Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

The area was bathed in a dim red glow, with the car windows completely obscuring the outside world and the driving equipment long since covered in blood and flesh. However, a push rod with a few remaining patches of red paint stood out conspicuously.

"Do all these bosses like to highlight their weaknesses so clearly?"

With a grumble, Nobita placed both hands on the putter and pressed down hard.

Click, click, click!

Nobita felt the car sway, and it seemed to have indeed slowed down!

"Hehehehe"

Before he could feel much joy, sneers rose from all around, full of mockery.

In the fleshy dashboard directly in front of Nobita, a stitched-together face of a train engine, the same one he'd seen in the game, appeared, staring at him with a bright yet eerie smile.

"Finally, someone's here. Did you naively think that pulling down this piece of junk would stop me?"

"Unfortunately, my shackles aren't here. How about I give you a hint? Hibiya Station."

This thing not only has intelligence, but it also seems to be similar to a human. It really is a monster!

Nobi didn't answer. He raised the Hero's Sword and plunged it directly into that face that made people feel physically uncomfortable.

"Oops, did I make it ugly? Oh well, anyway, I have enough fuel, plus the previous trip. I'll let you be the sole witness and see how I break through the shackles that have bound me for hundreds of years!"

"Welcome to witness my new life!"

"Lord Cave Master, hehe, I'll slowly pull out your descendants one by one and taste their saltiness as interest for all these years."

"And you, you look like canned food in human mouths, I wonder what you taste like."

Click-clack.

As soon as Zhu Hai finished speaking, the train shook violently, and then the carriages outside the locomotive detached directly. Freed from the burden at the rear, Zhu Hai's locomotive began to accelerate again, instantly creating distance between itself and the other carriages.

The disconnected carriages tilted due to inertia, detached from the tracks, and began to rub against the tunnel walls, sending up large bursts of sparks.

The survivors inside were jolted up and down, and every now and then someone would be thrown out of the carriage, letting out a sharp scream before being smashed into a relatively intact pile of flesh or crushed into mincemeat.

After gliding for over a hundred meters, it finally came to a stop.

It left behind a scene of devastation, with heavy casualties.

Nobi pressed down hard on the brake lever. He found that as long as he kept pressing it, the car wouldn't accelerate as quickly, so it did have some effect.

As for other solutions, he really couldn't think of any right now.

If things really come to a point where there's no way to turn the tide, he can only endure a near-fatal blow and then use his save point card.

At least he tried his best.

The steam locomotive burst forth with a speed that seemed out of place for an old-fashioned vehicle, passing one station after another.

But it didn't notice that while passing through a tunnel, a small paper figure drifted in the wind and landed lightly on the roof of the car, remaining completely unmoved by the strong winds.

Chapter 106: The Many Faces of Death

"Approaching Tsukiji Station, initiate emergency braking at 600 meters!"

"Prepare--"

"Stop!"

Crack!

The first train's mechanical and electric brakes worked simultaneously, and the 130 km/h tram emitted a piercing noise. The lubricating oil on the tracks was ignited by the high temperature, sending up a blue-purple cloud of flames, and the smell of burning spread everywhere.

The carriage lights suddenly went out, and the emergency red lights flashed incessantly. The buffers at the carriage connections emitted a creaking, fatigued, and twisting sound, but people had no time to pay attention. Most of the passengers were thrown about uncontrollably to one side by the sudden braking.

They couldn't utter a complete sentence; riding the subway was more terrifying than riding a plane about to crash.

"Attention! Attention! The train behind is accelerating. Stop and evacuate immediately!" came a desperate shout from the control center.

The two drivers had no time to respond, pressing the brake levers firmly.

bang bang!

A strange sound and vibration came.

Finished!

Upon hearing the sound, the two drivers' minds went blank. They only had time to exchange a glance and give each other a bitter smile before pressing their bodies directly against the brake lever.

That was the sound of something going off track.

Tsukiji Station.

The personnel on standby maintained a safe distance from the tracks, ready to receive the train at any moment.

Before the train arrived, there was the sharp sound of metal tearing and scraping.

"We've arrived! Prepare for rescue!"

The on-site commander shouted into the walkie-talkie, saying that even if they didn't need it, everyone could hear him.

Thanks to the tight security today, a large number of people were quickly gathered at Tsukiji Station after an emergency mobilization, including professionals from the Security Department with experience in dismantling and bomb disposal.

"No! The train has derailed! Everyone get into the passageway!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the train burst out of the tunnel, engulfed in flames.

The anti-climb device on the front of the train pierced the end wall of the platform. The powerful impact crushed the reinforced concrete layer by layer like a wafer. Under such impact, the front of the train was no different from a cola can. The entire cab was crushed into a heap, and blood splattered out like raindrops from the gaps.

The enormous decibels forced people to cover their ears to protect their hearing, and the glass and metal shards that shot out like bullets bounced several times before still hitting a few unlucky people.

Doom!

Ultimately, the front of the train crashed into the wall at the end of the platform, while most of the carriages behind it managed to remain barely upright and did not overturn.

"Quick! Open the car door and save the passengers! We only have two minutes!" The on-site commander rushed out first.

The first group of officers used hydraulic shears to clamp down on the gap in the deformed car door, while the second group simultaneously used cutting methods.

"Passengers who can still move inside! You only have two minutes before the car behind crashes into you. Please find the emergency door opening device immediately, pull off the cover, and pull the handle!"

The station staff, holding megaphones, shouted and banged on the passengers struggling to get up from inside the train windows.

