November 8, 2020, 00:00, B2 Bunker (Armed Forces Joint Command Control situation room) in Seoul Yongsan-ku

  After accomplishing the day’s work and retiring to sleep in the Armed Forces Joint Command Control room, the Chairman of the Joint Staff, Kang Yi-sik, was hastily awakened.

  “Chairman, sir. I apologize.”


  Chairman Kang, waking up from his still-inadequate sleep, saw the overnight Adviser Lee Jin-kwang’s apologetic face.

  “Adviser Lee, what is it?”


  “I think you need to go to the situation room quickly, sir.”


  “I’ll go as soon as I am ready,” replied Chairman Kang.

  “Yes, sir.”


  The Chairman, after hastily putting on his uniform, entered the situation room a few moments later. The Director of Operation Center and the Advisers rose from their seats.

  “What is it?”


  Chairman Kang asked upon entering the situation room, while looking at the largest screen in the situation room. The Director of Operation Center answered.

  “They have dropped a 5kt class nuclear bomb on the 7th Armored Division at Jilin.”


  There was a small twitch under the Chairman’s eye.

  “What are the casualties?” the Chairman asked.

  “According to the 7th Armored Division’s reports, 8 K-2A1 Black Tiger tanks of the Reconnaissance Tank Battalion, 24 soldiers dead, and 12 injured,” replied the Director of Operation Center.

  “What’s the current situation?”


  The Chairman let out a sigh and continued asking short questions.

  “They sustained the retaliation fire for one hour in Jilin City, the confirmed nuclear bomb projectile location. In the end, they fired 36 plasma cluster bombs. Now they are in a street battle in the downtown area through the Mechanized Infantry Division.”


  “They fired downtown?”


  “Yes, sir.”


  Major General Suh Jung-yul gritted his teeth, seeing that he even used the cluster bombs. Regardless, there will be many civilian casualties.

  The screen displayed footage of the 7th Armored Division advancing and maneuvering while firing, shown in low quality perhaps due to the nuclear bomb EMP. Then the Communications Operator spoke in a loud voice.

  “Sir, there is a call from the 7th Maneuver Corps Commander. It’s on screen number 3.”


  After the operator worked the console a few times, screen number 3 displayed the 7th Maneuver Corps Commander Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon giving a salute.

  “Salute! This is the 7th Maneuver Corps Commander Yang Min-choon.”


  “Salute! Thank you for your hard work.”


  After the salute worthy of a commander of the vanguard unit in the Korea–China war, Lieutenant General Yang shortly put his hand down and spoke about the content of the report.

  “The Chinese Army, after crossing the long Lingshan mountain chain from Jinzhou’s Zijing mountain to Fuxin’s Begonia mountain in two directions, has advanced to 102 km west from Shenyang. It’s been confirmed that the scale is at least two Army Groups, and the predicted size of an army group that will advance to Yingkou has currently combined forces in the Jinzhou region and organizing to form a battle line.”


  Lieutenant General Yang reported a summary of the core contents.

  “Have you decided on the response measures?”


  “Yes, the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division is now moving south to block the advancement path, and the 25th Light Infantry Division moved west of Shenyang to begin constructing a defense stronghold.”


  “Isn’t the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division a unit that had large casualties from this nuclear attack?”


  “Yes, that is correct.”


  “Though it’s not a complete Mechanized Army Group, it’s the scale of over two Army Groups. I wonder if they will need more for the battle.”


  “Yes, we have called the 3rd Armored Division’s 22nd Armored Brigade as an emergency reinforcement unit to support the side of the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division.”


  “Hmm, good! One more thing! The Chinese Army dropped a nuclear bomb in Jilin too. From now on, we need to actively prepare against the Chinese Army’s nuclear bomb attack. Carry out a preemptive strike on an army group that you believe will deploy the nuclear bomb. If you were to do that, a surface-to-surface missile attack or an air force attack will be essential. The Joint Armed Forces will provide support with aircraft from the Integrated Attack Fighter Wing in Sinuiju.”


  “Yes, sir. Thank you.”


  “Call if you need any other support.”


  “Yes, sir. I will contact you again. Salute.”


  “Salute! Keep up the hard work.”


  November 8, 2020, 01:05 (CST 00:05), Downtown Jilin in China

  Jilin City, after being fired with over 3,000 shells, was hell itself. The downtown area reeked of acrid scent from gunpowder, and only a handful of building structures was still standing with everything else in steel skeletons or crumbled in an unsightly way. With civilian corpses littered everywhere in the wrecked buildings, the entire city was in ruins.

  Furthermore, throughout the road, the Chinese Artillery Unit’s self-propelled artillery or multiple-launcher vehicles that were baptized with bombs from the Korean Artillery Unit were partially demolished and fumed black smoke. The Chinese artillery soldiers’ severely disfigured corpses were sprawled around it.

