Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 196



Only Krnovel

Episode 196 – Free China

Admiral Son Il-il was strongly advocating the occupation of Hainan Province, China’s largest naval base.

“Yes. I discussed it with Director Kim Jun-myeong and Information Department Manager Lee before submitting my suggestion to the CEO. It is entirely possible.”

“…”

“And once we occupy it, we can sufficiently defend it with our fleet power due to the nature of the island on which Hainan Province is located.”

“Okay, Director Kim Jun-myeong, please work together to plan the troop transport and landing operations.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The first friction with China was over the South China Sea. In that sense, occupying Hainan meant that the OSS would gain hegemony over the entire South China Sea.

Excluding Hong Kong, the OSS will control all strategic points covering the entire South China Sea, starting from western Vietnam to Hainan, Taiwan, and the Philippine islands of Luzon and Palawan.

And if China were to have the OSS take over Hainan Province, the very justification for the nine-dash line, which had been the standard for China’s unilateral declarations and bullying, would be nullified.

The sea that surrounds the entire southeastern part of China.

North Korea and South Korea in the West Sea, Japan in the East China Sea, and Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam in the South China Sea were all under the influence of the OSS.

Occupying Hainan Province would not only check China’s hegemony in the South China Sea, but would also block all avenues of expansion they seek through the sea, giving them another big bargaining chip.

China was the largest producer of iron ore, but also the largest importer of iron ore. Fifty percent of the world’s steel production was made in China.

If all of China’s sea routes were under the control of the OSS, it would also have the effect of slowing down the post-war reconstruction of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

As new operations to isolate China were prepared, the Yunnan government quickly declared independence.

Although it felt a bit rushed, I thought it was proof that the public’s distrust and dissatisfaction with the Chinese Communist Party and central government had been deepening.

There have been reports of growing pains over the decision to name the independent state of Yunnan Province.

It was initially called Yunnan Free Republic of China (云南自由中华民国), but was later changed to Free China (自由中国) to reflect concerns about the isolation of Yunnan Province and a desire for the liberation of mainland China.

This was a declaration of intent to establish a new legitimacy for the whole of China. This led to the division of China into three countries: the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Free China (Yunnan).

When Free China declared independence, it mentioned the liberation of the mainland.

*** Declaration of Independence of Free China ***

We open a new chapter in history on the land of China, break the chains of oppression and fear, and proclaim the birth of a free China.

This declaration goes beyond political change and declares to the world our unwavering commitment to human dignity and freedom.

We will liberate the entire Chinese mainland from the oppression of the Communist Party and … ….

We will boldly move forward for a bright future for free China.

– Free Chinese Government –

* * * * * * *

The independence of Free China meant more than just the independence of one of China’s 23 provinces; it expressed a grand ambition to liberate all of China.

But everyone could see that it was impossible for them to do it on their own. As the saying goes, they were just getting out of the boat.

I felt like Free China was using the power of the OSS to get the fox’s protection. I thought they might get overly encouraged and make mistakes.

I felt like I had to give them a message

I called General Cha Min-soo, the commander of the Northern Army stationed in Kunming City, over the phone.

“Your Majesty Cha Min-soo! I am awaiting your orders.”

“Commander. Is there anything else that is difficult for you?”

“Thanks to the leader’s guidance, there is no problem.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Your Majesty! I await your orders.”

“Haha. There was no such thing as an order. When Free China gained independence this time, wasn’t there any mention of liberating the mainland?”

“That’s right. We liberated them, and they’re just making a fuss about it.”

“I can try to make a fuss, but I am concerned that the Free Chinese government might make mistakes in diplomacy or defense.”

“Guilty, it’s like this.”

“So, I would like the Commander to move together with Lieutenant General Kim Jong-oh and issue a gentle warning.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

“Please make it clear that we did not liberate Yunnan Province because of our good nature…”

“I’ll bring these…”

“Commander!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I told you to be gentle with me, didn’t I?”

“Oh, yes. I see.”

“We will grant them full autonomy and not interfere, but please tell them to consult with us if there is any conflict with other countries, including China.”

“Yes. I will follow your orders, Commander.”

After sending a message to Free China not to act rashly through the listing of Cha Min-soo, I was able to take a breather for a moment.

In the ARK lounge, some officers and sailors were chatting and playing a shooting game.

There was an in-depth report on TV about our destruction of the Chinese South Sea Fleet.

