The moment Ryuzaki Makoto fell became the fuse that ignited the entire powder keg.
The pent-up anger and despair of tens of thousands of residents of the nameless street erupted instantly.
"The police have killed someone!"
"Let's fight them!"
The shouts erupted like a flash flood, and the dark mass of people, like a burst dam, instantly overwhelmed the fragile defense line of the few dozen people from the regional division.
The police officers with shields couldn't withstand the onslaught of the crowd for even half a second.
Their shields were taken from them, their batons were knocked away, and their orderly formation was shattered in an instant.
Groups of three or five vagrants surrounded the lone policeman, raining down punches and kicks on him without mercy.
Among these people were many elite members of the True Dragon Society. They were ruthless and vicious, aiming their punches at joints and vital points.
The screams of agony rose and fell, but this did not stop the angry mob.
They weren't just beating people; they were venting their frustrations and humiliating them.
They frantically tore at the police officers' uniforms, stripping them naked.
In an instant, dozens of naked, wounded "white-striped chickens" appeared on the field.
They huddled on the ground, their hands protecting their vital organs, as the crowd punched and kicked them, their dignity utterly trampled underfoot.
The nearly one hundred civilian staff members from the Urban Development Bureau following behind the Regional Division had never seen such a violent scene before.
These guys, who spend all day sitting in their offices drinking tea and reading newspapers, were immediately terrified by the hellish scene before them.
They stood there, stunned, their faces pale, their legs trembling uncontrollably, and some even wet their pants on the spot.
It wasn't until the first person reacted, letting out a terrified scream and turning to run away that the rest of them snapped out of their daze and began to flee in panic.
Amid the chaos, Ryuzaki Makoto, being helped back by his own people, coldly watched the scene unfold.
He thought to himself, "The government departments in Huya Liu really don't take these homeless people on Wuming Street seriously at all."
Dispersing a gathering of tens of thousands of people without even bringing a decent mobile armed force—aren't they afraid of a large-scale riot?
Actually, Junichi Watanabe isn't stupid.
How could someone who can sit in the position of director of the finance bureau be an idiot?
However, political maneuvering is never as simple and brutal as Ryuzaki Shinichi thought.
If they really come with a heavily armed mobile unit today, it would be tantamount to labeling the tens of thousands of residents of the nameless street as "rioters" before the operation even begins, rather than "people to be cleared out."
The nature of them is completely different.
You cannot assume that riots will definitely happen.
If you call the police and tell them that someone "might" kill you, will the police immediately send out SWAT teams to arrest that person?
That's obviously impossible.
Law enforcement will only intervene with swift and decisive action when the other party has actually committed an act of harm against you.
It may sound cold and even absurd, but it is indeed the truth.
However, at this moment, Junichi Watanabe, who was running in the lead, finally realized what was happening.
This is no longer a possibility, this is blatant rioting!
This is a blatant provocation against the public power of the state!
He grabbed his equally terrified secretary and screamed hysterically:
"Quickly! Notify the Metropolitan Police Department! No! Notify the Ground Self-Defense Force directly! A large-scale armed riot has broken out in an unnamed street! Dozens of public officials have been seriously injured! Requesting immediate support! Immediate support!"
The young secretary was clearly stunned by the scene before her. Upon hearing Junichi Watanabe's words, she instinctively asked:
"Chief...now?"
Upon hearing this, Junichi Watanabe's pent-up anger and fear erupted instantly.
He slapped the secretary hard across the face, making him spin halfway around.
"Are you an idiot?! Didn't you see how badly the police were beaten?! What are you waiting for?! Go make a call right now!!"
...
Half an hour later.
The piercing sound of police sirens grew louder as they approached, tearing apart the chaos above the nameless street.
The first to arrive at the scene was the "Mobile Unit" belonging to the Metropolitan Police Department.
More than thirty dark blue armored personnel carriers lined up at the intersection. The doors opened, and nearly a thousand members of the mobile unit, wearing helmets, dark blue riot gear, and carrying transparent riot shields and long batons, quickly disembarked and formed several neat square formations.
They are a professional force specializing in handling large-scale riots and uprisings; they are well-equipped and highly trained.
Following closely behind was the Tokyo Fire Department's special rescue unit.
More than a dozen red and white fire trucks and dozens of ambulances were parked behind the mobile team, and emergency personnel carrying medical kits quickly got out of the vehicles and stood by.
Meanwhile, in the sky, three military helicopters belonging to the Ground Self-Defense Force circled and roared, their huge propellers whipping up strong winds.
A man who looked to be in his fifties, with a general's star on his shoulder, stepped down from a command vehicle.
He is the commander-in-chief of this operation, the commander of the Eastern Army of the Ground Self-Defense Force, and a garrison commander—Nobutetsu Sakata.
