Several minutes later, as the delicate, soft sand glistened, Song Heping ran alongside Samir and asked, "It's very quiet here, Samir, you can tell what's on your mind now."
The sea breeze swept across the beach, and the morning sunlight brought a warm feeling.
Samir said, "Boss, actually..."
He gritted his teeth.
Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he said, "I'm here to resign."
"Resign?!"
This response surprised Song Heping quite a bit.
He stopped in his tracks and looked at Samir.
"Why? Do you feel that the salary and benefits aren't good enough?"
"No, no, no!"
Samir hastily denied.
"The company benefits are excellent! The treatnt is good too! Boss, you've never discriminated against us from Illigo, you are a good boss."
Song Heping wiped his sweat with the towel around his neck and said, "I don't need a pat on the back, I just want to know why you want to resign."
Samir hesitated for a few seconds before speaking his mind, "I want to go it alone."
"Go it alone!?"
Song Heping thought a few words flashed through his mind—He's grown wings!
"Yes, but it's not about becoming a rcenary, I plan to go to places like Mosul to organize my own ard force."
Samir seed very candid.
"Ard force?"
Song Heping was sowhat confused.
"You're setting up this kind of ard organization, do you plan to confront the Aricans?"
"No!"
Samir shook his head.
"I've thought it through. The Aricans will leave sooner or later. Now it's not about whether we drive the Aricans out but what we should do after they leave."
Song Heping was stunned.
He looked at Samir and suddenly rembered that this was a man from Illigo who had been educated in Britain.
Originally, he joined the special forces organized by the Illigo Interim Governnt to support his family but switched to Song Heping's company because he disliked the style of the interim governnt's army.
Perhaps, over ti, he had forgotten about his ambitions.
Samir fundantally hadn't changed over the years.
"Tell , where do you plan to go after leaving the company?" Song Heping asked.
Samir said, "I'm not going anywhere. I will stay in Illigo and plan to organize my own militia near Saidid."
"Militia?"
Song Heping frowned, "Would the interim governnt allow you to independently establish such an ard organization? Moreover, will the Aricans turn a blind eye?"
"Boss, you should know the current dostic political landscape of Illigo. This ti I am organizing the militia under the na of one of the Shiye Sect families; we have supporters in the interim governnt. It's legal, and they need us now..."
As Samir spoke at length and elaborated on the entire situation, Song Heping finally understood what was happening.
In a nutshell—Samir hadn't betrayed him, nor did he want to fly solo because his wings had grown strong.
His newly established ard organization was actually a local militia, and it was related to the current dostic situation in Illigo.
The Shiye Sect had the largest population in Illigo, followed by the Sunni Sect, with other various sects making up a very small percentage.
During Sadam's regi, due to the defense against and fear of Persia, Sadam severely suppressed the Shiye sect dostically, with mostly Sunnis in the high ranks.
However, Old Arica's intervention and elimination of Sadam resulted in a consequence—the Shiye Sect was freed from Sadam's suppression and gained more seats and power in the interim governnt, and each sect would establish their own militia according to their territorial influence to consolidate their power.
In tis of war, those with soldiers and guns were the strong ones.
Whoever had more soldiers and more guns had a louder voice.
Whether it was the Shiye or Sunni, or factions like the Kurds, they were all actively recruiting and expanding their territories.
After "Illigo Freedom," those forr governnt military personnel who had been loyal to him, being denied participation in politics and the military, all joined the Resistance Organization.
After the death of Sadam, these Resistance Organizations lost their guiding spirit and were initially disoriented, as any organization needs a leader.
At that ti, a guy nad Zakavi erged within the Resistance Organization. He led a resistance force, shouting "Strike the infidels, expel the invaders," quickly assembling a group of people, and pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda, becoming its branch in Illigo.
The growth rate of this ard force surprised everyone. Many who had lost their will to fight after Sadam was hanged joined his command, and the ranks expanded wildly.
This developnt caught the attention of the interim governnt and the US Army stationed in Illigo, but combating Zakavi's Al-Qaeda branch was not as simple as expected.
First, the organization mainly operated in the west. Although the US Army had taken control of Mosul, the stronghold there, many other small cities and desert areas, even near the Siria border, were out of reach for the Aricans and the Illigo Interim Governnt forces.
