NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 107



Only Krnovel

All is well on the northern front (1)

Even though it is early September, a cold wind is already blowing along the Yalu River.

There was a group of people in dark green uniforms, either soldiers or bandits, waiting anxiously for someone.

The rifles they were carrying were shining brightly, showing that they had been well maintained, and some of them were carrying light machine guns, which were the latest equipment even among the Japanese army, and somewhat crude submachine guns, and were keeping watch over the surroundings.

“Here it comes!”

“He’s finally here.”

As a convoy of trucks appeared across the wide Yalu River, the faces of the soldiers waiting on the riverbank began to brighten, their impatience disappearing.

“Hello!”

“Over here! Over here!”

The soldiers waved and greeted the convoy of trucks.

Then, a group of trucks that had been circling the area also spotted the soldiers across the river and waved.

In this way, the meeting between the two took place, and the soldiers attempted to cross the Yalu River on a boat they had prepared in advance and make contact with the group of trucks.

“Did Mr. Lee from Gyeongseong send you?”

“Yes, this teacher sent it.”

“Then, you must be Mr. Chunsik.”

“For now, just call me a truck manager.”

“haha!”

While the officer, who appeared to be the commanding officer, smiled awkwardly and chatted with the truck manager, the soldiers quickly unloaded the boxes from the truck and checked the contents.

“This is medicine, so put it in the deepest part of the hold. That is canned food, so put it on the deck.”

“Where should I take the ammunition?”

“That’s going to be a problem if it gets wet, so just leave it in a sunny spot in the hold for now!”

“Yay~”

The soldiers moved so quickly that their feet were invisible as they loaded the boxes onto the ship.

The truck drivers tried to help the soldiers, but they moved so quickly that there was no time to help, and the work was done quickly.

“General! It’s over!”

“Oh, how many times do I have to tell you that I’m your comrade, not your general, before you understand?”

“Hehe, I’m sorry, Comrade Commander.”

“Have you moved all your luggage?”

“Yes! No problem!”

“Is there a dent in the box? I’m going to put more stuff in it after I unload everything.”

“That’s no problem either!”

After confirming that the luggage was all loaded, the officer looked back at Chunshik with an awkward smile.

“It’s time for us to part ways.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Chunsik took out a note that he had stuffed crumpled in his pocket and put it in the officer’s hand.

“What is this?”

“This is a message from Mr. Lee of Gyeongseong to General Kim Dong-sam and his comrades.”

“I have a message… … . Can I check it first?”

“Yes, please do so. If possible, you should remember the contents and burn the letter. It would be a headache if you run into a Japanese military patrol or military police.”

“hmm…….”

The officer unfolded the note with a slightly nervous expression on his face.

Then, when he checked the teacher’s message written on the note, his face lit up again.

* * *

Not far from Fengtian, the center of the Fengtian military clan.

This was the base of the newly created Korean Independence Army under the Provisional Government.

Around the building, there were several houses where people could live together, and wide rice paddies and fields stretched out to the horizon.

This was clearly Chinese territory, but Korean was more commonly heard than Chinese in the alleys, and independence fighters in dark green uniforms roamed the streets.

Some of the young men were sweating in the fields and paddies, while others were training hard at a nearby training center.

The training center here was where the military officers who had graduated from the previous Shinheung Military Academy were training young men to become independent fighters, and next to it was a training center for officers where they were studying foreign war books and military technology that had been brought in through Bongcheon, however insufficient it was.

And a three-story red brick building stands out in this place where there are only low buildings.

This was the headquarters of the Korean Independence Army and the building that housed the Manchurian branch of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai.

“Mr. Lee from Gyeongseong asked to attack the Kwantung Army in Dalian?”

“To be exact, he asked that those who committed such atrocities in Gando be dealt a proper blow.”

“Umm… … . That’s right… … .”

Kim Dong-sam, the head of the Korean Independence Army Command, which was created by uniting the independence fighters who had stubbornly remained in the Gando region, was lost in thought for a moment.

First of all, they succeeded in unifying all the independence fighters in Gando, especially in West Gando, but now they were more like just a bunch of them gathered together, and as expected from troops gathered from all over, they sometimes appeared uncontrolled.

