Chapter 2003 - 1449: Something's Not Right!

As Song Heping emerged from Minister Rashim's office, the sky over Baghdad was painted in a bizarre shade of orange-red.

The setting sun dyed the entire Green Zone blood-red.

Standing on the steps of the Ministry of Defense, Song Heping gazed at the shimmering Tigris River in the distance, his mind repeatedly replaying the conversation he just had.

"Someone wants to make a move on you in the United States."

Rashim's expression as he said this was quite subtle.

It was not a warning, more like a tentative reminder.

The Iraq Defense Minister did not even shake hands as he saw him off, just slightly nodded, then disappeared behind the heavy wooden door.

Song Heping reached into his pocket and pulled out a tin of mint gum he always carried with him, emptied two pieces, and tossed them into his mouth.

The refreshing taste spread across his tongue.

Chewing the gum, he walked towards his vehicle, the driver had already opened the car door, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

"Boss, back to the hotel?"

"Yes, back to the hotel."

Song Heping climbed into the backseat of the bulletproof G500, and the car slowly drove out of the security checkpoint of the ministerial villa district.

Through the car window, he saw the heavily armed Iraq guards and, in the distance, layers upon layers of blast walls and barbed wire within the Green Zone.

This area, once Sadam's palace complex, had now become the safest yet most ironic place in Baghdad.

The US had built an embassy here, the Iraq Government worked here, while protestors on the streets chanted, "Americans, go home."

How did Rashim know someone wanted to make a move on him in the US?

This was the first question that popped into Song Heping's mind.

Obviously, these Iraq people were also monitoring those contractors and CIA agents.

No surprise there, any sovereign country would do that.

But the key point was Rashim actually chose to inform him, indicating that Iraq intelligence had obtained specific information and deliberately revealed it to him.

What's the consideration behind this?

Chewing his gum, Song Heping's gaze landed on the fast-passing blast walls outside the window.

From a broader perspective, the Iraq Military and intelligence department were gradually freeing themselves from US influence.

Rashim's reminder was a signal.

They wanted him to know that Iraq was no longer a puppet of the US, they had independent intelligence capabilities, and autonomous national interest considerations.

And Song Heping, in this power play, was the object they wanted to win over or show goodwill to.

After all, his company had powerful influence in Iraq, not only controlling the major oil and gas resources in the northwest of Iraq but also having deep cooperation with Armed Organizations, even Persians and Russians.

These accounts, the Iraqis would certainly tally.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

He glanced down, it was a news push notification—

"Hillary delivers concession speech, Trump unexpectedly scores a stunning victory in the election"

Staring at the headline on the screen, Song Heping slowly furrowed his brows.

He wrapped the gum in its wrapper and placed it in the car's ashtray.

"Damn it!"

He exclaimed in shock.

Hillary actually lost.

The woman who was beleaguered in the Benghazi incident, who used a private server for her Secretary of State emails, the woman the establishment held high hopes for, adored by Wall Street and mainstream media, actually lost to a political novice, a reality show host, a real estate tycoon claiming to "Make America Great Again."

This is damn ironic.

A few months ago, in the Oval Office at the White House, Obama and Hillary compromised towards him, but for what?

Hoping he would not create trouble for Hillary at a critical moment, to ensure the truth about the Misu time would not spill out during the election campaign.

They exchanged benefits for benefits, silence for silence.

And now?

With Hillary's defeat, the Donkey Party would soon lose its governing power.

And Obama would soon be a former president.

All their previous calculations and compromises turned into sunk costs.

So the question arises—

Given Hillary's defeat, why would Obama still invite him to the US?

What is the point of going now?

Song Heping flipped out the business invitation from "Crescent International."

This company is registered in Wilmington, Delaware, its legal person named James Han.

He had it investigated, the background was as clean as a piece of white paper.

In the business and intelligence circles, there are only two possibilities for such a company.

One is a shell company, another is having a background so deep it's completely untraceable.

Being able to register a company in Wilmington, where half of the global Fortune 500 subsidiaries are registered, and even the CIA can't find any leverage—

This level of clean is inherently the biggest unclean.

"Interesting."

Song Heping uttered quietly and again took out the tin of gum, emptied two pieces.

Those likely to make a move on him, apart from Lemont and Robbin, wouldn't be anyone else.

How to respond?

He then instinctively thought of Simon.

This Nail buried the deepest in the US intelligence system, usable at critical moments, but not lightly.

If Lemont truly colluded with Robbin to move against him in the US, Simon might be able to suppress it.

But the problem is, once Simon intervenes, it is easy to expose this Nail under the sunlight.

For a challenger of Lemont's caliber, it's really not worth it.

Moreover, this trip to the US is upon Obama's invitation.

A former president inviting an East University PMC Company boss to meet in the US is abnormal enough, if a major incident were to unfold, wouldn't it break the ceiling?