After driving for over an hour, Song Heping and Yusuf arrived smoothly at the suburban area near Fallujah.
This is not a desert.
It's about one or two hundred kilometers further south before you enter the desert.
The region of Illiguo is not entirely made up of deserts, especially near Baghdad; due to the Euphrates River running from west to east, the areas along the river have relatively moist soil and thus lush vegetation.
Water is the fundamental condition for the birth of civilization.
This place was once the birthplace of one of the four ancient civilizations, but time has changed, and the splendor of the past is no longer present.
After bumping along on a dirt road for a dozen kilometers, they finally saw lights in the distance.
Yusuf pointed excitedly toward the lights and said, "There, over there! Park the car on that side!"
Song Heping frowned and looked towards the direction of the lights, which were on a series of rolling hills.
The hills here aren't very high, unlike those on the Persian Plateau generally above four thousand meters. Inside Illiguo's borders, there isn't much in the way of challenging terrain to defend, which meant that Da Maozi's troops stood virtually no chance against the mechanized troops of the US Army.
As they got closer, Song Heping saw that it was a large area enclosed by barbed wire, so vast that the edges were not visible.
At the entrance, two Illigo soldiers raised their guns warily, aiming at the Lincoln.
Yusuf rolled down the window, stretched his head out from the car, letting the soldiers at the gate see his face clearly, and shouted, "Open the gate! Open the gate!"
Seeing it was Yusuf, the two soldiers lowered their guns, turned, and opened the iron gate behind them, stepping aside.
Song Heping drove in and noticed the place was full of overgrown weeds, with rather flat terrain; it seemed to be in this condition due to long abandonment.
He was unsure what the place used to be.
Was it a military camp?
It seemed so but there were no barracks in sight.
Military camps usually have barracks.
Yet, there were no barracks to be seen here.
Continuing along the dirt road and soon reaching the bottom of the hill, Song Heping was taken aback by the scene in front of him.
Neatly arranged at the bottom of the hill were structures resembling caves but much larger, with camouflaged netting covering the entrances.
Song Heping roughly guessed and turned to ask Yusuf, "Is this a hangar?"
Yusuf nodded, "That's right, there are twenty-five such hangars built against the mountains. Some contain airplanes, others anti-aircraft missiles."
"So, this used to be an airfield?" Song Heping asked doubtfully since he saw no signs of an airfield in the surroundings.
Yusuf explained, "Before the war started, this indeed was a makeshift airfield, not a formal one, though. It's the type used in field operations, and since there were concerns about bombing by the alliance forces, Da Maozi hid the planes, and such hidden hangars were scattered throughout the country, some even buried directly in the desert sands."
He said this while opening the car door and stepping out.
Song Heping too got out of the car and walked to his side.
Yusuf pointed to the tall weeds stretching as far as one could see and said, "From here, it used to be a makeshift runway, but unfortunately when the war started, the Air Force personnel had no will to fight. Many pilots simply deserted and went home. Da Mao was unable to protect even himself, let alone control the troops. Except for his loyal Revolutionary Guard, most soldiers and commanders in the other military units were basically negotiating with the Americans."
Song Heping had already known some of these events.
Before the operation "Illigo Freedom" began, according to the intelligence from the US Army side, Da Mao had at least seventy to a hundred aircraft of various models. The US Army launched continuous airstrikes from aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf against Da Mao's troops to destroy ground air defense, radar, and the Air Force, expecting resistance, but none came.
Clearly, the morale of that army had collapsed.
"So these things are now under the care of the Temporary Management Committee's asset management?" Song Heping asked.
Yusuf nodded and then shook his head, "Sort of, yet not really. We are responsible for inventory and safeguarding, and in theory, these are assets of our new government and naturally belong to us. But as you know, the situation is not that simple. Right now, the Americans are the ultimate authority, and heavy equipment like this must be approved by the Alliance Conference before we deal with it, and the Alliance Conference is controlled by the stationed US Army. Therefore I can't sell these things to you the way I sell guns."
Song Heping gestured towards the hangars and asked, "Can I take a tour?"
"Of course, you can," Yusuf replied.
He looked back and called out loudly toward the distance. Soon a soldier came over with a set of keys.
Yusuf casually pointed to one of the hangars in front and said, "Open this one."
"Yes, sir."
The soldier was obedient and went to open the door.
Song Heping could see it too—all these soldiers were his own men, bought off by Yusuf.
You could say Yusuf was fat, you could say he was timid, but you could never question his ability to get the job done.
