80: Chapter 80 The Investigation Team is Attacked

The early morning sun had just pierced through the clouds when a massive, dark crowd had already gathered outside the Public Security Command Headquarters building.

They held up placards with slogans like "Oppose US Military Interference" and "Return Our Sovereignty," their angry chants rising and falling, echoing through the streets like rolling thunder.

"Drive the white pigs out!" "The Yamato people do not need foreign masters!" "We want dignity! We want freedom!"

In the crowd, some waved the national flag, while others threw eggs and stones at the headquarters building. Excited young people even tried to break through the police cordon, shoving and pushing with the officers maintaining order.

This protest had started at dawn, and as time passed, more and more people gathered, their fury burning ever brighter.

The news that the Public Security Command Headquarters had been taken over by the US military yesterday had somehow been leaked, instantly igniting the long-simmering discontent of the public.

From the bombing of the Yasukuni Shrine to the missile attack at the pier, from the government's repeated compromises to the US military now openly taking over the Public Security Command, each and every incident struck the hearts of the people like a whip.

They felt their country was being trampled upon, their dignity crushed, while the government only knew how to retreat.

In an office on the third floor of the headquarters, Catherine stood by the window, her face livid as she watched the seething crowd below.

The sound of eggs and stones hitting the glass was clearly audible. Although she could not understand the angry slogans, the hatred behind them could be felt even through the window.

"Fuck! These bitches!"

Catherine slammed her fist against the windowsill, her delicate face twisted with ferocity. "These stupid island monkeys! Don't they see that we're here to help them? Without us, they wouldn't even be able to catch a glimpse of that 'Joker'!"

"Exactly! A bunch of incited, ignorant people!" a burly US soldier next to her chimed in, toying with a combat knife while his eyes swept over the crowd below with contempt. "They should have their cabinet send the army to gun all these rioters down! Let's see if they dare to cause trouble again!"

"That's enough, say less," another soldier advised. "This is their turf; it won't end well if things get too big."

Catherine took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in her heart. She knew now was not the time to lose her temper; the top priority was to find clues about the Black Organization and the "Joker" to complete the mission assigned by headquarters.

As for the public protests, in her view, it was nothing more than impotent rage that wouldn't make any real waves.

"Don't bother with these ignorant idiots." Catherine adjusted her tactical vest, her tone turning cold again. "Notify everyone, prepare to depart. We are going to check the explosion site at the pier; perhaps we can find some useful clues."

"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers immediately stood at attention and saluted, turning to go prepare.

Not long after, a motorcade consisting of four black sedans drove out of the gates of the Public Security Command Headquarters.

Catherine and two security soldiers sat in the lead car, while the three cars behind carried the rest of the investigation team and their weapons and equipment.

The motorcade slowly drove through the protesting crowd, and the angry public immediately swarmed around, waving their fists at the car windows and shouting unspeakable profanities.

A few young people even tried to block the cars with their bodies, only to be held back tightly by the police nearby.

Catherine rolled down the window, coldly glancing at the agitated crowd outside, a mocking curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. She said to the soldier behind her, "See that? This is the so-called Yamato people, only knowing how to roar in such an incompetent way. Do they really think this will scare us off?"

"That's all they're capable of," the soldier next to her sneered.

The motorcade struggled through the crowd, drove onto the main road, and headed in the direction of the pier.

Catherine leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes to rest, but her mind was calculating the next plan. She didn't believe the Public Security could find any useful clues; she had flipped through those files roughly, and they were disorganized and completely pointless.

She planned to go to the pier site in person; perhaps she could discover some overlooked details—such as shell casings left behind by the Black Organization, or traces that the "Joker" might have left.

An hour later, the motorcade arrived at the pier explosion site.

The area had already been sealed off, with cordon lines set up around it. Several police officers were guarding the entrance, and upon seeing the US military motorcade approaching, they quickly let them through.

The cars stopped in front of the chaotic ruins, and Catherine was the first to get out.

The scene before her was even more tragic than described in the files: the former containers were piled into twisted metal blocks, the ground was covered in craters of varying depths, and scattered bloodstains and bone fragments could still be seen in the charred soil. The air was filled with an indescribable stench, a mixture of gunpowder, burning, and decay.

"Damn it, this place is like hell." One soldier couldn't help but cover his nose.

Catherine, however, didn't care. She took gloves and evidence bags from her backpack, crouched down, and carefully observed the ground, her eyes as sharp as an eagle's, not letting any corner escape her notice.

"There's a shell casing here, a 9mm Parabellum round, which should be the model commonly used by the Black Organization."

Catherine picked up the deformed shell casing and put it into an evidence bag.

"There seems to be explosive residue over there," another soldier shouted.

Catherine stood up and was just about to walk over to check when suddenly—"Bang, bang, bang!!!"

Dense gunfire rang out without warning, bullets whistling from behind the surrounding ruins, hitting the bodies of the black sedans with a crisp "clinking" sound.

"Enemy attack!"

