Chapter 1831 - 1385: Profit, Profit, and More Profit! (2)

In November 1994, the Los Angeles Times broke the rumor about Commerce Secretary Ron Brown's "materials detrimental to Clinton";

In April 1996, Brown died in a plane crash.

The crash site was located in the valley near Dubrovnik, Croatia. The rescue team once took photos of suspicious bullet holes in Brown's head, but the next day, these images "were all lost due to a memory card failure."

More bizarrely, the air traffic supervisor responsible for scheduling the flight path was found dead in his car two weeks later. The police hastily ruled it as suicide and closed the case within 48 hours.

In December 2010, investor George VandeRuff died after falling from his New York residence.

The police stated there was a debt dispute behind him, but Fox TV Station reported: he had facilitated donations for the Clinton Library project through a foundation and was dissatisfied with the financial directions.

Two hours before his death, VandeRuff left a recording: "If something happens to me, it won't be suicide."

This June, John Ashe, a foreign political donation intermediary closely connected with the Clinton couple's foundation, died at home while exercising when a barbell accidentally crushed him; the police conclusion was still "suicide."

Just one day apart, independent journalist and Breitbart news editor Mike Flynn was found dead in his bedroom.

Flynn was a freelance writer who had long tracked the Clinton Foundation's accounts, and he once wrote on his blog: "I have complete evidence of repeated donations, and I'll present it next week."

Then at midnight on June 30th of that year, neighbors reported hearing three muffled noises.

Police record: 'Nothing was stolen from the scene, doors and windows were intact.'

Over the years, more than fifty key figures closely linked to the Clinton couple's scandals have died one after another, in startlingly similar manners, such as shootings, plane crashes, sudden heart attacks, exercise accidents…"

At this point, Duke looked at Song Heping as if asking — do you understand?

"You're afraid of being silenced." Song Heping summarized: "A serving general who knows too much could be a troublesome figure who might ask the wrong questions at the wrong time."

Duke did not deny.

He then changed the subject: "I have served in the army for a whole thirty-four years but have received transfer orders; three months later, I will be reassigned to the Pentagon as a 'Special Project Advisor.' A position without real power, no subordinates, and no budget, anticipating my early retirement."

"And if you continue investigating the matters in Badi Town, investigating the 'Seeder' plan..." Song Heping picked up the conversation.

"This transfer order might turn into a summons to Hell."

Duke finished his unfinished sentence.

"Or worse. An 'accident,' a 'sudden heart attack,' at that point, eliminating me wouldn't be more difficult than that."

Song Heping finally understood.

This isn't a moral drama, nor a showdown between justice and evil.

This is a dirty survival game, and Major General Duke, a general with a chest full of medals who has commanded thousands of soldiers, suddenly finds himself a pawn being slaughtered on the chessboard.

"So you want me to find Misu, obtain the evidence, and then expose the plot so that the entire pursuit plan will be aborted midway due to my autonomy."

Song Heping slowly said: "That way, you can leave unscathed, and I'll take the blame."

Duke nodded, the movement small but heavy: "If I continue reporting the truth here up the command chain, I will be labeled a 'troublemaker.' If I remain silent, I will become an accomplice. The noblewoman running in the election and her friends need a scapegoat, and a soon-to-retire major general is a perfect choice. Either way, it's death, and I don't want to die."

He sighed, got up, walked to the window, and stood blankly for half a minute before saying:

"But I have found a third way. If those pieces of evidence are exposed not through the military or government channels but through... other ways, say from the front page of the New York Times or the Washington Post, or learned through the internet about the 'Seeder' plan, and not from the internal investigation report I provided..."

"Then you're safe." Song Heping picked up the conversation.

Duke did not deny this slightly cold analysis: "This is the only way to ensure safety for me and my family. They can cover up past secret operations, they can falsify reports, they can manipulate internal investigations. But they cannot control the media worldwide; once the matter is public, Congress will have to hold hearings, and a special prosecutor will have to intervene. By then, the risk of silencing a general will be too high."

