Chapter 992 - 989: Negotiation and Deal
Lin Chuan wasn't nervous at all. Holding a cigarette in his mouth, he spoke in fluent English, "Brother, are you Iraqi?"
"Yes!" The burly man nodded, glancing at Lin Chuan curiously. He smiled and asked, "Aren't...aren't you afraid at all?"
"Of course not!" Lin Chuan shook his head and said, "After all, I've walked out of a storm of gunfire and bullets."
"Really?" The man was stunned and asked curiously, "Are you a soldier?"
"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded and said, "I've served in the military for a few years."
"What are you doing in Iraq this time?" The man asked curiously. He was actually full of doubts. Few foreigners come to Iraq now because the situation in Iraq is very unstable, and danger can occur at any moment. No one dares to come here for tourism, even if there are, they risk their lives to make money here. The man saw Lin Chuan just came here with two people more timid than him, so he couldn't be sure of Lin Chuan's purpose.
"Me?" Lin Chuan laughed and said, "What kind of people do you think would come to Iraq now?"
"Either those who come to fight or those who come to make money." The man replied.
"That's right, I'm here to make money." Lin Chuan replied. A seemingly careless comment was full of guardedness.
The man chuckled and said, "I've seen many people who want to come to Iraq to make money, but not many who actually return alive." The man replied, "So, you'd better be careful; this place is in chaos and will definitely lead to trouble sooner or later. I suggest you leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, your lives could be taken by bullets at any time!"
Bang bang...
Suddenly, a series of bullets whizzed towards the car, hitting the back of the car. Producing a piercing clatter.
"Ah!!" The Song family brothers exclaimed in shock.
The two hurriedly crouched under the car seats, hands cradling their heads, fearing an accidental death. Cold sweat broke out from their fear, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Lin Chuan, however, remained calm, and the burly driver was unflustered, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he swiftly turned into a nearby alley, immediately evading the soldiers' sight. The car zigzagged through the alley, quickly shaking off its pursuers.
But, this was only the beginning. After the car rammed itself clear of the enemy's sights, unexpectedly, two squads appeared ahead, shocking the driver into a state of bewilderment. He immediately braked, slowing down the car.
Clatter...
Dozens of people rapidly surrounded the car. This group immediately raised their firearms, encircling their opponents.
"Hands up, don't move." The soldier shouted urgently.
At this moment, someone opened the car door and pointed a gun at the head of the counterpart, shouting loudly, "Don't move, raise your hands, and get out of the car."
Outnumbered, Lin Chuan calmly stepped out of the car with a cigarette in his mouth. He raised his hands and got out of the car. The burly man also appeared composed, but the Song family brothers seemed rather pathetic. Although the two had served in the military, they had never been to the battlefield; such a standoff was something they hadn't seen in their lifetime. The opponents were real armed rebels, likely to shoot and kill them at any moment.
Within the ranks, a leading military officer approached the driver, asking coldly, "What are you doing crossing our line, do you have a death wish?"
"No!" The burly man shook his head and pointed at Lin Chuan, "It's these foreigners who wanted to cross your line, apparently they have some business to discuss with you!"
The commanding officer turned to look at Lin Chuan, sneering, "Kid, which country are you from?"
"China!" Lin Chuan replied.
"China?!" The man was somewhat surprised, thinking Lin Chuan was Japanese or South Korean. Unexpectedly, he was Chinese, which intrigued him, "Interesting, you're actually Chinese. I ask you, what are you here for?"
"To discuss a deal with your leader." Lin Chuan smiled and said, "I have a batch of genuine Russian equipment. I want to negotiate with you. If we make a deal, great; if not, you wouldn't kill us, right!"
"Russian equipment?" The leading officer's interest was piqued, he asked, "Where did you get it?"
"Just bought it from Russia!" Lin Chuan replied.
"Why would Russia sell to you?!" The officer questioned sternly, "You wouldn't be trying to deceive us with fake goods, would you?"
"No way!" Lin Chuan shook his head and said, "Amu Han isn't a fool, and your people wouldn't recognize genuine Russian equipment? Do I need to risk my life to trick you?"
The officer thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Very well, in that case, come with me."
After speaking, the officer waved his hand.
The soldiers immediately put away their guns. Just as Lin Chuan was preparing to leave, suddenly, the driver shouted, "Hey, Chinese boy, you haven't paid me for the ride yet!"
Lin Chuan was taken aback, then cheerfully pulled out six hundred-dollar bills from his pocket and handed them to the man, patting him on the shoulder, and said, "You are the bravest Iraqi man I've ever met."
"Every Iraqi man is brave," the driver chuckled, then turned and got in his car to leave.
The soldiers on the scene didn't trouble him at all, obviously, they knew this man was an Iraqi taxi driver. So, they smoothly let him leave. Lin Chuan didn't know if he could make it out alive from this war-torn frontline because just minutes after he left, gunshots rang out at the borders. Lin Chuan could only pray that the man would leave safely; otherwise, he would feel guilty.
Lin Chuan's lips curled into a smile.
The officer led the way, and before long, they returned to a camp. It was a temporary camp.
Back at the camp, the officer handed Lin Chuan and the Song brothers over to a higher-ranking officer. After learning the reason for Lin Chuan's visit, the officer decided to make a phone call to Amu Han. Amu Han was the leader of the Iraqi opposition. He was the top leader of Iraq's opposition party, whose hundred-thousand-strong army had marched from the southern cities of Iraq and was now about to capture the ancient city of Baghdad.
After the officer's phone call, there was a quick result.
"Mr. Lin Chuan, Amu Han wants to see you," the officer replied.
"Oh?" Lin Chuan smiled and said, "May I ask where Amu Han is? Why doesn't he come out?"
Haha...
Everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Chuan and the Song brothers were puzzled; they completely didn't understand why the others were laughing.
"Lin Chuan, why are they laughing?" Song Wen asked.
"How would I know?" Lin Chuan shook his head.
At this moment, the officer calmed down and said, "Mr. Lin Chuan, Amu Han is our leader, of course, he cannot rush to the frontline. He needs to stay behind and provide us with strategic guidance. He is the child of our great Prophet Muhammad. So, we need to protect him."
"Then... where is he?" Lin Chuan hurriedly asked.
"In Babylon," the officer replied.
"Babylon?" Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback and said, "It's nearly two hundred kilometers from here."
"Yes!" The officer nodded, "I'll send someone to take you, Amu Han seems eager to meet you."
"He's not eager to meet me," Lin Chuan smiled slightly and said, "He wants to see the weapon I have."
"Of course!" The officer nodded.
"Alright then, please trouble the General to send someone to take us there," Lin Chuan said.
"Okay!" The officer nodded.
Leaving the temporary camp, they quickly got into a Toyota off-road vehicle. The vehicle had good performance and had no problem navigating the complex roads. The car sped along and quickly entered a desert area. However, the car was equipped with a satellite navigation system, so there was no worry about any issues arising. Plus, crossing the desert could save a lot of time.
This is also why many Iraqi natives often do this.
After the car traversed the desert, it quickly entered the territory of Babylon. The Song brothers sat nervously in the back seat, afraid that something might go wrong. However, during the more than an hour of jolting, they seemed to have had no problems at all. The two inadvertently fell asleep in the car.