Sakata Nobutetsu took the megaphone handed to him by his adjutant and shouted into the still chaotic scene:
"I am Nobutetsu Sakata, Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Army of the Ground Self-Defense Force! I hereby issue a formal warning! All personnel involved in the riot, immediately cease your violent acts! Lay down your weapons! Kneel down with your hands behind your heads! I repeat..."
However, the scene was still chaotic, with many nameless street vagrants who were in a fit of rage still attacking the government personnel who had lost the ability to resist.
Sakata Shintetsu's warning had little effect amidst the enormous noise.
Looking at the chaotic scene, Sakata Shintetsu also felt a bit of a headache.
Using live ammunition to deal with these unarmed civilians is definitely not an option; otherwise, the pressure from public opinion would be enough to force him, the commander-in-chief, to step down.
He picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke into the headset using professional tactical language:
"First and second squads, prepare to use CS tear gas for the first round of non-lethal dispersal! Target: densely populated areas, three rounds salvo!"
Upon receiving the order, dozens of members of the mobile squad immediately raised their grenade launchers.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a muffled firing sound, dozens of tear gas canisters traced parabolic arcs and landed precisely in the densest part of the crowd on the nameless street.
The spent cartridge case hit the ground, and thick yellow smoke billowed out instantly, spreading rapidly.
The pungent chemical fumes permeated the air, like countless invisible steel needles piercing people's eyes, noses, and throats.
A sharp burning and suffocating sensation struck instantly, and the displaced people who were first hit immediately let out painful screams.
Their tears and snot flowed uncontrollably, their throats felt like they were on fire, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.
Many people instinctively rub their eyes, which only makes the situation worse.
Panic spread through the population like a plague.
"Cough cough... Ah! My eyes!"
"What is that... I can't see it!"
"Run! Reverse!"
Under the attack of tear gas, the once agitated refugees were thrown into disarray and began to retreat uncontrollably, trying to escape the yellow smoke.
Seeing the crowd begin to retreat, Nobutetsu Sakata immediately issued a second order.
"Medical units, follow up! Rescue wounded public officials! Mobile units, form a defensive wall and advance!"
The mobile squad members, holding shields, immediately marched in unison, forming an insurmountable wall with their shields, and began to press forward step by step, completely forcing the rioting crowd back into the depths of the nameless street.
Medical personnel rushed into the scene and began providing emergency treatment to the police officers and civilian staff who had fallen to the ground.
The ambulance siren then went off.
Junichi Watanabe ran up to Nobutetsu Sakata in a disheveled state, his face still showing signs of shock.
"General Sakata! Thank you so much for arriving in time! I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you with the rest!"
Sakata Shintetsu merely gave him a cold look and said nothing.
His gaze passed over the chaos before him and landed on the dark mass of refugees opposite him.
Sakata Shintetsu saw their tattered clothes, which were barely enough to cover their bodies.
Even though it's already autumn and the weather is getting cooler, many people are still wearing thin short sleeves or even shirtless.
Interspersed among the crowd were the heart-wrenching cries of children who had been choked by tear gas.
Sakata Shintetsu's gaze trembled slightly.
Even in a place like Japan, where class distinctions are rigid, there are still good people.
He himself came from a poor rural area and climbed up step by step through his own efforts.
So seeing this scene before me, I really felt a little sorry for her.
However, this is during a mission.
He cannot be allowed to have even the slightest personal feelings.
Sakata Shintetsu took a deep breath, picked up the walkie-talkie again, and his voice regained its previous coldness and decisiveness.
"Attention! Guns drawn! Loaded! Free fire warning! Repeat, free fire warning! Target: all personnel standing ahead!"
As soon as the order was given, nearly a thousand members of the mobile unit and the Self-Defense Force soldiers waiting in the rear raised their automatic rifles in unison.
The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out as thousands of dark gun barrels were pointed at the tens of thousands of unarmed refugees opposite them.
Meanwhile, as dusk fell, the three helicopters in the sky turned on their high-intensity searchlights under their fuselages.
Three blinding white beams of light descended from the sky, locking onto the group of refugees.
Cold gun barrels, roaring helicopters, well-trained soldiers...
The cold and powerful force of the state apparatus was laid bare before everyone.
Before it, the power of the people appears so weak and vulnerable.
The refugees, who had just been boiling with anger, calmed down completely.
They are just ordinary people struggling to survive, spending their entire lives under the oppression and indifference of outsiders.
The outburst just now was merely a momentary surge of passion.
Now, as they calmed down and saw the dense array of gun barrels and the war machines hovering overhead, a deep-seated fear once again gripped their hearts.
Many people were trembling uncontrollably.
The crowd was deathly silent, save for the terrified cries and suppressed sobs of the children.
In this almost frozen atmosphere of despair, a figure staggered out from the crowd.
He was a young man with a face covered in blood and dressed in rags.
Under the shadow of thousands of dark gun barrels and blinding searchlight beams, he walked resolutely step by step before everyone...