LRAB Page 202
Page 202
Mr. Victor will be satisfied, and so will his financial backers.
Ubelman's performance was over, the media had their bombshell story, and they left satisfied.
However, the ignited public sentiment did not subside; instead, it erupted violently like steam without a valve.
The initial "patriotic" vandalism quickly turned into something else entirely.
Some people started rushing towards the Japanese store and smashing the windows with stones.
The sirens blared shrilly, only further agitating the rioters.
People flooded into the stores, smashing and looting anything they could find.
Sony's televisions, Panasonic's audio equipment, Nintendo's game consoles... were no longer symbols that needed to be destroyed by "patriotism," but rather became spoils of war that could be plundered.
"Rob it! We can't let these things make money off us anymore!"
Some people are inciting this.
Chaos spread like a plague along Michigan Avenue.
Any shop displaying a Japanese sign—whether it's an electronics store, a car showroom, a sushi restaurant, or even a stationery store selling Japanese parts—became a target.
The rioters could no longer distinguish which were genuine Japanese-owned businesses from local shops selling Japanese products.
Anger and greed blinded them.
The sounds of shattering glass, the robbers' maniacal laughter, the shopkeeper's cries, and the wailing of police sirens... all intertwined to create a chaotic symphony of Chicago.
Gangsters took advantage of the chaos to loot, thugs vented their pent-up frustrations, and many ordinary citizens, struggling under the weight of economic hardship, joined in a collective, unconscious frenzy.
An even more terrifying wave followed.
The specter of racism has been unleashed. Some rioters have begun targeting people of Asian appearance.
"You little Japanese! Go back to your homeland!"
Amidst angry shouts, more than one Japanese American, Chinese American, or Korean American was shoved, verbally abused, and even beaten without provocation.
Panic spread rapidly in the Asian community.
Chicago police were caught off guard.
They anticipated protests, but did not expect them to escalate into citywide looting, arson, and racial unrest.
Police forces were scattered and exhausted, and often by the time they arrived at a scene, the rioters had already dispersed, leaving only a mess.
The limited police force was simply unable to control the rapidly spreading chaos.
As night fell, fires lit up several neighborhoods in Chicago.
Thick smoke obscured the starry sky, and the famous "Windy City" groaned in agony.
The chaos reached its peak.
This was not an organized political protest, but an out-of-control urban riot fueled by economic resentment, racial discrimination, and pure criminal desire.
However, amidst this chaos that swept the entire city, there were some peculiar "safe havens."
The most prominent example is Chicago's Chinatown and its surrounding area, where many Chinese people live.
As early as when Ubelman delivered his inflammatory speech and the first stores were vandalized, leaders of several Chinese community organizations in Chicago received an urgent notice from Skywind City Security Company.
This company was jointly funded by local Chinese businessmen and employed a large number of retired military and police personnel and martial arts experts. It was well-equipped and well-trained, and its original purpose was to deal with crimes targeting the Chinese community and protect the interests of businesses.
Franky sensed danger almost immediately.
Ubelman's speech was not the end, but the beginning.
"All squads, Level One Alert. Seal off the main entrances to Chinatown. Assist friendly businesses in reinforcing their doors and windows. Avoid entering or leaving unless absolutely necessary. In the event of an attack, if warnings are ineffective, non-lethal force may be used to quell it." Li Jian's orders were concise and forceful.
Soon, black armored vehicles painted with the words "Skyline Wind City Security" drove out of the garage, and well-trained security personnel in riot gear quickly set up checkpoints and roadblocks around Chinatown.
Their expressions were stern and their discipline was impeccable, a stark contrast to the chaotic world outside.
When the wave of riots spread to the vicinity of Chinatown, the rioters who tried to break in encountered an impenetrable wall.
Security personnel in Skywind City formed a human wall, armed with riot shields and batons, and fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Their actions were efficient, professional, and decisive.
After several brief and sporadic attacks were quickly thwarted, the rioters realized that this "bone" was too tough to crack and the cost was too high, so they turned to other poorly defended neighborhoods.
Inside Chinatown, the Chinese shopkeepers, though tense, maintained order. They looked gratefully at the figures of those protecting them outside their windows.
At the same time, Skywind City's business has also expanded to non-Asian businesses that have close partnerships with Victor or the Chinese business community.
These companies' assets are also protected through high fees and secretive agreements.
A cold order exists amidst the chaos, with money and power defining the boundaries of safety.
Franky stood in front of the map in the command center, watching the red dots representing riots spread throughout the city, while the area he was responsible for was a rare patch of calm blue.
He remained expressionless, fully aware that this brief calm stemmed from absolute power and intimidation.
Chapter 170 discusses how to release pre-war stress.
As images of the Chicago riots were transmitted around the world via satellite, it was morning in Tokyo, Japan, during working hours.
The Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) were plunged into shock and anger.
An emergency cabinet meeting was convened quickly.
Officials watched with grim faces as they saw burning cars, smashed shops, and frenzied crowds on the television screens of Chicago.
"Lawless! Barbaric!"
A senior bureaucrat was furious, saying, "This is a huge irony to the rule of law and the spirit of free trade that the United States prides itself on!"
"We must immediately lodge the strongest protest with the US government! We demand that they take effective measures immediately to protect the lives and property of our citizens and businesses!"
The Foreign Minister spoke urgently.
The situation was quickly summarized.
The report shows that in Chicago alone, more than 30 Japanese-owned businesses were severely damaged or looted, dozens of Japanese employees and Japanese Americans were frightened or suffered minor injuries, and the initial estimate of economic losses has reached tens of millions of dollars.
Officials from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry were even more worried.
“This is not just an incident in Chicago,”
A section chief pointed to the text of the trade bill and news of the Chicago riots, saying, "It's a coherent action."
The Diet has passed extremely protectionist legislation, local politicians are inciting boycotts and hatred among the people, and now it has even escalated to condoning violence! This is an organized, top-down escalation of the economic encirclement of Japan!
They suspect there is a more powerful force behind this, but they can't find direct evidence in the short term pointing to someone like Viktor, a 'young Gennady Princip from Sarajevo'—they believe this is more likely the official stance of the United States.
All the focus was on Congressman Upelman and the bill.
The phone at the Japanese Consulate General in Chicago was ringing off the hook as it dealt with requests for assistance and evacuation matters for Japanese nationals.
The ambassador to Washington met with the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce overnight, and delivered a protest note with a stern expression and an unprecedentedly tough tone.
"The U.S. government must immediately stop the violence, severely punish the perpetrators, and ensure that such incidents never happen again!"
Otherwise, this would cause catastrophic and irreparable damage to our bilateral economic and trade relations, and even our strategic alliance!
But the Secretary of State just doesn’t understand—how can you be so tough when you’re a dumping ground for our own goods?
"You breached the contract first by selling products that could not be sold to the Soviet Union. In order to punish you treacherous traitors, we have decided to impose additional tariffs on your goods!"
The financial circles in Tokyo were in an uproar.
The Nikkei index fell accordingly.
Presidents of major corporations such as Sony, Panasonic, and Toyota have issued statements expressing shock and concern, and hinting at a possible reassessment of their investment plans in the United States.
Japanese media bombarded the public with headlines such as "Chicago Massacre" and "Anti-Japanese Riots," quickly igniting anti-American sentiment and calls to boycott American goods began to emerge in Japan.
An economic struggle sparked by trade frictions has suddenly escalated into a political and diplomatic crisis between the two countries due to street violence from Chicago to across the United States.
The riots in Chicago lasted for three days before gradually subsiding with the intervention of the National Guard.
The city was ravaged; after the smoke cleared, what remained were broken glass, blackened walls, and deep ethnic divisions.
Hundreds of people were arrested, and the economic losses amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Representative Ubelman became a nationally recognized political star, at least among voters and interest groups who were strongly hostile to Japan, he was seen as a “brave patriot.”
He frequently appeared in television interviews, continuing to promote his hardline stance, downplaying the riots as "a spontaneous and excessive expression of patriotic sentiment" and blaming the Chicago city government and police for "failing to effectively maintain order."
A large number of Chicago police leaders were forced to resign, and a large number of officers were brought in to maintain stability in Chinatown.
However, behind the scenes, the phone call once again connected Atlantic City.
"Victor, the results have exceeded expectations."
Ubelman's voice trembled slightly, no longer filled with pure excitement, but with a hint of lingering fear.
He didn't expect things to escalate to this extent.
Victor's voice remained calm, even tinged with satisfaction: "The attention has been successfully diverted, hasn't it? Now no one is going on and on about those boring racial conflicts anymore."
Washington and Tokyo are getting restless. Excellent, these are the bargaining chips we need in negotiations. We've gained a cleaner Chicago, Obelman, only at the cost of some Japanese."
"However, international public opinion is very unfavorable to us, and there is also a lot of criticism domestically..."
“Criticism is noise, Ubelman.”
Victor interrupted him, “The important thing is the outcome. That bill will be enforced more strictly, and the Japanese will make more concessions at the negotiating table.”
Because they fear that what happened in Chicago will happen again in other cities, that they will be forced to lick their dog bowls of garbage by Americans in their own country.
As for you, your political capital has increased, and that's enough. Remember, chaos is a ladder, and you've climbed it well.
"So... what are the next steps?"
Ubelman asked cautiously.
"Keep quiet for a while, place your own people in the government. Let the dust settle. Wait for the next opportunity."
After Viktor finished speaking, he hung up the phone.
He turned back to face the sandbag, his gaze sharp, as if the sandbag before him were that island nation in the Far East.
His boxing match is fast approaching, and he has just delivered a stunning blow to Japan's economic 'robbery'.