It wasn’t just the citizens who were in uproar.
The investigation team was also in chaos.
During the news broadcast, coincidently during the investigation team’s dinner time, they all saw the report on the TV mounted on the restaurant wall. After a brief and eerie silence, intense discussions erupted.
"Idiot!" Hirano Hidekazu lost his composure for the first time, cursed, smashed his crockery, stood up, and roared with his hands pushing against the table, "Where is Miyake Jiro!"
"Chief of Police Department... he hasn’t come back since he left this morning!" a subordinate of Miyake Jiro stammered as he stood up.
The person in charge of the evidence room stood up and said nervously, "He... he took the recordings of the phone call between Miyashita Naoyuki and Mrs. Abe, citing work reasons."
"What!" Gu Tian Chong’s eyes nearly burst with rage.
"Ah!" Hirano Hidekazu screamed in anger and despair, "This fool who harms others and himself!"
He had already guessed how things had developed.
Last night, Miyake Jiro had been successfully bought by Oda Take, handed over the recordings to Oda Take this morning, and then betrayed them in the evening to strike at the investigation team.
The significant progress that the investigation team had painstakingly achieved vanished and they were also facing a public opinion crisis.
"Call a press conference immediately, now!" Hiro Hidekazu took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his anger.
"Birds of a feather! Get out of Sapporo!"
"The officials who are fishing for praise and are corrupt, we don’t welcome you, please get out of Sapporo! Get out of Hokkaido!"
"Thoroughly investigate corruption within the investigation team..."
Just then, a faint roar like thunder came from outside, soon after, a hotel employee rushed in, looking panicked and said, "There are a lot of protesters outside!"
Hirano Hidekazu’s face twitched, he rushed to the window and nearly fainted at the sight.
Hundreds of residents on the streets at both ends of the hotel entrance were waving their fists and shouting slogans to expel the investigation team, swarming in like a flood.
"The news just came out, and so many citizens have come to demonstrate; this has to be someone deliberately organizing trouble," Gu Tian Chong said with a grim face, angrily punching the window sill.
Hirano Hidekazu took a deep breath, wearily saying, "There’s no doubt that someone instigated this, but there are also followers. And as things escalate, more people who don’t know the truth will join in. We must disperse them quickly."
They had previously stoked local resentment against corrupt officials by arresting three corrupt officials, but revelations of corruption within the investigation team are bound to backfire.
The public has limited information; they can’t discern the truth accurately. They only know that the investigation team, which claims to be anti-corruption, is itself corrupt. Is this investigation team really here to fight corruption or to collude with local officials and put on a show?
This is deception! Mockery! Harm!
In this emotional state, once incited by someone with intentions, they would naturally be hostile towards the investigation team.
"How do we disperse them? With so many people, and more and more gathering, the local police won’t intervene, and who knows, there might even be police officers in the crowd!" Gu Tian Chong said through gritted teeth.
"I’ll try to face them myself first," Hirano Hidekazu sighed, then said with a resolute and determined look, "If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to forcefully disperse them by firing shots."
At this moment, the hotel’s entrance was crowded with a throng of people, some of whom were members of the Violent Gang, but most were incited citizens.
The entire street was completely blocked.
The harsh sound of car horns blared intermittently.
"Fellow citizens! Brothers and sisters! They’re a bunch of frauds! They shout about anti-corruption but they’re actually just making money! Let’s drive them out!"
A member of the Violent Gang, waving his fists with a fierce expression, shouted, "Investigation team, get out of Hokkaido!"
"Get out of Hokkaido!" "Get out of Hokkaido!"
Everyone echoed loudly, their voices growing louder and louder, as if trying to vent their inner rage through their cries.
At that moment, Hirano Hidekazu, looking grim-faced, stepped out from the hotel. Many investigation team members stood in front of him, facing the crowd as if facing a great enemy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down! Listen to me for a moment!" Hirano Hidekazu shouted through a megaphone, his tone sincere, "I’m heartbroken about what happened. As the head of the investigation team, I bear the blame for inadequate supervision. But please believe me, this is an isolated case and does not represent our entire team. Please rest assured, we will severely punish those in the photos and give you all an explanation!"
"Don’t be fooled by those manipulated into opposing our team..."
"Shut your mouth! You always spout these sanctimonious words! You treat us like fools!" Before he could finish, someone in the crowd immediately interrupted Hirano Hidekazu.
"Since they don’t want to leave, let’s drive them away! Charge! Smash their den!"
Hundreds of members of the Violent Gang hidden in the crowd continuously set the rhythm and initiated a charge towards the hotel entrance. The emotions of the ordinary citizens, which had begun to stabilize, were reignited and they rushed forward.
"What are you doing! Stop! Everyone, stop!"
Watching the crowd surge forward, members of the investigation team turned pale, and in desperation, they had to draw their guns as a deterrent.
Facing the dark muzzles of the guns.