January 17, 2024, 07:00 (New China Time: 06:00)

  25 kilometers southwest of Langfang City, Hebei Province, New China

  With his face scrunched up while breathing heavily, President Wang Jing-wi was being pulled across the snow by his guards as if he was a pig being dragged off to the slaughterhouse.

  A few moments earlier after hearing that the protesters had broken through the defense line, President Wang Jing-wi and the commanders of the general staff had begun their escape to the west.

  “How far do we have to go like this?” asked President Wang Jing-wi, breathing out white, misty clouds in the cold. He had stopped momentarily from exhaustion.

  At this, Chief of the General Staff Guo Jingfei, who had been running in front came back and replied, “Mr. President! We have to keep going. It might be hard, but keep trying.”


  “I can’t go a step further!” President Wang Jing-wi flopped down in the snow.

  “Mr. President! The armed protesters are close.”


  “You don’t think I know that? Even so, I can’t go on. I’m too tired.”


  Of course, part of it was not enough exercise, but it was too difficult of a task for someone over 100 kilograms to keep running in ankle-deep snow.

  Currently, only about 100 people were guarding President Wang Jing-wi—his high-ranking officials, and the leaders of his general staff. The rest of his armed guards were in battle with the protesters.

  “Still, try a little bit more. Even if it’s only as far as the village over there.” Chief Guo Jingfei pointed to a small village of more than 30 houses, faintly visible in the darkness beyond the field of snow.

  “F-fine. But let me rest for five minutes!”


  “Yes, do as you like,” replied Chief Guo Jingfei, who bowed, and walked to where the general staff were gathered.

  “Mr. President!” Vice President Chan Wei Ting approached President Wang Jing-wi, seemingly out of nowhere, speaking quietly.

  “What is it?”


  “Sir! The current situation is hopeless. Armed mobs are chasing us from behind, and the general staff has lost contact with all subordinate units, so we’re unable to give orders—”


  “What are you trying to say?” President Wang Jing-wi, slightly annoyed at Vice President Chan Wei Ting’s drawn-out comments, glared at him and cut him off.

  “That is…” Vice President Chan Wei Ting glanced around and whispered into President Wang Jing-wi’s ear. “How about we surrender to Korea?”


  Suddenly, President Wang Jing-wi looked up with his eyes wide open. “Did you just say surrender?”


  “Yes, sir. I did.”


  It seemed from Vice President Chan Wei Ting’s immediate response that all the high-ranking officials of the Center party had already discussed this topic carefully—and had come to the conclusion of surrendering to Korea—without President Wang Jing-wi.

  “Surrender? The New China Army is still in good shape, and all we need to do is get out of here. And you want to surrender? Are you crazy?”


  “Sir! The Korean Army is not the problem here.”


  “Then what are you saying is the problem?”


  “It’s the people. As you’ve said, we can somehow find a way to fight against the Korean Army to the end. But because the citizens have turned against us, even if we get out of here safely, there is no guarantee other locations won’t have protesters who have turned into angry mobs.”


  “Surrender to Korea because of that? The riots are only a temporary situation.”


  “Sir! You have to face reality. We need to start to ensure our safety,” interjected Chairman of the Standing Committee Xiaoyang who had popped up out of nowhere.

  “Face reality? Our safety?”


  “Yes. The protesters have no intention of evacuating, even here, in the middle of the battlefield. Instead, they’re attacking us with a large number of weapons. From this, we can assume just how angered the protesters have become. Also, the scale of the protests has grown so large that we can’t just assume that this is a temporary situation.”


  “So you want to surrender? Do all of you want to be executed as war criminals?”


  “It’s not like that. If we actively show our intention to surrender to Korea now, we’ll at least be able to secure our safety. If we’re ever captured by the protesters, then…” Chairman Xiaoyang was unable to finish his sentence. A moment of heavy silence passed.

  President Wang Jing-wi was able to fully guess what Chairman Xiaoyang was trying to say and he took a bit of time to think.

  “Sir! This is the only way that we can live.” prompted Vice President Chen Wei Ting, breaking the silence after a few minutes.

