A few hours after Kirkuk fell.
In the suite of a five-star hotel in the Baghdad Green Zone, known for its tight security.
Simon had just slept for less than an hour.
A sharp ringing of the phone pulled him out of his dream.
He jerked up from the bed, his heart pounding frantically from the sudden ring, almost leaping out of his chest.
An ominous premonition, born from the instincts of a seasoned intelligence officer, wrapped around him like a cold vine.
His intuition told him that this call was related to Song Heping.
Turning on the bedside lamp, he fumbled for the phone. The number displayed on the screen – the internal ergency line of the CIA's Illigo Intelligence Station – made his fingers tremble slightly.
"Hello?"
His voice was thick with sleep, and a slight tremor he himself wasn't aware of.
"Director! It's Stephenson!"
The voice of the station chief on the other end sounded urgent:
"Sothing big has happened! A huge event! Just a few hours ago, Song Heping's ard forces - the 'Liberation Forces' militia and the Abu You Brigade within the Dagula and Sulaimaniyah regions suddenly launched a large-scale, multi-route blitzkrieg on the Kirkuk area controlled by our Kurd allies! The Kurd forces were severely undermanned, completely unprepared, and multiple defenses were breached and shattered in the first mont! Now… according to our latest intelligence confird by multiple sources, over eighty percent of Kirkuk urban area and surrounding oilfield zones… have… have already fallen! All into Song Heping's hands! The entire process was amazingly swift; the Kurd ard forces barely organized any semblance of resistance!"
Buzzing –
Simon felt a sudden explosion inside his head, countless golden stars flickering chaotically in his vision.
Kirkuk!
That is the lifeline of Illigo's northern oil resources, the economic foundation of the Kurdish Autonomous Governnt, and one of the crucial levers for the United States to maintain its influence in the region!
Damn Song Heping!
He recalled the words Song Heping had spoken before leaving during the day.
That guy had said it was foolish for Washington politicians to reject him!
Indeed!
He must have planned it all along.
He acted right after I returned from the failed negotiations at Daguge!
Everything was preditated!
Damn!
I warned Brenan, the national security advisor, long ago.
Song Heping is definitely not an ordinary opponent.
A man who could live a comfortable life for years with the CIA on his tail, even on the wanted list, would dare to do anything, and actually do it!
Evidently, attacking Kirkuk is a warning to the Aricans.
What it will an if they turn against him!
He's counting on the Aricans being unable to reinforce Illigo once more.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so confident.
This ga is like a card ga at the table.
Song Heping knows the Aricans' hole cards.
He's betting.
He knows that for the US Army to redeploy in Illigo, it must pass through Congress.
Congress would never agree.
Moreover, he clearly understands the financial burden of returning to Illigo.
He's betting that Arica won't put in great effort for him.
It's an unprofitable deal.
SHIT!
Damn Chinese people!
His mind flashed back to the seemingly calm yet endlessly sharp look in Song Heping's eyes when they parted, rembering his words, "I hope you won't regret it."
This wasn't a threat, but a forewarning!
This move of his, "causing chaos," directly, precisely, fiercely grips the necks of the Kurd people, or rather, strangles the economic lifeblood of Arica's strategic layout in Northern Illigo – oil!
This isn't just a military occupation, but also a strong political and strategic signal!
It completely disrupted Arica's carefully planned strategy in Northern Illigo, and is very likely to trigger a new round of intense conflict and power shake-up between the Kurdish people, the Illigo Central Governnt, and pro-Persian militia forces!
The originally fragile balance situation in Illigo might spiral out of control due to Song Heping's deadly blow, plunging into the abyss of full-scale civil war!
And the United States will be forced deeper into the quagmire…
"I… I know…"
Simon's throat felt like it was blocked by fire, burning his vocal cords: "Continue… closely monitor… utilize all resources to assess the follow-up impact and reactions from all sides… especially Elbil and the Baghdad Central Governnt, also… the activities on the Tehran side must be monitored, I worry the Persians might invade Elbil from the border… imdiately report to with any new developnts!"
After laboriously giving instructions, he hung up the phone.
After ending the call, Simon sat at the edge of the bed, like a wooden figure, in the dim light.
An unprecedented sense of defeat washed over him like cold seawater, drowning him.
Song Heping's slap was too vicious!
Too loud!
This was not just seizing a few oilfields, looting so economic benefits, but using the most direct, the most brutal way, showcasing to the entire Washington his unignorable strength and terrifying determination—if you don't cooperate with , I have enough capability to make the situation in Illigo ten tis, a hundred tis worse than it is now!
Make your arrogance into a colossal joke!
Just then, the satellite phone in his hand, which had just fallen silent, rang once more like a death curse.
He didn't even need to look to guess who was calling – the security advisor, Brenan.
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