Chapter 1739 - 1355: Barzani's High-Stakes Gamble (Part 2)

He carefully considered his words before speaking out:

"General, with all due respect, we must exercise extreme caution. If... if the president's speech is indeed the truth, then any of our movements now will solidify the charge of rebellion."

What he said was the truth, and it actually hit the doubt in the hearts of everyone present.

The temperature in the conference room instantly dropped to freezing point.

Barzani stared fixedly at Colonel Ali, with the crazed light in his eyes growing stronger.

"Tor Khan?"

He squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, full of resentment.

"Colonel Hassan! Are you counting on that turncoat to inform you? He's either already colluding with those rebels; they're in league! Are you using your outdated caution to question my judgment of the situation, questioning the life and death of all of us now?!"

Colonel Hassan was silent for a few seconds.

This brief silence, under Barzani's violent interpretation, became open provocation and a shake to military morale.

"General!"

Ali spoke again, with undeniable insistence: "I'm not questioning your loyalty or judgment. I just believe that, as commanders, we must be responsible for the lives of over sixteen thousand soldiers under our command, and for the future of the Kurds. Mobilizing three main brigades is no small matter. We need a clearer picture, perhaps sending out reconnaissance units, or considering other channels..."

"Enough!"

"Bang—!!"

The gunshot exploded in the closed steel-concrete conference room, the sound far beyond usual, making eardrums ache, and even the fluorescent lights overhead seemed to flicker.

Colonel Ali Hassan's body was thrown back by the immense impact of the bullet, his high-backed office chair overturning with a creak.

He fell heavily onto the floor covered in deep green wool carpet, his eyes still wide open, pupils staring straight at the ceiling lights.

Bright red blood quickly seeped from his chest, dyeing the carpet underneath, forming a constantly expanding dark red pattern.

The smell of gunpowder mixed with the scent of blood began to fill the air.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

From the barrel of the large-caliber pistol in Barzani's hand, a trace of blue smoke curled up.

He didn't even look down at the body still slightly twitching on the floor but slowly raised his gun-wielding arm, pointing the muzzle at the pale ceiling of the conference room.

"Now—"

His voice was cold, hard, carrying a hint of ferocity: "Is there anyone else, like this traitor bought by the Elbil rebels, here to spread lies and shake military morale? Is there anyone else to speak for those bandits who hold the president hostage and usurp power?"

No one dared to move.

A few young officers were pale as paper, fine beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.

A major's lips trembled uncontrollably, he clung to the edge of the table in front of him, knuckles showing blue-white due to excessive force.

Barzani slowly lowered the gun, placing both hands back on the table, leaning forward even more, almost pressing onto the surface.

"Listen all of you!"

He said, word by word: "The current situation is as simple as it gets. If we sit here and do nothing, waiting for those Elbil rebels to consolidate power and fabricate all the 'evidence', then every one of us present—I, you, every one of us will be nailed to the pillar of infamy for treason! Military tribunal? That's just a formality! Waiting for us is the bullet or life imprisonment! Our families will be implicated, our assets confiscated, our names will become synonymous with 'betrayer' in Kurdish, reviled by our descendants!"

At this point, he paused for a full ten seconds.

"However!"

His voice suddenly raised, carrying a persuasive force that stirred hearts.

"We now possess the three most elite brigades! If we act now, with the thunderous momentum driving back to Elbil, crushing the conspiracy, rescuing the president and restoring constitutional order! Then—"

He swung his arm, expression growing more frenzied.

"We will be the heroes who save the Kurdish nation! The righteous ones who turn the tide! History is written by the victors, and we will personally inscribe this most glorious chapter!"

"I follow the General!"

Barzani's confidant, Major General Kadir, the commander of the First Armored Brigade, was the first to stand.

"We cannot sit still and wait for death! We must act!"

Several loyal officers stood up in response.

"Drive back to Elbil! Settle scores with those rebels!"

But most people in the conference room still sat, their eyes moving arduously between Ali's rapidly cooling corpse on the floor and Barzani's seemingly mad demeanor.

At this moment, everyone completely understood.

This is not about "saving" anyone, it's a downright military coup.

Barzani is using blood and fear to force everyone onto his war chariot.

"Stand up!" Barzani suddenly roared: "Everyone who supports immediate action, driving back to Elbil, stand up for me!"

This time, they had no choice but to express their stance.

Remaining silent meant death!

A screeching sound of chairs rubbing against the floor.

The officers stood up one after another.

Some stood upright, eyes ablaze; others moved slowly, faces full of struggle; some almost instinctively rose with the crowd, eyes filled only with fear.

Finally, only three people remained seated by the conference table.

They were all backbone officers of the Second Mechanized Brigade, personally promoted by Colonel Hassan, including a deputy brigade commander and two main regiment commanders.

Barzani walked to the deputy brigade commander.

The polished military boots stepped on the blood-soaked carpet, making a slight squelching sound.

He raised his hand, the still warm gun muzzle directly pressed against the colonel's forehead.

The cold metal touch made the lieutenant colonel shiver.

"Lieutenant Colonel, what is your decision?"

Barzani's voice was terrifyingly calm.

The lieutenant colonel closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently several times, seconds later, teeth clenched, trembling, using his hands to brace against the table, standing up.

Barzani moved the gun muzzle toward the next person.

The regiment commander's face turned ashen, almost sliding up from his chair.

The last one stood up abruptly before the muzzle was pointed at him but kept his gaze firmly on the floor, afraid to meet Barzani's eyes.

This guy is now a wolf driven mad.

"Good."

Barzani slowly withdrew his pistol, forcing a twisted smile.

"From now on, follow my orders!"

He walked to the main screen, pulled up the electronic map, and a red arrow stabbed fiercely at Elbil's location.

"Two hours—I only give you two hours to prepare! After two hours, the entire army advances at full speed along Highway 80 towards Elbil! We will use a steel torrent to crush all conspiracies, to retake our capital and restore genuine order before those traitors and foreigners even realize!"

"The First Armored Brigade will be the vanguard, opening the path! The Second Mechanized Brigade will guard the left flank, ensuring the supply line! The Ninth Infantry Brigade will bring up the rear and be responsible for occupying key points along the way! Operation code—'Dawn Reckoning'!"

The order is heavy, pressed down like a mountain.

Officers filed out, not looking again at Colonel Hassan's corpse, as if it was just an unsightly piece of furniture in the conference room that had to be bypassed.

When the heavy doors closed once more, isolating all footsteps outside, Barzani was left alone in the conference room, filled with the smell of blood and gunpowder.

He looked down at his right hand that had just pulled the trigger.

The fingers were still trembling slightly, the palm cold and damp.

There's no way back...

From the moment Colonel Hassan's chest was splattered with a handful of blood, he had severed all paths of return.

Either become the new master of the Kurds, stepping on Masood; or become that foolish and despicable traitor, madman, suicidal lunatic in history books and folklore.

"Adjutant!" he shouted hoarsely toward the doorway.

"General!" The young adjutant pushed the door open, face still pale.

"Prepare the car, head to the advance assembly area of the First Armored Brigade."

Barzani adjusted his uniform collar.

"I want to personally give a pre-battle speech to the lads."

"Yes!"