The soldiers reacted extremely quickly, immediately shielding Catherine in the center, scrambling to find cover, and returning fire with their guns drawn.

Catherine was pressed behind a car, still shaken as she peeked out, only to see dozens of rioters wearing headbands with the national flag rushing out from behind the ruins.

They held various weapons in their hands—shotguns, modified rifles, and some even held Molotov cocktails—firing wildly while roaring: "Drive the damned American bastards out!" "Defend our country!" "Kill them! Avenge our fallen compatriots!"

These rioters were clearly well-prepared. They used the cover of the ruins to constantly change shooting positions. Although their firepower was disorganized, they had the advantage of numbers, and for a moment, they actually suppressed the US investigation team, preventing them from lifting their heads.

"Damn it! Where did they get these weapons?!" Catherine hid behind the car, roaring into the radio, "Contact the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department immediately! Have them send armed forces to support! Tell them if I don't see anyone within five minutes, I will call for air support from the Okinawa base directly and level this place to the ground!"

A soldier immediately connected to the communication channel with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and shouted into it: "This is the US investigation team! We are under armed attack at the pier ruins! Requesting emergency support! Repeat! Requesting emergency support!"

Time ticked by, and the gunfire became more and more intense.

One US soldier, having exposed his position while changing magazines, was shot in the chest. He collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, his blood instantly staining the ground red.

"Johnson!" The soldier next to him roared while returning fire, his eyes turning red.

Catherine's expression grew increasingly grim. She checked her watch; ten minutes had passed, and there was not even a shadow of anyone from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

"These bastards are doing this on purpose!" Catherine gritted her teeth. She was almost certain that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was intentionally stalling, wanting to watch them make fools of themselves, and perhaps even hoping they would be wiped out here.

Another soldier was hit in the arm by a stray bullet and began to wail in pain.

The investigation team's firepower grew weaker, while the rioters' offensive became more intense. Some had even rushed to within ten meters of them, raising Molotov cocktails.

"Fuck!" Catherine was completely enraged and snatched the radio. "Connect me to the Okinawa base! This is Catherine! We are under attack at the pier; requesting immediate air support! Coordinates 35.6°N, 140.1°E! Repeat! Requesting air support!"

Just as she was about to issue the attack order, the sound of sirens finally came from afar.

A dozen police cars and armored vehicles arrived with sirens wailing. The machine guns on the roofs immediately opened fire in the direction of the rioters, and the dense bullets instantly suppressed the rioters' firepower.

Kazami Yuya jumped out of the car with the Public Security special forces and shouted to the rioters: "Drop your weapons! Surrender immediately!"

The rioters clearly hadn't expected the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to appear suddenly, and with such fierce firepower, they immediately fell into chaos.

Some began to retreat, while others put up a desperate resistance, but they were quickly routed by the Public Security special forces.

A dozen minutes later, the gunfire gradually subsided. The rioters were either dead or had fled, leaving behind a dozen corpses and weapons all over the ground.

Catherine walked out from behind the car, her expression so dark it seemed as if it could drip water.

She looked at the four corpses of US soldiers lying on the ground, along with two injured members, and turned her cold gaze toward Kazami Yuya, who was walking over.

Kazami Yuya wore a formulaic apology on his face: "Ms. Catherine, I am very sorry for the late arrival; we encountered some... obstacles on the way."

"Obstacles?" Catherine sneered, stepping up to Kazami Yuya, almost pressing against his face as she said, "Your support was truly 'timely'. If you had come five minutes later, we would all have been ghosts under these rioters' guns! Is this your hospitality? Is this your so-called 'cooperation'?"

Kazami Yuya looked at her expressionlessly, without refuting. He knew very well in his heart that this support had indeed arrived late, and one could even say it was intentional.

The humiliation of having the command and data taken away yesterday, coupled with the anger he felt earlier when seeing the public protests, made him subconsciously not want to rescue them too quickly. He even felt that it wouldn't be bad for these arrogant Americans to suffer a little.

"I will report the situation here to my superiors," Kazami Yuya said indifferently.

"No need." Catherine turned around, no longer looking at him. "I will report the matter here to the Washington headquarters personally. I think the White House will be very interested in your attitude toward 'cooperation'."

After speaking, she boarded the lead sedan and said coldly to the driver, "Go to the Okinawa base."

The car started and slowly drove away from the pier ruins. As she passed by Kazami Yuya, Catherine rolled down the window and looked at him with icy eyes: "Tell your cabinet high-ups that they had better pray our people are okay. Otherwise, the consequences are not something you can bear."

The motorcade disappeared at the end of the road. Kazami Yuya stood in place, watching the corpses on the ground and the ruins, his expression complex.

He knew that Catherine's words were not a threat. The fury of the US military was by no means something the cabinet could bear. This incident would likely end with the government's compromise once again.

"Sir, what do we do?" a Public Security Officer asked.

Kazami Yuya took a deep breath, looking at the gray sky in the distance: "Clean up the scene, take the wounded to the hospital, and then... wait for orders."