Chapter 184.1: I Am Happy (1)
“Send the Songun-Ho[1]!” Jang Kwang-Taek angrily ordered.
“Commander! That could be seen as an act of provocation from our side!” his subordinate protested.
“But the South Korean bastards are all there! I’m sure the Party leadership is also aware of that!” Jang Kwang-Taek shot back.
“South Korea has issued an emergency deployment decree for air support, armored units, and combat aviation brigades. Russia has sent over an aircraft carrier as well! If we launch helicopters now, South Korea will send their fighter jets over, and if we send tanks or mortars in the vicinity of those South Korean soldiers, the Party leadership will claim that you incited the situation, Commander!”
“Argh!” Jang Kwang-Taek moaned in frustration.
“No one came to the base today, sir! If you provoke South Korea any further, those traitorous bastards will run straight to the Party leadership.”
Jang Kwang-Taek tightly gritted his teeth. He had just received a report that the two light infantry companies that they had sent to fight off South Korea’s invasion could barely hold their opponents at bay right now.
South Korea only sent twenty or so special forces soldiers, yet the bastards were proving more than capable enough to hold their own against a hundred light infantry soldiers. It was a clear demonstration of how formidable the young punk was.
The soldiers were still fighting as they spoke.
“That cowardly Ruske fucker!” Jang Kwang-Taek griped with fury.
Russia didn’t tell him anything before they sent their one and only Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which could only meant that if a war were to break out on the Korean Peninsula, they would support South Korea in the fight. Even if they chose to side with North Korea, they would not be supporting him specifically but the Party leadership.
China, the primary support that North Korea relied on, still couldn’t make a move, and their next biggest supporter, Russia, was openly endorsing either South Korea or the Party leadership.
As the deputy commander told Jang Kwang-Taek, sending tanks or artillery units to the battlefield would be interpreted as an act of war or even rebellion. The moment he mobilized the troops, the Party leadership would gain a justification to stop him. To make things worse, there was no knowing what South Korea would do. Moon Jae-Hyun was nothing like the South Korean presidents who preceded him.
This is why I supported Huh Ha-Soo!
“That motherfucker!” Jang Kwang-Taek squawked.
He was left with no other choice but to rely on the light infantry troops. If South Korea was putting their trust in their young punk, then the only thing he could do was believe in the light infantry soldiers whom he raised like his own children.
Jang Kwang-Taek turned his head to look at the vast mountains spread outside the window.
There’s no way that guy can break through the encirclement.
Even if the South Korean soldiers ran like hell to where he was, he would have had finished dinner before they could reach him. Otherwise, he would have already been out there himself, barking commands at his subordinates.
“Our light infantry soldiers will take care of them all, sir,” his subordinate said in an attempt to reassure him.
Jang Kwang-Taek glared sharply at his deputy commander. His subordinate’s voice sounded a little weak. It was as if he didn’t believe his own words.
“Get out of here!” Jang Kwang-Taek shouted at him.
This wasn’t it. This wasn’t what he wanted and planned for. He hoped for the South Korean president to change, and he intended to borrow the powers of China and Russia after. He wanted the idiotic and corrupt Party leadership to regain their senses and refuse the Eurasian Rail or, at the very least, demand massive compensation for letting it be built.
That would start the reconstruction of the great North Korea and their military’s rise in power again. For a while, he actually felt that everything were going his way.
Where did things go wrong?
The Ministry of Defense building should be bustling with people at this time, but it was deserted instead. The so-called military officers were busy calculating what would be best for themselves and making all sorts of excuses so they didn’t have to show up to work.
Jang Kwang-Taek picked up a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He bit on it to keep it from falling before lighting it up.
“Whew!”
Blocked by the window, the smoke spread out to the side instead of escaping out into the open.
***
Bang bang bang bang bang! Pew! Pew!
Kwak Cheol-Ho steeled his resolve. Facing over seventy soldiers with just thirteen men was too much, but it would bother him if he descended from the ridge and gave the enemies the advantage.
Chk.
“The enemies will end up surrounding us from down below at this rate, but if we surrender our position and retreat from here, they’ll eventually learn about the assassination team. I can’t let that happen,” Kwak Cheol-Ho said over the radio as he leaned his head against a tree.
He didn’t care if the enemy soldiers surrounded and killed him. He was determined to do whatever it took to buy time.
Chk.
“I’m sorry,” Kwak Cheol-Ho apologized to his team.
Bang bang bang bang bang! Pow pow pow! Bang! Pow! Pow!
