November 18, 2023, 21:00

  Nam Joo National Intelligence Service in Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Choi Jo-sil of the Foreign Intelligence Service) For hours, the two men sitting across the table in dim lighting had been engaged in an invisible power struggle.

  By presenting multiple pieces of evidence, Manager Lee Ja-sung attempted to obtain a confession from Kim Hyung-chul, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

  “Are you going to keep asking me the same questions like a parrot?” Kim Hyung-chul, who was sitting slightly arrogantly with his handcuffed hands on the table and leaning back as much as possible on his chair, said. Despite being interrogated, he remained calm.

  Manager Lee Ja-sung, who was uncomfortable because of Kim Hyung-chul’s attitude, closed the file and spoke in a quiet tone, “Kim Hyung-chul, I think you’re completely mistaken. You are not here as an ordinary suspect. You are here as a suspect who has committed a serious crime of national subversion. Do you understand?”


  “You are accusing me of abetting against the country. Don’t be ridiculous! What about the presumption of innocence? Is it not applied in Corea? Without even a single piece of evidence, how can you call me a criminal? Hahaha, that’s ridiculous.”


  Boom! Boom! Kim Hyung-chul laughed while tapping on the table.

  “Kim Hyung-chul, we still have a lot of time. Don’t you think I’d get something if we kept talking? So, shall we proceed with the questions?”


  “Do whatever you want! Would I give you the answers you’re looking for?” Deputy Director Kim Hyung-chul knew that to get released from here, all he needed was to keep his mouth shut for three days.

  “Kim Hyung-chul, did you meet with the leadership of the National Labor Party on October 30th at 2 p.m. at the International Hotel in Pyeong-yang?”


  “That’s the same question again. Let’s give it a try. I didn’t even go near Pyeongyang on October 30th. Do you get it?”


  “Then, let me ask you the next question.”


  Kim Hyung-chul’s interrogation continued through the night.

  November 18, 2023, 21:00

  Nam Joo National Intelligence Service in Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Choi Jo-sil of the Foreign Intelligence Service)

  Meanwhile, in another interrogation room, Woo Byeong-hoo was also under investigation.

  “Our Special agent Woo! You’ve been very busy lately, haven’t you?” The head of the first and second teams, Youn Tae-jin, sarcastically said after reading the document bearing the mark of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The document contained Woo Byung-hoo’s latest activity report from Director Kang Hyuk.

  “Will there ever be a day without work when you work for the country?” Woo Byung-hoo replied brazenly.

  “Oh, you’ve been working hard for the country, haven’t you? Then what mission compelled you to visit Pyeong-yang eight times in three weeks? I’m very curious.”


  “That’s an internal investigation that I cannot answer.”


  “It’s an internal investigation, so…… Meeting with Jo Myung-rok is also for the mission?”


  Woo Byung-hoo’s cheeks twitched when Jo Myung-rok’s name was mentioned. Team Leader Youn Tae-jin didn’t miss that and continued questioning him.

  “You’ve met Oh Ji-wan, haven’t you?”


  “What the hell are you talking about? Who is Jo Myung-rok and who is Oh Ji-wan?”


  Tuck!

  Team Leader Youn Tae-jin spread several pictures on the table.

  “You know these people, don’t you? You met them personally in Pyeong-yang at the instruction of Deputy Director Kim Hyung-chul.”


  “Oh my God, I can’t understand. I don’t remember meeting those people as well as getting instructed by the deputy director. So, will you stop talking nonsense?”


  Woo Byung-hoo had consistently denied all of the allegations made against him since the interrogation began.

  November 18, 2023, 23:30 (Iraq time 17:00)

  Altun Kupri, Iraq, south of Kirkuk

  The 111th Marine Battalion had reached the southern edge of Altun Kupri after a two-hour street battle along the planned path and was undergoing a major overhaul while on high alert.

  The battleground had been covered in dust for hours, so there was a lot of hazy sand and dust on the tram’s exterior. Each tank crew member climbed to the tank’s roof and swept off the sand and dust that had accumulated in the optical equipment.

  The 111th Marine Battalion was the first to arrive in Altun Kupri after defeating the Iraqi security forces stationed in the city. After the completion of their first mission, the plan was to move toward the final target point, Kirkuk, after a brief maintenance period at the southern end of Altun Kupri.

  “Hey, hey! Make sure to wipe it well! What do you mean it was destroyed because of the dust? Don’t talk nonsense and clean it properly,” Ahn Joon-kyung, a member of the battalion maintenance team often called General Daegal because of his big head, nagged the soldiers who were wiping off the dust and sand from the optical equipment on the tram.

  “Ah! Sergeant Major Ahn! What are you nagging about? We’ll take care of our baby, so don’t worry,” Sergeant First Class Kim Yoon-sung, the 132nd tank commander, said, while carefully wiping off the sand piled up on the outer lens.

  “That’s ridiculous. So, is that why you made a fuss last time saying it was broken?”


  “Oh! I really thought the lens was smashed back then,” Sergeant First Class Kim Yoon-sung said with his head lifted.

  “So, don’t! I’ve told you so many times that high-tech equipment is vulnerable to sand and fine dust! Make sure you wipe it off properly. I’ll be back for the checkup.”


  “Yes! Yes!”


  Sergeant Major Ahn Joon-kyung scolded Sergeant First Class Kim Yoon-sung, then he moved to another platoon without looking back.

  “Oh! Nagging General Daegal!” Seeing him leave, Sergeant First Class Kim Yoon-sung muttered. Hearing this, Sergeant Gil Min-joon and Corporal Lee Hae-sung giggled while covering their mouths.

