Yes, Prime Minister of Japan

As soon as Zhao Lieshu put down her luggage, she transferred Li Xinghe to a television station to facilitate his intelligence gathering.

"Watching TV, the first day of the Beijing talks has begun."

Clearly, the professional diplomats from South Korea and Japan were eager to de-escalate the situation, so at the meeting in Beijing, the diplomats from both sides were in a harmonious atmosphere, frantically discussing how to downgrade the matter.

But the core issue remains the same: will the Japanese leave Dokdo?

If we can't reach an agreement here, everything else is pointless.

So nothing was reached, and the two ambassadors were forced to shake hands with the Chinese Foreign Ministry official who chaired the meeting in front of Chinese media cameras.

Forced to shake hands, both Zhao Duiyeol and Shiba Shigeru looked utterly devastated.

They can't even stop China from stealing their capital and industries, because they still need this big brother to stabilize the conflict.

But will Li Xinghe let them go?

"You slow down, I advance. You retreat, I pursue."

"You have nowhere to run, while I remain calm and collected."

Humming lines from a domineering CEO drama, Li Xinghe dialed Zhang Da's contact number.

"Shoot."

……

Dokdo waters.

Surrounding these two main islands, this small, insignificant archipelago is where the civilian communities of Japan and South Korea hold the most initiative in the struggle.

On the contrary, the militaries of both countries, constrained by diplomatic and political factors, are cautiously circling the island in a standoff, waiting to see which side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the public, will bleed first.

South Korea's right-wing civilian organizations are composed of various cults and fanatical groups. They certainly can't acquire large quantities of firearms, but this time, they have the South Korean military backing them. The South Korean military's warehouses have plenty of Daewoo Industrial-manufactured M4 rifles.

While officers in the rear were trying to maintain the situation and prevent a small conflict from escalating into a war that would cripple South Korea's already fragile economy, officers at the front and warehouse managers clearly did not share this view. Large quantities of M4 rifles were found in the hands of fishermen through unknown channels.

Initially, firearms served only as a deterrent and for self-defense tool.

But as the Japanese fishermen were forced to retreat in the face of gunfire, Li Xinghe, the mastermind behind the scenes, suddenly exerted his power.

In Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, a small boat arrives at the port of Osaka. A container sent from Hong Kong by Li Xinghe arrives, and inside it is filled with all sorts of second-hand American rifles. These are junk goods collected from Southeast Asia, but they are perfect for selling to fishermen.

Koichi and his gang bought and sold guns at the port of Izumo City, selling them to fishermen at extremely low cost prices.

"One M4 costs only $200"

"Yuan! Bullets are even cheaper."

4 yen isn't even enough to cover the fuel costs for fishermen going out to sea. So, many fishermen fell for the trap and brought illegal guns onto their boats on a large scale.

The Dokdo sovereignty crisis has officially escalated from a knife fight and stick fight to a gunfight.

Someone asked Zhang Xiaoqian:

"Won't this affect our fishermen?"

“Our fishing boats don’t fish here.”

Zhang Xiaoqian said this.

Chinese fishing boats certainly don't linger here; they all head to the fishing grounds of Hokkaido, Japan, where they use destructive trawls to catch all the fish and then run away. For this, they are constantly being criticized online by the Japanese media.

When another day of standoff at sea began, Koichi Zhangda took out his rifle and secretly fired a sniper shot, taking down the leader of the South Korean fishermen.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Japanese fishermen was also taken down by a sniper shot that appeared out of nowhere.

"The Japanese opened fire!"

"The South Koreans fired first!"

When the boats involved in the brawl were pressed together, and the fishermen were blaming each other and confronting each other with guns, an old fisherman who had participated in the left-wing democracy movement took out a homemade Molotov cocktail and started throwing it at the other side.

The fire quickly ignited the chaotic fishing boats, and then spread and engulfed the surrounding area.

A massive fire engulfed the fishing boats, with dozens of large vessels consumed by flames. The crew members jumped into the sea, experiencing a life-or-death race against time on the burning ocean.

Even if they fell into the sea, the fishermen from Japan and South Korea did not share the same sentiment of "like brothers and sisters, helping each other out." Instead, they would pull each other's hair and fight in the sea, and there were many unfortunate fishermen who sank into the sea together.

This fire killed or injured dozens of fishermen.

Media outlets in both countries focused their reports on guns and Molotov cocktails.

Seoul Daily's headline:

"The Dokdo massacre! South Korean politicians should be ashamed and commit suicide."

