Chapter 11: I'll Treat You to Takoyaki

"Impossible, impossible, impossible..." Someone in front of the television kept repeating the same phrase like a tape recorder.

"Hiss! Is that Kamikawa Mitsu?!!"

"! @#%%... Kamikawa Mitsu is a Hero?!"

"Did I watch too much Toei Animation? Can anyone tell me, am I watching a live broadcast or an animation right now? A Gao Zhongsheng flying a plane to save people? What a joke."

"Kamikawa Mitsu, who saved 231 people, is a Hero?"

Even before Director Saito walked toward Wang Zun, everyone had made an astonishing guess.

Perhaps the news on the forum wasn't entirely wrong.

NH137 wasn't hijacked by a Gao Zhongsheng, but was actually piloted by one.

The guess was confirmed with a single "Sugoi" from Director Saito.

Anyone who isn't an idiot can see that Director Saito suddenly praising a Gao Zhongsheng, and in such a setting, must have a reason.

The reason isn't hard to guess.

However.

Guessing is one thing, but when the guess actually comes true, it's a completely different feeling.

The uproar inside and outside the airport, and in front of televisions, like a boiling pot, is the best proof.

It's hard to believe a Gao Zhongsheng would fly a plane.

Keep in mind, Mori Takeshi said how dangerous the situation NH137 encountered was.

Even if what Mori Takeshi said cannot be verified, there is one thing people at the airport can verify: the drift when the plane landed.

It's unthinkable that a maneuver even veteran pilots couldn't pull off, a drifting landing, was executed by a Gao Zhongsheng.

Click-click-click!

Spotlights shone down, camera shutters flashing continuously.

The media went crazy.

"Quick, take a picture of that guy named Kamikawa."

"Take it! I want his photo on tomorrow's front page headline."

"Hahaha, big news, big news that will shake the whole nation."

News reporters, newspaper reporters, and many other media journalists, as if risking their lives, rushed forward, surrounding Wang Zun.

Some held small microphones, others held recording pens.

The voices from their mouths never stopped since they pushed forward.

"Excuse me, Kamikawa, what is your name?"

"Kamikawa, can you tell us your feelings while piloting the plane?"

"Kamikawa, please accept our radio station's exclusive interview, we beg you!"

"Kamikawa, where did you learn your flying skills? Were you not afraid when the plane was in danger?"

The reporters were like a swarm of bees, circling Wang Zun, the 'queen bee'.

Buzzing non-stop.

With the reporters' chaotic chatter ringing in his ears, Wang Zun felt his brain was about to explode; lights flashed before his eyes, making it hard to keep them open.

These reporters were too crazy.

He wanted to leave, but was powerless; the surroundings were blocked by reporters, packed tight with no gap.

The police reacted, wanting to clear a path, but couldn't do it in a short while; they had no way to deal with this group of crazy reporters.

Forcing them apart, the moment one was pulled away, another squeezed in.

Trying to pull another one away, the first one would rush back up.

How could they be driven away?

And... the passengers were also making a scene.

One by one they rushed forward, claiming it was gratitude and thankfulness for Wang Zun saving their lives.

As for whether it was purely gratitude...

Judging by them posing for the media while pushing forward, it probably wasn't all gratitude.

Actually, it's no wonder the media went crazy; it's just that what happened today wasn't a Gao Zhongsheng hijacking a plane, but a Gao Zhongsheng saving a plane.

If today's NH137 incident was just a Gao Zhongsheng hijacking a plane.

Then the media would go crazy, but not to the extent of going mad as they are now.

Because.

Student hijackings have happened in Japan before.

In 1970, nine students in Japan hijacked a plane; that event once shocked the whole world.

So.

If today was just a Gao Zhongsheng hijacking a plane, the media would at most squeeze in, take photos, and try to ask Wang Zun a few questions.

Unfortunately, today wasn't a hijacking.

It was a Gao Zhongsheng saving a plane, something never seen before.

Before this happened today, such an event would absolutely belong in manga content, similar to a Gao Zhongsheng saving a fantasy world in JUMP.

Now, the manga content has come true.

The media are still squeezing in, lost in madness.

They were like a hundred thousand whys, asking non-stop, snapping photos non-stop.

They wished Wang Zun could answer all their questions.

The noise and clamor at the airport.

The internet was also in an uproar.

A tide of news swept across major forums.

All of it concerned a Gao Zhongsheng saving an aircraft.

Those discussing it online ranged from students to office workers and housewives; everyone was there.

As the saying goes, the power of netizens is formidable.

That statement is correct.

Within a mere minute, photos of Kamikawa Mitsu were exposed online.

