Chapter 105: Cornered Beast

Chapter 105: Cornered Dogs Leap Over Walls

In R Base, shops were closed, workers were on strike, and teams of superpowered individuals marched through the streets holding the R Base flag. With every street they passed, more people joined their ranks, forming a massive procession of tens of thousands. Currently, R Base had a population of just over a hundred thousand.

The procession eventually halted in front of the command center, led by a high-level superpowered individual named Takano Hideki.

Takano Hideki raised the R Base flag high and shouted, "We demand to see Commander-in-Chief Kobashi Ichiro! We want a dialogue with the Commander-in-Chief!"

The superpowered individuals behind him echoed his words, chanting in unison, "We demand to see the Commander-in-Chief!"

Takano Hideki shouted again, "We ask the Commander-in-Chief to give us an answer! We only want the truth!"

"Give us the truth! We have the right to know the truth!"

Standing by the window of the command center, Kobashi Ichiro looked down at the protesters waving their flags below. He had just ended a video call from Dewitt, who had threatened him, demanding that he obtain the core technology of the Capital Base as soon as possible—or else M Country would take action against R Base. Kobashi Ichiro didn’t know what M Country would do if they failed to secure the technology, but he was certain the consequences would be unbearable for R Base.

Now, his own citizens were staging protests, leaving him caught between internal strife and external threats.

Furious and desperate, Kobashi Ichiro cursed, "Good-for-nothings who only know how to cause trouble! If we don’t get the Capital Base’s core technology, we’re all dead! Instead of figuring out how to obtain it, they’re out here protesting!"

The Deputy Commander quickly agreed, "The citizens in this base have been living too comfortably."

A ruthless glint flashed in Kobashi Ichiro’s eyes. "Where are the high-level superpowered individuals in the base? It’s time they earned their keep!"

The Deputy Commander hesitated. "But—but that’s not feasible. There are far too many protesters this time. If things escalate and too many people die, especially at this make-or-break moment, the Capital Base might exploit the chaos to sow discord. Then we’re truly finished."

Kobashi Ichiro snapped, "I’m not telling you to actually kill them! Just give them a fright!"

The Deputy Commander hurriedly replied, "I’ll arrange it immediately."

Soon, a group of high-level superpowered individuals stormed out of the command center. As soon as they appeared, they unleashed their superpowers mid-air, flaunting their power in an attempt to intimidate the protesters.

However, the protesting superpowered individuals were unfazed. If anything, the command center’s aggressive stance only enraged them further. Takano Hideki roared in anger, "What is the meaning of this? Is this show of force Commander-in-Chief Kobashi Ichiro’s doing?"

"We just want the truth!"

Takano Hideki declared, "If bloodshed and death are the only way to earn the right to know the truth, then I, Takano Hideki, am willing to sacrifice myself—if only to ensure the citizens of this base receive the truth they deserve!"

Behind him, tens of thousands of superpowered individuals shouted in unison, "We too are willing to trade our lives for the truth! We demand the truth!"

"We demand the truth!"

"Truth now!"

Seeing that the protesters were not intimidated and that conflict was imminent, the Deputy Commander rushed back to report to Kobashi Ichiro.

Kobashi Ichiro, overwhelmed with frustration, bellowed, "If they want to die, then let them!"

The Deputy Commander immediately interjected, "Commander-in-Chief Kobashi Ichiro, this isn't the time for rash decisions. If we engage in conflict now, the situation will spiral out of control. There are far too many protesters—tens of thousands!"

Kobashi Ichiro sneered. "There’s no one in this world who isn't afraid of death. Kill a few to make an example, and the rest will scatter. A bunch of hotheaded morons, they’ll disperse naturally."

"But—" The Deputy Commander tried to reason further, but Kobashi Ichiro was already boiling with rage. He roared at him, "You go! If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility! I’m the Commander-in-Chief here!"

"Yes, sir!" Though unconvinced that brute force was the solution, the Deputy Commander dared not argue further. He relayed Kobashi Ichiro’s orders to the superpowered warriors of the command center.

Immediately, the warriors of R Base launched an attack on the protesting superpowered individuals.

The assault was sudden and vicious. Takano Hideki and the other protesters had not expected the command center’s forces to strike without warning. Before they could react, their comrades were already falling.