Although they were barely able to form an army with the help of those from the Seoro Military Government and the military funds and supplies regularly sent by Mr. Lee from Gyeongseong, they thought it was premature to confront the Japanese army with them.

“Hmm… … . In order to fight the Kwantung Army, you’ll have to lure them out or attack them in a duel… … .”

“This teacher wanted us to confront the Kwantung Army head-on and achieve a proud victory.”

“We confront each other head on… … .”

Kim Dong-sam flinched for a moment.

This was because I remembered the fight to the death at Cheongsan-ri with numerous comrades against the Japanese soldiers who had chased me right up to my chin.

Kim Dong-sam fought to the death for his life there as the chief of staff of the military government.

The Japanese army consistently pressed the independence fighters, boasting that they were the strongest army in Asia, but they could not withstand the iron will of the righteous army.

It was quite a struggle to run through the mountain with a cold wind blowing with only a few frozen potatoes and straw shoes, but in the end, the Japanese army failed in their plan to completely destroy the independence army, and what they had thought would be an easy solution ended up being a huge failure, forcing them to return empty-handed.

Although it was not a great victory against the Japanese army at Cheongsanri, the fact that the people had united as one and fought bravely against the powerful Japanese army resonated deeply in Kim Dong-sam’s heart.

“We confront each other head on… … .”

However, I could not incorporate my personal opinions into the operation of the organization.

He also secretly wanted the Japanese army and the independence army to fight head-on and win, but the difference in military power between the two sides was so great that it was as difficult as trying to reach the stars in the sky.

“Hmm. But if I were to refuse this, it would seem like I would be damaging the reputation of this teacher.”

However, it was ambiguous to simply refuse the job, as this was the first time that the teacher, who had been silently supporting them without expecting anything in return, had made a request to the independence fighters.

The fact that someone who normally didn’t ask for anything and just quietly helped them made this request was a sign that this was necessary.

“First of all, I think it would be a good idea to call in brothers Choi Jin-dong, Choi Un-san, and Baek San (Ji Cheong-cheon) to discuss this matter.”

“Then, while you’re at it, how about calling Commander Kim Kyu-sik and Chief of Staff Lee Beom-seok of the Goryeo Revolutionary Army? Oh! Speaking of which, since General Kim Jwa-jin of the Korean Independence Corps is here too, how about calling him in and planning another joint operation?”

“Joint operation.”

The abacus beads moved in Kim Dong-sam’s head.

‘Kim Kyu-sik’s Goryeo Revolutionary Army has between one thousand and two thousand soldiers, the Korean Independence Army was split due to the incident in Russia and is now a hollow organization, and the previous Northern Military Government also fell into ruin after Seo Il’s suicide… ‘

It wasn’t that difficult to join hands with Kim Kyu-sik’s Goryeo Revolutionary Army, but I was a little worried about involving Kim Jwa-jin.

Kim Jwa-jin was a comrade who fought bravely against the Japanese army at Cheongsanri with Kim Dong-sam, but he lost his close friend and the head of the Northern Route Military Government, Seo Il, in the incident in Russia, and many other comrades, and as his power declined, he became notorious for abusing his power against his own people.

‘Baekya (Kim Jwa-jin)’s skills are certain, but I’m worried that if we bring in someone like that, the way we look at ourselves will become distorted.’

If it had been Kim Dong-sam in peacetime, he would have invited his comrade from Cheongsan-ri, Kim Jwa-jin, to join him.

However, the current Kim Dong-sam was in a position to receive a huge amount of sponsorship from Mr. Lee of Gyeongseong.

There was one thing that Mr. Lee of Gyeongseong asked of the independence fighters, including himself, while sending them a huge amount of support: not to harm the local residents and not to do anything that would tarnish the name of the independence fighters.

However, if we bring in Kim Jo-jin, who is currently showing a coercive attitude toward Koreans in Manchuria in order to earn military funds, we will be breaking our promise to this teacher.

“Hmm.”

Kim Dong-sam thought about it over and over again.

Should we invite Kim Joa-jin or not?

That was the problem.

“General, are you worried about bringing in Commander Kim Jwa-jin?”

“Hmm. Did you see that?”

“Hehehe, the general is a person who shows his worries on his face just like our father. It all shows on his face.”

“Haha, this is so embarrassing.”

