21st Century Goguryeo

January, 4th, 2024, 00:00 (New China time: January, 3rd, 2024, 23:00)

Above the industrial complex, Area 15 in Beichen District, Tianjin, New China

More than 20 CMV-100 sky buses were lowering their altitude in the sky above the factory area, where night work was in full swing, as they crossed the West Sea in TCS mode from Seongnam Base.

At 23:00 local time, the hatches on both sides of the four CMV-100 sky buses flying in front opened, and dozens of Capital Heavy Armor Assault Corps company members, who were wearing black heavy armor, jumped and headed towards the ground without hesitation.

When they reached a certain altitude, all the 80 members activated the propellant on their backs immediately and flew toward their respective target points. In the night sky, where no stars could be seen due to the dense yellow dust, several bodies that illuminated blue light were flying in groups.

When they were 50 meters from the ground, each member used their own armed personal firearms.

The heavy armored assault fighters, which were outfitted with a variety of weapons ranging from a 12-millimeter laser Vulcan beam to 40-millimeter portable activated carbon launchers, each attacked the New China Soldiers that were present in their targeted area.

Several 40-millimeter activated bullets that were fired bent like guided missiles and hit their target.

<Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!>

With the sound of the explosions, colorful fireworks soared from all directions, and numerous light beams hit the ground.

The New China guards who were on duty were caught in the sudden explosion and their bodies flew in all directions. The guards who survived the explosion were hit by the pouring laser beams and their bodies were riddled with holes.

"There is an air attack! There is an air attack! Call the air defense department!" Even amid fire pillars soaring and debris flying everywhere, a high-ranking officer from the New China Army shouted into the radio. However, his voice was drowned out by a massive explosion.

A 40-millimeter activated bomb fired by a member of the Capital Heavy Armored Assault Corps hit the guard post where the officer was located.

A dark red flame soared into the sky with a huge explosion and the officer who was inside the guard post disappeared without a trace.

<Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-ang! Ta-ang!>

The searchlights illuminating the sky occasionally shone on the Capital Heavy Armored Assault Corps members. The New China guards fired at them but it was difficult to shoot them because they were so fast. However, even if they shot them successfully, they would not get hurt by rifle bullets. Eventually, the guards in charge of the searchlight were hit by the pouring laser light.

While members of the Capital Heavy Armored Assault Corps were annihilating the heavily armed New China guards, the rest of the CMV-100 sky buses landed one by one. When both hatches opened, the 707 Special Brigade Forces exited quickly.

The special forces of the 707 Special Brigade, which consisted of 180 people, attacked the New China guards who were stationed around the heavy equipment and then overpowered the engineering forces who were operating them.

As soon as the special forces carried out their mission successfully and accurately, the CMV-100 sky bus that was carrying the 1111th Yazan Engineering Corps landed on the vacant lot.

So far, the Red Barn Swallow rescue operation had gone smoothly without any issues. Meanwhile, the agents from the National Intelligence Service's Foreign Intelligence Team One, who had confirmed the situation from a distance, were given the order to move by Team Leader Park Gi-oong. Their mission was to cause a commotion on the outskirts.

Team Leader Park Gi-oong, along with agents from Teams Two, Three, and Four, dashed forward at the same time, shooting laser beams at the guards stationed on the border in front of the fence.

<Argh! Argh!>

The guards, who were struggling because of the chaotic situation inside the fence, were pierced by the sudden laser beams and crumpled to the floor one by one.

Just then, as the laser beams and the gunshots sounded even outside the fence, two armored vehicles that were patrolling the outskirts hourly rushed over.

"They came so fast. Those bastards…"

Team Leader Park Gi-oong, who saw the armored vehicle coming faster than expected, ordered Team Four, "Team Leader Seong! Take care of them!"

"Copy. We'll take care of them."

Team Four's leader, Seong Sang-yoon, replied confidently and gave his team members instructions with a hand signal. Then, Assistant Manager Na Sung-yul and Chief Lee Jin-kyung removed the 30-millimeter smart grenade from their backs, placed it over their shoulders, and pulled the trigger and aimed at the approaching armored car.

<Tuung! Tuung! Tuung!>

Several 30-millimeter smart grenades fired in a row hit the front and top of the approaching armored vehicle.

<Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!>

The armored vehicle, which took the lead, exploded internally and then blew up with a huge explosion. The armored vehicle behind it lost its balance and came to a halt.

A mixture of red flames and black smoke rose from the armored vehicle.

<Dolkong!>

The rear hatch of the armored vehicle opened, and the soldiers poured out with painful expressions on their faces. They rolled around on the floor and moaned.

<Jjung~ Jjung~ Jjung~ Jjung~>

Several laser beams fired at the crew members who had just stepped out of the armored vehicle and passed through their bodies. The soldiers who were moaning on the floor stopped moving and froze in place.

"We're done dealing with the two patrol armored vehicles and their crew members!"

"Okay! Team Four, leave your current position, and Team Two and Three, enter the fence!"

"All right. Let's go!"

With Team Leader Youn Tae-jin's answer, the second team was the first to enter past the fence. Even though there were sporadic attacks by the guards inside and outside the fence, the foreign intelligence agents were able to successfully enter the area.

Meanwhile, special forces from the 707 Special Brigade Forces quickly knocked down and gathered all of the New China engineers who were working at night with heavy equipment such as excavators and bulldozers. Soon after, engineers from the 1111th Field Engineering Corps took their place and boarded the heavy equipment.

