21st Century Goguryeo

January 17, 2024, 06:00

The B2 bunker, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Namju (The Situation Room of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces' Joint Command & Control Center)

Putting aside the current breakout of war everywhere around the world, the Chief of Staff and officers of each force, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, fixed their eyes on screen five and continued watching.

On screen five, a video of President Wang Jing-wi and his party—completely surrounded by protesters—being attacked in the middle of the road was being screened. The CS-IS Athens 3, with resolution so high that even the ants on the ground could be seen in 4K, was one of the most advanced intelligence satellites operated by the Special Operations Bureau of the National Intelligence Service.

"This one has better picture quality than our reconnaissance satellite. Yes, look at that! Do you see how agonized that bastard Wang Jing-wi seems? Hahaha."

The video quality was excellent, even though it was nighttime. At this, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Youn Gi-youn repeatedly shook his head, impressed.

"It seems to be because it's a recently developed and deployed intelligence satellite," replied Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon, head of the operation headquarters, who was watching silently.

"Shouldn't our reconnaissance satellite be upgraded to achieve that level of quality right now?"

"Haha, You seem so juvenile sometimes, sir. There are upgrades planned for the Apollo reconnaissance satellites toward the end of this year, too," responded Chief of the Aerospace Forces Chief of Staff Choi Jin-gook responded, chuckling to Vice Chairman Youn Gi-youn's innocent excitement.

"I guess I didn't act like my age and was too happy about it?"

In an instant, the situation room became a sea of laughter.

Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon, who had been observing the situation in the relaxed atmosphere, glanced at his watch and approached the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and said quietly, "Chairman, shouldn't we be wrapping up now?"

"Mm, is it time?"

Chairman Shin Sung-yong, who had been watching expressionlessly with his arms crossed, replied with a slight nod of his head.

"It's too bad I can't keep watching that bastard Wang Jing-wi tremble!" While Vice Chairman Youn Gi-youn expressed his disappointment, Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon issued orders to the relevant staff. With these orders, the operators in charge of communication soon moved about busily.

"Oh, that's right. Head of Operations!"

"Yes, Chairman!"

"Relay my thanks to the head of the National Intelligence Service. The National Intelligence Service did a great job in making this operation a success."

"Yes, sir. I will relay the message to him."

The video they were currently watching was also being viewed in the operation situation room of the National Intelligence Service.

After a large-scale 'flattening operation' was carried out on the mainland of New China on the 1st, the New Chinese Armed forces had launched a defensive tactic using its citizens as a shield. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, after much discussion, had come up with an emergency strategy and had immediately put it into action.

This plan, none other than the "use barbarians to control and manage other barbarians" by operation, was to use enraged citizens to capture President Wang Jing-wi.

At first, they had planned to send special forces throughout New China to incite riots for the internal division, but after hearing that the agents of the National Intelligence Service's Special Operations Bureau had already infiltrated New China's cities and were performing various missions, they collaborated with the Special Operations Bureau to carry out the plan.

As a result, the Special Operations Bureau agents had performed their mission far better than expected. They hid among citizens, leading protests. As hatred against the Center Party and President Wang Jing-wi had peaked, the protests had escalated into riots and spread rapidly across the country.

The riots eased momentarily when Chairman Shaoyang of the Politburo Standing Committee announced a People's Statement in place of President Wang Jing-wi, but this was only a temporary solution. The videos and photos of brutally suppressing the citizen protests with various military equipment and firearms spread once again, which led to protesters attacking, plundering the arsenal, and arming themselves with the weapons they stole. And now the situation had escalated and protesters were attacking President Wang Jing-wi and his party.

* * *

January 17, 2024, 06:10 (New China Time: 05:10)

Outside Langfang City, Hebei Province, New China (Operation Area Beehive 4)

The CMV-101 trailer, which had been watching the fierce battle between the armed protesters and the Center Military security guards with TCS mode (transparent concealment system) activated, suddenly increased its altitude. This was just moments after receiving an attack order from its home country.

<Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!>

After climbing to a certain altitude, the CMV-101 trailer switched to hover mode. Soon after, the left fairing slowly opened.

One of the next-generation weapons, the double-barreled dragon gun appeared and a glint of silver was seen. At this, a smile spread across the faces of Associate Kang Man-ho and Lee Sung-min, sitting on the top chair.

They seemed excited after the boring wait. Team Leader Kim Young-ho gave the order in an urgent tone. "You all know, right? You only need to secure a route to attack the protesters. Don't overdo it."

"Haha! Don't worry about it. I'm Kang Man-ho, the pillar of Department 3!"

"Listen to the team leader and do it right! Don't be a cocky fool and mess it up! You buffoon!"

"Are you going to keep calling me a buffoon? Son of a b*tch!"

"Huh? What else am I supposed to call you when you are a buffoon? You buffoon!"

"Ugh, this guy!"

"You two fight every chance you get, huh? I'm going to send you both to Department 1 when you're finished with this mission."

"Ah! Department 1? I would rather resign than be sent to Department Head Kim Sang-joong's Department 1."

"Leader! I'll work hard. Please not Department 1. Haha."

Oh Sung-hoon and Kang Man-ho shook their heads and shivered at the same moment, as if they had planned to do so. The infamous Department Head Kim Sang-joong, who they had spoken of, was a former Command Sergeant Major of the 707th Special Task Force. He was notorious for being intense, even in the Special Operations Bureau, where the most extreme among all agents were gathered.

