Empire of the Ring

These days, the most popular marriage partners for Kazakh or Kyrgyz girls were by far the Korean young men.

It was because they were highly educated, made good money, and had good manners.

By appearance, young Koreans had improved their physique so much that they were no different than Central Asian men with European blood.

Unlike Central Asian men who were steeped in male-dominated Islamic culture, Korean men were considered the best husband because they were so kind to women and had financial abilities.

Perhaps that was why Korean men who traveled to remote villages were often devastated.

There were frequent occasions where the parents of daughters in small villages forced marriages of their daughters to young Korean men who visited their village, which was a ridiculous skit.

All of this happened because there was a rumor that if they married a young Korean man, they would take care of your family.

Park Jong-il jokingly said that pure Korean blood would soon disappear.

"At this rate, we won't have any pure Koreans left here."

"Isn`t it funny to stick to the same ethnicity in the age of globalization? We also have a foreign wife, but we didn't have any problems."

"Well, that's because we're so good. If they're not as cool as we are, they wouldn't be able to live confidently. They should know that there are thorns in a pretty rose."

"What? You mean you don't like having Karajan as your wife?"

"Hey, hey, I didn't say that. I'm just warning that they can't be charmed only because of girls' pretty looks."

"You're a little fishy. I'll have to warn Karajan to be careful."

"Why are you trying to create a disturbance in a healthy family? I can't live a day without her!"

"Is that a lie or is it the truth? Don't struggle with happiness, live as if you were dead. You're not going anywhere to meet such a nice and pretty wife, and you know it's all because of me."

"Oh, thank you so much that I feel like I should bow to you every day."

***

"It's a success. Chinese news is all about this now."

The operation to paralyze Peking Station seemed to have succeeded.

The station's computer network was jammed, so both the vehicles coming into and out of the station stopped. Beijing Station was in a state of chaos because of many stranded tourists. It was fortunate that there was no train collision.

The attack was intended to embarrass the Chinese authorities and not to hurt innocent citizens, so Youngho was relieved to hear that.

"With the network down, they can't operate anything."

"Look at them. There are thousands, not hundreds. Now they need to take care of everything with human hands."

One might think that people can do the computer ticket business with hands, but it would be impossible to deal with thousands of people. The number of travelers using Peking Station was enormous beyond common sense.

Even if they managed to fill out the number of passenger cars and seats by hand for each train hour, how would they get the train to leave when the system that controlled the train was down?

If one tried to control the train that departed and arrived every few minutes, it would most likely cause a major accident.

"I'm glad there was no train accident. I didn't expect that."

"Me neither. The damage is not so huge because Peking Station is divided into several stations."

"Wait, look. I think the train is moving…"

"No, they've already restored the system? How great is their ability that they can get them back to work soon?"

A picture of the train pulling out of the station was broadcasted on the news.

The Chinese government quickly normalized its station.

"Look at this. I don't think it hit them that hard."

"Sure. They'll be more frightened when the oil company and the power plant stop tomorrow morning after taking a breather. Look forward to it."

"Tell our agents to control their speed because we don't want to hurt innocent people."

"There are just no gunshots but we're at war now. If someone were to be harmed, all they can do is to blame that they're born in China."

Looking for excuses, Park Jong-il also seemed to feel uncomfortable.

"By the way, is everything all right with the Pamir Plateau?"

"Pamir is perfectly prepared, so we can stop any provocation. The problem is that the royal territory is too cluttered."

"Il-kwon told me the security here is perfect."

"I'm worried because of Kurdish immigrants. Most people are from different regions and they don't know their neighbors' faces. They have not lived in a normal society and they can be too ignorant to be easily seduced."

"Now that I've found a new life, they can't do that unless they're crazy."

"You don't know people's heart. It's a world in which people who you believe in are often backstabbing."

No matter how well the security was strengthened, there was no way to stop an insider's betrayer.

The Arirang royal territory had to be cluttered as tens of thousands of Kurds move in every month. The new immigrants were quickly melting into life here because the people who had already settled were helping them out.

"While they live in a temporary camp, we need to educate them thoroughly and let them know the atmosphere here. And you are missing out on the fact that the Kurds are loyal to Jelyan."