The engineers began full-fledged rescue work using the heavy equipment after receiving the exact location where manager Namgoong-won and manager Lee Ja-sung were buried.

The engineers dug slowly and carefully as they were scared that a second collapse might occur.

"You have only two hours. So, please be as careful as you can and hurry up," said Lieutenant Colonel Kang Min-joon, 5th Battalion commander of the 707 Special Brigade and the site manager of the rescue operation to Captain Ahn Sang-hee, the company commander of the engineering corps.

"Don't worry. We'll rescue them safely in time."

"Okay! We'll make sure that you can do so."

Ferocious battles were taking place on the ground and in the air, while they were talking.

Even though the Capital Heavy Armor Assault Corps only had 80 members, they were able to completely neutralize the New China army from the air with their exceptional flying abilities, while on the ground inside the fence, the 707 Special Brigade Special Forces demonstrated incredible combat power and overpowered New China Army soldiers one by one.

About 30 minutes later, one regiment of the New China army was completely defeated, and the Foreign Intelligence Division agents, who had been engaged in disturbance operations outside the fence, arrived at the location where heavy equipment work was in full swing.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Team One's leader, Park Gi-oong, of the Foreign Intelligence Division."

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Kang Min-joon, 5th Battalion commander of the 707 Special Brigade. I heard a lot about you. You have been working so hard overseas."

"I'm Captain Ahn Sang-hee, Commander of the 1111th Field Engineering Corps."

"Hello. I'm Team Two's leader, Youn Tae-jin."

Foreign Intelligence Division agents greeted and shook hands with the various commanders deployed in the rescue operation.

After the greetings were over, Team Leader Park Gi-oong asked with a worried expression, "How long do you think the rescue will take?"

Captain Ahn Sang-hee, the commander of the engineering corps, replied, "If it goes as planned, it will be done within two hours."

"Oh! Two hours? That's faster than I thought."

"That is only possible because we have precise location information. Furthermore, the New China Army's heavy equipment is common, so operating it is not difficult. We're moving at a slower pace only to avoid a secondary collapse."

"I see. Anyway, thank you. Please rescue them safely."

"Yes, we'll do our best."

* * *

January 4th, 2024, 00:30 (Kurdistan time: January 3rd, 2024, 18:30)

Husen Abad, West Azerbaijan, Republic of Kurdistan

The Republic of Kurdistan, which declared independence on December 31st of the year before, was very peaceful. Husen Abad, a small border town, was also boringly peaceful when not only military threats from neighboring countries but also bombs, disappeared.

For this reason, the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Company, which carried out the outer security mission twice a day, was now deployed only once a day, and the village's security mission was also deployed only once a day, increasing the idle time of soldiers. Therefore, on days when they didn't have any work to do, he was able to go out freely in Husen Abad.

"Sergeant Kim! You don't have work tomorrow. Are you going out?" Corporal Kwak Young-hwan asked Sergeant Kim Sung-ho, who was waiting in front of the restaurant.

"Why?"

"No, I am just asking."

"I'm going out tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh! Then shall we go out together?"

"I don't want to."

"Haha, is that because you are going out to meet Sarin?"

"Hey, you! Please don't interfere!"

"Wow! Isn't it because of me that you've found love in such a barren place?"

"Oh, I got it. Okay! Let's have lunch and go out together!"

"Oh yeah! Buy me something delicious. Don't you get paid a lot?"

"I'm going crazy. It's only been three days since I've been promoted to sergeant, and I still have a long time until my payday."

"I don't care. Haha."

At that moment, Sergeant Oh Sang-won, an administrative officer and senior company officer, passed by and said, "There is no going out tomorrow."

"Huh? What does that mean? Sergeant Oh?"

"Everyone will find out later. An order to move the units has been issued from the superior."

"Did you say it was an order to move the units?" asked Sergeant Kim Sung-ho who was surprised.

"Don't you know what that means? I am not sure of the details but before I came here, I heard the company commander and the executive officer talking."

"Oh! You are here. What units are you talking about? Come on!"

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, which needed to perform a sweep operation in southern Russia to prevent additional Russian reinforcements on the northwest front, dispatched more than 30 transport planes to Ethiopia and quickly ordered the Peace Command to prepare combat troops to move.

For this reason, the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Company, a combat dispatch unit, received such an order from the battalion headquarters an hour ago.

"Where are we going?" asked Sergeant Kim Sung-ho again, putting force into his hand to stop them from trembling.

"I don't know." Sergeant Oh Sang-won waved his hand once and left.

"Oh, my! That is annoying!"

Corporal Kwak Young-hwan, who looked at Sergeant Kim Sung-ho's expression with a sigh, whispered, "Sergeant Kim! Cheer up! Even if we have to move, we won't go far. I, the cupid of love, will protect your love."

"Shut up!"

"Okay!"

After dinner, the company commander of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Company convened all executives above the squad leader and delivered the orders to them.

The dispatch of troops in the Republic of Kurdistan will end at 1 p.m. tomorrow, and they will join the battalion headquarters by 5 p.m., before moving to Azerbaijan at midnight.

Sergeant Kim Sung-ho, who received the information from the squad leader, screamed.

Sergeant Kim Sung-ho, who avoided being with the other soldiers and occasionally met Sarin outside the unit, was already in love. He was very uncomfortable with the sudden separation from his love and even considered returning to the Republic of Kurdistan after being discharged from the military.