Chapter 859

The scene was still being cleaned up, but the news could no longer be contained.

The scene's footage and news spread from Tama River Bridge to the Metropolitan Police Department, then to the National Police Agency, then to the Cabinet Secretariat; the police on site immediately called the National Police Agency's Secretariat, and the National Police Agency immediately notified the Cabinet.

Minami Ojou-sama stayed at the scene for a while, confirmed that Uesugi Muneyuki and Date Nagamune were unharmed—only her suit was torn and she promised reimbursement—then immediately called Watanabe Eiji; her voice had no extra emotion, like reading a report needing no commentary: "Tama River Bridge, former Self-Defense Force extremists attempted to attack the U. S. Secretary of State's motorcade."

The scene is under control, the attack failed. The organizer is former Ground Self-Defense Force Third Class Lieutenant Gawa Toshiki, seven participants total, one committed suicide, one was killed, the remaining five arrested. Preliminary assessment links this to the port explosion case eleven years ago as the same network.

Watanabe Eiji was currently inhaling oxygen.

"Minami, come, spin three hundred sixty degrees, let me see what's going on?"

Minami spun three hundred sixty degrees; Watanabe Eiji pressed hard on his chest, his heart rate had already risen to 180 beats per second!

One more step, one more step and it would have become Japan's biggest diplomatic incident since the Cold War!

"Are you sure it was Muneyuki who forcibly blocked the U. S. motorcade?" Watanabe Eiji strained: "How did the U. S. side respond?"

"General Zakari thanked Muneyuki for his timely intervention and timely assistance; the Secretary of State's side said nothing, merely having soldiers escort him back to Yokosuka Base." Minami Ojou-sama was also terrified.

No sound came from the other end of the phone.

How long the silence lasted, Minami didn't count, but it was enough for her to mentally replay all the scene's data. Then Watanabe Eiji's voice came from the earpiece, low but each word squeezed from between his teeth: "Understood, don't utter a word about the special orders from that side, let Muneyuki stay quiet, I'll handle this side—getting General Zakari's thanks is extremely important, let's see what happens next with the Cabinet."

"But no matter what happens, we've already won—do nothing at this moment!"

The phone hung up.

Minami put down the handset, saw her fingers trembling slightly.

She knew what it meant for this news to rise upward: Cabinet meetings, Defense Ministry turmoil, large-scale Ground Self-Defense Force inspections, media frenzy, and a drastic, irreversible shift in the nation's political landscape in the coming time.

Indeed, the Cabinet's emergency meeting convened within dozens of minutes after the news reached the Prime Minister's Office.

It was the core few Secretariat heads, Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, National Police Agency Director General, and Cabinet Secretariat participation.

Prime Minister Yamada sat in the main seat at the oval long table, with the freshly faxed scene brief from the National Police Agency spread before him, the paper still warm, edges slightly curled.

He wore reading glasses, read the brief from start to finish twice, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose with thumb and index finger.

"Far-right. Former Self-Defense Force. Terrorist attack on the U. S. Secretary of State's motorcade. Since the February 26 Incident, since the Self-Defense Force's founding, has anything like this happened?"

Prime Minister Yamada nearly bit out each word.

No one in the room dared answer.

February 26!

Imperial Way Faction lone wolf!

Young officers led over a thousand soldiers to seize central Tokyo, killed multiple Cabinet ministers and senior officers, target aimed straight at supreme power.

Honor the Sovereign, Expel the Treacherous! Purify and Renew!

The background of that event was economic depression and political corruption, but what this nation remembers most deeply is not the death toll, but the fact that the army turned its guns on its own government.

Since then, "military interference in politics" has become Japan's most untouchable taboo in politics, and afterward the Five-Star MacArthur Emperor even more strictly guarded against it.

Postwar, the Self-Defense Forces were tightly bound by the constitution, for decades carefully kept in a cage.

Now, the cage hasn't broken, but someone inside reached out trying to strangle the nation's throat.

This fact chills every person present more than any terrorist attack.

But sometimes it's like this: the stricter the guard, the more vigilant, the more the Self-Defense Forces feel bone-deep shame and betrayal, making them ever more extreme.

Kanbocho Onoda spoke: "Prime Minister, the U. S. side's response has arrived. Vice President Zamuun Dölgerekh just issued a statement. The wording—"

"Read it."

The Kanbocho opened the tablet, cleared his throat.

"The Japanese government timely prevented a terrorist attack targeting our nation's Secretary of State; we express gratitude. But we cannot accept that the attack was launched by former members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. This reveals serious loopholes in Japan's military management and ideological control. Given the plot failed, you handle this yourselves. We expect concrete measures to prevent similar incidents."

After the Kanbocho finished reading, he put down the tablet; the meeting room stayed silent for a long time.

Prime Minister Yamada placed his glasses on the table; the lenses reflected two white glows under the lamp light.

"We handle it ourselves. Fine, we handle it ourselves. How? Who takes responsibility?"

Everyone's gaze turned to Defense Minister Watari.

He did not dodge, slowly rose from his chair, hands hanging at his sides, deeply bowed toward the Prime Minister's direction.

This bow was very deep—deep enough that the angle between spine and waist was less than ninety degrees, deep enough that in Japanese social etiquette it means: "I will bear this matter; please do not implicate others."

"Defense Minister Watari, resign in responsibility. Please approve, Prime Minister."

