Chapter 1484 - 1223: Follow the Right Boss and You'll Eat Well! (Part 2)

He ultimately still brought up that frustrating diplomatic jargon.

"In principle?"

Song Heping put down the teacup, the bottom of the cup making a crisp "click" sound as it touched the table, a hint of sarcasm appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"We are all adults here, all people who have rolled through blood and fire, so let's not play these bureaucratic word games. Yes or no? Give me a straight answer. My troops' movements, ammunition checks, logistical supplies—over ten thousand people are waiting for my orders. My time is very valuable."

Simon felt the vein on his temple pulsing uncontrollably again. He gritted his teeth and said, "Yes! But the specific details must be clear! There can be no ambiguity!"

"Of course,"

Song Heping leaned forward, crossing his hands on the table, instantly switching from a leisurely tea drinker to a shrewd negotiator: "Go ahead, your 'in principle,' what exactly did you agree to?"

"Eastern Kirkuk Oil Field…"

Simon said almost word for word, "Can be garrisoned by the Abu You Brigade."

He deliberately emphasized "garrisoned" instead of "controlled."

"However, externally, the narrative must be unified, claiming it is defended with the assistance of the Kurd local armed forces 'Abu You Brigade,' maintaining the area's security and stability together. You absolutely cannot publicly claim sovereignty or exclusive control over this area. This is the bottom line!"

Song Heping smiled, as if to say, "We should have done this earlier, no need to waste everyone's time": "No problem. I'll give you enough face. Internally, it's mine. Abu You and his men are bona fide Kurd people, with his troops garrisoned, it's legitimate, and no one can argue. As long as your people and those guys from Elbil are sensible, keeping their hands from poking too far, not coming onto my turf to meddle, we can all get along."

Simon did not continue to wrestle over this issue. He knew this was the best outcome he could get, so he immediately moved to the next core topic: "Then, the 'Furnace Plan' must be immediately and unconditionally restarted! The offensive towards Hulmatu needs to commence as quickly as possible after the agreement is formally signed! No more delays can be tolerated!"

"The money?"

Song Heping cut straight to the point, with no prevarication, "My brothers are not robots, nor can they fight on empty stomachs with sticks. One billion dollars. The contract is signed with the Pentagon. The money must be credited quickly, especially the initial funding. I can make it clear to you, if the first batch of funds doesn't reach my account, my troops won't move an inch. As for my TV interview… it can be done after the Titrick battle."

"One billion… this figure can be negotiated."

Simon felt his heart twitch again.

"But, the specific payment methods, installment nodes, and the assessment criteria linked with combat results, these all need to be clarified…"

"Those are details for the civilian officials and accountants in the Pentagon to nitpick."

Song Heping waved his hand, appearing somewhat impatient:

"What I need now is equipment! Heavy equipment! The list I submitted to you before, a complete configuration of a standard US Army mechanized infantry battalion, main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery, supporting ammunition stock, fuel supply vehicles, maintenance support vehicles, nothing can be lacking! Don't think of using those dilapidated inventory scraps close to being scrapped from your warehouse, or castrated monkey version equipment to fool me. I want the good stuff that can immediately form combat power!"

Simon felt the pace of the negotiation was completely controlled by the other party. Although he didn't want this, he was helpless.

This kind of negotiation is about negotiating terms from a position of strength.

He currently had few chips in hand.

"The equipment… can be provided. But, you also know, the transfer, handover, and personnel training for such a large batch of heavy equipment all take time…"

"Time?"

Song Heping interrupted him unceremoniously:

"Simon, tell me, whose side is time on? Do those lunatics entrenched in Hulmatu quietly wait for us to leisurely complete all handover procedures and then politely invite us over to attack? Let me give you a pragmatic suggestion: first use your existing combat stock and transportation channels in the various military bases in Illiguo to conduct an emergency supplement for me, at least initially meeting my operational needs. The remaining part can be delivered in batches according to the plan. This is my bottom line."

He paused and continued:

"Look, actually, my requirements are simple and fair: the Abu You Brigade holds half of Kirkuk's oil fields, ensuring my basic plan and independent funding sources for subsequent actions; you provide the money, enough good equipment, and I provide the manpower and resources to help you tackle the hard nuts of Hulmatu and Titrick, solving the problems that keep you awake at night. We each get what we need, this is a very fair deal."

Simon looked at Song Heping's expression of "I'm being very reasonable," feeling a strong sense of powerlessness and absurdity inside.

Is this a fair deal?

This is clearly a bare-faced opportunistic robbery!

It is exploiting the Americans' current urgent need for him to solve a thorny issue, and in reverse, boldly plundering strategic interests that didn't originally belong to him!

But what could he say?