To Nanjing

China’s high-speed rail network can be said to be the longest high-speed railway in the world without exaggeration. The United States’ transcontinental railroad and Russia’s Trans-Siberian Railway, which couldn’t match China in such infrastructure, are comparable to China’s transcontinental railway, but they fall short compared to this long high-speed rail line that starts from far western Lhasa in Tibet, passes through Guangzhou, goes north to Beijing and Harbin, then turns south to reach Gaeseong, Seoul, and finally Busan.

After the opening of this railway, the physical distance between Korea and China has been reduced even more significantly than before. Although it’s not a frequent service, it became possible to buy a train ticket in Busan and travel all the way to Tibet in a single car, and when heads of state visit each other’s countries, they often use this railway to operate armored trains.

It was after the opening of this railway that the two countries opened their borders to each other at a level similar to the European Union. Until the 1930s, Korea was wary of China’s attempts to make Korea its vassal state and stationed two divisions on its northern border, but after the railway opened in the 1950s, all troops except for a few hundred border guards were withdrawn and concentrated in the south.

When traveling between the two countries, the only entry inspection is a brief stop at the border to check passengers’ passports. Regardless of the various noisy debates going on, there’s no doubt that it’s a very convenient railway.

Today, as always, the interior of the train was comfortable, but the atmosphere inside was very gloomy due to the large mourning flags hanging at the station and the station staff wearing mourning clothes. Churchill whispered to me.

“Let’s be thankful that at least the station staff aren’t wearing military uniforms.”

Churchill may have been trying to make a joke, but it was also seriously correct. If China had decided to go to war, we all know what would have happened by now. The station staff would be wearing military uniforms instead of mourning clothes. Instead of hiding like dead mice, citizens would have been given weapons or dragged to factories producing military supplies.

The frightening aspect of China comes not only from its territory and population but also from the authoritarian system established by Chiang Kai-shek. After the emergence of nuclear weapons and modern weaponry, the absolute advantage of population has been greatly weakened. China’s absolute status, boasting the world’s largest population and consequently the highest number of ‘awakened ones’, was shaken with the advent of the hydrogen bomb.

However, China achieved the most rapid industrialization in the world through bold decisions by the Presidential Office and militarization under an authoritarian system, and only the Soviet Union could achieve economic growth similar to such a model of China. China has become wealthy, but the freedom that comes with that wealth has not yet arrived.

Nanjing promised that when China becomes rich, it would distribute power to a democratic legislature. It promised to create a freer China than now when China becomes a strong country and when the Chinese people can handle the freedom given to them.

It was a promise without a set date. Even at moments when it seemed sufficient, China always repeated that it was “still not enough.” The Soviet Union was still too strong, and Japan was too strong as well. In the eyes of the Generalissimo, China needed to be stronger, more controlled, and more resilient. At least until it could grow enough to open a two-front war against both the Soviet Union and Japan and defeat them both with China’s strength alone.

China had to become strong enough to block the threat of landing on mainland China, prevent the Russians in the north from setting foot on Chinese soil, and at the same time protect all its friendly neighbors – Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia.

We all knew that China could not become that strong. Intellectuals who argued that China was now sufficiently wealthy and powerful and that the legislature should be strengthened disappeared without a trace. A minister who argued that military spending should be reduced and invested in welfare because people’s lives had become impoverished was branded as a communist and assassinated in broad daylight.

The current China was created through such history. A country where if the central government wants a war atmosphere, it becomes a war atmosphere, and if it wants a mourning atmosphere, it becomes a mourning atmosphere.

The Generalissimo completed such a China. But on the other hand, when you see a country with such strong control, you understand why this country is on the edge of twilight.

Isn’t this level of command possible for Chiang Kai-shek to issue? Wouldn’t it be impossible for any other person to have such authority?

As I was thinking about these things, the train continued to move north. Since there were few crazy Chinese traveling across the continent at such a time, the entire large vehicle was almost empty except for us.

The taste of the lunch boxes handed out by passing staff was fine. As we traveled towards Nanjing at a top speed of nearly 400 km/h, Zhou Lizhi slowly started some small talk.

“Once we arrive in Nanjing, it will be quite late. You two go to the accommodation first and get a room. I have to meet some seniors and officials at the Presidential Office briefly, so I might be a bit late.”

“But Major Zhou, if they separate you at the Presidential Office, there’s no point in us coming all this way,” I said. Churchill agreed with me.

“You’re worried that Chiang Kai-shek might purge you now, right? The Nanjing Presidential Office is completely the center of Chinese power. If I wanted to bury you, I’d bury you in Nanjing, not keep you alive to send you all the way to Beiping. Aren’t you worried?”

“Even so, there’s no way to let you into the Presidential Office. But I’ve arranged accommodation near the Presidential Office, so it will be easy to respond if something happens.”

