Mercenaries, I Will Be King Chapter 573 - 517: Drag Me Down?

The next day, Song Heping and his subordinates were arranged to take a CIA official plane back to Arizona.

There, he t Kelly at the warehouse that had been rented as the operation center.

After sitting down in Song Heping's office, Kelly looked around and asked, "Do you like the United States?"

Song Heping said, "Why do you sound like you want to recruit for citizenship?"

Kelly spread her hands and said, "With your capabilities, if you need it, I can arrange for you to get citizenship and beco a citizen of the most powerful country in the world, the United States."

Song Heping couldn't help saying, "Are all Aricans so confident?"

Kelly replied, "Did I say sothing wrong?"

"Not everyone is interested in your nationality," stated Song Heping frankly. "This is a paradise for adventurers, but it's not my holand."

He figured it out.

Kelly didn't ask these unexpected questions today for no reason.

She was testing him.

"Speak."

Song Heping directly addressed the topic, asking, "What exactly do you want to discuss today?"

Kelly said, "You're a smart man, I guess you already know what I'm about to say."

Song Heping remarked, "No matter what you say, there's only one thing I want to know beforehand—where is my money?"

Kelly picked up a phone and dialed a number, gave so instructions, and then hung up.

"Done, it will be in your account within half an hour."

Song Heping showed a satisfied smile, "Very good, now we can talk about the next matter."

Kelly remarked, "I am quite satisfied with your performance this ti."

Song Heping joked, "Why does that sound sowhat ambiguous?"

Kelly couldn't help laughing: "They say Chinese people are very implicit, but you don't seem to be."

Song Heping replied, "That shows you don't understand Chinese people."

Kelly got straight to the point, "I want you to continue assisting us. Are you interested?"

Song Heping answered, "I'm in the defense business, helping anyone is the sa. It mainly depends on two things: whether I have the capability to take on the job, and how high the compensation is."

Kelly said, "One-tenth of the profits from our controlled drug trade."

Song Heping frowned.

His mind began to spin rapidly.

Barrett had once ntioned the annual drug trade amount in North Arica during casual conversation.

The annual drug trading amount ranges from 20 to 40 billion US dollars.

And 1 kilogram of cocaine sells for 2198 US dollars in Colombia, 12,500 US dollars in xico, and 97,400 US dollars in the United States, where profits can be eight tis the cost.

The profit in this is unimaginably rich.

However, what interested Song Heping was how much of the share CIA could control.

"Approximately how much of a share?"

"Around 15 billion," Kelly replied. "We can't control the entire market, but ten percent in profits, amounting to about ten billion, is feasible."

"That is indeed a very rich reward."

Song Heping made a surprised expression, then after thinking, he asked, "However, I'm quite astonished, as you are a part of the United States intelligence agency, which claims to fight drugs, yet you are transporting drugs into your own country. It surprises because, in my holand, this is absolutely unimaginable. Don't you care about your country?"

This issue is quite sensitive.

CIA often claims to be patriotic, at least that's what their external propaganda says.

Saying that to Kelly is akin to questioning her integrity.

Song Heping thought Kelly would be infuriated.

But to Song Heping's utter surprise, Kelly appeared very calm, as if a small stone had been tossed into a vast lake, with ripples so minor they were almost imperceptible.

"In your country, this may be unimaginable, but we are in the United States," Kelly said. "Let put it this way, Song, guess how many drug addicts there are in the United States right now?"

Song Heping shook his head: "I'm not from your DEA, how would I know?"

Kelly said, "If you include all types of drugs, it's estimated to be around thirty million."

Song Heping took a sharp breath in.

He had never looked into this data before.

But coming from the mouth of Kelly, the director of the CIA Secret Action Departnt, it was indeed quite shocking.

"I'm curious that you aren't at all worried."

Song Heping's smile carried a slight contempt.

Of course, Kelly noticed it.

