Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 168 If the Steel Seventh Company doesn't come to close the net soon, I'm going to become president!
South Korean Capital Division Command
"General, the people's uprising has been suppressed!"

"The soldiers were incredibly enthusiastic, all saying they would protect your safety to the death!"

Lu Taijian reported.

"They are spies from the rioters, not ordinary citizens..."

Quan Douguang raised his glass of red wine, took a small sip, and said with an icy expression.

"Yes, yes, they are all rioters and spies."

Lu Taijian quickly echoed.

"General, this incident is indeed not a matter of public sentiment, but rather an instruction from President Syngman Rhee."

At this moment, Kim Jae-myung walked in with a document and said.

"President Syngman Rhee?"

"How dare he attack me at this time!"

Quan Douguang frowned and cursed angrily.

"General, this is the intelligence I have obtained: a recording of the conversation between President Syngman Rhee and Chief of the General Staff Chung Sang-ho yesterday."

Kim Jae-myung handed the items and documents to Jeon Doo-kwang and said in a low voice.

"You wiretapped the Blue House? Aren't you afraid of President Syngman Rhee retaliating if he finds out?"

Quan Douguang smiled slightly and asked approvingly.

"Not afraid!"

"I will always be loyal only to General Kaka. The so-called president has not done me any favors!"

Kim Jae-myung said with a firm gaze.

"it is good!"

"These things are very important. You've done a great job. I'll remember this!"

Jeon Doo-kwang took out a cigar and handed it to Kim Jae-myung, saying...

"General, now that President Syngman Rhee has become suspicious of us, what should we do?"

"Why not take this opportunity to launch the final step of the Seoul Winter Plan..."

Lu Taijian asked.

"Don't rush, be extra careful, especially at critical moments."

"Any news from the Chinese army?"

Quan Douguang took a deep breath and calmed down before asking.

"Yes, I was just about to report to you."

"The Chinese army just sent a spy to deliver a message. I haven't opened it yet. You should take a look for yourself."

Kim Jae-myung handed a letter with a sealing wax stamp to Jeon Doo-kwang and said.

Quan Douguang nodded slightly, opened the letter and looked at it. He was shocked and immediately burned the letter and threw it into the empty fish tank next to him.

The letter was concise and clear, stating only that Wu Wanli would lead the Seventh Steel Company to Seoul within three days to cooperate with the First Division of the Capital in liberating Seoul.

"Wu Wanli, the Steel Seventh Company, China really did send this elite unit..."

Quan Douguang looked out the window and murmured to himself.

If it weren't for Wu Wanli's slight impulse at the Watergate Bridge, deliberately letting him rescue a group of American prisoners, he wouldn't have his current status.

Therefore, he did not harbor much hatred towards Wu Wanli; on the contrary, he felt grateful for Wu's recognition and support.

"General, when should we make our move?"

Lu Taijian looked at Quan Douguang, who was deep in thought, and asked in a low voice.

"Not so fast yet. Let's go to the Blue House first and meet with our President Syngman Rhee."

"Damn it! He really values ​​me!"

Quan Douguang said this, then put on his military jacket and walked outside.

"General, I'll go with you."

Upon seeing this, Lu Taijian quickly said...

"No!"

"You stay here to command, and try not to act rashly too quickly, but if anything happens, act according to the situation!"

"A few more officers are coming. Follow me!"

Quan Douguang turned and looked at Lu Taijian, then said trustingly.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Taijian was deeply moved and quickly agreed.

....................................

Cheong Wa Dae, the official residence of the South Korean president.
"Mr. President, Quan Douguang requests an audience!"

"That's what Zheng Xianghao said."

"what?!"

Why would he... come to see me at this time?

Upon hearing this, Syngman Rhee felt a little flustered and quickly asked.

"Mr. President, according to the latest observations, the civilians who surrounded the South Korean 1st Division barracks in the capital have been suppressed by Jeon Doo-kwang immediately."

"And this incident shows that Chun Doo-kwang has firmly grasped the First Division of the Capital Region in his own hands."

"Those soldiers showed no mercy or hesitation whatsoever, and even vowed to protect General Quan Douguang to the death..."

Zheng Xianghao sighed and reported.

"How could this be? Why would South Korean soldiers risk their lives for their superiors? Aren't they afraid of punishment or the threat from the US military?"

"What does Quan Douguang mean by coming at this time? Is he here to interrogate me?"

"I am the president of South Korea, and he is just a military officer!!"

Upon hearing this, Syngman Rhee frowned, a flicker of panic and anger flashing in his eyes.

"Mr. President, I don't think there's any need to panic right now."

"Even if he suspected us, he certainly didn't have any concrete evidence."

"At that time, we just need to stick to the fact that we don't know, and even act out showing our concern for him."

