Chapter 1949 - 1427: Business Is Business (2)

An hour later, deep in the Green Zone, Iraq Defense Ministry Building.

Unlike the ostentatious wealth of Yusuf's office, Defense Minister Abdul Rashed's office exudes a subdued yet luxurious solemnity.

Minister Rashed himself is around sixty, slim but standing erect, dressed in a crisply ironed military-style outfit, with epaulettes and medals meticulously arranged.

"Mr. Song, I've heard a lot about you."

The handshake between them was strong and brief, with no excessive pleasantries.

His gaze lingered on Song Heping's face for two seconds, seemingly conducting a quick assessment.

"Vice Speaker Yusuf has already detailed your background to me, and the business proposal you bring. Frankly, I am personally quite interested. In the current situation, any means to enhance our Defense Army's effective combat capability deserves serious consideration."

The three moved to a relatively isolated meeting area on one side of the office.

The sofa here was deep blue velvet, equally comfortable, but with a more solemn style.

A uniformed attendant silently brought in Turkish coffee and clear water, then quickly retreated, closing the heavy, reportedly soundproof and bulletproof wooden door.

Only the three of them remained in the room, and the atmosphere instantly became more focused and private.

"Minister, thank you for taking the time."

Song Heping opened with a direct yet respectful approach.

"I appreciate straightforwardness, so allow me to get right to the point. I do have a batch of equipment left behind by the US Army in this region, the specifics of which Vice Speaker Yusuf has already reported to you. After a preliminary assessment, I am willing to sell equipment with a total value of about fifteen billion dollars to the Iraq Defense Ministry at a price ten percent lower than the 'indicative offer' previously provided by the US military. This equipment will focus on urgently needed light weapons, ammunition, personal gear, and some general use vehicles for the Army."

Minister Rashed did not immediately respond.

He reached out with his bony, somewhat rough-skinned hand, picked up the small coffee cup in front of him without adding sugar or milk.

He gently blew at perhaps non-existent froth on the surface, then took a small sip.

"Price."

Half a minute later, the minister finally set down the cup.

"The offer is indeed quite attractive. In the face of tight budgeting, any option that saves valuable funds merits attention. However, Mr. Song, before delving into details, there are two fundamental questions for which I need clear answers."

He extended two fingers: "Firstly, legality, or rather clear ownership. During the transfer of this equipment from the US military to your hands, does it have complete, impeccable legal documentation and authorization? Do you possess full legal rights for resale? We must avoid any possible legal disputes or subsequent diplomatic issues."

Song Heping was well-prepared.

He took out a not-too-thick but neatly organized copy of documents from the briefcase he carried and handed them over.

"Here is the key part of the 'surplus defense material disposal agreement' signed with the US side, along with photocopies of the export/re-export authorization jointly issued by the relevant departments of the United States Department of State and the Pentagon. According to these internationally legally effective documents, after fulfilling all obligations stipulated in the agreement, I have obtained complete, clear, and unencumbered ownership of this equipment. The agreement explicitly authorizes the transferee, myself, to dispose of the items, including resale, in any manner compliant with export control laws. Selling defensive weapons to the Iraq Republic Defense Ministry complies with relevant regulations."

Minister Rashed received the documents, pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his suit pocket, and began to read them carefully.

He read slowly, especially the signature pages, stamp pages, and specific clauses regarding ownership transfer and resale authorization, occasionally pointing at certain lines of text with his fingers for repeated confirmation.

His serious attitude indicated this was not mere formality but a true risk review.

A few minutes later, he took off the glasses, gently placed the documents on the coffee table, and nodded.

"The documents appear to be complete."

His tone softened slightly.

"Now, on to the second issue — payment method. I believe Vice Speaker Yusuf has already explained our current fiscal situation to you. The Defense Ministry cannot immediately come up with fifteen billion dollars in cash. Even in installments, the proportion of the down payment and subsequent payment guarantee need careful design."

"We understand your ministry's practical situation."

Song Heping picked up the conversation and said:

"Our company is open to flexible installment payment schemes. For example, paying twenty to thirty percent of the down payment after contract effectiveness, with the remainder paid over twelve to twenty-four months, and agreeing upon a reasonable interest rate or cost of capital. Alternatively..."

"We accept payments in kind, such as equivalent crude oil exports. Your country is a major oil producer, which is also hard currency acceptable to us. Additionally, considering Iraq is currently in a large-scale reconstruction phase, if your government is willing to offer priority participation or directional contracts in some future infrastructure projects, we can convert part of the payment into future project revenue. We have engineering and construction teams with international certification under our banner."