128: Chapter 128 War Game! Fangs Hidden in the Exercise!

He Jun did not delay. The next morning, he took the earliest flight, transferred via Cairo, and returned to Bir Tawil.

When he stepped onto this familiar yellow sand, the texture of the gravel beneath his feet felt different.

In the past, he was merely an executor, a commander of the Police Force.

But now, on his shoulders, he carried a secret operation capable of overturning the political situation of a nation.

He went directly to the Police Force headquarters building and, from his office, contacted the commander of the opposing Egyptian Military camp—Colonel Abdel Fattah—via an internal encrypted line.

"Colonel Fattah, I have returned."

"Welcome back, Minister He." Fattah's tone was light. "Your Leader is a man of great courage."

Obviously, Hassan had already informed him through secret channels about the news that Lin Zhou had agreed to cooperate.

"The Leader has authorized me to cooperate fully with your operation," He Jun said, getting straight to the point. "What do you need me to do?"

"It's simple. We need an exercise, a sufficiently realistic exercise," Fattah said. "I will apply to Cairo to conduct a large-scale urban offense and defense drill under the pretext of 'responding to the potential threat posed by your elite Police Force.' The designated enemy for the exercise will be you."

He Jun instantly discerned the other party's intention.

"The exercise ground will be set up on the outskirts of our settlement. I will request funds to build a simulated battlefield, which, of course, will secretly be modeled after the blocks in the core urban area of Cairo. At that time, your troops will play the role of the garrison for the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Defense," Fattah's voice was filled with irrepressible excitement. "And my troops will be responsible for the attack."

"You want your soldiers to familiarize themselves with the streets of Cairo in advance?" He Jun asked.

"Not just familiar," Fattah corrected. "It's to have them practice hundreds of times in an environment as close to real combat as possible! I want to ensure that when that day truly arrives, every single one of my soldiers can find the server room of the Ministry of Defense building even with their eyes closed!"

A slight chill ran down the back of He Jun's neck. This Fattah's depth of calculation and decisiveness in action exceeded his expectations.

"I understand," He Jun said. "We will cooperate fully. How strong of a combat capability do you need us to display?"

"The stronger, the better!" Fattah said without hesitation. "You must hurt my soldiers and let them know what real combat is like. Only then will those bureaucrats in Cairo believe in the necessity of this exercise and approve more funding, more personnel, and better equipment for me."

"Very well," He Jun agreed.

He had no reason to refuse. His Police Force, composed of retired special forces soldiers from various countries, also needed a high-intensity confrontation to hone their skills.

"That's settled then. I will try my best to coordinate with you and announce our joint exercise at an appropriate time."

"Happy cooperation!"

Hanging up the phone, He Jun walked to the window and looked at the Egyptian Military camp opposite, which was identical to his own.

From this day on, these two opposing buildings would form the most bizarre alliance in secret.

A massive deception targeting the high-ranking officials in Cairo had quietly begun in this desert.

Over the next few days, Fattah's efficiency confirmed his capability.

A detailed exercise application report, accompanied by the video of He Jun's unit "accidentally hitting" a target vehicle last time, as well as a "threat assessment" regarding the armed forces of the Cyber Republic, was soon placed on the desk of the Minister of Defense in Cairo.

General Mubarak gripped the report, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"What is this Fattah up to? Conducting such a large-scale exercise on someone else's territory?" He complained to his adjutant, Saleh.

"General, the report says it is to deter Lin Zhou and make him behave," Saleh replied.

"Deter?" Mubarak snorted, his mouth curling downward. "I think he's just trying to take advantage of the opportunity to line his own pockets! The requested funding and personnel establishment are almost catching up to a standard regiment!"

Although full of doubts, Mubarak finally picked up his pen and signed his name.

On one hand, Fattah's reasoning was impeccable; the Egyptian side had indeed suffered a setback in the last exercise, and it was appropriate to get revenge.

On the other hand, Fattah was Hassan's man, and Hassan was his political ally of many years; he couldn't refuse to give him this much face.

He merely added a note at the end of the approval document: "Must ensure the entire exercise is controllable to avoid triggering unnecessary diplomatic disputes."

"Additionally: recall the members of the original garrison; the number must equal the number of incoming personnel. The garrison must not exceed the agreed-upon quantity. The specific list is to be determined by Fattah."

Mubarak did not know that this order he personally signed would become the first domino in the chain that would overthrow him.

With this mandate, Fattah immediately took action.

Large quantities of construction materials and engineering equipment began to be continuously transported to Bir Tawil. At the same time, a secret personnel transfer began within the Egyptian Military.

Many officers and soldiers believed to be loyal to the opposition leader Hassan were transferred to Fattah's unit in batches under the guise of "strengthening border defense."

Meanwhile, the original soldiers in the camp were transferred back to the interior under the guise of a "rotation."

The entire process was seamless and fully complied with normal military procedures.

Meanwhile, in his Police Force headquarters, He Jun gathered all officers above the rank of squad leader for a closed-door meeting.

"Gentlemen, we will soon conduct a large-scale joint exercise with the Egyptian troops opposite us," He Jun said, standing before the tactical map with a solemn expression. "In this exercise, our role will be the defensive side."

"Boss, it's just an exercise. Is it necessary to be this serious?" Mark, a former Delta Force member, leaned back in his chair and spoke lazily, his words tinged with a hint of disdain.

"This time is different." He Jun's gaze swept across the face of everyone present one by one. "The Leader's order is to treat this exercise as a real war! We must not only win, but win beautifully!"

He pointed to the simulated city block being planned on the map.

"This is our battlefield. I want you to study every inch of this block thoroughly in the coming time. I want you to set the deadliest traps and build the most solid defensive lines here."

"Our opponents are the regular army of Egypt," He Jun's tone sank. "And we only have light weapons and two assault vehicles. This is an asymmetric battle."

"However," he paused for a moment, his voice suddenly rising, "we are the world's top soldiers! Each of us can take on ten! I want to let the Egyptians know what price they will pay for intruding into our territory!"

As his voice fell, the originally relaxed atmosphere in the conference room instantly tightened. Some subconsciously sat up straight, others stroked the weapon models at hand, and the long-suppressed ferocity in their eyes reignited.

They were originally a pack of war hyenas born to hunt; the days of comfort were merely a torment. Now, with a "war game" infinitely close to reality placed before them, everyone's breathing became heavy.