"General Ridgway and the US military are still in Seoul, so he wouldn't dare do anything to you."

Zheng Xianghao thought for a moment and then offered words of comfort.

“You’re right, the First Division of the South Korean Capital Region is still comparable to the US military forces in the city…”

"Let him in. I want to see what he's up to."

Syngman Rhee snorted coldly and waved his hand as he spoke.

"Should I...?"

Jung Sang-ho looked at Lee Seung-man hesitantly and asked.

"Let's avoid this for a bit. This matter is a bit sensitive, so it's better to be on the safe side."

Syngman Rhee thought for a moment and then said.

"Yes!"

Zheng Xianghao immediately saluted and withdrew.

………………

Soon, Chun Doo-kwang, accompanied by several South Korean military officers, strode into the presidential residence.

"General Quan, it's been a long time!"

"I was just thinking of going to visit our Korean heroes, but I didn't expect you to come and see me first."

President Syngman Rhee smiled at Chun Doo-kwang as he entered, speaking politely, but made no move to rise and greet him.

The meaning is clear: I have good intentions towards you, but you need to understand our social standing.

"stand at attention!"

"Salute to His Excellency the President!"

Quan Douguang showed no anger, but stood up straight and shouted loudly.

"loyalty!!"

Several South Korean military officers straightened their backs, saluted, and shouted.

"No need for formalities, you are all South Korean soldiers."

"As president, I have great respect for you all. Please have a seat!"

Seeing this, Syngman Rhee smiled and casually tried to win him over.

However, the South Korean officers remained in their salutes, staring unblinkingly at Chun Doo-kwang.

Following their gaze, Rhee Syngman looked at Jeon Doo-kwang, his face showing some embarrassment.

"Since His Excellency the President has asked you to sit, please sit down."

Quan Douguang pressed his hand down and said.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, several South Korean military officers took their seats.

Upon seeing this, Syngman Rhee's smile froze, and his face darkened.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency."

“These people are used to being in the military. They only know military orders, not the president.”

Jeon Doo-kwang found a seat and sat down, smiling as he spoke. This was practically a blatant show of force, implying that although he was the president, the First Division of the Capital in Seoul only obeyed him.

"I heard that General Jeon was very busy just now, suppressing the South Korean people who were causing trouble in front of the military camp."

"I wonder what caused the public discontent to boil over and sparked the popular uprising?"

Lee Seung-man gave Quan Douguang a cold glance and slowly said.

“Your Excellency, those are not South Korean citizens; they were instigated by spies sent by the Chinese military.”

"But it's alright, I have already complied with your order to suppress and arrest these rioters, and I have also arrested the ringleaders."

Quan Douguang said with a smile.

"My arrest warrant for suppression?!"

"General Quan, you must be mistaken. When did I give you any orders?"

A nameless rage surged within Rhee Syngman, and he said in a deep voice.

"Snapped!!"

Chun Doo-kwang stood up and slammed the order onto Syngman Rhee's desk without any hesitation, and said.

"General Quan, are you planning a rebellion?!"

Syngman Rhee stood up abruptly, glared at Jeon Doo-kwang, and roared.

Quan Douguang showed no panic, but instead took out a recording device and played the sound.

Soon, the conversation between Syngman Rhee and Jung Sang-ho, in which they conspired to frame Chun Doo-kwang, was broadcast in detail.

Upon hearing this, Syngman Rhee's eyes widened, and he was instantly filled with panic.

“Your Excellency, if you sign, then I am acting on orders to suppress the rebellion, and we can live in peace from now on.”

“If you don’t sign, I’ll take all the evidence to General Ridgway.”

"With a formidable enemy at hand, our president is still framing a high-ranking military officer. I wonder if His Excellency can still maintain his current dignity?"

Quan Douguang stared at Li Chengman, his eyes filled with threat.

"You...you dared to eavesdrop on the Blue House!"

Upon hearing this, Syngman Rhee felt a surge of panic.

What Quan Douguang just said was all the evidence. If things really come to a head, he won't fare much better.

"Sign it, Your Excellency."

Quan Douguang didn't waste any words and spoke calmly.

Syngman Rhee looked at the date and contents of the document, struggled for a moment, and finally took out a pen and signed his name.

"Thank you very much."

Quan Douguang picked it up and inspected it, then smiled and said, before turning and walking outside with several officers.

When they arrived outside the Blue House, a South Korean soldier was running hurriedly toward Jeon Doo-kwang.

"General, General Ridgway wishes to see you."

A South Korean soldier whispered in Jeon Doo-kwang's ear.

"Sure enough, I was quick."

"Let's go, let's go now."

Quan Douguang stretched casually, then got into the car.

………………

United Nations Command
“Sir, this Quan Douguang has been acting rather unruly lately.”

