"Why?!!"
Samir almost roared, he struggled to suppress his voice, his face was flushed, and the veins on his neck faintly showed.
"That's right, they are the Kurds! Yes, I hate them! I detest them! But now we are facing the 1515! The common enemy destroying our holand! We should unite all forces! This is righteousness! And also to reduce resistance for our future battles!"
At this mont, under the distant flas, the executioner's sword swung down.
Even at such a distance, no sound could be heard, but the crisp, decisive, and unhesitating action, along with the liquid that gushed forth, appearing as large gray shadows in the night vision scopes, and the body that instantly lost all support and collapsed...
All of this cruelly announced what had happened.
One, two, three...
The execution proceeded thodically yet ruthlessly.
The 1515 mbers surrounded the execution site, raving madly, brandishing weapons, and dancing grotesquely, as if conducting a wicked and bloody celebration of victory.
The color drained from Samir's face, the muscles on his cheeks constantly twitched, his jaw clenched tightly, and he slowly turned his head, once again looking at Song Heping.
Song Heping remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on the slaughterhouse ahead, his eyes flickering with indifference and resolve born from a profoundly cold reality and political calculations.
Samir understood.
Any request would be in vain.
Behind Song Heping's decision lay reasons he had not yet fully grasped, but they were undoubtedly deep and complex.
Song Heping noticed the despair and confusion on Samir's face and knew he had already suffered enough inner tornt.
He signaled around, and the Sand Fox Squad mbers and guards imdiately spread out slightly, maintaining high alert, leaving them a small space to talk quietly.
Then he leaned close to Samir, his voice lowered to ensure only the two of them and the nearby Naxin could hear:
"Samir, I understand you want to save people. Seeing your kind tortured to death, feeling compassion and anger, these are the most respectable qualities as a person, as a warrior."
Song Heping first affird his emotions, but his tone suddenly beca cold and realistic.
"However, you are not just a warrior now. You are the leader of the 'Liberation Forces,' one of the hopes for the future of these people. You need to be responsible for the thousands of lives following you, responsible for the cause you will fight for, not just for a montary impulse of righteousness."
He paused, pointing at the ruins that had returned to silence in the distance, now only occupied by 1515 mbers, and his tone deepened further: "Indeed, the Kurds are brave warriors, there is no doubt about that. But who are they really working for? They are the most loyal ground proxies and vanguards of the Aricans in Illinois, in Syria! The Aricans give them the most advanced weapons, systematic training, critical air support, for what? To maintain Arican interests, not for the people of Illinois, and certainly not for your future, Samir!"
"Yes, we are all against 1515 now, in theory, the enemy of our enemy could be a friend. But this principle doesn't work here!"
Song Heping's gaze was as sharp as that of an eagle, staring intently at Samir, "Think carefully, just a few months ago, when 1515 just erged, rushing through Mosul and Baghdad like a flood, what were those Kurdish 'Brave Warriors' doing?"
Samir was taken aback, his brows furrowed, guided by Song Heping's words into reflection and contemplation.
Song Heping continued coldly, "They were just watching the fire from across the river! Standing by as the governnt army and police collapsed in Mosul! Not only did they not support the central governnt on the brink of danger but they also seized the opportunity to muddle in the waters, sending troops to occupy the Kirkuk and other contested areas they had long coveted for their rich oil reserves! They even bypassed the central governnt's objections, privately selling oil through Turkey's pipeline, pocketing all the profits, further weakening the financial power of the Baghdad governnt, creating a de facto split, stabbing you in the back, plundering resources and land during your most difficult tis! And now you tell you still want to save them?"
Samir's breathing beca heavy, Song Heping's words were like a key, unlocking the floodgate of anger and humiliation in his mory.
He recalled the news of the Kurdish occupation of the oil fields in the north, the anger of betrayal and plunder rising again in his heart.
"But..." Samir still wanted to argue, "That was the past... now 1515 is also attacking them..."
"Without the past, there is no present!"
Song Heping interrupted him, his tone resolute and firm.
"Their vacillations and selfishness are ingrained in their bones! Okay, let's say we disregard the past and look only at the present and future. I ask you, if we now save them at any cost, what will happen?"
