He paused, thinking.
"But on the flip side, if this is a genuine invitation from the White House, my refusal or delay could also lead to problems. That arms agreement was signed with the White House, and if I don't cooperate with the follow-up procedures, they have every reason to freeze or even cancel the agreement."
A dilemma.
Going might be walking into a trap.
Not going might mean losing the biggest support.
Song Heping closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, calm and decisive once more.
"Prepare two plans," he said to Jiang Feng: "First, handle the arms as per the original plan. Accelerate the transaction with the Ministry of Defense and complete the handover within a week. Second, prepare my trip to Washington. But during my absence, maintain the highest alert status here. You'll personally oversee in Mosul, keep close contact with Yusuf, and have Samir's troops and Abu You's armed forces enter a combat-ready state."
