Empire of the Ring

The Chinese government had been confirmed to be collecting biometric information from residents in the Xinjiang Uyghur region.

It was collecting biometric information such as DNA samples, fingerprints, blood types, and iris recognition, along with pictures of residents under the pretext of free physical examinations.

A wide range of residents aged 12 to 65 was targeted, and it was reported that 18.8 million people had undergone physical tests this year.

The Chinese government was building a database by collecting biometric information regardless of age to monitor dissidents and other dangerous people in Xinjiang Uyghur.

Of course, DNA collection was carried out on a trial basis in Shandong and Beijing, but this was a way to find missing children or to catch tax evaders, but the case in Uyghur district was different as it was widely conducted on all residents. It was an act of anti-humanitarianism that could not have been found anywhere else.

However, the Chinese government said the tests were done voluntarily by residents in Xinjiang Uyghur. As Uyghur’s reality became known to the world via CNN, international human rights groups criticized the Chinese government, but China did not budge, dismissing the criticism as the tests were inevitable to wipe out terrorist-prone organizations.

The Kazakh government had officially asked China to find the whereabouts of missing Kazakhs that used to live in Xinjiang Uyghur. Then the Chinese government immediately confirmed that it would soon notify the Kazakh side.

Since One Belt One Road was still underway, the Chinese government was trying its best to please Kazakhstan.

Human rights groups demonstrated in front of Chinese embassies in each country holding pickets.

Youngho and Cho Chul-hwan, who were in a meeting for the operation to infiltrate Xinjiang Uyghur, took their eyes off the screen.

“Isn’t it naïve for people to believe China will change?”

“Well, they need to pressure China in some way, so that there is a slight possibility to improve the situation for Uyghurs.”

“I don’t know. I think it’s going to get worse.”

“I hope it gets worse so that our operation works better.”

“The royal guards are all ready, so when will be the D-Day?”

“The Uyghur independence organizations will take action in three days, so why don’t we set our D-Day right after that? If an outsider enters downtown Urumqi now, he will get caught immediately because of the surveillance cameras. After independent groups raid the central control center, then it will be safe for us to get in.”

Youngho had formed the Royal Body Guard. It consisted of Foreign Legion members who were former Korean Navy Special Forces and Countryside Force soldiers. For the operation in Xinjiang Uyghur, a team of 20 members from the Royal Body Guard would be sent.

“How are you going to divide the team?”

“I will make five action teams of three guards. The other five guards will be on stand-by at the outskirts of Urumqi.”

“Tell them not to underestimate Chinese soldiers.”

“They know that well. The bullets dodge you, so you’ll have to be careful.”

According to Park Jong-il who invested the border, the Chinese soldiers’ military discipline and training were formidable.

Especially, in border areas and places like Uyghur where there were frequent terrorist attacks, each soldier had the latest weapons.

“There will be no mistake since we have fully mastered the area of operation with satellite photos provided by the British Intelligence Service.”

“Do you have the location of the camp?”

“We can’t tell by the satellite images. Xinjiang Uyghur is such a large area that there’s no way we can figure that out.”

“We must find out the location…”

The camp was where the Chinese authorities had imprisoned Uyghur independence fighters, dissidents, and terrorists.

Youngho needed to find it so that he would have a card to pressure China.

Since the guards could not help the imprisoned people escape the region at the operation, they planned to record the sight of the camp to use it later.

***

They had been quarantined in the water tank. Uyghur groups were carrying out attacks on all sides.

Among them, the one with the most casualties was the Central Control Center of the Chinese Public Security Bureau in Urumqi.

“All the control center facilities were destroyed, so security cameras all over the area will be useless for the time being.”

“I heard a Uyghur independence fighter drove a truck there and blew it up altogether.”

“Yeah, he’s a rookie member and said to have volunteered to do that.”

The truck was loaded with explosives. It was rushed to the central control center, which caused the building to be blown up in the aftermath of the explosion. At the expense of a courageous young man’s life, Uyghur’s security system had completely collapsed.

“Chul-hwan! Find out about his family members and bring them to the royal territory. It is our duty to respect the parents of such a great young man.”

“I’ll make sure to bring his family here, even if I have to search the whole Xinjiang Uyghur.”

“Did you provide proper weapons to the Uyghur independence fighters?”

“Yep. They’ll be enough to arm a regiment. It’s a shame that I can’t deliver a cannon or an armored vehicle.”

“A cannon or an armored vehicle is not suitable for fighting a guerrilla war. It’s great that they have enough guns and bullets.”

“I gave them the old conventional weapons and portable rocket launchers we had in the royal territory, so they’ll use them well.”

“Hey, why don’t you discuss with Commander Kabak and supply the personal firearms used by the Kazakh military to the Uyghur activists? We should also send the firearms that had been used by the Kyrgyz military.”

