Three days later, southern Venezuela, near Maro Town.
The Orinoco River flowed through the dense jungle, its banks covered with lush vegetation forming verdant barriers that seed like nature's most ticulously arranged decorations.
A Toyota SUV slowly climbed up the hillside along a dirt road and stopped in a clearing at a turn.
The passenger-side door opened, and Song Heping, still with his left palm bandaged, stepped out to the edge of the hillside, looking into the distance.
The view from here was excellent, overlooking the entire expanse of jungle.
This was a plain ford by the river's sedints over the years. Compared to central Venezuela, the terrain here was relatively flat. However, since the major cities and oil-producing areas of Venezuela were primarily in the north near Maracaibo Lake and along the Venezuelan Gulf, and this area was at the southernmost tip of Venezuela, near the borders of Colombia and Guyana, it was not very prospering and many parts remained primitive jungles.
West from here was Colombia, less than thirty kiloters away.
To the south, more than two hundred kiloters would bring one into Brazilian territory.
Its location was at the tri-border area, similar to the Golden Triangle.
Jiang Feng got out of the driver's seat, walked over to Song Heping, and seeing him standing there for a long ti, couldn't help asking, "Old squad leader, what are you looking at?"
Song Heping raised his hand and drew a circle in front of him, "Jiang Feng, what if I bought all of this land, what do you think?"
Jiang Feng hesitated for a mont and said, "Old squad leader, are you planning to retire? Start a farm here?"
"You want to retire while you're still so young?" Song Heping asked back.
Jiang Feng's face flushed slightly as he said, "That's not it... But in our line of work, we depend on our youth, and after a decade or so, when I've made enough money, I'd return to China."
Hearing this, Song Heping felt sowhat emotional.
Isn't this what everyone in the rcenary business thinks?
But how many actually live to see a safe retirent?
Moreover, after getting used to a life on the edge, how many can return to a normal life?
Having only joined the industry a little over a year ago, he already felt the sensation of 'unable to escape the rivers and lakes,' let alone talk of a decade or more...
"I'm not planning to start a farm," Song Heping clarified, "Jiang Feng, what do you think about starting a school here?"
This had always been a secret plan in Song Heping's mind, never shared with anyone, and his ntioning it now stunned Jiang Feng.
"A school? You an a military school?"
"Yes, you could also call it a training base for our company, it doesn't really matter, it's just a title," said Song Heping. "I always feel that our arrangent with Illiguo won't last. Despite our seamless cooperation with the Aricans right now, no one can say when they might turn their backs on us, and then we'd have nowhere to run."
"Why not go to Russia?" Jiang Feng asked.
Song Heping glanced at Jiang Feng, his thoughts drifting to the chef.
Russia would also be a good choice.
But Russian's waters were not shallower than Illiguo's.
Moreover, the chef had left the 'Musician' Defense to strike out on his own exactly because he wanted to carve out his own path; going to Russia? Competing with him didn't seem right.
Song Heping had also intermittently heard so news about the chef lately, from the White Bear couple.
Currently, the chef was indeed running a restaurant in Moscow.
But the restaurant he ran was said to be no ordinary one.
According to White Bear, he had beco involved with people from the Russian Federation Security Bureau (FSB), and while the establishnt was called a restaurant, it was more fitting to describe it as a secret club masquerading under the guise of a restaurant.
From this information, Song Heping had roughly guessed what the chef was up to.
That type of person, naturally never content with diocrity, had culinary skills that indeed made him a gourt, but that was rely a hobby, not his aspiration.
The chef was ultimately going back to his old ways—private defense services, a field he was apt for.
Thus, Song Heping would not consider Russia. Setting aside other factors, just for the chef's sake, he didn't want to develop his operations in Russia.
"Russia's waters are deep, not suitable for you and ," Song Heping gave a vague explanation, then quickly changed the subject, "Look at this place, is it suitable to be a training base?"
"It's quite suitable indeed. There's rivers, lakes, jungles, and mountains, perfect for special operations training," said Jiang Feng.
"When you were in the army, I rember you served in the Instructional Brigade, right?" Song Heping said.
Jiang Feng answered without hesitation, "That's right."
Then he paused and added, "You wouldn't want to model it exactly on the Instructional Brigade, would you?"
"Why not? The business we're planning to develop is focused on special operations training. Do you think I want to open a National Defense University? You can't get fat with one bite. We'll start with specialties in special operations and small unit command, and talk about others later," Song Heping said.
Actually, he only said half of it.
The deeper motive, Song Heping didn't disclose.
Because it was still better kept secret at this point.
While they were discussing, Song Heping's mobile phone rang.
After he answered, the voice on the other line was that of Ramas.
"Song, where are you?"
"Right on the hillside opposite the river we agreed upon..."
