Chapter 165
December 27, 2020, 09:30 (China Standard Time 08:00), downtown Beijing, China
Twenty million Beijing citizens had spent a hellish night. Sounds of gunshots and explosions, screams of despair from people, and buildings collapsing had filled the night. The noises clearly demonstrated the cruelty of war, and when daylight came to downtown Beijing, no one could be seen on the streets. The Chinese soldiers’ bodies strewn across the city showed how fierce the battle had been that night.
The smell of blood and gunpowder filled Beijing. Flames from burning cars danced around, emitting black smoke. The 50,000 soldiers of the Korean special forces had been running around in all directions within the city until dawn; but once daybreak came, they could not be seen.
Creaaaaak!
The Capital Defense Division that had left downtown Beijing to defend the eastern side of Beijing returned with their armored vehicles and transport trucks. The men first picked up the bodies of their fallen comrades strewn across the city. Then they started a search for the Korean special forces while increasing security for the government and military buildings within the area.
Someone from a 15-story apartment building was keenly watching the eight-lane roads, wherein the Chinese soldiers were moving around. It was Lieutenant Colonel Kim Gil-woo, the 62nd Battalion under the 11th Special Forces Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel Kim Gil-woo had disguised himself in old civilian clothes finished his mission by daybreak. He infiltrated an apartment building and watched the movement of the Chinese Capital Defense Division after tying up the civilians within the apartment.
“Commander! It seems the forces moving around are larger than we expected.”
Major Nam Won-ho, the 1st Area’s Commander who moved with Lieutenant Colonel Kim Gil-woo in disguise, came up and spoke to him.
“Well, their nation’s capital is in a ruckus. Wouldn’t you expect a force that large to be deployed?”
“Haha, you are right, sir.”
“Let our men rest until nightfall, and have them on a fire watch shift of every two hours! We need to have another wild night ahead of us.”
“Yes, sir.”
The 50,000 special forces deployed in Beijing from the 8th Special Forces Corps and Special Forces Brigade rested and waited in their hiding places till nightfall. However, the Chinese search net must have caught a few of the groups in hiding since the sound of firefights did not cease during the day.
* * *
December 27, 2020, 11:00 (China Standard Time 10:00), Huizhou Province (the 42nd Army Group’s command headquarters), China
The plane carrying President Xi Jin Ping arrived at Huizhou Province where the 42nd Army Group’s command headquarters was located.
President Xi, who had avoided the 1st Aerial and Land Forces Battalion and escaped from Beijing aboard a chopper, took a transport plane escorted by fighter jets and arrived at Huizhou that morning.
President Xi looked pale and weak when he got off the plane. The 30 other military commanders and politicians also looked similarly exhausted as the President. They all moved to the 42nd Army Group’s Command Center located in an underground bunker.
The biggest issue the Chinese leading party had was the absence of the Commander in Chief and Commanding Generals of the People’s Liberation Army, particularly General Chiu Ji Liang Ji, the Commander in Chief, had gone missing in Beijing. Considering the circumstances, he had been presumed dead.
Therefore, President Xi and the leading politicians immediately began to form a new group of military leaders as soon as they arrived at Huizhou.
First, Pe Feng Li Fu was nominated as the Commander in Chief of the military in place of General Chiu, while Fuan Boyuan, the Vice-Commander of the Navy replaced the previous Navy Commander. Other remaining generals and officers filled the position for the command headquarters.
“President Xi! Must we continue this China–Korea war, sir?”
Lieutenant General Feng, Commander of the Southern military command bluntly asked President Xi, who had been resting at the prepared President’s office.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Sir, our nation’s capital Beijing is being overrun by the Korean military, even as we speak. Must we continue this war after we have lost so much already?”
“Are you suggesting we surrender, Commander Feng?”
“I am suggesting we sign a treaty for a ceasefire, sir.”
“A ceasefire? Do you even think the Koreans will accept that?”
“Couldn’t we at least try, sir?’
“Commander Han Feng, I have endured all sorts of embarrassment in Beijing, and that is all you could say?”
President Xi turned his chair around while seated.
“President Xi!”
“I have nothing left to say. Please leave.”
“I know very well that your intervention in every strategy the military commanders had attempted to make has led the war to its current failed state, sir.”
“Get the hell out of here, Commander Feng!”
President Xi Jin Ping turned around and shouted while pointing to the exit.
Bang!
Commander Han Feng slammed the door before leaving. President Xi Jin Ping glared at the exit where Commander Feng left and muttered to himself angrily.
“How dare he suggest something so foolish as a Commander?”
After escaping from Beijing, President Xi Jin Ping’s political influence had severely weakened. The fact that he fled from the capital as the nation’s President to a city in the rear would have him severely criticized politically and he would have to suffer from it. The guilt he felt from the continued defeat in the war was digging into his conscience.
The chain of events had put President Xi’s political career in jeopardy. Looking at what just happened between him and the Southern military’s Commander proved as much. All he could do now was shout at those acting rudely toward him. This would have been unimaginable under normal circumstances. However, President Xi was under the mercy of Commander Han Feng, whose forces were protecting him.
The military forces that President Xi was controlling out of the five military forces in China were the entire Central military and the Northern military that had the highest influence for they were prepared for war at any moment. For the Eastern forces, they were not directly under the influence of President Xi, but they were on friendly terms. However, the Southern and Western military forces were on the border and had always been mistreated and ignored by him. Obviously, this led to both military commanders harboring ill will toward President Xi.
