Chapter 744 - 684: The Person on the Blacklist

Song Heping finally noticed the images on the TV screen in front of him.

"Holy shit!"

Even he couldn't help but cry out in astonishment.

"Old squad leader... isn't that you?"

Jiang Feng, standing beside him, was completely dumbfounded.

Song Heping's mugshot was displayed prominently in the upper right corner of the English news broadcast.

The news was received via satellite signal, retransmitted by Illiguo's television network, airing the Americans' CNN news.

Upon closer inspection of the subtitles, Song Heping cried out again, "Holy shit!"

"Terrorist, member of a drug cartel... and damn, even the leader... How delightfully postmodern black humor... Holy shit!"

After a moment, Disaster Star shouted again.

"Ferrari! Look, Ferrari is on TV too!"

"Holy shit, it really is Ferrari..."

"Where did they get this mugshot? It's awful. Ferrari will flip out seeing this."

"Exactly. No idea where they found that..."

"Me! I'm on TV too!"

"Alright, you're on there, but you don't have a picture, just your name…"

"Accused of planning attacks against American citizens, killing overseas expatriates... Holy shit, when have we ever killed civilians? We killed CIA agents, alright? Utter nonsense!"

"Don't be naïve. They want us dead. Pinning any label on us is fair game…"

Avanti walked over to Song Heping and said, "It seems the situation is worse than I expected. Once the United States puts you on the list as the head of a terrorist organization, it means they'll issue a bounty on you. Looks like our operation that night really pissed them off. Even I…"

He pointed at himself.

"Having fought them for so many years, haven't gotten such treatment like you."

"Is that so bad?"

Song Heping frowned, looking at the TV screen, then turned to Avanti and said, "Do you know what bothers me the most right now?"

"What bothers you?"

"If I'd known they were going to put my mugshot on TV, I would've given them a better-looking one. This picture is clearly an attempt to smear me. It's a photo of me losing my temper during training with my men at the shooting range near Baghdad. Who knows who secretly took it. Using this photo is obviously to make me look more vicious."

Avanti was surprised at how calm Song Heping remained.

At a time like this, he's concerned about whether his picture looks good or not?

God!

Does this guy really not understand or is he just pretending not to understand?

Being listed by the USA government as the head of a terrorist organization—does he even know what that means?

First off, the USA is currently waging wars worldwide, even extending their claws into Africa's Sahel Region under the banner of anti-terrorism.

Even their allies, Gallia and the British Empire, can only swallow their grievances. After all, anyone opposing America's anti-terrorism actions is seen as supporting terrorists.

So, being on this list means the next step could very well be being added to the UN's list of terrorist organizations.

Being listed by the USA might leave a slim chance of survival in non-NATO countries. But if added to the UN's terrorist list, that survival space would shrink drastically.

Moreover, Song Heping is the owner of a PMC company. If you're labeled as the head of a terrorist organization, who would dare hire you for protection services?

That's like smearing shit on yourself—doing the dirty work faster than anyone else!

"Aren't you worried about your business?"

Avanti posed his question.

Song Heping answered bluntly, "Do I have any legitimate business left? Oilfield defense? Or contracts with the US Army? What I've got now is control over drug networks, and arms smuggling operations. Do I need them to add me to their whitelist?"

Avanti froze for a moment, then looked disappointed.

Song Heping had seen through his thoughts, but only smiled without saying anything.

Avanti couldn't help but ask, "Have you ever considered staying in Persia? I have many secret units here that need someone like you."

Song Heping laughed, "My good friend, I appreciate your kindness. But I'm not someone who can sit still. Since the CIA wants me dead, how could I hide here like a coward? That's just not my style. Remember one thing about us China People: When we need to be strong, we're very strong; when we need to be flexible, we're incredibly flexible. We don't fear trouble, we don't cause trouble, and we certainly don't run from trouble."

Avanti couldn't immediately grasp the nuance in his words and wore a puzzled expression.

Song Heping said, "Back when our nation was first founded, we fought an anti-US war. Everyone thought we would lose, but we didn't. Our nation's great leader once said—how long we fight isn't up to us to decide; Truman decides, Eisenhower decides, or whatever future US president decides. That means, however long they want to fight, we fight until absolute victory!"