  President Wang Jing-wi, his thoughts sorted out, stroked his chin once, and began to announce what he had decided. “We can’t surrender to Korea! We’re fully capable of suppressing those mobs. Do not talk about surrendering ever again. Got it?”


  It was a disappointing answer.

  The two high-ranking officials, thinking it would be meaningless to say more, nodded in response and moved toward the other officials.

  “Heh heh, looks like everyone will die.”


  Vice President Chen Wei-ting clicked his tongue and sighed as he turned and walked.

  “We’ll have to see about persuading him again when the opportunity arises.”


  “I do wish we’ll have time for that.”


  Right at that moment, a man came running from a distance, panting. Judging by his attire, he seemed like an officer of the Security Force. “Hurry! Evacuate. The protesters have reached the vicinity. You have to get out of here.”


  At this, the Head of the Security Force, Liu Hao-ran and asked, “How close?”


  “Less than 1 kilometer. You must evacuate quickly.”


  “Damn it!”


  Upon hearing that the armed mobs were right around the corner, all the high-ranking officials and the General Staff, who were resting until now, instinctively began running to the east—including President Wang Jing-wi. All of his exhaustion from just moments ago was seemingly gone. He bolted up like lighting and was quickly escorted by the security force.

  Meanwhile, the 1st tank battalion and the 5th tank company of the 22nd 6th Mechanized Infantry Division (Blue Star), had started up 20 kilometers east of Langfang city. Unlike the rest of the units, they moved at maximum speed, making a detour in an upward direction from Langfang City, and soon turned toward the south.

  January 17, 2024, 07:30 (New China Time: 06:30)

  30 kilometers southwest of Langfang City, Hebei Province, New China

  Behind the small hill, around 30 C-2A1 Black Panther tanks from the 5th company of the 1st tank battalion, lined up horizontally and were put in a lowered position using the kneeling function. Far away in the dark, in the snow covered field, were 100 dark figures running toward the tanks, puffing small, misty clouds into the air.

  It was President Wang Jing-wi and his party, being chased by the protesters who had turned into mobs.

  “These Chinese b*stards are finally walking into the mousetrap on their own!” The commander of tank number 511 and platoon leader Lieutenant Na Tae-kyung muttered, smiling faintly. He had been watching the situation unfold in front of them.

  “I wish I could shoot just once to avenge my fallen comrades,” added Sergeant Kim Ki-il, who had been watching through the same lens as the Lieutenant in place of his broken scope.

  “I do too. But what can we do? The higher-ups have given orders just to scare them… tsk!”


  “Lieutenant! Should we just blow them away with the shots that are only meant to threaten them, and pretend that we didn’t know they were there?”


  “Do you want to be sent to Namhansanseong?”


  “Haha, I’m just joking. I keep thinking of that because that President Wang whatchamacallit is walking around in my line of sight.”


  “Beep! It’s the company commander. It is 06:35 local time! Right now, we will only fire warning shots according to zone as notified beforehand. Do not fire shots at them for revenge or anything else! Keep that in mind. Over!”


  As soon as the order to fire warning shots was given from the company commander, the C-2A1 Black Panther tanks rose simultaneously and fired 120-millimeter plasma shots in the areas assigned to them by platoon.

  Simultaneous explosions echoed throughout the skies and the earth.

  Fragments, mixed with snow and dirt, soared up high. The explosions created a red storm that raged in all directions. The dark figures, assumed to be President Wang Jing-wi and his party, instinctively lowered their bodies and pressed their noses to the ground.

  “Look at those b*stards. Haha,” Lieutenant Na Tae-kyung burst out laughing.

  January 17th, 2024, 07:00 (New China Time: 06:00)

  28 kilometers southwest of Langfang City, Hebei Province, New China

  Pillars of dirt rose everywhere with deafening explosion sounds vibrating along the ground. Commander of operation status, General Ma-ker, who had instinctively fallen forward in the snow, wrapped his hands around his head and shouted as he looked ahead. “Where the hell are they attacking from?”


