"Invite him to the underground chamber."
Song Heping's voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness.
"Activate the highest-level security and anti-surveillance protocols. I'll be there shortly."
He paused, adding, "Also, have the 'Shadow' squad send over the final report of all observed abnormal troop and vehicle movents on all routes between Hulmatu and Titrick over the past twenty-four hours to my terminal imdiately."
He stood up, habitually adjusting a collar that didn't need adjusting.
"I need to first assess the 'sincerity' our old friend has brought and understand the price tag it carries behind it."
The underground chamber of the command center was a transford old cellar, with walls reinforced with thick soundproof and anti-electromagnetic leakage materials.
A small incandescent lamp hung overhead, illuminating the large table covered with detailed military maps in the center, and a few simple folding chairs around it.
When Song Heping entered the chamber, Avanti was already waiting there.
Avanti was dressed in military uniform, with a graying beard, looking composed.
Only those deeply set eyes occasionally flashed with a keen light, betraying the shrewdness and sharpness at odds with his kindly appearance.
"Song, am I disturbing your tranquility?"
Avanti stood up, placing his right hand on his chest, performing a standard local courtesy, smiling warmly, his Persian-accented Arabic carrying a unique rhythm.
"No need for such formality, old friend. Dagula is always open to friends visiting."
Song Heping replied in fluent Arabic, with a perfectly tid smile, as he sat opposite Avanti at the table.
"I am just curious as to what kind of wind has brought you here on such a restless night?"
After a brief exchange of courtesies, the atmosphere instantly turned direct and heavy.
eting with an old friend, Avanti didn't bother with unnecessary detours. He took a not-too-thick docunt folder from a leather briefcase he carried, gently pushing it in front of Song Heping.
"You are a straightforward person, so I'll speak plainly."
Avanti leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.
"Regarding the Tuz Valley… our Arican 'friends' have employed so less-than-honorable tactics. This is part of the communication records and personnel movent evidence we obtained through certain special channels, enough to illustrate the point."
Song Heping didn't imdiately touch the folder.
He just looked at Avanti with a calm gaze, as if what the other had pushed over was just an inconsequential product catalog.
"Aricans?"
He raised an eyebrow, his tone as indifferent as confirming sothing he already knew.
Avanti nodded aningfully: "So people want to use a sharp knife but fear getting cut by it. So, they always try to grind so burrs on the handle in so unobtrusive places, or... simply have the knife chip a few edges when chopping hard bones."
Song Heping laughed.
This ti, it was an undisguised sneer.
"An interesting taphor."
He finally extended his hand to take the folder, but he didn't open it, only rubbing its rough paper surface with his fingers.
"So, you didn't co here today just to give this 'consolation prize', did you?"
The words "consolation prize" were indeed laden with aning.
After all, Joseph's reconnaissance squad had already been obliterated, and the intelligence that arrived so late was useless, at best a piece of evidence.
Of course, using this evidence to accuse the Aricans was futile.
The biggest bully of Blue Star feared nothing of evidence.
Avanti bringing these things to see him now had a strong sense of making a connection, and he surely knew the situation before, only he had his own agenda.
Aricans, huh.
Avanti absolutely wouldn't mind if Song Heping turned against them.
"Certainly not."
Avanti also laughed, his smile now having a touch of calculation.
"I just want to express my attitude and sincerity to you. I believe a capable friend like you deserves more reliable and tily information support. Therefore, I suggest that your army's battlefield intelligence channels can be directly connected with our Revolutionary Guard's intelligence agency. I will personally ensure the accuracy and tiliness of the information."
He looked at Song Heping, his gaze intense: "This ans you will obtain a deeper, more native battlefield situation awareness than currently possible through... other channels. Including, but not limited to, the real-ti movents of the 1515 Ard, their internal conflicts, supply routes, and even... so information certain Western 'friends' would prefer you not to know."
A substantial bargaining chip.
Song Heping was as clear as a mirror inside.
Avanti was using higher-level intelligence sharing to gain his closeness, even paving the way for potentially deeper cooperation in the future.
He was well aware of all this, as the Persian intelligence network had deep roots in Illiguo, especially in grassroots and complex tribal relations, often providing more grounded insights than the technology-dependent and aerial reconnaissance reliant Aricans.
But trust?
Song Heping harbored a cautious reserve regarding intelligence from within the Revolutionary Guard.
Persia's internal complexities were too profound.
From his first dealings with Avanti, he had sensed this.
Any intelligence from the Persian side had the potential to be tainted.
Could this include smoke bombs released for specific purposes?
Would there be monts when, for greater strategic interests, he would be regarded as a pawn to be sacrificed?
User Comments
0 comments from readers