Chapter 256: You will suffer a heavy blow

While Kevin Di controlled the parachute to land in the middle of the desert, Zhou Ming's plane on the other side had already landed safely at the Salm International Airport in the Iraqi capital.

The airport is named after the Iraqi president, which is another indication of the country's system.

Zhou Ming got off the plane and saw many large and small aircraft of various models parked on the tarmac at Salm Airport. However, these aircraft were all cargo planes, and many workers were unloading goods.

Just one glance around was enough to understand that these planes were all speculators making war profits. Since Iraq is now subject to sanctions by the United Nations, the whole world has imposed an embargo on all supplies to Iraq. Food, medicine and many other necessities have all risen in price by more than 50 times compared to the pre-war period. This is why many Arab businessmen are taking risks and smuggling supplies into Iraq at night to sell for a profit.

There was no time to feel sorry for the Iraqis. Zhou Ming had more important things to do. He walked out of the airport exit and was met by someone waiting for him: Lin Hong, the Chinese ambassador to Iraq, and the military attaché and security personnel behind him.

Since there was no one else around, they quickly recognised each other. Lin Hong came up quickly and gave Zhou Ming a warm hug, then looked Zhou Ming up and down several and exclaimed, 'This is really incredible. I never thought that you, Comrade Zhou Ming, would actually be able to safely arrive at the Salm International Airport. I can hardly imagine how you managed to break through the American air interception network.'

After hearing Lin Hong's explanation, Zhou Ming only then learned that just an hour and a half ago, the United States had declared a no-fly zone over Iraq and the border area within 200 kilometres, and that any aircraft entering this area would be subject to US air strikes. Due to this sudden no-fly zone, no aircraft have landed at the airport, which is usually busy at night, for more than two hours.

This news made them frown: 'No-fly zone? But we didn't receive any warning.'

'I said it, maybe someone has released a welcoming firework for us.'

Zhou Ming's words ended the conversation. Of course, Lin Hong and Zhou Ming both still had doubts, but they would not and did not need to mention it again.

Lin Hong then took Zhou Ming and the others to the car. Compared to Saudi Arabia, Iraq was much more miserable, and Lin Hong had only prepared an ordinary minibus for Zhou Ming and the others.

After getting into the car prepared by the embassy, Zhou Ming let out a sigh of relief. He had flown from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, then to Bahrain, and finally from Bahrain to Iraq by private jet. was undoubtedly a winding journey, but it was this winding journey that mobilised the entire US military intelligence force in the Gulf.

Just to catch me alone, they turned the whole of Iraq into a no-fly zone, not even sparing the speculators.

Zhou Ming felt a little helpless. The car then drove to the city centre of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq and one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. As early as the 18th century BC, the world-famous Code of Hammurabi mentioned this city. In ancient Persian, Baghdad means 'gift from God'. And over the following millennia, despite changing hands several times, it never changed its name.

'Zhou Comrade Zhou Ming, it's already 2am. I'll take you back to the embassy to get some rest, and I'll ask for a meeting with President Thaam first thing in the morning,' Lin Hong said to Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming had no objection to this arrangement. In fact, he thought he really needed a rest. After all, he was not an energy-limitless Superman. He had already been flying continuously for for more than 24 hours, having travelled to countless countries. Facing the final step of his plan, he had to be in the best condition possible to face it.

So Zhou Minghe's desert team all went to sleep at the embassy, and the next morning, Lin Hong came to tell Zhou Ming that al-Salm had agreed to an audience. Zhou Ming immediately went with him to the presidential palace.

Al-Salm 's presidential palace was located on high ground on the banks of the Tigris River. It was a very grand building with landscaped gardens and, of course, the characteristic small domes of the Middle East. However if you're being strict, the yellow outer wall of the presidential palace and the five-storey building inside are nothing compared to the county governments Zhou Ming has seen back home. But in Iraq, this is the centre of the country.

After the entrance check, Zhou Ming followed Lin Hong into the Presidential Palace, where they were led to a spacious reception room.

'Zhou Comrade Chou, when President Salm arrives, I will introduce you to him first, and then you can talk about your business. Because he is not a very good-tempered person, it is best to be tactful when expressing yourself.' Lin Hong whispered some final words of advice to Chou Ming.

And sitting on the sofa in the Presidential Palace, Zhou Ming was still a little excited. After all, he was about to meet Saddam Hussein, an international figurehead.

According to Zhou Ming's memory, Saddam has dominated the country since he staged a coup twelve years ago and became President of Iraq. He is also an extraordinary fanatic about war. He launched a purge when he ascended the throne, and year he started the eight-year Iran–Iraq War. Just two years after the end of the war, he started the Gulf War, and was finally captured and executed by the United States in the Iraq War.