Avanti blurted out, "Your chairman said that!"

Song Heping smiled, "That's the wisdom of the old man, my friend. Now, tell me, were those words strong? Or flexible?"

Avanti considered for a moment before answering confidently.

"It's both strong and flexible. Fight—we accompany them to the end; negotiate—the doors are wide open!"

Song Heping gave him a thumbs-up. "No wonder you've climbed to your current position; you're certainly better than me. Back then, it was my commander who explained those words to me so I could understand them."

Avanti suddenly realized that Song Heping was giving him a hint.

That the "Arc of Resistance" he was building now was essentially fighting against American hegemony.

But it wouldn't be an easy path.

How to walk it, and in which direction—

Even Avanti himself wasn't confident.

Song Heping's words essentially pointed out a path for him.

Indeed.

He, too, could learn from the great leader.

Be strong when needed. Be flexible when needed.

"Meeting you is truly my fortune, Song. I suddenly find myself deeply interested in your China civilization. If I ever get the chance, I'll definitely live in your country for a long time and learn your wisdom properly. But right now, I'm pressed for time, and like you, I'm being watched everywhere I go. I have to tread carefully."

"If you were in our country, you might not have to worry about safety issues," Song Heping said. "If you don't have time, I can even send you a collection of Mao's writings to check out. It might give you some ideas."

"It's a deal then."

"Though I don't know if there's a Persian translation version."

"English works too; my English is pretty good."

The atmosphere suddenly lightened. Avanti and Song Heping seemed entirely unaffected by the news, chatting and laughing as they walked out of the conference room, leaving behind a group of bewildered individuals.

"Why does the boss look like he doesn't care at all?"

Disaster Star asked Collins curiously.

Collins shrugged. "If worrying could fix the problem, I'd happily frown all day."

After saying that, he briskly left the room.

"Let's go, guys, it's mealtime! Screw the lists, filling our stomachs is what matters. To hell with those Americans!"

In the NSA headquarters, inside the P Division office, a special agent tasked with monitoring online keyword activity was sipping coffee at his computer screen, a hint of a sinister grin on his face.

Moments ago, he had abused his access, snooping on correspondence between his neighbor's wife and another man. The sleazy words in the emails satisfied his voyeuristic urge.

"No wonder she's always flaunting; she's rotten to the core…"

He chuckled mischievously, easing back with his legs crossed and humming a tune.

The P Division's work was relatively relaxed but held a high level of confidentiality.

NSA—short for the United States Security Bureau—had intensified its focus on preventing terrorist attacks after the 2001 Twin Towers incident, prioritizing the development of intelligence connections to predict enemy movements in the ocean of information.

Endorsed in October 2001 and extended indefinitely (as of 2013), the Patriot Act provided a legal basis for widespread surveillance by the United States government. That same year, the NSA created a new unit, codenamed "P."

In 2004, then-President George W. Bush and other core leadership leveraged judicial measures to bypass privacy-related laws, formally initiating the "Star Wind" surveillance plan, assigned to the P Division for execution.

To avoid legal complications, "Star Wind" split into four surveillance programs: "Prism," "Main Street," "Dock," and "Nucleus."

These programs could capture and analyze metadata from the internet, communication channels, and electronic transmissions, identifying keywords for automatic system review and targeted analysis.

Through this analysis, they could track and establish links between an ordinary American citizen and a notorious terrorist.

Similarly, individual health conditions, political or religious affiliations, sensitive business negotiations, even extramarital affairs—everything could be laid bare.

Beep beep beep——

The computer system suddenly displayed a red notification box.

The analyst, coffee cup in hand, clicked on the alert.

These alerts usually signified sensitive words or image detection.

Although such false alarms were routine, they were typically ignored after a glance.

But today, as the analyst opened the alert, a flood of images popped up.

"Huh?"

His eyebrows furrowed instantly, his hand holding the coffee cup froze in mid-air.

As he browsed through the images, his facial expression stiffened. By the time he spilled coffee on his pants, it became clear.

"This is bad!"

He muttered to himself, before abruptly setting the coffee aside. He quickly retrieved records, printed out a review copy, and rushed toward his manager's office.