Ch. 35: The Beginning of a New Game
2:00 PM, September 11th, 1919, Provisional Government of the ROK HQ, French Concession, Shanghai
Various officials, bureaucrats, representatives, and members of the press filled the meeting room to the point that most people had to stand. All eyes in the room were concentrating on An Chang-ho, Park Eunsik, Kim Gu, Kim Kyu-sik, Lyuh Woon-hyung, and the other key members of the new government, who were all standing in front of a large flag of the Republic of Korea hanging on the wall. Multiple flashes from the many cameras could be seen as the new government posed for an official photo.
After giving some speeches and answering some questions, Kim Gu and An Chang-ho proceeded to excuse themselves from the crowd and exit the building. They both walked to a car parked in the street, where a chauffeur opened the back passenger door. Once Kim Gu and An Chang-ho got in, the chauffeur proceeded to start the car and drive.
"Well that went well didn't it An?" said Kim Gu.
"Still, the fact that a few of the new government's key members are absent is a bit worrisome." replied An. "However, these things take time and for now we must be patient."
"I couldn't agree with you more sir." replied Kim Gu. "I think you're the perfect leader to have during Mr. Rhee's and Mr. Dongwhi's absence."
"Speaking of leaders, I am very curious about that Zero-guy you hang out with." said An. "I mean, one can tell he's not Korean, let alone from Asia. So what exactly is his background and motives Mr. Kim?"
"Zero is a complex person I'll tell you that. I also will tell you he comes from somewhere far away. However, due to current security measures, info on Zero's background is restricted primarily to me." answered Kim Gu.
"And if I'm not mistaken, but didn't Park Eunsik and the rest of his allies took great liking with Zero early on? If so, then exactly what were they so attracted to?" asked An.
"I can't tell him the council was attracted to his geass powers. If info of his geass went public, then Zero's credibility will be shattered." thought Kim Gu.
"What attracted the council to Zero? Well Zero is a master of charisma, quick thinking in serious situations, and is able to be ahead of his opponent by three moves. It was those qualities that made Zero so attractive to the council." answered Kim Gu.
"One more question, what exactly is Zero trying to accomplish?" asked An.
Kim Gu thought to himself for a few seconds before coming up with an answer.
"Zero is trying to deliver justice to those who gain power by stomping on those who are weak. I guess one could say he's trying to be a "knight of justice"." answered Kim Gu.
"I see. Well, based on what you have said, it sounds like Zero is someone who shares our ideals and goals. Therefore I am glad I will be working with him in the near future." replied An.
Suddenly the car they were in slowly came to a stop in front of the Black Army's HQ in the International Settlement. Kim Gu proceeded to open the passenger door and exit the vehicle. He then said goodbye to An Chang-ho and thanked him for the ride before the car drove away. Kim Gu then proceeded to walk towards the entrance to the Black Army's HQ.
Once inside, he headed to the elevator and took it up to the floor Zero's office was located on. Once he got off, he walked down a long hallway and passed multiple offices and storage rooms. He then found the door leading to Zero's office and proceeded to knock on it.
"Come in!" yelled Zero.
Kim Gu then opened the door and entered the room.
"Ah your back." said Zero, who was sorting through some papers in a folder laying on his desk. "How was the inaugural ceremony?"
"Very well done. I really think you should've come to the ceremony. All the key members present were asking where you were." said Kim Gu.
"Well, first of all, you in some ways represented me at the ceremony." replied Zero as he read a paper he held in his hand. "Second, the Provisional Government is not a creation of the Black Army. To me, it would seem inappropriate to attend a ceremony celebrating the birth of an organization I had little to no role in it. Third, if there is going to be a Provisional Government, then I need to familiarize myself with it along with its key members."
"Is that what those folders contain? Info on key Korean resistance members?" asked Kim Gu.
"Precisely. Thanks to the info gathering of Dietrich and his intelligence team, I managed to compile data on the key members of the Provisional Government." answered Zero.
"I see, well, I would like to tell you that until Syngman Rhee arrives in Shanghai and assumes his role as President, An Chang-ho will be acting leader of the Provisional Government." said Kim Gu.
"And what is Mr. An currently doing now?" asked Zero.
"An is currently trying to spread the message of the Provisional Government all over the world via his newspaper and foreign contacts. He's hoping foreign governments will be convinced to give us the recognition and aid we need to survive. As of now, the Provisional Government is exposed and fragile." answered Kim Gu.
