"This mission is really tough..."
Hunter shook his head with a bitter smile, "They make it sound easy. If they were so capable, why invite us to handle the rebels?"
Song Heping said, "Every country has internal factions. A country like Sena has been sitting on its resources for years and is still dirt poor. Don't you think they have internal issues?"
Hunter said, "Why don't we just tell M we're not taking this job anymore and let these self-righteous pigs handle the rebels themselves? Let's see if they can hold the capital."
Song Heping said, "If it were that easy to wash our hands of it, it would be great. Not doing a job after accepting it would tarnish our reputation, and M wouldn't provide us with any intelligence support in the future. Given our current situation, it's better to have more friends than enemies."
After speaking, his gaze returned to the map. After so ti, he said, "Tell everyone to assemble in an hour. I have sothing important to announce."
"OK."
Hunter nodded and turned to leave the tent.
After Hunter left, only Song Heping remained in the tent.
He stared at the blue flight path on the map, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. The shadow of the F-15E Strike Eagle lood over his mind like the sword of Damocles hanging overhead.
The tent flap was lifted again, and Lumar strode in.
The representative from the Sena Governnt had a sheen of sweat on his forehead, clearly having jogged over.
"Song, did Fernandez just co by?" Lumar got straight to the point, his voice lowered, "Did he blow up at you?"
Song Heping raised his head, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He didn't expect the news to spread so quickly.
"Yeah, he stord in and yelled at , saying that I've been here for days without taking action."
He pointed at the map, "It's as if, in their eyes, war is like playing a video ga, just a few mouse clicks and you win."
Lumar shook his head with a wry smile, pulling out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offering one to Song Heping.
"I don't smoke." Song Heping waved it away and picked up the chewing gum on the table, "This suits better."
Seeing Song Heping refuse, Lumar lit a cigarette for himself, and the tent was soon filled with the pungent sll of tobacco.
"What's the deal with this General Wula?"
Song Heping tossed the gum into his mouth and asked after a few chews, "He seems quite arrogant? If he's so great, why couldn't he stop the Rebel Alliance's advance?"
Lumar took a deep drag of his cigarette and let out a long sigh.
"The internal affairs here are very complicated..."
He went to the tent entrance, ensuring no one was outside, before returning to sit beside Song Heping.
"Ula Kamara is the president's cousin."
Lumar's voice was almost inaudible.
"Three years ago, this pig was just a colonel in the Capital Garrison. After the coup, he rocketed up the ranks and now holds the highest command in the Sena Republic's army."
Song Heping raised an eyebrow.
Nepotism like this isn't uncommon in African countries, but it usually signifies an inefficient and corrupt command system.
"He doesn't understand military command at all."
Lumar continued with a glint of disdain in his eyes, "When the Rebel Alliance first began their operations, he insisted it was just small-scale guerrilla harassnt and refused to mobilize the main forces. After the rebels captured three cities, he panicked and scattered elite forces across multiple bases, which were then picked off one by one by the Arican-trained rebel special forces."
Song Heping nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder the rebels could advance to the outskirts of the capital in just a month. It wasn't just due to the prowess of the US Special Forces; there was also the "strategic genius" of this "brilliant" general aiding them.
"There's a lot of dissatisfaction with him within Sena now." Lumar cautiously glanced around, "There's a rumor in the Ministry of Defense that the president might replace him."
Song Heping suddenly understood sothing, a cold smile appearing on his lips, "So he's out to get ? If I succeed in turning the tide with a thirty-man special operations platoon, it would prove his incompetence and shake his position?"
Lumar nodded, a look of appreciation in his eyes, "Song, you understand African politics better than I imagined."
"This isn't politics," Song Heping snuffed out the cigarette butt and smiled, "This is basic human nature."
Outside the tent, the shouts of soldiers training were audible, and occasionally the roar of truck engines could be heard in the distance. Song Heping went to the water jug and poured himself a glass of water.
The water quality here wasn't great, even boiled it had a stomach-turning strange taste, but he drank it all the sa.
"There's a deeper reason," Lumar leaned closer, his voice even lower, "Currently, the opposition in Sena... is pro-British."
Song Heping's hand stopped, the glass suspended in mid-air.
"The French-supported president has lost public support." Lumar continued, his eyes fixed on Song Heping's reaction, "This ti, the British ostensibly sent you to help the governnt army, but in reality..."
"In reality, they intend to support the opposition in rising to power after resolving the rebellion."
Song Heping picked up the thread, his voice eerily calm, "So that's why Fernando the Frenchman is hostile towards ."
After pausing, he added, "Then why did the French agree to let the British send us to assist in quelling the rebellion?"
"Heh." Lumar chuckled coldly.
"In Africa, the British and the French have been colonizing for centuries, their interests here are deeply intertwined."
Lumar nodded slightly, "The French are caught in a bind. Their own military advisors can't solve the rebel problem, so they reluctantly agreed to let the British send you, but they're certainly not happy about it."
