Mercenaries, I Will Be King Chapter 1682 - 1338: Duke's Plea for Help2

Every passing second could an the closing of Masoud's survival window.

"Mr. Song, sorry to disturb you late at night. The situation is urgent, so I'll keep it brief."

Duke's speaking speed was slightly faster than usual.

"We've received reliable intelligence that General Salah al-Din Barzani plans to stage a coup against Chairman Masoud Barzani today. The specific plan is: while Masoud is en route to Kirkuk for inspection, an ambush disguised as an 'Abu You Brigade Rebel attack' will be orchestrated in the hilly river valley area about 20 kiloters from Kirkuk on Highway No. 1, aiming to eliminate Masoud amidst the chaos and bla it on the Abu You Brigade, using this as an excuse to start a full-scale war and seize power."

He paused for half a second for the other party to digest this bombshell of information, while organizing the next wave of more specific "evidence" to enhance persuasiveness.

"The ambush is orchestrated by Barzani's confidant Rashid. They've deployed a special operations team equipped with Russian-made 'Kornet' anti-tank missiles. Masoud's convoy is expected to depart from Elbil at 10 AM local ti and enter the ambush zone around 2 PM. anwhile, Barzani's forces in Elbil have already begun abnormal maneuvers, controlling critical communication nodes. We suspect Chairman Masoud has been essentially cut off from external contact and is effectively under house arrest, with communication being monitored or blocked."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Duke could almost imagine Song Heping sitting in his hotel room in the Baghdad Green Zone, his eyes swiftly scanning maps, troop deploynt diagrams, and relationship networks on his laptop screen, brain working like a high-performance computer evaluating the truth, motive, and potential impact of this information.

Approximately five seconds later, Song Heping's voice rang out again, still calm but with a slightly probing tone:

"Major General Duke, thank you for providing this... attention-grabbing information. However, allow to be direct: why tell ? The US Army possesses strong intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and rapid response troops in Northern Illigo. Theoretically, you are better equipped than to intervene directly in handling such internal threats."

Here it cos.

The anticipated counter-question, hitting the core.

Duke was already prepared with an answer, which had to be credible enough to earn trust while not exposing the entirety of the US side's predicant and calculations.

"Because the political and legal risks of direct military intervention exceed the thresholds we can currently bear, Mr. Song."

Duke opted for a candid but tactfully phrased expression.

"Without explicit requests from the Eligo Central Governnt and authorization from our highest levels, the US Army's proactive involvent in the internal power struggles of Kurdish regional leaders would be viewed as a severe violation of sovereignty. It would provide nations like Persia, Turkey, and Russia with grounds to attack us and trigger an uncontrollable political storm dostically. We're caught behind procedures and red lines."

He slightly slowed his speech, steering the topic toward the potential convergence of interests.

"However, Chairman Masoud's survival is crucial to maintaining stability in Northern Illigo, particularly in the Kirkuk region. If he is killed and Barzani takes power, a full-scale conflict will inevitably erupt, possibly spreading and disrupting oil production, effectively providing the remaining forces of the 1515 extremist organization a chance to strike, ultimately harming the safety and stability of all parties with legitimate interests in the region. This naturally includes the negotiations you and Samir, Abu You are undertaking. After all, Masoud is a moderate, easier to deal with than Barzani."

The silence this ti was slightly longer.

"So..." Song Heping finally spoke, without showing emotion in his tone, "your proposal is for to intervene, to stop this assassination and save Masoud."

"It's a cooperation proposal, Mr. Song."

Duke stressed, "You have the capability to do so. The Abu You Brigade and your elite rcenary camp are currently deployed near Kirkuk, free from the political constraints we face. More importantly, as I ntioned, Masoud's survival aligns with your interests. If Barzani succeeds, he won't recognize any agreents with Abu You, but will launch a full-scale attack on the Abu You Brigade. Your arrangents there will be disrupted, which is not in your interest."

"Interesting logic chain."

There seed to be a barely noticeable touch of amusent in Song Heping's voice.

"Let figure this out—Aricans have information on the coup but are bound and unable to act, so they reach out to , an 'independent contractor,' hoping I'll complete this high-risk task. If successful, regional stability is maintained and your interests are preserved; if not, or if it triggers even greater chaos, responsibility falls on an 'uncontrolled third party.' And what I get is an... oral statent about 'aligning with my interests.'

Here it cos!

Duke thought.

This is hitting the critical points of risk.

Behind the scenes, naturally, is the hand reaching for interests!

Indeed, he's a rcenary chief, wouldn't act early without profit.

"It's not just an oral statent, Mr. Song."

Duke swiftly responded, deciding to throw out so more concrete "benefits":

"If this crisis can be resolved with Chairman Masoud unhard and the coup thwarted, then it's evident that Chairman Masoud and the forces in the Kurdish Regional Governnt that still support him will be extrely grateful to those who lend a helping hand. This gratitude, in future arrangents... might translate into a very pragmatic attitude."