Chapter 545 - 489: Ten Tons of Top-Quality Goods

As he drew his gun in an instant, Song Heping also sprang up from the couch with equal rapidity, dodging to the side and simultaneously hooking his arm around Barrett's neck from behind, forcefully pressing down!

Barrett, having lost his rationality, had already lunged forward. With Song Heping's leveraged move—a hook and a press—Barrett's body landed directly on the table, and Song Heping quickly twisted the gun out of his hand, breaking it—

"Ah—"

The pain brought about by the capture technique was extraordinarily unbearable.

Barrett's handgun fell onto the carpet.

Song Heping didn't continue the assault; instead, he released his grip, walked around the table to pick up the gun, removed the magazine, pulled back the slide, and expertly checked the chamber before sneering, "You really playing for keeps, huh?"

After speaking, he tossed the handgun onto the couch and threw the magazine straight out the window.

"With that kind of guts, you might as well join me in taking on the drug traffickers in Mexico! I'm not your enemy; I won't indulge you!"

Barrett, having suffered a setback and with a head full of painful memories, couldn't hold back and actually started to sob on the table.

Song Heping stood to the side and watched for a moment, then grabbed a box of tissues and tossed it in front of Barrett.

"Well? Want in or not? If not, I'll find someone else."

Seeing that Barrett didn't respond and was still sniffling, Song Heping didn't bother with him anymore and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Just as Song Heping was about to walk out the door, Barrett's voice came from behind.

Turning to look,

the guy had already stood up and wiped away his tears.

"Count me in!"

"OK!"

Song Heping smiled.

"Pack your stuff; we're leaving immediately."

...

"Where the hell did the boss find such an American?" White Bear sat in the temporary operation center's command room, gnawing on a Russian smoked fish bought from the supermarket, while glancing out the window at Song Heping showing Barrett around the operation center.

"Where he was found isn't important. What matters is who this guy is," Queen said, adding after a pause, "I don't like Americans."

"He is a former DEA agent who was also undercover in Mexico for six years and is very familiar with the situation there, so there's a reason the boss sought him out."

Henry, head of the intelligence department in the company, of course knew about Barrett and thus explained to everyone who had doubts.

For this operation, aside from Ferrari overseeing daily affairs in Illiguo, the other team members, including Samir who had resigned, were company elites who had already arrived here for the mission.

Because of the operation's importance, Song Heping had to personally take the lead.

Currently, the "Falcon" school in Venezuela had just started up, with many training facilities still under construction, set to be completed by the end of the year. The work of training elite operation members hadn't begun yet, so they had to rely on these veteran members.

After showing Barrett around the temporary command center, Song Heping brought him back to the meeting room to get acquainted with White Bear and the others.

"You guys chat here for a bit; I'm going to make a call in my office, then we'll start the meeting."

Once back in his room, Song Heping closed the door and contacted Kelly on the phone.

"I've found Barrett, and he has agreed to join us. He's here with me now."

"He actually agreed to join you?"

Kelly sounded surprised.

She knew that after Barrett's resignation and retreat from public life, many departments had tried to recruit him, including her own subordinates.

Many people had been sent packing without ever getting through the door, let alone successfully recruiting.

"Yep, surprised?" Song Heping said.

Kelly replied, "Indeed, I am surprised. It's clear to me now; you have quite the tactics."

"It's not about my tactics; it's just that he doesn't want to deal with bureaucrats like you guys," Song Heping said. "He's disappointed in your bureaucratic system. After all these years, you haven't even found out who the mole was that betrayed his team, have you?"

Not wanting to continue this topic, Kelly asked, "You didn't call just to boast about recruiting Barrett, did you?"

"Of course not, there's something more important I need your help with," Song Heping said. "I've taken your money, found the people, and have a good grasp on our intelligence. I already have a plan in mind, but... I need your support."

"What kind of plan? I want to hear it."

"I can't tell you."

"What?!"

Kelly was visibly annoyed.

"Don't forget who is the boss! You're working for me now."

