I am a master in India

Chapter 266 Big Scene

In early November, the weather was slightly cool.

Today, Duterte didn't go to the factory in Aurangabad. He had his driver detour to West Mumbai and finally stop at the corner opposite the Erco shopping mall.

A great show is about to unfold, and he certainly won't miss it.

With the rise of Bollywood, the Bandera and Juhu districts have become Mumbai's most popular entertainment centers for young people.

A variety of cafes, hotels, and department stores have sprung up here, making it the most bustling area outside of South Mumbai.

It was the weekend, and the streets were crowded, with even more customers strolling along the department store counters.

Time was almost up, and Duterte raised his wrist. Sure enough, a few moments later, several young men in white shirts and blue ties arrived at the mall entrance.

They were clearly uncomfortable; their ties were stuck around their necks, making them look awkward. The buttons on their cuffs also made their movements restrictive.

They had never worn such clothes before; they were beautiful and clean, and they even felt unworthy of them.

In the factory, worn-out T-shirts, smelling of black ash and gunpowder, were what the group was used to wearing.

But Duterte ordered them to dress like that, otherwise the mall security wouldn't let them in.

Salesmen, aren't they all dressed in suits and looking respectable?
Duterte tailored it specifically for them, and well, that's part of the compensation.

After negotiating with the mall's security guards for a while, they were allowed to set up a booth in the lobby downstairs.

This was, of course, pre-arranged by Duterte: forge a few documents, pay a sum of money, and that was it.

Erke Shopping Mall doesn't bother to verify this information; as long as it looks similar, they'll stamp it without hesitation.

This country is full of mediocre people, and everywhere there are makeshift teams made up of half-baked individuals.

Everyone just let things slide and never took things too seriously.

The promotional booths also looked extremely unreliable; even the logo of Suer Electric Appliances was printed blurry.

Once the venue was almost set up, the modified Suer television was placed on the long table.

Those young people started holding up signs and shouting, just like the milk tea stalls outside.

Gradually, people gathered around, not because their shouts were particularly melodious or attractive.

The brand-new Suer TVs were simply too eye-catching; they were impossible to buy in stores, even after long queues, as they were already sold out.

Soon, a large crowd gathered in front of the booth, three layers deep. Some impatient people waved their banknotes, eager to take the television set away.

The young men quickly stopped them. Their carefully prepared show hadn't even started yet, and they'd already sold out all their exhibits. Who would watch next?

When the crowd had grown to about a hundred people, the young people finally nodded to each other.

These television sets are like the giant firecrackers they made; they can be lit now.

Across the street, Dutt craned his neck, imagining that flames would erupt from the crowd, followed by screams and panicked escape.

The reporters hiding in the corner will film all of this, and then leave the rest to Chandani of Onida.

This will undoubtedly be a shocking scandal in Mumbai. Once the public outcry starts, a barrage of accusations, such as "electromagnetic allergy" and "excessive radiation causing cancer," will be leveled against Suer Electric.

This is a combination of punches; Suer has absolutely no chance to defend against it. Just wait! Dutt shouted in his heart.

Wait, why are there police officers?
Before the young people at the booth could even plug in the television, a group of police officers rushed up and pinned them to the ground.

The astonished onlookers gaped and began to whisper among themselves.

“Don’t panic, everyone,” Ai Jie, fully armed, stepped forward. “We received a tip that these people are posing as salespeople and are planning an attack here.”

The young men were already terrified of the police, and at this moment they didn't care about anything else and loudly begged for mercy.

But the crowd erupted in uproar because they heard the word "attack".

“Yes, that’s right, this is very likely an organized event. They’re not employees of Suer Electric, and these TVs have been modified.” Aiger gestured for the crowd to step back.

He was holding an electronic megaphone, and what he said could be heard throughout the entire mall.

People were chattering excitedly, discussing the incident non-stop. They didn't take the "attack" seriously at all, since the police weren't far away.

The reporter hiding in the corner was a bit flustered. What was going on? Should he take pictures? And if he did, what would he write about it?
Suddenly another group of people came in. They were fully armed, wearing protective suits and masks, and carefully approached the television sets on the display stand.

Bomb Disposal Team!

Finally, someone recognized him, and he shouted excitedly.

Well, Indians are pretty thick-skinned and love to court disaster. Even with this kind of commotion, they weren't scared at all; only the women with their children quietly hid in the back.

Why is no one running?
A large group of reporters suddenly jumped out, squeezed to the front row, and started snapping photos of the bomb disposal team, almost shoving their lenses onto the TV screen.

The reporters, who were hiding in the corner waiting to ambush the reporter, looked at each other in confusion. What was going on? Had they picked up the wrong script?
"Why don't we go too?" someone suggested.

"Come on, come on, we're already here." They're reporters, what difference does it make what they film?

The entire mall lobby was filled with a strange atmosphere as the bomb disposal team clumsily began to dismantle the back cover of the television under the watchful eyes of everyone.