"First." Song Heping raised a finger, "We will imdiately expose ourselves! Behind us are thousands of panicked civilians without heavy weapon protection and a fatigued relief team! To save dozens of Kold Warriors who might survive, we would risk annihilation by directly charging into a well-equipped main force of 1515 more than five hundred strong, currently in a state of victory euphoria and religious fanaticism? Is it worth it? To exchange thousands of won and children and brothers' lives for a few dozen Kold people's lives? As a leader, how do you calculate this?"
"Second."
He raised a second finger, his eyes piercing, "Even if we miraculously win and crush 1515 to save them, will the Kurd people be grateful to us, and follow your orders, Samir, or even return the oil fields and lands they've taken in the future?"
Song Heping sneered coldly, shaking his head as if looking at a naive child: "Absolutely not! They will only thank their Arican masters! Once the crisis is over, under the Aricans' orders, they could turn their guns on you anyti! Don't forget, in Illiguo, the conflicts, sectarian differences, and land disputes between you and the Kurd people have never disappeared, only temporarily overshadowed by the larger enemy, 1515! The Aricans would never truly support a 'Liberation Forces' backed by Persia to grow stronger! Sooner or later, there will be a conflict of interest between you and them!"
Samir fell silent, Song Heping's words washed over him like cold waves, overwhelming his cognition.
Naxin nodded solemnly by the side, clearly completely agreeing with Song Heping's analysis.
"Third, and the most crucial point."
Song Heping's voice was lower yet more impactful.
"Look, what are the 1515 helping us with now? They are helping us weaken your future competitor — the Kurd Ard for free, not just a foe of 1515, but our main geopolitical opponent and competitor in the Northwest Illinois in the future! The more they exhaust, the more they lose, especially losing key command layers or elite squads, the weaker their future influence here will be, the less territory they can control, and the lower their bargaining chips for contending for dominance in the northwest region with us!"
He pointed at the ruins: "Who should lead this land in the future? Should it be the Kurd people who obey the Aricans, indecisive and wavering, or should it be local forces like you Samir, truly fighting for holand, letting the 'Liberation Forces' fill the vacuum, determine the order? Let them fight among themselves while we watch from the side; let 1515, this Mad Dog, viciously tear into the Aricans' Hound they raised; isn't that the most advantageous choice for us right now?"
"Unnecessary sympathy is a luxury in this brutal land, only accelerating the demise of you and your followers, and prematurely extinguishing your cause."
Song Heping summarized with a hint of indisputable ruthlessness in his tone, "Survival and developnt sotis require making tough, seemingly cold-blooded choices."
After finishing, Song Heping no longer looked at Samir, and resud his surveillance of the 1515 forces through his binoculars.
They seem to be cleaning up the battlefield, collecting spoils, burning vehicle wreckage and bodies, the noise gradually settled, showing no signs of moving in this direction.
Samir fell completely silent.
He lowered his head, his chest heaving violently, evidently undergoing intense intellectual battles within.
Song Heping's words were like a basin of icy water, completely dousing his earlier passion and impulsiveness, yet also like a surgical scalpel, cutting through layers of fog, letting him see the cruelty and reality behind the war clearly.
He recalled his tribesn who died tragically, the villages burned to ruins, the opportunistic faces of the Kurd people, and the thousands of eyes in Sand Valley behind him, filled with expectation, fear, and reliance on him.
Indeed.
The boss's words were spot on!
When he raised his head again, although his eyes still held traces of pain from witnessing atrocities, they mostly spoke of clarity and resolution.
"I understand, Boss. You're right. It's ...who failed to consider thoroughly."
Naxin also silently nodded beside him, deeply understanding and agreeing with Song Heping's judgnt.
This is war, not rely a confrontation of guns and artillery, but a rciless contest of strategy, politics, history, and survival wisdom.
They silently lurked, like scorpions in the desert, patiently waiting for the peril to pass.
In the distance, after the 1515 militants finished their executions, plunder, and destruction, they finally emitted a signal to assemble.
The convoy restarted their engines, just like when they arrived, mighty yet carrying a cruel satisfaction, heading into the dark southeast, gradually disappearing at the edge of sight.
The desert regained its eternal stillness and coldness, leaving only the burning flas in the ruins and silent death, and the air carrying faint traces of blood and burning scent, as if silently recounting the tragedy that just unfolded.
After waiting for almost half an hour, until Sand Fox One confird the 1515 convoy had indeed departed and couldn't return shortly, did Song Heping finally issue the orders.
"Eagle's Nest calling all units, danger clear. Maintain silence, assemble the squad, and leave here via the original route at the fastest speed, return to the border."
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