In the warehouse.
Song Heping handed a bag of food to the injured team leader Naxin, who had been shot through the arm by soone during last night's firefight and was now slinging one arm after being bandaged.
"Rest assured, it's Halal."
Song Heping said, "We have many locals in our company."
"Which rcenary company are you from?" asked Naxin, "Black Water? AAFES? EO? Or the British Sparta?"
The companies he ntioned were currently so of the more famous rcenary companies in Baghdad.
Song Heping shook his head. "We are 'Musician' Defense."
"Musician?" Naxin frowned, seemingly unwilling to accept, "I've never heard of it."
Song Heping said, "Does it bother you that you fell into our hands?"
Naxin didn't say a word but changed the subject, "Are you Chinese?"
Song Heping didn't plan to explain but just nodded. "Mmm."
He then said, "Naxin, I want to ask you a few questions and I hope you will answer truthfully."
"Okay," Naxin ate his food and nodded, "but I won't disclose key information."
"Why waste so much ti talking to him?"
The cook said impatiently from the side, "If he won't talk, I'll give him a set of our Russian mind-refreshing al—guaranteed to make him spill everything."
Song Heping tossed a look at the cook, signaling him to be quiet.
The cook snorted and turned his head away.
Song Heping said to Naxin, "You see, I treat you politely because I know you're not just so regular militant; you are a professional soldier, not so mber of the Madheh Army."
Last night, they had not thoroughly questioned Naxin due to lack of ti; the third attack had arrived too soon.
From last night's brief questioning, they learned that the team leader's na was Naxin and he claid to be from the Madheh Army.
The Madheh Army was one of the more formidable ard forces in northern Illiguo; they disliked the Aricans and also disliked the puppets from the Temporary Managent Committee, claiming to be the local ethnic force of Illiguo, fighting for the Illiguo people.
However, according to information provided by Ferrari, the Madheh Army had long been considered to have connections with Persia, pro-Persian, and had been supported during the rule of Sadam as an anti-Sadam force in Illiguo.
But Song Heping figured it out.
This man was no ordinary militant.
Ordinary militants, once captured, either hang their heads in defeat or show extre anger at the death of their comrades, looking like they're ready to fight to the death.
However, this wasn't the case with Naxin in front of him.
He was very calm.
He seed to show little sorrow for the death of his comrades.
Initially, Song Heping thought it was his professional composure, but after thinking it over, there was only one conclusion—that Naxin and those under him might not have had very strong personal connections.
This was getting interesting.
If he wasn't a native-born soldier of the Madheh Army, then there was only one possibility.
He was Persian.
A Persian Special Forces mber sent to infiltrate the Madheh Army.
Ferrari also agreed with this analysis.
Naxin continued to eat his food, using the only hand he could still move.
He did not answer the question.
Song Heping continued, "If I'm not wrong, you are a professional soldier, and you are a soldier from Persia."
While talking, Song Heping kept his eyes fixed on Naxin.
Sure enough, a flicker of sothing unusual flashed through the other's eyes.
For Song Heping, who had undergone counter-interrogation and interrogation training, such subtle movents could deceive others, but not himself.
He knew he had guessed correctly.
Naxin still did not speak.
Song Heping continued, "Do you feel unwilling? If you are unwilling, I can let you go, and if you don't believe , you can organize people to attack again to see if I can handle you."
Finally, Naxin stopped talking and swallowed the food in his mouth.
He stared at Song Heping for a long ti, then said, "You are not just any rcenary, are you a retired Special Forces soldier?"
Song Heping said, "In that case, I want to know who and what organization you belong to, even if you don't acknowledge it. Now I only have one question for you, are you Persians also interested in this oil field?"
Naxin smiled, "Nobody is uninterested in oil, otherwise why would the Aricans be here?"
Song Heping said, "But you know very well that you can't take down this oil field."
Naxin was more direct, "If we can't have it, neither can the Aricans. If we can't have it, the Aricans shouldn't think they can either."
Song Heping nodded slightly.
Then he said, "After you finish eating, I will have soone let you go, and you can also take the bodies of your deceased team mbers."
"Really?!"
This ti Naxin was truly shocked.
"Really."
Song Heping said, "If you dare, co back within a week and try to attack again to see if you can gain any advantages. If you lose again, you will have to assure of one thing on your honor as a soldier."
"What thing?"
Naxin paused, and then, thinking he was being clever, said, "I cannot promise not to attack this oil field in the future."
Song Heping said, "No, I want you to arrange a eting for with the Madheh Army and your superior—soone whose word counts."
Naxin had not anticipated that this would be Song Heping's request.
He thought he could guess Song Heping's intentions.
But now, he saw he was wrong.
"What? Don't even have the courage to agree to that?" Song Heping provoked, "Persians are supposed to be an ancient civilization, yet is this all the courage you have?"
Naxin indeed fell for the bait.
Mocking him was one thing, but insulting his country was unacceptable.
"Of course I can! I can assure you!"
"Good!"
Song Heping turned to the cook and said, "Go and arrange for his n to be brought here, and also help move the bodies of their deceased squad mbers to their vehicle. After he is fed, let him go."
"What?!"
The cook was shocked.
"I thought you were just kidding around, are you really doing this?!"
Song Heping said, "Of course I am serious."
The cook pulled Song Heping aside, "He knows how many soldiers we have, letting him go back is a big problem!"
Song Heping said, "Trust , if you want to earn this money, cook, you have to listen to ."
The cook sighed helplessly and nodded, "Okay, since I've already declared you the boss, I'll listen to you."
Though he said this, he wasn't actually planning to argue anymore.
After all, Song Heping's military command skills were truly astonishing.
He had never seen such an extraordinary person.
After finishing his al, Song Heping, true to his word, took Naxin to the warehouse exit.
"I cannot give you the weapons and ammunition, those are now our spoils of war," Song Heping said.
Naxin replied, "In our ancestral land, there's an ancient rule: if you lose a war and are captured, you can redeem yourself with cals. If you release a captive unconditionally, then that captive owes you a life. I will rember you, Sadam, I owe you a life."
After saying this, he got into the vehicle, ordered his n to turn around, and they sped away from the oil area.
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