  Brrrrrrr! Brrrrrr! Pew! Pew! Pew!

  The 8th Mechanized Infantry Division’s K-21 armored vehicles, entering downtown Jilin, spewed flames from firing their 7.62-mm coaxial tank gun and 40-mm canons. The armored vehicle commanders and shooters used their infrared and magnetic field vision mode activated monitors and panoramic sights to order fire without hesitation on any object deemed alive or dangerous that emitted light.

  Pew! Pew!

  One of the K-21 armored vehicles, loaded with reactive armor in accordance with the 2017 K-21 PIP (Product Improvement Program), spotted a moving armored vehicle from the ten-o’clock direction and directly hit them with three consecutive shots from their cannon.

  After being hit with three bullets of 40-mm plasma aggregate, the Chinese armored vehicle exploded beyond recognition and spouted flames. When they were turning the canon to another target, the 12th Company Commander’s voice was heard from the communication network.

  This is Arnold! Arnold! Hollywood that entered up to sector 5, deploy combat infantry and begin scouting operation! Deploy combat infantry and begin scouting operation!

  Brian, Roger.

  Tom, Roger.

  Emma Stone, Roger.

  Robert, Roger.

  The 12th Company, which is in charge of sector 5 search and occupation, opened the rear hatch of all armored vehicles, and all the infantrymen quickly positioned in all-around security. With their helmets equipped with vision sunglasses, the infantrymen began carefully scouting and checking between nearby buildings and roads.

  November 8, 2020, 01:30 (CST 00:30), 10 km east from Shenyang, China

  West of Shenyang, in a large open field that is 110-km wide and 200-km long, a historical battle began. In the future, it will be known from each country’s military experts as the Second Shenyang Anti-mechanized Battle, or China’s Counterattack Battle.

  From the Korean Army’s perspective, it was a battle with a character quite different from any, thus far. Though they were the attacking army, their response in this particular battle had defensive power and tactics.

  First, from the east of Shenyang, the 7th Corps Capital Artillery Battalion spread out widely to prepare for immediate fire in the upcoming great battle, and from the west of Shenyang, the 7th Maneuver Corps Capital unit. The 7th Armored Brigade was at the vanguard with the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade and 26th Armored Brigade on each side, excluding the Capital Armored Brigade that had the most casualties from the last nuclear bomb attack. Behind the 7th Armored Brigade, the 25th Light Infantry Division and each Division’s Artillery Brigade formed a final defense line and waited. Finally, the 3rd Armored Division’s 22nd Armored Brigade moved quickly southward from Zhangwu as augmentation forces.

  Meanwhile, the long-ranged multiple-launcher artillery units were deployed in a long vertical fashion behind the Lingshan mountain chain and were ready to fire. The two Army Groups, the 20th Army Group and the 54th Army Group, mechanized units and motorized units, the 18th Armored Division, the 58th Mechanized Infantry Division, the 11th Armored Division, the 127th Light Mechanized Infantry Division, and the 162nd Motorized Infantry Division were in line formation of 50 km as the vanguard and officially began preparing for advancement.

  November 8, 2020, 01:50, Temporary Air Force Base of the Integrated Attack Fighter Wing Sinuiju, North Korea

  Considering that the runway was made by North Korea, the condition was favorable. This was because not many planes used the airport and runway after they were constructed. In any case, on this long-stretched runway, various aircraft with the Korean Air Force mark followed the runway in a two-line formation and was preparing to take off.

  They were aircraft recruited from various Fighter Wings to secure air superiority with regards to the three sages of the Northeast. Two KB-30P Heavenly Dragon strategic bombers, which had never seen before, came out of the hangar as if to boast its beautiful figure while following the signals of the marshaller. Though they were to be deployed into actual battle tomorrow for the first time with the Chiyou punishment plan, Chairman Kang gave orders to deploy the Heavenly Dragon strategic bomber instead of a normal strategic bomber due to China’s additional nuclear attack.

