"Morins, contact the commander of the southern defense area right away," Song Heping ordered sharply, "and tell them to pull back imdiately..."
After a brief silence, Song Heping scanned the map multiple tis before making a decision. "Have the remaining people all move into the jungle near the Venezuelan border in the Matavini Region. Stop trying to hold the southern line; useless sacrifices are unnecessary. Wage guerrilla warfare in the Matavini jungle and tell the commander if things go south, to cross the river into Venezuela imdiately. I'll have soone on the other side to et you..."
"Into Venezuela?!" Morins exclaid in surprise, "That's essentially giving up the southern defense area."
"Better to bend than to break," Song Heping replied. "It wasn't your choice to withdraw the troops from the south; they're as good as dead staying there. Sooner or later we'd lose the area anyway. Once you cross the river, you're safe. Wait until the news spreads, then strike back!"
"But what if we encounter Venezuelan border patrols..."
"What border patrols? I told you I'd arrange soone to et you there! There won't be any Venezuelan patrols if you find Ramas. He'll sort everything out!"
"Oh!"
Morins suddenly realized.
"I almost forgot about him."
"Now, we must find every possible way to survive, and preserving our forces is the key; that's your ace up your sleeve," Song Heping asserted.
As they were talking, Song Heping's satellite phone started vibrating.
He checked the caller ID—it was a number from the school.
"Dominic, what's up?"
"Boss, we've been waiting at the airport for two days now, when are we moving out?"
Dominic's tone was tinged with impatience.
He had co over this ti to oversee the bombing plans and command.
He was an expert when it ca to the Air Force.
"Don't fucking bother ; keep waiting until I give the orders! I'm busy right now, so don't call unless it's urgent!" Song Heping vented his frustration on Dominic.
Dominic was simply making a fuss over nothing.
Probably because he'd been at the school for two days and was eager to show what he could do.
But now was simply not the ti for the Air Force to take action.
Jiang Feng, on the other hand, was much quieter.
There had been no contact, just routine reports.
As long as the AUC headquarters in Mituas stayed put, he would maintain radio silence.
That was a good habit for a scout.
After hanging up on Dominic, Song Heping grew anxious.
Everything was ready except for an opportune mont.
If the Colombian Governnt Army called off their operation, his own arrangents could proceed.
He paced around the cave, then took out his phone and called Fer.
"Fer, how are things on your end?"
"Man, you can't rush this," Fer said. "These things take ti to fernt. Tomorrow is the DOD's routine press conference. As soon as they dare to hold it, lots of people will dare to ask questions. That's when things will really start to fernt. Maybe a day or two after the press conference, the DOD will likely buckle under pressure."
"FUCK! Are you telling I have to wait another three or four days?!" Song Heping was genuinely anxious now.
"I don't have that much ti! In three or four days, you'll be picking up my corpse."
"Fer, it's not that I'm not trying hard, but those are the rules of the ga. Getting antsy won't help—you're not the president!"
"If I were the president, would I be asking for your help as an editor? I'd just order the withdrawal of advisors and cease the joint operations!" Song Heping snapped and abruptly hung up the phone.
It seed he couldn't count on Fer.
Three or four days.
How was he supposed to handle this?
If he didn't die within those three or four days, Morins would go mad.
He had promised Morins that once they had the evidence, they would force the governnt army to retreat.
Now that Morins had risked everything to obtain it, and Fer was being uncooperative.
That really could lead to a falling out.
Usually calm, Song Heping was also getting agitated now.
He paced around in circles.
After a while, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.
He rembered sothing Fer had said earlier.
"President?"
Song Heping imdiately took out his phone and dialed Ferrari.
"Boss, you still have ti to call ? It sounds like things aren't going well for you over there,"
Ferrari seized the opportunity to tease Song Heping.
"Do you want to ask Dominic to fly a helicopter from Venezuela and get you guys out of there?"
"Get lost!"
Song Heping cursed angrily.
Then he asked, "Ferrari, let ask you sothing, which departnt in the United States' Congress has influence over the military?"
"Well..."