But she still continued with an extrely indifferent tone: "If thirty million drug addicts suddenly can't get drugs, that's thirty million potentially manic people. In the drug industry of the United States, those associated with the drug trade could rise to fifty million. It is not simply a criminal trade; it is an industry, understand?"

"We once tried prohibition, and it ended up fattening a whole bunch of gangs, resulting in the revocation of the prohibition laws. If now, we completely cut off the drug trade and introduce a strict anti-drug law like your country, then thirty million drug addicts and the gangs, including those in the related supply chain, will beco destabilizing factors. They will either vote against the president who imposes such strict drug policies or take to the streets to protest, causing chaos. According to the principles of the market economy, just like our prohibition era, the price of drugs would skyrocket. Currently, the profit margin from drugs is eightfold, it could go up to tenfold or even twenty or thirtyfold in the future. This would make different gangs take extre asures to transport drugs at all costs, attract more fierce gang activities, putting police officers and drug enforcent agents at higher risk, increasing the casualties, which in turn increases compensations and salary expenses..."

To this, Kelly asked, "Please tell , if you were our United States president, what would you do?"

Song Heping was stumped.

This was a completely different perspective on drug issues from an Arican point of view.

Song Heping found Kelly's reasoning absurd.

However, he felt unable to refute it.

All Song Heping could manage was a bitter smile: "Don't your presidents worry about drugs killing people?"

Kelly spread her hands and said, "The reality is before our eyes, has everyone died? Don't forget, we are a country built on immigration. Among those who use drugs, the poor who die have no impact, the rich who use drugs can afford it, so it affects them less. Moreover, if we control it at least there is a limit, it won't be excessively rampant. In recent years, we have been doing this, controlling the quality and quantity of the imports. A benign drug trade not only prevents our nation's addicts from going insane but also prevents the mafia from growing too large, like keeping fish in a pond, you can always control the number."

"FUCK!"

Song Heping gave Kelly a thumbs up: "This is my first ti seeing soone justify nonsense with such righteousness, at the end of the day, it's just for your CIA's little goldmine!"

Kelly said, "This is the United States, not your country."

Song Heping nodded: "Yes, you're already beyond saving, unless a revolution occurs, like our Liberation War."

Kelly said, "Don't try to force your ideology on , I do not accept that kind of brainwashing."

Song Heping nodded again: "That's also what I wanted to say, sa here!"

Kelly changed the topic, "Let's stop discussing these irrelevant matters, now let's talk business. The situation in xico is a ss right now, we need to stabilize the situation. Instead of letting the five major families lose control of the xican drug market, causing countless small gangs to rise, it's better to maintain the situation."

Song Heping asked, "How do you plan to maintain the situation?"

"For many years, whenever the situation here becos unstable, we intervene. Previously, managent involved dispatching secret operational forces to find a suitable proxy to eliminate adversaries. But this ti, since all five major families are opposing us, even if we want to support a new proxy, it would not only take a massive effort but also pose great risks. Thus, we have decided to let you take the lead, asking you to do this."

"?"

Song Heping chuckled, "You're asking to be the local gang boss here?"

"No," Kelly said. "It's about controlling the supply channels, Balrot was captured, you'll take over his network, and then also cut off smuggling routes of other families. Additionally, using your influence in Colombia, get the ELN militants involved to cut off the Colombian supply for the five families, so you directly sell the Colombian goods to North Arica. As long as you're strong enough, the major families will surely not be able to withstand and will co to you for negotiations. As for the specifics, that's for you to figure out. We will assist by ensuring the supply lines to North Arica are secure, and we'll also help you combat smuggling by the other families."

"Tsk, tsk." Song Heping shook his head continuously, "You make it sound too easy. Opposing the five major families in xico? And control all channels while fighting them? Do you know how much my head would be worth on the Dark Web tomorrow if I did that? Easily in the hundreds of millions of US dollars. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"So, what you're saying is, you're rejecting this deal?" Kelly asked coldly, her tone slightly threatening.