Chapter 14: Midnight Interrogation

  The US military began to sweep the battlefield, and the Hummer and armored vehicles stopped. The headlights illuminated a patch of snow on the small road, which was stained with blood. The terrorists were all killed, crushed into meat patties, not even leaving behind a single intact corpse. Unexpectedly, Lieutenant Colonel Gottwin found one who was still alive. The guy had fallen into a ditch and was covered in mud from the explosion, with only his bare feet exposed. Gottwin shone his flashlight on him and saw that his toes moved slightly, so he dug him out. The terrorist had been buried under the mud and had passed out without being injured. As the night wind blew, he came to. Gottwin brought him before Lieutenant Colonel Rhein.

  The captive's face was ferocious and fat-headed. Laimu hesitated: "Hashib?"

  The captive was none other than Hashib, the leader of the anti-American militant group Holy Warriors, who had escaped from the fire at Hauz Kot. It was a windfall gain that came without any effort. Lieutenant Colonel Rheame ordered his soldiers to put Hashib on an armored vehicle and take him away.

  Laim led Zhao Hengyang, Liu Huizi, Hu Jinghai and two Jordanians in a Hummer. Laim told Zhao Hengyang: "After dawn, headquarters will send engineers to repair the road, it's estimated that it will take one or two days to fix, you can't return to Beijing until at least the day after tomorrow."

  Zhao Hengyang was worried about his father's illness and saw a car phone on the bus: "Is it a satellite phone? Can you get through to Beijing? May I use it?"

  Laim looked at the time, it was past 1 am. Baghdad is 6 hours behind Beijing, so in Beijing it's already 7 am. He asked: "Do you want to talk to your brother or your wife?"

  This guy is well-known even in our household. Zhao Hengyang muttered to himself: "I'll call my brother."

  Laim ordered the signalman to connect Beijing and rattled off a phone number: "08610-68625814"

  Zhao Hengyang was stunned again: "General Lime, how did you know my brother's home phone number?"

  Laim smiled and handed the phone to Zhao Hengyang.

  Zhao Hengyang answered the phone and heard his brother Zhao Yueyang's voice: "Hengyang, can you fly to Beijing today?"

  "No way. The highway is cut off and I'm on my way back to Baghdad. How's Dad doing?"

  "He is still in the hospital, his vital signs are stable and all the physical indicators are good. However," Zhao Yueyang's tone was heavy, "there is some very bad news, Dad may never be able to speak again. The doctor said that there is a possibility he will become a vegetable."

  "Vegetable?"

  Laim thought, becoming a vegetable would be just fine. Zhao Changsha not entering the Eight Treasures Mountain was already a great fortune, if he didn't become a vegetable, then I, Laim, who had traveled from Beijing to Iraq, would have become a vegetable instead.

  "Brother, then... I'll be back home in a few days?" Zhao Hengyang said.

  "It doesn't matter whether you come back or not. Dad's hospital conditions are pretty good, and the care is thorough. His department is also very concerned, if there's any difficulty, they'll find a way to solve it. Besides, at home, we have mom, your sister-in-law, and your wife, we know you're busy, the Iraq war has ended, the refinery needs to resume production, there are many things to do, just focus on your work."

  This phone call dispelled Zhao Hengyang's idea of returning to China.

  Laimu said: "You really don't have to go back home. Due to the war and terrorist sabotage, many oil fields and petroleum production enterprises in Iraq have stopped working, crude oil production has plummeted, with an average daily output of only half of what it was before the war, and daily exports are less than one-fifth of what they were before the war. Oil supplies are extremely tight throughout Iraq. Your refinery is seizing this opportunity to resume production as soon as possible, which means printing US dollars as soon as possible. War has destroyed the world, but war also creates wealth. Even Liu Huizi and Hu Jinghai know that coming to Iraq to make a fortune in wartime is a good idea. If you run back home at this time, it can be said that you are deserting in the face of battle."

  "So you're saying General Lyme wants to help me get rich?"

  "Sinopec's overseas company is a major oil company in Iraq, and it can take advantage of the opportunity to rebuild Iraq to compete for oil development and production shares. If we can get one contract, it will open up a big gap for Chinese oil companies to enter Iraq, which is not insignificant. In addition, I'll let you know that Iraq's oil field equipment is largely outdated and urgently needs to be updated with new spare parts. If you can do something in this area, it may become a new growth point for China's oil interests in Iraq."

  "Dude, hearing you say this, I don't know if you're CIA from America or a spy from our China?"

  The car entered Baghdad, and Laim dropped Zhao Hengyang off at the Overseas Company building. "Where are you two planning to go?" Laim asked Liu Huizi and Hu Jinghai, seeing their hesitant and uncertain expressions. Zhao Hengyang said: "Don't wander around in unfamiliar places, temporarily settle down at my company for now. If you're willing, you can work at my company, I'm currently short-handed."

  Liu Hu-zi and Hu Jing-hai hastily jumped down from the Hummer.

  Two Jordanians also wanted to get off, but Rhyme did not allow it, and had them detained at the intelligence base on suspicion of "carrying weapons privately and attempting to attack US troops", instructing Major Mack to temporarily hold them.

  Back to the apartment at nearly three o'clock in the morning, from seven o'clock in the morning until now, Lime didn't feel a bit tired, which surprised him. It seems that this foreign devil's body is much better than he thought. According to his working habits before crossing over, he continued. The most urgent task was to interrogate Hashib, who was one of the leaders of the anti-American armed forces and should have some valuable intelligence. He rushed to the Intelligence Development Center. It was very quiet at night, with only a few soldiers on duty. Lime had someone bring in a few night snacks, which he ate with Mike, and then the two walked into the interrogation room. This was a specialized interrogation room for terrorists, with four walls sealed off, monitoring facilities next door, audio and video recording equipment, and various torture instruments at their disposal.

  The presiding judge was still Rheem, Major Mac didn't understand Arabic and just sat beside him watching the excitement.

  Hashib was generally tied to a torture chair, and Lime said in Arabic: "Hashib, you have died twice. Once by fire, once by gunfire, you are really lucky, Yanwang let you come back. Do you want to die? If you want to die now, I will fulfill it, inject poison needles, shoot to death, or like the Japanese who like to cut their belly? All of these are your choice. If you think these three ways of dying are not enough, you can also try burning to death with fire, or being crushed to death by an armored vehicle."

  Colonel Mac's face revealed a sly smile.

  Like many American soldiers, he entered the Iraqi battlefield and became crazy and irrational like taking hormones. In the first few days of the war, seeing rows of Iraqi soldiers falling under the US military's gunfire, and US tanks rolling over trenches and asphalt roads, he felt fresh, excited, and stimulated. However, he didn't dare to go out on the streets, as cold guns and cannons suddenly attacked, and who knows when it would be his turn to die on the streets of Baghdad. He witnessed people around him being shot dead by flying bullets many times. The endless fear and huge pressure made them live in tension and fear every day, beating and abusing prisoners seemed to be the best way to vent and relax.

  Major Mac unaccountably snatched up a rawhide whip and yelled as he charged at Hashabub...

  Laim saw it and cursed: "Damn, I haven't even asked about the situation yet, you want to beat him to death!" Starting point. Welcome, book friends, the latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all on the starting point of original creation! Limited time free? Exclusive interview with a great god? New book by a famous author? Every week there is also a lottery activity, Apple Watch, Q coins, starting points coins waiting for you to take! Don't hesitate, open WeChat, scan the QR code on the left, easily follow, and don't miss out on the wonderful content~