"If that's the case, tell Mr. An that the Black Army would like to discuss a potential agreement between our two organizations." said Zero. "Since our organizations both share the same core goals and similar interests, I think some kind of legal connection should be established."
"I agree Zero. I'll tell Mr. An as soon as possible." said Kim Gu. He then left the office and closed the office door behind him.
Zero, who was still sitting at his desk, opened one of the folders in front of him. On top of the pile of papers in the folder was a photo of a Korean man in his forties wearing a suit and tie. Below the photo was some writing, which Zero proceeded to read.
"NAME - YI SEUNG-MAN (aka SYNGMAN RHEE)
BORN - MARCH 26th, 1875
ARRESTED - 1899 (SEDITION)
RELEASED - 1904
RELIGION - METHODIST
EDUCATION - GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY - B.A.
- HARVARD UNIVERSITY - M.A.
- PRINCETON UNIVERSITY - Ph.D.
CONNECTIONS - THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
- VARIOUS CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS WITHIN THE KOREAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
- MULTIPLE MISSIONARY ORGANIZATIONS
MISC INFO - SUPPOSEDLY TRACES LINEAGE TO THE FORMER KOREAN ROYAL FAMILY"
"Well it seems the new President of the Provisional Government will be someone interesting to work with." thought Zero.
9:00 PM
All the key cabinet members and commanders of the Black Army met inside the meeting room within the Black Army's HQ. The room was long and consisted of some overhead lamps, a long wooden table, a large window covered with curtains, a large map on the wall, and multiple chairs. Once everyone was settled in the room, Zero, who was sitting at the end of the table, sat down. The other members proceeded to sit down afterwards.
"Good evening." said Zero. "As usual, we will review our current situation and the options we can take in response."
"Zero may I?" asked Gang.
"The Minister of Defense is recognized." responded Zero. Gang, wearing his suit and tie, stood up and read a report he held in front of him.
"Currently the Black Army's armed forces have been making a slow, but steady recovery. According to the Ministry's calculations, the Black Army's number of abled bodied soldiers has managed to reach a third of it's pre-evacuation levels." said Gang.
"And how are these forces currently being deployed?" asked Kim Gu, who was sitting at the corner of the table next to Zero.
"Due to the harsh repression tactics employed by the Japanese, our numbers on the Peninsula were reduced drastically." said Gang. He then walked over to the large map on the wall and pointed to the Manchurian region. "While small, underground cells were the only remnants to survive on the Peninsula, most of our larger divisions fled into the heavily wooded and mountainous areas of Manchuria. General Jo, could explain the rest please?"
General Jo immediately got out of hid chair and walked to the map.
"According to General Rozhkov's most recent report, contact has still been limited to only those near the Training Facility he's stationed at. Indirect contact, however, was made with three divisions hiding in the surrounding mountains." explained Jo as he pointed at the Northeastern part of the Korean Peninsula on the map. "Since contact with the rest of the peninsula has been mostly severed, coordinating the underground remnants in the Southern regions has been extremely difficult."
"Tell Rozhkov to consolidate whatever forces he has available and to keep an eye out for more scattered remnants. Also I want all forces in the area to be put on standby and not take any action until further notice." said Zero.
"What exactly is your plan exactly Zero?" asked Gang.
"The Black Army is critically weak at this moment and is in no position to confront the Japanese. We must recover before the Japanese can catch up with us. We are going to need every available soldier and division we can find." explained Zero. "In the meantime, what is the situation on the rest of the peninsula?"
"Thanks to Dietrich's communication intricate networking and secret ties, Rozhkov and the Black Army HQ have managed to contact underground cells in Seoul and Busan." said Jo.
Dietrich got out of his chair while Jo sat back down. Dietrich then prepared the reports he had brought with him.
"The underground cells in Seoul and Busan are currently our only eyes deep within the Korean Peninsula." Dietrich read. "The reports say that the Korean populace has currently been discouraged from taking more action or to start more demonstrations."
"No wonder. Word on the street is that the Japanese arrested and tortured thousands of innocent civilians. There's also been talk about ruthless massacres in the countryside." said Kae, who was wearing her standard Black Army uniform.
"Indeed that's true, but it seems that is not the biggest factor discouraging the formerly patriotic populace." responded Dietrich.
"What do you mean?" asked Kae.
"As you know, last month Viceroy Hasegawa resigned from his post due to him loosing control over the situation. As a result former Japanese naval minister and admiral Baron Saitō Makoto became the new Viceroy." Dietrich responded. "Surprisingly, Viceroy Saitō passed various measures that eased Japanese rule over Korea."