  “It’s from ahead. We’ve received reports that state sightings of multiple tanks ahead.” An officer of the Security Force, who had been running in the front, reported with his body to the ground.

  “Tanks? Korean Army tanks? Damn! What were the scouts doing while the tanks appeared in front? Sons of b*tches!” General Ma-ker swore at the scouts, not knowing that they had already disappeared from the face of the earth.

  “Commander! I think this path is done for. I’ll look for another route.”


  “Find it this moment!”


  “Yes, sir!”


  The officer gave instructions to the security guards nearby. Upon his orders, they split into groups and spread out in different directions.

  Not long after, the security guards that were running in the direction of 2 o’clock fell to the floor all at once. Several pillars of fire had erupted from 20 meters ahead.

  Those running in the other directions were experiencing the same. Plasma bombs flew in front of the guards running to find a new escape route, creating dirt storms.

  Currently, President Wang Jing-wi and his party were blocked off in the front by the warning shots from the 1st tank battalion’s 5th company. In addition to this, in each of the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock directions, the 6th and 7th companies had formed a horizontal line and had blocked off all paths.

  “W-we’re in trouble. It seems that we’re surrounded,” said the officer of the Security Force to General Ma-ker with a discouraged expression on his face. He had just received reports from returning subordinates.

  “Surrounded? Damn it…”


  Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, General Ma-ker crawled to Chief of General Staff Guo Jingfei, who was with President Wang Jing-wi. “Chief! We’re surrounded by these Korean b*stards.”


  “Are you sure?”


  “Yes, sir. We tried to look for an opening with some men, but they came back without success.”


  “Hah!” At the hopeless report, Chief of Staff Guo Jingfei let out a deep sigh.

  “What? We’re surrounded by Korean b*stards?” President Wang Jing-wi, who was lying flat on the floor surrounded by his guards, jumped up and asked when he heard the general’s report.

  “Probably…” General Chief of Staff Guo Jingfei trailed off, and President Wang Jing-wi’s face changed to one that was filled with fear.

  “W-well, what can we do then?”


  General Chief of Staff Guo Jingfei couldn’t readily respond. Armed mobs were chasing them from behind, and they were blocked off in the front and on the sides by Korean tanks. The reality was depressing.

  “Chief of Staff! Say something! We can’t just die here without doing anything!” President Wang Jing-wi grabbed and shook General Chief of Staff Guo Jingfei by the collar, shouting in anger.

  “I apologize, sir.”


  “Stop saying you’re sorry. Instead, I need you to call somewhere, anywhere, and tell them to send reinforcements here.” President Wang Jing-wi’s voice resounded amidst the continued explosion sounds. At this, others gathered around.

  At that moment, Vice President Chen Wei Ting saw his opportunity. He approached the president and spoke in a low voice so that the others could not overhear, “Mr. President!”


  “What is it?”


  “The situation has worsened! As I suggested earlier, don’t you think that surrendering to Korea is—”


  “That again!” he shouted, grabbing Vice President Chen Wei Ting by the collar, pushing his face into his. It was almost like President Wang Jing-wi had lost his sanity in the current situation. Vice President Chen Wei Ting wasn’t fazed. He continued with a stiff expression on his face.

  “Sir! We must surrender before it is too late. That way we can at least ensure our safety. We can’t just die here like this! Do you think we’ll be able to save our lives when we’re caught by the armed mobs?”


  “W-well, then, do you think Korea will keep us alive?”


  “Yes, I do. If we surrender to them now.”


  “Do you guarantee?”


  “I’ll take responsibility and negotiate with the Korean government.”


  “D-damn it!”


  At the sincere words of the Vice President, President Wang Jing-wi loosened his grip on him. He looked around at the generals and officials surrounding him. “Do you all think so too?”


  But no one could answer, and they kept their mouths firmly shut. Chief of Staff Guo Jingfei shut his eyes as well and didn’t say anything.

  <‘Does it end here? How can it be so miserable?’>

  In the dark dawn, President Wang Jing-wi looked up at the starless sky, as if he was sad for his inability to do anything on the snow covered ground……