The World's Gaze
In the wake of the embassy arson, the eyes of the world locked onto Korea and China.
China poured out its fury over the incident with volcanic intensity.
"Regarding the accident that occurred in Korea, China expresses its very extremely powerful regret."
Question marks bloomed across every reporter's face at that peculiar phrasing.
What the hell is that even supposed to mean?
They understood "regret," but stringing together modifiers like "very extremely powerful" made the whole thing sound profoundly idiotic. Piling on too many strong words had that effect.
"And how do you intend to respond?"
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson answered with a face set in stone.
"Korea will receive China's stern warning."
"A military warning?"
"…No such barbaric measures will be taken. Official protests will follow."
The reporters murmured among themselves.
"Their embassy burned down and they're just going to protest?"
"I heard there were no fatalities."
"What does 'very extremely powerful regret' even mean?"
Hearing that, the spokesperson cursed silently. Who would want to say something this stupid?
But war had to be avoided. At the same time, national face had to be preserved. An impossible bind.
For the record, these were Chairman Mao's orders. An embassy had burned — they couldn't simply do nothing — so the press had been summoned. To avoid war, the rhetoric had to stay within certain bounds. To save face, it also had to sound tough. The result of that collision was the ridiculous phrase "very extremely powerful regret."
He had badgered his subordinates again and again — Is this really the best we can do? — but no clever alternative had emerged.
"That is all."
The spokesperson, face plated in iron, fled the podium in haste. He had no desire to linger and field any more awkward questions.
"?"
The reporters stared blankly after the vanishing spokesperson.
Unfortunately for China, which wanted to avoid war, Korea wanted one. And so the following official statement was issued.
"While the burning of the embassy is a regrettable disaster, this was an accident caused by a stray spark during the traditional game of rat-fire play. We therefore cannot understand why China would express regret toward us."
In truth, they had marched over with torches and oil and set the place ablaze in plain sight. Yes — it had been a torchlight demonstration. Officially, however, it was to be called an accident during rat-fire play.
"Er… what exactly does that mean?"
A reporter requested clarification of the baffling claim, and Korea helpfully obliged.
"This is China's fault for failing to put out the fire."
Korea 3, still carrying a residual streak of Korea 2's influence, made it clear that the problem lay with what the victim had suffered. China would have to prove for itself that it was the injured party!
This was classic Korea 2-style logic. Fortunately, Korea 3 applied that brand of reasoning only to its enemies.
"Excuse me?"
Foreign reporters' jaws dropped at the brazen reply. Blatant mockery followed in short order.
China trembled with rage.
And yet you still can't do a thing about it, can you?
Chinese troops reinforced along the border in preparation for war answered Korea's taunts.
We can.
Confirming the Chinese military's movements, Korea gleefully seized the microphone once more.
"China is clearly revealing its intent to invade Korea! Look at those troop reinforcements! This is unmistakable evidence that they mean to start a war!"
Foreign observers, having confirmed that hundreds of thousands of additional troops had indeed been deployed, sharpened their gazes.
"China must exercise restraint."
"Withdraw your forces from the border at once."
"War is an unforgivable crime!"
China seethed under the world's condemnation. Korea had crammed nearly its entire military up against the border — so why was all the outrage directed only at them?
"The increase in border forces is not for the purpose of starting a war, but for defense."
China stated the plain truth. But to other nations, the claim reeked of suspicion. Who would believe "it's for defense" from a country that had just massively reinforced its border?
Korea does look like it's about to attack, though.
The Manchuria reclamation attempt is already on the calendar.
Well, here it comes.
The whole world believed it. Astonishingly, nearly every nation thought exactly that in private. The reason they condemned China in public was simple.
"Boooo!!! The government must stop this war!"
"We have to help Korea!"
"We want peace!"
To ordinary citizens, those troop reinforcements were clear signs that China intended to attack Korea.
"These idiots. Are the embassies withdrawing from China just decoration?"
The Philippine president lamented as he watched his own people's uproar. His aide asked a question.
"Then why not just say so?"
"Tsk tsk. That's why you're still an aide. Unlike China, there was no withdrawal of the American or Soviet embassies from Korea. You look at that and feel nothing?"
The aide, briefly stung by the sarcasm, grasped the situation the moment the president spelled it out so clearly.
"…America and the Soviet Union have taken Korea's side?"
"Exactly. So now you know which side to line up on, don't you? Criticize Korea here and see what happens to us."
