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The ICDC soldiers didn't need to be searched for.
They came back.
As soon as the shelling stopped, they were back at the scene, driving Humvees, wielding old AK47s, and putting on a show more dedicated than anyone else.
The chef lost his temper again, scolding them for being both cowardly and unprofessional.
Yet, the ICDC commander justified himself righteously, saying that when the air raid alarm went off, of course they had to find cover. Otherwise, what could they do? Use their bodies to resist bombs?
His retort even left the chef speechless.
In truth, one couldn't expect much from the ICDC. They were officially known as the Illiguo Civil Defense Force, a makeshift army cobbled together through recruitment.
This army consisted of a small number of defected former government soldiers, reservists, and military personnel from tribal armed forces.
The situation in Illiguo was such that after Sadam's fall, armed forces, anti-government armed forces, tribal forces, and even gangsters and other criminals, all emerged to take the stage of history.
As the locals say, when one Sadam falls, a thousand rise in his place.
Each local force is a new political power, each one eager to secure a spot in the newly-formed provisional management committee. Only with such a position could they get their share of the reconstruction funds, but to win a seat, they must have their own guns.
So, everyone is racing to establish their own Armed Organization.
To balance and gain the allegiance of these various armed groups, Country M would distribute some of the "cake" to satisfy their appetites.
The simplest way to distribute the cake was to offer them administrative positions in the provisional management committee and the newly formed Civil Defense Force.
Nowadays, Illiguo's local forces are filled with different factions, and to strengthen their armed forces and secure more US Dollars from the US Army's special funds, leaders of various factions are all eager to plant their people in forces like the ICDC.
After all, the United States provides the guns, and the military expenses, so why not take them? If you don't take them, you're a fool.
Isn't it delightful to take from the rich and feed on the rich?
Aren't those colorful bills beautiful?
What democracy? What oil?
Damn democracy and oil!
They are nothing but a sham.
Dollar!
Only the Dollar matters!
Thus, it's not surprising that a force like the ICDC had no real combat capability and would scatter like birds and beasts at the first sign of trouble.
What truly made Song Heping envious of the ICDC was their Humvees, looking at his own Opel and Rover, then at the second-hand, genuine US-manufactured Humvees they had.
Song Heping felt that even the pseudo-army here was better off than a bottom-tier mercenary like himself.
The convoy now had four vehicles, two Humvees from the ICDC, an Opel, and a Rover off-road vehicle.
Song Heping had thought the chef would assign the Humvees the tasks of leading and tailing the convoy, with the two civilian vehicles in the middle.
But to his utter surprise, the chef directed both of the ICDC's Humvees to take point.
"You two Humvees go ahead! We'll follow behind," the chef said.
"Okay," responded the Captain of the ICDC, who didn't sense anything amiss, and got going without further ado.
Watching the two Humvees depart, Song Heping felt puzzled by the chef's arrangement.
According to common convoy protection principles, the vehicles with the best protective features should be at the front and the rear.
After all, the "Musician" Mercenary Group's two civilian vehicles had no bulletproof capabilities, and putting them at the back ran the risk of high casualties in the event of an ambush.
Watching the two Humvees distance themselves, with the Opel Car yet to receive the go-ahead, Song Heping couldn't resist asking Grey Wolf, "What's with this setup? Allowing all the Humvees to go upfront?"
Grey Wolf sneered, "Heh, he just sent the ICDC to be the cannon fodder."
Song Heping was taken aback, and it finally dawned on him, almost bursting into Zhang Xueyou's song "You're Really Hurtful" right there and then.
While civilian vehicles are indeed not bulletproof, they are also less conspicuous than a Humvee.
In a place like Baghdad, driving a US Army vehicle is akin to putting on a vest labeled—I am with the US Army!
That would absolutely make it the first choice as a target for a Resistance Organization or loyalists of Sadam's Suicide Squad looking to attack.
Civilian cars, however, are different.
There are plenty of civilian cars on the streets of Baghdad. As long as you wind up the windows, without opening them or stopping en route, the risk is much lower.
Putting the two civilian vehicles in the middle of the convoy is effectively placing oneself in greater danger.
The chef's arrangement was to have the ICDC clear the path, taking on the role of cannon fodder.
Song Heping had been baffled as to why someone like the chef, who had never even been a soldier, could make a few proud paratroopers submit to him.
Now, he vaguely understood the reason: to be a leader, what matters most isn't superb fighting skills but, more importantly, a brain that is sharp and useful.
The chef was definitely crafty.
The ICDC Captain had previously insulted them as "Muscovites," probably because he bore a grudge.
Now he saw a chance for revenge, and he took it without waiting even for a night to pass.