LRAB Page 57
Page 57
In the back seat, Nami found a corner to sit down and took out a small mirror to fix her hair.
This cat-shaped head spray is quite convenient, saving a lot of talking. Five thousand US dollars…tsk, the owner is quite generous to these ordinary people. It's equivalent to these large trucks…
Saeko Busujima sat in the back seat, unaffected by the car's swaying. She could see everything Zhou Ye was doing clearly.
[Memory manipulation... bribery... fabrication of evidence... the skill is chilling.]
How many times has Zhou Ye experienced something like this?
He said he was a teacher... a teacher at Fujimi Academy, so he knows these things?
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Nami beside me.
[And then there's Nami Tohsaka, who seems completely used to it all. The mysteries surrounding these two are only growing.]
[Should we mention these details when reporting to Professor Tomioka? If we do, how will the Demon Slayer Corps view them?]
[Not mentioning it seems like we're hiding important information... This is a real dilemma.]
Saeko Busujima gripped the hilt of her knife tightly.
The truck drove through the night, its wheels making a monotonous noise as they rolled over the road.
About 40 minutes later, the impressive gate of Fujimi Academy came into view.
The truck slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the college.
"We've arrived," the driver said in a flat tone.
Zhou Ye pushed open the car door and jumped out, and Nami and Saeko Busujima also got out of the back of the car.
"Thanks, driver. Take care on the road." Zhou Ye waved to the driver, his tone relaxed.
The driver nodded blankly and drove the truck away.
The college gate was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was unusually oppressive.
The lights in the guardhouse were on, but the area outside was packed with people.
It was pitch black.
Leading the group was a beautiful woman dressed in a well-fitting suit, with an elegant and noble demeanor. She was none other than Yuriko Takashiro, the headmistress of Fujimi Academy.
Her long red hair shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, each strand seemingly imbued with untamed passion. Her voluptuous figure wasn't the slender, delicate type, but rather a healthy and alluring curve, exuding the unique charm of a mature woman with every step. Her graceful form swayed gently with each step, like willow branches swaying lightly in an early summer breeze, both elegant and lively.
Standing beside her were several men and women in suits, with serious expressions; they were clearly members of the school's board of directors.
Further back was a group of parents whose faces showed anxiety, sadness, and even anger. They were parents of students who had participated in the "Zodiac Train" event.
At the outermost edge of the crowd, several police cars were parked, their flashing lights adding to the tense atmosphere. A slightly overweight middle-aged man in a police uniform, with epaulets indicating a high rank, stood there, his face grim...
Raccoon City Police Department Deputy Chief, Wop Bradley.
The moment Zhou Ye, Nami, and Saeko Busujima appeared, all eyes turned to them.
Inquiry, doubt, questioning, grief... a complex mix of emotions, like a tangible pressure, came crashing down.
Yuriko Takagi was the first to speak, her voice trembling slightly, but more so with the authority of someone in a superior position.
"Teacher Zhou Ye, Teacher Tohsaka."
"You're back."
A richly dressed woman suddenly rushed out of the crowd and lunged at Zhou Ye, but was stopped by a police officer nearby.
"My son! Kenichi! He went with you! Where is he?! What have you done to him?!" the woman cried out hoarsely.
"My daughter! Where is Miyuki?!"
"What on earth happened on the train?!"
"Why are only you guys back?!"
The parents' emotions were instantly ignited, and cries and questions filled the air, almost causing the scene to spiral out of control.
Reporters were constantly taking photos and asking questions, their camera lights flashing incessantly.
Deputy Director Wop Bradley frowned, signaling his men to maintain order. He stepped forward and stared at Zhou Ye.
“Mr. Zhou Ye, Ms. Tohsaka, I am Bradley, the deputy chief of the Raccoon City Police Department.”
His voice was low and carried an official scrutiny.
"Regarding the Zodiac Train incident, we need you to provide a detailed explanation."
Yuriko Takashiro also stepped forward, standing between the agitated parents and Zhou Ye, but her gaze was equally sharp.
“Mr. Zhou Ye, Mr. Tohsaka, Busujima.” Her gaze lingered on Nami for a moment. “The school and the parents all need an explanation.”
Nami crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Wow, what a grand display! This is going to be quite a spectacle.
Saeko Busujima stood half a step behind Zhou Ye, her hand still on the hilt of her knife. She looked at the chaotic scene before her, at the grieving parents, and at the aggressive police and the school principal.
Now, it all depends on how Zhou Ye fabricates his story. As a witness, what should I say, and what shouldn't I say?
Zhou Ye stood at the center of the storm, but his face remained expressionless.
