21st Century Goguryeo

January 6th, 2024, 20:30 (New China time: 19:30)

X-15 bunkers, Beijing, New China

"I'm now on the G4 highway. As can be seen, both the upper and lower lanes are extremely congested with vehicles leaving Beijing. The string of vehicles began this morning, and as you can see on the screen, the People's Liberation Army armored vehicles have now blocked both lanes, causing traffic congestion."

A female reporter was reporting the current situation in real-time on the side of an eight-lane highway that was covered in thick yellow dust, and footage of the long lines of cars that were at a standstill were shown on the TV screen.

<Bbaang! Bbaang! Beep beep! Beep!>

Aside from the car horns, the voices of the drivers, who were sticking their heads out the window, swearing and shouting, could be heard, and it appeared that a riot could break out at any moment.

<Dududududududu~>

Several WZ-10 stealth attack helicopters flew over the highway, shining searchlights on the road and warning drivers to return to Beijing through external speakers.

However, no one seemed to have changed their minds or wanted to go back to Beijing, all they wanted was to evacuate. Eventually, a citizen who was blinded by the searchlight couldn't contain his rage anymore and lost his temper. As a result, he picked up his hunting gun from the back seat and fired at a WZ-10 stealth attack helicopter that was hovering 40 meters above the ground.

<Ta-ang! Ta-ang!>

He was able to shoot the searchlight of the WZ-10 attack helicopter, which was shining down on the two lanes, and consequently, the light went out with a small burst of flames.

<Whooing!>

The unexpected attack startled the WZ-10 attack helicopter pilot, prompting him to instinctively pull the control lever and report the shooting accident through communication. Finally, the WZ-10 attack helicopter, which had lost its balance due to the unexpected situation, began plummeting to the ground.

After a while, the pilot came to his senses and attempted to gain altitude by pushing the lever forward. The WZ-10 attack helicopter was just about to rise, however, due to its low altitude, its tail fin collided with a streetlamp. Sparks flew as the tail fin shattered, and the entire WZ-10 attack helicopter, which had lost its ability to fly, rapidly rotated and crashed into the vehicles.

<Kwang!>

The WZ-10 attack helicopter that had crashed into the vehicles attempting to evacuate, exploded, causing dozens of vehicles to burst into flames as well.

<Argh! Argh!>

The highway turned into a fire zone as a result of this ridiculous accident. Countless people rushed out of their vehicles screaming and running in the opposite direction. Because the vehicles were located so close to one another, the blaze that engulfed dozens of vehicles at a time gradually spread along the road.

These scenes were captured by the camera that was covering the evacuation and were broadcast on TV screens, shocking the citizens of New China who were watching.

Meanwhile, just before the crash, the other WZ-10 attack helicopter pilots, who had heard the voice of the helicopter pilot who screamed the words "shooting" through the communication network, tilted their fuselage toward the ground in a fit of rage and quickly pulled a button to fire from a 30-millimeter cannon.

<Tototototo! Totototototototo! Tototototo!>

The vehicles that were attempting to evacuate were riddled with bullets holes by the 30-millimeter shells. As the flames spread, the vehicles that were hit by the shells were covered in colorful flames, while a vehicle whose fuel tank was hit exploded into flames that soared in the air.

Eventually, the other two WZ-10 attack helicopters participated in the attack, turning the G4 highway into hell.

It was a preposterous situation that cannot even be described with words. The WZ-10 attack helicopters that flew out to support the armored vehicles blocking the road were transformed into incarnations of hell, casting lightning on the ground.

<Totototo! Shoo!>

<Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!>

They eventually fired not only from their machine gun but also dropped 57-millimeter unguided rockets that were mounted on both wings.

<Jjaengeurang!>

"What the hell are they doing?"

President Wang Jing-wi, who had been watching the absurd situation unfold on TV in the operation room since the beginning, jumped up from his seat and threw the glass he was holding to the floor. He then looked at General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao, who was standing nearby, watching with him.

<Jjaengeurang!>

"We have issued the order to the superior units to stop the attack, Mr. President!"

"What are you saying? You ordered to stop the attack?"

"What? I'm not sure what you mean…" asked General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao, who was confused and thought that the president was criticizing him because the helicopter pilots were being slaughtered by citizens.

"Who the hell would shoot at the New China Army's sacred helicopter? I'm sure some jerks among the evacuees are attempting to manipulate internal divisions among the evacuation vehicles! So, send in more helicopters and annihilate them so that no one can escape."

"What?"

General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao got goosebumps momentarily at the unexpected and absurd order.

<'What on earth is going through this person's mind? Even if a Korean spy is hidden in the evacuation procession vehicles, how…Does he just think that people's lives are as insignificant as flies? That bloodless, tearless human.'>

General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao, who was so taken aback that he felt deep skepticism in his head, managed to contain his rage and spoke seriously. "Mr. President, even if there are Korean spies or terrorists there, the citizens will suffer more harm. It's the same as going out of the frying pan into the fire."

"What did you say?"

President Wang Jing-wi looked at General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao, who opposed him, up and down.