Ferrari thought for a mont, then told Song Heping, "Yes, the Senate Military Committee. This body has the authority to supervise the military and has the power to review and evaluate military operations, conduct hearings, and such. The military bigwigs are sowhat wary of it."
"Senate... Military Committee..."
Song Heping muttered to himself.
Ferrari asked, "What? You think you can reach that far? Do you have that long of an arm?"
Song Heping kept pondering in his mind about Angel's Aunt Nancy...
It seed she had so influence in Congress.
Wondering if it was possible to ask for her help?
"Let's leave it at that."
Song Heping didn't bother with Ferrari any further and hung up the phone.
Then he imdiately called Angel.
"Honey, are you looking for urgently?"
Since last ti, Angel had beco quite intimate, starting the conversation with "Honey, honey," showing no sign of reserve.
"Baby..."
He had to squeeze out this embarrassingly affectionate title.
"It's urgent," Song Heping said, "The situation is quite serious, you should find a quiet place first, then we can talk."
"Okay..."
A while later, Song Heping heard the background noise on the phone quiet down.
Angel said, "It's okay now, go ahead."
Song Heping said, "I am in Colombia, and things are looking dire. You know the US Army is involved in this operation. Currently, the situation with the ELN Ard Organization isn't looking good. The southern defense area has been cut off, likely to be surrounded, and the northern defense area I'm in probably won't last much longer..."
"Can't you retreat? If it's too tough, just pull back," Angel expressed her concern.
Song Heping grimaced, "In our field, we can't just retreat whenever we want. That would co at the cost of our reputation; just like when we were protecting you, if we had decided to abandon you because the people wanting to kill you were too formidable, what would you have thought?"
Angel asked, "Then how can I help you? Fei'er's news has already been aired, many TV stations have had him for interviews, this matter has beco quite a spectacle."
"But I can't wait," said Song Heping, "The military might not compromise imdiately. Fei'er ntioned they are still in the midst of a struggle, planning to stir things up at tomorrow's press conference, it'll take another two or three days before it takes effect."
Song Heping said, "I cannot wait that long."
Angel said. "If you're calling , there must be sothing I can help with, just tell and I'll get on it."
Song Heping instantly felt a warmth in his heart.
This girl, she's great!
She directly asked what she could assist with.
Very capable!
So he quickly said, "Does Aunt Nancy have many friends in Congress? Are they interested in this situation? If so, I can provide more information to her."
"Do you want to ask Aunt Nancy for help?"
"Exactly, even though it's a bit abrupt."
Song Heping felt embarrassed.
Angel said, "I need to feel her out a bit. Are you looking to pressure the military through a specific channel?"
"The Military Committee," Song Heping said. "What if we could get them to hold a hearing, question this matter, what would happen then?"
Angel responded, "That's actually a good idea. After all, the military is currently collaborating with a drug trafficking group like the AUC under the pretext of a joint drug cri crackdown, yet they're attacking a non-drug trafficking Ard Organization, not to ntion the interference in dostic matters and the potential misuse of military funds."
"Exactly, exactly! That's exactly what I an," Song Heping said. "As long as we can apply pressure on the military, that would suffice!"
"Honey, but that won't work," Angel said, "Hearings aren't simple; the process is very complex, and it would probably take at least a month to schedule..."
One month...
That span of ti essentially silenced Song Heping.
In a month, I might be under the grass, right?
"Honey, are you still there?"
After a long "uh" from Song Heping, Angel quickly inquired.
"Oh, I'm here... just feeling a bit despondent, a month, it seems like fate is against ."
Angel said, "It might not necessarily be so; a hearing might take a long ti, but just ntioning that a hearing on this military operation is in the works wouldn't take an hour before the news spreads to the DOD. In the United States, nothing spreads faster than insider information."
"Spreading rumors?" Song Heping asked. "You an to scare them?"
"You could say that," Angel replied. "It is a tactic often used within the corridors of power; politicians frequently use various pieces of true or false information as their bargaining chips."
Song Heping was overjoyed, "Could you possibly ask Aunt Nancy to spread the word on this?"
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