Chapter 83 The world is watching the drama unfold! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds forcefully: Show us the evidence!
The plane flew smoothly through the clouds, but behind Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan, the land of cherry blossoms was engulfed in a storm a hundred times more violent than a landslide.
The sacred toilet in Yasukuni has been burned down!
This news was like a bombshell, exploding on Japan's social media in the early hours of the morning!
Initially, it was only some nearby residents who were awakened by the towering flames and piercing sirens, and they took videos with trembling hands and uploaded them to the internet.
"Fire! The sacred toilet in Yasukuni is on fire!"
"My God! The fire is huge! The entire main hall is on fire!"
In the video footage, the building, which is usually regarded as a "holy site" by countless right-wingers, is being mercilessly engulfed by raging flames. Dark red flames lick the black night sky, and in the thick smoke, the wooden structure of the building is emitting crackling and wailing sounds as it continues to collapse.
Immediately, countless media outlets sprang into action, reporters swarming like sharks smelling blood. Long lenses and microphones were aimed at the sea of fire, helicopters circled overhead, and flashes of light illuminated the night like day.
News headlines are being refreshed at an unprecedented speed:
Breaking News! Fire breaks out at Yasukuni Shrine late at night; main hall completely destroyed!
[A historic disaster! Who is the arsonist?]
[An accelerant was found at the scene of the fire; police have preliminarily classified it as an "extremely malicious arson incident"!]
The news spread, and the entire country of Sakura was shaken.
Countless right-wing activists and elderly people were struck dumb upon seeing the news. They rushed out of their homes, gathered outside the police cordon, and, looking at the charred ruins, beat their chests, stamped their feet, and wailed.
"Baka! This is a desecration of the spirit of the Great Sakura Empire!"
"Our faith...our holy land...has collapsed..."
"Catch the murderer! Make him commit seppuku to atone for his sins!"
Cries, curses, and roars mingled together, filled with despair and madness.
At three in the morning, the prime minister, who was over sixty years old, was awakened from his sleep by an emergency phone call. When he heard the news that "the Yasukuni Shrine had been burned down," his mind went blank, and he almost had a heart attack on the spot.
Minutes later, a top-level emergency meeting was convened at the Prime Minister's official residence. All the high-ranking officials, dragged out of bed, were still sleepy-eyed, but their faces were filled with fear and rage.
"Investigate! Investigate! Who did this?!" The Prime Minister's roar almost lifted the roof off; his eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged lion.
An intelligence chief reported nervously, "Your Excellency the Prime Minister... the on-site monitoring and alarm systems all malfunctioned before the incident... it's exactly the same as the situation during the landslide a few days ago..."
"Another malfunction?!" The Prime Minister slammed his fist on the table. "How many countries in the world are capable of doing this? And who has the motive to do so?!"
The meeting room was deathly silent.
Everyone knows that there is only one answer to this question.
A cabinet minister gritted his teeth and said, "Your Excellency, it must be China! It was definitely them! No other country would have such audacity or such deep hatred!"
"That's right! First, there was the bizarre landslide, and now they've set fire to the sacred toilet! This is blatant provocation! It's a declaration of war against our Great Sakura Empire!"
"How dare they! How dare they do this!"
The officials were outraged and insisted that it was China that was responsible. In their view, only the neighbor they had hurt the most had sufficient reason and standing to do such a "treasonous" thing.
However, after the anger came a deep sense of powerlessness.
"Where's the evidence?" the Prime Minister asked in a hoarse voice.
The entire conference room fell silent again; you could hear a pin drop.
Yes, but where's the evidence?
There was no surveillance, no witnesses, nothing at all. The other party's methods were shockingly clean and efficient, like a ghost, appearing and disappearing without a trace, leaving only chaos and endless suspicion.
...
The next morning, Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan woke up leisurely in their hotel in South Korea.
Open your phone, and the global internet has completely exploded.
The Prime Minister of Japan held a press conference immediately after daybreak. Standing in front of the cameras, looking haggard and with tears streaming down his face, he used a highly inflammatory politician's tone to vehemently denounce this "atrocity."
"...We cannot imagine what kind of barbaric and cruel organization would commit such a heinous crime against a sacred site that carries our nation's history and prayers for peace!"
"We strongly suspect that this was a premeditated, organized terrorist attack from a neighboring country that harbors deep hostility towards our country!"
Although he didn't name names, every word he said was a blatant insinuation about China. Finally, he shifted his tone, becoming firm: "We demand that the other side immediately explain this matter, hand over the instigator, and offer compensation and an apology! Our satellites did capture some images! We are simply trying to maintain regional peace and don't want to completely sever ties!"
These words instantly ignited a global public opinion frenzy.
Japanese netizens, as if injected with adrenaline, flooded into major Chinese social media platforms, launching a barrage of insults and attacks with vulgar language, their target being China.
Meanwhile, Chinese netizens demonstrated unprecedented unity and tacit understanding.
On the one hand, they were overjoyed, and all sorts of celebratory emojis and jokes flew around.
"Hilarious! The best fireworks show of the year! I suggest they apply for UNESCO World Heritage status!"
"Well done! Which hero has acted on behalf of Heaven? I bow down in admiration!"
"Last night I observed the celestial phenomena and saw purple clouds rising from the east. I calculated with my fingers that a wicked person would surely be punished by heaven! And indeed it was!"
On the other hand, in response to Japan's accusations, they launched a full-scale counterattack.
"You're spouting nonsense! Do you have any evidence? If you can't, shut up!"
"Hilarious! Blaming the neighbor for your own house catching fire? What kind of childish logic is that?"
"You said you got a satellite image? If you did, then release it! It takes time to Photoshop a picture, we're not in a hurry, we'll wait for you."
Meanwhile, netizens from other countries eagerly watched the drama unfold. South Korean netizens were particularly active, offering a barrage of sarcastic remarks, seemingly determined to make the situation even bigger.
Just as this online battle reached its climax, a journalist from the United States raised a pointed question at a regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"What is your opinion on the Japanese Prime Minister's implication that your country was responsible for the arson attack, which has sparked huge controversy online?"
Under the spotlight, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a middle-aged man with a refined demeanor but sharp eyes, slowly pushed up his glasses, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
He cleared his throat and spoke slowly and deliberately in a calm yet powerful voice:
"Regarding what you mentioned, I'd like to say this first. We deeply sympathize with the misfortune that has befallen Japan. After all, fires are merciless, so please be careful."
A murmur of laughter rippled through the audience.
He paused, then changed the subject, his eyes instantly turning sharp.
"As for certain baseless accusations and insinuations, I would like to respond with an ancient Chinese proverb—"
"Nothing is clearer than effectiveness, and nothing is more definitive than evidence."
"We advise certain countries that instead of acting like a wronged woman and making baseless accusations here, they should focus on managing their own fire safety. Don't blame your neighbors just because your own house catches fire. Such childish and irresponsible false accusations will only make you a laughing stock in the international community!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent for a second, and then the Chinese reporters erupted in thunderous applause.
Zhou Jue looked at the spokesperson's domineering figure on his phone screen, exchanged a glance with Cheng Gan, and the two couldn't help but laugh.
Cool!
This is so awesome!
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