Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 115



Only Krnovel

Episode 115 – Marshall

The Republic of Tatarstan invaded Russian territory less than six months after its withdrawal from the Russian Federation.

It was surprising, but not surprising news. The world order had collapsed, and the authority of the hegemons had fallen to the ground. The United States was no different.

“Hey, sir! It looks like these Tatars got some weapons and came out of the ship.”

“Now that it’s happened… Which direction did you invade from? What was your justification?”

“The pretext was a minor border violation by the Russian Federation. They used that as an excuse to invade and recover the former Tatarstan territory.”

“The area of ​​invasion is southern Tatarstan, towards Kazakhstan.”

“The practical reason is to secure a corridor connecting to Kazakhstan. What is the result?”

“The operation seems to have been successful. It was a surprise attack, and Russia’s defenses were also weak.”

“hmm ···.”

“As a result, we secured territory equivalent to a corridor about 150 km long and 50 km wide, bordering Kazakhstan.”

“The purpose seems clear. Maybe this is a good choice.”

“Yes? Why?”

“Tatarstan is surrounded by Russian territory on all sides. It will be difficult for it to maintain independence due to such a geopolitical disadvantage.”

“…”

“Perhaps it is only a matter of time before it is re-incorporated into the Russian Federation.”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I gave you the weapons to buy some time…”

“Rather than sitting down and dying, I’d rather stand up and sneakily hit the back of the head. To seize even one opportunity ···.”

“ah ···.”

Although it was surprising that the Republic of Tatarstan invaded Russian territory, there were many aspects of it that were understandable.

“Unlike Ukraine, Tatarstan has difficulty receiving support from NATO and the West.”

“That’s right. So we should save every bullet.”

“That’s true, but I think it’s better to take a chance than to just sit there and die.”

“?”

“If we secure the corridor to Kazakhstan, the front will be concentrated there. That will be easier than defending the entire border of Tatarstan, where you never know where you’ll come from.”

“Oh, that could be the case.”

“And while the corridor is maintained, it will be easy to receive support and supplies from Kazakhstan.”

“…”

“It would be worth the risk for them, as they could evacuate their people and, in the worst case, establish a government in exile.”

“Ah… Is what Director Lee Shin-young said really true?”

“yes?”

“Oh, I’m just talking to myself.”

“what?”

“Haha. Director Lee Shin-young always says, ‘It seems like our CEO is very talented.’”

“ha ha ha”

“Sir! I sometimes think the same thing. I always wonder how you can see through the situation from just sitting there.”

With Russia withdrawing from the Ukrainian front, the Republic of Tatarstan found it difficult to expect support from the West.

It is understandable from a strategic perspective that Tatarstan took the initiative in invading Russian territory to secure a corridor connecting it to Kazakhstan.

The problem was that their power was not proportional to their strategy.

We provided weapons support as needed and dispatched a Ukrainian military advisory group, but it took time for their military power to grow.

I could sense that something needed to be done, something immediate.

“Boss!”

“Yes, sir. I think you just remembered something.”

“We must help Tatarstan so that Russia cannot turn a blind eye.”

“Yes. So you didn’t send weapons from all sides?”

“It was sent to Tatarstan to be used for the defense of its own territory.”

“That’s right. But… I did something. Seriously.”

“We need to immediately give Tatarstan a boost in its strategic bet. Let’s send in mercenaries.”

“A mercenary? The OSS Cream Brigade is also playing around···.”

“We don’t want to send our soldiers into a mud fight.”

“Oh, yes, I understand. I’ll look into it with the Academy or G4S.”

– Academi: A changed name for the American mercenary company Blackwater (it changes its name periodically to clean up its image)

– G4S: A multinational security (mercenary) company headquartered in London, England, with branches in 125 countries and approximately 600,000 employees.

“Yes. Go ahead with that. Contact the SBU Ghost Bear and find out about the Chechen mercenaries.”

“Chechen?”

“Yes. Ukraine and Chechnya are not on bad terms.”

“is that so?”

“They were allies during the Russian Revolution in 1917. In 2007, a significant number of Chechen rebels and anti-Russians migrated to Ukraine.”

“No, sir, how do you know all that?”

“Aren’t I a war history nerd? I remember ’17 and ’07 well. Haha.”

“But wasn’t Chechnya on Russia’s side during the First Russo-Ukrainian War?”

“Yes, that’s true. Chechnya also seceded from the Russian Federation and formed a new federation. Now that they have a common enemy in Russia, it makes sense.”

“Yes, I understand. Ukraine and Chechnya are also under threat. Since the SBU Ghost Bear is cooperating with us, things will be fine. I will take action and report back.”

“Yes. Then thank you for your hard work.”

After I finished talking to this manager, I felt a sense of urgency.