Yomiuri Shimbun Commentary:

"The seas are burning! Who will protect our waters?"

Every newspaper is using its own writing to amplify the impact of the Dokdo sovereignty crisis.

Netizens used their cyber bayonets to hold back the backbone of the Japanese and South Korean navies, forcing them into the minefield of war.

While dozens of Japanese and South Korean fishermen perished at sea, the South Korean military, which had been operating behind the scenes, slowly began to take advantage of the escalating situation to openly transport more South Korean local troops to the island, and even sent heavy artillery, mortars and drones.

At this point, the biggest weakness of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces was exposed.

The South Korean military can coordinate its operations, piling up its local divisions as cannon fodder on the island's front lines, using sheer numbers to intimidate Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ships. Go ahead and unleash a barrage of fire on them, but South Korea still has 42 such cannon fodder.

However, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force only has 13 personnel, and it doesn't even come to help, because it has to divide its own narrow territory of 37 square kilometers into five theater commands.

These five theater commands are not under each other's command and are unable to coordinate and deploy resources across regions.

Specifically regarding the Dokdo sovereignty crisis, the only force at play is the 13th Brigade stationed in Hiroshima City. The entire brigade has a strength of only 3700 men, leaving a 15% manpower shortage. Of the three infantry regiments, very few are combat-ready, perhaps less than 1000. Sending these middle-aged veterans to Dokdo would probably be less effective than having a gang leader lead a group of young men in a desperate fight.

This was precisely the moment for Zhao Guhuan to shine.

He posts videos on Douyin every day to promote himself and works diligently to build defensive fortifications on the northern part of Dokdo Island. While gaining fame, he is also building confidence in the South Korean military.

South Korean military bloggers were shouting like hysteriacs during a TikTok livestream:

"The Dokdo sovereignty crisis has entered its second phase! Japan is at a disadvantage; they have no one left to rely on. If the South Korean military presses its advantage, driving out the Japanese will be a piece of cake."

"Forward! Push the Japanese into the sea! Don't let them come up a second time!"

Although the South Korean army is as hateful and infuriating as cockroaches, the South Korean army's cockroaches are almost endless.

At this point, no one criticized the South Korean military for being poorly treated.

After all, the cannon fodder fighting on the front lines only need to die, but military commentators in the rear have a lot more to think about.

But still, no one joined the army.

Japanese military media also couldn't sit still.

Anyone with common sense knows the current situation of the Self-Defense Forces. The Mio Corps of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, which does not have mandatory conscription, has long been understaffed, and there are even fewer soldiers who can go directly to the front lines.

What about the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force?

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) can't even muster a few hundred combat troops, let alone face the pressure of a 42-strong South Korean cannon fodder local division. Furthermore, the JMSDF has no way to cut off shipping routes between South Korea and Dokdo, while the South Korean amphibious fleet and its much larger air force, equipped with a large number of outdated third-generation aircraft, have been constantly driving away the JMSDF air force.

The person still directing the struggle on the front lines is actually Seiichi Ootake, a follower of an extremist terrorist organization. Gangsters don't have any professional military training.

"In the second round of the Dokdo standoff, Japan has effectively fallen into a disadvantageous position. If the Ground Self-Defense Force had even a shred of shame, it should have sent troops to land on the island when the people were taking it back."

"The Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force, Yoshihide Yoshida, should be executed."

Of course, no one actually enlists in the Self-Defense Forces.

A crisis, an even greater crisis, is brewing. It's as if the waters around Dokdo are about to be ignited into a sea of ​​fire by a sudden shot.

Inside the Busan International Center Hotel, Li Xinghe calmly adjusted his state of mind:

"With a single shot fired, the first shot was fired in establishing the 38th parallel at sea between Japan and South Korea."

This shot ended the last effort for a peaceful resolution; now it was his time to shine.

Lee Ju-yeon peeked out from the kitchen.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

"Stop cooking at the hotel, let's order takeout. Now's our time to really shine."

The author says:

Author's Note: Thank you all for your support. Here's 4000 words. Next, I'm heading to Seoul. I wonder when I'll be able to write about "Spring in Seoul."

Chapter 525: Itaewon's New Hero, Bombing the National Assembly to Add to the Fun (4900 words)

The hotel sent dinner, but it was too late to enjoy it.

Zhao Qijun rushed over and said to the family who were still preparing dinner:

"You're preparing to go to Seoul. Chief Intelligence Officer Cho Tae-yong and First Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun both want to see you."

