Chapter 235: 231 Sniper Rifle Tsuchibashi Yu (4k)

That evening, TPC held an emergency press conference.

Tsuchibashi Yu stood before the cameras and apologized to the world, saying, "I've caused everyone trouble."

He said he had spent his entire life diligently working for world peace, yet after weathering decades of storms, he had still capsized.

Next, Tsuchibashi Yu performed a "sincere" self-criticism before the cameras.

He admitted that in his haste to elevate the Victory Team's armed capabilities, he failed to fully consider every detail, resulting in this serious oversight that nearly caused a catastrophe.

"But even so, our team demonstrated exceptional professionalism and emergency response under crisis."

"It was precisely because everyone had continuously honed and improved themselves within TPC's environment that we were able to resolve the crisis in the shortest time and prevent greater losses."

This implied that the crisis's resolution owed everything to his wise leadership and the "excellent system" he had built.

"I fully understand that this incident has caused great distress and unease. As TPC's director, I bear full responsibility."

"But I also hope everyone can understand that our original intention has always been to better protect Earth and humanity's future."

"Finally, I offer my deepest apologies once again. We will treat this as a lesson and further refine our systems and procedures to ensure such incidents never recur. Thank you for your understanding and support."

He bowed slightly, ending his speech.

Although Tsuchibashi Yu repeatedly emphasized that he had worked "day in and day out for decades" for world peace, trying to offset his current failures with past achievements, the public still refused to buy it.

You could accept that there was one traitor—but this was 100% traitor content, worse than the Alcohol Factory in Detective Conan. Who could believe this was an accident?

But TPC's online trolls worked overtime, claiming Director Tsuchibashi's mistake was meant to protect Earth's peace, and the public should understand and forgive him.

Then, Emi released a recording online.

It was the audio of Tsuchibashi Yu ordering the Victory Team to attack Nexus during the battle against Suna Oni.

The public sentiment, which had just begun to calm, exploded again.

In this incident, Ultraman Nexus had blocked the alien-piloted Hien-2, protecting people's lives.

And yet you, Tsuchibashi Yu, once ordered an attack on Ultraman?

You still claim you're not in league with the aliens? You don't even bother pretending anymore.

After learning of this, Commander Sora of the Defense Force was deeply confused—he simply could not comprehend such an action.

Other high-ranking Defense Force officials also felt a long-absent sense of happiness.

Thanks to Hiromi's warning, they reacted swiftly, engaging the invaders' spies at once, earning widespread public praise.

The Defense Force steadfastly defended humanity, while TPC colluded with the invaders.

The contrast was too obvious.

Many felt disillusioned—they had thought TPC would completely outpace them, yet their top rival suddenly self-destructed…

Under these circumstances, the Defense Force naturally moved to crush their opponent in public opinion.

On the official level, they stated that after the Hirota Incident, the Defense Force had established a rigorous personnel selection process and would never again allow a mole to infiltrate.

Privately, they used their own media to launch fierce attacks against Tsuchibashi Yu.

"Tsuchibashi Yu: The Traitor Who Has Lurked on Earth for Decades!"

"Snakes and Rats in the Same Den—What Kind of Team Can Such a Director Produce?"

"Ultraman Is Protecting the World—What About You?"

Tsuchibashi Yu was frantic, aged ten years overnight.

Had these people lost all sense of consequence by publicly releasing such classified recordings?

But the next day, as he prepared to respond, he discovered that internal communications were nothing—Emi had just released an even heavier revelation.

That was the V99 Incident!

"Director Tsuchibashi Yu, after accidentally shooting down a spacecraft from outer space, discovered the aliens carried no weapons, harbored no malice, and showed no remorse."

"He attempted to connect the wormhole to the alien civilization's star system, threatening their security—this prompted them to retaliate against Earth by launching Bazanji and Gaibaruga."

"He chose to cover up his mistake for the sake of reputation, forcing everyone to bear the consequences."

Public opinion shook again. For the past few days, Tsuchibashi Yu was undoubtedly the most "famous" person on Earth.

He recruited only aliens as new team members, ordered attacks on Ultraman, and now had drawn interstellar warfare to Earth, dragging all humans into it.