Song Heping stood up and walked to the window too.

In the morning light of the base, vehicles came and went, soldiers were changing shifts, the world was running as usual.

But beneath these appearances, a power struggle was playing out, and he had just been invited to join it.

"Talking to you for so long almost made me forget to discuss the matter of most concern to me." Song Heping did not turn around, "If I agree to do this, if I find Misu, obtain the evidence, and expose it through safe channels, taking the risk to provide you with an opportunity to escape, then, what will I get?"

This is the key issue.

Song Heping is not an idealist, not a human rights activist.

He is a businessman, a pragmatist. He runs a business in a war-torn region that needs resources and networks.

Most importantly — profit.

Duke seemed to have anticipated this question.

He took out a paper from his pocket and handed it to Song Heping.

"These years, our army is conducting a large-scale withdrawal from Illigo." Duke looked at the paper and said: "According to the withdrawal schedule, in the next six months, we will close the last four major bases, keeping only minimal military presence, in addition, value hundreds billion US dollars of equipment will need to be transferred or disposed of."

Song Heping looked at the paper in his hand.

It was a list of military materials.

As he looked, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The list detailed various military equipment: M1151 armored Hummer, M1126 Stryker armored vehicle, M240 general-purpose machine gun, M4 carbine, M72 light anti-tank weapon, M3E1 Gustav Recoilless Cannon...

Each type of equipment was followed by quantity and condition assessment.

"Traditionally." Duke continued: "These equipment have three disposal methods: shipped back to the homeland, handed over to Iliko Government Army, or destroyed locally. Shipping back to the homeland costs 40-60% of the purchase price, politically unpopular, taxpayers cannot understand why we spend tens of billion US dollars to ship old equipment back. Handing over to Iliko Government Army is the preferred plan, but their receiving capacity is limited, and there is a risk that equipment might eventually flow into the black market or opposing forces."

Song Heping looked up at Duke, starting to understand the general's intention.

"The third plan." Duke's voice lowered: "Is transferred at an extremely low price through the 'Foreign Military Sales' project to 'regional security partners.' Such transactions require Congress approval, but usually just a formality, especially when the transaction is packaged as 'anti-terror aid.'"

"You want me to become that 'regional security partner.'"

Song Heping laughed.

Duke nodded: "My authority can approve equipment transfer within a certain quota. Larger transactions require higher-level approval, but I can bypass some limitations by splitting orders and processing in batches."

He paused, observing Song Heping's reaction.

"I am talking about equipment worth at least 15 billion US dollars, Song. The actual transaction price may only be a tenth of this number or even less."

Song Heping's heart jumped sharply, but his face remained calm.

Fifteen billion US dollars.

Enough to arm a small army.

And all U.S.-made!

Seeing Song Heping's eyes light up, Duke knew that the temptation he offered had enough allure.

He looked Song Heping straight in the eye: "This is approximately one-third of all U.S. Army's equipment left in Illigo. If operated properly, I can even increase this ratio to half."

The allure of interest kept growing.

Song Heping slowly breathed out.

He quickly calculated in his mind: transportation costs, storage fees, potential buyers, officials that needed to be greased...

Although cumbersome, the profits were staggering.

More importantly, this batch of equipment would significantly enhance his strength.

In the Middle East, weapons are power, and the power of having U.S.-made heavy-duty equipment is something many countries and organizations covet.

"Duke, aren't you afraid I might sell you out?" Song Heping asked with a smile: "I am a PMC boss, an arms dealer, aren't you afraid I might sell you to that old noblewoman for a better price?"

Duke smiled, spreading his hands: "If you think dealing with her family is safe, feel free to try if you're tough enough to handle it."

This was the first genuine smile he had shown tonight.

He knew when Song Heping asked this question, he had already agreed to help him.

"OK, deal! But I need more details." Song Heping said: "Transfer location, timeline, payment method, etc. And most importantly, how can you ensure that this won't be a scam? Once I obtain the evidence, you can completely deny everything, leaving me empty-handed."