A secret operation had finally turned into a news conference with a touch of farce.
Thomas stood grim-faced next to Song Heping, who had his arm hooked around Thomas's neck, his expression like soone constipated for over ten days.
After the event ended, Thomas stomped back to the Chinook, clutching a photograph in which Song Heping stood next to him, one arm hooked around his neck and the other throwing a V-for-victory sign.
The photo was taken after Song Heping asked the reporters present if any of them had a Polaroid and requested those who did to take the picture.
Just before the cara's shutter clicked, Song Heping provocatively whispered in English into Thomas's ear, "Smile, don't look like your father just died."
"Motherfucker!"
Thomas violently threw the photo to the ground.
On the ground, watching the Chinook slowly lift off, the cook said, "Looks like we settled our score with this guy."
Grey Wolf interjected, "And with the Suicide Squad too."
Then, turning to Song Heping, he said, "Damn, we should have worn masks."
Song Heping said, "Are you scared?"
Grey Wolf said, "Not scared exactly, but a bit worried about trouble coming our way."
Song Heping sighed and said, "We had no choice."
The cook seed quite optimistic and scornfully said to Grey Wolf, "You're just afraid, but what we should fear most in this line of work isn't death, it's obscurity! Just getting on the news today is like free advertising, and I have a feeling we're about to strike it rich!"
Song Heping didn't seem very excited.
The cook was right.
Grey Wolf was also right.
The gamble today was out of necessity, whether it was good or bad was debatable.
But then, nothing in the world is perfect.
Let's survive first!
"When will we get our five million US dollars?"
That was Song Heping's main concern now.
The cook said, "Based on previous cases, it should be sorted within a week."
After a pause, he added, "Do you need the money urgently, Song?"
Song Heping didn't imdiately answer the cook's question.
After thinking it over, he finally said just before leaving, "When I get the money, I'm going back ho."
After saying this, he turned and got into the vehicle.
This stunned the cook and everyone else.
Once everyone was in the vehicle, the cook started persuading Song Heping to stay.
He talked about how the current montum was excellent, and they were likely to get loads of business after the news went out.
He also went on to describe an ideal scenario where they would establish a PMC company based on orders received, buying weapons and equipnt and expanding their crew.
He had even figured out the source of the personnel. For regular tasks, they would use locals, because with unemploynt rampant in Iligo Country, hiring an ordinary security officer needed only 150 US dollars a month plus a gun and ammunition, costing no more than 400 US dollars.
As for the core combat personnel of the company, the cook had a plan for that too. He would post recruitnt ads within the rcenary circles in Baghdad, aiming to recruit forr special forces mbers from various countries.
If satisfactory recruits were not found, he would himself fly back to Russia to recruit paratroopers or the like from Gru, as Russia was also struggling with high unemploynt rates, and it was better to recruit idle veterans rather than let them be scooped up by gangs to wreak havoc on society.
He even discussed the potential profits with Song Heping.
As an example, he cited a security task Blackwater International once took from the Iligo Temporary Managent Committee. The task required recruiting 300 rcenaries as security personnel in charge of safeguarding certain agency buildings and important officials during travel.
For this job, Blackwater International quoted a price—
Fifty vehicles, including thirty Nissan 4x4s for field and desert tasks and twenty sedans for city commuting. Even a conservative estimate of 20,000 US dollars per vehicle ant the committee shelled out one million US dollars just for transportation equipnt.
The 300 rcenaries cost 400 US dollars each just for guns and ammunition, amounting to 120,000 US dollars, not including mission consumption and other expenses like uniforms, helts, and ammo belts.
Add to this the expenses for setting up a dedicated office with office supplies like computers, printers, desks, chairs, air filters, purified water, and salaries.
Plus, there were costs for tire and fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance, and so on…
The Black Water Company employees assigned to this project were paid a basic salary of US $1,000 per day. Additional commissions and various allowances were calculated separately, just for this item alone Black Water quoted the Temporary Managent Committee US $1.3 million a month.
He spoke with such fervor that spittle flew and drool was nearly dripping down.
Song Heping had to admit that the chef was a very provocative agitator. When he sought to persuade you, he could go on endlessly and passionately pull out one theory after another. Most fatally, he didn't lack factual support, not an exaggeration at all.
It made you see the grand vision he painted as hanging right in front of you, barely two inches from your mouth, ready for you to just reach out and take a bite...
Of course.
Song Heping was no fool.
He may have been tempted,
but he remained very calm. When the chef got to the point where he was intoxicated with his own words, Song Heping threw him a soul-searching question.
"I say, chef, if you're so eloquent, why were you struggling so badly before?"
The chef was quite indignant as he said, "That was just my bad luck! I was stuck in prison for nine years, which delayed the pri ti of my entrepreneurship!"
This was the first ti Song Heping had heard that the chef had been in prison.
And for nine years at that.
Thinking about it, this guy was really not simple.
Your average person would be ruined after nine years in prison.
The chef managed to gather a few ex-paratroopers and co to Iligo Country and actually managed to hold his ground.
He couldn't help but feel a bit tempted.
If it was as the chef said, setting up a PMC company and landing a few big contracts would make money faster than when he and Old Demon used to sell sundries here.
Seeing that Song Heping was sowhat tempted, the chef quickly agitated further, "I heard that the governnt of Country M is planning to add more funds to the reconstruction in Iligo Country. Originally, there was already US $87 billion, now they are adding another US $30 billion.
See, those military bigwigs and politicians of the Temporary Managent Committee and the reconstruction project committee are making crazy money, aren't they? It's all money from the taxpayers of Country M; if you don't earn it, it's a missed opportunity, don't you think?"
US $87 billion plus US $30 billion, over US $100 billion.
Indeed, it was an astronomical figure.
Having been here for three months, Song Heping had caught wind of so insider scoops.
Old Demon once described it as a massive carve-up.
Why fight this war?
Was it really for justice?
For world peace?
To eradicate weapons of mass destruction?
To hell with such nonsense of justice!
To hell with world peace!
To hell with weapons of mass destruction!
It was just an excuse for the military-industrial complex, financial moguls, and those Congress old-tirs and politicians to have a legitimate opportunity to rake in money.
If one happened to grab a piece of the pie even if it were leftovers, it would probably be enough for financial independence.
Grey Wolf continued to throw cold water on the side, "Chef, stop blowing hot air. The highly profitable PMC firms in Iligo Country, what kind of backing do they have? What caliber are we? Earning so money for risking our lives is already good enough, and yet you're thinking about setting up a firm to take orders from the Temporary Managent Committee?
Do you even know any of those military bigwigs or politicians from the committee?"
This remark sobered everyone up, extinguishing the dreams of getting rich that had just begun to kindle.
Yeah, why indeed?
They say that in Country M, it's not about connections, and interpersonal interactions are not that complex.
Song Heping had been here for three months and witnessed sothing completely different.
Not to ntion Old Demon.
If it weren't for his distant cousin Donald, he wouldn't even be able to enter the Green Zone!
With his secrets exposed by Grey Wolf, the chef beca annoyed and embarrassed and chose to remain silent.
The car suddenly fell silent.
After a long while, Angel, who had been quiet the whole ti, suddenly spoke up, "Maybe I can help you all."
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