"Huh? But what about Japan..."

Li Xinghe asked the question knowing the answer already.

Zhao Qijun looked at Li Xinghe expectantly:

"I will stay in Busan and help you cover it up."

Diplomacy and intelligence have always been intertwined, and as a deputy director of an ordinary branch office, Zhao Qijun relied heavily on his superiors' promotions. Kim Hong-kyun, a veteran South Korean diplomat, had secretly orchestrated behind-the-scenes negotiations with North Korea, including the Yeonpyeong Island shelling incident, and was already considered by diplomatic circles as the next foreign minister. If Kim wanted to meet with Lee Sung-ha, Zhao Qijun would need to offer considerable assistance.

"Alright then, this time it won't be by plane, will it?"

"It is indeed an airplane, but don't worry, this time we borrowed a special plane from the South Korean military."

Zhao Qijun pulled up his suitcase, urging him on impatiently.

From Busan to Seoul, Lee Sung-ha and his family traveled by car through a secret route to Busan Airport, then flew to Gimpo International Airport on a military aircraft. They then took a special passage to board a military jeep transported by air, and were taken to the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command headquarters in Yongsan District, South Korea.

The frail Xuan Zhihua leaned quietly on Li Xinghe's shoulder, complaining:

"I spent the whole day on airplanes."

Zhao Lieshu and Li Juyan exchanged a glance and both pouted. Although they had taken two flights in a row, South Korea is such a small country, it's not that easy to get tired.

"Then I'll carry Aunt Xuan on my back."

Li Xinghe hadn't thought that far ahead.

Just hours before, he was in faraway Tokyo, on his own turf. But a few hours later, he had flown to Seoul and was stationed at the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command headquarters in Yongsan District.

This joint command is located in the heart of Seoul, occupying an area equivalent to two districts. It used to be like a US concession, containing only US troops and their entourage.

South Korean troops can enter and exit freely. In contrast to Japan's Yokota Air Base, the US base in Seoul is brazenly located in the city center. Just a wall away lies the famous Itaewon district, South Korea's bustling commercial hub.

Whether Itaewon was actually a place for abortion is still uncertain, but it certainly seems to have been inextricably linked to foreign military presence throughout history. This is because it was a transit area used by the Joseon Kingdom to entertain foreigners. According to historical accounts, during the Imjin War (Japanese invasion of Korea), both Ming and Japanese troops were stationed here. After their withdrawal, both armies left behind a large number of women and mixed-race infants. Later, when the Imperial Japanese Army and American forces returned, the same scenario was repeated.

Only by understanding history and then standing on the land of the US military base in Yongsan again can one feel a heartfelt impulse.

I want to do something to commemorate the fact that I was here.

Of course, it's not about imitating the Ming Dynasty Japanese and American forces in history, or having a child with a Korean princess.

"Ah, Yongsan Presidential Building."

As the reception staff led them to their accommodation at the Hamilton Hotel, they could still see in the distance the former presidential building, the site where Yoon Seok-yeol and his presidential guard fought against the opposition.

The Yongsan Presidential Building, converted from the former South Korean Ministry of National Defense, is actually located within the Yongsan U.S. military base. Lee Sung-ha didn't know if there were any other places in the world where the center of power was located within a base where another country's troops were stationed, but South Korea certainly was.

The fact that the South Korean president lives and governs from a US military base seems to subtly reflect the underlying political undercurrents in South Korea.

It's another hotel, but this one is full of Americans.

Li Xinghe and his family were arranged to stay in a luxurious residence on the top floor. After a hasty meal, they received a request to meet with their superiors.

Zhao Lieshu looked at the schedule and hugged Li Xinghe with a worried expression:

"I'll meet with the director of the intelligence agency first today. You must be exhausted."

"It's okay, I'm rock hard."

Li Xinghe made some slightly risqué jokes, which made Zhao Lieshu blush slightly.

……

Xuan Zhihua and Li Juyan were left at the hotel to tidy up their accommodations, while Li Xinghe and Zhao Lieshu continued their busy journey in a US military vehicle.

They drove from the U.S. military base in Yongsan-gu, Gangbuk, across the Dongjak Bridge in Seoul to Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, nestled between two small hills covered in fiery red maple leaves. This is the headquarters of the National Intelligence Service of South Korea.

The intelligence agency is very large, consisting of an entire valley, dozens of buildings of various sizes, four branch buildings and a circular main building.