The headquarters' move was like dropping a drop of cold water into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire protest. The superpowerers in the crowd immediately retaliated, and the two sides clashed, throwing the scene into chaos.

The protesters outnumbered the command's forces. Though their superpower levels were inferior, they fought like madmen, believing that taking down one opponent was worth it and taking down two was a bonus. Soon, the command's superpowerers were overwhelmed, forced to retreat step by step, nearly forced back into headquarters. Yet, the protesters pressed on relentlessly, determined to storm the headquarters.

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the Deputy Commander had no choice but to rush back and report to Kobashi Ichiro, who snapped again: "Worthless! Can’t you do a damn thing right? I only told you to scare them! And those superpowerers are just as useless—can't even handle a disorganized rabble! What good are they?"

The Deputy Commander remained silent, though fuming inside: "I said this wouldn't work from the start, but you were the one who insisted on giving the order!"

"Commander Kobashi Ichiro, the situation is completely out of control now. To prevent the protesters from breaking into the command building, please go down and calm them down yourself!"

Kobashi Ichiro roared, "You’re all goddamn useless! I might as well have raised dogs—at least they'd wag their tails when they see me!"

Regardless, to stop the protesters from storming the command, Kobashi Ichiro eventually appeared before them.

"Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Commander Kobashi Ichiro is here! He will address all your concerns and give you a satisfactory answer—the truth!" The Deputy Commander shouted repeatedly before the two sides gradually ceased hostilities.

By then, the area in front of the command building was a bloodbath, bodies strewn everywhere, and the square was riddled with craters from explosions.

Stepping out like a Sichuan opera face-changer, Kobashi Ichiro immediately adopted a pained expression and bowed deeply to the crowd. "I deeply apologize for my delayed return, which led to this tragic escalation and such severe bloodshed."

Takano Hideki wasn’t buying it. He demanded, "Commander Kobashi Ichiro, are you saying the order to attack us earlier wasn’t yours but the Deputy Commander’s personal decision?"

"Yes," Kobashi Ichiro replied without hesitation, as if the order to kill and intimidate had truly not come from him.

The Deputy Commander was stunned, wanting to explain, but a murderous glare from Kobashi Ichiro shut him up.

"Then, since this Deputy Commander issued such an order on his own, causing so many deaths and injuries, shouldn’t the Commander-in-Chief give us an explanation?" Takano Hideki pressed aggressively.

Kobashi Ichiro nodded. "I will give you a satisfactory answer."

Without giving anyone time to react, Kobashi Ichiro suddenly struck, unleashing a swift and brutal attack that instantly blew the Deputy Commander’s head clean off, leaving no chance for defense or explanation.

The Deputy Commander died with his eyes wide open, as if in disbelief—dying with his eyes wide open.

Admittedly, Kobashi Ichiro’s move worked. It calmed the furious crowd and completely cleared him of blame, making it seem as though he had been unaware and the Deputy Commander had acted alone.

Kobashi Ichiro bowed again and apologized sincerely. "I am deeply sorry for my delayed response, which escalated this tragedy. The base will cover all medical treatment for the injured. As for the deceased, I offer my deepest condolences. The base will handle all funeral arrangements, and compensation will be provided to their families. I hope this resolution meets your approval."

Even Takano Hideki was taken in by Kobashi Ichiro’s performance. He said, "Commander-in-Chief, none of this was your fault. It was this man’s own doing. We don’t blame you."

Kobashi Ichiro immediately responded, "As the Commander-in-Chief, I must take responsibility for what happens in this base."

"May I ask what your protest is about? Whatever it is, if it’s within the R Base’s power, I will do my utmost to address it."

Takano Hideki took out his terminal and tapped it, projecting a holographic screen into the air. "Previously, the China Base posted online about developing nutrient packs straight out of sci-fi movies—one dose can sustain a person for a whole day without hunger! They claimed these packs are cheap, costing only a dozen China Base credits each, with a month’s supply costing just a day’s wages."

"They also posted that the China Base now has spatial storage devices, functioning just like a spatial superpowerer’s ability—but usable by anyone, including ordinary people and children."

"China Base even claimed to have healing pods that can regenerate severed limbs—injuries even healers couldn’t cure."