Song Heping was not at all persuaded by her approach, speaking indifferently, "All you need is the result; you do not need to concern yourself with the process. After all, I don't trust your system. This plan involves my life and fortune. Should anything go wrong, I could lose my life in Mexico. So you must think carefully about whether to do this according to my style or yours. If you insist on interfering, we can call off our cooperation."

Kelly coldly said, "Call off the cooperation? Do you think that's still possible?"

Song Heping said, "So, you're determined to mess up this deal?"

After a moment's silence, Kelly compromised, "Fine, I won't ask. Tell me, what do you need my help with?"

"Two things. First, I need ten tons of coca, and it must be high-quality stuff, with a high purity level, ideally from Colombia."

"Ten tons!?"

Kelly exclaimed as soon as Song Heping spoke the first sentence.

"Are you crazy?! Do you know how much ten tons of high-quality coca costs? Do you realize what ten tons means?!"

No wonder she was so taken aback.

Ten tons.

Colombia's yearly production fluctuates around five hundred tons, already accounting for almost ninety percent of the world's production.

Song Heping was asking for ten tons all at once!

About 2% of the global annual production!

"I know you have stockpiles. Over the years, what you've controlled and confiscated is more than this amount. There must be contraband in your warehouses, right? Let me borrow it for a while."

Song Heping did not find it difficult or excessive in the slightest.

Kelly still found it unbelievable, "It's not possible! Ten tons is too much! What in the world do you need it for? Are you trying to establish a drug cartel?!"

No wonder she had such thoughts.

With the necessary firepower and merchandise, if Song Heping took the goods and vanished, she would certainly no longer be fit to serve as the director; it would be a scandal for the CIA.

"Don't worry; I have professional ethics. These goods will not impact the American drug market. I guarantee the last batch of coca will return to your hands, not a kilogram less."

Song Heping stressed the importance of this batch of goods, "To catch Balrot, I must get ahold of this shipment. If you don't provide it, my plan won't succeed. Let me tell you, all these years you have failed to capture him because you were reluctant to invest the necessary capital. Now you have two choices before you—continue to do futile work without taking risks or invest substantial capital with me for a significant undertaking. The choice is yours."

Song Heping spoke entirely in the manner of conducting business.

This persuaded Kelly to actually believe this guy wasn't just after the ten tons of high-quality coca.

But she was still very curious; with so much coca, what did he want to do?!

However, in the end, she still compromised.

Because she had no choice but to compromise.

The CIA had been after Balrot for seven years, employing various methods, yet unable to capture him.

This time there really seemed to be hope—at least, Song Heping gave her that impression.

To gamble or not to gamble?

"Alright! I'll take this bet with you!"

Eventually, Kelly gave in.

"That's the right choice," laughed Song Heping. "How much time do you need to prepare?"

"At least three days," Kelly said. "For such a significant matter, I can't act without informing my superiors."

"No, don't inform your superiors. I know you have the authority to move these goods. Informing your superiors will waste time, and can you guarantee they won't leak the information? The more involved, the more complications. If we're going to gamble, let's make it a big one. I give you one day. By this time tomorrow, you inform me of the pickup location, and my people will transport the goods. After that, the operation will begin."

"You really are a madman..."

Kelly couldn't help but lament.

This guy seemed to be a real madman.

She even had a moment of regret.

Should she not have chosen to cooperate with this man?

Unfortunately, there was no turning back.

"So what's the second thing?" she asked.

"The second matter I will tell you in two days. Remember, you have to go all out with the tasks I assign—no half measures. You must personally oversee them, otherwise, if something goes wrong, we're both finished," he said.

"Okay..."

After hanging up the phone, Kelly zoned out for a few minutes.

She thought Song Heping was a madman, but she also had a feeling that this man could accomplish great things.

Such contradictory emotions left her unsettled for a while.

Then, she picked up the phone and dialed the number of one of her capable subordinates.

"Andrew, immediately mobilize all resources. Under the guise of operational supplies, move out ten tons of coca—the high-purity kind!"

She glanced at the clock.

"You only have 24 hours. Start now! Yes, ten tons, and don't ask why! Afterward, you can bring the application form to me for my signature!"