Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Operation Polar Bear
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“Welcome.”
The atmosphere at the Blue House was grim.
The Director of the National Intelligence Service, who had kept his position through the change in administration, explained the reason for my summons as he led me to a conference room.
“We’re going to need your connections at the U.S. Department of Defense, Chairman Jin.”
“What….”
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him.
Frankly, when it came to connections with the U.S., didn’t the NIS Director have a wider network than I did?
As if understanding my expression, he continued his explanation.
“Unlike me, you have personal relationships, Chairman Jin. Especially with the military.”
“What on earth is going on?”
“You’ll see when we go inside.”
With that, the NIS Director gave me a gentle push on the back, his expression serious.
We arrived at the main conference room of the Blue House.
The moment the door opened, I saw a room filled with numerous military generals and newly appointed government officials.
“Please, have a seat here.”
The new president smiled at me and offered a seat.
A quick glance at the conference room screen showed a map and was filled with photos of the members of our military's dispatched medical support team.
A sudden, ominous feeling washed over me.
“Has something happened to the medical support team dispatched to Afghanistan?”
“That is correct.”
The answer came from the president.
As I quietly took a seat at his urging, he continued.
“Early yesterday morning, medical staff from the 924th Medical Support Unit were abducted by armed militants.”
“……”
That, too, was something that had never happened in the original timeline.
There had been kidnapping incidents involving our citizens in the Middle East, but those had always targeted civilians.
And even those weren't supposed to happen for several more years.
“We are currently working with the U.S. Department of Defense to find a solution, and we were hoping for your assistance, Chairman Jin.”
“What do you need me to do?”
I snapped back to reality and asked.
He gave a wry smile, as if the situation itself displeased him.
“Our government plans to dispatch the Commander of the Special Warfare Command along with some troops to resolve the situation.”
“……”
“The problem is, even though the U.S. government has promised to cooperate, there’s a question of whether that will be properly upheld on the ground. Fortunately, the field commander, General Emerson, is said to be a close friend of General Michael at the Pentagon. And, as you know, General Michael is also a close associate of yours.”
“Ah…”
I finally understood why they had called me.
Given the gravity of the situation, the U.S. government would cooperate, but the extent of that cooperation often depends on the disposition of the commander on the ground.
The government was worried our opinions might be ignored during the rescue operation and was trying to mobilize every connection they had.
“I understand. I will urge them to cooperate as much as possible.”
I gave a short reply and looked at the screen to get a better grasp of the situation.
“Chairman Jin?”
The president called my name.
Wondering what else there could be, I turned my head, and he said something startling.
“I’m sorry to ask, but since you’re already helping, I’d be grateful if you could see this through to the end.”
“……”
******
“We are receiving real-time updates on the local situation via a U.S. Department of Defense satellite.”
Two days later, I was called back to the Blue House.
As a civilian, I couldn't enter the command and control center within the Blue House.
Instead, I and several other external advisors were in a temporary task force room set up in a corner of the conference room, communicating with the control center via a screen.
“You’re connected to the field via a U.S. Department of Defense communications satellite. If you have anything to say, press this button and speak.”
I nodded at the Chief of Staff’s words and focused on the screen.
A call was already in progress between the Special Warfare Commander, who seemed to have arrived on-site, and the control center.
Thankfully, the conversation was being broadcast through the speakers, so I could get a general sense of what was happening.
-We don’t have access to the field command and control center, so we have no idea how the operation is progressing.
The commander lamented the difficulties he had faced from day one.
As expected, while the U.S. government had promised maximum cooperation, the reality on the ground was not so simple.
It wasn't entirely unreasonable. A SCIF is where all sorts of critical intelligence is exchanged, from the operational status of U.S. drones in the Middle East to other key information. Allowing an outsider into such a secretive space would not be an easy decision.
[General Michael.]
I called Michael without delay.
I quickly explained the situation and asked for his cooperation, but he too was hesitant.
