Chapter 195

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Aiden had been thinking only about life after retirement lately.

Ever since Gwangwoon reduced the White House to a puppet government, he had lost his will to live.

He had also truly despised Gwangwoon.

But now his thoughts had changed.

“After joining the Trinity guild, playing games, and expanding hobbies beyond politics, I’ve even started thinking that I was too buried in one thing and didn’t properly enjoy my later years.”

He had been obsessed with politics when young, and the same when old.

But being separated from politics because of Gwangwoon had led him to a second life.

Paradoxically, he had found a new life thanks to Gwangwoon.

“But what is this to someone who’s about to leave this scene?”

He was tired of politics now.

Even knowing that Gwangwoon was creating the Trinity guild to seize the world, he had no desire to stop them or cooperate with them.

He just wanted to spend his retirement comfortably playing the games he’d recently taken up as a hobby.

But perhaps Gwangwoon wouldn’t allow that.

“A civil war in China!”

Didn’t they say to be careful even of falling leaves in your twilight years?

With less than a year left in his term, a Chinese civil war had broken out.

“The situation is more serious than expected. China was also suffering from food shortages due to floods and crop failure, but cadres monopolized even the existing food, and resentment has reached the heavens. Then the food sent by Gwangwoon arrived via shipping, and that seems to have been the trigger.”

Gwangwoon again.

Honestly, it would be strange if their name wasn’t involved by now.

“America has attempted operations on China numerous times, but not once did they work. Yet it’s been breached?”

It was an open secret that America had conducted countless operations targeting China.

Even so, the Chinese Communist Party hadn’t wavered.

In fact, American politics was shaken by China far more often.

“Moreover, China has strict surveillance, right?”

“Yes. They have a system where everyone monitors each other, but the problem is that instead of monitoring each other, they’re joining hands, so the system isn’t functioning properly.”

What was fatal was that the central army, which should have stopped armies showing signs of rebellion, betrayed the Communist Party and occupied Guangzhou Port.

“So, what’s the current situation?”

“The Chinese central government is also very confused by the rebellion of the central army rather than the Reform Faction. Still, they seem to be quickly gathering forces to retake Guangzhou Port, but the problem is if they conduct airstrikes or bomb incorrectly, they could lose all the food they received from Gwangwoon.”

The Chinese government would also be at a loss.

Even if they wanted to bomb, doing so would blow away the precious food.

“They could bomb while avoiding where the food is, but the commander named Tian Jiang currently occupying Guangzhou Port has apparently placed food everywhere. So China can’t carelessly bomb.”

“Smart move. But surely the central army can break through one port?”

“Breaking through wouldn’t be a problem, but what Tian Jiang did wasn’t a solo act. We still can’t gauge how many of the numerous troops in the Southern Theater have turned against the central government. They might pretend to follow central government control at first and then stab them in the back.”

The Chinese government was worried about that too.

The reason they can’t carelessly move the central army now is because they can’t be sure who is on the government’s side.

“Plus, upon hearing that Guangzhou Port was occupied, other military units are showing signs of rising up. In other words, they could split into dozens or hundreds of parts. Then central control effectively disappears, and they’ll have to fight until one final victor emerges.”

In other words, China could once again be divided with borders split into dozens.

“What’s the possibility of nuclear war?”

“Only Chairman Li Jinping can authorize nuclear launches. Even if a specific unit secures nuclear missiles, launching is impossible without Chairman Li Jinping’s authorization code. Also, most nuclear missile components are kept separated, so unless Li Jinping deliberately decides to fire, the probability of a nuke going off inside China is low.”

Nuclear missiles are truly a last resort. And they shouldn’t be handled carelessly.

Because current nuclear weapons have power hundreds of times stronger than what fell on Hiroshima.

Since nuclear weapons are weapons that should never be used even until the final moment, complex safety measures were put in place so no one could steal and use them.

“Even when the Soviet Union’s system was collapsing, nukes didn’t go off, and Pakistan also had several military coups but nuclear weapons remained intact. Plus, Li Jinping isn’t stupid. Using nuclear weapons on the mainland doesn’t make sense, and if he launches, there’s a possibility that we Americans and surrounding countries would all launch nuclear missiles, so he would know it’s suicide.”

“Then what should we do now?”

“There’s no choice but to strengthen nearby security. We Americans have no justification to intervene, and no need to either.”

“The real problem is production. If the civil war spreads like this and war breaks out across all of China, it means Chinese factories handling global production will all stop.”

Aiden’s head was throbbing.

In the past, he had wished for a civil war in China through American operations, hoping they would fight each other and the system would collapse.

But now, at this moment when he’s about to close the curtain on his political life, suddenly a civil war in China.

In his heart, he only hoped China would somehow find peace again.

“But if Gwangwoon is behind this…”

“Gwangwoon is 100% behind it. Didn’t they insert the KW Exchange into China to supply military funds, and push supplies all at once to Guangzhou Port? There’s clear intent.”

In other words, since it was a war triggered by Gwangwoon, there was no way it would end easily.

***

“…”

I was deeply shocked by the thunderbolt-like reports coming in one after another.

“So you’re saying that army occupied the entire area and the food we sent is stuck there?”

“Yes. They’re blocking all of it from being distributed in China. Other military forces have joined in and are even constructing new fortifications centered around Guangzhou.”

This wasn’t just a military conflict. They had really occupied an entire region, made it into a defensive facility, and were preparing for urban warfare.

