Break out of the courtyard

"Ichiro Yoshida, we know that the Peace Group ordered you to set fire to the shrine, and we also know that your wife and daughter are at the Peace Hospital on Hong Kong Island!"

In the interrogation room, a short, mustachioed old man sat behind a long table, staring intently at the middle-aged man at the other end of the table, whose face was being directly illuminated by a bright light. He said in a cold voice:

"If you confess in front of the camera that Zhang Heping instructed you to set fire to the shrine with a gasoline bottle, I promise you you will only serve one year in prison!"

"Otherwise, we will have the Hong Kong government extradite your wife and daughter!"

"Even if they promised to treat your daughter, they won't be able to fulfill their promises once we bring your wife and daughter back!"

Yoshida Ichiro, a middle-aged man who had been pretending to be asleep with his head down and eyes closed, frowned when he heard that this man was going to send his wife and daughter back to Japan.

However, when Yoshida Ichiro thought of the Peace Group's previous tough stance against Japan and the United States, he couldn't help but have doubts about the repatriation, feeling that they might not be able to do it.

At the other end of the long table, the short old man next to the bright spotlight saw that the prisoner opposite him had reacted, and his words quickened.

"Don't worry, after you confess and sign the interrogation record today, we won't release it immediately!" the short old man said sincerely.

"We also hope that Heping Hospital can repair your daughter's broken leg, so as to judge the efficacy of Heping Group's regenerative repair solution."

"Therefore, we will wait until your wife and daughter return to China before we find a suitable time to publicly announce that Zhang Heping instructed you to carry out this fire!"

"In addition, we have reinvestigated the car accident that caused your daughter to lose both legs, and the driver, Sato Yu, is indeed suspected of gross negligence!"

"If you are willing to cooperate with us in recording your statement, I promise you again that I will ask the Supreme Court to retry that traffic accident and give you a fair trial!"

When Yoshida Ichiro heard that he would wait until his daughter's legs were healed and his wife and daughter returned to Japan before releasing his confession video and transcript, he was somewhat tempted.

But upon hearing the phrase "a fair trial," Yoshida Ichiro couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Then, Yoshida Ichiro opened his eyes and stared directly at the direction of the voice hidden in the darkness behind the bright light, and sneered, "If there were truly a fair trial on the island, how could my family have been forced to flee overseas by Sato Yu?"

"If there is a fair trial for me setting fire to the shrine, even with the harshest criminal law, I will only be sentenced to ten years at most!"

“You don’t need to waste your time. I’ve hired lawyers from the Peace Law Firm to defend me. I believe that foreign lawyers will fight for the fairest possible sentence for me!”

After speaking, Yoshida Ichiro closed his eyes, which were blinded by the bright light, and recalled what the person who asked him to burn down the Tokyo Toilet had said. He wondered if the person would retaliate against him afterward if he had agreed to give a false statement.
There may not be many people in this world who have been driven to desperation like their family, but there are definitely some.

With just a similar promise, the other party could get those desperate people to risk their lives to take revenge on their family!
Moreover, his family was not well-liked on the Japanese island, especially after he burned down the shrine.

Thinking of this, Yoshida Ichiro couldn't help but recall the words the Watanabe brothers had said when they parted yesterday: their family was preparing to immigrate to Hong Kong Island!
……

The Japanese people in Dongdu were furious, as were the Japanese people on Hong Kong Island and the mercenaries they hired, because wherever they went today, they felt like the Hong Kong police and the Eagle Army were watching them from the streets and intersections.

In particular, when they approach Central on Hong Kong Island, they will not only be questioned by the Hong Kong police and have their passports checked, but in more serious cases, they will also be searched.

Sure enough, at the intersection of Hung Hing Road, just 50 meters ahead, three foreigners with different hair colors were being held at gunpoint, obediently facing the wall, their hands on the wall, as they were being searched by three Hong Kong police officers.

"I protest! You have seriously violated our human rights!"

As the two Japanese islanders approached the intersection, they could still hear a brown-haired foreigner protesting loudly.

"Are you sure you want to protest?" a bodyguard in black holding a stun gun asked jokingly.

The brown-haired Scandinavian man seemed to have been provoked and shouted, "I strongly protest! I will publicly post what you have done online so that the whole world will know about the violent behavior of your Hong Kong police and military!"

“Officer Peng, I think these three foreigners are involved in a terrorist attack. I suggest you take them back to the police station for questioning. What do you think?” As the bodyguard in black spoke, his eyes, which were filled with a mocking smile, suddenly locked onto two short, sleazy-looking middle-aged men.

"Japanese islanders?" the bodyguard in black said, lowering the muzzle of his electric gun and pointing it at two short, sleazy-looking men who were approaching.

Upon hearing this, two Hong Kong police officers who were about to handcuff the suspects immediately separated.

Then, one of the Hong Kong police officers, with his right hand on the gun handle at his waist and his left hand pointing at two sleazy-looking men who appeared to be from Japan, demanded that they produce their identification.