The smile disappeared from the face of the young officer, whose face was clearly marked with signs of hardship, and he spoke to Kim Dong-sam with a somewhat serious expression.

“General, it is true that General Kim Jwa-jin has been acting somewhat forcefully and has not been very good to the local people. However, that is because he has not known how to solve his own poverty.”

“That sounds like you’re saying that if you bring Baekya here and have him with you, he won’t act like that.”

“… … There are guns here, ammunition is sufficient, and there are even cannons and machine guns that other independent armies could not even imagine. There is also an abundance of food, so not only the soldiers but also the children on the streets are fat as piglets. Why would General Kim Jwa-jin do something like that in such a place of abundance?”

Kim Dong-sam hesitated for a moment at the young officer’s words, then asked back.

“Hmm. Is that your personal opinion as the son of General Hong Beom-do? Or is it the opinion of an officer in the Korean Independence Army?”

“It is true that I am my father’s son, and it is also true that I am an officer in the Korean Independence Army. How can I separate the two?”

“Huh! That was a stupid question.”

Kim Dong-sam nodded slowly with a smile on his face.

“Send someone to Baekya as well. Tell him the three characters of this Kim Dong-sam’s name and tell him to come and beat up the Japanese after a long time, and he will come running in an instant.”

“Understood, General.”

Captain Hong Yong-hwan of the Korean Independence Army stood up and saluted Kim Dong-sam.

Kim Dong-sam, who was looking at the sight with pleasure, suddenly called out to him as if something had occurred to him.

“Ah! Hongjun, wait a minute.”

“Yes, General.”

“Come to think of it, do you think I shouldn’t contact your father? I’m worried that he’ll criticize me later for leaving him out.”

“Don’t worry about that. Your father probably won’t have time to spare because he’s busy taking care of his compatriots in the Maritime Province.”

“Um… … Are things that bad there?”

“Yes, well… … It’s hard to make ends meet there. It hasn’t been long since the war ended, and the communists are trying to divide people into factions and manipulate them to their own liking, so I can’t live without my father.”

“It would have been more reassuring if General Hong had been with us… … . I feel a little disappointed.”

Hong Yong-hwan laughed and hit his chest at Kim Dong-sam’s words.

“Hahaha! Isn’t this Hong Yong-hwan here in place of my father? I may not be as good at shooting guns or managing soldiers as my father, but I’m still not behind others.”

“Yes, a tiger cub is still a tiger.”

“Then, I will run like the wind and send a letter to the surrounding independence fighters as ordered by the general. Loyalty!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Soon, a large-scale call-up was issued to the independence fighters scattered throughout Manchuria in the name of the Korean Independence Army and the Shanghai Provisional Government.

It was a simple request to join and fight against the Japanese army, as they would provide weapons, ammunition, and food, but the names of the four people written on the call-up order – Kim Dong-sam, Ji Cheong-cheon, Choi Jin-dong, and Choi Un-san – were by no means light.

If they were members of the Manchurian independence army, they would clearly remember what happened in Bongodong and Cheongsanri.

Their names served as landmarks for those who suffered the catastrophe in Russia during the last Civil War, for independence fighters who went into hiding or kept quiet, appalled by the atrocities committed by the Japanese army in Gando, and for Koreans who had lost their home.

“Brother, are you going?”

“The generals called for me.”

“Oh, brother, it’s really frustrating. Do you get food when you go out to fight the Japanese? Or do you get rice? You were going around fighting like that, and the Japanese killed our innocent mother and sister-in-law!”

“… … .”

“That’s enough. You’ve done enough for the already ruined Joseon. Now, forget about me and remarry a widow from the village across the way. Now, live your life.”

“… … .”

When they said they were going to the battlefield again, their families tried to dissuade their brothers, sons, and fathers.

but.

“I have been called, and I have a duty to respond.”

“older brother!”

“Once a man of integrity steps out of the gate, there is no other way than to return victoriously in a prime minister’s palanquin or to be carried in a coffin and carried in a flower palanquin.”

“You must continue our family line!”

“You do that. I’m going to break into someone else’s house.”

“older brother!!!”

In this way, the independence fighters who were hiding in various parts of Manchuria gathered their weapons that they had hidden here and there and headed to the headquarters of the Korean Independence Army.

NIS Agent Tears the Japanese Empire Episode 108