I was going to go fishing on a yacht, and when the end came, I was going to hide in a submarine. At some point, I found myself manipulating the international situation from behind the scenes.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t like I made any money with just one ten-won coin, and it wasn’t like I had any great sense of mission. But I knew one thing for sure.

‘Don’t be a sign’

I didn’t want to become like Liu Biao of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who had power but became complacent and lost everything.

The bigger the wheel, the harder it is to get it moving again once it stops. The wheel of destiny was big and heavy, and I was already turning it.

While I was lost in thought, Director Kim Jun-myeong came into the office accompanied by several people whose faces I didn’t know.

“Oh, Director. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have to see you every day from now on.”

“Haha. It’s getting better.”

“Not only that. You must also pay attention to security. You must not walk around alone within the base.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

“And you need to measure your body measurements.”

“yes?”

“I heard it from Vice President Jin, no, from Secretary General Jin Min-gyu.”

“ah ···.”

“You will soon be inaugurated as the ESSO Defense Forces Marshal. You must wear a uniform.”

“Oh, that thing is so disgusting…”

“First, let’s take measurements. Then, let’s talk about clothing.”

Two tailors approached me, one measuring my body measurements while the other wrote them down. In this awkward situation, Director Kim Jun-myeong continued speaking.

“I need to design a common uniform for OSS and ESSO, so please let me know if you have any opinions.”

“Well, I don’t know about the combat uniform, but…”

“These days, even military uniforms are trendy in retro style.”

“Okay. Then let’s do it in the style of the US military uniform from World War II. The ranks and insignia will follow the original OSS ones.”

“Oh, by the way, the US Army’s new uniform has recently changed to a World War II style.”

“Oh! Okay. Then how about following the style but using different colors to differentiate them?”

“Yes, I understand. And I will start with the OSS’s first operation, Give Warning.”

“No, please start with Somalia, where I first met you, sir.”

“That was before OSS was created?”

“I don’t know. I want to leave something, even if it’s small, behind for the director and the members who worked together at that time.”

“Oh, yes, I understand. It makes me feel proud that there is a symbol that only you and I can share. Haha.”

“Yes. I am always grateful that you are with me, Director.”

“We decided to establish a separate ESSO security service and have the OSS take charge of actual operations.”

“Yes. I would like it if you could concurrently serve as the Director of Security.”

“Understood. And from now on, you will have at least three close bodyguards following you 24 hours a day.”

“Three people?”

“I thought the representative would be annoyed by that too, so I reduced it because it’s inside the base.”

“yes yes.”

“According to this manager, the Chinese are collecting a lot of information about us. You have to be careful about everything.”

“Who are the proximity agents being deployed?”

“This is Sergeant Jang Min-seong, Sergeant Yu Min, and Sergeant Benoit.”

“Oh, is that the Benoit who rode with you on the Sonja Torre in Somalia?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s a sniper, but he’s also trained in counter-terrorism. Above all, he has excellent situational awareness. And we’ve also called in Sergeant Park Tae-joo, who was dispatched to OSSIA.”

“Why Sergeant Park again?”

“That guy has experience in UDU, NIS, OSSIA, and is the best agent in the unit when it comes to close combat.”

“It’s sturdy. But why Sergeant Yumin?”

“That’s a consideration for Ms. Lee Hye-in. Since the CEO often travels with her, we included a female bodyguard.”

“okay.”

“I’m waiting outside the door now.”

“Are you standing outside right now?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Oh my, I can’t breathe. Anyway, tell them to come in and sit down. And make sure they have three times as many security personnel so they can rotate. And make a separate waiting room for the agents outside the office.”

“Oh, yes, I understand.”

I invited the waiting agents into my office and greeted them.

It was great to see faces that everyone knew. Sergeant Yumin smiled brightly and greeted them cheerfully.

“CEO! I am so happy to have you here with me.”

“Haha. Our Sergeant Yumin, you look cool whenever I see you. Please take good care of me.”

I greeted familiar faces and caught up on small talk that had been piling up.

…

As usual, I headed to the beach to have a smoke with Director Kim Jun-myeong. Then, security guards started following me in front and behind.

I felt a bit suffocated. It was because I thought, ‘Do I have no privacy anymore?’

‘It’s only going to get worse…’

Even as I returned to my lodgings, smoking a cigarette in the cool sea breeze, the security guards continued to escort me.

I felt suffocated.

I felt like I needed some time to cool my head and give myself some freedom. I wanted to create some time for myself that might be the last. I wanted to do that common escape.

‘Let’s go fishing!’

I wanted to go back to the beginning and ride the Sonja Torre to feel my own sea. It seemed like if it got colder, I wouldn’t have the chance to do that.

He decided to go fishing with only Hyein, Captain Kim Chang-gi, Navigator Ahn Min-gi, and three security personnel.

Since Director Kim Jun-myeong would likely dispatch a warship and a surveillance plane if he found out, I had to beg the security guards to keep it a secret.

…