Fate's Choice: Livestream at the Start Summoning Billions of Ravens

Yokohama Port, temporary command post of the Chinese joint operations force.

Dozens of pure black ravens flew through the thick concrete walls, circling and dancing in the brightly lit operations room, eventually converging into a young man dressed in a white tracksuit.

Jiang Ming's mirror image number one has appeared.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

All the officers and soldiers who were busy working, whether they were staff officers working on maps or technicians staring at screens, stopped what they were doing.

Their bodies froze on the spot, all eyes fixed on the man who had just created a mythical disaster in Akihabara.

Just then, a sudden cell phone ring broke the silence.

The ringtone came from Jiang Ming's Mirror Image No. 1 pocket.

He took out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and saw it was Chen Jianguo.

The call was connected.

"Is he alright?"

Jiang Mingjing, the mirror image number one, paused for a moment, then replied, "I'm fine."

He paused, then continued, "I acted impulsively, and I will bear all the consequences alone."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone before Chen Jianguo spoke again, his tone serious.

"Xiao Jiang, listen carefully. From the moment you set foot on the land of Japan as an advisor to the Ninth Bureau, you represented more than just yourself."

"You represent China."

"So, don't say anything stupid like 'one person should bear the burden alone.' As long as you don't betray the country or the people, the country will be your strongest and most reliable support."

"Now, rest well at the base. All subsequent matters will be handled at the national level."

The call was abruptly ended.

......

Three hours after the incident, in the Kremlin, Russia.

The Minister of Defense presented an encrypted document to the Commander-in-Chief's desk.

The file contained the complete high-definition video of the Akihabara incident, as well as a shocking report listing 317 names of casualties.

Four hours later, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held its regular press conference.

Facing a barrage of questions from hundreds of media outlets around the world, the spokesperson calmly walked onto the podium.

"Regarding the unfortunate incident that occurred today in the Akihabara area of ​​Tokyo, we have obtained conclusive evidence."

On the huge screen behind him, a high-definition video clip taken from the internet began to play.

A bullet struck the young man in the white tracksuit with perfect accuracy.

The reporters present were in an uproar.

The spokesperson cleared his throat, and the entire hall fell silent instantly.

"What you have just seen is the whole truth of the incident. Faced with a deadly and unannounced attack from a member state of the joint operations force, our superhuman power holders, whose lives were seriously threatened, carried out a reasonable self-defense counterattack."

"According to international law, this fully meets all the requirements for legitimate self-defense."

As soon as the statement was released, a flurry of camera flashes erupted, and reporters bombarded the room with questions. The spokesperson simply announced calmly, "I have finished speaking," before turning and leaving the scene under the escort of security personnel.

The moment the statement was released, online public opinion in China was completely ignited.

In just half an hour, the hashtag #YaShenJustifiedDefense# topped the trending list on all domestic social media platforms with overwhelming force.

"Damn it! I knew it! How could the Crow God attack without reason! It turns out the Bear fired first!"

"This is supposed to be a peacekeeping force? They're just thugs! They come in and shoot people in the head with sniper rifles? And they're trying to kidnap them?"

"Well done! Absolutely brilliant! So what if it's over three hundred lives? When they tried to kill our people, they should have been prepared to be killed in return!"

"Where are those sanctimonious hypocrites who clamor for the 'Tokyo Butcher' on foreign websites? Take a look! This is the 'righteous army' you all fawn over! A bunch of treacherous robbers!"

"Those who offend China, no matter how far away, will be punished! Crow God is awesome! Ninth Inning is awesome! The nation is awesome!"

Countless Chinese netizens, who had been suppressing their emotions for hours, finally released their pent-up feelings.

Armed with video screenshots, they charged out of the walls like knights wielding holy swords, engaging in fierce online battles with the condemners on all external platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Facts speak louder than words.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, the narrative previously constructed by Western media of "Chinese demons indiscriminately killing innocent people" has begun to crack.

Although many people are still stubbornly insisting on their position, a growing number of neutral netizens are beginning to question the nature of the incident.

One hour after China issued its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China summoned the Chinese ambassador to the People's Republic of China overnight.

A diplomatic note with unprecedentedly strong wording was presented to the ambassador.

Reuters obtained and published parts of the note through special channels at the earliest opportunity.

The content is very simple.

The Russian bear country demands that China hand over the murderer Jiang Ming within 24 hours and provide full compensation for all losses caused by this incident.

The last sentence of the note, a mere line, sent a chill down the spines of everyone who saw it.

"Otherwise, the Ross Federation reserves the right to take all necessary measures."

Ultimatum.

This is a blatant ultimatum.