"Ito? Yamamoto?" The middle-aged Hong Kong policeman glanced at the passports of the two Japanese men, then his eyes lit up, and he drew his revolver from his waist, excitedly shouting:

"Old Peng, we've caught two small fry, we've done a great job!"

Upon hearing this, the other two Hong Kong police officers disregarded the three foreigners who appeared to be mercenaries and hurriedly followed suit, pulling out their pistols and pointing them at the two bewildered, lewd Japanese men.

The bodyguard in black approached and glanced at the passports of the two Japanese islanders. He couldn't help but laugh. "I heard from our captain that some dockworkers saw these two bastards board a ship and run away before dawn. You guys actually ran into them. It's like a godsend. It'll be hard for you not to get promoted in the future."

Officer Peng had the handcuffs put on him, and then smiled at the bodyguard in black, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Instructor Yin. After we receive our bonus, we'll treat you to a meal!"

"Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!" The sleazy man surnamed Yamamoto hurriedly bowed at a 90-degree angle, lowered his hands to avoid the handcuffs, and explained hastily, "I am Kazuo Yamamoto, an employee of Sumitomo Corporation, and this Mr. Ito is the president of our Hong Kong Island branch. You must have arrested the wrong person!"

“If you admit that you are from Sumitomo Corporation’s Hong Kong Island branch, then there’s no mistake!” Officer Peng gave a wink to the police officer next to him. After the two police officers handcuffed Yamamoto Kazuo’s hands behind his back, Officer Peng smiled and explained the reason for their arrest.

“Your chemical warehouse not only stored undeclared hazardous chemicals, but this morning we also found a large quantity of gasoline and alcohol incendiary bottles, as well as a large quantity of gunpowder removed from firecrackers and fireworks in your company.”

"As the person in charge, President Ito, and as the major financial backer who paid for the dangerous items, Mr. Yamamoto, surely know what these things are intended to be used for!"

"Old Peng, stop talking nonsense!" Instructor Yin, the bodyguard in black, put down his phone after taking pictures of the two Japanese islanders and said seriously:

"Take them to the police station immediately. If something happens to them while they're there, or if they escape or are released, things will get complicated!"

Upon hearing this, Officer Peng, who had been a little too excited, quickly waved his hand and said, "Take them to the car, we'll take them back first!"

As the two police cars sped away, the three foreigners who had been leaning against the wall just moments before stood there dumbfounded, watching the exhaust fumes of the police cars disappear into the distance.

"Captain!" The man who had shouted the loudest earlier asked somewhat uncertainly, "Were the two Japanese islanders who were just arrested the ones who paid us to come here?"

"Quickly notify the others to evacuate!" The freckled-faced captain, while straightening his clothes and pants, quickly walked in the opposite direction from where the police car had left, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, as if afraid that a few more policemen might suddenly appear.

……

"That concludes the morning's presentation. The virtual dream game test will continue. Those who are behind can continue to queue," Zhang Heping said calmly from the stage.
"Staff will bring bread and milk shortly. Anyone who needs to use the restroom or wants to leave the venue can exit from the right-hand exit now."

"The Q&A session will begin at 12:50. If you have any questions, you can discuss them with others first. Please don't ask meaningless questions to avoid wasting everyone's time!" After speaking, Zhang Heping took off his headset and put it into the inner pocket of his royal blue suit.

The next moment, he took the bread and milk from the bodyguard and went to the side to eat.

Many people who had been leaving the audience were stunned when they saw Zhang Heping eating bread. They wondered to themselves, "The richest man in the world eats this stuff?"

The back door of the venue opened, and a group of men dressed in black carrying large black bags filed in, then distributed simply packaged bread and milk.

The bodyguards standing on both sides of the aisle and on the stage were replaced. Firstly, they had been on guard all morning, and it would be difficult for them to maintain their vigilance if they continued to work here, so it was better for them to rest on the perimeter. Secondly, it was a change of scenery for them to go out for food and personal hygiene.

"boss!"

Qu Zhouping, who was appointed general manager of Heping Media Company in June this year, was stopped by bodyguards, but he still had a bright smile on his face and was waving at Zhang Heping with a small metal box in his hand.

Seeing Qu Zhouping standing on the steps beside the stage with his former secretary, Tong Tong, now the general manager of ATV, Zhang Heping gave a wink to the bodyguard captain beside him.

The bodyguard captain walked to the edge of the stage, asked a few questions, and then checked the small metal box that Qu Zhouping had brought.

Finally, the bodyguard captain used the small silver spoon that Qu Zhouping had brought to scoop some caviar from the box into Qu Zhouping's palm and watched him eat it before taking the small round box, along with Qu Zhouping and Tong Tong, to report back to Zhang Heping.

"Boss, I heard that lunch today is simple, so I specially brought you a box of caviar from the Caspian Sea. It was just air-freighted over this morning. Please try it!" Qu Zhouping said, looking expectantly at the bodyguard captain.

