King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

Joe Ga arrived in 'Butembo,' the capital of North-Kivu Province, on a Mi-8 Hip helicopter.

This place was the only territory ostensibly under the control of the Congo Government and also a hub for mining companies from around the world.

The situation was bizarre!

The mining companies from Europe and America needed a chaotic North-Kivu Province so that they could plunder the mining resources at low prices.

Yet, they also required a legitimate status and legal export procedures, which is why it was vital for Butembo, this administrative center, to remain stable.

Investments from around the world made the infrastructure of the city of Butembo seem reasonable, but once you left the city limits of Butembo by more than 30 kilometers, the influence of the government was practically nonexistent.

Joe Ga crossed the entire city in the helicopter, looking down from above. The small central part of Butembo seemed especially developed, with densely packed residential areas made of red brick in the city center, while the periphery was dominated by warehouses and rudimentary ore processing plants of the mining companies.

Congo really was a uniquely gifted place, with so many factories clustered together. The dust pollution they generated was largely neutralized by the local humid climate and wildly growing vegetation.

The Mi-8 landed at a rudimentary military camp. When Joe Ga disembarked, he found that the Deputy Minister of National Defense, Ngira, was there to greet him.

Moving forward to embrace this representative of the Congo Government, Joe Ga smiled and said, "Buddy, you look too anxious. Don't tell me you're short of money. The tantalum mine is right there; it's not going anywhere..."

Ngira was very familiar with Joe Ga. Although the tantalum mine had not been exploited, this buddy was the vertical leader of that 500-man unit.

The expenses of these men were borne by the Congo Government, and this guy had managed transactions from top to bottom, taking nearly 1.3 million in kickbacks from Joe Ga in half a year.

In Africa, that was already a significant figure!

Joe Ga did not have a moral fetish; he wasn't uncomfortable just because his partners were greedy. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

If these guys were all selfless, the business in North-Kivu Province wouldn't have fallen to P·B.

Ngira made gestures with his eyebrows, signaling to be careful with words, and then took Joe, the boss, to two impressively dressed black men, saying, "This is our Prime Minister, Mr. Minam, and next to him is the Mayor of 'Butembo,' Samuel.

Grey Wolf, we are ready. When do you plan to launch the attack?"

Joe Ga looked disdainfully at the anxious Ngira and then extended his hand to shake hands with Minam and Samuel, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Before we start the war, we should align our thoughts first.

Tomorrow, my men will tear Nwankwo to pieces in the south. The day after tomorrow, I need you to arrange for a representative to accompany me to Komi's den of the 'big shot' to have a chat.

However, I want to reiterate a few points. First, P·B's core goal is still to integrate and develop those six tantalum mines.

Second, if you want me to become deeply involved in the affairs of North-Kivu Province, you need to provide me with sufficient authority and support.

I know you're out of money, so it's very important to support my decisions unconditionally.

If you can't do that, then Nwankwo's head in the south will be my meeting gift, and I assure you that I won't interfere with anything else.

You should know the style of 'Powerful Strike,' so you must make a decision in advance to let me determine how much I will invest here?"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Minam smiled and said nothing, leaving the initiative to Samuel, the mayor of Butembo.

The Prime Minister was on the same line as Joe, and was also a shareholder in the tantalum mine. He and his boss, including the President of Congo and their group, had long reached a private agreement with Joe.

The tantalum mine was fundamental. For every additional benefit P·B secured, the finances of the Congo Government would become more robust, which was a desirable outcome for them.

Joe's remarks were intended for Samuel, the nearby mayor. To put it nicely, he was the mayor, but in reality, he was also a warlord, having dominated Butembo for many years with the support of the major mining companies.

Since those mining companies needed a legal dependence, this guy aligned with the Congo Government and, in exchange, became the mayor of Butembo, also controlling an army of over 2000 people.

To prevent North-Kivu Province from completely slipping out of control, the Congo Government had to agree to Samuel's demands.

This guy didn't own any mines, but over the past few years, he had amassed a huge fortune backed by the mining companies and even had some influence over the various warlords in North-Kivu Province.

For Joe, visiting Butembo's first stop was also about paying respects, as if this mayor didn't cooperate, it would be very difficult for P·B's operation to proceed.

Considering himself highly, Samuel, facing the forceful Joe, spoke with a gloomy expression, "We don't need someone telling us what to do.

The six tantalum mines of the Belgian People are right there currently being illicitly mined by a few minor warlords. You just need to chase them away and then invest the capital to mine."

As Samuel spoke, he glanced at the smile disappearing from Prime Minister Minam's face, hesitated, and then said, "You signed a military indemnity contract with our president, so go and do what you need to do.

I have already seized 'Walker Mining's personnel and assets. You just need to take care of Nwankwo in the south and Komi in the north. That's enough.

North-Kivu Province belongs to the Congolese, and we don't need outsiders meddling here."

Upon hearing this, Joe Ga shook his head in exasperation, lamenting how many foolish people there were in this world...