"Sorry to interrupt, but I remember reading about those changes in the local newspapers." said Gang. "It said that Korea would be overseen by a civilian force instead of military police along with an ease on the local presses and other minor reforms."
"That is correct Minister of Defense." said Dietrich. "With these new, lenient policies in place, the Korean populace is less motivated to take action and support the Black Army."
"Zero, what is your opinion on this? In my opinion it seems too good to be true." said Kae.
"I agree." responded Zero. "This supposed act of reconciliation is just a smokescreen and not the result of the Japanese listening to us. Japan is trying to confuse the populace, redirect them away from the Black Army and the independence movements. We must counter this deceptive image immediately."
"Zero, I suggest we focus some our resources on the Propaganda Department." suggested Dietrich. "We can print papers and disperse fliers among the public in order to punch some holes in Japan's deceptive tactics."
"That sounds like a good idea. If the people start to realize the Japanese are giving them a false sense of security, then maybe they will have the incentive to help the Black Army." said Zero. "Anyway, Ronan, what is our progress in the R&D Department?"
"Thanks to underground markets, we have acquired fifteen trucks." answered Ronan as he held his pipe between his two fingers. "By reinforcing the overall structure and installing machine gun turrets, my team has converted them into armored cars."
"I presume we have a spot to store all this since we can't have armored cars constantly moving through Shanghai." said Zero.
"Indeed we do. We are in the process of constructing a depot outside of the city to store all our vehicles and weapons." responded Ronan. "Construction is still going on, but according to my calculations, the depot, airfield, and hangars will all be built within a year."
"Sounds expensive. Do we have the money to fund such a project?" asked Kim Gu.
"Our latest budget report has shown signs of stress Deputy Chairman, but due to funding from overseas, underground trading, and secret investments, the project shouldn't harm our current finances." answered Minister of the Treasury Yoo.
"Even if we have the money, where are you planning to build it?" asked Gang. "Like Zero said before, we can't have our forces roaming Shanghai. Also, a project of such size will stick out like a sore thumb to the Japanese or anyone who wants to threaten us."
"I have already taken all those factors into account." replied Ronan. "Currently outside of Shanghai, there is a large, empty piece of land formerly used for farming. However, when the area was deemed not profitable to farmers, the land was abandoned. Since it's empty and undesirable, this area is not closely monitored by authorities or foreign eyes. That is why I bought the land using some of the money allocated to R&D."
"But this is technically Chinese territory. What legal authority does the Black Army have in constructing such a complex on foreign soil?" asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Won.
"It's not foreign technically." answered Zero. "Remember, though the Black Army behaves like a nation, it is technically a private organization. Unlike the Provisional Government, we have made no claims regarding the sovereignty of the Korean state. As a result, the land we bought is privately owned, meaning we won't have to face as many legal obstructions."
"Since we're talking about the Provisional Government, what is their status currently? Do they even have an army to speak of?" asked Jo.
"General, as a member of the Provisional Government also, I can tell you the Provisional Government has no official armed force. However, it is claiming control over the various guerilla forces in Manchuria and the northern parts of the peninsula. The various generals of these forces have given a positive response and recognized the authority of the Provisional Government." explained Kim Gu. "As for status, An Chang-ho is currently overseeing all administrative duties until the President and the Premier are able to arrive. In the meantime, An is trying to reinforce the new government."
Suddenly everyone in the room started nodding and whispering to one another. Zero and the rest of the cabinet continued talking for about a few minutes before he decided to adjourn the meeting.
Author's Note: I thank all who have been patient for new chapters to be posted. Been very busy lately with other things, which is why this chapter took longer to complete.
Anyway, we find out some new things in this chapter. Hasegawa Yoshimichi has resigned from his position as Viceroy of Korea due to his inability to stop the chaos caused by the March 1st Demonstrations. A new Viceroy is now in control and is lifting restrictions on the Korean people. But Zero and the Black Army believe these so-called acts of "kindness" is being used to deceive the Korean people and give them less incentive to take up arms.
We also find out more about the future President of the Provisional Government Syngman Rhee (a real historical figure for those who didn't already know). With Rhee commanding the Provisional Government and Zero commanding the Black Army, the Korean resistance movement will be stronger than before. However, unlike Zero, Rhee's intentions aren't known as of now. I say this because Rhee may not be what he appears to be.