Mercenaries, I Will Be King Chapter 1638 1311: The Game on the Chessboard

Returning to the hotel within the Green Zone from Yusuf's villa, it was already past ten at night.

The night sky in Baghdad was unusually clear, with stars scattered across it. However, the barbed wire around the Green Zone, the occasional glint of armored vehicles at street corners, and fully ard soldiers continued to remind people that peace had yet to be restored here.

Samir stood in front of the hotel room's floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city shrouded in darkness outside the Green Zone, his brows furrowed tightly.

The dayti eting with Duke and the evening conversation with Yusuf made him feel like he was shuttling between two completely different worlds.

"Still pondering tonight's matters?"

Song Heping's voice ca from behind.

He had already changed into casual wear, holding two cups of tea in his hands.

Samir turned around and took the teacup: "Boss, even though Yusuf is my cousin, do you think he's really trustworthy? I an... he's just too slick."

"Slickness isn't a bad thing; what's important is where his cunning is applied."

Song Heping sat on the sofa, took a sip of tea, "Besides, we don't need him to be completely reliable, we only need our interests and his to be closely aligned at this stage."

"And what about the Aricans?" Samir sat across from him, "Duke's attitude seems courteous, but I can feel he's very cautious about us deep down."

Song Heping smiled: "Caution is normal. If we were in his position, we would also remain wary of an uncontrollable force. The key is to make him think that supporting us aligns more with US interests than opposing us."

"So you'll et him again tomorrow?"

"Yes." Song Heping nodded and said: "'Liberation Forces' being officially integrated into the Illigo Governnt Army sequence is almost impossible without Arican support. Those old foxes in parliant, the Kurd people, tribal elders, and those bureaucrats in the Ministry of Defense... everyone has their own agenda. Without clear support from Washington, Yusuf alone maneuvering in parliant is too difficult."

Samir was silent for a mont, then slowly said: "I understand. It's like a table full of people dividing a cake, and suddenly a stranger wants to join in; the original diners surely won't be pleased. Especially the Kurd people, they've always wanted more say in the governnt."

"Not just the Kurd people." Song Heping added, "So Sunni politician with ard tribes in their background, and you being Shiye Sect, they don't want another powerful Shiye Sect-backed ard force to be regularized. Plus, those generals in the Ministry of Defense, an extra troop ans another person to split the budget and equipnt."

"So we need the Aricans to apply pressure." Samir seed to understand: "As long as the U.S. military expresses support, those opposing voices at least won't dare be blatant."

"It's not just pressure, we also need transactions."

Song Heping put down the teacup and gazed into the distance: "Aricans are most particular about interests, they won't help without reason. We must give them a sufficiently convincing reason to make them believe that supporting 'Liberation Forces' regularization aligns with their strategic interests in Illigo."

"What reason?"

Song Heping didn't answer directly, but instead asked: "Why do you think Duke is willing to hand over Hulmatu to us?"

Samir thought for a mont: "Because Thunder Defense can't hold it?"

"That's just the superficial reason."

Song Heping shook his head, "The deeper reason is that Aricans don't want, or rather can't invest more resources into Northwest Illigo. Withdrawing from Illigo is President Obama's political promise, and if they now massively increase troops to return, it would be a slap in the president's face and provide ammunition for the Elephant Party to attack. But the threat of 1515 is real, so they need to find a 'proxy,' one who can contain 1515 without needing the U.S. to directly send troops."

"So we're that 'proxy'?"

"To be precise, we're one of the candidates." Song Heping corrected, "The Kurd people are also candidates, as are the Illigo Governnt Army. But the Kurds have their own political demands and won't fully listen to Washington, not to ntion their average capabilities; as for the Illigo Governnt Army..."

At this point, he shook his head and laughed: "You've seen their performance in Ozham."

Samir seed thoughtful: "So the Aricans don't really have a choice."

"They do have choices, but none are quite ideal."

Song Heping stood up, walked to the balcony, and grabbed the railing as if trying to grasp so sort of power.

"And what we need to do is make Duke and those generals at the Pentagon believe that choosing us is the least bad option. Tomorrow, I'll give them an offer they can't refuse."

At seven o'clock the next morning, Song Heping and Samir returned to the US Army Command.

Unlike the previous day, this ti Major General Duke did not wait for them in the conference room but personally greeted them at the office building entrance.

"Mr. Song, Commander Samir, coming over so early must an sothing important." Duke's smile seed flawless, but his eyes carried a deep scrutiny.

"So matters are better cleared up early." Song Heping calmly asked: "General, you shouldn't be busy today, right?"

"Making ti for important partners is part of my job."

Duke gestured invitingly, showing great courtesy.

"Let's go talk in my office, it's quieter there."

The three of them arrived at an office on the second floor.

The room wasn't large, but it was tastefully furnished.

Photos of Duke serving in various war zones were hung on the walls, and the bookshelves were filled with works on military theory and international relations.