“But fortunately, our ships and crew weren’t harmed.”

That was fortunate, but honestly, I was a bit angry.

China is currently facing a critical crisis.

Don’t they say this is the best-fed and best-living era since ancient times?

While Africa experiences famine, it’s rare for a place like China to experience hunger.

But the food crisis had accelerated due to floods and crop failure from global warming, and China is now overflowing with people who urgently need food.

“How can someone raise an army at a time like this to monopolize food?”

When they should be soothing people suffering from hunger, someone selfishly did this to survive alone.

“Rather, they thought this was the optimal opportunity. The Chinese regime was originally an iron fortress, wasn’t it? With strict surveillance preventing coups. But now it’s different. Anyone can establish a new regime and seize the throne.”

I don’t care who sits on the throne. I’m just angry that they don’t even care about people’s lives for their own ambitions.

“Is there any word from the Chinese government?”

“They also didn’t expect this at all and seem to be panicking a lot. Most importantly, it looks like confusion will worsen since the food that was supposed to arrive has been blocked.”

“Any talk of purchasing additional food?”

“There was some talk, but they seem hesitant because they don’t know what demands we’ll make, and the cost won’t be small either.”

Initially, we inserted our KW Exchange and received a pretty high price.

But I had no thought of playing games with prices when the situation was flowing this extremely.

“Tell them we’ll make the price as cheap as possible, almost at cost.”

“What? P-President. But if we do that, our losses…”

“We’re making a lot of money elsewhere. Plus, even if it’s not our responsibility, this food delivery did indirectly affect the coup. Please tell them we’ll procure again as cheaply as possible. No matter what, we should prevent a huge war from breaking out because of food.”

It would be terrible for Chinese people, and if things went wrong, the aftermath of that war could splash onto our country too.

I wanted to prevent at least that.

“As expected… You’re the only one who thinks of human lives before money, President.”

“Phew. Why would you say that? Of course human lives come first. That’s basic.”

“But with this much money on the line, I would have pondered for quite a while.”

Manager’s words made me a bit embarrassed.

Honestly, it’s not that great a thing.

Money can’t be more precious than human lives.

“Please negotiate quickly with the Chinese government so that this time we don’t dump everything into one port but distribute it to multiple ports that the Chinese government can control. Oh, and with the Chinese government’s permission, mobilize Sentinel to thoroughly escort our ships and crew so they’re not attacked by rebels.”

“Yes. I’ll convey that exactly.”

Israel and Hamas.

Ukraine and Russia.

And now the civil war that broke out in China.

“…”

Is World War III really about to happen?

***

Anthony Watson tilted his head at the headquarters directive that came to Sentinel.

“What did headquarters say to do?”

“They say they’ll transport food to multiple Chinese ports via shipping. An even larger quantity than before.”

“And our Sentinel will escort it?”

“Yes. Exceptionally, they obtained permission from the Chinese government and armaments are allowed. Some areas will have the central navy come out in advance to provide escort.”

That China allowed armaments in their waters.

They must have really been desperate.

“But… am I the only one who thinks this is strange?”

Distributing food to multiple ports looks reasonable on the surface.

Since Guangzhou Port was occupied, they’re securing food at ports the central army can control.

“But what if those ports are also seized by other warlords?”

“That’s not all. Using escort as a pretext, this is also an excellent opportunity to secretly infiltrate Sentinel agents across China.”

China blocks intelligence activities so much that it’s not easy to expand reach there.

But they can expand it through this opportunity.

“And look at the quantity of this food. What happens if this is distributed to each port?”

“As you said, it can sufficiently make other warlords’ eyes roll and be used as supplies.”

“Right, exactly that. Supplies.”

Since ancient times, ancestors said this about war.

For victory: first supplies, second supplies, third supplies.

In other words, without supplies, even the finest army is bound to collapse.

The coup at Guangzhou Port happened precisely because of that supply problem.

The warlords understand well too.

That they can only win the war if they seize food now.

“Gwangwoon obviously knows that too. If this food goes to the central government now, will it really go to the people? Look at North Korea. They give food every time, but they don’t distribute it to the people. They only fill their own pockets.”

China is the same.

They will never share the food coming from Gwangwoon with the people.

In this period when coups are about to break out in multiple places, they absolutely must save the food.

“So this is… Gwangwoon deliberately sending food to multiple places.”

“Right. Gwangwoon is even sending food at cost, meaning in short, Gwangwoon is supplying the warlords. It’s like inciting coups from various regions. Plus, Gwangwoon has nothing to lose. Stock prices got destroyed because of the Chinese civil war, and Gwangwoon actually made money.”

Before this incident, Gwangwoon had made a big bet that the Chinese stock market would crash.

“They must have saved the food costs with that.”

“But the Chinese government couldn’t have not known that.”

“You think the Chinese government doesn’t know Gwangwoon’s intentions right now? They know and still have no choice but to take the hit. Are they going to refuse the food Gwangwoon is offering at a bargain price? No matter what, they’ll try to receive and protect that food. While one side tries to steal it.”

Then ultimately a major military conflict would occur.

“Gwangwoon is just laughing from behind while throwing firewood. Only the Chinese army is burning fiercely.”

The Chinese government, knowing this yet having to take it, must be fuming inside.

But what can they do?

The firewood Gwangwoon threw has already fallen into the fire and is burning bright.

End