Second, if relying solely on the US Army or coalition forces to dispatch ground troops to strike these ard groups, it would be like using a cannon to hit a mosquito. The advanced equipnt of the coalition could not be utilized effectively. If they depended on infantry for peacekeeping operations, the casualties would be too heavy.
What the US Army currently feared most was their own dostic public opinion. If the war lasted too long and the death toll was too high, dostic public opinion could not be suppressed, and anti-war voices would grow.
Thus, General Peter ca up with a good strategy—fight the enemy using their own tactics.
Using local Illigo ard forces to combat Zakavi's extremist forces, while the US Army provided air support, financial, and weapons assistance.
This way, they could strike Zakavi's Al-Qaeda branch and make the US Army casualty reports look much better—a win-win situation.
Samir seized an opportunity this ti.
He was a devoted Shiye Sect believer, his family had its influence in the northwest, and in the past two years, he had worked in the interim governnt Special Forces and "Musician" defense, gaining rich command experience, so he was recomnded to take charge of a newly ford Shiye Sect local ard organization called "Illigo Liberation Force."
"Boss, do you know who recomnded ?"
"Who?" Song Heping was curious, "Do I know them?"
"Of course, very well," Samir replied mysteriously.
Song Heping frowned, then suddenly a light flashed in his eyes, "Don't tell it was Yusuf who recomnded you?"
"Exactly, my chubby cousin," sighed Samir. "I never thought I'd accept his recomndation one day."
Song Heping asked, "Have you two reconciled?"
Samir had always looked down on Yusuf.
In his view, Yusuf was an Illigo traitor.
"How did you forgive him?" Song Heping asked.
Samir explained, "My cousin was right. My thinking was too naive. Even if I really want to drive out the Aricans, I need my own ard forces. If I don't even qualify to sit at the sa table as the Aricans, how can I negotiate with them or talk about driving them away?"
Song Heping was surprised by the change in Samir's heart.
He had been worried that soone as passionate as Samir might end up taking an extre path.
But now, it seed he had matured a lot and figured out what he wanted to do.
"Exactly, authority cos from the barrel of a gun. If you don't have your own ard forces, re passion is useless."
"It's not just about ard struggle. I want to develop political power too," Samir declared ambitiously. "Boss, Yusuf plans to get a seat in the interim governnt parliant. He wants to formally get involved in politics."
Upon hearing this, Song Heping was slightly shocked again.
He hadn't expected so many events to unfold in Illigo during the half-year he was away.
It seed he really needed to go back and visit to understand the situation better.
Watching international news is no substitute for visiting Illigo and eting old friends.
"That's great!"
After this comnt slipped out, Song Heping suddenly had another bold idea.
"Samir, I support you leaving the company to work independently. I can even provide standardized military training for your ard organization, develop your command backbone, and this is free. As for Yusuf, I'll use my military connections to strongly support his candidacy. Money is not a problem. If you need funds, you can also ask ."
"No, no, no," Samir waved his hands. "Boss, you've already given too much money. That money is enough for my family for generations. I'm also putting my life on the line this ti. You know those people with Zakavi are not kind-hearted. Many locals didn't dare oppose him before, as anyone who did was killed by their organization as infidels, using very brutal thods, including assassinations and kidnappings. I've already sent my family to Britain, and I'm staying here to fight them."
Song Heping patted his shoulder, "Good! That's courageous. When you joined the company, I saw your potential. This small company can't confine you, a dragon among n. Rember, if you need anything, co to . The company's door is always open to you!"
"Thanks so much, boss. You will always be my boss!"
Samir didn't expect Song Heping to be so generous.
Had it been anyone else resigning, the boss might not have been too happy, at least not very enthusiastic.
A boss like Song Heping is hard to find.
Of course, Song Heping also had his own considerations.
That's right.
Aricans can't stay in Illigo for decades. From what he had seen in Illigo, he deeply understood that a large-scale deploynt of coalition forces there wouldn't last long.
First, the deploynt required military expenses, with billions invested daily in Illigo, and this plus the reconstruction funds wouldn't last long.
Second, the local Illigonians' perception of the blond, blue-eyed, dark-skinned US soldiers was gradually sharpening.
Actually, Old Arica had trapped itself. Coming under the banner of delivering "democratic oil," they couldn't just deliver and then not leave once it's all done; that would be problematic.
Once Old Arica left, to continue making money in Illigo, one would need their own strong backing, and maybe Samir or Yusuf could be that future support.
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