Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 302, Section 49: The Palm House

(Affected area. Lake Okechobi is roughly the same size as Hongze Lake, and both are shallow lakes.)
The following morning, as expected, the president delivered a national address:
Extraordinary evil has brazenly invaded God's blessed land, believing us to be weak and vulnerable, just as it has in other places it has ravaged! But they are wrong!
The demons underestimated the Amis's determination to defend their homeland, and they underestimated God's favor upon this land! Their schemes are doomed to fail! This is not weak Japan; this is the strongest nation on Earth! We will ultimately triumph in this war, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

That's roughly the gist of it. The goal is to transform this disaster into a victory narrative. As for how Japan will feel about it, that's another matter.

However, it is highly likely that they can only offer a few words of protest as an explanation to the public.

The president also emphasized that the reason why the Great Lakes Fog Disaster was quelled so quickly was entirely due to his wise command, the soldiers' bloody battles, and the selfless dedication of two extraordinary heroes.

By doing so, he can gain favor with Masaki Muramasa and Eri Hirosue.

Putting everything else aside, the arrival of America's army this time was indeed unprecedentedly timely. Although a large part of the reason was that the official team had received warnings from players and knew that the disaster was likely to break out in this area, they had deployed a lot of manpower in advance.

But most people don't know that their experience was that the National Guard appeared nearby in a flash, set up defenses and organized evacuations. Many people felt that this was quite good, and compared to the previous efficiency of only sending out a cat after a long delay, it was a huge surprise.

Especially after the President compared various incidents and response speeds in Japan, Japan immediately took the lead by a wide margin.

In addition, the president ordered the editing of various tragic battle scenes of soldiers, emphasizing that he would do his best to carry out the rescue, which successfully shifted the public's emotions to these monsters.

Before the opposition party even emerged, he stepped forward to portray them as shameless individuals who disregarded the national crisis and engaged in partisan strife, subtly and overtly suggesting to the public that changing leaders in the midst of a crisis would inevitably lead to command disharmony and internal strife.

The Democrats cursed them under their breath, saying they hadn't even planned how to start their attack yet, and they'd already been turned on.

As a result of the president's maneuvering and public opinion guidance, many Amis who were unwilling to change their leader at the last minute had no choice but to consider casting their votes for him in the upcoming general election.

It's better to continue serving as president with the most experience in dealing with extraordinary disasters and a proven track record than to let someone else who hasn't been proven in real combat serve.

Besides hatred, people also have a lot of fear of monsters.

They longed for a wise and strong leader who could protect their lives and property.

Aside from the Grand Commander, the two extraordinary individuals who appeared in this event saw their reputations soar the fastest.

Muramasa Takii already had a lot of fans, and now she has even more.

Few people knew about Hirosue Eri originally, but because she was white, she became more popular among certain groups after her appearance.

The competition between those who prioritize cooking skills and those who prioritize combat skills has already begun to emerge.

"The above is what Ms. Muramasa told us. After checking it against our own information, most of it is correct."

Leon stood beside the president and explained the information he had gathered.

The president rested his chin on his hands, pretending to doze off on his desk, and nodded slightly.

"So, in that case," the president slowly opened his eyes in the silent office, looking at the disaster map in front of him, "the demonic fog has already entered our land."

Compared to this news, the disaster in Florida seems insignificant.

Countless villains have died at the hands of the demonic mist. Although he hasn't attacked any important figures yet, who can guarantee he won't do it again next time?

It's impossible to guard against, and its mere existence sends chills down one's spine.

On this point, he shares the same stance as the major conglomerate families.

Compared to the demonic mist, the unknown vampire and the extraordinary camera seemed less important.

He knew that he must have used some underhanded methods along the way, and that he was very likely within the sacrificial range of the demonic mist. He had to ensure his safety.

"Leave one part of the Talos squad in Japan, and recall the rest. We must prioritize the local people."

"There is no upper limit to the funding for weapons research targeting the Demonic Mist; you are in charge of overseeing it. I remember there is a Y-shaped commando unit in Japan specifically targeting the Demonic Mist? Transfer them over here; don't worry about the Japanese side's reaction."

The president is quite protective of his life and plans to make some changes to the White House, mainly to target the abilities of the demonic mist.

“Furthermore,” Leon cautiously began, “a large number of mutated creatures are still at large. Many powerful families and conglomerates seem to have their eyes on these creatures and are organizing hunts. Should we intervene?”

The president waved his hand, his previous seriousness lessening somewhat: "Turn a blind eye. We eat the meat, so we have to give them the soup. Keep Okechobi Lake sealed off. Unless someone calls the police, there's no need to specifically wipe out the rest of the places."