"The First Division of the South Korean Capital Command has even sworn to protect Chun Doo-gwang's safety to the death. I'm worried..."

The U.S. military chief of staff hesitated before speaking.

"I know, but the Chinese army is launching a fierce offensive right now, and our main forces have all been deployed to the front lines, so we have no way to come back to support them."

"The largest military force in Seoul right now is the Capital Division."

“They seem to be different from the usual South Korean troops; we'd better not make any rash moves.”

"After all, stability is the priority at this critical moment in the battle."

Li Qiwei thought for a moment and then said.

"Should we rotate the troops and have the First Division of the Capital replace Gao Yang's 25th Division?"

The U.S. Chief of Staff thought for a moment and then made the suggestion.

"General, no matter how different they are, they are still the South Korean army."

"Think about those so-called main forces of the South Korean army in the Battle of Imjin River. Do you really dare to entrust the defense line to them?"

Chu Yunfei thought about the events of the past few days and offered his advice.

"Mr. Chu is right. If the defense line is breached, the entire battle will be lost. We cannot take that risk."

"But the First Division of the Capital is indeed acting strangely, especially Quan Douguang, who distributes money and women to his soldiers. What is he trying to do?"

Li Qi nodded slightly, then frowned and said.

"Sir, Chun Doo-kwang just came out of the presidential residence at the Blue House and is on his way. He should be here soon."

The South Korean military staff officer in charge of relaying the order came over and said.

"Just in time."

Ridgway said.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei's mind raced.

Based on his experience in the Nationalist army, someone who is not greedy for money, not lustful, does not exploit soldiers, and is good to his subordinates must be a Communist spy!

Considering the information that Chun Doo-kwang was captured at the Sumun Bridge, everything makes sense. Chun Doo-kwang's First Division in the capital might be the key to breaking the deadlock!

Having figured this out, Chu Yunfei had made up his mind to help cover it up.

"Mr. Chu, what are you thinking about?"

Seeing Chu Yunfei deep in thought, Li Qiwei asked.

"General, I have read Quan Douguang's information."

"He was already extremely good to his subordinates during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir."

"That's how he was able to lead the few combat-capable South Korean troops to cover the retreat of General Kim Baek-il, the commander of the South Korean army group, and also rescue South Korean prisoners of war."

"So he's no different now than before, he's just continuing his old ways."

"As for women who don't love money, I think what he might want is fame, power, and status."

"As long as the general can properly appease Xu Nuo, the First Division of the South Korean capital will be as stable as Mount Tai."

Chu Yunfei thought for a moment and then said.

"What they want is power and status..."

"General, that all seems to make sense."

"He is vying for power with South Korean President Syngman Rhee, and the military is his base of operations, so it is only natural for him to try to win them over."

"But I always feel like something's not right..."

The U.S. military chief of staff said.

"Major General Jeon Doo-kwang, Commander of the 1st Division of the Capital Region of South Korea, is here to report!"

At that moment, Quan Douguang's voice came from outside the door.

"come in."

With a smile on his face, Li Qiwei personally stood up to greet him.

"Commander, I have come to apologize to you."

"Not long ago, some rioters caused trouble at the gate of the military camp, which was very likely instigated by Chinese military spies."

“I acted on President Lee’s orders to suppress and arrest these rioters.”

"However, some acts of violence occurred during the process, which may violate your country's principles of human rights and democracy. Please punish such acts!"

Quan Douguang took a deep breath, then got straight to the point and handed the order document that Li Chengman had just signed to Li Qiwei.

"You...did a great job!"

"Having been entrusted with a critical mission to suppress the rioters, what crime have I committed?"

"Not only is there no fault, but there is merit!"

Ridgway glanced at the fresh handwriting in the document, but instead of pointing it out, he patted Quan Douguang on the shoulder and praised him.

"Have you made a contribution?"

Quan Douguang was slightly taken aback, not expecting that Li Qiwei would set the tone in this way, and all the words he had prepared beforehand were suddenly useless.

"With the Chinese army pressing in on our borders, South Korea is facing its most perilous moment."

"And your President Syngman Rhee is in poor health and appears sickly. As a hero of South Korea, you should encourage yourself!"

Syngman Rhee returned to his seat and made a meaningful, pie-in-the-sky promise.

"The president is often ill; you should encourage him!"

In an instant, these words exploded in Quan Douguang's mind like a thunderclap.

What does Ridgway mean by saying that to me?

"Is he encouraging me to perform well so that I can replace Syngman Rhee in the future?"

"Ah Xiba!"

"Chinese army! And that elite Steel Seventh Company! If you don't come and close in, I'm going to become the president of South Korea!"

Quan Douguang struggled to suppress his greed and shouted in his heart.

(End of this chapter)