Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

Inside a secluded bar in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, neon lights flickered, and the air was thick with the smells of cigarettes, alcohol, and sweat.

Three American soldiers in civilian clothes were embracing and laughing with hostesses, while beer bottles were scattered haphazardly on the table.

"Hey guys, are you really not interested?"

A middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap sat opposite, tapping his fingertips on the table, and a bulging black briefcase was pushed towards him.

"There's $5 in here. If you cause some trouble on the street, like... teaching a few ignorant Japanese a lesson, this money is all yours."

Captain Jason glanced at the briefcase and scoffed, "Troublemaking? We're American soldiers, not street thugs!"

"Don't waste our time on such trivial matters."

The middle-aged man, unhurried and calm, unzipped his briefcase, revealing stacks of crisp new US dollars neatly arranged inside.

He said in a low voice, "This is just a deposit. There's still $30 to go after it's all done."

"You're not happy living in Japan, are you? People are secretly calling you the occupying army."

"Now that I have a chance to vent and I can get paid, why not?"

Jason's gaze was fixed on the banknotes, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

The two soldiers beside him also stopped joking around, their eyes turned green, and their breathing became rapid.

Under the lure of huge sums of money, the so-called dignity of soldiers vanished instantly.

"What do you want us to do?" Jason licked his lips, his voice trembling slightly.

The middle-aged man's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile: "Let's find a few Japanese people to chat with, and let them know who the real masters of this place are."

"For example...beating up a few pedestrians on the street, or harassing a pretty girl."

"By the way, the more people participate, the more money you get."

"No problem!" Jason immediately agreed.

He scooped the briefcase into his arms and said, "This is nothing, we've got it covered!"

Three days later, the peace on the streets of Tokyo was completely shattered.

At the Shibuya Crossing, a young Japanese man was crossing the street hand in hand with his girlfriend when they were suddenly stopped by two American soldiers.

"Hey, you yellow-skinned monkey, let your woman play with us!" the soldier said, reaching out to touch the girl's cheek.

Enraged, the young man raised his fist in retaliation, shouting, "Stop!"

But he was no match for the soldiers and was knocked to the ground by one of them with a single punch.

The soldier straddled him, raining down punches while cursing, "Dare to resist? I'll teach you a lesson!"

The girl screamed and cried in fright, but was held tightly by another soldier who then sexually assaulted her.

A middle-aged man who had been following them for a long time took a picture of the scene.

Following this, reports of violence by US soldiers also emerged from cities such as Osaka and Yokohama.

Most outrageously, a US soldier, drunk and out of control, tore apart a Japanese female student's school uniform in public on the streets of Tokyo, shouting obscene words, while the surrounding crowd dared not speak out in anger.

Angry citizens called the police, and when the Japanese police arrived, they managed to subdue the soldiers who were committing violence, but they were powerless in the face of pressure from the US military.

Inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the police chief roared into the phone: "They're assaulting and insulting women in the streets, and we can't do anything about it? Is there no law anymore?"

The helpless voice of a Ministry of Justice official came from the other end of the phone: "Director, this is stipulated in the US-Japan Security Treaty. If US soldiers commit crimes in Japan, they must be handled by the US military. We have no jurisdiction."

"Bullshit treaty!" The director slammed down the phone.

They could only watch helplessly as the police took the soldiers who committed the violence to a military base in the United States.

These soldiers, after being sent to the base, were only confined for a few days before being released and swaggering around the streets of Tokyo as usual.

Even worse, after being released, some soldiers gave the middle finger to the Japanese civilians watching, mocking them relentlessly.

All of this was filmed by people arranged by Li Yu. Soon, these videos and photos were anonymously sent to dozens of newspapers and television stations of all sizes in Japan.

"US soldiers commit violence in the streets, and Japanese police are helpless!"

"Security treaties have become a protective shield, allowing perpetrators to escape justice!"

The next day, Japanese newspapers were filled with headlines like this, and the video went viral online, instantly igniting public outrage.

"This is outrageous! What do they take us for?"

"Down with the US military presence! Abolish the security treaty!" Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Tokyo, holding up signs and shouting angrily.

Protesters stormed the plaza outside the US consulate in Tokyo, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, and clashed violently with police.

Life has also become difficult for soldiers in the United States.

They would be attacked by Japanese civilians whenever they appeared alone on the street.

Some people were splashed with sulfuric acid, some had their limbs broken by young men lying in ambush in the alley, and some had their cars burned.

A soldier from the United States was beaten by an angry mob on the streets of Shinjuku. He was covered in blood and nearly died on the spot.

"These lunatics! How dare they attack us!" Inside the M country's military base in Japan, Jason was furious as he looked at his wounded comrade.

Upon learning of the situation, the Ministry of National Defense of Country M immediately issued an ultimatum to the Japanese government.

The riots by Japanese citizens must be dealt with properly as soon as possible. If M country soldiers are injured or killed again, M country will take severe measures.

Meanwhile, inside the Longxing Factory command center, Li Yu said into the phone, "Notify European telecommunications companies and financial media to start hyping up the Japanese economy, according to our previous plan."

"Understood, Chief Engineer Li!" The staff member on the other end of the phone immediately took action.

Within just two days, major European financial newspapers and television stations began extensively reporting on the Japanese economy: "Japan's real estate market continues to boom, with house prices rising the fastest in the world!"

"Japan's economy has entered a golden age, and the wealth of its people has increased dramatically!"

"Japan is poised to become the new global economic center!"

These reports were translated into Japanese and widely circulated in Japanese media.

The public, who were initially outraged by the violence perpetrated by US soldiers, experienced a subtle shift in their mindset after seeing these reports.

"That's right! With our current economic development and so high housing prices, we are the most powerful and wealthiest country!"

"What is the US? Their economy is collapsing, their society is in turmoil, and they still dare to act wildly here!"

"Drive the American soldiers out! We don't need their protection!"

The false reports of economic prosperity acted as a catalyst, fueling nationalist sentiment among the Japanese people and pushing anti-M sentiment to an unprecedented peak.

Protests in Tokyo are escalating, with protesters demanding not only the expulsion of US troops but also the government's withdrawal from the US-Japan security treaty and all cooperation with the US.

Japan's real estate market, fueled by this false prosperity, has become even more frenzied.

Already exorbitantly high housing prices have surged again by 20%.

Many people are willing to take out high-interest loans to buy houses, firmly believing that housing prices will continue to rise.

At a luxury home auction in Tokyo's Ginza district, an apartment with an area of ​​less than 100 square meters sold for 5 million yen, setting a new record.

The businessman who won the auction exclaimed excitedly, "Buying a house now is a sure way to make money; even taking out a high-interest loan is worth it!"

Inside the financial command center of Longxing Factory, Lou Zhenhua reported to Li Yu: "President Li, the hype from European media has been very successful. The Japanese people are now immersed in a false economic boom, anti-M sentiment has spiraled out of control, and the real estate bubble has been blown to its limit."

Li Yu nodded, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Very good. The conflict between the US and Japan is irreconcilable, public discontent in Japan is boiling, and the economic bubble has reached its breaking point. Notify the financial team to prepare; we will detonate this bomb in three days."

He paused, then continued, "Have our people closely monitor the movements of the US and Japan."

"Country M is definitely putting pressure on Japan right now, and the Japanese government is already overwhelmed and has no energy to deal with the economy. This is the best time for us to launch a general offensive."

"Understood, Mr. Li!" Lou Zhenhua replied.