  Crew: 4 (2 pilots/2 air weapons controllers)

  Dimensions: 35.3 m x 35.5 m x9.1 m

  Dead load: 48 t

  Maximum load for takeoff: 250 t

  Maximum elevation: 45 km

  Radar: K-HOKULLA 02 MCS

  Engine: K-PTZ-1000 x 4

  Engine output: 120,000 x 4= 480,000

  Flying range: 60,000 km

  Cruising radius: 45,500 km

  Maximum speed: Mach 5

  High-speed cruise: Mach 3.5

  Stealth ability: 100%

  Artillery:

  S-AAM-200 Rattlesnake * 4 (Intermediate air-to-air missile)

  K-PSB (Plasma cluster bomb) x 80 or K-PAB (Plasma augmentation bomb) x 40 or Various conventional bombs X 100

  November 8, 2020, 01:30 (CST 00:30), 7th Maneuver Corps Headquarters 2km west from Shenyang, China

  In the 7th Maneuver Corps Headquarters’ temporary barracks, located in the outskirts west of Shenyang, a large screen and various electronic equipment were installed. Seated were various operators for communications, tactics, and information, who wore headsets and moved busily while working seriously on their tasks. On one side, 7th Maneuver Corps Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon, who exuded an intense charismatic air, monitored the screen with the Army Group staff.

  “It’s a relief that this is a defensive battle, and we have less concern for a tactical nuclear bomb attack.”


  Army Group Vice-Commander Major General Oh Joon-wan stated.

  “We don’t know that. When have the Chinese acted as we expected? Even with the last nuclear attack, if it were our country, honestly, would the Integrated Forces give an order to drop a nuclear bomb on their own country?”


  “That’s true.”


  “We can see that we were hit with the last nuclear attack because we forgot that China would go through hell and high water.”


  “You are right, Army Group Commander.”


  The Army Group Vice-Commander touched the back of his head and said with an awkward smile.

  “The Chinese Army will definitely use a tactical nuclear bomb in this battle. Since the distance is far, they would use a short distance surface-to-surface or large-caliber multiple launchers closer to an intermediate distance rather than a high-angle fire method.”


  “For now, the defense units have fully mobilized all available power for defensive fire, regardless of a tactical nuclear bomb attack. Counter-battery fire against the Chinese artillery units will be carried out in real time.”


  The Head of Operations, Brigadier General Kim Kang-il, spoke as if to report the current state of preparations.

  “For now, we have to have faith.”


  On the largest screen, statistics calculated from the supercomputer sent from the reconnaissance satellite, unmanned reconnaissance planes, and spider drones, were marked in real time as various symbols on the digital map.

  “Compared to the last Shenyang armored battle, this feels like it surpasses it in scale.”


  “I believe it’s similar or slightly larger.”


  “Confirm if the air force completed preparations for a sortie.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  “Commander, sir.”


  The Communications Operator turned around to speak.

  “What is it?”


  “The 7th Artillery Brigade reported that the Chinese vanguard unit has entered the 758 MRLS Battalion’s firing range, and is requesting for firing orders.”


  “Tell them to wait! Tell them that I will give firing orders when they’ve reached at least the 200-mm multiple-launcher firing range.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  Meanwhile, Brigadier General Kim analyzed the state of the Air Force and reported it.

  “Commander, sir. Currently, all 29 planes from the Air Wing have completed sortie preparations and are waiting for your command.”


  “I see. All defense preparations are complete. What is their distance from the Chinese vanguard unit?”


  “Currently, the distance from the Chinese armored unit estimated to be their vanguard unit is 55 km.”


  “Fifty-five kilometers, huh. Good! Advance the 7th Armored Brigade at medium speed for five kilometers.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  Twenty minutes later, the red dot that symbolized the Chinese ground forces on the digital map began moving quickly. The Chinese Army began advancing toward Shenyang with high mobility.

  “Distance.”


  The operator immediately replied to the Army Group Commander’s short order.

  “Forty-five kilometers, sir.”


  “Air Force sortie! All artillery units which secured firing range, begin fire.”


  When the Army Group Commander’s clear and concise order was passed, the Communications Operators suddenly began moving busily and cascaded the orders immediately to their respective units.

  “The 7th Artillery Brigade 670 Battalion and 758 Battalion have begun fire.”


  “The 771 Artillery Brigade, 10th Battalion, 60th Battalion, 61st Battalion, and 808 Battalion under the direct control of the Capital Armored Division have begun fire.”


  “Twenty-nine Peregrines from the 17th Air Wing have been reported to have sortied.”


  While the response report from each army unit regarding the command was being delivered through the Communications Operators’ lips, the sound of artillery fire far away shook the heaven and the earth and rang throughout.

  Pew! Pew! Shoooo~ Shoooo~

  “Make sure the 1000 Battalion (MRLS K271 Divine Weapon) and 1001 Battalion (1E2 Black Tortoise surface-to-surface missile) can immediately launch a counter-battery attack on enemy fire, and the 7th Armored Brigade to change to low-speed mobility and wait briefly! Send the orders.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  The Second Shenyang Anti-mechanized Battle that will go down in history had just begun. After using a tactical nuclear bomb to briefly force the Korean Army to retreat to the rear, the Chinese Army took this opportunity to attempt a great retaliation and showed reckless movement by jumping into the Korean Artillery Unit’s fire net.