Chapter 1439 - 1198: Heading to Elbil (Part 2)

The rotor speed gradually slowed down, and the huge roar subsided along with it.

The cabin door was opened from the inside.

Everyone disembarked the plane under the protection of their bodyguards.

At this moment, a few people walked out from the largest factory building.

Leading them was Simon, dressed in a well-tailored dark blue suit, yet awkwardly wearing a low-key black soft bulletproof vest over it.

His hair was meticulously groomed, and he carried a professional smile. His gaze swiftly and accurately swept over Song Heping, then Peterovich, finally pausing on Avanti for a moment.

"Welcome to Elbil, gentlemen."

Simon's voice was not loud but clearly cut through the last echoes of the helicopter engine.

"Given the limited conditions, please forgive any lack of hospitality. For the sake of our collective time efficiency and everyone's safety, let's get straight to the point."

Song Heping nodded slightly with a calm expression, as a form of response.

Peterovich shrugged indifferently, wearing an inscrutable smile.

Avanti merely looked at Simon expressionlessly, giving a slight nod as a greeting.

The representatives of the four sides, in this dust-filled and tension-laden abandoned factory, completed a historic first meeting.

Under Simon's guidance, they silently walked towards the modified factory building.

The Kurd armed personnel quietly stepped aside, their gaze complex as they watched this group of key figures representing different powers, enough to influence the entire region's situation.

Inside the factory was another world.

It was clearly carefully prepared and fortified.

The windows were sealed from the inside with heavy steel plates, leaving only a few observation ports with shooting holes. The light primarily came from several high-powered LED lights hanging from the ceiling, casting a cold white glow that illuminated the interior as brightly as an operating room, yet it also seemed lifeless.

In the central open space, there stood a makeshift rectangular wooden table covered with a dark green tablecloth, with a few bottles of mineral water, several glass cups, and a few small boxes that looked like signal jammers and anti-eavesdropping inspection devices.

Surrounding the table were a dozen or so chairs of various styles.

Security personnel, few in number but highly capable, stood around the table.

There were Americans in typical CIA operational casual wear, their eyes sharp, and earpiece wires hanging down to their collars; there were also local bodyguards dressed in traditional Kurd attire but with bulky waistlines.

The four representatives took their seats.

Song Heping chose a spot with his back to a solid load-bearing wall, allowing him to cover the entrance and most of the windows with his view.

Peterovich sat casually to his left, Avanti opposite him, and Simon, as the host, took the head seat at the long table.

Song Heping noticed there was no representative of the Kurd people.

Hmm...

They didn't even have the qualifications to be at the table…

No tea break, no polite welcoming remarks.

Simon went straight to the point, reiterating the basic US stance in this meeting and its non-negotiable bottom lines—this contact was limited to coordinating military actions against the common adversary 1515 Armed in the Northwest Illinois region, aimed at establishing basic conflict-avoidance mechanisms to prevent direct firefights due to misjudgment, and to discuss cooperation matters and future tactical arrangements over the next six months to a year.

He emphasized that this by no means implied any US political recognition of the Russia side or Persian side, nor did it represent any form of long-term cooperation agreement.

Song Heping listened to Simon's official-sounding speech and secretly laughed to himself.

Americans are very flexible, yet they always have to appear principled on the surface, but such cooperation itself is a display of unprincipled behavior.

Contradiction, entanglement.

This is the unique characteristic of Americans.

With Simon's opening speech concluded, it was Peterovich's turn to speak next.

His tone was largely similar to Simon's.

He expressed on behalf of the Russia side, a similar viewpoint, agreed to limited tactical coordination, but emphasized that Russia's vested interests and freedom of action in Siria must be respected, insinuating a need to restrict the range of activities of "certain forces" (implicitly referring to US-supported forces).

Avanti's speech was more concise and assertive. On behalf of the Persian side, he agreed to necessary information communication and action coordination to combat 1515 Armed, but clearly demanded that the US must ensure that Persian-supported factions' "legitimate rights and safety" in Illinois, especially in the northern areas, would not be violated, and demanded US influence to restrict its regional allies (implying Daishe Bird) from taking actions that could shake the regional structure.

Disputes and bargaining were fierce from the start.

Where exactly should the invisible "line" be drawn?

Under what circumstances could US and Russia air support be provided, the depth and breadth of intelligence sharing, specific areas of ground force actions and limitations for each side…

Every detail involved significant real-world interests, future impacts, and irreconcilable positions.

The atmosphere in the conference room was at times like a frozen river, and at others like a volcano about to erupt.

English, Russian, Persian languages alternated, occasionally needing translation for precise communication, adding to the tension and uncertainty.

Song Heping remained mostly silent, like a silent reef amidst the verbal waves crashing from the representatives.

He calmly observed every expression, every subtle movement, every phrase full of hidden sharpness between Simon, Peterovich, and Avanti.

He only intervened with succinct and forceful remarks in issues concerning his side's core interests—like the operational autonomy of his own forces, the security of the logistical supply lines, and the principles of post-war interest distribution, clearly delineating red lines.

He was like a chess player within the eye of a storm, seemingly calm, yet in control of all his pieces, as well as the hidden link with Simon.

After hours of intense debate, compromise, and exchange, a foundational, verbal "temporary conflict de-escalation and coordinated cleansing operation framework" finally reached a preliminary consensus.

Though many details needed further communication and implementation by military and technical teams, at least the general direction was set, paving the initial path for the upcoming joint operation.

"Alright."

Simon rubbed his somewhat swollen temples, unscrewed the cap on the bottle of mineral water on the table, and took a sip to soothe his parched throat.

Even with his energy and experience, such high-intensity negotiations were still exhausting.

He turned his gaze to Song Heping, who had remained exceptionally steady throughout, and said, "Since the framework is preliminarily set, then… Song, as the most crucial contact and executor among our four sides for this operation, could you present in detail how you plan to push 1515 Armed completely out of Northwest Illinois? You are now the executor of the entire operation. It's not that I doubt your capability, I just want a clear, feasible, and effectively coordinated tactical plan for all parties."

Instantly, all eyes in the conference room, filled with scrutiny and anticipation, focused directly on Song Heping.

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