George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 345

< Episode 344 >

The threat initiated by the Lanzhou warlords reverberated from the Three Gorges Dam, through Beijing, and all the way to the White House.

“What in the world is Lanzhou doing?”

Bush’s blood pressure, which had been stable thanks to his exercise routine, spiked dangerously. Despite his good physical health, his age was a factor, and he was nearing a critical point from agitation.

Regardless of his physical state, Bush’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he tasted a metallic tang in his mouth. He imagined he heard his gums receding and teeth cracking, but the gravity of the situation overshadowed these minor details.

“They’re threatening to launch both conventional and nuclear missiles at the Three Gorges Dam unless the People’s Liberation Army withdraws immediately and the United States cuts off support.”

“Cut off support? It won’t make any difference if we cut it off now…”

Many American weapons had already been sold to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at bargain prices in exchange for treasury bonds. The war was practically won anyway. Cutting off support now was essentially a symbolic gesture.

He was concerned about Qingdao, which had remained intact thanks to U.S. assistance, but at least he had done his part, right? A significant amount of money had been invested to protect that city. Of course, the costs would be recouped from China eventually, but that didn’t negate the U.S.’s efforts.

“That nuke that I wanted to prevent so badly… this is driving me crazy.”

Still, it was fortunate that the threat wasn’t indiscriminate and was limited to the Three Gorges Dam. It might sound strange, but Bush’s initial fear was nothing less than a full-scale nuclear war—World War III.

Compared to that, this was manageable. He would have been far more terrified if they had threatened to unleash their entire nuclear arsenal. In that case, pressure would have mounted from the EU and countless other countries to intervene.

In fact, his office phone was bound to ring incessantly within hours. A nuclear weapon detonating in a country under American influence! It was the perfect excuse for criticism.

“I really want to lose it. I always figured some rebel group would threaten nukes someday, but now that it’s actually happening, I’m at a loss.”

“Mr. President, the location of the nuclear weapons has been identified through the cooperation of the People’s Republic of China. There are eight in total.”

“At least the number is relatively small.”

He took a deep breath, feeling his blood pressure gradually decrease. Cold sweat, a lingering effect of his fever, soaked his body, but there was no time to wipe it away. He needed to find a solution instead of just getting angry.

In reality, eight warheads were more than enough. Moreover, they didn’t even need nukes to destroy the dam—conventional missiles would suffice.

“Can’t we get other countries involved? If we can’t act directly, we can encourage others to do so.”

Frankly, it wasn’t a great idea. Ultimately, ‘participation’ in a war is a decision based on potential benefits. The stakes were already high between the U.S. and China, and involving other countries could create overlapping interests and future conflicts.

‘But there’s no better option right now. If a third party who doesn’t care about the fate of the Three Gorges Dam intervenes…’

The problem was that the current warlords were like agitated hedgehogs, bristling with spines. It was doubtful whether any country would want to touch them. Without the nuclear threat, the U.S. could have handled it calmly, but that was no longer an option.

“What should I do…”

As Bush pondered, the Chief of Staff, looking bewildered, handed him a report. It read:

“India is participating in the war as of this moment? Without even notifying us?”

Bush had thought no country would touch the hedgehog, but one existed: India.

With the exception of the United States, which had carrier strike groups stationed globally, India, the strongest power in Asia, roared, and everyone else had to back down. Previously overshadowed by China and unable to fully display its power, the Indian army was now rising to prominence as China weakened, proving the saying, ‘A needle hidden in a bag will eventually poke through.’

“Now is our chance! Let’s wipe them out and show the world the power of India! We are the best in Asia!”

With the tacit approval of the U.S. regarding Uyghur and Tibet, the Indian army had nothing to fear. Although the Indian army’s quality was questionable, its forcibly inflated size proved powerful.

In particular, the Indian army, having resolved its issues with personal weapons and tanks, was showing a new side. Its mobility was unmatched, as it had been openly preparing for a war of aggression.

Under the pretext of threatening the security of Uyghur and its ally, China, they began to advance. Unlike previous localized conflicts, the navy, including aircraft carriers, moved, and the army demonstrated the meaning of ‘human wave tactics’.