"Bicker one more time during a mission and you can expect to be sent there."

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's start. Associate Oh, turn on the data link for the information scan!"

"Yes, sir! Data link is on."

"Good! Area 2-11! Most of the weapons are concentrated there, so it's the best. Focus your shooting on that area! When the protesters approach, hold your fire!"

"Yes, sir."

"Begin!"

"Yes, sir!"

With Team Leader Kim Young-ho's final order, Kang Man-ho and Lee Sung-min pointed the dragon gun precisely toward area 2-11.

<Bzzzzzzzt!>

With a distinct mechanical sound, the six-row barrel of the dragon gun pointed to area 2-11. Then, as Kang Man-ho and Lee Sung-min pulled the trigger, a wide beam of light rained on the ground and a booming sound was heard.

<Jju Jju Jju Jju Jju Jju Jju Jjoong~ Jju Jju Jju Jju Jju Jju Jju Jjoong~>

The ray of light, strong enough to easily pierce through the front of an armored vehicle, swept away everything on the ground.

<Zap zap zap zap zap!>

The soldiers of the Central Military District Guards, armed with many weapons, had built a defense line on the upper part of the road and were engaged in fierce battles with protesters. They were helpless to the laser beams suddenly raining down from the sky.

Whenever the 30-millimeter laser beam touched any part of the head or body, blood and flesh splattered everywhere, as if someone had blasted open a watermelon with brute force.

The sight of this was truly brutal.

A single ray skimmed past the gunner and his assistant, located below the rails of the road, that had continued to fire at the protest with a type 04 automatic grenade launcher.

<Puk puk! Puk!>

The gunner, hit by multiple beams in less than a second, was reduced to handfuls of blood and flesh, which flew everywhere. His assistant's head was blown off, his body collapsing to the ground.

Kang Man-ho, in his scope monitor, caught sight of the commander pointing towards himself and yelling at his men.

"Huh? Has that bastard lost his mind?"

Kang Man-ho immediately grabbed the control lever and pointed the six-row barrel at the commander of the New China Army, who was still screaming his head off.

"I'll show you hell!"

<Jjujjujjujjujjujjung~>

<Puk puk puk!>

Several laser rays skimmed the commander, separating his blood and flesh and blasting it everywhere. A few soldiers who were engaged in battle a few steps away vomited their guts out.

<Blegh!>

The defense at the top of the road was destroyed in an instant by the two rays of light beaming from the CMV-101 trailer with TCS (transparent concealment system) mode activated, 50 meters high above the road.

At this, the protesters gathered in the area and launched a concentrated attack.

"Stop! Cease fire!"

Team Leader Kim Young-ho gave the order to stop firing as soon as he judged that the mission had been completed to a certain extent. Kang Man-ho and Lee Sung-min had been firing excitedly but took their hands off the control lever when the order was given.

"Ah! Too bad! We were just about to have fun, right? Lee?"

"Not me. How could you be so excited about doing this, Kang? Uh-huh, you are merciless."

"You only realize this now? Man-ho's nickname is..." Oh Sung-hoon stopped what he was saying and glanced at Team Leader Kim Young-ho. He had just remembered that if they started to argue again, the lead had promised to send them to Department 1.

A few moments after the mission was completed, the CMV-101 trailer closed all fairings it had opened, increased its altitude, and disappeared into the clouds.

* * *

January 17, 2024, 06:40 (New China Time: 05:40)

25 kilometers east of Langfang City, Hebei Province, New China

<Rumble~ Rumble~>

The quiet plains were disturbed by the loud sounds of armored cars and tank engines. A few hundred tanks and cars passed through the plains in a line, each of them leaving behind caterpillar-like tracks on the muddy snow.

Three hours ago, the 22nd Armored Brigade of the 6th Mechanized Infantry Division (Blue Star) had made a rapid maneuver to the east, breaking through the Chaobai river defense line, moving 25 kilometers east of the city. It was on standby, only firing at the temporary Central Army base from a few of the artillery units.

If they had pushed in with the 22nd Armored Brigade of the 6th Mechanized Infantry Division (Blue Star), they could have killed most of the general staff, as well as President Wang Jing-wi, or they could have gotten them to surrender—similar to how they could have destroyed the leadership of the general staff and President Wang Jing-wi during the 'flattening operation.' If that had happened, the war could have ended easily.

However, through this war, the Blue House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff intended to erase New China forever.

To achieve this, it was required to pressure President Wang Jing-wi internally, as well as externally. This was the nature of the "use barbarians to control and manage other barbarians" operation. If President Wang Jing-wi had surrendered to the Republic of Korea simply from military defeat, it could have been a general end to the war in the form of compensation for war damage, just like how the first Northeast Asian War had ended.

If that had happened, President Wang Jing-wi and others involved could have been legally punished as war criminals, but the country, New China, would have remained. For this reason, pressuring President Wang Jing-wi internally was essential.

If it was determined that President Wang Jing-wi could no longer maintain his power over New China due to internal pressure, this would naturally lead to him surrendering to the Republic of Korea. Then, the Republic of Korea would be able to have a very advantageous negotiation, using the guarantee of President Wang Jing-wi's safety. The result of the negotiation that the Republic of Korea wanted was to officially have the country of New China in the possession of the Republic of Korea forever.