He swiftly drew out 'Super Jaguar' and fired a shot at Samuel's head.

With a "bang," a small hole appeared in Samuel's forehead, but due to the hollow-point bullet, the back of his head burst open the size of a fist.

The blood and brain matter splattered, startling an assistant-like guy and a few bodyguards behind him.

The black assistant with glasses trembled as he removed his glasses, looking at the pink brain tissue stuck to them. He uttered an "uh" and sat down on the ground, struggling to crawl backwards as Joe Ga gave him a smirk-like look.

A few bodyguards were somewhat courageous. After snapping out of their stupor, they immediately thought about pulling out their cash to avenge their boss.

But were their actions as fast as Dragon Gecko and Elephant?

Already standing behind them, Dragon Gecko drew his blade and chopped off a bodyguard's head, then gripping the knife handle backwards, he plunged the foot-long hunting knife into the back of another guard's head…

When the last bodyguard tried to draw his gun, Elephant smashed the butt of his gun onto the guy's throat, causing him to fall to the ground clutching his neck.

Then, perhaps unable to bear the sight of a living person suffocating to death, he shot him in the head.

As this unfold, gunshots also rang out from the perimeter of the makeshift helipad's driveway.

Fully armed Team B and Team D, led by 'Vanguard' Sanderson and 'Grey Wolf', quickly eliminated a few of Samuel's men, then disarmed the bewildered soldiers left...

Seeing Sanderson and his team controlling the situation from afar, Joe Ga shrugged nonchalantly at Minam and Ngira, walked over to the bespectacled assistant, pulled out a packet of tissues, handed it to him, then squatted in front of him and said smiling, "Your name is Ngonga, 35 years old, Samuel's most trusted assistant, a graduate of Oxford University.

Your parents currently live in the central district of Butembo, and you have a brother and two sisters.

Oh, your girlfriend was a medical student, but she was raped and murdered by Samuel.

I don't know how you have tolerated it for so many years? Maybe you're naturally a merciless Poison Snake...

But I don't mind these things, because if you could hang out with Samuel, you could certainly hang out with me, right?"

Ngonga, terrified and transfixed by the knowledgeable Joe Ga, stammered, "What, what do you want to do?"

Joe Ga spread his hands and said, "I need you to invite Samuel's loyalists here to collect him…

While we wait, I will give you some time to convince me to support your candidacy for the mayor of Butembo.

Here's a hint, the mayor must first listen to me and then serve the people of Congo!"

As he spoke, Joe Ga took off Ngonga's grimy glasses, personally cleaned them, put them back on him, and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, just do as I say, and I promise I won't harm you."

Ngonga, looking at the smiling Boss Joe, clutched the ground with both hands, his voice trembling, "So, so I should, listen, listen to your orders…"

Joe Ga nodded with a smile and said, "Correct answer, your ass is halfway to the mayor's throne, keep it up, I think you have a great chance…"

After glancing at the oblivious Prime Minister Minam and Deputy Minister of Defense Ngira nearby, Ngonga finally snapped back to reality, swallowed his saliva, and said with difficulty, "I will cooperate with you to take over Samuel's army…"

Joe Ga shook his head disapprovingly and said, "I'm not interested in his army, I just need them to keep quiet."

Ngonga's eyes lit up, and he said, "I will cooperate with you to integrate the mining resources of North Kivu…"

Joe Ga nodded, smiling, and said, "You're broadly on the right track, continue…"

Ngonga closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, "The mining industry in North Kivu is actually controlled by those warlords, but their unauthorized mining is not only inefficient, it also doesn't contribute any taxes…

If you could defeat Nwankwo to the south, you could warn all the warlords of North Kivu region to..."

Joe Ga listened and slightly shook his head, saying, "No, I don't want to warn anyone, I want everyone to sit down and talk, to find a way that lets everyone make money.

Remember, everyone, the Congo Government, the warlords, the mining companies, the local residents, and of course, me!"

Upon hearing this, an incredulous Ngonga said, "This, this is impossible!"

Joe Ga, still smiling, replied, "Looking at you, no doubt you graduated from Oxford...

Buddy, remember that you're Congolese, you should be advocating for the interests of the people of Congo.

Those mining companies took the mineral rights from the government at a low price but are reluctant to invest, simply driving warlords to exploit local labor cheaply.

That's not right; the minerals they got cheaply should see a higher investment in improving mining equipment, enhancing miners' welfare, benefiting the residents around the mines.

Don't rush to shake your head; you went to Oxford, so you should know the value of these minerals. If I give everyone a chance to sit down and negotiate, isn't that worth it?

Of course, some might think it's too costly, but I don't care, I'm not a bad guy, they can opt-out if it doesn't seem worthwhile, and I can find someone else to take over their mines."

Stunned for a moment, Ngonga then incredulously said, "So I should try to force those mining companies to increase their investment?"

Joe Ga listened, laughed, shook his head, and then extended his hand towards Ngonga, saying, "You're almost there for an Oxford student, but I don't have a better choice right now...

So, you can now call me 'boss'!"