Song Heping signaled Jiang Feng to take over command and observation, while he retreated to the communication point behind the rock pillar and picked up the satellite phone.
"General Duke."
"Mr. Song, it seems that 1515 has already started attacking Hulmatu, the contact battle on the periphery has begun." Duke's voice had a barely noticeable urgency, "1515's forward troops are making probing attacks. Rose reports the enemy forces are far larger than expected, at least five thousand people, and they are equipped with heavy weapons."
"I know." Song Heping's voice was as calm as ever, "Their main forces are still on the way, passing through my defense zone."
Silence for two seconds on the other end—Duke was clearly digesting this information.
"Your defense zone? Are you in the southeast direction of Hulmatu?"
"Yes, General. I am in sector 4, waiting for Ahd's central troops to enter the ambush circle."
A longer silence.
Duke needed ti to understand Song Heping's deploynt.
The opposition did not hold firmly in Bayji, nor reinforce Hulmatu, but rather deployed main forces ahead on the flank of the 1515 attack route, like a Hunter waiting for prey to fall into a trap.
"How long until you can act?" Duke eventually asked.
"I can act at any ti."
"And then?"
"And then? Then Ahd's attack plan falls through." Song Heping's voice carried a hint of deeper aning, "However, General... this only relieves Hulmatu's urgent crisis. To completely eliminate the threat in the Northwest, we need more long-term arrangents."
Duke heard the underlying ssage, "You're pushing for a decision on the formalization of Samir's forces."
"I'm just reminding the General, today I can intercept Ahd's attack troops, preventing them from effectively attacking Hulmatu. Tomorrow I can sever his supply lines."
Song Heping's tone remained calm, but every word was as sharp as a blade.
"But if my forces do not have formal status, many operations will be limited, which will affect the efficiency of anti-terrorism actions."
"I understand," Duke said, "Give forty-eight hours. After forty-eight hours, I will give you an answer."
"And Hulmatu..."
"Rose will hold." Duke paused, adding, "But if the situation becos critical, I hope your forces can provide support when necessary."
"Of course." Song Heping ambiguously replied, "We are allies, aren't we? However, I need your call and promise."
The call ended.
Song Heping returned to the observation post, Jiang Feng cast an inquiring look.
"I think the Aricans are finding it hard to withstand the pressure." Song Heping simply explained, "Rose isn't expected to hold out for five days, I'm guessing three days is difficult..."
He looked toward the thermal imaging device, and 1515's rear troops had fully entered the ambush area.
Twenty howitzers set up at a wide point on the riverbed, soldiers were establishing firing positions—they intended to establish an artillery support point here to provide fire coverage for the attack on Hulmatu.
Perfect timing.
But Song Heping did not order the attack.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Hulmatu's pressure to reach the critical point, waiting for Duke to call again, waiting for Washington to make a decision.
Two rcenary camps were like taut bowstrings, arrows on the string, but not yet released.
"Old Squad Leader, why are we not acting yet?" Jiang Feng couldn't help asking, "They've completely fallen into the trap."
"Because the timing isn't right."
Song Heping put away the thermal imaging device, leaning against the rock wall, "Acting now, we're just helping the Aricans out. When Hulmatu's defense line is on the brink of collapse, we act, we beco saviors. Political value is completely different."
"But that way, those rcenaries under Rose will suffer greater casualties."
"War is never charity." There was no emotion in Song Heping's voice, "Thunder Defense is a PMC Company, those rcenaries chose this job, so they must take on risks, isn't it so?"
He looked toward the Northwest, where flas were rising—the 1515 forward troops had already begun probing attacks on Hulmatu's periter defenses.
The real general assault would start once the artillery was in position.
Ti ticked away every minute and second.
At four ten in the morning, dense explosions were heard from the direction of Hulmatu—the 1515 mortars began shelling the periter positions.
At four twenty, an urgent call ca through the radio from Rose requesting air support.
The shelling that started at four forty in the morning lasted for a full two hours.
Twenty howitzers and dozens of mortars poured over eight hundred shells into the Hulmatu eastern line positions, shattering defenses that were already barely solid.
Colonel Rose watched all this from the command post basent through surveillance footage.
Three observation posts on the first line lost contact fifteen minutes after the shelling began.
Soldiers on the second line huddled in trenches, enduring seemingly endless bombardnts.
"Sir, sector B3 requests withdrawal!"
A captain's hoarse voice ca through the communication channel, "Our positions have been leveled, casualties exceed one-third!"
"No retreat allowed!" Rose shouted into the microphone, "Anyone abandoning the position will be shot! Tell the soldiers, the real battle begins after the shelling ends!"
He turned to the adjutant, "When will the air support arrive?"
"Two F-16s are already on their way, but 1515 has deployed portable anti-aircraft missiles in the area, estimated to reach overhead in twenty minutes."
"Then let them hurry!" Rose punched the table.
The shelling gradually ceased at six twenty.
The smoke had yet to disperse when hundreds of 1515 soldiers launched an assault, under the cover of armored vehicles.
Suicide car bombs first rushed towards the eastern line's weakest sector, C2, blasting a twenty-ter wide breach in the barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles.
In the following twelve hours, Hulmatu's east suburbs turned into a grinding mill of flesh.
Rose's troops relied on preset shooting points and the city's outer buildings to resist step by step, destroying four armored vehicles with anti-tank missiles, harvesting charging infantry with heavy machine guns and snipers.
But 1515's nurical advantage was overwhelming—they could attack in waves, while the defenders barely had a mont to breathe.
By the evening of the first day, all three lines on the east had fallen, Rose's forces were forced into the urban edge buildings.
Eight hundred Thunder Defense rcenaries had been reduced to over six hundred, with greater casualties for the governnt army and Kurdish militia.
"They'll attack the city tomorrow."
Rose told the officers at the evening briefing, "But every house is a fortress, every street a trap. We'll make them pay for every ter."
At the sa ti, in sector 4.
Song Heping and his forces continued to lie in wait in the desert.
"Old Squad Leader, seems like Rose's side is having a tough fight." Jiang Feng handed over the latest reconnaissance report, "The entire east line is lost, estimated casualties are four hundred. If there's no reinforcent by tomorrow..."
"Has Duke called again?" Song Heping interrupted him.
"No, the last call was fourteen hours ago."
Song Heping nodded, his face showing no emotion.
He walked to the temporary observation post, looking through the binoculars toward the direction of Hulmatu.
"How long do you think we can wait?" He suddenly asked Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng hesitated a bit, "Today, Arican Air Force helped him a lot, but still three lines were broken, at this rate, holding for two days seems tough!"
"Hmm..." Song Heping nodded, "Ahd's greatest desire now is to capture Hulmatu, to prove himself to the headquarters in Raqqa, so he will attack relentlessly."
"If Hulmatu ends up really falling..."
"Then we beco the only savior, our value will be greater."
Song Heping's voice was chillingly cold, "But that's the lesser option. The best outco is to intervene just as the city is about to fall, showcasing our value without letting 1515 achieve a real strategic victory."
He checked his watch, "Order the troops to maintain level one combat readiness, but continue to wait. No opening fire without my order."
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