King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

Unfortunately, their interests did not align, so Joe Ga did not want to continue the topic.

Perhaps sensing Joe Ga's firm stance, Haftar fell silent for a long time before saying, "Hu Lang, we are at war with the National Unity Government, and I need someone to coordinate my rear.

I've familiarized myself with your style, and I think this is the best solution I can think of."

Joe Ga shook his head resolutely and said, "Sir, you should understand that some things are non-negotiable. If you are genuinely concerned about the security of your rear..."

As he spoke, Joe Ga hesitated for a moment before adding, "You should have seen the situation outside, I am recruiting people.

If you are willing to offer me a contract, I can take care of a part of Benghazi's defense for you, preferably the airport and ports.

Some things can't just be considered in the short term; if I get involved in the internal strife of the National Army, not only will I have trouble, but you will also have endless troubles.

You currently have the advantage, but the French want you to maintain the status quo, the Russians want you to protect their interests, and after England has dealt with the base organization, they will turn their guns on you and look for trouble.

As long as I control Tubruq, you will have bargaining chips in your hands, and so long as Tubruq remains stable, the foundation for you to integrate the National Army will continue to exist.

Buddy, I'm acting as a balance in Libra; if you force me to be a counterweight, once the scale of power shifts, the National Army will take on a completely different form."

Haftar seemed to understand Joe Ga's point and quickly became lost in thought.

But a bespectacled man by his side did not understand and frowned, saying, "Sir, don't you realize that a partnership between P·B and the National Army could yield the greatest benefits...

England has made an offer. As long as we can quickly coordinate our internal issues, they will fully support us in defeating the National Unity Government.

And if P·B joins us, we can swiftly integrate all forces."

Joe Ga looked at this guy with an amused expression and said, "If I were the kind of person you think, I could be making a fortune right now, an amount of money you couldn't imagine in your lifetime.

You believe what England says, that's your stupidity...

One-third of the National Army's financial intake is in my hands. If things were really as you say, what more could I gain than what I have now?"

Saying that, Joe Ga stopped paying attention to the intruder and furrowed his brow at Haftar, advising, "If I were you, I would fire this guy. If you are influenced by his shortsightedness for too long, you will end up losing a lot."

Haftar listened, consoled the bespectacled man who wanted to protest, then looked at Joe Ga and said, "Hu Lang, I need a discount of five US dollars per barrel; I need 100 excellent soldiers to garrison Benghazi's airport to support my security for at least half a year.

Also, the previous terms remain unchanged; you're responsible for building the law enforcement institutions in Tubruq and Byrdi, but within three years, I need you to train 5,000 people for me and provide each one with a set of equipment.

You're right; I can solve problems through political means. No one has the right to prevent me from bringing order to Libya.

I really shouldn't let P·B change positions. A stable Tubruq is indeed the best for the National Army!"

With that said, Haftar patted the shoulders of the two bespectacled men, signaling them to leave first, and after they had left, he continued, "That guy who just spoke studied in England, and the other one studied in Russia.

You should be aware of my situation; sometimes I am indeed influenced by external forces.

Hu Lang, the English are manageable, but your gains in Tubruq have aroused the envy of a Russian oligarch.

You may not realize it yet, but you've already affected Europe's energy supply on a regional level, which is of great value to Russia."

Hearing this news, Joe Ga was taken aback; this might just be an unprovoked disaster...

The English want Libya to be stable, so everyone works together to eliminate the base organization, easing their domestic counter-terrorism pressure while simultaneously transporting enough crude oil to Europe.

The French want Libya to maintain a balance amidst chaos so they can hedge their bets and retain control, while also hoping that French businesses can enter Libya and 'encourage' a stable energy supply from there.

The Russians seem to want Libya to remain fragmented, which is why when the United Nations declared support for the legitimacy of a national unity government and those chieftains jubilantly tried to reunify Libya to share the profits, Haftar was pushed to the forefront, and with Russia's backing, he established the National Army.

Russia probably wants the Libyan civil war to continue for an extended period, which would benefit their businesses while they search for an ally in North Africa bordering the Mediterranean.

What Russia probably didn't expect was that when the two Libyan governments went to war, Al-Qaeda brazenly jumped in to declare war on both and caused multiple humanitarian disasters that drew international media's attention.

At that time, England and France started to collectively shift their approach in response to terrorism. They grew impatient with the weak national unity government that had some ties with Al-Qaeda, so they began urging and assisting both governments to wage war against Al-Qaeda concurrently.

And as the fighting continued, Russia discovered that the National Army's territory was expanding, and Haftar became increasingly difficult to control.

What is Russia's greatest political interest at this stage?

It's to use Europe's dependency on Russian energy to exert influence, thereby alleviating Russia's international predicament while increasing foreign currency earnings.

Their assistance to Haftar isn't for the reconstruction of Libya, but to deeply influence the direction of Libya's energy policy.

While allowing domestic businesses to benefit, they also support Russia's own energy strategy, utilizing their resource advantage to deepen Europe's dependence.

In the end, after so much effort, the prize was taken by P·B...

The Russians now seem somewhat boastful yet hollow inside. Joe Ga thinks they are not optimistic about establishing a dominant position in Libya given England and France's encirclement.

But now Tubruq has fallen into P·B's hands and, in fact, has taken control of a portion of Libya's oil exports.

If Joe Ga were in the Russian high echelons, he'd probably be tempted as well.

For Russia, England and France are hard to deal with due to core interest conflicts, but P·B is different.

Joe Ga never expected to find himself in a situation where 'trouble comes from above without being sought.'

Joe Ga isn't afraid, for with the involvement of Russia, he could always get the support of the US, England, and France to stand with him.

He's not worried about matters on the surface because P·B's actions are legitimate. His only concern is the oligarch that Haftar mentioned...

Russian oligarchs, to some extent, are hardly different from the godfathers of the underworld; they made fortunes by pilfering state assets, and expecting them to discern right from wrong and curb their greed is almost impossible.

If that so-called oligarch makes up his mind, Joe Ga will have to confront him, and this issue won't be resolved unless Joe Ga makes sure he gets the worst of it.

The situation is utterly unreasonable, but that's how the real world works.

Joe Ga is just 'the Chef'; he can't get everyone to the table, nor can he stop those outside from being greedy...

The information Haftar provided was a huge favor, giving Joe Ga plenty of time and space to respond.

Grateful, Joe Ga shook hands with the National Army's big boss and said with a smile, "Then we'll proceed as you just suggested, I'll arrange for Jori Amon to prepare a legal document..."

As he spoke, Joe Ga looked through the gap in the tent and shook his head, "I originally wanted just 300 men, but now it looks like I need to recruit a few more...

I'll do some screening among those mercenaries. I've got some French wheeled tanks that will all be sent to Benghazi.

Buddy, you've got to hold on. If we miss such a good situation now, the chances of Libya getting back on its feet again are slim."