  “Do it carefully as Sergeant Major Ahn instructed.”


  “Yes, tank commander! By the way, when is the final operation? Is it tonight?” Sergeant Kim Min-jong, who was cleaning the optical camera connected to the control room, asked.

  “I heard that once Altun Kupri is stabilized, the order of dispatch will be issued. We’ll rest here and do some maintenance until we get the order from the yeobo.”


  “Oh! I hope we get it tomorrow. We have a lot of night battles these days, haven’t we, corporal?”


  “Yes, that’s right. I’m so tired.”


  The only problem for the current peace forces was not the Iranian or Iraqi combat units. It was the occasional sandstorms and fine dust. As the armored units depended mostly on high-tech equipment, they frequently faced system abnormalities due to sandstorms and fine dust causing them to face difficulties during the battles.

  “Guys! It will be dinner time soon. So, stop chatting and start wiping!”


  “Wow! Time flies. It’s almost dinner time.”


  Sergeant Gil Min-joon checked his wristwatch and laughed so hard. Then Corporal Lee Hae-sung came close to him and whispered secretly, “Can I give you an exclusive hint?”


  “Exclusive? What is it?”


  “Today’s dinner is served with baeksuk* as a special meal……”


  “Really?”


  “Yes, it’s a classified secret from my colleague who’s working in the kitchen. Hehe.”


  “Wow! It’s been a while since I had it.”


  “Hey guys, stop talking and work! If you don’t pass Sergeant Major Ahn’s inspection, you won’t be able to eat the baeksuk.”


  “Oh! Yes! I understand!”


  *Baeksuk is a Korean culinary term referring to dishes made by boiling or steaming meat or fish to be cooked thoroughly without seasonings.

  November 19, 2023, 01:00 Russian time

  Russia, Moscow, Bunker State R-13

  Currently, 5,000 underground bunkers had been built throughout Moscow and Russia, which can accommodate 40 million people in preparation for nuclear war, and were as well-equipped as the ones in the U.S. and other Western countries.

  In addition, 30 underground bunkers, called bunker states for senior Russian government officials, were also built in Moscow alone, and their locations were completely covered by class-S confidentiality.

  Two days ago, the defense minister and other military commanders were planning future military operations here at Bunker State R-13 after an emergency ministerial meeting convened by Putin decided on some critical issues that would change Russia’s future.

  “The timing is the most important thing,” as he looked at the commanders seated at the long tables, General Staff Vladimir Beschastnich, who looked good in a gray uniform, said.

  Andrei Solomatin, SVR’s deputy director, who was sitting next to him, spoke up, “We can see that after one week.”


  “One week? Isn’t it too fast?” The commander-in-chief of the Eastern District, Stanislav Cherchesov, asked.

  “It’s not a matter of being quick or slow right now. The chaos caused by internal protest riots and the external military contraction is at its peak, which is exactly what we wanted. According to our analysis, the Corean government’s response in the coming week will be the most vulnerable time,” deputy director of the department Andrei Solomatin explained to more than 100 commanders in a confident voice.

  “Do you have any reason to speak so confidently?” Once again Stanislav Chercesov asked.

  Thus, Deputy Director Andrei Solomatin stood up and continued his explanation.

  “Of course, there is. Currently, there are massive political demonstrations in more than 500 regions in the Republic of Corea. Also, as time goes by, the protests are spreading throughout the country. In a week, there will be out-of-control protests in small and medium-sized cities as well as small farming and fishing villages.”


  After he finished his explanation, Alexander Mostaboy, commander of the 5th Army in the Eastern District, raised his hand and asked, “At the moment, Corea has declared a state of general emergency. Does it look like the Corean government will do nothing until the protests spread to that extent?”


  “Hehe. The Corean government cannot suppress civilian protesters by exercising strong public power because of the previous massacre of 518 civilians during the Gwangju protests, which is considered a very deadly Achilles’ tendon in Corea. Furthermore, the large-scale demonstration held in Pyeong-yang on the 17th turned out to be a second Gwangju incident. What do you think will happen? Do you understand why the Corean government can’t take strong action against the protesters?”


  Military commanders nodded and accepted the brief explanation from Deputy Director Andrei Solomatin.

  “Now, let’s talk about external chaos. More than 300 SVR agents have been deployed to Iran and Iraq in the Middle East. They are preparing for a major terrorist attack with the Iranian and Iraqi special forces. I shall explain this part using the map.”


  The large screen next to the conference room brightened, and soon a map of the Middle East centered on the Republic of Kurdistan was seen.

  “As can be seen from the current map, all of Corea’s peace troops stationed in the Republic of Kurdistan have been deployed to both Iran’s eastern and Iraq’s southern fronts. The military in charge of security in Kurdistan is literally a militia-level Republican garrison,” deputy director Andrei Solomatin explained while pointing at the map with a laser pointer.

  “The terrorist attack we are currently preparing for will be on the 24th; when chaos is expected to peak in Corea, suicide attacks will take place in all parts of Kurdistan and all these attacks will be disguised as ISIS attacks.”


  Deputy director Andrei Solomatin opened his hands and looked around at the military commanders.

  “Then, is the 24th the day our Pacific fleet moves?” Asked Admiral Valerie Carpin, the commander of the Pacific Fleet, a Russian Navy, and a member of the Eastern Territories, also known as the Far East Fleet.

  “Yes, that’s right. We’ll let you know the exact date and time later, but until now, the Pacific Fleet can move towards Hokkaido.”