Mercenaries, I Will Be King Chapter 108 - 107: Yusuf's Indirect Salvation Strategy

"Yousuf."

Song Heping initiated a conversation with the plump man.

"Your job sounds quite dangerous, why haven't the Temporary Managent Committee provided you with a bodyguard?"

The chubby Yousuf was originally a chatterbox, and Samir, who was cold and aloof, had long been holding back.

Since Song Heping was Samir's boss and had initiated a conversation with him, he imdiately perked up.

"Hey, don't even ntion it!"

The chubby man slapped his own fat thigh, expressing heartache and a bit of self-mockery, "Who would care about people like us?"

He paused, stealing a glance at Samir, who was driving.

"You are Samir's boss, right? From the Defense Company?"

"Yes, 'Musician' Defense is my company."

Song Heping did not intend to hide it.

Yousuf said, "You must not be aware of the current situation here in Illiguo!"

Song Heping asked, "What situation?"

Yousuf said, "The Temporary Managent Committee has 25 mbers, including high-ranking officials of the interim governnt. Whenever those people travel, isn't it with two Humvees clearing the way, and aren't they protected by close bodyguards from the ISF Special Forces? And us? We small fry just toil thanklessly, doing all the dirty and rotten jobs.

They enjoy the good life up there, while people like us get targeted, and although we've requested, they only assigned us a driver who doubles as a bodyguard... Look, just like the one who was killed just now..."

At this point, chubby Yousuf turned a bit theatrical, suddenly becoming mournful, he covered his eyes and sobbed twice, barely managing to squeeze out a crocodile tear.

"Poor Anadi... He died so terribly. I saw him get killed right in front of . Look, his blood even splattered all over ..."

Song Heping calmly watched Yousuf's performance.

He knew full well this guy did not care about Anadi.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have just abandoned Anadi's body and only cared about saving himself.

Once Yousuf had had his fill of dramatizing, his expression returned to normal.

He continued, "Look at us in the supply division, responsible for distributing supplies, sotis even collecting assets and properties belonging to the previous regi and Sadam's supporters. Isn't this also acting on orders? Those Suicide Squads, they watch us every day. Just this month, I've had three acquaintances die, not killed by gunfire, then by bombs... It's simply unbearable..."

Finally, he added, "You were right about sothing, Samir, we really are just dogs!"

On hearing this, Samir sneered, "Knowing you are a dog, yet you still choose to be one?! You got what you deserved in death!"

His words stirred Yousuf's resentnt.

The latter imdiately retorted, "You can't speak like that! You shouldn't look down on us that way, yes, we serve those faction leaders, we're toadies to the US Army, but so what? I have a family to feed, I have to support your Aunt Emiya, my wife, and five needy kids at ho. If I don't work, who will provide for them?"

"You think you're like your family? You have a little business, enabling you to study abroad, letting you co back to talk about your ideals, allowing you to just quit your job as a translator for the ISF troops? Do you understand how hard tis are? You utopian-armchair-idealist!"

The more Yousuf argued, the more impassioned and justified he beca.

Song Heping listened, and more and more thoughts ca to his mind.

This person...

Could be brought over...

Samir could no longer hold back, gripping the steering wheel and bursting out, "That doesn't an you should be a dog! We Illiguo people have our dignity! We are humans! Do those US soldiers see us as humans?!

And those faction leaders, each wanting to enter the Temporary Managent Committee, the interim governnt, the United Security Council, all thinking about how to expand their power, thinking about seizing power! Have they thought about the common people?! Are they really thinking of Illiguo?"

"Look at the state of our holand now! The Kurds have taken a piece of territory up north, the Persians are cultivating influence in our border regions, do the revenues from the oil fields in the south have anything to do with us?! The funds for reconstruction, where did those go?

Dammit, they just circulate here and flow right back into their own military-industrial complexes and the hands of their financiers, how much reaches the hands of us, the people?!"

By the end, Samir's decibels had risen by several notches.

"We thought overthrowing one Sadam would bring hope. Now look, one Sadam falls, and hundreds more rise! Had I known it would be this way, it would have been better under Sadam's rule!"

He was even more agitated than Yousuf, his spittle spraying on the windshield.

Yousuf countered again, "Is this why you're calling a dog?! Okay! I'm a dog, and you're a great, upright man, a hero! Then I ask you, you big man, big hero! Why don't you rise up against the US Army? You too didn't run off to join the ISF troops as an interpreter?!"

"Even if you gathered a squad to fight against Country M, could you win? Look at their planes and cannons, look at their aircraft carriers parked near our harbors, what will you resist with, your life?!"

"What I'm doing now is what matters. Without us, how can Illiguo be stabilized? Once stabilized, we can then discuss how to rebuild, how to reform! I am being pragmatic!"

"That's right! I'm risking my life! I'm no longer serving the ISF! You watch if I dare to oppose those Aricans!"

The two of them were shouting at each other inside the car.

Song Heping was captivated listening to them argue.

This was a great debate.

Rich with the colors of political philosophy in realism.

A clash of two different ideologies and standpoints.

Heh.

Interesting.

"Alright, alright."

Seeing the tension escalating, Song Heping feared that Samir might lose his temper and reach for a gun to blow his plump cousin's head off.

