At 9:05 PM, on the road from Coleman, a city in southern Persia, to another city, Bam, three SUVs sped past like bolts of lightning.
Avanti was sitting in the backseat of the middle SUV, resting with his eyes closed.
A faint look of worry shrouded his face.
Just two hours earlier, a terrorist attack had taken place at Mango Airport on the outskirts of the southern city of Zahedan, where over a dozen mbers of the Revolutionary Brigade, driving three trucks, had smashed through the airport's periter fence, stord the terminal, and opened fire on the police and staff present, killing and wounding over a dozen people.
Fortunately, Mango Airport was not a busy international hub but primarily a cargo airport. In recent years, it had also served as a semi-military airfield. Avanti had been using it to coordinate supplies for the anti-terrorism forces at the border, enabling them to block the Golden Crescent drug trafficking groups sheltered by the Revolutionary Brigade on the Salhad Plateau, cutting off their routes for transporting drugs from the Golden Crescent area to the southern port of Gwadar, and from there, smuggling them to the Middle East and White Elephant Country.
If possible, Avanti truly wished to lead troops into Afghan to eradicate the Revolutionary Brigade's militants hiding in the southern part of Helman Province.
However, the situation there was incredibly complex. Although he had repeatedly ordered the Revolutionary Guard's special forces to conduct strikes and clean-up operations there over the past year, the results had been less than satisfactory.
The Revolutionary Brigade, whenever struck by the special forces on the Salhad Plateau, would shrink back to Afghan, or even retreat to the Dhaulagiri Mountain Range in Pakistan.
To avoid broader implications, the special forces had to cease their pursuit.
"Stupid Aricans!"
Avanti cursed the Arican forces that had invaded Afghan in his heart.
In the past few years, the opium shipnt volu in the Golden Crescent area had significantly decreased because the student military regi that held power in Afghan had a relatively conservative attitude toward opium. But since the Arican invasion of Afghan two years ago, the ousted student military regi retreated to various mountainous and marginal areas. They allied with the Revolutionary Brigade, and together they started cultivating opium on a large scale, selling it worldwide.
In just two years, what had been a rather inactive drug cultivation scene had exploded. Countless quantities of refined opium were sold around the world, and then the profits flowed back to the Persian Revolutionary Brigade and the Afghan student military, who in turn continually placed custom orders for various imitation weapons from the armories across the border in Pakistan.
Consequently, in recent years, whether it was Persia, Pakistan, or the Aricans in Afghan, all were suffering.
The invasion was ant to strike the student military regi that held power, but it actually propelled the previously obscure Golden Crescent region to beco the world's leading opium-producing area. The mountainous areas in Pakistan, previously unknown for their small handcrafted weapon workshops, underwent a transformation to scale up, standardize, and modernize.
Previously, these workshops had managed to manufacture only replicas of AKs and Tokarev Pistols and other lightweight arms. But now, there was nothing they couldn't replicate, even Arican-style equipnt.
Avanti held a low opinion of Aricans.
In his view, these people simply lacked wisdom.
They always thought they could handle Middle Eastern issues in their own way and succeed, yet often, they only made matters worse.
In earlier years, they supported the student military and Agaida against the Soviets, but when the Soviets left, Agaida turned on them.
Then they switched their guns to target both the student military and Agaida, only to find that as they chased away the student military, the new armants industries in the Golden Crescent and the Pakistani mountain areas rose up...
They were busy, either dealing with terrorism or on the way to another anti-terrorist action.
Avanti believed that these Aricans were in fact the real source of terror.
The co-driver took a call, then turned to Avanti and said, "Leader, the situation at Mango Airport has stabilized, but of the 15 people sent to the hospital, 3 more have died, bringing the death toll to 16."
"Hmm, I understand."
Avanti did not open his eyes.
It appeared that this incident was retaliation for a recent operation launched by the special forces on the Salhad Plateau half a month ago.
In that operation, the special forces had ambushed a caravan transporting opium in a mountain pass on the highland, resulting in a gunfight. mbers of the Revolutionary Brigade's drug trafficking group were killed on the spot; forty in total, with three tons of opium seized.
