Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 170



Only Krnovel

Episode 170 – Sea Base

It was nice to see the faces of President Han Gyu-dong and Director Kim Wan-jun after a long time, as if I had met childhood friends.

“It’s better than meeting the President of the United States. It’s so nice to see you two.”

– I’m so happy to see you on TV and to have the opportunity to meet you like this. Haha.

– I thought we went from being outsiders to mainstream thanks to you, CEO. I was thrilled to see our CEO leading the world.

“Oh my, let’s not say that among ourselves. It’s cringey. Haha.”

– ha ha ha.

– Yes, sir. Haha.

I had a leisurely time with them at their lodgings, having a meal together with them whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was enough to remind me of the time I used to sail the ocean on a yacht.

‘It would have been nice if Captain Kim Chang-gi had joined as well.’

“Director Wanjun, how are the OSL members doing these days?”

“Haha. Director Lee Shin-young is completely obsessed with counting money. Even though it’s not even his own money…”

“ha ha ha.”

“Captain Kim Chang-gi is at Marshall Camp these days. He’s fishing as usual. Oh! Last time, he came to Kiribati alone on a sailing yacht.”

“As expected, Captain Kim Chang-gi is a truly free man.”

“That’s true. Sometimes you speak as if you’re some kind of Taoist. Haha.”

“That’s true. Sometimes I get enlightened by the things he blurts out without thinking.”

“There are times when it really does happen. When that bushy beard twitches and ···.”

“…”

“I remember once muttering to myself, ‘There are fish that breathe out of water,’ and the idea just came to me!”

“Haha. I understand that situation.”

When Director Kim Wan-jun told the story of Captain Kim Chang-gi, I felt as if something that had been bothering me was being resolved.

‘Yeah, the fish might come out of the water.’

I wanted to see the aircraft carrier under construction quickly. I headed to the OSS shipyard with Director Kim Wan-jun and President Han Gyu-dong, as if urging them to do so.

For over two years, OSS aircraft carriers had been under construction there, while self-propelled gun battleships and ESB ships were being built at the same time.

I climbed up to the control tower, which overlooked the entire dock.

The sight of a huge site and docks comparable to Okpo Shipyard came into view, and the hull of an aircraft carrier under construction could be seen at a glance.

“I made the decision, but when I actually saw it, it was really amazing.”

President Han Gyu-dong also continued speaking with a quiet gaze.

“Yes, sir. I too will feel a sense of pride when the day comes that this ship can move on its own.”

“Yes, I feel the same way. Are there any other difficulties in drying it?”

“I have acquired a lot of skills and information while carrying out the various missions given by the CEO. Thanks to this, I don’t think there will be any major problems.”

“Oh, come to think of it, I’ve caused you a lot of trouble. Nuclear submarines, nuclear reactors, nuclear cruisers, nuclear base ships…”

“In particular! Thanks to the electronic injection device technology that you received from the US, we were able to save a lot of time. If we had developed it ourselves, it would have taken about two years.”

“Is that such a difficult skill?”

“It was applied to the US Ford-class aircraft carrier, but it is a technology that has been improved through several modifications. Without accurate technical data, it can only be used reliably through a great deal of trial and error.”

“I see. That’s good.”

“And there’s one more thing I think you’ll like, sir.”

“oh!?”

“The aircraft carrier we are building this time will enable fighter jets to take off and land even while the ship is stationary or at anchor.”

“Really? Normally, you have to sail without stopping to give more energy when you are on a mission…”

“Thanks to the larger hull, the flight deck has been expanded and the electronic catapults have been further upgraded.”

“Great. Then it will be possible to carry out missions even while in port.”

“Yes. And we have also greatly strengthened our self-defense capabilities, as you specifically requested.”

“Oh, I want to hear more details.”

“To put it simply, an aircraft carrier alone has the same level of defense as an escort of three Aegis ships and two submarines. And….”

“and?”

“We have developed a system that can simultaneously launch dozens of previously developed Marine Spectre unmanned torpedo boats and Sonic Phantom underwater drones, enabling it to conduct anti-submarine operations independently.”

“wow!”

“It’s not over yet. Haha.”

“yes yes.”

“It has a large welldock at the back, so it can carry large landing craft and hovercraft. It can perform the roles of both an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship.”

“You really have given me everything I ever dreamed of.”

“The moment this floats on water, it is like a small country moving.”

“How many crew members do you need?”

“We have applied automation as much as possible, but we expect to need at least 6,000 operational personnel.”

“That’s a great deal. The Nimitz class also needs that many people. And what kind of facilities are prepared for the crew?”

“It can accommodate up to 20,000 troops in full combat gear, such as the Marine Corps. In addition, it has sufficient supply facilities, so it can carry out missions for more than a year without resupply.”

