"Song, long ti no see."
General Miles approached Song Heping and extended his hand.
His deanor was quite pleasant, at least much better than the lieutenant who had inford him to co for the eting.
The more water in the bucket, the less it sways.
The higher the rank, the more serenity they showed.
"General, long ti no see, I thought you had forgotten about ."
Song Heping also feigned modesty.
"I personally reviewed the report from the last operation; your performance was notable."
Miles offered another polite remark.
But to Song Heping, this confird his suspicions all the more.
The US Army was in big trouble.
"General, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"With all the capable n at your disposal, what kind of mission would require you to summon a PMC like us?"
Song Heping hit the nail on the head.
Miles instinctively looked around to make sure no bystanders were present.
"Song, this mission is very special… we need soone to do certain things to ensure everything is covered."
His vague words certainly implied a significant risk.
"Speak plainly, General. We've worked together before; there's no need for such circumspection."
"Alright…"
Miles, gritting his teeth, pulled Song Heping aside.
"What I'm about to disclose is confidential, and if you agree to listen, it ans you must carry out the mission."
"Hmm—"
Song Heping knew it was ti to state his price.
"Before listening, I have my own conditions."
Miles said, "I am well aware of that; Niki ntioned it to . I promise that if this operation is a success, the future defense contracts in Afghanistan will not exclude you, and will at least match what you currently have with the British."
Song Heping was subtly shocked upon hearing this.
He had not anticipated securing such a lucrative contract outright.
You eat one bite at a ti.
First establish a foothold, then expand.
He did not expect Miles to offer such advantageous terms.
"Deal!"
He agreed promptly.
Miles said, "This is a complex issue. Your task is to enter the border mountain region and find a lieutenant nad Curtis, who has been kidnapped by the Ata Organization. According to our intelligence, he is likely in the Dobajager Ridge Mountain Area. You must find him within 48 hours and rescue him."
"Is it that simple?"
Song Heping laughed, "General Miles, I'm not a three-year-old child. You wouldn't offer such terms just to rescue a lieutenant. If you're not sincere, there's no need for us to cooperate."
Miles explained, "This lieutenant is special. His father is a Congressman and a mber of the Military Committee. If the Ata discovers this identity, they will exploit it heavily, so we must rescue him as swiftly as possible. Otherwise, if reporters find out and publish the story, it will cause us significant problems."
Song Heping's eyes lit up: "Oh… I see, it's a Congressman's kid. Ha, otherwise, for just an ordinary lieutenant, I doubt you'd make such a fuss."
But Song Heping quickly sensed sothing was amiss.
"Aren't your Special Forces capable of handling this sort of ss, what with your Seal Delta and your own ISA operations unit, right? Why co to ?"
"Actually, a Green Beret Team was dispatched 10 hours ago to rescue Curtis, but unfortunately… they failed."
"Failed?" Song Heping was slightly surprised.
Although he had dealt with, and even defeated, the Green Berets before.
To fail in rescuing a lieutenant, even with robust intelligence support and air support?
"That's right, we've lost contact with them for over 6 hours now," Miles said. "We are certain their rescue mission has failed."
"Then you could let the ISA operations unit handle it, or perhaps send a Delta Force team here, right?"
"Currently, the southern region is in total chaos; this mission's failure has drawn many of our troops into combat, and the ISA operations unit is not in a position to move out as they have their own constraints. After all, the Dobajager Ridge is along the border and might involve crossing it, which is sensitive and might upset the Bafang."
"How rare…"
Song Heping said teasingly, "You guys are finally considering the feelings of other nations."
General Miles said, "After all, we need Bafang's cooperation in this war against terrorism. If they turn against us, it will pose significant challenges in our pursuit of Laden."
Song Heping fell into deep thought.
He felt sothing was off.
But couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
General Miles' response was watertight.
Yet his instincts told him, it wasn't that simple.
"However, we will send two people to accompany you. They've undergone highly specialized training and can provide air-to-ground coordination and establish satellite communication platforms. If you encounter any trouble, they will imdiately call for air support, significantly enhancing your combat capabilities. But their identities must remain concealed, and in case of any issues, especially within Bafang territory, you must ensure their safety and evacuation."
"With air support..."
Hearing this, Song Heping felt more reassured.
Even though he disliked Old Arica, he couldn't deny their air support capabilities were top-notch on Blue Star.
It's precisely because of the potent Air Force of Old Arica that their ground forces have co to rely heavily on it; facing any issue, they simply call for air support.
"Since that's the case, I agree."
"Then co with to the briefing," General Miles said. "We will provide first-hand intelligence of the area. Don't worry, with ISA backing you, the US Army will also provide all the resources you need, ensuring your safety."
"Ensuring my safety?"
Song Heping couldn't help but retort.
"Were the Green Berets just lost in the mountains then?"
General Miles' expression darkened.
Song Heping said, "General, as I've said before, we're not children anymore. There's no need for clever tricks, let's be straightforward."
General Miles replied, "Co inside the tent with . After reviewing the intelligence analysis, you'll understand why this mission is so difficult."
Twenty minutes later, the briefing concluded.
Song Heping stepped out of the tent, followed by Rabbani.
As they walked towards the Humvee, Rabbani said, "Song, I have family to take care of..."
Song Heping gave him a quick glance: "Speak plainly."
"You must ensure my safety…" Rabbani revealed his worries.
He was part of the operational team and was going to the border mountains with Song Heping.
Rabbani, being a local and proficient in English, Pashto, and Urdu, and having deep knowledge of the mountain area, was invaluable. Especially during interrogations of captured Alta mbers, unlike the previous instances where Song Heping at a T-junction captured two Alta mbers and couldn't extract any useful information due to language barriers.
"What did they offer you?" Song Heping asked.
"If I make it back safely, I'll beco the chief of Kandahar's police departnt," said Rabbani. "I'm not power-hungry, but I need to survive. Getting a job in Afghan isn't easy, and being a policeman is a decent profession."
Song Heping had nothing much to say.
Life.
It's tough.
Survival.
Even tougher.
Especially in a war zone.
The local people have no choice.
"Just stay close to when it's ti; during a firefight, avoid the front lines. You don't need to engage in combat."
This was the most realistic promise Song Heping could offer Rabbani.
After all, once they entered the mountain area, even their own lives were uncertain.
"Thank you!"
Rabbani was emotional.
"Thank you so much; if I make it back alive, you're my brother, my true brother!"
Song Heping looked at Rabbani curiously.
Perhaps thinking he was being overly emotional.
Rabbani was just an interpreter accompanying the team, not combat personnel. Involving him in combat could complicate things, so it was only right to take care of him.
Really?
But what he didn't realize was that Rabbani's gratitude was not just because Song Heping promised to look out for him, but because Song Heping had never discriminated against him.
Having dealt with Aricans for a long ti, he knew the deep-seated prejudice and discrimination etched in Uncle Sam's bones. Even the politest conversation could unintentionally reveal a fatal insult.
Yet, with Song Heping, he experienced none of this detestable prejudice, only equality.
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