I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapter 66 & 067 Press Conference

"Suicide! It was all suicide!"

A day and a night have passed since the Wujiashan incident. Although the sudden downpour last night masked its intensity, it has gradually escalated during the day.

By evening, there was a deluge of high-intensity reporting, with major television stations continuing to follow the story.

Such a horrific religious incident reminded many older viewers of the poison gas attack by the Truth Cult in the last century.

Under such public pressure, the Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters had no choice but to hold a press conference overnight.

"That's right! It was suicide. All the victims of the Wujiashan incident committed suicide! It was a mass suicide."

The square-faced chief of the Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters, facing a group of reporters below the stage, spoke with an upright and powerful voice.

Naruto Uchiha, watching on TV, was a bit confused. When he stormed the headquarters of the Seishin-kai, were the monks he was dealing with actually undead summoned by the leader through the Impure World Reincarnation technique?

The reporters below the stage looked at each other in disbelief.

Although Japan is a country with a high suicide rate, ranking among the highest in the world, the police often tend to attribute unsolved cases to suicide and hastily conclude that the case is a suicide. However, the mass suicide of so many people in the Mount Buko incident is simply absurd.

"The Shoseki-kai is a newly established religion registered in Chichibu District, Saitama Prefecture, and has been around for three years..."

The police minister, with a serious expression, gave a brief introduction and then produced a large pile of evidence against the Orthodox Church.

"Although the Seishin-kai is nominally a new religion, it is actually a criminal organization involved in financial violence crimes such as fraud, kidnapping, and murder! Our Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters has been keeping an eye on the Seishin-kai for a long time."

One shocking crime after another came out of the police minister's mouth.

He read for a full five minutes, then took a breath before continuing:

"Through our continuous efforts, gathering evidence, and assembling our forces, the Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters is preparing to dismantle this den of iniquity—the Zhengxin Sect—today!"

The eyes of the police minister gleamed with the light of justice.

"But the leader of the Zhengxin Society learned of the news beforehand, and knowing that his crimes were too numerous to count and unforgivable, he gathered a group of loyal followers and set himself on fire at the Wujia Mountain headquarters!"

The police minister delivered his conclusion in a clear and articulate voice.

"So this was suicide! It was mass suicide!"

A reporter asked, "How many people have died?"

"Sixty-one people."

The police chief answered without blinking, then his eyes narrowed, becoming slightly moist, and he said in a choked voice:

"Fortunately, after our police headquarters examined the remains and reviewed the list of members and followers of the Orthodox Church, no innocent civilians were killed in this incident. Otherwise, I would have had to resign as the chief of the Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters..."

"According to my information, the Wujiashan incident was actually a violent attack, and the Zhengxin Society was implicated in the whole affair!" a young reporter shouted.

"Fake new!"

The police minister, who had been tearfully offering his self-criticism, immediately denied it outright:

"Rumors, absolutely rumors! Japan is very safe, how could such a serious violent attack happen?"

The police minister secretly memorized the young man's appearance, intending to kick him and the media behind him out of the press club after the press conference.

The press club is a unique intermediary organization in Japan that facilitates communication between the mass media and government agencies at all levels. On the surface, it is just a social group within the media industry.

Because of the need to control public opinion, official spokespeople often communicate with major media outlets in informal meetings outside of press conferences, so that they can obtain exclusive information as soon as possible, or conduct intelligence and interest exchanges, ensuring that members of the press club have exclusive access to news sources for a long time.

In return, the Press Club naturally had to give the authorities face and remain silent on key issues.

This press conference was supposed to be attended by members of the Press Club, so how could there be such an inconsiderate person?

Under the table, out of the view of the television cameras, the police chief quickly stamped his foot, and the Chichibu Police Station Chief, who was in a wheelchair and still on an IV drip, was pushed to the front of the stage.

Despite having an IV drip in his arm, the head of the Chichibu Police Station threw himself off his wheelchair and knelt down in front of the camera to apologize!

When the head of the Chichibu Office raised his head, he was already in tears, it was hard to imagine that a grown man could shed so many tears.

He vehemently declared that he had failed to discover the Zhengxin Society as a malignant tumor earlier, causing such great trouble to the whole country, and that all the responsibility lay with him alone, and he requested to resign from his position as director!

Then the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stood up and said that this was just a religious incident that was not representative.

A representative from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology stated that they will conduct a nationwide investigation of religious groups in the near future to ensure that no more bad apples like the Zhengxin Society will appear.

Nami Sakaki wasn't very interested in the news about the Mount Buko incident. During the press conference, she kept yawning and drinking beer, looking listless.

But as the press conference was about to end, she suddenly became more energetic.

"They're here! They're here! They're about to appear!"

The press conference concluded with the Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters Chief and a group of police officials bowing in unison at a 90-degree angle to apologize.

"I knew I would bow and apologize at the end."

Sakaki Nami forced herself to watch until the end, and seeing such a spectacular apology scene made the trip worthwhile.

"Speaking of which, these new religions are really dangerous. Yesterday on the Sobu Line, there was this old lady from some religion trying to introduce me to men from the peninsula. What the hell? I have a feeling these religions will pull off something even bigger than the Wujia Mountain incident sooner or later."

It was already past 10 p.m., and Sakaki Nami stretched lazily and stood up with blurry, drunken eyes.

"Nami-san, do you have a place to stay in Tokyo? It's so late, would you like to stay at my place for the night?"

Seeing that Namikazu Sakaki had drunk quite a bit, Naruto Uchiha said with some concern.

"No need, no need. I just came to see my sister and Mingzai today. I need to prepare for my job tomorrow. I've already sent a message to my roommate on Line."

Suddenly, a car horn sounded at the gate. Sakaki Namikazu picked up her phone, looked at it, and smiled:

She said she'd arrived, so bye-bye.

Sakaki Nami walked steadily out of the living room, put on her shoes, and went outside. Uchiha Naruto followed behind her, a little worried.

Sakaki Nami approached a white sedan at the corner of the Uchiha mansion, opened the door, and got in.

The driver was a beautiful older woman with long, black, wavy hair. She nodded to Uchiha Naruto and drove away.

Naruto Uchiha returned to the living room, where the television was still broadcasting lengthy reports on the causes and consequences of the Mount Mukaku incident. Naruto took out his phone to browse the news, and the Mount Mukaku incident was also the top headline on the phone's news page.

He flipped through several pages but couldn't find a single news item related to Seijiguchi in Edogawa Ward.

Naruto Uchiha looked up at the expert or professor giving a long-winded speech on television, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Fake news!"

(End of this chapter)