The phone was picked up after two rings.
A rough voice came from the other side, accompanied by the rhythmic roar of oil field pumps in the background:
"Mr. Song. You're calling me, I guess things in Baghdad aren't going well, right?"
"We need to talk." Song Heping wasted no time on pleasantries and got straight to the point: "About the Kirkuk oil fields... yes, the other half, the ones at the border between your and the Erbil Government's control area. I think it's time to consider taking them over."
He paused, letting Abu You digest the meaning of his words.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, and the machine noise in the background seemed to fade a bit.
Abu You might have moved to a relatively quiet place.
"Those oil fields..."
Abu You's voice became cautious, with each word seemingly weighed out.