"Mr. President! People's rage have already risen as a result of the blockage of the evacuation procession. If we do that in this situation, public opinion will turn against us and it would be irreversible."

"Are you threatening me with public opinion?"

"It's not a threat, it's reality."

The atmosphere in the operating room became as cold as ice at that point. The commanders of the General Chief of Staff as well as the operators in the operation room looked at the two men.

"Ha! Okay, I got it. I was a bit too excited."

President Wang Jing-wi showed a faint smile, poured whiskey into another glass, and drank it immediately.

"Then, I will consider that you have given your approval to stop the attack."

"Okay, by the way, hasn't the East Wind Operation started by now?"

President Wang Jing-wi sat down, inhaled the whiskey, looked at the digital clock hanging in front of the situation room, and said, "Yes, it's the time to begin."

"Good! Let's connect to it."

"Yes."

At the same time that General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao responded, the operator who was listening connected the operation room's screen to the unit that was currently conducting the East Wind Operation.

"We have connected to the headquarters of the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade."

Before the last four plasma bombs were used, the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade fired a large amount of artillery at its targets alongside several other artillery brigades to reduce the possibility of interception.

Thousands of artillery shells of various caliber flew over the head of the 3rd Armored Division (Baekgol) of the 5th Corps, which is being deployed in the rear of Seonan (Qinhuangdao).

In a nutshell, it was a massive attack. However, the 3rd Armored Division (Baekgol) was a difficult opponent to defeat. The 6th Mechanized Infantry Division (Cheongseong), which had suffered significant damage in the previous plasma bomb attack, intercepted as many anti-aircraft units as the Armored Division and also conducted an intercepting mission within Seonan (Qinhuangdao).

In the dark sky, where there was no starlight, flames flashed with loud and small explosions. It was as if thunder and lightning were ringing through the clouds.

The 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade finally ordered the 285th Artillery Battalion loaded with plasma bombs to fire after determining that the interceptor limit of the Korean army had been reached.

The 285th artillery battalion, which was waiting in complete camouflage in a small village on the Yanghe River, came out of hiding as soon as the attack order was issued and immediately opened fire.

<Poong! Poong! Poong! Poong! Poong!>

Loud artillery sounds were heard from the 18 PLZ-45 self-propelled guns, as well as dozens of 155-millimeter high-explosives, which were fired in a parabolic arc, including those armed with plasma bombs.

"It's a report of plasma bombs being fired." The operator in charge of communication, who just received a report from the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade, spoke so loudly that his voice rang out in the operation room.

"Only 25 seconds to the target! So far, there have been no interceptions!" The operator in charge of communication disseminated the report's contents as if relaying it in real-time.

"Oh! The first! The first was intercepted!"

There were exclamations of regret throughout the operation room.

"13 seconds left! Ah, another one has been intercepted."

All of the soldiers in the operating room, including President Wang Jing-wi, were holding their breath. All, except for one individual—Yuan Xiaoqiao, General Chief of Staff.

As the General Chief of Staff, Yuan Xiaoqiao should have felt the most tension considering the current situation. However, it was the opposite—he was watching with a calm expression on his face.

"Three seconds! Two seconds! One second! Landing!"

Only two of the four plasma bombs were intercepted, and thankfully, the others accurately hit their targets. As a result, the operation room erupted in a festive mood.

However, no significant reports of the explosion status were received following the attack by the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade.

They initially assumed that the follow-up report would be delayed due to a communication breakdown caused by the explosion's formidable power. However, the reports from various reconnaissance forces stated that no explosion comparable to a nuclear bomb occurred in the rear of Seonan (Qinhuangdao).

"What happened? Why haven't there been any reports of the explosion?" President Wang Jing-wi lowered his head and asked.

In response, General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao replied calmly, "Mr. President! It seems we have been unsuccessful."

"Unsuccessful, unsuccessful?" President Wang Jing-wi, who was trying to stand up, sat down again. "What do you mean? Does that make any sense? Both were unsuccessful? Connect the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade right now!"

"Currently, we are unable to connect to the headquarters of the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade." The operator in charge of communication reported with a look of fear.

"Damn it."

"Which unit is the closest to them?"

When General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao asked, ignoring President Wang Jing-wi, who punched his armrests mercilessly, Guo Jingfei, who planned the East Wind Operation from beginning to end, replied in a trembling voice, "It is the 75th Motorized Infantry Division of the 38th Army, located 22 kilometers to the south."

"Then, give orders to the commander of Army Group 38 to immediately check with the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade through the 75th Motorized Infantry Division."

"Yes."

"And send a drone to the 200th Strategic Artillery Brigade!"

"Yes, I will."

After General Chief of Staff Yuan Xiaoqiao calmly issued the orders, he approached President Wang Jing-wi, who was still punching his armrests.

"Mr. President! Why don't you take a break and leave the follow-up measures to me?" Yuan Xiaoqiao, General Chief of Staff, pretended to be concerned about President Wang Jing-wi, and his smile went unnoticed.