The air force, practically nonexistent, was unilaterally pushed back. Within tens of minutes of the war’s start, the airspace had become a haven for the Indian Air Force, with the blue sky dotted with Indian fighter planes.

Tibetan mercenaries serving in the Lanzhou warlord army refused to serve and constantly engaged in desertion and sabotage.

The collapse of the already struggling front lines was instantaneous. Deserters surrendered and joined the Korean or Chinese People’s Liberation Army, turning their guns against the rebels.

Isn’t a threat only effective against those who fear it? For example, threatening to shoot someone with a pistol is meaningless if they’re inside an armored vehicle. It’s just a pathetic gesture.

Therefore, even with the threat, ‘We will launch missiles at the Three Gorges Dam! A nuke will explode!’ India had no reason to fear. The Indian army, advancing with the active cooperation of independent Uyghur and Tibet, did not retreat.

What did it matter if a nuke exploded at the Three Gorges Dam or some unknown antimatter bomb went off? China would ultimately suffer the damage. Sure, radiation might reach India depending on the climate, but that was it.

What wouldn’t they do to weaken and beat up China? They had been waiting since they first bordered each other, and the time had finally come to reap the rewards.

“Do you think I’m going to die like this!”

On the other hand, the Lanzhou leadership was both relieved and apprehensive about India’s strong reaction. They had nukes, so who would ignore them completely?

The problem was that the Indian government didn’t operate on common sense.

‘Common sense’ requires a rational state of mind, but India was more enthusiastic about victory than ever. Reason intoxicated with victory was unlikely to make sound judgments.

They were horrified when the Indian army began to advance across the border. They had thought the silo doors would never be opened except in ‘extremely rare’ cases. Nukes were valuable as a deterrent, but useless once launched.

In any case, when the Three Gorges Dam self-harm threat didn’t work, the nuclear missiles were turned towards India. The problem occurred ‘just before’ turning these missiles towards India.

Where was the Three Gorges Dam originally located? In Yichang City, Hubei Province.

Hubei Province belonged to the Guangzhou warlord. The Guangzhou warlord had always yielded, even with comparable power, because the Three Gorges Dam was a fatal weakness. If it burst, Guangzhou and Nanjing would collapse.

Knowing this, the two warlords poured over half their forces into defending Hubei and the Three Gorges Dam. Even if other places were occupied, they could recover as long as this place remained secure. They could even threaten to blow up the dam if they didn’t retreat.

Ironically, this time the Lanzhou warlord, not the Guangzhou or Nanjing warlords, threatened to blow up the dam.

It was a nightmare for the Communist Party, which wanted to fully recover its lost territory. Repairing the aftermath of the war in Jinan would require considerable wealth, manpower, and time, and a massive flood caused by the Three Gorges Dam would be devastating.

This was what Bush avoided, and what the Communist Party avoided most. Therefore, it was a good ‘bargaining chip’ for both sides.

“We will surrender immediately if you guarantee our status and safety.”

The Guangzhou-Nanjing warlords’ expression of surrender was based on the following. First, the front line had been pushed to the Three Gorges Dam. It would have been one thing if only the Three Gorges Dam remained until the end, but they had too much to lose to explode with the Three Gorges Dam as it was.

Secondly, the Lanzhou-Chengdu alliance had betrayed them first. Suddenly, without warning, they had become enemies. The current two-front war was too much for the Guangzhou-Nanjing alliance.

Thirdly, anti-war sentiment and defeatism had been expanding due to the prolonged war. Soldiers and ordinary people didn’t care about the war and just wanted the situation to stabilize so they could live a normal life.

The only people who seriously thought about the war were those who still believed the propaganda that the Communist Party was carrying out massacres in Jinan, and the leaders of each warlord group.

Originally, such a surrender should have been decided after a long discussion, but it was readily agreed upon under Li Keqiang’s unilateral leadership. It was decided to discuss the positions that the warlord leaders would receive after reunification later, even if their safety wasn’t guaranteed.

“The Communist Party will actively accept the surrender of Guangzhou and Nanjing. We are grateful for their difficult decision.”

The statement issued at the time of the announcement used very soft language.

With that, the Three Gorges Dam was back in the hands of the Communist Party, and it seemed that the end of the war was finally in sight.