Having gained the upper hand, the enemies kept the South Korean soldiers under constant fire.
Chk.
“Enough talk! We should focus on taking down more of those bastards, sir!”
Chk.
“Who here said they wanted to retreat, sir?”
Chk.
.
“Are you saying low-ranking soldiers are only concerned with running away from combat, sir?”
Chk.
“That’s obviously not what he meant, man. He just feels sorry that we’re here.”
Chk.
“Still, he’s the coolest when he’s acting all serious and macho.”
Chk.
“I can’t believe you just said that. You really don’t think we’re getting out of here alive, huh?”
Kwak Cheol-Ho’s lips curved into a bitter smile. Amid the hail of bullets above their heads, his team was chattering aimlessly and lightheartedly. He understood why they were attempting to crack jokes now.
Chk.
“Bear with it. Let’s get through this. The more we act up here, the more time the assassination team will have,” Kwak Cheol-Ho encouraged through gritted teeth. Then, the radio began to crackle again.
Chk.
“If I can…”
Bang bang bang! Pow pow! Pew. Pew.
Chk.
“Protect the country with my blood…”
Bang! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Chk.
“I am happy.”
Pew! Pew! Pew!
The soldiers took turns chanting the motto on the radio.
The soldiers all knew only four people had gone to kill Jang Kwang-Taek. It was an outrageous operation. Nevertheless, Kwak Cheol-Ho was waiting for Kang Chan to hurry and return soon. It wasn’t because he wanted to survive but because he wanted to save the lives of his fellow soldiers who were fighting alongside him.
Bang bang bang bang! Thud!
“Kegh! Agh.”
One of the soldiers jerked forward and fell to the ground. A bullet had hit him in the neck.
‘Fuck!’
Pew! Pew! Pew! Bang!
Kwak Cheol-Ho wanted to dash over to him. He wanted to run out like Kang Chan always did and kill all the enemies. If he wasn’t the commander in charge, he would have already bolted out there.
Pew! Thud! Bang bang! Pow! Bang Bang! Pow! Pow!
The special forces team took down the enemy soldier, exploting the mistake he made. The enemy seemed to be spreading out to surround the South Korean special forces team, but they weakened their formation because they left no support down below.
The remaining South Korean soldiers formed a circle with each one guarding a certain direction.
Kwak Cheol-Ho was ready to face death here if that was what it took to accomplish their objective.
Much to the enemy’s confusion, they endured everything thrown at them, showing no signs that they wanted to retreat or surrender.
Clack! Click!
Kwak Cheol-Ho swiftly reloaded his gun. It was currently two in the afternoon, which meant there was more than six hours left before the radio communication that Kang Chan had ordered him to wait for.
He was thirty and hungry.
Pew! Thud! Bang bang! Bang!
Why would you try and fucking surround us, you assholes?
Would they have been fighting like this if they didn’t go through the live ammo training? He thought not.
Kwak Cheol-Ho’s bitter smile remained as he sharply looked ahead.
Only five of them had to make it out alive. Since Cha Dong-Gyun was still alive, for as long as five of them survived, they would be able to successfully pass down the knowledge that they had gained from the live ammo training and their accumulated operations. They would still have have a team of soldiers—who had blown up a Chinese airport and infiltrated North Korea—for any mission.
Their fellow soldiers were taken by surprise during the mountain warfare training that they had after Choi Seong-Geon died. After all, the gap between the troops who had already gone on missions and those who hadn’t was clearly evident.
However, if he was being honest, there wasn’t much of a difference between their skills. At most, their concentration and perhaps the ability to adapt to the ever-changing situation was all that made the difference. Nevertheless, the results of the mock battles were still like night and day.
Kwak Cheol-Ho wondered if Kang Chan would’ve thought their mock battles were cute child’s play.
‘Hurry and come back, please.’
This critical standoff was the only reason the North Korean soldiers couldn’t advance any further either. The North Korean military had to have a reason why they they still hadn’t climbed higher on the mountain. Maybe it was because of Kang Chan, but it could be something else entirely.
Kwak Cheol-Ho wasn’t hoping to get out of this alive. However, at the least, he wanted to send back his men, who were standing off against the enemies with their camoflauged faces and determined gazes. He hoped that they could go back home and teach the new recruits.
Bang bang bang! Pow! Pow!
‘Stop with the ridiculous bullshit!’
The enemy's bullets seemed to be screaming at him to get his head back in the game.
1. A North Korean battle tank 👈
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