“Won’t it be too late to move after something happens?”

“…Let me clarify a few things. China’s capital defense forces are more concentrated in nearby Shanghai than in Nanjing. The size of the defense units protecting Nanjing is very small compared to the overall size of the National Revolutionary Army.”

“Even so, isn’t the capital defense also handled by awakened ones?”

“There are no awakened ones as strong as me. Considering various circumstances, I think the possibility of them trying to catch Zhou Lizhi inside the Presidential Office is low. And even if they try, it won’t be enough to deceive my eyes.”

“Hmm…”

“And the weapons near the Presidential Office will make the situation more complicated. You all know my ability, right? If I concentrate a little, I can control weapons even at a distance with my ability. In other words, if Chiang Kai-shek tries to eliminate me inside the Presidential Office, I can even remotely fire cannons from nearby artillery units.”

“That would be a signal flare for us to intervene.”

Briar Churchill raised an eyebrow. Zhou nodded.

“And Briar Churchill, you have enough power to launch a meaningful attack on the Presidential Office from the hotel window. If cannons suddenly fire in the middle of Nanjing, can you open the window and blow up the Presidential Office building?”

“Easy task.”

Churchill answered surprisingly readily. Surprised by her seemingly good mood, I asked:

“It’s a request to blow up the Chinese Presidential Office, is it okay to answer so easily?”

“Why not?”

“You could be caught as a criminal. You might even be executed.”

“Eun-young, let’s not pretend we don’t know.”

Briar Churchill tapped on the window and explained gently.

“Anyway, once we’ve come along on this journey, the whereabouts of us two are absolutely tied to the well-respected Major here. If the Chinese government decides to catch Zhou Lizhi, they can’t help but notice that we two who followed her are playing a role no different from her bodyguards, right? Anyway, if the Major here dies, we become targets too. Then wouldn’t it be beneficial to quickly save the Major and go somewhere for asylum?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded.

“The world is so big, there must be somewhere for us three to escape to. Let’s do that, Major. If something seems strange at the Presidential Office, be sure to control nearby unit weapons to signal us. Briar Churchill and I will act immediately.”

“Good, thank you.”

The train finally stopped at Nanjing Station well past dinner time. The three of us got up from our seats, disembarked from the train, and set foot in the capital of the Republic of China, one of China’s largest cities.

It was my first time personally coming to Nanjing. It might have been more enjoyable if it wasn’t right after an atomic bomb had exploded in Beiping, but now the atmosphere in this city was as brutal as that of Guangzhou.

As soon as we got off the train, two soldiers who looked like field-grade officers approached us. Armed soldiers were also approaching all the other people who got off the train besides us, conducting body searches.

They weren’t empty guns. The rifles the soldiers were carrying clearly had magazines attached, and it was hard to think they were loaded with empty magazines or blank cartridges. Nanjing was now an iron-clad controlled city. To the extent of inspecting every single person entering the city.

Zhou saluted stiffly towards the lieutenant colonel and colonel approaching her.

“National Revolutionary Army Major Zhou Lizhi. I have arrived in Nanjing at the request of the Presidential Office.”

“Who are the two behind you?”

The Chinese army lieutenant colonel replied in a gruff voice. The soldiers in Nanjing had a completely different atmosphere from those in Guangzhou. They didn’t appear to be awakened, but even the non-superhuman officers showed no sign of being intimidated in front of Zhou Lizhi.

“They are students from Huangpu.”

“Superhuman foreign students? Your charges?”

“That’s right, Lieutenant Colonel.”

“We will conduct a body search. Hand over all your belongings and line up.”

“Hey!”

Briar Churchill suddenly shouted at the Chinese army lieutenant colonel. The Nanjing soldier was startled by Churchill’s shout and flinched.

“What is it, Westerner? You seem to be from a well-off family, but it’s not a good habit to shout at the National Revolutionary Army when you come to China.”

“Don’t you have any female soldiers?”

“What?”

“If you’re going to do a body search, you should at least bring female soldiers! Judging by your appearance, it doesn’t look like you’re planning to do a cursory inspection. Are you in your right mind? Don’t you officers even have that much sense?”

“Bri, please!”

I nudged Churchill with my arm. Churchill ignored my action and continued to point and argue with the Chinese army lieutenant colonel.

“Anyway, bring female soldiers right now. I’m sure you’re not going to say you don’t have any, and if you don’t bring them…”

“If we don’t, what can you do about it? Are you going to refuse the inspection?”

The older Chinese army colonel chuckled and said. Briar Churchill replied coldly.

“I’ll fillet you two into bones and flesh right here.”

…I hope they endure. I don’t know why Zhou Lizhi is smiling with such a relaxed face, but I was so startled that I got goosebumps.