Song Heping suddenly laughed, with a hint of sarcasm: "Interesting. I've beco the rope in a tug-of-war between the British and the French."
"Not only that," Lumar's eyes flashed cunningly, seemingly probing further: "If you can assist certain people after calming the conflict, you will gain more benefits."
He looked at Song Heping aningfully.
"For example, mining rights or long-term military advisory contracts."
The tent suddenly fell silent.
Song Heping stared at Lumar as if trying to see through his soul. This Sena intelligence officer appeared to be with the governnt army, but was likely already leaning towards the opposition.
"Lumar," Song Heping slowly spoke, biting down each word, "I am a rcenary, not a politician. My task is to deal with the US Special Forces, not to participate in a coup."
Lumar's smile stiffened, looking sowhat awkward, but he quickly regained his composure: "Of course, of course... I am just providing so... background information to help you better understand the current situation."
Song Heping walked to the map, with his back to Lumar: "Tell your 'friends' that I don't care who becos president of Sena. The contract I took is to combat the rebels and their Arican helpers, that's all."
Lumar stood up, tidied his uniform: "I understand your position, Song. But on this land, military and politics are never separable."
He walked to the tent door and turned back to add, "If you change your mind, you can find anyti. Mr. Du Er, the leader of the opposition, very much appreciates your... professional skills."
After Lumar left, Song Heping slamd his fist on the table, causing the markers on the map to jump.
"Damn!"
He cursed softly.
The most annoying thing is being dragged into a political whirlpool, but now it seems unavoidable.
Footsteps sounded outside the tent as Hunter entered with White Bear and others.
"Boss, everyone's here."
Hunter reported, then noticed Song Heping's somber expression.
"What's happened?"
Song Heping took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Let's focus on the main issue first."
He signaled everyone to gather around the map.
"The plan has changed; it seems we need to act early."
Everyone saw Song Heping's grave expression, guessing the urgency, and their joking expressions disappeared, replaced by the focus of professional soldiers.
"According to the latest intelligence," Song Heping pointed to a canyon on the map, "the temporary camp of the Green Beret team is nearby. I plan to lure them out; if the MLC ard command encounters an attack, they will definitely co to aid. This is the necessary route."
Explosives expert Collins leaned in to look at the terrain: "High ground on both sides, narrow in the middle, ideal for an ambush. But what about the retreat route?"
Song Heping pointed to a dry riverbed on the east side of the canyon: "Retreat from here. There's a nearby forest perfect for hiding vehicles."
Collins frowned: "The problem is the signal blackout in the canyon. Once engaging, we can't call for support ourselves."
"That's exactly what I want," Song Heping said calmly, "If the Green Berets can't call for help, the F-15E won't be deployed. We must resolve the battle in the communication blackout."
Hunter said: "The crosswind and swirling wind in the canyon will be troubleso; I need to calibrate in advance."
Song Heping looked around at everyone: "Rember, our goal is to eliminate the Green Beret team as quickly as possible. Once they are eliminated, the Rebel Alliance loses special operations support, and their morale will collapse. Then we can organize the governnt army to launch a full counterattack, which should have very good results."
Hunter asked: "Who's responsible for attacking the MLC command center?"
"Jiang Feng."
"Present!"
Jiang Feng instinctively stood at attention.
"Relax." Song Heping smiled: "I will contact Lumar to have him provide you the most elite combat personnel from the governnt army for you to select from. Then the governnt army will launch a feigned attack on all fronts. After the feigned attack begins, your task is to lead those elite Sena troops straight into the MLC command center, launching a lightning strike, and make sure they feel the threat, so that they definitely will seek help from the Green Berets, thereby achieving our aim."
"The problem is..."
Jiang Feng was sowhat puzzled, "Just ? Leading the Sena troops to attack the MLC command center?"
"Can't do it?" Song Heping asked.
Jiang Feng shook his head: "It's not that I'm afraid of dying; it's just that the governnt army has been retreating continuously; with such poor military quality, why would leading it suddenly create a miracle?"
Song Heping said: "I have read all the battle reports, not that the soldier quality is worse than the rebels, but the commanders are too lousy. They don't even have a clear direction, perhaps they learned military topology like a dog. There are already many gaps along the battle line, through which small units can penetrate. Is your military topology worse than theirs? Plus, you have GPS assistance, don't you have any confidence?"
Jiang Feng licked his lips, swallowed, and finally gritted his teeth: "Alright, no task is impossible!"
Song Heping revealed an approving smile: "That's right, now you resemble soone from the forr PLA Special Forces."
He looked around at everyone, his gaze sweeping across each face.
"One last thing."
Song Heping's voice turned exceptionally serious.
"There are complex political factors behind this operation. We will focus solely on military objectives and avoid getting involved in local politics. Understood?"
"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison.
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