The aide felt a small flicker of admiration — so this was why the man was president. He had always assumed any fool could rake in dirty money; now he deeply reconsidered. That, too, required talent. Of course, people who displayed such talent properly belonged in prison, but the world did not work that way. Every nation on Earth was living proof of it!
"Then if we join Korea's side, couldn't we get something out of it?"
The aide spoke with an expectant face, already tasting the scraps that would fall from the war. The president answered flatly.
"If Korea were losing, sure. But pile on while Korea is winning and they'll just be annoyed."
"Still — isn't this a war worth joining even if we have to shamelessly force our way in?"
The president stared at him. Did I say something wrong? the aide wondered, reading the room. Seeing that, the president let out a long sigh.
"Haaaah… Think about our level before you open your mouth. Are you trying to ruin this country?"
He'd stuck a relative in as aide, and this was the garbage that came out. While the president thought that, the aide was still dreaming rosy dreams.
"But just sending troops should get us something, shouldn't it?"
"Oh, it would."
The aide couldn't hide his excitement. I knew it!
"You'd get artillery shells."
"…What?"
"Read the room. If someone's eating a steak and you just cut off a piece for yourself, do you think they'll be angry or not?"
Even after that blunt metaphor, the aide pushed back again.
"If the chance to grab a gold bar means eating a little humble pie, shouldn't you take it?"
The president could no longer hold it in and unleashed a full-volume shout.
"After you eat that gold bar, the owner of the gold is going to swing a knife! You insane bastard! Who exactly do you think is going to protect us? Huh? Would you fight Korea for our sake? After we pulled a blatantly freeloading stunt? You don't give them even the smallest pretext! Absolutely not!"
Under the president's volcanic rage, the aide muttered under his breath.
"They wouldn't go to war over something like that…"
"That's your wishful thinking! Don't you see how ugly the atmosphere has gotten lately? India suddenly went off the rails — and you want us spouting nonsense about neutrality? Huh?"
The omens of a world-scorching war were visible everywhere. In a situation like this, deliberately provoking a country clearly stronger than your own was pure insanity.
"So we're just staying neutral?"
"Yes. We do not get involved in a war between China and Korea. Not unless Korea asks."
Even as he spoke firmly, the president privately found himself eyeing the fat scraps that would fall from China. With America and the Soviet Union confirmed to be quietly backing Korea, Korea's victory was certain. So if Korea ever looked strained and started losing ground, he planned to carefully inquire whether he might send support troops. The problem was that, from where he sat, Korea did not look like it was going to lose.
"They say you never know how a war will go, but the gap is just too wide."
"China is a great power, though."
Like most ordinary people, the aide vaguely assumed China was somewhat stronger. Politicians of every nation thought nothing of the sort. Roughly equal, or Korea a bit stronger — that was their view. In reality, it wasn't even that close.
"You pathetic fool — Korea is the strong one."
As a VIP of Korean tourism, the president was one hundred percent certain that if China and Korea fought, Korea would win. He had been lucky enough to witness a Korean superhuman unleashing power with his own eyes. He had nearly gone missing because of it.
"What? Even so, the difference in land mass and population is extreme."
"Then why are India and China sitting below the Three Powers? Use your head. The superhuman gap between those two countries is enormous."
"Are superhumans really that strong?"
People from the Philippines, a superhuman wasteland, had no real grasp of how powerful they were.
"You know Hitler? How do you think that monster conquered Europe? Anyway, war is locked in, and we need to read the room carefully. So stop talking nonsense."
"Yes, sir."
Just as the Philippines had reached this conclusion, many nations entered a watch-and-wait posture, praying no sparks would fly their way.
"We are unconditionally neutral. So do nothing."
India, which had politely declined America's covert proposal, resolved to make no intervention whatsoever in the impending Korea-China war, determined to stay clear of the fighting. Getting tangled up here and being dragged into a war between America and Germany was something they would rather avoid.
"I'd love to get involved. Just one bite… one little bite…"
Unlike the previous two countries, Vietnam fretted and decided to quietly sound out its neighbors' true intentions.
Alone, we are weak. But together… we are stro—
"Neutral."
"We'll stay out of it."
There was no "we"!
Not a single country wanted to join this gamble. Confirming that India and the Philippines were holding absolute neutrality, Vietnam decided to follow the prevailing current. For the record, it did not bother asking the wicked communist nations.
And as if waiting for every nation's intentions to settle, news of the outbreak of war between Korea and China slammed into the world.