The deeper they dug, the more dirt they found—how many secrets did this man really have?

Everyone felt this old bastard deserved to die.

Even TLT came to demand accountability; though they didn't say it outright, they hinted that Tsuchibashi Yu should step down.

If he remained in the director's seat, TPC would sink with him into an irreversible abyss.

Could I really be losing power?

The moment this thought arose, Tsuchibashi Yu's knuckles turned white.

No, this could not be allowed.

What did public opinion matter? They could only shout—what real power did they have?

As long as I grant more benefits downward and bind the middle management together, and strengthen ties with major industrialists,

Then when I have men and guns, who could force me to step down?

Wait—there actually was someone who dared to do this.

That Qi Ming…

The moment he thought of that name, Tsuchibashi Yu felt a tightness in his chest.

He knew perfectly well that Qi Ming was behind the leaks—but for now, he dared not act against him.

If he pushed Qi Ming too far, the consequences were unthinkable.

Not to mention Qi Ming's unbelievable strength and speed—his current prestige within TPC alone made him untouchable.

Rumor had it that wherever Qi Ming went these past two days, people cheered and hailed him as an invincible hero.

He could only appease him for now—just endure this storm. After all, people always forget.

When the next monster appears and the Victory Team defeats it, they'll remember TPC's good deeds again.

But the thought that even one subordinate had the audacity to defy him, while he, as director, could only retreat—this suffocating rage nearly made him vomit blood.

The next day, Tsuchibashi Yu sent his new secretary to deliver his message.

The new secretary knew Qi Ming would regularly visit the command room after breakfast, so he arrived early and waited.

"Oh, Qi Ming, good morning." The secretary hurried forward, introducing himself.

Upon hearing he was Tsuchibashi Yu's secretary, Qi Ming's expression turned cold.

The secretary's heart sank—he knew this task was going to be hell.

But for his future, he had no choice but to push through.

The secretary said: "Qi Ming, please understand the director's difficulties. This is a time for unity against external threats—don't wear your emotions on your face."

Qi Ming: "If I don't wear my emotions on my face, should I hang Tsuchibashi Yu on the wall?"

"Pfft." Soldier Shan Zhong and Kishida couldn't help laughing. The secretary felt even more humiliated. How insolent—had everyone's praise these past days gone to his head? Who'll care about you in a few weeks.

But he had to endure and deliver the message: Director Tsuchibashi Yu hoped to turn swords into plowshares.

"The director has observed your extraordinary combat skills and unshakable composure under pressure. You are a rare talent—he believes you should be placed in a more important position to shine."

"If you continue like this, you may even inherit his position one day."

After speaking, the secretary left immediately.

He felt Director Tsuchibashi Yu had conceded enough—offering benefits and a future, he had given Qi Ming ample face and a way out.

Qi Ming pulled out his phone and scrolled through online comments, feeling the overwhelming tide of public opinion—it was far beyond what thousands of trolls could fabricate.

"It seems most people believe Tsuchibashi Yu deserves to die, and should be disemboweled to atone."

"But ordinary people can't touch this dictator whose power comes from outside—his interest group still supports him, so they can only curse. Let me respond to their wishes."

With that, he left the Victory Team command room. Shishimaru remained silent, offering no resistance.

Nishi Jo smiled coldly: "I really think Tsuchibashi Yu has lost his mind—he thinks he can tame someone like Qi Ming with promises and bribes."

Emi, scrolling through her tablet, suddenly paled: "Just now, Tsuchibashi Yu pardoned Sogenzaki from the Leviara Incident—the narcissistic CEO!"

The matter had been kept secret, but Emi's intelligence network still caught it.

"What!" Shishimaru's face turned pale: "Pardoning a death-row inmate? This is an affront to justice!"

Soldier Shan Zhong whispered: "Laws are enforced by people, after all…"

He thought the captain was contradictory—decisive and fearless in major matters, yet occasionally naive.

Kishida analyzed: "This is a signal to the outside world—does he mean to protect the CEOs of big corporations? As long as they have money, they can commit crimes with impunity? What does he think TPC is?"

