"Understood. Keep in touch."
Song Heping hung up the phone, suddenly sitting up from the military cot, temporarily suppressing the ache that covered his body.
He swiftly opened his military laptop and connected to the satellite signal.
The cold light from the screen reflected on his tired yet exceptionally focused face. He skillfully opened several major European news websites and news agency pages.
The huge headline was prominently displayed:
"US Army Airstrikes Northern Iligok, '1515' Ard Forces Severely Hit!"
"NATO Announces Support for Military Actions Against ISIL"
"White House: Terrorism Threats Will Not Be Allowed to Spread"
The news images included blurry explosion photos taken at night and video screenshots from the Pentagon's press conference.
The reported content confird Henry's information; a large number of US Army aircraft indeed launched fierce bombings on several 1515 targets in Tikrit, Samara, and even the outskirts of Mosul.
The official narrative was at the request of the Iligok governnt to prevent further ISIL military advances and protect civilians.
Song Heping grabbed a bottle, took a sip of water, his eyes quickly scanning lines of text as his brain raced.
The developnt of the situation was progressing completely along the lines he predicted, even faster.
The Aricans indeed could not stand by as 1515 grew completely, directly threatening their interests in Iligok and regional balance.
Just then, urgent footsteps echoed outside the tent, followed by Samir's suppressed excited voice: "Boss! Are you awake? Major news!"
"Co in."
Song Heping did not raise his head, his eyes still locked on the screen.
Samir and Naxin slipped into the tent one after the other.
Samir's face mixed excitent, a desire for revenge, and a touch of fatigue.
Naxin appeared more cautious, but his eyes also contained light.
"Aricans! Aricans have acted! Just as you predicted, they bombed Tikrit, stopped the 1515 Ard Forces' advance!"
Samir almost shouted, waving an old phone in his hand, apparently he had also received the news.
"Those bastards! Finally got their retribution! Boss, this is our chance! We should imdiately assemble the troops, coordinate with the airstrikes, and kick 1515's ass hard! Drive them out of the northwest region!"
Naxin looked at Song Heping's expression and added, "The remaining people in the camp heard the news, morale is high, they all want revenge."
Song Heping finally raised his head, his gaze shifting from the computer screen to the two, especially the emotional Samir.
He did not respond imdiately but instead silently pondered, his fingers unconsciously tapping the ammo box table.
The atmosphere in the tent suddenly shifted from excitent to sowhat stagnant.
Samir's excitent slowly faded, replaced by confusion: "Boss? What's wrong? Isn't this the opportunity we've been waiting for? While they are stunned by the bombing, we…"
"We what?"
Song Heping interrupted him, his voice calm yet forceful without dispute.
"What do we have to fight with? With the remaining seven hundred people in this camp? Or rely on these fifty people who are now exhausted even from walking?"
He stood up and stretched lazily: "Samir, look at us now. After a bloody battle, the core Suicide Squad suffered heavy casualties, everyone's wounded, and energy depleted. Although ordinary mbers number seven hundred, both training and equipnt are far from sufficient. Our ammunition was mostly consud in the canyon, heavy weapons almost exhausted, and dicine scarce. If you lead this scarce team to charge, are you avenging or sacrificing them as cannon fodder for 1515 to slaughter again?"
Samir opened his mouth, wanting to refute but couldn't find the words.
Every word Song Heping said was a cold fact.
Naxin silently nodded on the side, he understood better the current foundation of the "Liberation Forces" militia.
"But... the opportunity..."
Samir muttered discontentedly.
"Opportunities co in various forms."
Song Heping walked to the tent entrance, lifting the curtain, looking at the quiet camp outside and the distant dark mountains.
"Charging now, we're at best just one of many militia forces retaliating against 1515, and among them, the weakest and most casualty-stricken. The Iligoc Governnt Army, 'People's Movent', those large militia organizations will rush forward to seize territory. And us? Spend the last bit of our resources and then be forgotten by all. Is this what you want?"
Samir fell silent.
He longed for revenge, yearned for victory, but he wasn't foolish and knew that Song Heping was right.
"Then what should we do? Just watch?"
He finally asked in a low voice, his tone filled with a sense of powerlessness.
"Of course not just watch."
Song Heping dropped the curtain and turned around, his gaze profound, "We must wait. Wait for the best mont for our 'Liberation Forces' to take the stage."
"Wait?" Samir asked, puzzled.
"Yes, wait."
Song Heping returned to the computer, pointing at the screen, "The Aricans have intervened, but look at their statents, it's airstrikes, it's support. Two years ago, they just withdrew ground troops from here, dostic anti-war sentint is high, Obama cannot send large-scale ground troops back. This ans, to truly clear the 1515 forces on the ground and regain cities and rural areas, it still depends on the Iligoc people themselves."
He paused, gazing at Samir and Naxin: "You know the combat capability of the governnt army. 'People's Movent' militia, they fight well in smooth battles, but in tough, entrenched battles, they are not capable. The main forces of 1515 have suffered from the canyon battle and the airstrikes but have not been wiped out. The upcoming ground battles will be very brutal and long-lasting."
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