Chapter 19
1202words
"How did you discover this shocking conspiracy?"
"What's your view on the collapse of Amami Construction?"
In the first floor lobby of the Tensei Construction building, more than a dozen reporters surrounded Xin as he just walked out of the elevator. Camera flashes were constantly blinking, microphones almost poking his face.
Xin stopped and calmly looked at these reporters.
"I only did what an engineer should do."
"But everyone online is calling you a hero! A whistleblower!" a female reporter exclaimed excitedly, "You saved over five hundred lives!"
"A hero?" Xin shook his head, "If I had acted sooner, perhaps so many innocent people wouldn't have been harmed."
People in the crowd were whispering:
"I heard his father died because of something like this ten years ago..."
"Amami Construction is completely finished, Kokonogi was sentenced to fifteen years..."
"This man is truly remarkable..."
Xin walked straight toward the building exit. The reporters wanted to follow, but were blocked by security.
At the moment he walked out of the building, Xin took out his phone. The screen displayed an email.
Sender: Tensei Construction Human Resources Department
Subject: Termination Notice
"Mr. Arata Nakayama: Due to your serious violation of company regulations by unauthorized disclosure of company confidential information to the media, the Board of Directors has resolved to terminate your employment contract effective immediately. Please complete the departure procedures before 5 PM today."
Arata finished reading the email and calmly put away his phone.
"As expected," he said to himself.
At 4:30 PM, 32nd floor Technical Department of Tensei Construction.
The entire floor was empty, most colleagues had already left work. Only Arata sat alone at his workstation, silently packing up his things.
In three years, this desk had accumulated too many memories. Design drawings, calculation papers, old photos of his father...
Arata threw most things into the trash bin. Finally, he picked up the architectural model from the corner of the desk.
It was an exquisite white architectural model, about thirty centimeters tall. Every detail had been carefully crafted, from the angles of the load-bearing beams to the texture of the outer walls, reflecting both an engineer's rigor and an artist's aesthetics.
This was the ideal building he had made with his own hands according to his father's design philosophy.
"Perfect earthquake-resistant structure, elegant exterior design, humanized interior layout..." Xin gently stroked the model as if caressing a sleeping child, "Dad, this is the building you wanted to build, isn't it?"
He carefully placed the model into a cardboard box, the only item he was taking with him.
"Xin!"
The office door was pushed open. Xin looked back to see Department Head Tanabe.
"You're really leaving?" Tanabe's expression was complex, "The company still needs talented people like you..."
"Needs me?" Xin sneered, "Needs a 'traitor' who leaked confidential information?"
Tanabe sighed: "You know that's not what I meant. The pressure from above is too great, we had no choice..."
"I understand." Xin stood up, picked up the cardboard box, "The organization needs a scapegoat, that's normal."
"What are your plans for the future?"
Xin paused at the doorway: "To start over."
Downstairs, the rain had stopped. The evening sun shone through the clouds onto the wet streets, gilding the entire city with a golden edge.
Shin walked out of the building carrying a cardboard box, and was about to take a taxi when he heard someone calling his name.
"Mr. Shin!"
He turned around to see Hana Sawamura and Kenji Moriyama walking towards him.
Hana Sawamura wasn't wearing her usual professional attire today, but instead a simple white shirt and dark blue jeans. Her hair was casually tied in a ponytail, making her look much younger than usual.
Kenji Moriyama was still in his work clothes, but the expression on his face was much more relaxed than before.
"What are you two doing here?" Shin was somewhat surprised.
"We're here to see you off, dummy," Hana Sawamura smiled. "Did you think you could just sneak away and no one would notice?"
Moriyama patted Shin's shoulder: "Kid, you did great! I've been alive for over fifty years, and I've never felt this satisfied!"
"Master Moriyama..." Shin's eyes grew moist.
"By the way," Hana Sawamura pulled out an envelope from her bag, "this is my resignation letter. I'll submit it to the HR department tomorrow."
"What?" Xin was shocked, "Why are you resigning?"
"I can no longer be part of such a system." Hana Sawamura's tone was firm, "Seeing your actions, I realized I've been avoiding this all along. A true engineer should fight for justice, not stay silent to keep their job."
Xin looked at her, feeling a warmth rising in his heart.
"What do you plan to do afterward?"
"I don't know," Hana Sawamura shrugged, "Maybe open a small design studio? One that only takes on truly meaningful projects."
"Sounds good," Xin nodded, "If you need help..."
"I'll definitely call you," Hana Sawamura extended her hand, "Partners?"
"Partners." Xin grasped her hand.
Moriyama laughed beside them: "Haha! Seeing you two like this, this old man can rest easy!"
In the evening, Xin went alone to the suburbs.
Before him were two starkly contrasting scenes.
On the left was the ruins of the "Tsukiwan Civic Center." This was a project his father had been responsible for ten years ago. It collapsed due to construction quality issues, and his father had committed suicide after being blamed for it. Now only rubble and weeds remained, with design numbers still visible on a few broken concrete slabs.
On the right stood the "Umikaze Community Center." This was a project Shin had participated in designing three years ago, utilizing the most advanced earthquake-resistant technology and eco-friendly materials. The building gleamed in the sunset, its elegant lines and human-centered design making it look like a work of art. More importantly, the building had emerged completely unscathed from the recent typhoon.
Shin stood between the two projects, his feelings complicated.
"Dad," he said softly toward the ruins, "I've finally cleared your name. Kokonogi has received his due punishment, and Amami Construction has completely collapsed."
The breeze blew through, gently swaying the weeds in the ruins, as if responding to his words.
"But revenge doesn't bring true happiness." Arata looked at the perfect building to his right, "The real meaning lies in creation, in building, in making this world a better place."
He took out his father's old photograph, a picture of father and son taken on the day of Arata's college graduation. His father in the photo was smiling, his eyes full of hope for the future.
"From today on, I am no longer Arata Nakayama the avenger." He placed the photo against his heart, "I will become Arata Nakayama the builder, using the right methods to construct buildings that truly protect people."
As the sun set, Arata carried a cardboard box containing his building model and walked toward the distance.
Behind him, the ruins slept silently, witnessing the pain of the past.
Before him, the beautiful building gleamed in the sunset, foretelling the hope of the future.
The story of revenge has ended, while the story of building has just begun.