Prime Minister Yamada looked at his head for a few seconds.

At this level of political earthquake, someone must fall for media satisfaction, public acceptance, and to explain things to the U. S. side.

Watari is not a criminal, but he must become the sacrifice.

This is the iron law of Japanese politics.

Japanese politics has no tradition of settling scores with enemies or casually playing nine-kin elimination games, but when problems arise, resigning in responsibility is mandatory.

No one can be like Watanabe Eiji, forever having Uesugi Muneyuki save his life.

"Approved." Prime Minister Yamada's voice was soft, but everyone heard it. Watari straightened up, said nothing, picked up the documents on the table, walked toward the meeting room door, his leather shoes making almost no sound on the carpet.

Soon, the Prime Minister's Office officially issued a statement.

Defense Minister Watari publicly stated he would take responsibility for this terrorist attack, would formally resign from his senior defense official post, and resign his National Diet membership, retiring from politics!

But this isn't over!

"Minami!" Prime Minister Yamada immediately turned to National Public Safety Commission Chairman Nanko Taro: "You dare attack the U. S. Secretary of State—this is no longer ordinary Self-Defense Force! You must strike hard!"

"I now immediately authorize you: dispatch police, conduct a complete, thorough purge of the entire Ground Self-Defense Force system, top to bottom!"

"Wherever there's grass, I see it—I see the Self-Defense Force from top to bottom, completely overgrown with grass!"

"Get rid of the weeds! Go!!!!!" As he finished, Prime Minister Yamada nearly bellowed it out.

He was already set to resign; next April, he had hoped to retire and maybe snag an honorary chairmanship and a junior third-rank position, but now look! Another mess popped up!

Ah, why am I so unlucky!

"Understood!" Nanko Taro immediately stood up, but he remained standing in place for a few seconds, hesitating: "But, the Metropolitan Police Department side — "

"The person was rescued by the Special Mission Division, so the Metropolitan Police Department side — let's not handle it for now, just give verbal praise." Onoda Kanbocho said.

"Yes."

Time rewound to thirty minutes earlier.

Tama River Bridge.

After the gunfire ceased, Uesugi Muneyuki frowned as he looked at the several former Self-Defense Forces members being escorted onto the armored vehicle.

Date Nagamune likewise had a complex expression; these people were his comrades, at least once were, but now they had stood on the opposing side.

"Congratulations, Date." Uesugi Muneyuki said with a cold smile: "Starting today, you can take off your former Self-Defense Officer's hat and become an honorary Marleyan."

"If this identity is to be gained by selling out one's comrades and compatriots' bloodshed, then this honorary Marleyan identity might as well be refused; but if it is this kind of attempt to gain publicity and status through crazy terrorist attacks, endangering the safety of the people and all under heaven, ultimately self-motivated and self-righteously patriotic while actually making the whole world foot the bill, then this honorary Marleyan identity might as well be borne." Okada Masayoshi approached Date Nagamune's side, he also exhaled in relief and patted Date's shoulder: "Well done! Date!"

"Not every Self-Defense Officer wants to be a psycho! At least I am not!" Date Nagamune said anxiously: "Their — "

" — this does not include me! There are so many in the Self-Defense Forces, with all kinds of strange thoughts, why should I also be counted in? I'm fucked by dogs!"

"Hard work, Uesugi!" Okada Masayoshi then turned to Uesugi Muneyuki and said: "I have already called my father. — Fortunately it's you; if it were anyone else, the U. S. military would have already emptied the magazine, General Zakari on that side has already expressed his gratitude to you, he said he owes you a favor, feel free to invite you to Paris to see the Crazy Horse Show when you have time."

"There is an internal spy." Uesugi Muneyuki did not answer Okada's words, but directly said to the Special Mission Division personnel rushing over:

"What?" Eirina was helping Uesugi Muneyuki tidy his collar when she heard him say this and was instantly stunned.

"There is an internal spy." Uesugi Muneyuki looked toward the Kanagawa direction; the U. S. Secretary of State's motorcade had already been gone for a long time, not even the tail lights visible.

But what he was thinking about was not the Secretary of State, but Yaegaki Tetsuya.

According to Yaegaki Tetsuya's account, plus today's actions by this group of psychos, Uesugi Muneyuki had already figured out one thing.

Someone leaked internal information, deliberately leaking it to Yaegaki Tetsuya.

Therefore, Yaegaki Tetsuya was able to enter Sakuradamon precisely during the internal turmoil at the Metropolitan Police Department, so Yaegaki would at this time period just happen to contact this group of former Self-Defense Forces right-wing terrorists and obtain firearms, and just happen to coincide with the U. S. Secretary of State's visit to Japan.

Behind this, it is clearly someone who designed it precisely.

Again!

Uesugi Muneyuki only felt exhausted; how is it like in "Detective Di Renjie," where our Di keeps investigating and investigating, only to end up investigating the Martial Emperor himself?

The major concern of our Japanese Police is not among the populace, not across the sea, not in the United States, but in the imperial court! Right here in Nagatacho! Sakuradamon!

The enemy is at Sakuradamon!

After thinking, Uesugi Muneyuki took out his phone.

"Mòsī Mòsī, Sugishita Division Chief? I am Uesugi Muneyuki!"

"There is something, I hope you can help me!"

"Ah, yes, exactly in this case, I have a discovery — well, the situation is like this — "

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