Song Heping had originally planned to stay in Venezuela for a week to check on the progress of an engineering project and solve some construction difficulties before flying back to Illiguo to preside over the company's daily affairs.
But he hadn't anticipated that once he got there, he couldn't leave...
Two million US dollars to train fifty junior commanders.
For a period of two months.
Originally, Song Heping had a thousand reasons to refuse.
But when it came to that price...
He had nothing to say.
So, Song Heping called Ferrari, told him the news, and expressed his interest in taking the job.
On the other end, Ferrari burst into laughter upon hearing the news.
"Song, I always feel you are a hard-luck boss. Others enjoy their roles comfortably, yet you act like you're selling yourself in servitude."
Song Heping could only offer a wry, helpless smile, "Isn't it all for our company? Look at our accounts, money has been flowing out like water these past two months. If I don't find some extra income to make ends meet, we'll have problems even paying salaries."
Ferrari spoke seriously, "I'm not joking now, our company's liquid assets are indeed about to run out. The school is using too much money, and then there are those two SU-24s and two MI-171s. Quite a bit of money was spent there alone. If the school can't start making a profit within six months, there really is a risk of going under."
Song Heping sighed, "You think I don't know that? Now I understand, airplanes are truly not easy to maintain..."
They discussed the financial affairs of the company, and then Ferrari suddenly brought up something, "Oh right, there's something I need to tell you about."
Song Heping asked, "What is it?"
Ferrari said, "Intelligence suggests that Simon seems to be investigating us again."
"Simon?"
Song Heping remembered the guy.
It had been a long time since he'd dealt with him.
Ever since he got a hold of Simon's weakness with the SA-9 missile incident and threatened him, the guy had gotten a lot more obedient.
Lately, with the substantial activities in Illiguo, buying planes and armaments, Simon had seemed not to interfere or get involved.
Why was he suddenly investigating him in secret again?
"This guy still hasn't given up?"
Ferrari said, "I'm puzzled too. Since that SA-9 incident and after you met with him, he hasn't played any tricks on our company. But yesterday, an informant from the Temporary Management Committee told me that CIA people have pulled the records of your and other company members' entries and exits from the past six months. Be careful."
Song Heping felt a jolt in his heart.
After all, he had killed a team of Green Berets in Colombia, kidnapped Joyce in the jungles of Myanmar, and eliminated a Seal, then went to Siem Reap to take out Seal Team Commander Harold.
He knew there would be consequences for such significant actions; Langley would surely investigate.
For the incident in Siem Reap, he had been paying attention for a long time.
The Siamese police, as anticipated, declared it an accidental incident.
But Langley probably wouldn't be so easily deceived.
They would surely detect some clues in Harold's body.
But because the incident was too sensitive, there wasn't a loud investigation.
After all, deploying a Seal Team on Siamese territory and secretly getting involved in the conflict between the Civilian Military in Myanmar, as well as plotting drug trafficking against China, is a litany of acts that can't withstand the light of day.
But no inquiry on the surface doesn't mean there wasn't one behind closed doors.
That incident had certainly been added to Langley's list for investigation and would have been notified to their stations worldwide.
The Temporary Management Committee oversees departments like civil aviation, and if personnel from Illigo Station were pulling records, they surely obtained them from civil aviation.
The timing of his departure from Illiguo coincided with when the Green Berets and the Seal encountered their incidents.
Although he left for Siem Reap from China, the passport he used was a fake one provided by Avanti, and even if Simon were to investigate, he wouldn't find anything.
Still, just to be safe, he needed to let Duke of Thunder know to use his means to erase any records of his departure from China.
"I understand, I'll handle this."
After hanging up the phone, Song Heping immediately called Duke of Thunder.
Now, he had established a covert contact with Duke of Thunder.
Duke of Thunder had given Song Heping a number to contact him at any time.
Song Heping knew this meant that Duke of Thunder truly considered him one of his own.
Duke of Thunder, upon receiving the call from Song Heping, promptly agreed without hesitation.
"Rest easy, leave it to me. I will make a call right away and have those from Bureau X help you eliminate all traces of your departure. If anyone checks your entry and exit records, it will only show that you've stayed in the country until your departure, without visiting any other countries in between."
"Good, that's a relief. Thanks, Captain Lei."
Song Heping breathed a sigh of relief.
If Simon couldn't find any records of him leaving for Siem Reap, it meant that he would only find the information about him returning to the country to visit family, and the trail would end there.
As for Colombia, he wasn't worried at all.