On the way back to Persia from the Elbil border.
Under the moonlight, the jeep bumped along the desolate lands of Northwest Illinois, its tires grinding over the wreckage of the bombed highway, making a sharp screeching sound.
Samir's knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, slightly whitening from the effort.
The suffocating silence inside the vehicle was nearly unbearable, and he finally couldn't suppress the turmoil within him, finally asking Song Heping in the passenger seat:
"Boss, why?"
His voice carried immense regret and strong confusion, "The conditions they offered... are what we have dreamed of! Funding, heavy equipment, precise intelligence support... aren't these the resources we urgently need right now? If we could establish cooperation with the Kurd people, even just a preliminary understanding, the resistance to our operations in Northern Illigo would be greatly reduced, possibly opening up an entirely new strategic landscape!"
