Chapter 18
1053words
Just at that moment——
"Ring ring ring!"
Almost simultaneously, a series of phone ringtones sounded throughout the boardroom.
Director Yamada, seated on the left, frowned as he looked at his phone screen, his expression changing instantly: "What...what is this?"
"My God!" Director Tanaka on the right was also staring at his phone, his voice trembling.
"《Shocking! Major Safety Hazards Found in Amami Construction's Civic Center》?"
"《Exclusive Expose: Amami Construction Executives Embezzle 1.3 Billion》?"
One after another, the directors picked up their phones, and the atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly froze.
Kokonogi's smile stiffened on his face: "Everyone...everyone, these are all fake news! Internet rumors!"
"Wait," the elderly Chairman Tamura held his phone, his voice hoarse, "there's a recording of you here? And bank transfer records?"
"Fake! It's all fake!" Kokonogi's voice grew shrill, sweat beginning to form on his forehead.
Director Sato sitting in the corner raised his phone: "This building simulation video... if it's real..."
"Everyone!" Kokonogi slammed the table, "You cannot believe such slander! I..."
"Silence!"
Chairman Amami's voice thundered. The entire meeting room instantly fell silent.
The old man slowly stood up, holding his phone, reading the news headline word by word: "《Amami Construction Internal Documents Exposed: Kokonogi Yukio Embezzled 1.38 Billion Over Three Years》..."
Kokonogi's face turned as white as paper.
Shin wiped the rainwater from his face, staring directly into Kokonogi's eyes.
The meeting room was so quiet that everyone's breathing could be heard.
"Ten years," Shin's voice was terrifyingly calm, "A full ten years."
"What are you talking about..." Kokonogi took a step back.
"Ten years ago," Shin stepped forward gradually, "my father Nakayama Yuji discovered problems with the construction quality and was preparing to report it to the media."
"That night, he 'accidentally' fell to his death at the construction site."
"The next day, you shifted all the responsibility onto a dead man. You said it was his design that was flawed, that his negligence led to the accident."
Kokonogi's eyes flashed with fear: "I... I don't know what you're talking about..."
"And then?" the new voice grew colder, "You stepped on my father's corpse to climb up to the position of executive director. Using his flesh and blood, you built your empire."
"Madman! You're a madman!" Kokonogi screamed hoarsely.
Shin let out a cold laugh, and said word by word:
"Ten years ago, you made my father die bearing false charges. Today, in this skyscraper you built yourself, you will face judgment."
As soon as the words fell, a huge boom came from outside the window.
Everyone turned to look outside.
Civic Center, 2:23 PM.
"The last batch has been evacuated!" Moriyama Yusuke shouted into the radio, "All personnel safely evacuated!"
The wind howled and the rain poured down. Citizens who had just been evacuated to safety looked back at the towering building.
"Crack——"
A heart-stopping brittle sound came through.
"It's the shear wall!" a construction worker cried out in terror, "The core shear wall is cracking!"
Visible cracks began to appear in the central part of the building, spreading rapidly like a spider web.
"Everyone move back! Back further!" Moriyama waved his arms, "The building is going to collapse!"
The crowd fled backward in panic.
"Rumble——"
The reinforced concrete emitted a despairing moan. The entire twenty-story building began to tilt to one side.
"Take pictures! Take pictures!" Reporters raised their cameras, flashlights flickering in the wind and rain.
"Boom——!"
A thunderous sound that shook heaven and earth.
The civic center building completely collapsed, raising dust and debris several dozen meters high. The enormous structure turned into ruins in the rain and wind, with steel bars twisted like braided snacks and concrete blocks scattered everywhere.
The watching crowd let out waves of gasps and cries.
"If we hadn't evacuated in time..." a young mother holding her child said, tears streaming down her face.
"Over five hundred people... over five hundred lives..." an old man said with trembling hands.
Moriyama stood before the ruins, took out his phone and sent a final message to Shin: "Judgment has been executed."
Amami Construction Headquarters, 42nd floor boardroom.
Everyone was staring blankly at the massive cloud of dust rising in the distance outside the window.
"That...that is..."
"The civic center has collapsed," Shin said calmly, "just now."
Kokonogi slumped into his chair, covering his face with both hands: "No...impossible...this can't be possible..."
"Chairman," a director said with a trembling voice, "if we hadn't evacuated in time, those five hundred people..."
Chairman Amami closed his eyes and sighed deeply: "Kokonogi, what have you done? What on earth have you done!"
The door to the meeting room was pushed open again.
"Police! Nobody move!"
More than a dozen detectives rushed in, with the lead officer holding up a search warrant: "Kokonogi Yukio, you are suspected of corruption, bribery, and construction quality accident crimes. You are under arrest!"
"I didn't! I didn't do anything!" Kokonogi tried to stand up, but his legs were weak, and he fell back down.
Two police officers came over and handcuffed him.
"Take him away!"
As Kokonogi was being escorted toward the door, when passing by Shin, he stopped and stared at him with a venomous look:
"You think you've won? You've destroyed the entire company! What about all those innocent employees?!"
Shin looked at him, his eyes showing not the slightest ripple of emotion:
"What about those innocent citizens? What about my father?"
Kokonogi was taken away. The remaining directors in the meeting room looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
Chairman Amami walked to the window, looking at the city ruins in the storm outside, and then at the messy conference table inside.
"An empire... ends just like this," the old man murmured.
Arata pocketed the USB drive and walked toward the door. As he passed by the chairman, he said softly:
"Chairman, only after destruction can there be rebirth."
The old man turned his head, looking at Arata's back: "Young man... what are you planning to do?"
Arata stopped at the doorway, without turning back:
"Rebuild. Rebuild everything, the right way."
Thunder roared outside the window, lightning tore through the sky. In the storm, Tokyo was welcoming a new era.
