Empire of the Ring

Chapter 677: Playing the Innocent (1)

China was furious when Russia said it would provide Kazakhstan with military satellites following nuclear submarines.

It was exerting diplomatic pressure by summoning even the Chinese ambassadors residing in Russia.

It was, of course, nerve-wracking for China to think that surveillance satellites, which could offer a glimpse into China, were floating right above it.

“It’s not even funny. The satellite China put up is fine, but we can’t do it? So, are they now telling us that we need China’s permission when trading strategic goods?” Park Jong-il complained.

“Why are you making a fuss with the obvious response? Didn’t you say we shouldn’t provoke China before?”

“It’s not the same situation as it was then. We even have nuclear submarines. There’s nothing to fear anymore.”

“Alright. How is Russia reacting to this?”

“The Russian media is furious about China’s reaction too. I don’t think Russia is pressured by China. The Russian government is also considering summoning its ambassadors in China.”

“Great. I hope this leads Russia to cancel the trade of its nuclear submarine technology to China.”

“If the situation continues to escalate, that is highly possible.”

“Shall we take this opportunity to take it to another level?”

“How?”

“I’m going to ask the Russian government to upgrade the nuclear submarine under repair.”

“Isn’t it already at the level that can overwhelm the armed forces of China?”

“I heard it from Putin during our private meeting…”

“Heard what??”

Anxious to hear the rest, Park Jong-il urged Youngho.

“When I said we need a weapon, he said he could offer anything but a nuclear warhead, so go find out what’s the most accurate missile in the Russian Navy these days.”

“I don’t need to do another research. I already know one but… Alright, I think the Sineva missiles are the best of them. It has a range of more than 8,000 kilometers and can be hit with precision.”

“Whoa, sounds great. Then shall I ask for it? I’d like to see China’s reaction to it.”

“It’s a ballistic missile. Will Putin give it to us?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not nuclear. He promised he would offer any weapon at a factory cost.”

With a range of 8,000 kilometers, it was an attack weapon that could target all of China even from Southeast Asian waters. For China, it would be appalling.

“When China comes out like that, Russia will hand over the weapon without a word. We have to push it when they’re upset with each other. I don’t think we’re going to have a great chance like this.”

“That’s true. We have nothing to lose.”

“I can’t wait to see how furious China would be when we mention the Sineva missiles.”

“Hahaha… Let’s see.”

“I’m going to bring it in no matter what, so look forward to it. It would be worth seeing if we secure a ballistic missile following military satellites.”

“It would be awesome if we put tactical nuclear warheads on it.”

“Hey! What are you talking about? Are you crazy?”

“If anything happens to fly a ballistic missile, the situation is already out of control. Who will find out if we put a couple of nuclear warheads just in case?”

“Then I’ll have to get them quietly so as not to be rumored.”

“It would be incomplete if a nuclear submarine doesn’t have that kind of missile.”

***

“Mr. President. Thank you for the nice gift.”

-Thank you very much for giving Russia a chance. Thanks to this, our economic situation will be relieved a little.

It was hard to believe that the country would recover its economy just by an order of a few satellites, but it was something that would not end with just one purchase order. The satellite must be replaced and kept in orbit to get more information.

“How can I trust other space stations when we have Baikonur Cosmodrome?”

-Hahaha… Thanks to you, I’m sleeping with my legs straight these days.

“Then we should launch more satellites.”

-You already know you would need more satellites eventually.

“…”

-One of the navigational satellites we’ve commissioned won’t cover the entire area. The Science and Technology Department says that there should be at least four or five satellites. And you know that each satellite has a different life span, so you have to launch one from time to time.

Youngho knew that the amount of information that could be obtained from satellites changed by their number.

Only when the information was received in real-time could the government take proper action, and what Kazakhstan was going to have was not enough.

“Well, please make three more, but is it okay if China is trying to intervene like now?” Curious to know how Putin would react, Youngho asked.