Two major world powers, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, have been brought to the brink of war due to a conflict involving superhumans.

Faced with extreme pressure from Russia, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an emergency second press conference at 11 p.m.

This time, the spokesperson did not play any video or cite any legal provisions.

He simply stood under the spotlight, facing the global media, and said one sentence in a calm, almost indifferent tone.

"We express our regret for the Russian soldiers who lost their lives in the Tokyo conflict."

"But any attempt to militarily blackmail China will be met with the most resolute and thorough response from our side."

That concludes the response.

The entire press conference lasted less than a minute.

However, this short sentence was understood by the whole world.

China rejected the ultimatum.

And they chose to confront it head-on.

Within five minutes of the response being released, international crude oil prices jumped 7%, and London gold prices soared 4%.

The capital markets, in the most honest way, expressed their panic about the situation.

The White House press secretary issued a statement overnight, expressing America's deep concern about the escalating tensions in Tokyo and strongly urging "all parties concerned" to exercise maximum restraint.

Representatives from Britain and France urgently proposed a resolution to the UN Security Council, suggesting that British and French forces immediately take over the core area where the "Sacred Tree" of Akihabara is located, as a "conflict buffer zone" to prevent further escalation of the situation.

This seemingly high-sounding proposal was rejected by both the representatives of China and Russia during the voting process.

Time is passing by, second by second.

The world's attention is focused on Tokyo.

The 24-hour ultimatum deadline arrived quickly.

The anticipated large-scale military conflict did not break out.

However, a new conflict is quietly unfolding on another level.

The patrol range of the Russian troops stationed in Tokyo has begun to infiltrate and encroach on the areas under Chinese jurisdiction, intentionally or unintentionally.

Friction could erupt at any moment.

At the border between Datian Ward, which is under the jurisdiction of China, and Shinjuku Ward, which is under the jurisdiction of Russia, a temporary boundary line was hastily painted on the asphalt road with white paint.

A patrol team from the Russian Bear, consisting of three Tiger armored vehicles, slowly approached with a muffled roar.

They showed no signs of slowing down, and the lead armored vehicle crossed the white dividing line directly.

At the other end of the street, a Chinese patrol team consisting of four "Mengshi" armored vehicles was already on high alert.

They did not dodge.

The lead vehicle from China bumped into the vehicle from Russia.

boom--!

A loud metallic clang rang out in the silent street.

The two steel behemoths, weighing over twenty tons combined, collided violently. The front armor deformed instantly, emitting a teeth-grinding twisting sound.

next second.

Both car doors were kicked open at the same time.

Dozens of fully armed soldiers filed out of the vehicles and quickly formed a standoff line on both sides of the street with the most standard tactical maneuvers.

The sound of gun bolts being pulled back echoed throughout the room.

The dark muzzles of guns, less than thirty meters apart, were aimed at each other's chests.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The commander of the Chinese patrol, a young captain, raised a megaphone and shouted, word by word, in fluent Russian:

"Anyone crossing this line is considered an intruder!"

"I'll repeat myself: anyone crossing this line is considered an intruder!"

This scene was broadcast live to every corner of the world via countless hidden cameras belonging to media and intelligence agencies from various countries on the surrounding high-rise buildings.

The new hashtag #TokyoStreetStandoff# instantly replaced all previous trending topics, becoming the new global focus.

"They're insane! Absolutely insane! Are they really going to start a war on the streets of Tokyo?"

"My God... this is even more exciting than watching Raven God and Madara fight! This is real! This is two nuclear superpowers confronting each other!"

"My palms are sweating... If someone's gun accidentally goes off, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"Don't jinx it! I believe in our soldiers! They're just upholding our bottom line!"

"That's right! The Russian bears are going too far! Do they really think we're pushovers? They've crossed the line, so they have to pay the price!"

"Check Twitter! Someone has dug up the equipment of both sides' soldiers! China is using the latest QBZ-191 automatic rifles, while the Russians are using AK-12s. Both sides have elite troops!"

"This is no longer a clash of supernatural powers; it's a collision of national wills! Not a single step can be retreated! Retreat means certain doom!"

The online discussions have no effect on the situation on the ground.

On the streets of Tokyo, the two rows of heavily armed soldiers remained locked in a fierce standoff.

Their fingers were all on the trigger.

The commander of the Russian patrol, a young lieutenant, poked his head out from behind the armored vehicle.

His face bore a smile that was unique to the fighting nation, a smile that mixed cruelty and excitement.

He didn't use a megaphone; he just shouted a sentence in Russian at the top of his lungs.

"If you've got the guts, then shoot!"