Mercenary's War

As a token of appreciation for Gao Yang’s help, Polovich intended to send a gesture of goodwill, which was only appropriate.

Nodding in thanks, Gao Yang softly said, "When will that shipment arrive?"

What followed was not to be known by anyone. That shipment referred solely to the arms purchased by Iran, sent from Grand Ivan to Gao Yang, like a transaction from the left hand to the right. The reason it went through Iran was merely to have Iran foot the bill.

If this matter reached the ears of the Iranians, Gao Yang figured he shouldn’t think about operating in Yemen anymore, and Grand Ivan shouldn’t expect to do any business with Iran either. Nobody likes to be the scapegoat, so this issue was best known to a few.

Polovich was also very cautious, whispering, "Actually, this shipment and that shipment arrived together."

Gao Yang was both surprised and delighted, whispering, "Already here?"

Polovich smiled, "Of course, what you urgently need, I put aside other business to ensure there’s no delay in your affairs. But there’s a problem: if this shipment and that shipment arrive together, it’s too coincidental. So, the goods we ordered from the Iranians have been left at sea."

The missiles supported by Russia, purchased by the Iranians, and the artillery were all delivered by the same ship by the same people. Even a fool could see the connection, so the missiles must be delivered separately.

Polovich continued, "This shipment was unloaded at a small port called Muha, while the other shipment is still drifting in the Gulf of Aden. Although it has arrived, we still have to wait a bit for everything to make sense. It’s not reasonable for the Iranians to place an order one day and receive the goods the next."

Gao Yang whispered, "I understand, is there any issue with the ship?"

"No problem, they’re on entirely separate ships."

"Oh, then the shipping costs must have increased significantly."

"Shipping cost is nothing, we must ensure that this shipment doesn’t lead to your identity being exposed. Right now, the goods are waiting not far from Port of Hodeidah. Once the timing is right, they will disembark at Port of Hodeidah for the Iranians to take over and deliver to you."

Gao Yang calculated the time and said in a deep voice, "The Iranians promised to get the stuff to me within a week to ten days. It’s been five days now, so it should be about time."

Polovich smiled, "The Iranians are more anxious than you, urging multiple times a day. By tomorrow, it should be safe to dock. Initially, I thought the timing was too close and still a bit risky, as it could link the two batches of missiles. But if you’re in a hurry, we can speed things up."

Gao Yang exhaled and whispered, "That batch of self-propelled artillery is urgent. By the way, how’s the quality of the artillery?"

Polovich confidently replied, "Brand new 2S19, a complete range with a large quantity. Don’t hold back, for problems that can be solved with ten shots, use a hundred. The more you use this stuff, the more the Iranians will buy. These large-caliber artillery and shells aren’t easy to sell. It’d be great if you could help process some of the stock."

Gao Yang laughed, "And the missiles are the same, right?"

"Exactly, the more you use, the better. The more you fire, the more commission you earn."

"Oh, do I get a kickback too?"

"Of course, you facilitated this deal and are crucial to our continued supply in the future. How could there be no perks? Everything follows the rules."

"Alright, actually I’m still in a hurry. If the Iranians urge again, come up with a reasonable excuse to speed up the delivery. I’m eager to get to Aden, lingering here is a waste of time. By the way, can we deliver to Aden? If I urgently need something, even if it means bypassing the Houthis Armed Forces, I must get it quickly. During a fight, it’s not acceptable for logistics to be controlled by others."

"Relax, Aden is no problem. We guarantee to deliver anything to you on time. How about we deepen our cooperation once more? I’ll store some of your frequently used items in Berbera, ship them from Berbera to Yemen, and then transfer to you. If you’re in urgent need, I can send directly from Berbera to Aden for you. That’s much faster."

"No problem, we still have our own warehouse in Berbera. This must be conducted secretly, but it can’t be hidden from everyone, so the Skull Gang needs to be given some benefits too."

"Rest assured, a bit of firearms and ammunition can settle with the Skull Gang, especially since there’s ongoing trade with them."

The two people seemed like colleagues whispering to each other, appearing to discuss some national matter. Who could know they were talking about despicable arms deals?

Gao Yang certainly didn’t mind helping Grand Ivan sell more arms. The more Grand Ivan sold, the more timely and substantial supplies he’d receive, and there was a commission for each missile fired. This battle not only doesn’t cost money but also brings earnings, such a great cooperation model no fool would refuse.

Now, the Iranians’ understanding of the arms they purchased is definitely not more than Gao Yang knows.

"How about that shipment? I get the artillery, but what about the missiles? No performance issues? How’s the maintenance?"

Polovich whispered, "That’s what I want to discuss with you. We have several types of short-range surface-to-surface missiles, some in excellent condition, some not so great due to age. This time, all good-quality ones were sent, you can be assured. Cluster and unitary warheads, the cluster ones are much more expensive, try using them more often. Also, when delivering, can we mix in some obsolete or not so good stock? You can fire off the inferior ones at will, saving the good stuff for when truly needed. Of course, I’ll mark the good ones for you. After all, it’s the Iranians paying, and once a missile is fired, who can verify it?"

Gao Yang laughingly cursed, "Merchant! As long as they can be fired, I’ll shoot those inferior ones and help you clear some inventory. As long as it doesn’t affect my normal use, it’s fine."

"Then, let me mention in passing, you get higher commissions for these missiles."

Polovich and Gao Yang both let out a sinister and crafty laugh. Since it’s the Iranians paying, it’d be foolish not to earn the money. If earned, it’s pure profit.

After chatting for a while and explaining everything necessary, Polovich immediately changed his tone. Knowing there was someone secretly watching him and Gao Yang, Polovich still saluted Gao Yang. But his hand barely reached his forehead before dropping it, and he loudly said, "I’m leaving now, Mr. Petram."

"Alright, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Nodding slightly at Salim, Polovich turned and loudly ordered his men, "Let’s leave here, move out immediately."

After Polovich left, Gao Yang smiled at Salim who had approached him and said, "Now let’s go check out the missiles, my brother. These missiles are different from those you have; these are the real good stuff."