[Ugh. The scene is bigger than expected. Even the deputy police chief is here? Umbrella's actions are swift, or is this just standard police procedure?]
[Takashiro Yuriko... she's become the headmistress in this world? And all these parents... Busujima Saeko is watching from behind, she can't afford to make a single mistake.]
He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"Dear parents and leaders, please calm down," Zhou Ye said, his voice not loud, but it drowned out the noise.
"I know everyone is worried and sad."
"I, Busujima, and Tohsaka went through something really terrible."
"It's a miracle that we came back alive."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"I will explain everything that happened on the Zodiac Train in detail."
"But this is not the place to talk."
"Please give us some time to sort things out, and then I will tell everyone what I know."
His tone was calm, yet strangely persuasive.
The chaotic scene quieted down a little.
Yuriko Takagi looked at Zhou Ye and nodded.
"it is good."
"To the conference room."
Chapter 43 The Art of Half-Truth, Half-Falsehood
The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy and tense. People sat on either side of the long table, with Yuriko Takagi in the center and Bradley Wopp beside her. Several school board members looked grim, while the student parent representatives wore expressions of sadness and anger. Zhou Ye, Nami, and Saeko Busujima sat on the other side, appearing somewhat out of place. Police officers guarded the outside, isolating them from the outside noise.
"Ms. Zhou, Ms. Tohsaka, Busujima-kun." Yuriko Takagi broke the silence, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Can you tell me what you encountered on the Zodiac Train, and what exactly happened?"
Zhou Ye glanced at the people present. He knew how many eyes were watching and how many forces were listening.
"Gentlemen, if you're afraid of dying, you can leave the meeting room first. I can't guarantee that if you leave the meeting room and talk about how your students or children died, you won't commit suicide by being shot eight times in the back first." Zhou Ye spoke, his voice not loud, but every word carried weight.
Shot eight times in the back? That's too blatant.
Yuriko Takagi and Bradley Wopp's expressions changed slightly. They understood the reference, of course, and knew what level of shady dealings it represented. Such words shouldn't come from a teacher's mouth. It was both a warning and a challenge.
"what do you mean?!"
A parent representative slammed their hand on the table.
"We only care about our children! What do you mean by 'shot eight times in the back'? Explain yourself clearly!"
“Teacher Zhou, I want to know how my son died. Whether he was shot eight times or not doesn’t matter anymore.” Another parent’s voice was choked with sobs.
They just wanted an answer, an answer about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Death was already the worst outcome; they didn't care how they died.
Zhou Ye watched their grief without feeling anything.
Ignorance can be bliss. But in this world, ignorance can also be a death sentence. They thought it was just a train accident or a simple attack. They didn't know what was on board, or what the investigation would bring.
This world is too complex for ordinary people to navigate; sometimes ignorance is a blessing.
I can't save everyone, but I can try my best to prevent innocent people from being dragged into a deeper quagmire because of me or what I've caused.
"Okay, this is everything that happened as recorded on my phone."
Zhou Ye touched his pocket.
[Herrscher of Reason + Necrophos fragment ability activated.]
A replica of Zhou Ye's phone appeared in his hand in this world.
The screen displays a prepared document containing a semi-realistic, semi-fictional scene constructed using the Law of Reason's abilities and enhanced with a ton of exciting details from Talking Tom's fragment abilities.
He took out his phone, turned on his computer, and connected it to the conference room projector. The white walls lit up, and the video began to play.
The footage is shaky, like it was filmed with a mobile phone. It's chaotic at first, and you can hear screams and shouts.
The scene gradually stabilized, revealing the interior of the train: bloodstains, broken seats, and... zombies.
Ferocious, unsteady, and highly aggressive. This is the scene that Raccoon City residents are beginning to recognize.
The footage shows students and teachers fleeing in panic, some being tackled to the ground, and the scene is bloody.
Then monsters appeared. Not human zombies, but mutated creatures, like biting leeches. Canine zombies, resembling infected dogs, were incredibly fast. There were also some creatures resembling humanoid frogs, moving with agility.
In the scene, Zhou Ye appears. He holds a metal rod and swiftly smashes the heads of several zombies.
Saeko Busujima also appeared, wielding a samurai sword with a sharp, gleaming light as she sliced the charging mutant dog in two. Nami, meanwhile, nimbly dodged the attacks, occasionally using a gadget that resembled an electric shock device to repel enemies.
In the video, Zhou Ye's voice rang out, filled with anxiety and a sense of command:
"Run this way! Find a safe place!" "Bukushima, cover me!" "Nami, watch out!"
The scene shifts to a train derailment. A massive impact, flames, and thick smoke. Survivors crawl out of the twisted carriages, only to be met with even more monsters.