*** CNN Global Briefing : South China Sea: Fallen Naval Empire ***

“… Hello. This is John Walker, in charge of the Global Briefing. The South Sea Fleet of China has been annihilated by the OSS Navy, and Taiwan has been reclaimed, and preparations for the second founding of the country are in full swing. We will have time to hear about the changes in the world situation after the war with an expert.”

The camera was focusing on the panelists one by one.

“We have Mark Wahlberg, who has held senior positions in the U.S. Navy and the State Department. We also have Gary Mendes, an expert on East Asian security.”

The screen showed the greeting panelists along with a map of Asia.

“Let me ask Mr. Wahlberg first. They say the Chinese navy was annihilated. Is annihilation the right expression?”

– Yes. The Chinese Navy was attacked by an OSS submarine squadron in the Philippine Sea and was damaged beyond recovery. No, it would be more accurate to say that it was completely destroyed.

“Is that so? That’s amazing. Oh! I heard that they have obtained a battle screen from the naval battle. Let’s watch it together and talk about it.”

The changed screen showed a scene taken by a mid-altitude drone in the middle of the sea where a naval battle was taking place.

In the deep blue sea, hundreds of torpedoes were creating foam and crossing spiderweb-like white trails, and Chinese ships were sinking everywhere.

The expressions on the faces of the anchors and panelists who were overlapped seemed to be not just surprised but astonished.

“Wow, this is really amazing!”

– This is my first time seeing this screen. It is truly terrifying. The power of OSS is beyond imagination.

– The OSS is the only country in the world that can use this quantity and these tactics, or rather the Navy.

– I think it was thanks to such superior military technology and bold tactics that we were able to recapture Taiwan.

“Looking at the screen, it feels real that the Chinese Navy suffered a near-annihilation.”

– A blow of that magnitude would be more than just the loss of a warship. It would be a psychological trauma beyond military damage. From a war psychology perspective, it could take China hundreds of years to overcome that trauma.

– China’s victory in the First Taiwan War seems to have been achieved through luck.

“You were lucky?”

– During the First Taiwan War, the OSS did not have the power it has today. At that time, a few OSS submarines sank two Chinese aircraft carriers, but they did not participate in the main battle in the Taiwanese waters.

– And it was thanks to a major tactical mistake by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force at that time that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was able to land on Taiwan.

“I see. But is the OSS’s submarine force really that strong?”

– If we look only at submarine power, I think we are ahead of the US military.

– OSS has its own submarine assets.

“What is that?”

– An unmanned torpedo boat called Marine Specter and an unmanned submarine called Sonic Phantom. It will be easier to understand if you think of them as underwater drones.

– Each of these underwater drones performs the same function as a conventional submarine. It is estimated that the OSS has hundreds of such underwater drones.

“Don’t our US military have underwater drones?”

– It exists, but it is at a rudimentary level compared to OSS’s. It is reasonable to view OSS’s underwater drone as an asymmetric strategic weapon.

“That’s great. Let’s wrap up the war issue here. Mr. Menders, please summarize the international situation in East Asia after the war.”

– Yes. China is written in Chinese characters, which are the national characters of China. It means center or middle. Now, China may have to change its national name.

“yes?”

– This is a joking metaphor to say that China is no longer the center of Asia. China became a peripheral country in Asia after losing to the OSS.

– From the Vietnam and Laos Wars to the Second Taiwan War and the OSS’s occupation of Yunnan Province… China was trying to expand beyond the center of Asia, and ended up dragging the OSS into the war.

– Their naval power was destroyed, and they lost their mainland territory. Now, no country in Asia fears China.

“So, does that mean a new order has emerged in Asia?”

– Yes. That order is PATA and ESSO, and what actually runs it is OSS, and its head is Marshal Lee Si-eon.

“Just listening to you, it sounds like a new empire has been born?”

– But. The OSS is a private enterprise, a private military organization. It has no territory, no people, and no interference or oppression in the federated countries.

“Then why is OSS intervening in the East Asian order? I don’t understand.”

– Yes, that could be true. But I guess OSS is a conglomerate that maximizes its profits by maintaining order in Asia and the world.

– OSS is commonly known, but originally, OSL and OSLAM were security companies created to protect the marine, resource industries, and investment companies.

– In other words, it is reasonable to view OSS’s maintenance of order in Asia and the ocean as a pursuit of its own corporate profits.

“Ah~ It’s a new type of group that is neither a country, an empire, nor a general corporation.”

– Yes, but that is why it seems possible to coordinate international affairs without friction.

“Well, please explain further.”