“Wow! 26,000 people on one ship? And they can last a year?”

“Why are you surprised? You were the one who told us to make it at least 2.5 times larger than a US aircraft carrier. Hahaha.”

“I actually did it, but when I heard it, it didn’t feel real…”

Yes, I did. I gave the orders and I paid for it.

I couldn’t help but be surprised that a single ship could carry the equivalent of two to three ground divisions, while also having an air force and anti-ship and anti-submarine defense capabilities that were superior to those of small and medium-sized countries.

“I heard that one more Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is coming in. When this is completed, you will have a power that no country on Earth except the United States can match.”

“Yes, that’s true. What I wanted was to have a true offshore base.”

“That’s right. Who, or what country, would make something like this? Not even the United States. If they tried, the US Congress would probably stop them. Hahaha.”

“That’s true. It’s an irrational, uneconomical decision.”

“I’m sorry you had a hard time because I changed my specifications in the middle.”

“Fortunately, there were no difficulties because you told me about it during the design stage. However, ···.”

“but?”

“I don’t think I could do it again if someone asked me to do it again.”

“Oh! I have another idea…”

“Oh, if that happens, it would be easier for me to leave the company and push things forward.”

“Why is that···?”

“When you work on a large-scale project like this, there are so many things to do, from top to bottom, to explain and persuade. I’m getting a little tired.”

“Ah! I understand what you mean. If I get into trouble again, I’ll set up a company and take care of you.”

“…”

“I guess it would be good for you to become a client of your parent company. Haha.”

“Thank you for your kind words. I will start by finishing this boat.”

…

After touring the OSS shipyard and related facilities, I returned to my accommodations and checked out the world situation and war situation.

On the Ukrainian and Polish fronts, Russia’s intentions were clearly visible.

Having successfully blocked Western support for Ukraine by invading Poland, the Russian-Belarusian coalition responded passively to the Polish and NATO attacks, occupying Lviv in western Ukraine and the north.

NATO, having regained control of Poland’s borders, has not advanced into Russian-occupied Ukraine, perhaps intentionally so.

Russia took advantage of the situation to seize Kiev and recapture Donetsk in the east while Ukrainian forces concentrated their forces in the north.

Encouraged by this, Polish and NATO forces began to advance to recapture Lviv, Ukraine, but the result was different from everyone’s expectations.

Russia and Belarus again engaged in a passive delaying war, slowly retreating into northern Ukraine.

The NATO coalition pursuing the Russian army was giving up the cities of northwestern Ukraine, including Kovel, Lutsk, Dubrovnik, Rivne and Sani, one by one.

NATO allies were encouraged by the successive victories, but it didn’t take long for them to realize that this was a strategic Russian delay.

Russia’s attack on Poland and western Ukraine was a delaying tactic aimed at achieving a new strategic objective.

It was clear that the intention was to create a new border by taking control of the northeast, starting from the Dnieper River, which runs diagonally through Ukraine.

The Dnieper River flows through the center of Kiev, just like the Han River in Seoul.

Even if such intentions were recognized, the front line had already been expanded, the supply lines for NATO and Polish forces had become longer, and the damage to Ukraine was too great.

As the Russian army retreated to the northeast, they gave up one city after another, but they swept up all the resources in each city and transferred them to the rear.

Another of their strategic objectives was the sacking of cities.

In the Middle East, the United States had regained control of the Strait of Hormuz, and American intervention in the Middle East war was considered a fait accompli.

It is virtually expected that the countdown has begun.

However, this did not mean that the United States could deploy ground troops into the chaotic land of Palestine.

There was nothing the US military could do in a place where friendly and enemy forces were mixed, where terrorism, terrorism, and revenge for revenge were rampant.

The prevailing opinion was that one of two methods would be chosen: recovering Iraqi territory with clear front lines and objectives or attacking Iranian soil.

China occupied parts of northern Vietnam, but had to endure Vietnam’s devastating harassment warfare to keep them.

Vietnam was using its traditional warfare of jungles, tunnels, booby traps and guerrilla warfare, along with new weapons such as drones and psychological warfare, to ensnare China.

And strangely enough, there has been no response from China to the NDCA.

– NDCA (Nuclear Defense and Cooperation Agreement): PATA, ESSO, US nuclear defense treaty

There was no comment from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which does not overlook even the slightest issue, and not a single line of media coverage.

In relation to this, I instructed the Intelligence Department to prepare an intelligence report, and received a call from the director.

“Manager. Why are you so quiet?”

“Yes. The Chinese Communist Party has established a policy of not making any comments on the NDCA and strictly controlling media reports.”

“hmm ···.”

“It seems that China thought that America had completely withdrawn from Asia because of our OSS.”

…