"We asked the command before whether these claims were true or just China’s boasting, and the command assured us they were false. We believed them!"

Takano Hideki continued, "Later, China Base posted about inventing Mental Scanners and full-dive virtual reality, all of which your command denied. We trusted you. We trusted our command, our base. We even mocked the Chinese online, calling them delusional dreamers. But now, China Base has airdropped terminals into our base, proving that full immersion VR is real. So, were all those things the command dismissed actually real? We just want the truth!"

Previously, China Base’s network was an isolated intranet, inaccessible from outside.

The arrival of the terminals opened China’s network to the world, making all online posts visible to everyone.

So when the Chinese posted about one miracle, game-changing invention after another—things that had only existed in pre-Collapse sci-fi movies—the arrogant R Base’s first reaction was disbelief.

They couldn't believe that the thick-headed Chinese could produce such epoch-making research and incredible inventions—things even the high-born Americans hadn't achieved. How could the Chinese possibly accomplish this?

These people from R Base were inherently in denial of this fact. So when R Base’s Commander-in-Chief publicly denied it, they became even more convinced that those online posts were just Chinese boasting.

Despite the overwhelming videos and evidence online, the R people turned a blind eye, seeing only what they wanted to see and believing only what they wished to believe.

It wasn’t until the Capital Base dropped terminals into R Base that they witnessed the existence of holography firsthand, shattering their self-deceptive illusions. Some of the more clear-headed R people began to realize that perhaps it wasn’t the Chinese who had deceived them, but their own people—their Command, their Base.

The terminals were distributed randomly. Some R people managed to seize them and, after overcoming numerous obstacles, finally logged in. They discovered that the terminals allowed live combat simulations and were eager to show off, dominating the Chinese to prove R Nation’s superiority.

But reality taught them a harsh lesson. Instead, the R people were the ones begging for mercy, realizing that the Chinese—especially those from the Capital Base—possessed extraordinarily strong psychic abilities.

So strong, in fact, that even their psychics struggled to mentally invade ordinary people.

At this point, they had no choice but to open their eyes to the world and admit their ignorance. Without realizing it, they had fallen far behind China, both economically and militarily.

This outcome was unacceptable to the R people, who had always been arrogant toward the Chinese. They blamed everything on R Base, convinced that the Base’s secrecy had led to this situation.

Kobashi Ichiro had previously refused to admit the truth, fearing exactly this scenario—that the ignorant residents would force them to purchase those technologies from the Capital Base. They had no idea how uncooperative the Capital Base could be.

But with things escalating to this point, Kobashi Ichiro had no choice but to concede. He steeled himself and said, “We’ve only recently uncovered the truth and were about to inform everyone. The scientific achievements mentioned online are real, but they’re not as exaggerated as the rumors claim.”

This was R Base’s usual tactic—diminishing the Capital Base’s reputation to their own residents.

For some technologies, they would first deny their existence. If that became impossible, they’d claim the technologies weren’t as advanced as described, insisting the Chinese were exaggerating—turning child’s play into revolutionary tech.

But this time, their usual rhetoric failed. With real terminals in hand, they experienced the wonders of holography firsthand—far more miraculous and powerful than even the Chinese had described online.

So what about the other highly praised Chinese inventions—the nutrition packs, healing pods, Mental Scanners, and spatial storage devices? Were they truly as incredible as the Chinese claimed?

Gao Wanli and his group felt deceived. Recalling their countless online posts mocking the Chinese for dreaming, they realized how shortsighted and ignorant they had been, their faces flushed with humiliation.

Gao Wanli demanded, “Why did you lie to us? Why didn’t you tell us the truth?”

Kobashi Ichiro immediately replied, “As soon as the Base discovered the Chinese posts online, we contacted the Capital Base. But the Chinese were arrogant and refused to engage with us. Only after overcoming numerous difficulties did we finally verify the truth.”

“Of course, once we learned the truth, we immediately planned to inform the residents. The announcement was scheduled for three days from now—we never expected such an unfortunate incident to occur today.”

“But I can personally assure you all—while the Chinese do possess those technologies, they are nowhere near as miraculous as described online.”