Emi gently swiped her tablet and sent Tsuchibashi Yu's location to Qi Ming: "Trust Qi Ming—he'll handle it."

"Received." On the other end, Qi Ming, retrieving his sniper rifle from the trunk, replied to Emi.

………………………………

TPC's Prison Management Facility.

Once an ambitious man who saw himself as humanity's savior, Sogenzaki's face remained dull as he stepped out the facility's gates.

He said: "I've been rejected by everyone. No one believes in me anymore. No one will support me."

Tsuchibashi Yu smiled: "Mr. Sogenzaki, history is written by the victors. If you contribute to humanity again, your past mistakes will fade with time. People will remember your achievements, not your failures."

He paused, his tone carrying deeper meaning: "Moreover, I can assure you—TPC will fully support you, helping you rise again. If you're willing, your future still lies in your hands."

Hearing this, Sogenzaki's eyes lit up once more.

He pledged to Tsuchibashi Yu that if he regained his seized assets, he would fully support TPC—and its director.

Suddenly, he remembered something: "Is that Qi Ming—who put me in here—still around?"

At the mention of that name, Tsuchibashi Yu's smile vanished instantly.

He said: "He's thriving right now—surrounded by flowers and applause, better off than I am as director."

Zeng Zeng Genqi said: "Just thinking that some of my donation will become his salary makes my chest tighten."

Tsuchibashi Yu's tone shifted slightly: "It won't last long… He's standing so high now; when he falls, it'll be worse—so bad he'll never rise again."

Hearing this, Zeng Zeng Genqi's face finally broke into a smile; he understood what Tsuchibashi Yu meant.

"Then let's wait for that bastard…" But his words were cut short as a sharp gunshot shattered the silent air.

"Bang!"

Zeng Zeng Genqi's skull exploded instantly, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere, staining Tsuchibashi Yu's face and clothes.

His body stiffened for an instant, then the headless corpse collapsed to the ground.

Tsuchibashi Yu froze, his face drenched in blood, pupils contracting violently, as if unable to believe what he was seeing.

His body trembled slightly, a low growl escaping his throat: "What… what is this?!"

His heart was gripped by a hand named fear… Could that bastard really go this far?!

But before his terror could subside, a second gunshot followed.

"Bang!"

This shot struck Tsuchibashi Yu squarely in the chest, the force knocking him to the ground.

He clutched his chest in agony, blood gushing from between his fingers, staining his palms.

His breathing grew rapid and labored; each inhale brought searing pain, as if countless knives were churning inside his chest cavity.

He struggled to lift his head, gazing toward the source of the gunfire. Through blurred vision, he seemed to see a figure on a distant skyscraper—Qi Ming.

"You… you're going to wipe us all out!" Tsuchibashi Yu's voice was weak and trembling, filled with endless hatred and despair.

He wanted to struggle, to scream for help—but his body refused to obey.

The prison guards, witnessing this, froze for a moment, then turned and ran.

In this storm of public opinion, he had lost his halo; public sentiment had turned, and no one would stand between him and a bullet.

Tsuchibashi Yu's fingers weakly scraped at the ground, trying to grasp the last thread of life, but felt only cold concrete.

Qi Ming fired again, hitting Tsuchibashi Yu's right arm with perfect precision; the impact shattered the limb into bloody pulp.

He let out a piercing scream as blood gushed from the wound.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three more shots followed—Tsuchibashi Yu's left arm and both legs were struck, his limbs blown to ragged fragments.

His body collapsed like a torn rag, blood soaking the ground, the agony so intense he could barely breathe.

This was nothing short of slow dismemberment.

Tsuchibashi Yu had never imagined he would die this way—how tragic.

Once towering above all, controlling everything, now he lay powerless on the ground, waiting for death to come.

"Bang!"

The final gunshot rang out, ending Tsuchibashi Yu's suffering and struggle.

His skull exploded instantly, blood and brain matter splattering the ground. His body twitched a few times, then fell utterly still.

Tsuchibashi Yu: confirmed dead.

————————————

This storyline has concluded Yuanman —TPC has "cleared" it!

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(Chapter ends)