Besides photos, even Kamikawa Mitsu's full name, Kamikawa Mitsu, was uncovered, along with which high school he attended.

If time had not been so short, Wang Zun's other information, such as his parents and so on, would have been exposed as well.

Fortunately, Wang Zun had anticipated the situation; when swarmed by the media, he did not forget to ask Tian Wu for help, requesting him to seek Minister Saito's assistance to suppress the online exposure of information.

Japanese law also offers protection for privacy rights.

Although the information was not fully exposed, only photos, names, and schools appeared.

But, becoming famous was inevitable.

The name Kamikawa Mitsu climbed to the top of Japan's Yahoo hot search list in an extremely short time.

In Japan, Yahoo is equivalent to China's Baidu.

Wang Zun knew none of this.

At this moment, he was dealing with media interviews and police questioning.

After all, the police could not rely solely on Tian Wu's word, even though Tian Wu was a Police Inspector.

The incident still had to be investigated; questioning the 231 people was indispensable for the police.

They worked continuously until night, spending a full six or seven hours.

Only then did Wang Zun emerge from the Police Headquarters.

Crucially, spending six or seven hours was only possible because Tian Wu helped skip many procedures; otherwise, the time spent would have been even longer.

Time: 7 PM, in front of the Police Headquarters.

"Kamikawa-kun."

Tian Wu handed Wang Zun a business card.

"It's still the same words: thank you for saving me, for saving NMH137. I really want to thank you properly, but my superiors require me to write a report immediately, detailing today's events, so I cannot leave. Once I finish, I will definitely make time to thank you properly."

Glancing at Tian Wu's business card, Wang Zun accepted it and smiled.

"Mr. Tian is too polite; that was saving myself as well. It's no big deal. Actually, you helped me a lot today, so I should be the one thanking you and treating you to a meal.

When Mr. Tian has some free time someday, I will treat you to takoyaki.

Hehe, I don't have much money, so I can only treat you to takoyaki; Mr. Tian, please don't mind."

Hearing this, Tian Wu was first slightly stunned, then laughed heartily, patting Wang Zun's shoulder a few times.

"Haha, how could I mind? Then it's a deal!"

They chatted idly for a while longer.

Wang Zun declined Tian Wu's kind offer to drive him home, set off toward the subway station, and prepared to take the subway home.

After bidding farewell to Wang Zun, Tian Wu did not rush back to the Police Headquarters.

He stood at the entrance of the Police Headquarters, watching Wang Zun depart, feeling moved.

During the time they spent together, his conversations with Wang Zun had no generational gap at all; it was more like two adults talking.

Wang Zun did not seem like a Gao Zhongsheng; or rather, he was terrifyingly mature.

However, Tian Wu did not mind, because he had seen Kamikawa Mitsu's information file and knew that Kamikawa Mitsu's parents had died two years ago.

Perhaps it was precisely the death of his parents that made Kamikawa Mitsu's mind mature far beyond his peers at such a young age.

People often only realize the hardships of society and how free and easy life is under their parents' wings after experiencing and encountering things themselves.

Once the wings can no longer protect, and one feels the cold outside the wings, only then does one realize the hardships of life.

Tonight, autumn had just arrived.

The night breeze was cool.

It blew up the large trees in front of the Police Headquarters, sending fallen leaves swirling.

Ahead, rows of large trees stood; compared to the brightly lit Police Headquarters behind, the surroundings appeared dim. Watching Wang Zun gradually walk into the dimness ahead, about to disappear from sight.

Tian Wu thought of his own son and wife; compared to his own happy family, Kamikawa Mitsu was...

Recalling Wang Zun's face,

a delicate face, yet with deep dark circles under the eyes; the aura on his body carried an undeniable air of despair and decadence.

Involuntarily, he shouted to Kamikawa-kun.

"Kamikawa-kun, if you ever need help in the future, you can call me; my phone number is on the business card."

Wang Zun, who had not walked far, turned back and waved cheerfully at Tian Wu.

Then he walked into the road ahead.

Tian Wu felt sympathy for this promising teenager, Kamikawa Mitsu, who was bearing pressures no one his age should have, and intended to remind Kamikawa Mitsu that he could seek help if he encountered difficulties.

It was just that he did not know.

The real Kamikawa Mitsu was not at all a promising teenager, but a despairing teenager whose will to die had already become evident.

The Kamikawa Mitsu of now is no longer that Kamikawa Mitsu with a tragic background and miserable experiences.

He is Wang Zun.

And also Kamikawa Mitsu.

(Please vote for recommendations, I beg you, my benefactors and benefactresses, send some recommendation votes!)