Gao Wanli and the others believed Kobashi Ichiro once again. Though they had already been deceived by the Base and the Command before, they found it even harder to accept that the Chinese had truly advanced so far.

While they still struggled to fill their stomachs, while they still worried about whether they’d have food tomorrow, the Chinese had already moved beyond such concerns—they were consuming nutrition packs straight out of sci-fi movies.

Kobashi Ichiro successfully placated Gao Wanli and the protesters, promising generous compensation, and the matter was laid to rest.

Meanwhile, in R Base’s Chinese district, a group of Chinese gathered to discuss the situation. Some were tourists, some visiting relatives, others stuck on business or other reasons.

Now, they were engaged in heated debate. “The online posts are true—our country really has developed those incredible scientific achievements.”

A man who had immigrated to R Nation decades ago and adopted the Japanese name Matsushita Hon dismissively rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you hear Commander-in-Chief Kobashi Ichiro? Those technologies exist, but they’re immature—nowhere near as miraculous as the online rumors claim. They’re just children’s toys.”

Gao Wanli, the representative of R Base’s Chinese Association, snapped, “Matsushita Hon, don’t think taking an R name means you can forget whose blood runs in your veins.”

The other superpowered individuals glared at him. Unfazed, Matsushita Hon retorted, “Your glares won’t change facts. This is the truth. The reality is that China can’t defeat M Nation. M Nation’s always been the scientific leader—if they haven’t cracked it, there’s no way the Chinese could have.”

“I’m just calling it like it is. You can glare all you want—it won’t make a difference!”

Gao Wanli fired back, “Then how do you explain holography?”

"It's been proven that holographic technology truly exists. The Capital Base went to great lengths, spending enormous resources to freely distribute numerous terminals for us Chinese stranded abroad, allowing us to train through holograms, enhance our combat capabilities, and increase our chances of survival in this apocalyptic foreign land!"

Gao Wanli said, "Doesn’t this gesture deserve our gratitude?"

Matsushita Hon curled his lips disdainfully, "Phony concern. If the Capital Base truly cared about you as much as they claim, why don’t they just take you back?"

"You—"

"Forget it, forget it. There’s no point talking to him. He’s no longer Chinese—he’s just a dog of Country R now."

Several Chinese pulled Gao Wanli, who was fuming, away. After parting with Matsushita Hon, Gao Wanli sighed and said, "If only Capital Base could actually bring us home... I miss home so much. If I had known the apocalypse was coming, I'd have never studied abroad. I wonder how my family is doing now?"

The group fell silent. Then, Gao Wanli glanced around cautiously, ensuring no suspicious figures were nearby, before whispering, "We might actually be able to return home soon."

Their faces lit up instantly. Among them, only Gao Wanli had managed to secure a terminal. Everyone turned to him eagerly. "What did you see in the hologram?"

"The Capital Base has a dedicated thread for Chinese stranded abroad. The Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Base weighed in personally yesterday. He said they would find a way to bring those of us who wish to return home back—we just need to hold out a bit longer. But he promised that day wouldn’t be too far off."

"Really? It was really the Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Base who replied?"

"Yes."

The superpowered fighters buzzed with excitement, their hearts pounding so hard it felt like they might leap out of their chests.

Inside the Capital Base, Gu Jinsheng asked Ji An, "How confident are you that you can bring back all our people stranded abroad?"

Ji An replied, "About 70%."

"The hard part isn’t retrieving them—it’s gathering them together and getting them out without alerting the local command centers," Ji An explained.

Zhou Qin nodded. "That is indeed the main issue. Right now, every foreign base is after our tech. The moment they catch wind of our intention to retrieve our stranded citizens, they won’t let them go easily. They’ll hold them hostage for our tech."

Wan Xueying asked, "Divine Ji, how is your research progressing?"

She didn’t know exactly what Ji An was working on, but she had a vague sense it was related to the retrieval plan.

Ji An said, "This project’s no big deal. It’s already in the final stages."

Just then, a staff member frantically knocked on the door several times before barging in without waiting for permission. His face was deathly pale as he gasped, "Commander-in-Chief Gu, Deputy Commanders—it’s terrible! Kobashi Ichiro is live-streaming on an open channel, demanding we hand over all our core technology—or else they’ll execute our people stranded in their country!"