“You want to arm all the Uyghur people?”

“They’re fighting for independence. Anyone should hold a gun if they’re able regardless of their gender. You have to have plenty of arms to get motivated.”

“Combat rations are more urgent than that. The amount made in the factory of the royal territory will not be enough to meet their needs. What do we do?”

“Contact the factory in Atyrau. That factory is as big as the one in the Arirang royal territory. It should be enough.”

“I checked with it already. All of the combat food produced there is being supplied to Kyrgyzstan.”

“What? Why Kyrgyzstan?”

“You didn’t know? They’re supplying combat food to the people in Kyrgyz remote areas.”

“Who’s feeding Kyrgyz combat food?”

“Who do you think? It’s the Queen.”

Fatima was sending combat food to the inhabitants of the remote mountain areas of Kyrgyzstan for a variety of nourishment. Grain had been supplied well, but the people of remote places preferred combat rations since it was a high-calorie food.

Eti the Turkish food company that entered Kazakhstan had been popular among soldiers as well as common civilians since its combat ration tasted great.

And since the queen sent it to the people, Kyrgyz people thought that it was a precious food. The population of people in remote Kyrgyz areas was not a lot, but Fatima planned to provide it to more than tens of thousands of Kyrgyz residents from now on.

The supply was still low, and most residents had never seen what the combat food looked like.

It would take months for them to receive the Queen’s food supply, but as rumors had already been spread, everyone was looking forward to his turn.

“Man, I should establish a combat ration factory in Kyrgyzstan, too.”

“They say that the development of the Kyrgyz teenagers is a lot slower than the Kazakh teenagers due to malnutrition, so it’ll be great for them to have a combat ration factory there.”

“For now, hand over everything from the Atyrau factory to Xinjiang Uyghur. I will convince my wife and tell her that I’m going to build a factory in Kyrgyzstan soon.”

“You should think about the people who are waiting for their turn in Kyrgyzstan. They’ll get upset.”

“The Uyghur fighters are going to starve right now. The Kyrgyz people can wait.”

“No, you should contact Eti the food company and ask for an emergency airlift supply.”

“Jeez, Fatima has got me in trouble this time.”

“She is caring for her people. Uyghurs still belong to China, but the Kyrgyzs are our people. Don’t be so mean to Her Majesty.”

Fatima’s ambitious project could not be hampered, so Youngho was bound to ask the Eti the food company’s help to supply the Kyrgyz residents through an airlift from Turkey.

Since the Uyghur people were urgently in need of food at the moment, he had to send all products from the factory in Atyrau to the region.

“Honey, you’ve heard about the Xinjiang Uyghur situation, right?”

“Yeah, I heard a lot of people have been detained and missing. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“That’s why I’m supplying arms and funds to Uyghur independence organization. The Chinese government’s food supply had been decreased causing a lot of people to starve. The independence fighters asked us to supply some food.”

“Really? Then I want to help.”

“I’ll have to turn the combat food you sent to Kyrgyzstan to Xinjiang Uyghur first. Instead, we’re going to import all the extra supplies from Turkey, is that okay?”

“Of course we should send them to the Uyghurs first. It sounds like they need it urgently.”

“I’m sorry to interfere with your plan that you’re passionate about.”

“Don’t bother. There’s a priority for work.”

“So I’m planning to build a joint factory with Eti in Kyrgyzstan. It’s a long way to Kyrgyzstan from here, so it costs a lot to transport the food.”

“Oh! Would you do that for me?”

A combat food factory in the eastern region of Kyrgyzstan was essential to continuously supply food to Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang Uyghur. If it was built near Bishkek, it would be a plausible location for the two regions.

It was combat ration, but now it had become a national food in Kazakhstan. The reason why people loved it so much was that the standard of living was still remarkably low compared to Europe’s standard.

The question of supplying combat food to Xinjiang Uyghur gave an opportunity to Youngho to rethink the importance of processed food.

Since Kazakhstan was a grain exporting country, the cost of storing grain was also high, so grain that was about to be exported were usually stored at the port. However, the wheat that had been stored at the storage yard in the wharf was sometimes molded by the sudden rain, so it had to go to waste. The disaster was caused by the lack of funds to build silo storage.

There were hundreds of millions of people who starved due to lack of food in the world, but it was a shame that precious grains were being abandoned due to careless storage in Kazakhstan.

In the past, Suh Min-seok had pushed for a full-scale whole wheat production project, but it was canceled due to the lack of economic feasibility. At that time, it fell through over the issue of the market, but now it seemed that it would have to be approached in terms of storing surplus farm products, not exports. This was worth reviewing.

Youngho’s hand was already reaching for the interphone.