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Lee Jae-soon moved swiftly.

He moved as if he were a true fairy, darting around and wielding the secrets he discovered about the higher-ups like weapons, bypassing all protocols to ensure his article got published right away.

The higher-ups, who found themselves in a vulnerable position due to Lee Jae-soon, knew well that what he brought would cause a huge uproar, but they could do nothing but let it through, fully aware that it would strongly oppose the government and power holders without a second thought.

Without even being able to confirm anything properly.

Thus, Lee Jae-soon’s article rose.

Along with the ‘video’ he had obtained through fairy powers.

And as that article went up… public opinion exploded.

Bam!

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* * *

“Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force occupies Dokdo.”

“Dokdo has been snatched by Japan…”

“The Navy’s incompetence. Is this an army protecting the country or thieves wagging their tails?”

“Treating invaders as guests? Is this K-Defense?”

It exploded.

The news.

The anger.

It exploded.

After Lee Jae-soon’s article and video were released, articles began pouring in like crazy, with broadcasting stations frantically using the video Lee posted as material to stir up a scandal. Some stations even sent helicopters straight to the East Sea.

And naturally, the citizens’ fury erupted as well.

Of course, it didn’t break out immediately.

At first, they were suspicious.

“Is there even such a ridiculous misinformation? Just laugh it off.”

But once the video aired and all the channels buzzed about the breaking news, their initial doubts turned into disbelief and frustration.

Japan?

Japan suddenly?

Occupying Dokdo?

Why?

And why didn’t they stop it?

Eventually, that absurdity morphed into anger.

They accepted that Japan occupied Dokdo as truth, and along with that, they also acknowledged the fact that the Korean Navy hadn’t even pretended to stop it but merely watched with blank stares.

Naturally… it exploded.

Aside from those saying, “It could still be misinformation, let’s wait a bit longer,” the rest freaked out over this unbelievably absurd incident they had to believe.

And this fury reached the government.

The emotions of the citizens flow upward from the bottom.

Truly a prime example of a model democratic society.

“I mean…”

The person at the very top.

The President said.

“I guess I have lived quite a long time. Experiencing nonsense like this in my lifetime….”

“…”

“…”

“Hahaha. South Korea truly is a chaotic mess. It’s bizarre that Japan suddenly invaded while the Navy didn’t even stop them. This is just… genuinely amazing, truly amazing…”

The President chuckled with a hint of resignation, then suddenly hardened his expression and glared at the Naval Chief of Staff.

“Can you explain what the hell is going on?”

“Um, that is…”

The Naval Chief of Staff struggled to respond under the President’s fierce gaze.

Seeing this, the President narrowed his eyebrows.

“Why can’t you just answer? Could it be… it’s something I don’t even want to think about, but were you passed out from drinking, or were you drunk, or were you playing golf…? Something like that?”

“No.”

“Then what is it? Did you at least pretend to have a meeting to pass responsibility?”

“That too… No.”

“Then what is it? Were you just passed out sleeping? Or were you out in some remote training area and couldn’t be contacted? Were you fishing on a yacht? Answer me, answer me. Answer-!”

The President suddenly couldn’t hold back the rising anger and shouted. A vein was bulging on his forehead, and his face was as red as if he had been scalded in boiling water. Moreover, the strain he placed on his neck made his veins pop out.

In one hand, he held a long nameplate, shaking in a way that suggested he might hit the Naval Chief of Staff on the head if he didn’t answer right away.

The Chief of Staff, seeing this, squeezed his eyes shut and said,

“Um, I was focused on blocking the article…! So, the response was delayed…!”

“Article?”

The President, not understanding the Naval Chief of Staff’s words, asked blankly again.

“Article? What article are you talking about? The one where they speak of a knight from Europe?”

“No… It’s a newspaper article.”

“New… newspaper article?”

The President mumbled as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“A newspaper article, a newspaper article….”

“…”

“Wait… So right now, you people, focusing hard on blocking a newspaper article, let the neighboring country’s forces invade and occupy Dokdo?”

Huh huh.

Huh huh huh huh.

