Chapter 921 - 858: Interests, All Interests!

Lady M had just returned from the morning briefing and hadn't even had time to ask her secretary for a cup of coffee when her secure phone began vibrating.

Seeing Song Heping's number, she had already guessed what it might be about.

Recently, she had been sitting back watching the tigers fight.

She was very pleased to see Song Heping gaining the advantage. At least in the Sahel Region, the Americans' expansion had slowed down.

Without obtaining the keys to Sudan and Darfur, the American influence would find it difficult to take root in this area.

Sudan remained the same Sudan.

Great Britain called the shots.

Earlier at the briefing, the intelligence department chief reported to her that there seemed to be a significant development regarding Song Heping's key member Ferrari; he had been captured by the CIA in Eastern Europe and was now missing.

In Eastern Europe, MI6 intelligence agents discovered that CIA Counterterrorism Center Director Wright appeared in the Romanian capital Bucharest, indicating a significant operation there.

综合情报分析, 法拉利失踪肯定与CIA有关.

This time, Song Heping seemed quite careless, with a key figure captured.

More critically, Ferrari was now serving as the financial director of the "Musician" defense company, managing all the company's overseas secret accounts and money laundering.

If he couldn't withstand the CIA's interrogation and confessed everything, it would be a deadly blow to Song Heping.

"Song."

Lady M devised a plan within five seconds of thought.

She decided to answer Song Heping's call.

This was not the time to abandon Song Heping.

This person still held significant value. Cutting ties with him was not advisable at the moment.

"You are looking for me right after I started work, it seems urgent."

While speaking, Lady M glanced at her phone screen.

The anti-recording software was already activated. This software can break down sound and recode it.

If Song Heping recorded, a future playback would reveal edits after comparing sounds, indicating post-processing.

When dealing with Song Heping, she always kept a hand behind.

"M, I need your intelligence support."

Song Heping's voice came through the encrypted line, lacking his usual composure, tinged with tension.

"I suppose you've heard my good friend Ferrari had trouble in Romania."

Lady M moved toward the window, overlooking London's morning street view, a red double-decker bus passing over Westminster Bridge.

"I've heard some whispers," she deliberately made her voice sound indifferent, "CIA is acting big this time, even Wright has personally gone to Bucharest."

Two seconds of silence from the other end.

"Are you monitoring the CIA?"

"Professional habit." Lady M chuckled lightly, "Just like you mercenaries hiding an extra magazine in every gun."

"I need to know where Ferrari is held, how many guards there are, and the CIA's retreat route."

Song Heping was straightforward.

Lady M lightly tapped the window glass with her fingers.

"Song, you know our relationship with the Americans. Among allies... some intelligence cannot be shared."

"Allies?" Song Heping suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with sarcasm, "M, don't pretend. You Brits claim to be international troublemakers, allies are just talk. During WWII you tricked even the French, let alone the Americans."

Lady M's mouth twitched slightly.

Song Heping's bluntness was always discomforting, yet irrefutable.

She turned and walked to her desk, pulling up an encrypted file.

"Even if I'm willing to help, what can you offer me? Intelligence exchange is always reciprocal."

"I can owe you a favor," Song Heping said.

"A favor?" Lady M sneered, "In the intelligence world, favors are the least valuable currency."

"Then what do you want?"

Lady M opened a map in the file, marked with the location of the small African country Nase.

"After the Eastern Europe event, I need you to go to Nase. A coup is about to happen there, and the puppet regime supported by the French needs professionals to help quell the unrest."

The other end noticeably hesitated.

"The French? Why the French?"

"Because they are also our friends."

Lady M said carelessly.

"Moreover, they have ceded some interests, internally there are too many things I don't need to explain to you, you are a defense company boss, you just need to complete the client's request."

"Since when did Brits start protecting the French, can't Gallia protect itself?"

Song Heping's voice was full of skepticism.

Lady M looked at Nase's topographical map on the screen.