"These mutated creatures might not be enough for them to kill."

The authorities have already collected a large number of mutated creatures, both alive and dead, enough to conduct research.

However, a large number of people are still fleeing abroad. At this time, having those powerful families take action can actually reduce their burden and quell public anger.

If extraordinary resources were so easy to research, they would have already made progress on the remains of the Kyoto Giants. Instead, several months have passed with little success, and they can only draw the uncertain conclusion that "making weapons might be effective against certain demons."

The president glanced at his watch; it was 6:30.

"Alright." The commander leaned back, his tone becoming more relaxed. "You go take care of things first, I'm about to start playing games."

After saying that, he pressed the red button next to him.

hum-

The lights in the Oval Office went out instantly, plunging the room into darkness. Immediately afterwards, RGB ambient lighting illuminated the surroundings, rhythmically moving along the light strips.

The heavy office door opened silently, and a waiter quickly entered carrying a tray, gently placing a glass of Coca-Cola, chilled and with ice cubes clinking, in a beer glass next to the president.

The president leisurely picked up his ice-cold cola, took a big gulp, and let out a satisfied sigh. He expertly put on his noise-canceling headphones, launched a visually stunning MMORPG, and started it!
"Call on!"

"Nobody should hold us back today! Rubio, you last guy! It was because you couldn't keep up that we failed at the last minute!"

"Your Excellency, I have deeply reflected on my actions, wept bitterly, and trained hard. This time, I will definitely not hold anyone back."

"Esports doesn't believe in tears; let's see how you perform today."

Leon watched as the president instantly switched into game mode, sighed silently, and turned to leave the office.

He shook his head, took out his phone, and saw a long list of missed calls on the screen. He was working overtime all day again. If he could do it all over again, he would do it again.

He took a deep breath, tapped the most important number, and dialed it back.

Originally Lake Okechobi.

The intensive cleaning and sorting work continued for a full day and night.

What was once a vast lake area is now just a huge pit covered with gravel and silt.

Surrounded by warning tape and alloy fences, the staff in protective suits were busy like worker ants at the bottom of the pit and beside the conveyor belt.

Finally, among the mountain of rubble, a few special pieces of remains were carefully separated.

They have shapes that are distinctly different from ordinary gravel, and are suspected to be the last remnants of the demon and angel statues.

The message was immediately encrypted and sent to Leon.

Only after receiving explicit instructions to preserve samples of key components was Muramasa Taki, who was still on-site assisting with risk assessment, notified.

Takii touched each one carefully, confirming that there were no fluctuations inside, before she felt slightly relieved. Originally, she shouldn't have had such strong concerns, but after the manor owner was eliminated, the mutated creatures did not subsequently recover from their infection state, which made her feel slightly uneasy.

However, in retrospect, this may be because the infection is irreversible. It's a pity that so many lives have been lost and cannot be saved.

"Ms. Muramasa, the people of Florida, the people of the whole country, are very grateful for everything you have done."

Perhaps sensing something of Takii's thoughts, 12 spoke carefully.

Taki showed no emotion: "Have the mutated creatures been brought under control?"

"It is basically under control. Florida is currently under martial law. If anyone discovers mutated creatures, they will notify the authorities immediately, and we will immediately arrange personnel to eradicate them. Moreover, many civilian organizations have joined the eradication operation."

These are the details that 12 knows and can disclose.

Now, let alone suspected mutated creatures, even normal creatures passing by will get shot twice.

Only animals like cats and dogs, which have a special status, will be subject to some form of screening (except for black animals).

Other crocodiles and owls are truly swift and deadly, disappearing the moment they peek out.

Wild boars, which were clearly unrelated to the incident, were wiped out by angry mobs. One wonders what the wild boars would think if they knew the reason behind it.

It's truly a case of collateral damage.

This massive purge of animals has left virtually no animal rights organizations in the area willing to intervene. Families who lost loved ones in the disaster are now so angry they want to tear those mutated creatures apart. If you dare to stop them, be prepared to be shot too.

Afterwards, you can simply say, "I thought it was a white-tailed deer."

After hearing the situation, Taki understood that she probably didn't need Taki's help and could stay there for a few more days without worry.

"After things are settled here, I wonder if Ms. Muramasa would be interested in visiting Miami? There are many people there who are eager to meet you." 12 sent out an invitation following the instructions on the headset.

Takii had never liked these meaningless social interactions and was about to refuse when she suddenly remembered the vampire.