The President laughed as if he were utterly dumbfounded.

Almost like a person who had lost their mind.

After a while of laughing, the President stopped abruptly and glared harshly at the Naval Chief of Staff.

Then he strode over to him and kicked his joint harshly.

“…!”

Suddenly, the Naval Chief of Staff winced in pain but bit his lip, not letting out a sound.

The President, seeing the Chief of Staff maintain his posture despite the pain, sneered and then dropped the polite speech to hold his anger tightly and said,

“Shut up with your nonsense.”

The force of his words was sharp enough that even other Chiefs of Staff couldn’t help but gulp.

“Just for blocking one article, you’re causing this mess? Was there a scandalous video or something?”

The President mocked the Naval Chief of Staff with anger, his cheeks flushed red enough to make one worry he might pass out.

In response to the President’s mockery, the Naval Chief of Staff squeezed his eyes shut and answered.

“Um, yes.”

That answer was a confirmation.

A yes to the President’s mockery.

“What? Are you joking with me?”

“No. Not that… it’s true.”

“…What?”

“As you said, a scandalous video was filmed…”

The Naval Chief of Staff seemed unable to continue, lowering his head in despair and embarrassment as his voice grew fainter and eventually slipped into a whisper.

Yet still, his words were heard clearly.

The Naval Chief of Staff’s words were heard clearly.

“Huh, hehe hehehe.”

The President laughed.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The others stood with mouths agape, in disbelief.

“You’re saying it was filmed. A video.”

“…Yes.”

“And it seems… it’s not just one?”

“…No, it’s one.”

“Ah, so just one was filmed, but all those stars were… It must have been quite an unusual video. Hahaha. Looks like the military learned about scandalous lifestyles from the Americans. To get caught up in something like this. Hahahahaha.”

The President laughed in resignation.

“Haha. Hahaha. Hahaha….”

He laughed, and laughed again.

“Hahaha… ha!”

And with that laughter, he clenched his fist tightly, and in a surprising burst of speed for his old body, swung the nameplate.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

The nameplate swung by the President struck the Naval Chief of Staff’s head.

This time, the Chief of Staff couldn’t hold it back and let out a low groan.

Blood began to trickle from the spot where the nameplate hit, streaming down his face, covering him in blood.

Yet the President couldn’t calm his fury even while witnessing the Naval Chief of Staff being drenched in blood.

“What kind of management was this-! This mess!”

The President erupted like a volcano in rage.

His last bastion of patience and reason was the only thing keeping him from landing more violence in his fury.

“It’s this kind of bastards holding command that leads to this chaos! What? A video?! No, and! Whether the video was filmed or not, does it even matter? The Japanese have invaded, and you’re worried about some damned video?! It’s these kind of bastards who are calling themselves commanders, sitting on top, and getting beaten like a neighborhood punching bag all the time!”

But even this last thread of patience snapped.

Knock knock.

“What is it?”

“A, a crucial report has arrived!”

The knock brought shocking content with it.

“An anti-ship attack aircraft has been spotted at Japan’s Maekishima base! The number is approximately 50!”

That information was enough to quell the boiling anger in an instant.

“Anti-ship aircraft? The ones Japan uses as missile launchers?”

“…Yes!”

“That missile launcher touted as a stopgap measure to bypass the US-Japan missile agreement. Right?”

“…Yes!”

“…Alright.”

The President closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

At first glance, it seemed like an act to calm his anger.

However, when the President opened his eyes again, a strange craziness glimmered in them.

One corner of his mouth rose, revealing his unrest, while the hand fiddling with the back of his neck unconsciously showed his emotions rising to their limits, making his neck stiff.

With that oddly crazed expression, the President slowly turned his head.

“Army Chief of Staff.”

“Yes!”

“Who was the missile commander?”

“Lieutenant General Kim Dong-kwan!”

“Is that so? Lieutenant General Kim Dong-kwan… Alright. Tell Lieutenant General Kim Dong-kwan.”

The President looked straight into the Army Chief of Staff’s eyes and said,

“Missiles, aim at the Japanese mainland.”

 

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