In Tuz Town, Naxin saw the 1515 troops retreating like a tide through his binoculars and sighed in relief.
The left shoulder of his military uniform was cut open by a stray bullet, and the bloodstain had already dried.
Throughout the morning, the Holy City Brigade suffered more than two hundred casualties, with one-third of the company-level officers either dead or wounded.
If the fight continued, the defense line might really be broken.
"They've retreated, Commander."
The deputy's voice carried the relief of surviving a disaster.
However, Naxin frowned, "The retreat is too coordinated... This doesn't look like we repelled them."
After pondering for a moment, he ordered, "Get me connected to Song Heping immediately."
A few minutes later, the radio connected to the command post in Bayji.
"Song, the 1515 has retreated, but something feels off," Naxin said directly.
Song Heping's voice came from the earpiece, as calm as ever, "They received news of an attack on Titrick, of course they had to retreat, otherwise their base would be gone."
Naxin was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood, "I see... So you planned this from the start?"
"Plans can never keep up with changes, it's just about making multiple preparations,"
Song Heping said lightly, "Make haste to consolidate your defense line, treat the wounded, and assess the battle damage. In the coming days, there shouldn't be any large-scale attacks, but stay vigilant, no one knows what might happen."
"What about the Titrick side..."
"I'll have Abu You retreat from that side, the goal has been achieved, and once Ahmed's main force returns, there won't even be a chance for both sides to meet."
Song Heping paused for a moment, then said:
"This is exactly the result we wanted."
After hanging up the communication, Naxin stood by the bullet-riddled window of the command post, watching the dust rising from the retreat of the 1515 troops in the distance, his respect for Song Heping deepened even further.
The same conversation was taking place in Feihate Town.
After listening to Song Heping's explanation, Jiang Feng only said one sentence, "Old squad leader, you're always thinking three moves ahead of your opponent."
"Not just three moves," Song Heping chuckled on the other end of the phone, "it's about anticipating how your opponent will react to your three moves."
With the failure of the "Balance Beam" operation and the main forces of 1515 returning to Titrick, the battlefield in Northwest Illigo suddenly entered a subtle period of calm.
The outline of the entire situation gradually became clear:
Song Heping's forces firmly controlled the key areas radiating from Bayji, covering Western Mosul and parts of Kirkuk.
Through the border passage controlled by Samir, the land connection between Siria and Illiguo was tightly held in hand.
The 1515 armed forces were effectively divided into two parts: the eastern main forces centered around Raqqa, Syria, and the Ahmed forces based in the Titrick-Ozham region of Illiguo.
These two parts, though both under the leadership of Buckdadi, were geographically separated, making mutual support of troops and supplies extremely difficult.
Thunder Defense and its American-backed Illigo Government Army and Kurd Armed forces controlled the core areas of the Kurdistan Region, such as Elbil and Sulaimaniyah, as well as the central provinces around Baghdad.
After Colonel Kote's disastrous "Balance Beam" operation, they too quelled their ambitions, losing the will to organize large-scale attacks on the 1515 occupied areas.
A fragile and peculiar strategic balance had formed.
Anyone wishing to break this balance would face combined countermeasures from the other two or more parties.
The key to breaking this situation lay in Song Heping's hands.
Yet, Song Heping seemed in no rush for a final battle with the 1515 armed forces; instead, his mind was set on expanding his power and strengthening defenses within his own territory.
Half a month later, at the Bayji Refinery.
After nonstop repairs day and night, the industrial giant, once nearly destroyed in fierce battles, had partially revived.
The cracking tower once again emitted white steam, and crude oil from Kirkuk flowed continuously into the factory area, with the pipelines once more running with black gold.
Though the production capacity had only recovered to 40% of pre-war levels, it was already a miracle.
Song Heping and Avanti walked side by side along the main street in the center of the factory area, followed by a squad of guards.
"Unbelievable."
Avanti, a key figure in the intelligence department of the Persian Revolutionary Guard, shook his head in amazement, "The last time I was here, this place was still a ruin. Now... it reminds me of a Persian proverb about 'a palace built overnight in the desert.'
Song Heping smiled slightly, "As long as you're willing to spend, you can build a ski resort in the desert. Stable employment and substantial income win over hearts better than any slogan."
Avanti nodded in agreement and then changed the subject, "It's not just Bayji now; the entire Illigo western passage adjoining Siria is open. From Ahvaz to Deir Ezzor, and then to Bayji, there are now hundreds of trucks running along this road every day."
He was talking about the "Shiite Arc" that Shiite forces had long dreamed of—
A land route from Persia through Illigo to Siria, eventually reaching the Mediterranean.
In the past few years, this passage in the Illigo section was initially controlled by the Americans and later blocked by the 1515 armed forces.
Now, with control of Bayji and Western Mosul in Song Heping's hands, the final piece of the puzzle had finally come together.
"Our supplies and personnel can now move unimpeded into Eastern Syria," Avanti's voice lowered somewhat, "President Hafez's troops are under great pressure in the direction of Deir Ezzor. If this channel isn't opened, he would be having a hard time."
Song Heping understood what Avanti meant.
Through this route, Persia could directly supply weapons, ammunition, and volunteers to the Silia Government Army, which previously required detours by sea or air transport.
In the long run, supplies could be trans-shipped through Siria to places like Liben, and even into the Kasah Belt—this was Avanti's ultimate goal.
"Ahmed won't sit idly by."
Song Heping reminded, "Even though he's now caught between us and the Kurd people, he still has nearly twenty thousand troops. If the pressure in the Raqqa direction becomes too tight, he may risk breaking through toward the Siria border to try to re-establish communication with Raqqa."
"That's why we need to keep up the pressure."
A sharp glint flashed in Avanti's eyes, "Naxin's Holy City Brigade will continue to reinforce defenses in Tuz and Feihate. I'll allocate three thousand more people to help. Additionally, Tehran has agreed to your previous proposal to provide two battalions of equipment to Samir's 'Liberation Forces'—including thirty armored vehicles with supporting anti-tank missiles."
This was an important signal.
The Persian side saw the real benefits and effects and moved beyond mere lip service, bringing real resources to begin substantively arming the local forces in Illigo.
"Samir will appreciate this support," Song Heping said, "His troops now control a four hundred-kilometer-long border line, under great pressure. With this equipment, he can better secure the passage and expand his forces."
The two stopped walking under a storage tank that had been repaired.
Avanti took out a box of Persian cigarettes from his pocket and offered Song Heping one, who declined with a shake of his head.
He chuckled as he lit one for himself.
"Song, I have to tell you something."
Avanti exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression turning serious, "The power you now hold... is keeping many people awake at night. Tehran is, Moscow is, and of course... Washington is even more so."
Song Heping waited silently for him to continue.
"Especially the Americans, they won't be content with failure." Avanti continued, "Kote is dead, but they will send stronger characters. Next time, they may not choose direct military confrontation, but rather..."
"Political means? Divide and conquer? Assassination?" Song Heping interjected, his tone calm, "I know. I bet they'll soon invite me to visit Baghdad."
"You really dare to go?" Avanti looked at him surprised, "Now? The situation isn't entirely stable..."
"Precisely because it is unstable, I must go," Song Heping said, "I want to hear what the Americans want to say now. And also see some... old friends."