Chapter 192: I Could Sell Everything

[Chapter 192: I Could Sell Everything]

In the cafe's private room on the second floor, Ian arrived to find someone already sitting there sipping coffee. A sturdy man approached Ian and said, "Put your arms up."

Ian raised his arms, and the man searched him, pulling out a gun, a camera, and a bunch of wireless cameras. Ian smiled. "It's just a habit."

"No worries, we understand," the middle-aged man across the table waved for Ian to sit down. "I'm Amr Hussein, but here you can call me Yarborough."

Ian casually sat down opposite him. Yarborough was a lean, tan-skinned middle-aged man who didn't really look Middle Eastern, but rather seemed to be of Eurasian descent, probably so he could blend in better in America.

Ian smiled and said, "Before we talk, could you please remove the listening device under the table?"

Amr Hussein looked at him in surprise. "How did you find that?" He didn't even bend down!

Ian spread his hands. "I'm an expert in eavesdropping."

Amr Hussein chuckled apologetically, "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, I understand," Ian replied as Amr Hussein handed him the listening device. "Looks like you were prepared for this."

Ian nodded. "After this six-month investigation, you should know me well enough. I'm not someone who waits for fate and luck. I prefer to take the initiative."

"Like that time with Atta?"

"I believe that built trust between us." Ian smiled.

Amr Hussein sighed, "That's typical of Americans. You'd sell out your own citizens and country for money!"

"But that's exactly the type of person you need right now," Ian smiled. "I thought you would have come to me three months ago; you're later than I expected."

"The situation developed unpredictably," Amr Hussein responded somberly.

...

Indeed, it had been unexpected. No one anticipated how fast and utterly the Taliban, known as the graveyard of empires, would fall. The peak for Americans was characterized by the Gulf Wars and the Afghanistan War, which showcased their military prowess, stunning countries everywhere.

Yet even so, the Taliban still harbored a sense of hope, believing they could resist due to Afghanistan's complex terrain. They were both right and wrong. They could resist only by living like rats, performing petty acts out of desperation. 

And now, they were at their weakest. They were suffering heavy blows from American soldiers. Within two weeks of the war, Afghanistan had already lost several key cities, and the military was largely destroyed, continuing the loss of territory.

After more than six months of conflict, American troops began empowering the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, establishing a puppet government, and Afghanistan changed hands entirely. What followed was a long, drawn-out conflict that lasted a full twenty years--a war between elephants and mice.

The only way the Taliban could hope to defeat a formidable opponent was to outlast them! Outlast them, using their resources and lives to bleed out the enemy's finances, and then ultimately stage a triumphant comeback when the enemy could no longer sustain the fight.

...

When they came to Ian, he completely understood what they were after. He said, "It was Philip Leyso who contacted you, not me. You have no evidence against me and no way to make noise. So don't expect to negotiate through extortion."

Amr Hussein looked surprised. "Are you saying there is still room for negotiation?"

Ian raised his coffee cup. "That was my instruction to Philip Leyso. Otherwise, do you think something like this would even touch my name?"

"Why is that?" Amr Hussein asked, baffled.

Ian grinned. "You know the answer."

Amr Hussein took a deep breath. "You are the most thorough traitor to your country I have ever met."

"That's your good luck," Ian replied. He looked seriously at Amr Hussein. "Don't expect me to end the war; I don't have that kind of power. But if you need help in other areas, I might consider it."

"Such as money?" Amr Hussein asked.

Ian gently shook his head. "You can't expect someone who sold out his country for money to provide you with cash unless you can offer something greater in return."

Amr Hussein fell silent. He hadn't encountered a capitalist so pure before. But this also gave him a bit of reassurance.

Amr Hussein nodded. "What can you do then?"

"Let you survive," Ian answered. "You can't win against America, but America can't annihilate you either. You will hide in the mountains, engaging in a war of attrition, reliving what happened to the Soviet Union. But it won't be easy; you will need external support to provide weapons, medicine, and even food."

Amr Hussein's eyes brightened.

Rather than this being a suggestion from Ian, it was more like it gave them confidence. After all, the Afghans knew from the start that they weren't a match for Americans, but they were prepared for a long conflict. The only thing they didn't expect was how quickly they would be forced to retreat.

He looked at Ian, "You said you wouldn't give us money."

Ian laughed. "So you'll have to work. I've set up a fund for terminal illness caregivers, but there are too few people like Philip Leyso. I need true brave warriors!"

Amr Hussein was shocked. "You want to recreate the September incident?"

"Of course not, but we need you to inform me whenever you have significant operations... If necessary, you can also provide me with some people -- suicide warriors!"

Ian knew that those people would certainly have many significant operations ahead; he could even guess their general direction, but he couldn't possibly know the exact timings for all events.

Especially because, due to him, 9/11 turned into 9/17 -- who knew how much further changes might occur?

Thus, he didn't need to arrange anything; he just needed to be notified, then either go himself or send someone on his behalf. At that moment, Ian pointed at Amr Hussein: "I won't instruct you to do anything that harms America; I just want to receive the information I need as quickly as possible and make an accurate record. And while I'm at it... keep my people safe; they're a rarity, and compensation is costly!"