It cannot be said that, given Iraq's geographical location and its oil reserves, it would have become an oil-rich country like Saudi Arabia if Saddam had not started the war. However, On the other hand, thanks to these wars, he has also become a very high-profile international figure. At least domestically, even Auntie Guangchang, who has never paid attention to the international political situation, has heard of the name Salman.

Now she is going to meet this famous person herself, and she is still a little excited, but now Zhou Ming's cultivation of her energy is already very profound, so it doesn't show at all on the outside.

After ten minutes, Salm entered the reception room. Zhou Ming and Lin Hong stood up to shake his hand and greet him. Zhou Ming looked him up and down. At 53 years old, he looked particularly young due to his good care, but his trademark beard was unforgettable.

After exchange of pleasantries, Salm invited Zhou Ming and Lin Hong to sit down. As Salm had studied abroad, his English was also very fluent, at least there was no problem with normal communication, so after a few conversations, everyone communicated in English.

Lin Hong said to Salm, 'Mr. President, first of all, I'm sorry to have disturbed you today, but this land is about to be devastated by war, and we are very concerned about the situation here. That's why this Mr. Zhou Ming is here.'

Hearing Lin Lin Hong, Salm Rao looked meaningfully at Zhou Ming and said, 'Have you brought me any weapons that can win? I heard that you have sold many missiles to Saudi Arabia, and that Iraq established diplomatic relations with China before it did with Saudi Arabia. So can you sell us these missiles too? Then I can easily sink the American aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf!'

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Salm, but I'm not an arms dealer, and I'm afraid that what I've brought with me today is not good news. I hope you're prepared.'

Sal Salm made a gesture of invitation to Zhou Ming, who said to him, 'The war in the Gulf is imminent. I flew in from Bahrain last night, and on the plane, I saw that you have deployed most of your troops along the border to prevent an attack by multinational forces. I think this deployment is very dangerous. It would be best to withdraw your troops to the interior of the country and let the US Army come in and fight.'

Sal smiled and asked Zhou Ming, 'I'm curious, are you a Chinese general? Or are you the national staff officer, or the military attaché at the embassy?'

'I'm sorry to say that I am none of these things. I am just a very ordinary businessman. I am also in Iraq this time for a bigger business, so I really hope that your country can win this war,' said Zhou Ming.

'Since if you want me to win this war, then why don't you pray for me instead of hoping that I will withdraw my defences? That would be like inviting the enemy in. And it's just so illogical that the Americans' armoured units can advance so easily to Baghdad,' said Sal said.

Zhou Ming then advised him, 'President Salm, according to my understanding of the US military, they will go crazy fighting for air supremacy at the beginning of the war. After gaining air supremacy, they will uninterrupted bombing of all ground targets. If you deploy all your troops along the border, you will become an easy target for the enemy and will be eliminated one by one. I don't think it will take more than a month before your troops are heavily damaged and the defensive line is gone.'

Salm fell said, 'You know what? Mr. Zhou Ming from China, if you were my general, I would have you court-martialled and you would face the harshest punishment imaginable.

'So President President Thaelmann, is that why you have chosen to place your defence line on the border?

'In military I have been fighting many battles since I returned to my country to instigate a revolution. Therefore, I know very well that the Americans are on the offensive. Since we are on the defensive, we must of course establish our own defensive line to keep the enemy at the border.' Salm continued said, 'Young Mr. China, since you are not a general, I think we should talk about other things, such as the business you want to do.'

'But the business I want to do must be done on the premise that your army, Mr. President Salm, can hold off the American attack,' explained Zhou Ming.

When Salm his face darkened at once: 'You mean to say that my army is bound to fail, don't you?'

Seeing this , Lin Hong immediately interrupted, saying, 'Mr. President, that's not what he meant. He actually meant that your defensive line could be improved. He was inspired by you to think of it. Otherwise, how could he, who knows nothing about military affairs, say such things?'

Lin Hong said, obviously trying to help Zhou Ming to save face, but Zhou Ming did not appreciate this. He nodded and said to Salm, 'Your army will of course fail, and it will fail miserably. I can believe that your warriors are very brave, but under the constant bombardment of multinational forces, I think that no matter how strong their convictions are, they will waver and eventually collapse like a landslide.'

Salm slammed slapped the table, and said to Lin Hong, 'I'm doing this to save face for you and China. I want you to take this man away immediately. I don't want to see him again, or I'm not sure what other decisions I might make!'

Lin Hong hurriedly nodded and said yes, then pulled Zhou Ming up, but Zhou Ming left a message for Salm as he was being dragged out: 'I'll be in the embassy. If you have any ideas, I welcome you, Mr President Salm, to come and find me, but don't wait until you're seriously injured.'