"When do you train all the tens of thousands of people every month?"

"When they get jobs and settle down, they'll be the most loyal group, and somehow we'll get them to understand our situation."

Three months after moving in, the migrants would move into their houses, at which point their affection for the royal territory was high.

However, after moving into a house and getting a job, they tended to obsess with money unlike when they lived in groups. It was because they learned that if they worked hard, they could live well.

It would have been difficult for them to engage in proper economic activities amid the saturation of the war.

People who did not even have a sense of citizenship might have the wrong idea that once they knew the taste of money, they just had to make money whatever they did.

That was what Jong-il was worried about. It could be groundless thought, but it would not hurt to be careful.

***

The next day, contrary to Youngho's expectations, the thermal power plant near the border was operating normally, and the refinery at Dalian Port stopped operating.

However, the refinery was restored after half a day and started normal operation.

It was one success and one failure, and Youngho still considered it a good achievement for the first attack.

But the fact that China had enormous potential made his hair stand on edge.

It was surprising that it had the ability to detect and restore hidden malware.

"Both our agents who succeeded in the attack and the Chinese government that stopped it are amazing."

"I'm getting goosebumps, too. I didn't expect China to be prepared this thoroughly. I guess we've been thinking about China too easily."

It was a case where they met a huge wall that could never be overcome.

"I hate to admit it, but for now, it is too much to deal with China."

"So you're going to stop the cyber-attacks?"

"That's not true. It's the only way to shake China and we have to keep digging. We'll continue cyber-attacks even if we have to recruit global hackers."

Cyber-attacks were not all about shaking up state-run computer networks, public facilities, and strategic facilities. There was a way to make black propaganda using SNS. Such attacks could be more effective sometimes.

"I'm afraid we will get hit in reverse if we get caught while doing the attack."

"We're prepared, too"

"We're only at a baby step compared to China."

"But do you want to be scared and give up now? Even now, we need to hire more talented people and shake China in other ways. I want to try how thick the wall is."

"It's not the time to joke. Since it's not China that we've known so far, we have to stay alert."

"I know. So let's just pour in the money and get ready."

"I am a little shaken because to think that we're competing with so much power."

"Jong-il, why do you keep your tail down? It's not like you."

"We're dealing with China. They've been preparing this for decades. I'm frankly scared that I have to keep living with that kind of opponent."

"I'm not going to start an obvious war with China, so don't worry. We still maintain normal national relations with China."

"I don't know if they're going to stay put when we clash on so many occasions outside. Don't we have to try to recover our relations with China and use an appeasement policy from now on?"

"Have you turned from hawks to doves?"

"Cyber-attacks won't buy us enough time. They're already all set, but it's hard to catch up right now. I'd rather buy enough time by appeasing them."

Jong-il's suggestion was rational, but the new policy of appeasement required the opening of Central Asia, which was only going to give China wings.

Now that Central Asian countries were slowly getting out of China's economic sphere and entering the path of self-reliance, it was not a good time to do so. It would be like destroying a hard-worked tower.

If one was forced to live with a dangerous neighbor, it would be best to think of it as fate and persevere.

"Hey, what turned the Director of Intelligence so timid?"

"Oh, you must have forgotten that there's no fear in Park Jong-il's dictionary."

"I started life with my bare hands. After all, there's nothing to lose. There's a saying, 'if you will to live you'll die, and if you will to die, you will live.'"

"I know what you're talking about, but if you're dealing with someone you can't help, giving him candy and soothing him is another way. If you know the power of the other person and you still go for it, that's just reckless."

Normally, Jong-il was a reckless person, but he was very careful today.

Park Jong-il's words were so strange that Youngho was staring at them.

"What are you looking for me? It's proof that I'm getting old."

"Is Karajan pregnant or something?"

"How did you know?"

"I felt like there was something about you being so careful as you never did before. You don't want to see Kazakhstan get into a war when a child is going to be born soon."

"Not necessarily, but after meeting an invincible wall, I want to compromise as much as possible."

"I don't like the situation of walking on thin ice, either. But this is because China's greed is endless. Just keep trying cyber-attacks to buy a short time. Restoration of the relationship with China is a matter for the future."