Chapter 1764 - 1364: Near Home, Feelings Grow Hesitant

Two days later, at the Iligo National Assembly Building.

Samir sat in the back row of the observer area of the assembly seats, wearing a brand new military uniform, with the rank of Lieutenant General on his epaulettes glinting faintly under the lights of the assembly hall.

His hands were clasped tightly together, knuckles somewhat white.

In the hall, the members of the assembly were entering one after another.

When Member Hashimi came in, he nodded slightly in Samir's direction, then walked to his seat.

A few members of the Kurdish parliamentary blocs gathered and whispered together, occasionally glancing at the rostrum.

At exactly ten o'clock in the morning, the Speaker knocked the gavel.

"Let's now review Ministry of Defense Proposal No. 147: the proposal to form the Border Defense Tenth Division and incorporate parts of civilian armed forces."

For the next three hours, Samir endured the longest wait of his life.

The Defense Minister personally took the stage to explain, using slides to display the severity of the border security situation, charts of terrorist infiltration routes, and the inadequacies of existing border defense forces.

Then came speeches by representatives of various parliamentary blocs.

A mainstream faction of the Shiye Sect expressed support but emphasized that the new troops must be "loyal to the constitution, loyal to the nation, and should not become the private army of any party or individual."

Sunni Sect representatives cautiously raised questions: Is the troop composition balanced? Will it exacerbate sectarian conflicts?

The Kurdish parliamentary bloc was the most active, taking the longest speaking time.

What concerned them was not the troop itself, but the clause in the proposal regarding "authorizing the Ministry of Defense to establish a joint patrol mechanism on the northern border."

For the Kurd people, this meant that the Baghdad Central Government officially recognized their special role and rights regarding border security issues.

Diplomats from the United States, Britain, France, and other Western countries were seated quietly observing in the second-floor guest area.

Samir noticed that Ambassador Stevenson of the United States did not attend in person but sent a second secretary instead.

The debate reached its climax at one in the afternoon.

A senior Sunni Sect member suddenly proposed a motion to add an amendment: demanding additional clauses to the proposal—"appointments of senior officers of the Border Defense Tenth Division require a hearing procedure by the parliamentary security committee."

Samir's heart sank.

If this additional clause passed, it meant that every promotion or transfer he had in the future would have to be questioned in front of the parliamentarians.

He quietly took out his phone and sent a brief message to Song Heping, who was waiting at the hotel: "There's a change, motion for additional clause."

In less than a minute, a reply came: "Wait and see. Hashimi and Yusuf will handle it."

Ten minutes later, Yusuf announced a temporary adjournment.

Hashimi left his seat and went to a small meeting room on the side of the assembly hall.

A few minutes later, he came out with the leader of the Kurdish parliamentary bloc, both smiling.

Returning to the debate, Hashimi unexpectedly changed his stance:

"After consultation with colleagues from various parliamentary blocs, we believe we can accept the additional clause, but need modification—it should only apply to the appointment of deputy division commanders, with no intervention in other officer appointments."

Samir breathed a sigh of relief.

This was actually a compromise.

The selection of the deputy division commander inherently required balancing interests across factions, and the hearing provided a platform for all parties to bargain openly.

At three in the afternoon, the voting began.

The electronic voting system was activated, and the buttons on each assembly seat lit up.

Samir held his breath, staring at the huge display screen at the front of the hall.

Green represented approval, red represented opposition, and yellow represented abstention.

The numbers started to move.

Votes in favor: 187

Votes against: 63

Abstentions: 25

The final result—passed.

The gavel fell, and the Speaker announced: "Proposal No. 147 has been passed."

Applause rang out, sparse, with more sounds of members from various parties shaking hands and talking.

No cheering, no celebrations.

This was the political game.

Every victory was the result of careful calculation.

When Samir walked out of the assembly building, the sunlight was dazzling.

He took out his phone and dialed Song Heping's number.

"Boss, it's passed."

"Got it." Song Heping's voice was calm as usual, as if already expected: "Come to the hotel tonight, we'll talk about the next step."

...

Song Heping became busy.

For the next half month, he was caught in the center of Baghdad's political whirlpool.

The first important meeting was at the American Embassy Residence.

Ambassador Stevenson was a professional diplomat in his sixties, his gray hair meticulously combed, speaking with a Virginia upper-class accent.

The dinner was just the two of them, with exquisite but small portions of food.

Typical American upper-class social style, focusing on form over content.

"Mr. Song, firstly, congratulations to you." Stevenson raised his glass: "Your success in Iligo proves the unique role the private sector can play in post-war reconstruction."

"Thank you, Ambassador. This couldn't have been achieved without support from all sides." Song Heping replied flawlessly.

The main discussion began after the entrée.

Stevenson put down his knife and fork and gently wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin: "About the newly established Border Defense Tenth Division... we are very concerned. After all, border security affects not only Iligo but also regional stability."

"I completely agree. Therefore, this troop will act strictly according to the instructions of the Ministry of Defense."

"Of course, of course." Stevenson smiled: "I just want to know, in terms of equipment and training, what plans does your company have? The US Army has rich experience in this regard, and we are happy to offer assistance."

Song Heping knew this was probing, and also a transaction.

"Mr. Ambassador, I am a businessman. If the Ministry of Defense decides to procure American equipment, if the US Army is willing to provide training, as long as it's through legitimate and compliant tenders and cooperation agreements, my company is certainly willing to compete."