-China has been so proud these days, and it’ll regret it someday. How dare it interfere in our domestic affairs…

Putin seemed to be very angry, too. In this atmosphere, the two countries’ relations would continue to be cold for the time being.

“So I’d like to ask you a favor. I’m thinking about putting a ballistic missile on a nuclear submarine that’s currently being overhauled.”

-What kind of missiles do you need? Let me know if you have anything in mind.

“I need a long-range missile. I’m interested in a missile called the Sineva, and it has a range of over 8,000 kilometers.”

Putin might not be fully aware of Russian missiles, so Youngho even recited them to the range.

-A missile with such a long range might be a little difficult to sell. If Kazakhstan had the missile, it would scare Western countries as well as China.

“It’s just for deterrence. I have no intention of using it in real life.”

-You’ll have to do that. The moment you use it, the world can be in danger.

It was a weapon that could lead to a world war if used incorrectly.

Putin was also warning not to mess with Russia with it.

“I know what you’re saying. The Kazakh royal family will remain a Russian ally in any case.”

-You touch me with your words, Your Highness. I heard that the friend who stays when you are in need is a true friend.

“When Russia goes down, Kazakhstan will also get in trouble. You don’t have to thank me.”

Youngho was being modest, but it was the fact that Russia was having a hard time, and Kazakhstan had helped it greatly.

-I reached out to China because I didn’t have anywhere to lean on, and it’s trying to crawl to the top of my head. The Kazakh royal family is quite different from the Chinese government.

“I hope China will realize that one day.”

-Great expectations lead to great disappointment. China will be increasingly greedy. The reason why Russia helps Kazakhstan arm itself is because we know China’s greed. You did a great job of bringing Tajikistan to the federal government this time. If it weren’t for Kazakhstan, all the weaker countries in Central Asia would have fallen into the hands of China.

“It’s a loose federal system that only helps with defense and foreign affairs. Once Tajikistan can stand up on its own, it will go its own way.”

In front of Putin, Youngho could not say Kazakhstan would hold on to the federal powers until the end. In fact, it was Russia that had spent a lot of money and worked hard to stabilize Tajikistan.

-Rumors have it that the Tajik people voted for the Kazakh royal family. Would they want to go back to the way they used to be?

“If they want to return it to a sovereign state, I’ll help them, but if it’s because of the greed of some politicians, I’ll leave it to the choice of the majority of the people if they want to.”

-Although Russia has been working hard on Tajikistan, it is fortunate that Kazakhstan took it over, not China.

It must have been hard for Russia to pay attention to other countries in the face of overwhelming domestic demand.

Tajikistan was still pro-Russian enough to have Russian troops after becoming an independent state, which was forced to leave and withdraw leaving it to Kazakhstan because of the worsening economic situation.

Judging by the fact that Putin was glad that Kazakhstan took over the country rather than China, it was obvious that Russia was wary of China.

China almost panicked when Russia said it would provide ballistic missiles to Kazakhstan. Chinese media attacked Russia and Kazakhstan day after day for undermining military balance in the region even though the military balance had never been achieved so far.

“It’s a sight. The Chinese government is saying it’s proud to have reduced their forces. Wasn’t it part of the military modernization that they reduced their forces?”

“I mean, it’s not funny that they have two million elite soldiers and say that we have a military balance.”

Cho Chul-hwan, who entered the office, was watching the TV screen with a look of surprise.

“Are you here to watch TV or to report?”

“Oh, I forgot about that. The underground shelter is almost complete, so look around and check if there’s anything missing.”

“You take care of that.”

“I put everything you ordered, but I just wanted to double-check. I should listen to a lot of people’s opinions. Now that we have it ready, I think it would be nice to use it as a bunker, too. What do you think? I’m saying we should keep important facilities there and use them on a regular basis. You can use it as a satellite station as well.”

“Is there enough space?”

“Even after building warehouses and residential spaces, there is still plenty of room left. I was wondering if we could move the key facilities there.”

“Then shall we take a look around?”