Song Heping raised his hand to stop, a simple gesture carrying undeniable authority.
"Let tell you what reality is."
His voice was still calm, but each word was heavy like a thousand pounds.
"If my conditions are not t, within three days, the Abu You Brigade will completely control all major oil wells in Kirkuk, and by then it will not be the current twenty-two, but all thirty-seven. Within a week, the residual forces of the 1515 extremist organization in the direction of Mosul will be unusually active, attacking the western Kurdish Control Zone, while General Barzani's troops will be pinned down in Kirkuk, unable to return for aid."
He leaned forward slightly: "And General Barzani's troops... will be caught in a costly war of attrition. The Abu You Brigade has already constructed a deep defense, with a substantial deploynt of anti-tank firepower. The result of a strong attack will be at least fifteen hundred casualties, and it's not certain that the oil field can be retaken. By then, you will lose resources, elite forces, and there may even be a vacuum in the northern defense line."
"Is this a threat?"
Saeed's voice was suppressed with anger and unease.
"This is an extrapolation based on the current situation, I'm very good at this, you should know." Song Heping leaned back on the sofa, spread his hands and said, "You can choose: peacefully give Abu You and Samir their rightful status, maintain stability, and preserve oil revenue; or choose conflict, and lose oil, soldiers, and possibly more."
He picked up the teacup: "By the way, I know General Barzani has mobilized troops heading towards Kirkuk. Six thousand troops, planned to attack at dawn on the fourth day. Please convey to him, if his soldiers fire the first shot, the consequences will not be limited to Kirkuk. I have prepared contingency plans in Mosul, Sinjar, and even Sulaimaniyah."
Saeed's face began to turn pale.
He looked at Yusuf, seemingly seeking support, but Yusuf just sipped his tea, avoiding his gaze.
The room was left with only the low hum of the air conditioner.
Samir held his breath, Yusuf remained silent, Song Heping waited, Saeed struggled internally.
"I need to consult with Chairman Masoud."
In the end, Saeed did not give a definite answer, but it seed there were signs of compromise.
"Okay." Song Heping glanced at the ti on his watch: "You have one day. By this ti tomorrow, I want a clear answer. If the answer is negative, or if there is none, you will bear all the consequences."
He stood up, signaling for departing guests.
Saeed left with a pale face.
After the guests were sent off and the door closed, Yusuf worriedly asked, "Song, will applying pressure like this backfire? Barzani is very stubborn, Masoud has his limits too."
Song Heping walked to the window, looking at the jasmine bushes in the courtyard illuminated by the lights.
"Barzani will yield when he finds that he has no choice. Politics is like chess, sotis you must sacrifice a piece to protect the king. And Masoud... he is a realist. Realists know when to hold firm and when to compromise."
"But what if Barzani really attacks?" Samir pursued.
"Then let him attack." Song Heping turned, a strategist's cold light in his eyes: "Once war starts, it's hard to control. And an uncontrollable war often leads all parties to reassess their positions. If Barzani attacks, it will only prove that the Kurdish Autonomous Committee is already out of control, and needs a new balance. At that ti, not only will Masoud be quicker to compromise, even the Aricans will have to intervene. Because a full-scale Kurdish civil war will completely disrupt their plans in Iligo."
He patted Samir's shoulder: "Prepare, Samir. You will soon beco a Lieutenant General in Iligo Defense Army."
Samir instinctively straightened his back, as if the rank insignia had already been placed on his shoulders.
At that mont, Song Heping's phone vibrated again.
He glanced at the ssage, revealing the first real smile of the night.
"Our 'gift' has already been delivered. Now let's see how all parties react tomorrow."
The "gift" Song Heping referred to was being sent in different ways to several key locations at the mont.
The first "gift" was an encrypted intelligence file, sent anonymously to the US Embassy's intelligence analysis room.
The contents of the file were ticulously forged, but flawless: intercepted communication records, financial transaction records, eting photos—all evidence pointing to one conclusion: General Barzani has had secret contact with the Turkey's intelligence departnt, planning to sign a secret developnt agreent with Turkey's national oil company after controlling Kirkuk Oil Field, bypassing the US-led energy distribution system.
The forgers of the docunt were a team of experts that Song Heping had Henry enlist at high salaries, who had previously served certain countries' intelligence agencies and were adept at creating 'truthful lies'.
The docunt even included a processed recording with a 95% match of voice characteristics with Barzani.
In the world of intelligence, this was enough to cause a seismic event.
The second "gift" copy was delivered through another channel to the office of Chairman Masoud of the Kurdish Autonomous Committee.
The delivery thod was very classical.
A package with no sender information, placed at the reception of the committee building.
Security surveillance showed the package was left by a man in a courier company uniform, but the license plate was forged, and the face fell into a blind spot of the surveillance.
The third "gift" was more direct.
At two o'clock in the morning, General Barzani's personal encrypted email received an email with an attachnt that contained a photo.
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