The construction to move the Russian air defense artillery battery was now in process at about 50 kilometers rearward from the frontline of the Pamir Plateau. It had been deployed along the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan until recently.

Russia, which invaded Afghanistan during the Soviet era but retreated after years of heavy damage due to fighting, was no longer able to set foot in Afghanistan after the U.S. intervened after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Russia intended to keep U.S. troops in check by keeping Russian troops in Tajikistan on a permanent basis, but it was also daunting due to its national economic difficulties.

That was why Russia handed it over when Kazakhstan said it would replace the role.

Russia was not the only one to do so quickly.

The U.S. also promised to provide two air defense artillery batteries in response to Youngho's request.

The reason that the two superpowers were not directly operating their air defense batteries battalions but providing them to Tajikistan was that they felt uncomfortable dealing with China directly.

This was proof that China's power had become stronger.

Youngho, who knew what was behind the two countries' decisions, felt rather relaxed.

There was little to lose in exchange of fire in a desolate place where there was not a grain of grass. He was confident that the air defense network was enough to neutralize China's air force.

That self-confidence was based on the very existence of the mountain troops.

The reason for the deployment of mountain units along the Chinese border in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was not to prevent ground troops from invading the country, but to deter fighter jets or attack helicopters.

The mountain unit had the latest Stinger portable surface-to-air missiles.

The Stinger missiles earned fame for their great work in Afghanistan.

The attack helicopter 'Hind,' deployed in 1979 by the Soviet Union with the invasion of Afghanistan, was notorious as it was known as a 'butcher' in Afghanistan. It was seen as a symbol of fear to the local Mujahideen guerrillas, but with Stinger which the guerrillas were provided with by the U.S. Intelligence Service, they could shoot down not only the 'Hind' but even fighters.

Stinger was a missile capable of aiming at an altitude of 3,500 meters with a maximum effective range of 5.5 kilometers, which could be carried by an infantryman. It could also track the target on its own after the launch, boasting a high hit rate regardless of the shooter's ability. It was an excellent weapon operated by 20 countries including the U.S. as a major defense official even after 25 years of deployment.

This was why Youngho was full of confidence because the mountain unit was equipped with a lot of Stinger missiles.

"Your Highness. Please leave one battalion of mountaineering troops behind when the Russian troops leave and pull back all of the other troops to the rear."

"Wouldn't the Chinese forces notice it soon?"

"That's why I'm asking you to pull back. We need them to believe that we didn't leave much of a force here. That'll get us to the target area more easily."

"Can you stop the Chinese army with only mobile missiles and rocket launchers?"

"It is possible because the place where the militia is located is on a highland. Our soldiers can easily hide from the enemy's eyes. A little support from the air defense and artillery units in the rear will give them a high chance of success. If the camp is found, we can retreat to a secret cave, so we don't have to worry about the soldiers getting hurt."

"That's the tactic that the Mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan used to deal with the Soviet army."

"That's right. We're going to fight guerrilla warfare because we're outnumbered."

The militia commander, who explained the general operation plan to Youngho, looked confident. He showed a strong will to directly deal with the Chinese military.

"I'm worried about the few that will be left behind at the front. They'll be seriously outnumbered."

"For us, it'll be more effective to move with a few best soldiers. And as you know, the Pamir Plateau is so far from mainland China that the supply route is long, and winter is just around the corner, which is advantageous for us. I don't know how great China's equipment is, but there aren't many of them to survive the winter here. Likewise, this is a place that can't be tolerated by any man unless you're familiar with the plateau. In the winter, you get only about 30 minutes of activity time outside."

"Do you mean no high-tech equipment is going to work in the Pamir Plateau?"

"It'll still work, but it won't perform to its best capability. Of course, we're in the same position, but this is our home. In Pamir, which is almost the polar region, the battle has to be fought in the Pamir way."

Youngho had to agree with the militia commander since the militia was the backbone of Tajikistan.

Over 3,500-5,000 meters above sea level was where nature denied human access in the first place. In a place like this, the answer to survival was to follow the words of the people who had been living there.