Presumably, due to the heavy losses, the high-ranking mbers of the Revolutionary Brigade, infuriated and embarrassed, had recklessly sent the Suicide Squad to attack the airport as a warning to Avanti.
As he contemplated whether to organize another clean-up operation to retaliate in kind, his personal, confidential mobile phone vibrated in his pocket.
He never handed this phone to his assistant; it was his private, secure line.
The contacts saved in it were his secret liaisons.
"Who could it be this late?"
He glanced at the number on the screen, his eyes lighting up.
"Mr. Song, is that you?"
"Good evening, Mr. Avanti."
"Good evening."
"Did I disturb your rest?"
"No, I usually sleep very late. What brings you to call so late?"
"Let get straight to the point. Recently, I took on a job that is based in the Golden Crescent area. However, I'm not very familiar with that place. I've managed to gather so intelligence, but I still want to verify it. I heard you also have operations there targeting the drug trafficking groups, is that right?"
On hearing Song Heping's words, Avanti sat up straight, his spirits suddenly lifted.
He even moved his phone away from his ear, holding it in his hand and staring at it for a few monts.
He had just been bothered by the issue of the Golden Crescent, and now Song Heping was calling to ask about it?
It was like soone offering a pillow just as he was feeling sleepy—too coincidental!
Could it really be fate?
He suddenly felt an even greater fondness for Song Heping.
"Yes, that place used to be the territory of the Revolutionary Brigade. These folks beca a resistance force during the war with the Persians, but afterward, when the Soviets left, they disagreed with our political views and stayed there, funding themselves through the cultivation and sale of opium. Now they're the biggest drug trafficking group here. Are you planning to take them on?"
"Yes, I'm looking for so intelligence on this organization. Is it convenient for you to share?"
Song Heping didn't need to beat around the bush.
After all, they shared the sa intent.
As they say, birds of a feather flock together.
Avanti asked, "Of course, it's convenient. I'm just wondering, whose job did you take? How did you co to target the Revolutionary Brigade?"
"The Arican's job," replied Song Heping without concealnt, "Their student military regi now has ties with the Revolutionary Brigade, gaining profits through opium sales to reinforce their squad. The US Army is troubled by them. Their planes can't finish them off; every ti they bomb, the targets flee towards your territory, and they dare not cross the border to attack. So they hired to eliminate their top leader, the second-in-command, and a man nad Adrian, who is an agent."
"Adrian?"
Avanti seed to recall the na.
He seed to have seen that na in so intelligence reports.
"Can you share his file with ? I want to know what intelligence you have obtained."
"Sure, you will find my encrypted intelligence in the agreed-upon secret mailbox. After you review it, please provide with your data."
"Mr. Song, what exactly do you want from ? Surely you need more than just intelligence?" guessed Avanti, sure that Song Heping was after more than just information.
"I need an exit strategy," said Song Heping. "If I really take out the two leaders of the Revolutionary Brigade in Afghan, I can't think of a better way to retreat than to retreat into your country. I'm seeking help from you, an old friend who once gifted a ring."
This ti, Song Heping played the emotional card.
He didn't want to outright say Avanti still owed him a favor.
He simply reminded him that Avanti had told him he could ask for help if he ever had trouble.
Since that was the case, it was worth a try.
"Allow so ti to think it over. Providing intelligence and offering military support are fundantally different, especially since our relationship with the Aricans is very sensitive. I must report to higher authorities and get their consent before I can agree," replied Avanti frankly.
Song Heping showed understanding, "No problem, I'll wait for your good news."
"See you later, my friend," replied Avanti very politely.
After ending the call, Song Heping returned to the office building. He scanned the background information of Adrian, inserted a USB stick equipped with encryption tools, and used the Persians encryption software to fragnt and encrypt the docunt, then sent it to Avanti.
After completing everything, he went back outside to sit down.
Ferrari asked him, "How did it go? Did the Persians take your offer?"
Song Heping replied, "Waiting for news, even he can't make the decision."
Ferrari laughed, "Surprising that this deal you took requires the approval of their highest leader, Song, you must be very influential now."
Song Heping gazed at the blazing fire and said thoughtfully, "This matter must be kept secret; it must also be arranged discreetly, to keep the Aricans from knowing the insider details; otherwise, they won't trust us again."
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