บท 64: The Grudges of an Era
"Whoosh…"
In the midst of a torrential downpour, a car sped down the road.
The uneven, pothole-filled path made the three passengers inside feel their stomachs churn, but with the enemy chasing them, they didn't dare to slow down.
After a while, they noticed the enemy had stopped pursuing them. Sam finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"What kind of monster was that? It was terrifying."
Logan and Victor remained silent, their heads lowered as they tended to their injuries. Thanks to their healing factors, their wounds were visibly healing at an astonishing speed.
Seeing that neither responded to him, Sam didn't press further. Instead, he picked up his communicator and sent a message to Director Nick, who was far away in Japan.
....
Above Japan, aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier.
Nick's face darkened as he listened to the report, slamming his fist down on his desk.
A squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, numbering more than a dozen, had been reduced to just three survivors. Such a colossal loss was unprecedented for S.H.I.E.L.D. in recent years.
As the one who had given the orders, Nick knew he bore a significant part of the blame.
The only silver lining was that they had found zombies in Baru Village, confirming the prior existence of the zombie virus.
Now, all Nick needed to do was uncover the link between Umbrella Corporation and the virus, and he could request the Security Council to authorize the arrest of Umbrella personnel and its boss.
"Knock, knock…"
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
Maria, dressed in a sleek black uniform, entered the office.
"Director, Mariko Yashida has gained a lot of support recently. It seems the U.S. military is subtly backing her as well."
"What?"
Nick grabbed the files from her hand and quickly scanned through them. The documents listed all the important figures Mariko Yashida had hosted recently, including high-ranking officials of the Japanese Govt. and military officers from the U.S.
"How could they support a patricidal butcher?!"
In Nick's eyes, Mariko Yashida had allied with Umbrella, killed her father, and unleashed the zombie virus. She was nothing but a villain. Allowing her to live was already a mercy, yet she had garnered so much support?
Maria continued, "Director, Mariko Yashida has also appealed to the Security Council, accusing us of killing her grandfather and father. She's demanding an explanation."
Nick narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.
"An explanation? I'll give her an explanation!"
"Director…"
"What else is there?"
"The Security Council has requested your presence…"
"I see. I'll head there shortly."
Hearing that, Nick regained his composure. As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, he was usually calm and rational. Mariko Yashida's actions had simply been too outrageous, which was why he'd lost his temper.
After a moment, he asked, "Who are the other leading candidates for Prime Minister of Japan?"
"Besides Mariko Yashida, there's another candidate named Rinzan Anbei, and he's currently ahead of her in the polls."
"Contact him secretly. Let him know we'll support his bid for the Prime Minister position. But remember, don't tell anyone about this."
"Yes, sir."
.....
The next morning~
On the streets of Tokyo, a stage had been set up, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
After a moment, a middle-aged man, beaming with pride, stepped onto the stage.
"I will lead our Great Japan to rise again! I will bring our economy back to life! If I am elected, I will dedicate myself to fully revitalizing Japan's economy and implementing new reforms!"
This man was Rinzan Anbei, the most popular candidate for Prime Minister of Japan.
"Rinzan Anbei! Rinzan Anbei!"
"The founding father of the new economy!"
"Rinzan Anbei will bring about the rise of our Great Japan!"
The cheers from the crowd made Rinzan Anbei revel in the moment, feeling as though he already held Japan's fate in his hands.
What he failed to notice was a young man in the crowd staring at him with a complicated expression. The young man's eyes were filled with a mix of despair and hope, hatred and expectation.
At that moment, his friend excitedly patted him on the shoulder.
"Tetsuya, Rinzan Anbei is definitely going to lead Japan to greatness! Your mother's money will surely be recovered!"
Tetsuya Yamashita nodded with a conflicted look, clenching his fists.
"Yeah, I hope so…"
After the speech ended, Rinzan Anbei returned to his office.
Just as he sat down, his assistant walked in.
His assistant was a stunning woman with long black hair and clad in black stockings, carrying a stack of documents. She flashed a seductive smile as she entered.
"President, today's speech went very well. Your support increased by another 0.2%."
Rinzan Anbei wrapped his arm around her waist, his hands wandering.
"What's my total support now?"
"Ah… President, your support rate has reached 34.1%. Ahh…"
"And the second-place candidate?"
"The second is Mariko Yashida, with a support rate of 27.8%."
Hearing this, Rinzan Anbei's excitement grew.
"About a 7% lead. We've got this."
"Knock, knock…"
At that crucial moment, there was a knock at the door.
"President, someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. is here to see you."
"Oh, President, someone's here."
"Let them wait."
...
Meanwhile, in the top-floor office of Yashida Corporation.
Mariko Yashida sat at her desk, looking over documents, but her mind was elsewhere. She hadn't expected to actually run for Prime Minister, and even more surprising was the level of support she had received.
Unfortunately, she lacked political experience and connections. Despite having Umbrella and military backing, she was still in second place.
"Knock, knock…"
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
A beautiful woman holding a file entered the office.
"President, Miss Miyun Ando from Stark Industries is here to see you."
"Oh?"
Mariko's eyes lit up. If Stark Industries supported her, her poll numbers might finally surpass Rinzan Anbei's.
"Please bring her in. No, I'll personally go greet her."
In the VIP reception room downstairs, Mariko warmly greeted her guest.
"Miss Miyun Ando, welcome."
However, Miyun Ando's response was cold and indifferent. "Our master is disappointed in you. Despite all the support you've received, you're still in second place."
Mariko froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered, bowing low to reveal a generous display of cleavage.
"I deeply apologize, senior. But Rinzan Anbei has the support of most Japanese companies, as well as a political family and official backing."
"Enough with the excuses. Failure is failure. There are no excuses."
Looking around, Miyun Ando continued, "Let's discuss this somewhere more secure."
"My office is safe. Please, this way."
Once they were inside Mariko's office, Miyun Ando coldly said, "If you can't beat him, make him disappear."
"Huh? Senior, you mean…"
"Yes."
"I understand…"
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