-Still, access to the SCIF is a bit…
[If our troops are on the ground and casualties occur because we couldn't act, public opinion here will turn extremely negative. In that case, public sentiment could shift to a widespread questioning of our relationship with the United States. Wouldn't that make the situation even more difficult?]
I used every excuse I could think of to persuade him.
Perhaps concerned by the mention of deteriorating public opinion regarding America's attitude, Michael asked for some time and hung up. An hour later, he called back with a positive response.
-Fortunately, it’s been approved by the higher-ups. I’ve contacted the field commander, so tell your man to join the control center immediately.
[Thank you. If you ever come to Korea, I'll treat you to a great meal.]
-Don't mention it. We're friends.
The phrase "we're friends" coming from him struck me in a new way.
Just as a wry laugh escaped my lips at the thought that this was why connections were so important, he delivered another piece of unexpected news.
-By the way, since things have come to this, our Department of Defense was hoping to transfer command authority for this rescue operation to the South Korean Special Warfare Commander. What would you like to do about that?
That was a decision I couldn't make on my own.
I relayed the information to the president, who then asked the Special Warfare Commander for his opinion. The commander replied that as long as the support was solid, that would be better.
[Excellent. Our forces will take operational command.]
I immediately called Michael back to inform him.
His voice brightened as he promised to provide all possible support. Then, as if remembering something, he let out a short "Ah!"
-Come to think of it, I forgot the Polar Bear is deployed over there for operational field testing. How about using it for the rescue mission?
[…The Polar Bear is on-site?]
That was very welcome news to me.
Even if they were rebels, their armaments were on par with a regular army.
Using the Polar Bear instead of a standard Humvee would be much safer for our soldiers.
I readily agreed and asked for his cooperation, to which Michael let out a hearty laugh.
-I didn't expect things to turn out this way. In any case, I'll pass that along to the field commander as well, so don't you worry.
Thinking that the heavens were on our side, I immediately relayed the news to the president.
“Is that true?”
The president’s expression brightened considerably upon hearing the report, and the Special Warfare Commander, when informed, also let out a sigh of relief.
-That's a relief. Honestly, I was dreading the thought of conducting this operation with nothing but tactical vehicles like Humvees. With a vehicle as protected as the Polar Bear, we have a fighting chance.
“I apologize, but may I make a suggestion at this point?”
I relayed a few possible scenarios for when the Polar Bear was deployed in the operation.
A long silence followed.
Worried the call might have dropped, I tapped the receiver, and finally, the commander’s voice came through.
-If that works, I'll kiss your feet the moment I get back to Korea, Chairman Jin.
“……”
******
“First squad, all clear!”
“Second squad, all clear!”
Jeon In-tae, the Commander of the Special Warfare Command, calmed his trembling heart and looked at the troops waiting to depart.
The number of special warfare troops deployed from our side alone was 50.
Including the support troops from the U.S. military, the total personnel for this operation reached 150.
Simply put, the lives of all those soldiers rested in his hands.
He took several deep breaths and approached the operations board.
“According to a report from U.S. military intelligence, the 20 captured medical staff are being held in two separate compounds. Therefore, we will also divide our operational personnel into two groups.”
“……”
The special warfare troops looked at each other at his words.
As if understanding the reason for their murmuring, Commander Jeon In-tae continued his explanation.
“For an efficient operation, it would be best to divide by Korean and U.S. forces, but that could make it difficult to respond to unexpected situations. Therefore, we will mix the two teams with an appropriate ratio, and the lead team will take the Polar Bears first.”
As soon as the words were translated, the U.S. soldiers raised their hands.
They were all shouting for Team A.
In other words, they were all volunteering to be the lead team, an attitude the Korean soldiers found utterly incomprehensible, blinking in confusion.
“Mount up!”
After a lengthy debate, the lead team was finally formed with a balanced mix of personnel.
The operation began shortly after.
Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong, riding in the lead vehicle, cautiously asked the American soldier driving as they neared the operation area.
[Why is everyone so desperate to be in the lead squad, which is basically cannon fodder?]
*Pfft.*
The American sergeant chuckled at the question.
He tapped the steering wheel he was holding and said something unexpected.