This person might be very useful.

Yousuf had just revealed a lot of information.

Song Heping kept all of it in mind.

"Yousuf, I heard that your attack happened because you had located a military arsenal belonging to Sadam's Suicide Squad?"

"That's right!"

Yousuf was quite frank.

"It's on the outskirts of Fallujah, probably temporarily relocated there at the beginning of the war, requisitioning a forr factory warehouse. There's a lot of stuff inside, a big batch. These past few days I've been busy checking and distributing it all over. It's probably exactly this that angered their people, wanting dead."

Song Heping thought about his mission back to Baghdad.

Recruiting new mbers.

More importantly, buying arms.

Buying a large quantity of arms costs no small amount.

If, say, Yousuf is from the supply departnt.

Then, by getting in touch with him, could one obtain first-hand arms from him?

"Yousuf, I want to ask you sothing,"

After much deliberation, Song Heping decided to test the waters.

"Generally, how do you deal with the arms you seize?"

At this topic, Yousuf beca alert.

A hint of suspicion flashed through his eyes.

He cleared his throat twice and said, "They are to be handed over... they must be handed over to the Temporary Managent Committee."

Seeing his suspicion, Song Heping did not rush to press further.

Haste does not bring success.

The relationship between them had not yet reached the point where they could discuss such matters.

He would have to continue to foster a closer relationship before bringing it up again.

However, he was set on making Yousuf his friend.

Next was figuring out how to forge a connection with him.

Just as Song Heping was contemplating how to establish a mutually beneficial alliance with chubby Yousuf, the latter unexpectedly extended an olive branch on his own.

"Boss Song, are you free tonight?"

Seeing the chubby man take the initiative to ask him, Song Heping was secretly delighted.

It's like being offered a pillow when you're dozing off.

Luck couldn't get any better.

"Yes!" he quickly responded, "I even planned to visit Samir's house tonight to try so local cuisine."

Samir was taken aback.

Song Heping gave him a cue with his eyes.

The latter understood tacitly.

Yousuf was overjoyed to hear this, "Then it would be better to co to my house. I will personally treat you tonight and guarantee you can enjoy authentic Illiguo cuisine. You saved my life today; here, it's essential to express gratitude to one's savior. Please give this chance to repay you."

Seeing this, Song Heping did not decline, imdiately accepting, "That sounds good."

He turned to Samir, "You co with , taking a walk to relatives, right?"

Samir disliked Yousuf and flatly answered, "No!"

Perhaps feeling his attitude was harsh, he added, "I haven't been ho in a long ti, I'll take this opportunity to visit."

Song Heping said, "Why not call your family to Yousuf's house, and have a joint al? Aren't you relatives?"

Yousuf was very pleased, repeatedly saying, "Yes, yes, yes, we haven't gathered together in a long ti."

Seeing his boss had already decided, Samir could only nod.

Soon, the car arrived in Baghdad and entered the Green Zone. Yousuf got out of the car, repeatedly reminding them to co over to his house in the evening, where he would prepare delicious food, awaiting their arrival.

After Yousuf got out, the two drove the car back to their camp.

After parking, Song Heping pulled Samir aside, "I have sothing to tell you."

Samir was stunned for a mont, but soon guessed Song Heping's intentions.

"Boss, I know you definitely need Yousuf's help with sothing, is it about buying so arms?"

Song Heping said, "You're right, that's the idea. Think about it; this ti we need to recruit a couple hundred local employees, who all require weapons. If the Suicide Squad's warehouse has good stuff at cheap prices, why should we go to Harvey's black market? Wouldn't it be better to save so money for an accidental insurance for our brothers?"

Samir was silent.

He seed to be pondering the implications of Song Heping's words.

"Moreover," Song Heping continued, "think about it, many local rcenaries here risk their lives without even accidental insurance, right? Are you willing to see them injured or gone, leaving their families without any support?

Purchasing a set of individual equipnt from Harvey would cost at least a thousand US dollars, but if we could press your cousin down to five hundred dollars a set, or even less, then the money saved would be enough to cover a year's worth of insurance, even the cheapest kind, and death would fetch a 50,000 US Dollar compensation. Isn't that good?"

ntioning the welfare of local employees touched the softest part of Samir's heart.

These employees were all recruited by him.

The lives of local Illiguo employees were indeed cheap.

Many were engaged in low-end, low-wage work without any protection.

Previously while recruiting 50 people, Samir also wanted to ntion insurance, but thinking that no one locally bought insurance for their employees, which seed to be the norm, he was too embarrassed to bring it up.

Now that Song Heping had brought it up himself, how could he refuse?

"Alright, boss, I will go to Yousuf's tonight..."

"That's right," Song Heping was pleased, "our ti is very tight, so I won't hide it from you. I see Yousuf respects you, so at that ti, you must help persuade him to wholesale so inexpensive arms for the sake of our company's local employees."

Song Heping had already resolved to secure Yousuf.

This would be very beneficial for his company's future developnt.

Ammunition, firearms, and even more advanced weapons, as long as the old Sadam's army had it, he could have it too.

Although not up to Blue Star's most advanced level, it was still not too shabby among the rcenaries.

"Okay...," Samir said, "I will listen to you, boss."