Chapter 85: Metamorphosis (12)

Chapter 85: Metamorphosis (12)

Chairman.

What is it?

Do all the arms dealers in the international black market maintain elite troops like you, with individual combat abilities surpassing average soldiers?

While the scale and level may differ, that would be the case nine times out of ten. The clientele in this market are dangerous sorts, whether nations or individuals, and the nature of the goods means sellers often incur the grudges of their customers.

I see, indeed so

Some dealers even provide manpower directly to the client. Like the Desert Hawk Brigade ( ) that was treated as the Syrian Armys elite formed as an independent unit with the arms dealer exercising autonomous operational command.

Oh? There was such a thing?

Yes. It was possible only because the merchant himself was an ex-Syrian Army officer and his younger brother was the incumbent Marine Corps commander But a highly skilled unit, can source its own equipment, and handles its own logistics is irresistibly attractive for a country amid civil war.

Amazing, truly amazing. It sounds nothing like the world I know.

Reality always exceeds imagination.

The one I spoke of was Colonel Mohammad Jaber, a kingpin in the Middle Eastern smuggling market. He had supplied weapons and goods to the Syrian government when it faced a Western trade embargo, but later took things further commoditizing his own smuggling group into a brigade-level combat unit for the state.

In return, the colonel received the rights to plunder enemy territory and priority on government procurement contracts, plus stakes in the oil fields of occupied lands. Of these, the oil fields were surely the biggest money-maker. It was no exaggeration to say modern civilization ran on oil fields. The extent of profits Colonel Jaber raked in from long-term oil smuggling was beyond speculation.

Yet he gave up those valuable rights for a moments greed.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

The Desert Hawk Brigade was dissolved for provoking the anger of the ruling Baath Party, formally the Arab Socialist Baath Party, when its subordinate units pillaged pro-government areas. Colonel Jaber, who had acted as brigade commander, was exiled though his brother Ayman Jaber remained a brigadier general in the Marines, and the First Worlds trade blockade on Syria persisted, so the colonels smuggling business survived. Still, it was undeniable he had squandered tremendous privileges over a pointless stunt.

This illustrates why rational management and self-restraint were important. Even when indulging in deviations, your starting point should still be rational thinking. A business built on a solid foundation was like a deeply rooted tree that did not easily sway.

Here we are.

Hu Shanliang unlocked one of the storage compartments, its number matching the key card. With metallic clicks and clacks, the steel bars unlocked. The interior contained the Black Childrens Partys confiscated weapons, each labeled with a tag.

Gao Shusen frowned anew.

When I said to open this place up, the Ministry of Science and Technology chief was quite upset. He insisted they had worked all night and gotten everything, so there was nothing more to find. Said they already did standard non-destructive testing Do you really think you can discover something new?

Surely they didnt conduct exhaustive inspections of all these weapons in a single day? At best, they randomly sampled and tested some pieces.

Then

I cannot guarantee we will necessarily find something, but a researchers eye differs from a merchants. Have faith in mine, Deputy Secretary.

In truth, entering here simply confirmed the hunch Id had since yesterdays combat. Donning latex gloves, I picked out weapons with distinct manufacturing traits and loaded them onto a transport cart. I took my time pretending to closely inspect each weapon rather than brazenly grab them, to avoid rousing suspicion. While doing so, I casually asked.

Do you have the address yet?

This questioned the location of the underground chamber we needed to raid. Gao Shusen gave a start at my meaningless actions and replied.

Oh, wait just a little longer. I can provide the intel today.

It is urgent business, but take care not to rush and ruin things.

Alright.

Gao Shusens expression grew uncomfortable again, but I disregarded it and continued selecting samples until the cart was full.

Al-Qassim carried a religious meaning, Master of Beauty. It was a name that reflects how the Islamic extremists who faced both the Soviet Union and the United States were satisfied with their weapons. In short, Darra Adam Kel was a city that was like the armory of the Taliban in the past.

Besides Al-Qassim, names like Qamran, Samuilra, Sharifkel, and Sharakai were also well-known for their sophisticated firearm replication technology, but the evidence I selected here consistently showed the unique finish of Al-Qassim. The technology developed by one lineage across four generations formed as distinct an identity as the blood flowing in that lineage.

The clear fact is that a considerable number of weapons used by the Black Childrens Party came from a single manufacturer. This implies that there is a party that has somehow entered into a supply contract with that manufacturer.

Ignorant pirates like the Black Sea kids couldnt have made such a contract on their own! From the beginning, communication wouldnt work with them! So, undoubtedly, external forces must have intervened!

He seemed to have a great fondness for external forces. If excessive exaggeration was included in the report written under his name, it would expose his incompetence and cause trouble. Therefore, I provided a more realistic scenario by nodding and explaining.

Thats unknown. For example, arent there many ethnic minorities in western China who believe in Islam?

.The Uyghurs?

Not just Uyghurs. There are over 10 million Muslims scattered throughout Henan, Ningxia, Yunnan, etc. After your Party demolished their mosques and oppressed their faith, seized their women to force intermarriage with Han This chance to avenge those grudges by playing broker may have been too tempting to resist. Done right, it could bring independence within reach.

Focus surveillance on those areas! Those unruly Allah-worshippers () were always unscrupulous people trafficking opium and such. Indeed, indeed! What law says the drug channels cant shift to arms instead!

These were the words of a Chinese Communist Party official who secretly trafficked heroin and fentanyl to the US and supplied arms to Southeast Asian rebels for profit. I corrected the sputtering aristocrats thoughts one more time:

Thats just one hypothesis.

Then you have another?

Yes. We must also consider the possibility of the factory itself coming to China.

.Im listening.

Since the Pakistani authorities expelled Taliban forces from the north and reduced the autonomy of tribal councils, the craftsmen of Darra Adam Kel, who had been producing weapons in the shadows of autonomy, are now all facing the crisis of unemployment. In other words, they are in a desperate situation where finding a breakthrough is essential.

So, are they relocating their base altogether?

Rather than relocating their base, its more appropriate to call it an on-site service. With just the tools equivalent to a truckload, they can set up production lines anywhere in the world. Since these tools are nothing special, theres no risk of getting caught, and, furthermore, theres no need to carry them around unnecessarily. They can just procure whatever they need locally.

In essence, they were not separate factories but walking factories themselves. The Pakistani authorities promised to build an industrial complex for them and provide new jobs, but even that became difficult due to the aftermath of the China-originating coronavirus that swept through the world.

So, the artisans who have only the skills to make guns, bombs, and cannons have no choice but to find a way to survive on their own.

Include the contents above in the report. When these pieces of evidence go up together, those above will reach the same inference, and your evaluation will rise accordingly. You are considered a talent with a good perspective on nations and the ability to analyze information.

Although Al-Qassims replicated weapons fall short in performance and durability compared to genuine ones, their functional reliability was excellent. Especially in small urban areas where the engagement distance was short, they were expected to show utility comparable to genuine products. If the recipients of the report had human intelligence, they wouldnt be able to ignore the contents of the report. Even if the investigation results were proven false, it was still a useful tool for propaganda due to its apparent credibility.

Gao Shusen, who had been pondering deeply, stared at me with a complex expression.

I feel like Ive asked a similar question before, but I still want to ask. Are all arms dealers in the underground market like you?

Doubt, confusion, and admiration. I responded with light confidence, deceiving my counterpart.

You will realize that it was a great stroke of luck for you to have entered into a deal with me.

Author's Thoughts

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

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