? Get in the Hummer!" Salai said.

"No, we need—"

At this time, a large number of people had gathered at the Prime Minister's Office, and all of them were filled with righteous indignation.

"Shalan has gone too far! He actually allowed his nephew to plunder the entire Green Zone!"

"Luckily, we've blocked Shalan. We absolutely can't let him escape. We'll wait for the American troops to return—why haven't the Americans arrived yet? Major General Duleimi, let's move!"

Duremy has a very big head.

Hazim-Shalan has incurred public wrath this time and will definitely not have a good ending. He will certainly lose his position as Minister of Defense and may even be thrown into prison. However, this is still not something he can directly do; he is afraid of taking responsibility.

Moreover—he always felt there was something fishy about this matter.

Shalan's nephew robbed the entire Green Zone and then ran away. What about him? Why didn't he run away with them? What other way could he possibly have to quell the public's anger? There's clearly more to this than meets the eye!

*Thump thump thump* Just then, a subordinate ran in: "Report! A Hummer has pulled out of the Minister of Defense's house and is preparing to forcibly leave!"

"Stop him!" Duremy shouted. "We absolutely cannot let them leave!"

"Then—can we fire?"

"No, you absolutely cannot fire!"

This left the soldiers on the front line scratching their heads. How could they intercept the enemy without firing a shot?

They watched as the Humvee charged out fiercely and then rammed into the M2 armored vehicle blocking the road. The Humvee had actually managed to ram the M2 armored vehicle, so they had no choice but to call for reinforcements at the intersection ahead to intercept it. The people blocking the entrance also chased after it.

On the streets of the Green Zone, a Fast and Furious spectacle began to unfold, with these heavy-duty vehicles used on the battlefield being used for high-speed racing.

Finally, on a bridge just before leaving the Green Zone, the Hummer was forced to stop, and countless soldiers rushed onto it, and then—

I was surprised to see that the people sitting in the car were all servants!

When the news reached the Prime Minister's Office, Major General Duleimi's expression changed drastically: "Quickly, declare martial law in the entire Green Zone!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. They searched all day but couldn't find the Hazim-Shalan couple. Apparently, the two used the Humvee to attract the attention of the 6th Division, then disguised themselves and quickly left!

As night fell, a Honda CG125 motorcycle had already driven to Shebaikai.

On the motorcycle, Hazim-Shalan and Salai were both covered in dust. After a brief discussion, they decided to chase after the 22nd Infantry Battalion to its original location. Their nephew had disappeared after robbing the Green Zone, and it was very likely that he had returned to this location!

Seeing some vehicles parked in the distance, the two breathed a sigh of relief. If there was equipment inside, there must be people inside, and if there were people inside, then their nephew should be there.

Buzz, buzz!

As the motorcycle approached the gate of the compound, it was stopped by two armed men: "Stop! What are you doing here?"

Salai went up, waving his hand as if to slap the armed man twice. What are you doing? Are you blind?

The Minister of Defense and the Deputy Minister of Defense do not know each other?

At that moment, the sounds from inside also came out almost simultaneously.

"The Americans launched a war of aggression against us with a tube of laundry detergent. Their goal was to occupy our land, enslave our people, and plunder our wealth —"

Salai's hand reached out halfway, then stopped abruptly. Realizing it was inappropriate, he scratched his head and said, "It's okay, we—we're just passing by, we'll leave now—"

Hazim-Shalan had already engaged the clutch and shifted gears, ready for his fat woman to run away as soon as she got on.

At this moment, a person came out from inside, glanced at the two of them, and quickly stepped forward, pulling out the motorcycle key.

"Since you two are here, please come in and listen."

"We, we————"

"Walk!"

The two could only proceed cautiously. After walking for a while, they reached the training ground and saw a group of people sitting there, with their nephew sitting at the very front.

What's going on?

"Let's welcome the Minister of Defense and the Deputy Minister of Defense for their inspection!"

They're being brainwashed... cough cough... the prisoners of learning, open your eyes wide! These two are actually—

Muhammad was taken aback: "Uncle, Aunt, what brings you here?"

Although they were in danger, the two were still very angry when they saw their nephew.

Salai stepped forward and grabbed Muhammad's hair: "You bastard, what happened to all the wealth you plundered in the Green Zone? You ran away, leaving us there. Do you know that your uncle and I almost died in there?"

"Auntie, what are you saying? I don't understand!"

"What you did last night! You robbed all the high-ranking officials in the Green Zone. Do you even know how outrageous you've become in Baghdad?"

"No, I didn't. I hadn't even walked back from here last night. I arrived here in the middle of the night—"

Click!

A thunderbolt struck their minds.

Hazim-Shalan had realized that his nephew had been robbed by a group of armed men on his way back to Baghdad. These men had changed into the clothes of his nephew and his men and entered Baghdad.

Now that I think about it—how could my nephew suddenly become smart? It's clearly a different person. The one in front of me is still the same as before, not very smart.

He should have gouged out his own eyes; how could he mistake his own nephew? But—large families have many offspring; it's not easy to recognize dozens of relatives. If he had recognized him then, none of this would have happened, and he might even have earned merit.

"Now that you two are here, you should accept the ideological reform," the person who brought them said. "We will be conducting criticism and self-criticism later. Think about how many immoral things you have done, and then come up here to confess—"

The Minister of Defense and the Deputy Minister of Defense have both walked right into the trap, which is quite a huge gain!

The news quickly reached Mandali, and Azam's eyes lit up. These two guys knew a lot about Baghdad. Perhaps we could go in again, as long as we could gather more unknown information. They must know the specific details of every government official.

Where are the Americans? What are they doing?