Why do I feel like that last reason is the most important to you?

My people don't need to be compensated, right?

Yes, after all, they can go to paradise with seventy-two virgins waiting for them. But if they go too often, would there be enough virgins in paradise? One for every seventy-two -- the scales could be tipped!

Both men had thoughts to themselves as they exchanged glances. Amr Hussein asked, "What do we get in return?"

Ian replied, "Afghanistan has money in America, doesn't it? You could invest in a company, and that company would make profits. You'd get what you wanted from that company, and what I need to do is ensure your company can profit, including ease of export and import... This requires me to establish a secret channel for you, which won't be easy and will cost a lot!"

...

Afghanistan also had deposits in America; later, when Americans ran out of money, they froze $7 billion of Afghanistan's funds. While this part was government funds, the Taliban used to be the government, and they had various accounts under different names.

As for now, they had even more than just $7 billion. There was a past incident: A college student who was a military enthusiast boasted on foreign forums, eventually attracting the attention of terrorists in Syria who demanded he buy weapons with a $1.5 billion deposit. The college student was terrified -- too much money, the government would definitely investigate him, so he settled for $150,000... It was rumored that the college student later transitioned from a scammer to an impressive salesperson for a certain group.

This shows that these people had plenty of money!

Amr Hussein also understood.

So you don't do anything and still want our money?

Exactly!

Since they needed Ian to help them accomplish tasks, he would surely be utilizing their funds.

That was a considerable amount of money; Ian could buy whatever he wanted.

Of course, he would also provide the Taliban with what they urgently needed: guns, ammunition, and medicine -- all of which brought good prices! He aimed to use their money while making profits from their business.

That's how it would go!

As for what would happen if they got caught?

Haha! As long as you have enough power, nothing is a problem -- having evidence isn't an issue, let alone lacking evidence.

Anyone thought no one in the past associated with the Taliban for profit? When there's money to be made, capitalist footprints are everywhere!

Ian wouldn't be the first nor the last to do this; he'd simply be the one to go the hardest, the wildest, and make the biggest impact!

Anyway, with the powers he had, no one would be able to take pictures of him.

With no physical evidence and illusions modifying witness testimony, it meant there would be no proof!

The only thing to worry about was that sometimes capitalists needed no evidence to target people -- just the right power, and they could create evidence to imprison you if needed or deny evidence and leave you unharmed.

Thus, they weren't entirely isolated; more often than not, they complemented each other.

Fortunately, Ian was a capitalist and would grow bigger.

...

At that moment, Ian looked at Amr Hussein's shocked face and smiled. "Do you know how Americans exited the Korean and Vietnam Wars?"

Amr Hussein looked confused.

Ian responded, "In both wars, American casualties were relatively low, but clearly, Americans valued their lives highly. It's normal; invasions and defending one's homeland are never the same concept. This led to even a one-to-ten casualty ratio being unacceptable to Americans."

He looked at Amr Hussein. "George W. Bush was hoping to gain re-election through this war, while I wanted a more obedient president. If he doesn't listen, my business will report extensively on the damage you caused to American soldiers, spotlighting the pain of war on families. In two years, there will be an anti-war wave in America, and he will be ousted... of course, if he obeys, I can let him off easy."

Amr Hussein was stunned. "Then the American military will withdraw?"

Ian gently shook his head. "You need to prepare for a twenty-year-long fight, and during this time, what I can do is help you survive until the war is won!"

As he leaned back, he said, "I obtain the news, you receive weapons, medicine, and food."

Amr Hussein was puzzled. "You can decide who the president is but cannot make him withdraw?"

Ian shook his head again. "War is not something a president can solely decide; it involves a group of people. Their power is significant! I can outpace an enterprise, but I cannot override the will of a coalition! But don't worry; I'll initiate a new war before the elections, further exhausting them and lowering your pressure. Then, it will be about attrition, the seesaw, and another comeback -- eventually leading to Afghan victory!"

...

Next year, America would launch the Iraq War.

This marked a significant turning point in American history.

This juncture represented many things, primarily the loss of American international prestige. The Afghanistan War was waged under the pretense of anti-terrorism, leveraging the events of September 17, leading many to feel sympathy towards America, so the commencement of the Afghanistan War had a degree of justification and support.

However, the Iraq situation was different. Using a bottle of laundry detergent as the rationale for war rapidly diminished America's claim of justice.

Moreover, opening two wars simultaneously did allow military-industrial complexes to profit immensely, but it also dramatically increased America's debt.

Consequently, the outbreak of the Iraq War would critically influence the development of America in the future.

For Ian, this was an opportunity to gain personal benefits.

After all, Afghanistan was too poor; only Iraq had enough profit margins available, allowing businesses to craft shiny data reports from intricately woven stories!

Finally, he would use the same tactics he applied to Jennifer Connelly, leveraging established facts to fulfill a promise -- this war's inception would ensure these people would trust him completely and provide him with substantial funding.

He stood up, saying, "Next time you come to me, don't use this method again. I'll also give you a new phone number. One last piece of advice... don't expect to control me. I don't have a hundred ways to deal with this; I have only one, but it's absolutely effective! Always effective!"

Then he pushed open the door and walked away.

*****

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