Youngho could physically feel it because his toes were frozen despite the mystical ring's power and winter gears even though it was only the end of October. He wondered how many Chinese soldiers would be able to withstand the biting cold and high altitude.

"We have enough battle food, so don't spare it when you distribute it to the soldiers."

"Your Highness, can we possibly get more combat food?"

"I thought a sufficient amount was being supplied. Are you're saying that's not enough?"

"I'm embarrassed but I'd like to send some to the families of our militiamen."

"They'll be paid for their work soon, but is that not enough?"

"It's just we can't buy these nutritious foods even if we had money. The soldiers are saving their supplies and sending them home. They feel bad for their family members."

"What? I can't let the soldiers starve because they're worried about their families in the back. It's something to be governed by military law, but after hearing the story, I can't help it. Tell them to send some home because I'll supply enough combat food."

Youngho knew Tajikistan was a poor country, but he did not imagine that the degree would be this bad. It made no sense to reduce the amount of combat rations given to individual soldiers to send them home.

It was also a shock to hear that even with money, it was not easy to buy food in the area.

It was surprising that people were suffering from a food shortage despite the grain sent to Tajikistan as an aid. This meant that the grain received in aid was not being properly distributed to residents. It was evident that the Tajikistan government was corrupt or that public officials were not doing their jobs properly.

If that was true, local people would not feel sorry even if the government was overruled.

There was now another reason to absorb Tajikistan.

***

"Mr. Commissioner, please get as much combat food as you can and send it to the Pamir Plateau."

"That's a big deal. The Kurdish settlers have been asking for combat food, so we have not met the demand for the royal territory in time. We need to expand the combat food factory again. The Siberian market is also asking for more supply."

"Keep what's being sent to the city of Krasnoyarsk and hold off on supplying it to the Kurds for a while. We have to turn to Tajikistan first. It's more urgent."

"I'll contact Eti the Turkish food company to check if we can import finished products."

"Yes, and I'd like you to discuss the extension of the factory with Eti, too."

Combat food was literally a snack for soldiers operating in the field, but Central Asian people thought of it as a delicacy.

They lived in a place where there was so little to eat that the nutritious and high-calorie combat food was in the limelight as a great meal. This meant that their lives had been difficult.

The combat food was not the only concern.

The lightweight, heat-resistance winter clothes were popular among not only soldiers but also common people, so they ran out of stock as soon as they were produced.

Although there was a uniform made of animal skins, it was rugged and heavy, which had significantly reduced people's activity.

"We need to prepare more winter clothes. How's the situation at the factory?"

"We're operating very slowly because we don't have enough skilled workers. It won't be able to produce until after a few more months."

The royal territory was operating a clothing manufacturing plant to provide jobs for the Kurds, but because they were not as skilled as expected, the royal territory could not supply clothes to spend for the Kurdish settlers' demand.

"We need to build some more clothing factories in Kazakhstan. We can't even handle domestic demand."

"The reason is that most factories have been shut down due to Chinese products. There's no price competition. We have to reduce our imports, even by imposing tariffs on Chinese products."

"It's still too early to do that with our current economy. We have no choice but to use Chinese products until the domestic industry is revitalized."

"I'm not saying we're going to impose tariffs on all items, but let's test out some competitive products."

Kazakhstan would have a population of 20 million if all Kurds moved.

If the population of Kyrgyz and Tajik people were added, it would be 33 million, so domestic consumption alone could turn the economy around.

However, domestic companies, which had lost a competitive edge due to cheap Chinese products, were not able to hold out.

In order to foster the domestic industry, imports of Chinese products should be prevented, but artificial blockages could cause side effects of rising prices.

It was evident that the impact of Chinese products on the economy of the working class was so great.

Other Central Asian countries were no exception. If there were no daily necessities from China, problems would arise immediately.

Since there was not even enough number of domestic factories to meet the domestic need, there was no way of beating Chinese products. When thinking about how to drive out the Chinese products, Youngho could not help but sigh.