This small country in West Africa has rich uranium resources, recently American mining companies have been active there, she knew very well who was backing these companies.

"Cooperation, we are all Europeans, we must consider Europe's interests." Her tone was relaxed, "Have you thought about it?"

Song Heping thought, "You old woman just keep pretending! Considering Europe's interests... for 200 years, you Brits stirred Europe well, today's fragmented Europe is thanks to you Brits."

However, now was not the right time to mock Lady M.

So he nonchalantly said, "I need more details."

"You'll be told later." Lady M said, "Now, let's get back to the Ferrari issue, that's the pressing matter. If he can't withstand the CIA's interrogation, your company will suffer greatly, and talk of helping me is irrelevant."

Song Heping thought for a moment, agreed that Lady M was right, then said, "Deal. But I need to see your intelligence support first."

"Of course." Lady M pulled up the latest report from MI6's Eastern Europe station, "We have a contact in Bucharest. According to his intelligence, Ferrari is held in a temporary interrogation center at an abandoned factory in the northern suburbs. There are twelve CIA agents and sixteen local armed guards employed. As for how many agents are waiting to catch you in Bucharest, even I don't know, since it's their secret operation."

"Specific coordinates?"

"Someone will send it to your encrypted email later." Lady M tapped the keyboard, "But there's bad news—Wright has ordered Ferrari ready for transfer. In forty-eight hours, an unmarked plane will take him to a black site in Lithuania."

"Why Lithuania?"

"Because it's not under the jurisdiction of the European Union Human Rights Court." Lady M answered succinctly, "And close enough to Russia, convenient if they need to frame."

Song Heping was silent for a moment.

"What substantive support can you provide?"

"Besides intelligence, we can't provide any substantial support but can release some false info at the right time to distract the CIA."

Lady M said, "For example, suddenly 'discovering' unusual Russian GRU troop movements at the Polish border, etc. Isn't your relationship with the Russians excellent? I believe Wright will assume you used connections there to rescue Ferrari."

"That's not enough," Song Heping said.

"Song," Lady M's voice suddenly turned cold, "Don't forget who's asking whom. This is all I can do. The rest is up to your own abilities."

On the other end, Song Heping's deep breath could be heard.

"Okay. I agree to the Nase matter. But there's a condition—I need sufficient compensation."

Lady M raised an eyebrow, "Reasonable. But I have a requirement too."

Song Heping said, "What is it?"

Lady M emphasized, "You must go to Nase personally."

"Deal."

Song Heping said simply, "When will the intelligence you give me arrive?"

"It's already been sent."

Lady M hit the send button, then said, "Good luck. But let me remind you, Wright is not an easy character. He was nicknamed 'Ice Man' in Iraq, infamous for his ruthlessness."

"I love opponents like him."

Song Heping wasted no words, hung up the phone after saying it.

Lady M put down the phone, looking thoughtfully at the screen.

America covets Nase's uranium deeply.

While the French want to maintain their uranium resources in West Africa.

Having Song Heping stir things up couldn't be more fitting—creating trouble for the Americans without directly involving Britain.

A game of pitting two beasts against each other, then profiting from it.

For centuries, Britain has been most adept at such troublemaking tactics.

She pressed the internal communication button.

"Connect me to the Africa Division. We need to adjust some details regarding the Nase plan, have him come to my office immediately."

Meanwhile, in the Persian camp, Song Heping stared at the encrypted files he received from Lady M, browsing through the contents with a furrowed brow.

He understood Lady M's calculations—the Brits want to use him to provoke a US-France conflict in Africa, allowing themselves to profit.

典型的 "离岸平衡" 策略, 大英帝国几百年来屡试不爽.

She wants to make him a pawn.

But it didn't matter to him.

Killing one CIA agent and ten makes no difference.

The priority was rescuing Ferrari.

For this operation, he needed to design a perfect plan, teaching "Ice Man" Wright a tactical lesson in "all's fair in war."