Song Heping replied to Ramas's inquiry while his gaze turned towards the mountain road they had taken.
About a kiloter away, on the dirt road, two dark green military off-road vehicles were slowly moving along the mountain road.
"I see you, I'm at your 8 o'clock position, do you see ?"
After speaking, he raised his hand and waved it towards those two off-road vehicles.
Soon, Ramas on the phone said, "Okay, I see you."
Five minutes later, the military's two off-road vehicles arrived at the platform at the turn.
As soon as Ramas got out of the car, he asked, "Song, don't tell you have taken a liking to this place?"
He walked over to Song Heping, hands on his hips, looking towards the distant river and jungle.
"This place is desolate, completely lacking in facilities. Why didn't you listen to my suggestion to set up near the Gogoya Army Special Soldier School? That place has a military camp nearby, as well as a hospital. It's quite convenient."
"I just like desolate places. Besides, I need a lot of land, and it probably wouldn't be so easy to acquire it in Bolívar State."
Song Heping lifted his hand, pointing into the distance.
"As for the facilities, I don't need them; I can build a hospital on the training base myself, and I plan to build an airport here, even a runway for helicopters and fighter jets to take off and land."
"What?!"
Song Heping's words almost scared Ramas off the hillside.
Even though he was a general, he was worldly.
But he had never seen such ambition.
Even the Gogoya Army Special Soldier School didn't have an airport, and Song Heping was talking about building one right off the bat, wasn't this madness?!
"Song, I really don't have ti to joke around. Do you know what you're talking about? An airport? For fighter jets to take off and land? Are you planning to build a nation here?"
"I'm not joking."
Song Heping pointed into the distance and said, "Just over there is not far from Guyana, I know the history between you two, and that area is also one of your disputed territories. Moreover, you have been on guard against Guyana for so many years. Am I right?"
Ramas stared at Song Heping, quite shaken.
He had previously thought of Song Heping as just a powerful rcenary leader, not realizing the man was more than just execution-strong; he had truly done his howork on everything here.
Suddenly, Ramas faintly felt that Song Heping's venture to establish a training base in this desolate southern region was not as simple as it appeared.
Song Heping also noticed Ramas's wariness.
He then reassured the South Arican general, "Do you think I am going to do sothing adverse to your country?"
Ramas did not expect Song Heping to be so forthright, and for a mont did not know how to respond.
He pondered for a mont before saying, "Your ideas just now were so startling; I don't think any country would agree to your plan."
"Is that so?" Song Heping gestured from top to bottom on his body and said, ", a Chinese, do you think you should be worried about when companies like Black Water are contracted to manage Special Soldier Schools? Have you ever seen China invade or subvert other countries' governnts?"
Ramas was stunned again.
Talking to Song Heping was like engaging in a duel with a master, where the pressure was constant.
"It seems not..."
Song Heping continued, "That's right. You're not afraid of Black Water, so why should you be worried about ? Moreover, your country allows private airports; why can't my base have a runway for takeoff? Compared to a private airport, it might just involve one or two extra fighter jets, purely for instructional purposes. How can they threaten you?"
Ramas hesitated and said, "Song, I still feel that you have so ulterior motives. Why else would you insist on having a runway?"
Song Heping said, "Frankly speaking, my business in Illiguo is very stable right now, but I think it will continue to grow in the future, including possibly expanding globally. Think about it, I will need to recruit pilots; I'll need to use planes, so my pilots certainly can't lack a place to train, can they?"
Ramas was still very wary, "This is still too sensitive. I cannot convince my superiors; you know, I am not the commander-in-chief of the ard forces, just responsible for the Army."
"That's completely fine," Song Heping said. "I know you are related to Mr. Minister, right? If you want to convince Mr. Minister or even the president, I think you definitely have your ways."
Ramas did not answer but continued to watch Song Heping warily.
Song Heping continued, "Let's discuss my terms. After hearing them, you can then consider whether or not you can agree to cooperate with ."
Ramas, expressionless, said, "Speak."
Song Heping raised his palm, flicking out a finger as though handing out candy to a child, "First, the base will bear your son's na, your son Seras only needs to be a nominal leader, and he will own 30% of the external business revenue of the base."
Then he flicked out a second finger, "I can offer you and your superiors a kickback of one million US dollars in rent each year."
Afterward, he flicked out a third finger, "Tell Mr. Minister that if your southern region is threatened by military forces from neighboring countries, the personnel and aircraft stationed here will assist you in attacking the invaders, provided that you pay a certain fee."
Finally, Song Heping flicked out a fourth finger, "Each year, we will train one hundred special combat elites for you free of charge."
Lastly, he added, "Think about it, I alone managed to eliminate a squad of Green Berets and a squad of AGLAN, am I not qualified to teach your Special Forces?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers