Chapter 17
1095words
Moriyama Yusuke was checking the circuits in the machine room one last time with his flashlight. Suddenly, his phone vibrated once.
A text message appeared on the screen: "Green light. Act now. —N"
Moriyama took a deep breath. It was time.
The rumbling sound of wind came from upstairs, and the entire building trembled slightly under the impact of the typhoon. Moriyama looked up at the ceiling, where the pipes were making unsettling creaking sounds.
"Damn shoddy construction!" he muttered through gritted teeth, quickly walking toward the fire control panel.
His phone vibrated again. This time it was a voice message.
"Master Moriyama, the wind speed has already reached thirty meters per second! According to my calculations, level ten wind force is the building's limit. If we don't evacuate now, people will really die!"
The new voice was filled with anxiety.
Moriyama checked his watch: only 13 minutes left before the visitors would begin their formal shelter drill.
"Can't wait any longer!"
Moriyama pulled down the fire alarm switch in the southeast section of the third floor.
The piercing alarm instantly echoed throughout the entire building. Red warning lights began to flash, and the automatic broadcast system was activated.
"Attention! Attention! Fire detected in the southeast section of the third floor. All personnel please evacuate immediately in an orderly manner! Repeat, all personnel please evacuate immediately in an orderly manner!"
Next, Moriyama shut off several lighting circuits in non-emergency areas. The corridor lights flickered, creating a tense atmosphere like a real fire scene.
From upstairs came the sounds of hurried footsteps and crowd commotion.
"Perfect!" Moriyama muttered, "They took the bait!"
He picked up the walkie-talkie: "Security personnel on all floors, begin emergency evacuation procedures now. Repeat, begin emergency evacuation procedures now!"
In the third floor hall, more than five hundred citizens participating in the evacuation drill were lining up in an orderly manner under the direction of staff.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and everyone froze.
"What's happening?"
"Is there a real fire?"
"Is the drill starting now?"
The security captain shouted through a megaphone: "Citizens, please do not panic! There is a small fire incident here. For everyone's safety, please evacuate immediately through the emergency exits!"
The crowd began surging toward the exits. But just then, a tremendous roar came from outside the building.
The entire building violently shook once.
"Is it an earthquake?!" someone screamed.
"It's not an earthquake! It's a typhoon!" an elderly person said tremblingly, "The building is shaking too severely!"
Panic began spreading through the crowd. The once orderly line became chaotic, with people pushing each other and children crying.
Just at that moment—
"Crack—"
A chilling brittle sound came from overhead.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
A huge decorative panel on the ceiling was slowly sinking down. It was a circular ceiling fixture three meters in diameter, weighing at least several hundred kilograms.
"Danger! Get away quickly!"
Moriyama had appeared in the hall at some point, frantically waving his arms to warn the crowd.
The mounting bolts of the decorative panel had loosened during the building's shaking, and now it was supported only by the last few screws.
"Boom——"
The decorative panel finally broke free, crashing toward the ground like a meteorite!
"Ahhh——!" The crowd let out terrified screams and scattered in all directions.
In the critical moment, Moriyama rushed forward and forcefully pushed away a woman and her child who were standing directly under the falling point.
"Bang!"
The decorative panel crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a large crater in the cement floor, with fragments flying in all directions.
If anyone had been hit just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Everyone, don't panic!" Moriyama stood in the middle of the debris, his voice thundering, "Listen to my commands!"
Several veteran workers from Amami Construction also rushed out, wearing reflective vests that made them stand out in the crowd.
"Old Mori!" a worker shouted, "There are strange noises coming from the western stairway too!"
"Damn it!" Moriyama gritted his teeth, "Stick to the original plan, evacuate in groups! Tanaka, take one team through the east side! Yamada, you're responsible for the northwest corner!"
"Yes, sir!"
The experienced veteran workers quickly sprang into action. They formed human walls with their bodies, dividing the panicked crowd into several small groups, guiding them toward different safety exits in an orderly manner.
"Don't push! Watch your step!"
"Elderly and children first!"
"Maintain distance! Don't cluster together!"
Under their direction, the chaotic situation gradually came under control.
Moriyama wiped the sweat from his forehead and took out his phone to send Shin a message: "Evacuation in progress, expected to clear out in 10 minutes."
Meanwhile, major online media editorial offices across Tokyo almost simultaneously received the same email.
Sender: Anonymous
Subject: Major Safety Hazards at Amami Construction Civic Center - Exclusive Exposé
In the editorial office of "Tokyo News Online," the duty editor opened the email.
"My goodness..."
The email contained dozens of files: comparisons of modified building blueprints, procurement records, financial transactions, audio recordings, and even real-time building safety assessment reports.
"Editor-in-Chief Tanaka!" the duty editor shouted, "We have breaking news!"
The editor-in-chief rushed over, glanced at the screen, and his expression immediately turned grave.
"Verify this immediately! If it's true, this will be the biggest news of the year!"
The same scene was playing out simultaneously at multiple media outlets including "Daily Business," "Construction Weekly," and "Citizens' Voice."
At 2:05 PM, the first online report appeared:
"Shocking! Major Safety Hazards at Amami Construction Civic Center, Five Hundred Citizens Taking Shelter in Dangerous Building"
At 2:07 PM, the second article:
《Exclusive: Amami Construction Executives Embezzle 1.3 Billion, Cut Corners in Construction》
2:08 PM:
《On-site Report: Suspected Structural Accident at Civic Center, Emergency Evacuation Underway》
Social networks began to boil.
"#Amami Construction"
"#Civic Center"
"#Shoddy Construction"
These three topics instantly shot to the top three positions on the trending list.
Comments from netizens poured in like a flood:
"I knew there was something wrong with this company!"
"Are those innocent citizens still safe now?"
"What are the government departments doing? Why didn't they discover this earlier?"
"There must be a thorough investigation! These companies cannot be allowed to escape justice!"
In less than three minutes, the discussion volume on related topics exceeded one hundred thousand.
In the boardroom on the forty-second floor of Amami Construction headquarters, some directors' phones began vibrating non-stop. They secretly glanced at their screens, and their faces instantly turned pale.
The storm on the internet had completely erupted.
