---

Operation Beheading.

Commonly referred to as the strategy of eliminating the leadership, often termed the beheading operation (斬首). This method is feasible because an organization fundamentally extends the structure of individuals.

Both humans, comprised of singular entities, and organizations, composed of groups, differ in form and structure but are strikingly similar; thus, just as a person dies when their head is cut off, an organization can be easily incapacitated by targeting its leadership.

Even if hands and feet are severed or entrails are scraped, both humans and organizations can survive, but decapitation leads to immediate and effortless death. Hence, not utilizing a method to easily incapacitate and collect byproducts would be utterly foolish.

Moreover, there’s no way to achieve immunity from this beheading. Such structures inevitably arise, representing a fundamental weakness shared by all entities forming a collective.

Can a head survive without a head?

The beheading operation is an unavoidable weakness.

That’s why many have sought countless ways to mitigate this flaw. They build barriers to protect the head, create multiple heads to confuse which is the real one, send commands from a distance while hiding the true head, or prepare “successors” in advance to prevent collapse when the head is lost.

However, as history shows, we all know these are not foolproof methods.

But as the saying goes, every success blooms from failure; people began to overhaul the structure of organizations, addressing weaknesses one by one. A prime example of successful effort was… pre-regression China.

They created a flaw mitigation system by leveraging their own significant advantage of an “overabundant population.” If they could not prevent beheading, they would generate an overwhelming number of heads, making any beheading futile—a hopelessly naïve yet simple approach that baffled responses.

The power holders originally undertaking the role of the head are valuable because they are unique and irreplaceable. However, the creation of numerous substitutes risks leaks in power, effectively countering humanity’s wisdom. They produced an astounding number of reserve heads, resolving many issues of power diffusion, leakage, and conflict that naturally arise when there are multiple heads.

It was almost as if it were magic.

Not the magic of supernatural abilities but rather a miracle straight out of a fairy tale.

Just as before, the role of the head was assumed by a chairperson. Yet, when that chairperson fell, another could immediately take their place. It seemed there was hardly any gap at all.

No matter how many times chairpersons were eliminated, this “amazing magic” continued to manifest. Just like people filling in gaps regardless of how many died, numerous heads surged forth to occupy the vacancies—an extraordinary spectacle witnessing the new entity known as “China.”

Thus, those who fought against pre-regression China found themselves at a disadvantage. The most efficient beheading strategy was rendered ineffective, as power holders obsessed with their own safety made them hard to intimidate, instigating internal discord instead of self-regulation, and yielding obstacles in negotiating with power holders eager to retain their influence even if that meant compromising with foreign powers.

“China will not yield until the last person remains.”

“The entire populace is both hand and head; we stand proud and green like the thriving bamboo grove, even when severed.”

It felt like playing a game of chess without rooks and bishops; countries had formed a consensus to respond to China’s threat but avoided commencing battles in disadvantageous positions, allowing China to exploit the gap, expand, and stretch its influence.

The expansion of pre-regression China was unlike the mere claims of their historical dominance as they asserted themselves as leaders and champions of the third world, exercising influence over developing countries without restraint. They even sought to gain from wars in Europe, and dispatched military forces into Islamic territories, intending to eradicate Islamic culture, dubbing it “the opiate of the people.”

Naturally, capturing people to mix bloodlines for “racial improvement” was par for the course.

Of course, such expansion of China did not persist indefinitely. Due to the emergence of secret organizations and madness, forced halts became inevitable. Still, driven by a lingering desire for more, China continued to shout, “The center of the world is the Middle Kingdom!”

Park Jinseong found himself clashing with the Chinese over ruins precisely due to this expansive ambition.

It was utterly irritating.

Truly infuriating.

Encountering ruins was hardly a rare occurrence.

Joy turned to dismay upon discovering that pieces were stripped away or outright destroyed by a greedy desire to hoard all discoveries without passing anything onto future visitors, often resorting to threats or attacks.

Such repeated occurrences would test the temper of even the most virtuous individual.

Thus, despite the considerable price attached to any curse he cast, Park Jinseong repeatedly aimed to strike down the leadership but merely concluded, “Using this method leaves me at a unilateral disadvantage.”

Negotiation?

An impossible task.

The Chinese place immense value on face, as does communism.

Moreover, power holders inherently prioritize face, often to a narrow-minded extent.

Combining all these factors into the ‘People’s Republic of China’ made for a perfect storm—an overwhelming arrogance with an inflated sense of self-worth following their successes, entrenching the belief that they were supreme.

A profoundly terrible arrogance.

Yet no one existed to enlighten them.

The United States found itself grappling with rampant madness, weakening its might, while China expanded, achieving the pinnacle of historical prosperity.

The maps clearly illustrate that China possessed the largest territory in history.

China was confident.

They were the strongest, the best.

In this certainty, no equality existed.

The Chinese order dictated that glorious civilization resides within the Hu (华)—that is, China, serving as the world’s center at the pinnacle, while everything beyond the Middle Kingdom—the so-called barbarians (夷)—must bow as vassals, respecting and following.

At least the Chinese Communist Party harbored such certainty.

All entities, subordinate to them, were mere barbarians who “dared” negotiate.

The act of attempting negotiation itself amounted to blasphemy—a challenge deserving of a severe backlash. To gain anything from China, one ought to prostrate themselves, serve them, and seek the mercy of the Middle Kingdom.

Thus, negotiation was entirely out of the question.

Negotiation occurs between equals or similar status.

Yet, becoming subservient as China demands also wouldn’t yield the desired outcomes.

Unified Korea utilized ghosts as natural barricades, drawing great evil spirits as terror—something China could never allow from what they deemed a terrorist nation daring to defy the celestial authority.

Comparable to the Northeastern factions that had plagued China in the past.

Moreover, before the war began, this ‘small nation’ dared to challenge China, which was considered a grave offense, while the disrespect of balancing diplomacy between itself and America only served to heighten China’s animosity towards South Korea.

In this situation, could anything ever be gained peacefully from China?

If Park Jinseong were to demand anything, they would likely hide it from him or even resort to destructive, petty tactics just to ensure he couldn’t win anything.

Certainly.

How many times had he encountered such situations?

He witnessed as China destroyed ruins with no regard, adhering to a mentality akin to a water ghost operation—ensuring that he not obtain what they could neither lay claim to nor benefit from.

The anger experienced while observing such wanton destruction of ruins was…

Even after several confrontations, was this not excessively cruel and horrifying?

Perhaps such abhorrent acts stemmed precisely from their history with the Cultural Revolution, allowing them to perform such deeds without flinching…

Thus, it was a deed that had to be done.

Just as one uproots a disease at its roots while it’s light, or pulls an unwanted weed before it spreads,

For Park Jinseong to collect and gather magic comfortably, it was an absolute must.

Thus fueled by resolve, he began to infect doves in China.

The name of that mold was Cryptococcus neoformans.

 

---