Chapter 1947 - 1426: Business Is Business_2

He spread his arms wide and gave Song Heping a hearty hug, even patting him firmly on the back, as if they were long-lost old friends bound by deep ties.

Although in fact, they had only met last month.

Yusuf was dressed in a well-tailored light gray suit today, with no tie, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, his slightly curled black hair meticulously combed, and the scent of his cologne was quite strong.

"You get information faster than the wind in the desert, Yusuf."

After the enthusiastic embrace, Song Heping proactively walked toward the sofa area.

Sitting on the sofa, Song Heping leaned back slightly, finding a posture that was both relaxed yet vigilant.

A servant in traditional robes, silent in his movements, immediately brought over an exquisite silver tray, on top of which was a teapot with gilded inlays and small glass cups.

Amber-colored tea was poured into the cup, the steam bringing with it a rich aroma of tea and the sweet cloying scent of sugar.

Song Heping took the tea cup but did not drink from it immediately.

"This batch of 'goods'," he used the euphemism: "is not completely inventoried yet, the iron door of the warehouse may not even be warmed, and already there seem to be quite a few noses, sniffing the scent from hundreds of kilometers away."

Yusuf laughed heartily, waved his hand to let the servant leave, and the heavy solid wood door of the office was gently closed, isolating the inside and outside into two worlds.

He sat on the sofa opposite Song Heping, leaning forward, hands crossed on his knees, still wearing a smile but with a more shrewd and sharp look in his eyes unique to a merchant.

"In Iligo Country, news of arms is never 'spread'. "

Yusuf lowered his voice as if sharing an important secret, though it might be a fact known without being spoken among insiders.

"It 'explodes' open, its shock wave faster and farther than any missile. Especially... equipment almost brand new worth over two billion dollars of US origin. It's like suddenly a spring gushing milk and honey appeared in the heart of the desert, driving all thirsty people madly rushing towards it."

He paused, observing Song Heping's calm and undisturbed expression, then continued: "To be frank, the Ministry of Defense has already boiled over. Minister Rashim himself has urgently convened three high-level closed-door meetings in the past forty-eight hours."

He made an exaggerated gesture.

Song Heping gently blew the steam from the tea cup, sipping a small amount.

The tea was very sweet, so much so that it was a bit overwhelming, which was a local custom. Unperturbed, he asked, "I presume the meetings have clear agendas?"

"As clear as can be."

Yusuf curled his lip, a touch of imperceptible self-mockery towards the bureaucratic system in his tone.

"What else could it be? Complaints, anger, and deep frustration. Complaints about Americans reneging on promises, selling equipment that should have been discounted as part of 'secure transition' to ally Iligo Country, packaged off to a... well, a private buyer."

He carefully chose his words, avoiding the term "arms dealer".

"They believe it disrupts the tacit understanding, undermining Iligo Country's defense interests. Certainly — "

Yusuf leaned closer, lowering his voice further.

"The deeper emotion is jealousy, feeling that the benefits that should have flowed into their pockets or channels they controlled were snatched away by an outsider. Over two billion dollars, Song, that's enough to keep many people up at night, or... to generate some less friendly thoughts."

Song Heping placed the tea cup down, the porcelain making a soft "click" against the glass coffee table.

He looked up, his gaze calm and direct as he looked at Yusuf: "'Discount handling'? An interesting term. So, according to their original 'tacit understanding' or 'plan,' what was the 'discount' price intended for sale to the Illigo Ministry of Defense?"

This question touched upon the core issue.

A flicker of "so it is" flashed in Yusuf's eyes, as he leaned back against the sofa, adopting a more formal expression.

As a seasoned member of the parliamentary Defense Committee, he had sufficient channels to access these internal data.

"Although not the final signed contract, I'm quite clear about the preliminary intention of quotation framework communicated between the Ministry of Defense budgeting and US Army representatives."

Yusuf cleared his throat and began listing with precision, ensuring Song Heping could hear and remember:

"The M4A1 carbine, US Army's own unit procurement cost is around 1200 US Dollars. For Iligo Country's 'ally special discount,' it's 800 US Dollars each. Of course, this is for brand new ones, if it's stock or refurbished items, it would be lower."

"The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, procurement cost around 4000 US Dollars, 'ally discount' set at 2800 US Dollars."

"Stryker Armored Vehicle, this thing is expensive, brand new procurement cost close to 1.9 million dollars each. The quote for us is 1.35 million."

"A set of Javelin Anti-Tank Missile launch system, US Army procurement cost about 246,000 US Dollars, 'ally price' 180,000."

"As for various ammunition, from 5.56mm rifle rounds to 155mm artillery shells, the quotation generally falls within 60% to 70% of the US Army procurement price range, varying by item and inventory age."

He paused briefly, allowing Song Heping to absorb the numbers, then summarized: "Based on the initial assessment of your batch's inventory list, the total valuation is around 2.5 billion dollars. If acquired according to the above 'ally price' framework, the Ministry of Defense's payment quotation would be about fifteen billion dollars. Note this is just a quotation."