The reporters made no attempt to avoid the issue, seemingly eager to broadcast it live. A growing crowd of onlookers gathered, their eyes gleaming with interest.

It's a Bollywood blockbuster! Yes, it's like a play, a pre-arranged play.

However, the director was sidelined, the actors were kicked out, and the plot took a completely 180-degree turn.

The bomb disposal team removed the back cover and quickly discovered the anomaly. A packet of gray powder near the power source was highly conspicuous.

This was clearly added later; the packaging even has the words "a certain fireworks factory" printed on it.

"It's gunpowder!" The bomb disposal team held up the paper package in their hands.

Click, click, the reporters surrounding the mall snapped photos incessantly, seemingly unconcerned about the wasted film. This was big news! A terrorist attack on the Erke shopping mall!

"Sir, what is your opinion on this matter?" a reporter asked.

“Clearly, this was a premeditated operation,” Ai Jie said righteously.

Why did they choose the Erke Shopping Mall? And why did they use a television set as a cover?

"Because there are so many people here, it's easier for them to succeed. As for choosing a Sull television set, it's because it's so popular and can quickly attract a crowd. They're cunning!"

"Sir, how did you obtain this intelligence?"

"No comment, this concerns the safety of our informant."

Aijie put on his police cap, waved, and led his men away. An interrogation awaited him.

The booth was removed, the modified television set was loaded onto a truck by the bomb disposal team, and the fake salesmen were put into a prison van.

The crowd hadn't dispersed yet; their interest remained high, and they were still discussing the matter with great enthusiasm.

The reporters who had just squeezed to the front had already left in a hurry, eager to be the first to send out their press releases.

"What should we do?" The reporters who had been lying in ambush were unsure of what to do.

"Why don't we ask Mr. Dutt? I think I just saw his car."

"Yes, yes, he's right across from me."

The group hurriedly arrived outside the mall, but Dutt was nowhere to be seen.

He realized something was wrong as soon as the police arrived, and when the bomb squad appeared, he urged the driver to speed up without saying a word.

"Since Mr. Duterte isn't here, shall we follow the report the officer gave us?"

"That makes perfect sense; everyone can see that."

"I still have to go back and report. If you all have time, come out for a drink."

"Let's go too."

In the blink of an eye, the reporters had all dispersed, and some even had time to switch sides at the last minute.

That evening, news of the Elco shopping mall attack made headlines in Mumbai's major evening newspapers.

Unlike previous reports that relied on hearsay, this one featured numerous on-site photos, including close-ups of explosives.

Ai Jie's statement was also published, which can be considered first-hand inside information.

The public was outraged and condemned the saboteurs as cunning and treacherous.

They specifically targeted the Erke Shopping Mall, which had the highest foot traffic, and used the most popular Suer TVs as bait.

The malice of their thoughts is chilling.

Yes, even at the height of the controversy, the regular program was still performed on time.

Hindus and herders got into a fight, accusing each other of being responsible.

The herders were few in number and weak, and had a long history of misconduct. Amidst the rampant rumors and gossip, they quickly succumbed to their predicament.

Even they themselves doubted whether this was the work of some extreme herders.

However, another breaking news report was quickly broadcast on television: Videocon's owner, Gopal Dutt, had been taken away by the Bandera police station!

Normally, such news, while valuable, wouldn't make the headlines.

The only reason ANA-MTBJ was able to interrupt the broadcast was that the terrorist attack at the Erko shopping mall was also being investigated by the Bandera police department.

Doesn't this critical juncture prove something?

These important figures rarely end up in jail; they have the best lawyers and can pay bail.

Unless they are involved in a special case, they will not be easily taken away by the police.

Okay, now the Hindus stopped shouting, and the herders started cheering.

Gopal Dut is a Brahmin, everyone knows that.

If this matter involves him, then it's truly entertaining.

Duterte certainly didn't want to go to jail; he had anticipated that the police would come after him when he left the Elco shopping mall that morning.

As he suspected, the young men were unable to withstand the torture.

To be precise, before Aijie could even use torture, they were already crying and begging for a confession.

It's no use. They'll get beaten up as soon as they get to the police station, just to instill fear in them.

The truth is clear: the young people from the fireworks factory told everything they knew, even revealing what they planned to do after receiving their pay.

Even though Ajay knew the alleged terrorist attack was a false alarm, he still summoned Duterte.

Procedural justice is always worth using.

He himself hates this kind of underhanded business competition, so this is a good opportunity to teach the other party a lesson.

Duterte used all his connections to try and escape the summons, but to no avail.

That's Aiger, he doesn't even listen to Thackeray's orders, why would he care about a merchant's opinion?

Duterte now faces only two paths: either admit to the terrorist attack or give a full account of the incident involving Sull Electric Appliances.

One is a crime, the other is a warning and education. Which would you choose?
(End of this chapter)