* * *
December 27, 2020, 14:20, Yongsan-ku B2 bunker (ROK Military Joint Command Center).
The 50,00 special forces men and the 8th Special Corps’ men must have worked proactively since the movements of the Chinese army groups that were defending against Korea’s all-out attack at Beijing’s suburbs slowed down.
Reports of Chinese forces being pushed back to the rear came from multiple corps and divisions.
“Tell the marching forces to maintain their distance as planned, and tell them not to cross the line that we have set for them.”
“We are reminding every Commander in the field, sir.”
Operations Director Kim Yong-hyun answered.
“That is that. The 3rd Marine Mobile Division’s marching speed north is faster than we expected.”
Chairman Kang Ui-sik looked at the position of the 3rd Marine Mobile Division on the screen and spoke with a contented look on his face.
“Doesn’t Division Commander Jo Gyu-hong have a bold personality, sir?”
General Na Hyung-hwan, Commander of the Navy, joined in on the conversation while passing by.
“Is that so?”
“Of course! He is very popular for that. He is like one of those ferocious generals of old, don’t you agree?”
“I would have to agree as well.”
“At this rate, they could probably face off against the 21st Army Group defending Tenjin.”
“Yes, we think so as well, sir.”
“A fast-paced march is important, but tell them to conduct reconnaissance as they march ahead. There could be ambush forces hiding at places that we could not detect after all.”
Chairman Kang Ui-sik pointed out one of the most basic theories in strategy out of concern.
“Chairman Kang, sir! Wouldn’t Commander Jo Gyu-hong be aware of the fact, sir?”
“General Na, I am only speaking out of concern, but how could I not? It’s been bothering me.”
“You can put your faith in our commanders, sir!”
“Yes, I understand. Have we determined the location of Xi Jin Ping at all?”
Chairman Kang Ui-sik smiled awkwardly and asked a question to the Operations Director to change the topic.
“We have not found his location at this time, sir.”
“That’s a shame. We could have ended this war last night.”
Last night, the Joint Chief of Staff had attempted to strike down the chopper carrying Xi Jin Ping with the Zeus 1 satellite. However, the Epirus missiles they had used previously had affected the detection capabilities from its SEMP pulse waves, and they could not target the choppers with their lasers. That was why Chairman Kang was lamenting their loss.
“Mr. Chairman, sir, if we take over Beijing, wouldn’t the location where Xi Jin Ping is hiding be irrelevant? I believe they would at least start strategizing for a ceasefire, sir.”
“Lieutenant General Na, do you agree as well?”
“Yes, sir! I do agree.”
“Hmm, I thought the same way as well, but since Xi Jin Ping tucked his tail and ran, it made me think about it differently. I think Xi Jin Ping would never surrender or suggest a ceasefire.”
* * *
December 27, 2020, 22:00 (China Standard Time 21:00), downtown Beijing, China
When the sun finally set at 9:00 p.m., the Korean Special Forces Brigade and the 8th Special Forces Corps men all stealthily poured into the streets. Despite the Chinese military’s search, the 50,00 Korean special forces were nowhere to be found. Now they poured into the streets and began battling against the Chinese forces tasked with defending the city and keeping its peace. They had targeted the government and police buildings again. A few of the 8th Special Forces Corps members blew up civilian buildings as well, which caused the citizens of Beijing to spend another night in fear.
The Korean and Northern State special forces men, who had all been training for infiltration and explosives, all moved in units of teams and continued their guerilla warfare at designated locations.
* * *
December 27, 2020, 23:00 (China Standard Time 22:00), the 42nd Army Group’s Command Headquarters), Huizhou Province, China
Inside the temporary President’s office, the newly appointed commanders of the military with a rank of Lieutenant General and higher were gathered, but excluding the Southern military’s Commander.
“Commander in Chief Pe Feng Li Fu, execute Operation All down.”
“Are you serious, Mr. President?”
“It seems we have no other recourse now.”
“Sir, you must think this over carefully. Even if this operation succeeds, this is the last resort that will sacrifice the lives of 20 million citizens. Please consider this carefully, sir.”
When President Xi saw Commander Pe Feng Li Fu hesitate, he responded angrily and shouted back.
“Aren’t sacrifices necessary in war? Didn’t this happen to us because our military had been overconfident and underestimated the Korean military?”
“But President Xi, when our ex-Commander General Chiu established this strategy, he intended it to be the final solution that decides our nation’s fate, sir.”
When General Pe Feng Li Fu, the Commander in Chief of the military, showed his disapproval, President Xi shot back at him and was fiercer than before.
“Final solution? When will be the best time to use this strategy but now? Our nation’s capital, Beijing, had been overrun by the Korean special forces, and they are slaughtering our citizens. If right now is not the time, then when? Will you say it is the right time when our entire 1.6 billion Chinese population had already been wiped out?”
In truth, President Xi has a point. Commander in Chief Pe Feng Li Fu answered quietly.
“I understand, sir. Mr. President, we will commence Operation All Down, sir.”
“Good. Commander Pe, wipe out the entire Korean military while you’re at it as well.”
“I will do my best, Mr. President!”
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