"It must be fake; he's deliberately smearing Japan!"
Many Japanese people are unwilling to believe this, feeling that "Bright Sword" is distorting history and deliberately vilifying the Japanese army.
As a result, many people spontaneously organized to protest in front of the newspapers and magazines that were serializing "Bright Sword," demanding that the serialization be stopped and a public apology be issued.
"Stop publishing 'Bright Sword'! This is a slander against Japan!"
"Distorting history and misleading the public must be apologized for!"
"We do not accept this kind of novel, take it down!"
Despite the public protests, the newspaper editors who serialized "Bright Sword" remained unusually calm.
Because of all this, Keiko Kobayashi had communicated with them in advance and provided them with a large amount of evidence.
The editors of the left-wing newspapers took out stacks of documents and handed them to the protesting crowd: "Please don't get agitated. Take a look at these documents first. These are all true records of the Japanese invasion of China. There are photos, written archives, and witness testimonies."
Pointing to the contents of the documents, they said, “You can see these: photos of the Nanjing Massacre, records of killing contests by the Japanese army, and evidence of human experiments conducted by Unit 731. These documents are now preserved in the Japanese National History Museum, and you can verify them for yourselves.”
The protesters were skeptical, but many actually took the materials and went to the Japanese history museum.
When they saw the bloody photos and the appalling written records with their own eyes, everyone fell silent.
They witnessed the horrific Nanjing Massacre, in which Japanese soldiers slaughtered Chinese civilians, including the elderly, women, and children, none of whom were spared; they saw Unit 731 using Chinese people as experimental subjects, conducting various cruel experiments; and they saw evidence of the Japanese army's atrocities of burning, killing, looting, and arson in the occupied territories.
The truth is far more cruel and outrageous than what is depicted in "Bright Sword".
The crimes committed by the invading Japanese army were even more inhuman and disgusting than those depicted in the novel.
"My God, is this real? Our army has actually done such a thing?"
"This is terrifying! It's simply inhuman!"
"It turns out we've been deceived by the government all along; this is the truth of history!"
These ordinary Japanese citizens were completely devastated.
Their previous beliefs and understanding completely collapsed in the face of irrefutable evidence.
They felt ashamed of their previous ignorance and angry and disgraced by the brutal crimes committed by the Japanese army.
For a time, the serialization of "Bright Sword" sparked the largest wave of reflection in Japan since the war.
More and more people are beginning to question the government's history education, actively seeking to understand the true history of World War II, and reflecting on Japan's acts of aggression.
Fortunately, the Japanese prime minister and government at that time were relatively pro-China, and they were committed to recognizing and acknowledging history and improving Sino-Japanese relations.
Therefore, the government did not openly obstruct the serialization of "Bright Sword" and the spread of this trend of reflection; instead, it adopted a tacitly acquiescing attitude.
However, this trend of thought and the serialization of "Bright Sword" touched upon the interests of many people affected by the lingering poison of militarism.
Those Japanese politicians and families who participated in the war of aggression against China have been trying to distort history, cover up their crimes, and maintain their reputation and status.
"We cannot allow this trend of thought to continue to spread! Otherwise, our family honor will be ruined!"
"The TV series 'Bright Sword' must be banned to smear that Chinese author and distort the truth of history!"
They began to exert their influence, pressuring newspapers and magazine editorial departments to stop serializing "Bright Sword"; they published articles in the media, slandering Hai Zi as a spy sent by the Chinese government with the aim of undermining social stability in Japan; they also organized people to spread rumors, saying that the historical evidence was all forged.
However, their counterattack was exactly what Lin Huowang and Kobayashi Keiko had anticipated.
Following Lin Huowang's instructions, Keiko Kobayashi collected more detailed evidence in advance, including orders from high-ranking Japanese military officers, soldiers' diaries, and confessions from captured Japanese soldiers.
As the remnants of militarism began to make a comeback, this evidence was continuously released.
Furthermore, Keiko Kobayashi contacted a left-wing television station in Japan to produce a documentary based on this evidence, which was then broadcast during prime time.
The documentary, with its authentic photographs, moving testimonies, and brutal facts, brought tears to the eyes of countless Japanese viewers and made them see the truth of history.
"So that's what happened back then. The government really lied to us for so many years!"
"Those militarists were despicable; they even tried to cover up the truth!" "We must face history squarely and apologize to the Chinese people!"
More and more Japanese people are joining the ranks of those reflecting on history, calling on the government to face up to history, acknowledge past crimes of aggression, and solemnly apologize and compensate the Chinese people.
This wave of reflection swept across Japan like a torrent, profoundly influencing the country's social and political landscape.
It can be said that Lin Huowang's plan completely changed the historical trajectory of Japanese intellectual trends.
Originally, starting from the late 1970s, Japan gradually began to frantically suppress leftist thought and frantically revise textbooks and history to cover up crimes.
The few remaining left-wing newspapers and television stations in Japan will gradually lose their market share and eventually be unable to make their voices heard.
But now, because of Lin Huowang's involvement and the serialization of the novel "Bright Sword" in Japanese publications, it's like a spark hitting a haystack, instantly igniting a strong sense of urgency among many Japanese people to confront that history of aggression.
Lin Huowang also chose the perfect time; a few years earlier or later, he wouldn't have been able to create such a huge impact.
At the headquarters of Longteng Newspaper Group in Japan, Keiko Kobayashi stood in her office, looking out at the street scene with a satisfied smile on her face.
She knew that everything that was happening now was the result Lin Huowang wanted to see.
Through a novel, Hai Zi not only made a name for himself in Japan, but also helped the Japanese people recognize the historical truth and promoted a correct consensus between China and Japan on this period of aggression.
Meanwhile, Lam Fau-wong, who was far away in Hong Kong, simply smiled faintly when he received a telegram from Keiko Kobayashi informing him of the situation in Japan.
He knew this was just the beginning.
In the future, he will use more methods to let the world understand the real China and to ensure that the truth of history is no longer covered up.
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