Though the guy was just a minor official in the supply department, his influence in the local circles was not to be underestimated.
The camouflage net in front of the hangar was pulled aside, and the locks on the iron fence inside were unlocked.
Song Heping and Yusuf followed them in.
The hangar was dark, but by the light of the moon, Song Heping could make out a huge object quietly situated in the darkness.
The lights were turned on.
It was then that Song Heping realized he stood beneath the nose of an SU-25 attack aircraft.
Looking up, he felt a sense of awe.
The SU-25 is a classic model among Soviet warplanes, with an empty weight of 9315 kilograms and a payload of 3000 kilograms. It boasts excellent subsonic performance and low-altitude maneuverability. Short and stout, its all-welded cockpit is surrounded with 24-millimeter armor plates, indicating a strong survivability which can withstand ordinary ground firearm attacks. It can take off from rudimentary airfields, and its low-altitude maneuverability is exceptional.
It had many similarities with the US Army's A10 attack aircraft, both having formidable anti-tank capabilities. Its wings could carry "Tornado" anti-tank missiles with a range of 10 kilometers, capable of penetrating armor up to 1000 millimeters thick.
Song Heping looked over the SU-25 carefully; half of the plane's cover had been removed, with the front exposed and the body covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating that it had been sitting there for a long time without being moved.
"Such a waste of a good thing..."
Having expressed his sentiment, he turned to Yusuf and asked, "What about the ammunition?"
"Plenty," said Yusuf. "Before the coalition forces invaded, Sadam was planning to engage in an all-out war with the Americans, so he prepared plenty of ammunition. It's just that he didn't expect the front lines to collapse without a single shot being fired."
"Which ammunitions can you get your hands on?" Song Heping was very concerned about the ammunition because a plane without ammunition was like a gun without bullets—simply an irrelevant piece of wood.
Selling planes could make a profit, and selling the associated ammunition could be highly lucrative.
"I can get them," Yusuf gestured towards the mouth of the cave, "the four warehouses over there are all filled with compatible ammunition."
Song Heping walked under the SU-25 and gently touched the tires and landing gear, examining every detail of the aircraft.
Even though he came from the Special Forces, he was unacquainted with this type of attack aircraft.
These Soviet attack aircraft have a rugged industrial feel, just like the national style of Da Maozi—aggressive, brutal, and incredibly sturdy and durable.
The SU-25 had a lot of combat records; even with its wings battered, it could still make it back, truly an iron lump in the sky.
If sold to the right place, this kind of plane could make a fortune!
"Your liking it is of no use; I brought you here just to show you that I have the goods. Whether or not you can take them away, that's up to you," Yusuf said, the greed gleaming in his small eyes.
"Aren't you on good terms with the higher-ups on the American side? If you could get their approval..."
"No need," Song Heping shook his head. "Just sell it to me, I'll handle the sales. As for the US Army Command, don't worry. I assure you no one will come looking."
He knew very well that Peter would not issue any document or paperwork related to his arms deals.
If you're going to be a middleman in the shadows, you need to be aware of the risks.
Peter only promised that the authorities wouldn't let them face any inspections or difficulties within Illigo—implying clearly that he shouldn't ask for procedures; just handle it on his own.
But if he stirred up trouble outside, he shouldn't say it had anything to do with Peter—it was all his own business.
"This..." Yusuf was somewhat shocked.
These warplanes, without the authorization of the US Army Command, could lead to severe consequences if they were investigated later.
"Don't worry, would I deceive you?" Song Heping suddenly recalled something and asked, "Did you say you have surface-to-air missiles here?"
"Yes," Yusuf said. "Anywhere near an airport, there'll be this stuff, anti-aircraft guns or surface-to-air missiles."
"Show me," Song Heping was now very interested in the anti-air systems, aware that Sadam's army had the SA-9 surface-to-air missile systems.
"Which model?"
"SA-9," Yusuf answered.
Song Heping patted his shoulder firmly, "I'll pre-order three sets and ensure you make big money. There are already customers who've placed orders."
"That fast?!" Yusuf was first delighted, but then the smile vanished from his face: "But these are weapons under the control of the US Army Command. I have no authority to sell them, and even if I sold them to you secretly, there wouldn't be any official procedure to take them out of Illigo..."
Song Heping didn't want to explain too much. He simply pointed, "First show me the goods. Once we have the goods, we'll discuss the procedures. If it really doesn't work, you can pretend to know nothing about it—it'll be as though I stole them, all right?"