Because there were enough people in the car, some were lucky enough to be cushioned and did not lose consciousness in the impact. However, their ears were ringing and they could not hear any sounds outside. Nevertheless, their subconscious instincts still made them try to find the emergency door opening device and escape from this terrible place.

"Cough cough."

Otsuka Natsuki struggled to her feet in the crowd, but after taking just one step, a piercing pain shot through her ankle, making it impossible for her to put any weight on it.

Today is Sunday.

She needs to go to the head office every morning for a performance review.

Yesterday marked the last day of her cherry blossom season, when she was strolling along the Yamanote and Hibiya lines with cherry blossoms in her hands.

After all, the cherry blossom season will always come to an end.

Unfortunately, this was just a form of self-comfort; she could never go back, nor dared to go back, to that dark subway world.

Chun Hanying, who only dared to hold Yahua and wanted to go see it with her before, sought a moment of self-deception in the cold subway.

Otherwise, why would she choose to take leave every afternoon? It's because the afternoon avoids the 8 AM and the last bus, so it won't take her to that world.

She didn't even dare to make a phone call.

Because she was afraid that the call would actually go through, and what could she possibly say on the phone to the person who had promised to rescue her but had broken their promise?

"Not yet."

Before his eyes, someone had already used the emergency device to lift the restrictions and opened the door a crack, and he couldn't wait to climb out.

More people then squeezed through the gap, even hindering the police's efforts to widen the door.

"Let me go first! Get out of here!"

Natsuki Otsuka finally made it to the doorway through the obstacle-filled ground, only to be shoved aside by someone coming from behind, crashing into the car wall with a loud bang.

"One minute left—what?! It's accelerated! You damn beast! Hurry—"

The incessant shouting still reached the ears of some passengers who had gradually recovered, and they immediately panicked, crying and scrambling to seize the door, which was their right to survive.

Despite the intense pain, Otsuka Natsuki struggled to squeeze into the crowd as well, inching her way out.

"The door won't open! We can't open the door here! Please help us! Please help us!"

"Hurry up! You guys need to hurry!"

"My girlfriend is still inside, right there! Don't pull me away, she's right there!"

The air and the tracks began to vibrate—the train that was about to crash from behind was approaching.

The on-site commander looked at the car doors that were either damaged and could not be opened, or the passageways that were blocked by the crowd and could not be cleared for a while, and sighed sadly.

He had to make a difficult decision.

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

Even if the impact is so close, the sound waves could directly kill someone. In order to avoid taking more lives, he had to abandon those who could not be saved.

The officers were prepared and swiftly retreated with the rescued people who were still unable to move.

This action drove those still inside the car into a hysterical frenzy.

Curses, pleas, and wailing filled the air.

But they were quickly suppressed by the gradually approaching, amplified sound of air being torn apart through the tunnel.

People continued to escape from the car doors, running away into the passageway without looking back, following the police officers.

Otsuka had squeezed himself to the door, but unfortunately, he was just a little bit short.

Someone nudged her shoulder. Otsuka turned around and saw the robust woman who had been sitting next to her earlier, the one who had been comforted by her out of fear.

Her face wore a stiff expression completely different from the others, and there was a bright red bloodstain on her chest, making her look exceptionally eerie, like a manipulated corpse.

The strong woman took a few steps back, then suddenly rammed into the crowd, pushing them out of the way.

Including Natsuki Otsuka.

People fell onto the platform, but most were relieved and got up, trying to run towards the passageway.

The strong woman shielded Otsuka beneath her, a familiar smile appearing on her face.

"I've seen the cherry blossoms you've passed by countless times over the years, and they're all very beautiful."

A deafening, apocalyptic crash resounded, and almost all the survivors who had just stood up were pierced by the scattered metal fragments.

Before Otsuka could process what the woman was saying, his ears were covered, everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

Chapter 107: Foreign Affairs Visit

Haneda International Airport.

At 8:00 a.m., Air Force Two arrived at its destination ahead of the scheduled 9:00 a.m.

However, the Japanese side has had ample time to prepare, and the Foreign Minister has already been waiting with a large number of staff, so this is unlikely to lead to any unexpected events.

This visit by the Vice President to Japan was merely a working visit, primarily to pave the way for the President's formal state visit a few months later, and to facilitate some prior exchanges. It was not treated as a particularly grand occasion.

The Japanese side also followed standard procedures in receiving them.

"On behalf of the Japanese government, I warmly welcome Vice President Collins to Tokyo. Your visit will further deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance."

"Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements. I look forward to the next meeting."

After accepting the flowers presented by the students, Collins shook hands with the Japanese Foreign Minister.

After a brief introduction by the ambassador to Japan and the national anthem, Collins boarded an armored car that had been airlifted in and followed a lead vehicle to the Prime Minister's official residence.

The car had real-time communication, and Collins seemed quite talkative, chatting with the Foreign Minister in another car as they drove.

"The route we just took offered a direct view of the bay; the scenery was really beautiful. It reminded me of my hometown, Miami, but unfortunately, there are no beaches or sunshine."

Collins chatted casually, and even through the phone, he had a warm smile on his face, exuding a friendly aura.

Perhaps for this reason, he is considered the most approachable vice president in American history.

"Your Excellency, we have just passed through the High Speed ​​Bay coastline. A large part of this area was created by land reclamation, so unfortunately there is no natural sandy scenery."

“I told you, there’s no need to be so formal. This is a private call, just call me Collins.”