[We’re betting on the option with the highest chance of survival.]
[…]
Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong tilted his head in confusion.
The American sergeant just gave another faint smile and clammed up after saying, "You'll see soon enough."
“What the hell does that…”
*BOOM!*
A heavy impact cut him off.
At the same time, the American sergeant let out a short "Tsk!" and quickly gripped the steering wheel with both hands, shouting to Master Sergeant Kim and the soldiers riding behind him.
[Get down!]
*BOOM!*
Along with the sergeant's warning, another heavy impact sounded.
“An anti-materiel rifle?”
Realizing the situation, Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong quickly scanned the area to pinpoint the direction of the shot. At that moment, a whistling sound came from somewhere.
[RPG!]
The American sergeant driving yelled as he wrenched the steering wheel.
*KABOOM!*
An explosion roared.
Fortunately, it wasn't a direct hit. The vehicle swerved sharply once and then rolled over.
“Ugh!”
Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong immediately checked the inside of the overturned Polar Bear.
Although part of the rear was blown off, the interior damage seemed minimal.
As if to prove it, the American soldiers in the back seat were already flinging the doors open and scrambling out of the vehicle.
[Mr. Kim!]
Hearing someone call his name, he quickly unbuckled his belt.
The thought that crossed his mind as he opened the door and got out was how on earth he was still alive.
But before he could dwell on it, the second Polar Bear following behind them was suddenly launched into the air.
*BOOM!*
“An IED?”
Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong let out a gasp and waved at the other vehicles following behind to warn them of the danger.
*THUD!*
The Polar Bear that had been thrown into the air crashed back down to the ground. Sensing major damage, Master Sergeant Kim immediately ran to rescue his comrades.
*VROOOM!*
Just then, the second Polar Bear, which had just fallen, sped toward his position as if nothing had happened.
Although a tire was shredded, its mobility was intact.
‘It can still move after taking a hit like that?’
He pushed aside his astonishment and quickly ran back toward his own overturned vehicle, constantly scanning the surroundings to find the direction the RPG had come from.
*RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!*
The third Polar Bear, having seen the first two get hit, began to return fire with its machine gun.
This created a small window of opportunity.
His team quickly used the overturned vehicle as cover and joined the firefight.
*CLICK-CLACK!*
Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong immediately loaded his sniper rifle.
As he aimed his scope at the spot he had noted earlier, he saw a head slowly pop up in the distance.
*BOOM!*
Master Sergeant Kim pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The RPG gunner’s head snapped back.
His startled comrade quickly ducked and tried to flee, but he collapsed after taking only a few steps.
*BOOM!*
A 40mm guided missile fired from an allied position obliterated their cover.
Grenades and 40mm guided missiles rained down continuously on the enemies trying to scatter.
It was a scene straight out of hell.
The firepower was so overwhelming that not another shot was fired from their side.
[Whoa! Mr. Kim. Your sniping skills are no joke.]
As the situation quieted down, the American sergeant who had been driving gave Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong a thumbs-up.
Only then did a sense of relief wash over him.
A belated thought struck him, and he checked the rear vehicles, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
“Everyone’s okay after all that?”
******
*VROOOOM!*
After the firefight, the operation team began moving again.
The vehicle Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong was now riding in was the very one that had been targeted by the RPG and had rolled over.
The fact that it could still operate without issue was hard for him to believe.
“Now I get why the American guys were so insistent on being in the lead squad to ride in this thing.”
He shook his head, unable to hold back a wry laugh.
*Ksshhk!*
A sound came over the radio.
He quickly responded, and the voice of Captain Kim Soo-hwan from the third vehicle came through.
-Master Sergeant Kim. We're taking the lead.
“Is something wrong?”
Master Sergeant Kim questioned the sudden request to change the lead.
An order he received from the commander before the operation began flashed through his mind.
After a quick glance to check the vehicle's condition again, Master Sergeant Kim Woong-pyeong waved at the vehicle behind him and said.
“Good luck. No, honestly, I don't think you'll even need luck.”