Perhaps the US government will need to provide relevant information later. If it's considered as an exchange, that would be acceptable.

She didn't immediately refuse: "I'll consider it."

At this time, the disaster had not caused too much damage to Miami. A day was generally enough for people to return to their homes and society to gradually resume normal operations.

Palm House.

The person in charge, Martha, looked at the tall, Asian man in front of her with some suspicion.

"Sir, without proof of identity or a gun license, it's very difficult for me to hire you. Besides, we're a non-profit organization with limited funding."

"I'm not here for a job interview."

The man glanced at the security notice temporarily posted at the entrance, took out a Polaroid camera and the only blurry group photo, on which the name "Palm House" could be vaguely seen.

"When I woke up, I had these things on me. I came here thinking you might know something?"

Martha stared at the camera intently for a moment, then took the photo and covered her mouth: "My God, isn't this a photo taken by Mr. Smith?"

She hurriedly found the photo the other person had left her and compared them; they were exactly the same, except for the inexplicable blurriness.

"You know Mr. Smith? What happened to him? He's a good man! I hope nothing bad happened to him." Martha's voice was filled with worry, but her gaze towards the man became even more wary. How did Smith's camera end up in this stranger's hands?
"I don't know, I woke up here." The man glanced at the little girl next to Martha, who was also staring at him quietly, full of curiosity.

“This camera and photos belong to Mr. Smith. He has visited us several times, donated a lot of supplies, and got along very well with the children.” Martha spoke quickly, her thoughts slowly clearing. She felt that even if it was a robbery, there was no reason to steal such things, and he even came to her door to inquire about them through the photos. He was probably a poor guy with amnesia.

I would suggest you go to the police.

Upon hearing this suggestion, the man's expression changed slightly, and he sighed, "Okay, thank you."

He didn't want to go to the police because he couldn't explain why he was there. He didn't even know the situation himself, only a vague and terrifying guess.

Martha watched the other person's tall and lonely figure as she prepared to go back to pack her things and buy some supplies.

She hired security guards because mutated creatures had flooded the city. The large ones were easy to deal with, but there were many smaller ones, such as spiders, beetles, and bats.

The claim that they're not that big is relative to other mutated creatures. Most of the people in Palm House are children, so they might not actually be as big as those creatures, and they could easily be snatched away.

For the safety of the children, hiring a security guard will give you peace of mind.

However, the premise is that the security measures themselves must make people feel at ease; otherwise, having to take precautions would be a waste of effort.

Although this man was exceptionally strong and clearly a formidable fighter, he appeared to have amnesia, making him unsuitable even for the police due to his risky and unsafe nature.

Elsa, who had been silent all along, suddenly tugged at her sleeve and pointed to the back of the photo in Martha's hand: "Aunt Martha, there are words here."

"Words?" Martha was taken aback, quickly flipping the photo over and carefully examining it under the light of her phone. Sure enough, on the back of the photo, there was a line of hastily written, almost illegible, small handwriting:

'Martha, this is my friend. Please take care of her for a while, thank you.'

It really is!
Martha's name isn't exactly a secret, but the presence of this photo adds a lot to its credibility.

“Aunt Martha,” Elsa tilted her little face up, her voice soft but firm, “that uncle is a good person.”

Martha looked into Elsa's clear eyes. This usually quiet child was now speaking up for a complete stranger she had just met.

She believes these children are angels, more sensitive than most people, perhaps
"Sir, sir, please wait a moment!" Martha picked up Elsa and chased after them.

The man stopped and turned to look at her.

"Do you...do you have somewhere to go for now?" Martha asked, panting.

The man looked around at the unfamiliar streets and shook his head blankly.

“If you don’t mind,” Martha took a deep breath and made her decision, “you can stay here for a while. By the way, if you can, help us keep an eye out for those terrible monsters, and I’ll pay you for it.”

The man was stunned, seemingly not expecting this turn of events.

He paused for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay, thank you. I don't need payment, just a place to stay for a few days so I can reflect on some things."

“No way!” Martha shook her head immediately. “You definitely need the money! You need money to buy necessities in your current condition. My name is Martha, what’s your name?”

The man looked at Elsa, the little girl in Martha's arms who was giving him a shy smile, and after a moment of silence, he spoke:

“Ikeda Rui. Just call me Ikeda.”

　Thank you to "Zhao Xizheng" for the 500-coin reward.

　　I'm sleepy. One update tonight. Early to bed and early to rise, makka bakka! I'll try to do a big update tomorrow.

　　Note: In this world, this president is serving his first term, and 2040 will be the last year of his first term, after which a new election will begin.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)