The bodyguard captain handed the small, open round box to Zhang Heping with both hands. Zhang Heping took the small silver spoon, scooped some caviar onto the bread, and then took a bite.

"This caviar is salted very well, thank you for your hard work!" Zhang Heping praised, then scooped another spoonful of caviar onto the bread, and then asked the bodyguard captain to take the caviar to Mr. Hua in the fourth row of the audience.

Qu Zhouping's flattery was appreciated, and his smile widened even more.

In particular, Qu Zhouping became even more excited when he saw Zhang Heping scoop out a second spoonful and heard Zhang Heping ask someone to send the caviar to Elder Hua.

However, having held a high position for many years, this guy had cultivated a good composure. He quickly suppressed his excitement and smiled, saying, "Boss, do you think Manager Tong and I could also try out your new invention, so we don't fall behind in the future?"

"Next group!" Zhang Heping said, glancing at the young bodyguard beside him.

The young bodyguard nodded and left, then spoke to the bodyguards maintaining order below the stage.

Not long after, the two young women on stage, wearing black helmets and testing the virtual dream game, suddenly felt a bright light before their eyes, as if they had just woken up from a dream, and were still a little dazed.

But the two bodyguards didn't give them a chance to hesitate. They stepped forward, removed the two helmets whose masks had popped up, and told the two young women to quickly descend the stairs on the right.

"Boss, I'll take Manager Tong over there!" Qu Zhouping said, and seeing Zhang Heping nod, he scurried over to the long table.

As he passed the Frog Brain server in the middle, he took a closer look for a few seconds, but found that he couldn't understand it at all, so he quickly walked to one end of the long table.

"You'll need to take off your masks like this in a moment." The bodyguards at both ends of the long table explained to Qu Zhouping and Tong Tong almost in unison, "You can only take off your masks when you hear me say 'start'."

"Remember, don't forcibly control your mental power later, so as not to hurt anyone!"

After he finished speaking, the two bodyguards quickly retreated, and only after they were about 3 meters away did the bodyguard on the left call out "start".

Following the previous instructions, General Managers Qu Zhouping and Tong Tong quickly pulled down the black visors on their helmets, and then, like everyone else, soon saw the giant frog that was as big as a mountain.

However, just as they learned to fly and before they could even get a clear look at their surroundings, they were swept away by a wet, red tongue, and then suddenly their vision was brightened, and the test ended.

It's like falling asleep in bed and then waking up; it feels like only a moment has passed, but in reality, a minute has gone by.

Qu Zhouping and Tong Tong were also stunned when the bodyguard took off their helmets.

However, the two of them were not kicked off the stage by the bodyguards, but were allowed to return to Zhang Heping's side in a daze.

"Boss, you're amazing!" Qu Zhouping gave Zhang Heping, who had just finished drinking milk, a thumbs up. "I'm truly impressed that you could create such an immersive dream game."

Tong Tong, who was standing next to her, laughed and chimed in, "Before putting on that helmet, I kept wondering if the testers who were interviewed a few days ago were exaggerating."

"I just tried it out, and I realized that what they said didn't even clearly explain the 'what ifs' of this virtual reality game. I must personally urge the editors to rewrite the news about the virtual reality game console."

Zhang Heping smiled and said a few words to his two subordinates, then let them leave.

It's not that Zhang Heping dislikes being flattered, but he's currently preoccupied with releasing his mental energy and doesn't have the energy to deal with these meaningless words.

After Qu Zhouping and his group left, the heads of Hong Kong Island Radio and TVB, who lived in the same building, came over and complimented Zhang Heping.

They just didn't usually like to flatter Zhang Heping, and their relationship with him wasn't very close, so they were too embarrassed to ask to test the virtual dream game machine.

Then, they watched as the two helmeted men on the stage walked away, close to the wall.

This studio is not the largest in the building, and the number of attendees and personnel is strictly controlled by Zhang Heping, so the number of people being tested is not large.

If it weren't for the addition of a group of mainlanders later on, Zhang Heping could have ended the sharing session at 2:30 pm.

Even so, he still managed to end the sharing session before 4 p.m.

"Consultant Zhang, may we ask a few more questions?" An elderly woman with gray hair, sitting next to Director Wang, asked this question after most of the young people had left.

"You all go back and discuss this first. Come find me on Taiping Mountain tomorrow morning." Zhang Heping put away the biological brain server, had his bodyguards carry three black boxes, nodded to Elder Hua and Director Wang, and then hurriedly left through the passage behind the stage.

"boss!"

"master!"

Zhu Chengguang, Tang Wei, and the others who were waiting outside hurriedly followed Zhang Heping after he came out, and walked quickly toward the elevator.

"Master, the plan has changed. This time, the Americans have put a lot of effort into maintaining order for us. They not only scared away the Japanese and Koreans, but also arrested a large number of them..." (End of Chapter)