Outside the Yokosuka military base, police cars lined up in a row. Police wearing explosion-proof suits pulled up yellow strips around the road at the entrance of the base, holding batons and explosion-proof shields. The sheriff of Yokosuka personally stood at the front of the line and shouted to the emotional protesters, calling on the people to remain calm and prevent the protesters from continuing to move toward the gate.
"Citizens of Yokosuka, please remain calm! Don't believe the rumors on the Internet! The Prime Minister has contacted the UA Ambassador and asked the UA to give a reasonable explanation on this matter! Please believe us, believe the Prime Minister! He will definitely give you a satisfactory answer … "
With a megaphone in hand, Sheriff Fujiyama looked at the indignant crowd with sweat all over his forehead.
He had been a police officer for more than 20 years. During this period, he had encountered many situations where people surrounded a military base, but the number often did not exceed 500. After all, the military base in Yokosuka was close to Yoto. Naval units were stationed here, and aircraft such as the Osprey were generally deployed in Yokota and Okinawa.
But now, as far as the eye could see, there was no end to the crowd. With a rough estimate, there were more than ten thousand protesters surrounding the military base. In his more than 20 years of police career, it was the first time he encountered a situation like this.
Sheriff Fujiyama, who was holding the megaphone, shouted until his voice was hoarse, but the protesters obviously did not buy it.
"You will only speak for the UA, right?"
"Kneel! Apologize! "
"Get out of Yokosuka! Get out with your virus! The citizens of Yokosuka are not your test subjects! "
Just as Sheriff Fujiyama anxiously looked at the people who began to push the police, the checkpoint at the entrance of the military base finally raised a barricade. A Hummer slowly drove out of the military base and stopped behind the human wall formed by the UA Marines. He took the megaphone from an officer and shouted at the crowd.
"Please be quiet!"
The harsh voice shook the eardrums of the protesters in the front row, and it even overshadowed the slogans of the protesters. Many people had already stopped talking and put down their raised fists. They stared at the man standing at the door, waiting for his next words.
"I am Thomas, commander of the Seventh Fleet. You may recognize my face, or you may not know me. But that's not important. What's important is that I stand here, on behalf of all US troops stationed in Yokosuka Military Base, to respond sincerely to the citizens of Yokosuka. " Thomas read this sentence in choppy Japanese. He looked at the Roman script in his hand and continued.
"Some of the photos and irresponsible reports circulating on the Internet may have caused you to misunderstand. Here, on behalf of the United States, I would like to make a statement that those are groundless accusations. We will pursue the responsibility of those who spread the rumors through legal channels! "
The crowd booed.
Obviously, the citizens of Yokosuka were not satisfied with the arrogant reply of the Americans. They needed a reasonable explanation.
Thomas coughed lightly and flipped to the next page of the speech before he continued.
"I will state once again that the US military stationed in Nippon absolutely did not receive Takeda Pharmaceutical's servers, nor did they assist the CIB in collecting information related to the T virus."
"In order to prove our innocence, we are willing to open the military base to the media, and the investigation and evidence collection process will be broadcast live to the outside world. Whether you believe us or not, you should believe your own eyes … "
The boos outside the military base gradually weakened.
Everyone had a strange expression on their faces, wondering if they had heard wrongly.
Open the military base?
Real-time broadcast of the investigation and evidence collection process?
Is this how the Americans do things?
It's too abnormal …
Many people had hesitantly put down their raised hands and slowly lowered the signs in their hands. Thomas's speech had already made them hesitate. If the Americans really hid the servers with T virus data, would they dare to open the door of the military base so generously?
"Who can guarantee that the servers we saw are the same ones in the photos?" Just then, a loud voice sounded from the crowd. "Who can guarantee that you didn't swap those servers during this time?"
"We can guarantee that the servers you saw in that room are all there, and even the direction of the placement has not changed." Thomas immediately responded to the voice. "After discovering the rumors on the Internet, we immediately blocked the room. No one touched the servers inside. Our surveillance video can prove this. Anyone who doubts this is welcome to come and verify it. "
At this point, many people were moved by Thomas's "sincerity".
To be honest, facing the UA troops stationed in Nippon, many Nippon people had already suffered from Stockholm syndrome. For a long time, the UA soldiers who committed crimes in Nippon were sent back to the UA, tried in the UA military court, and then quickly acquitted.
Now that the Americans were willing to open the military base to prove their innocence, it made them feel a warm, spring-like care from their father. After all, this kind of open statement and attitude of allowing the media to come in to investigate and collect evidence was simply unprecedented!
Of course, the premise of all trust here was based on everything Thomas said was true. The batch of servers had nothing to do with Takeda Pharmaceutical and the T virus. If the final inspection results came out and the UA was indeed suspected of collecting T virus data, then their position of protest would be the same as before.
But before the inspection began, most of the protesters present had already believed Thomas's confident statement …
The Americans really weren't kidding.
After Thomas's speech, two civil officials, escorted by UA soldiers, came to the media's broadcast vehicle and began to arrange for the server inspection.
After all, it was a military facility. It was impossible for a large group of people to enter, so only ten media outlets were selected to enter.
As a result, the question of who to choose was critical.
If all the media outlets were selected, then no one would be convinced.
Perhaps out of confidence that absolutely no problem would be found, only two media outlets were named from the UA. Even two Hua media outlets that might stand on the opposite side were included in the list.
When the list was announced, all the representatives of the civil society groups present no longer expressed any objections.
In addition to the four major news agencies, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Xinhua News Agency, and Associated Press, there were also BBC, NHK, CTV, and other influential media outlets. As far as the list was concerned, the UA did not play dirty this time.
As for whether they did it openly or not …
When the inspection results came out, it would be revealed.
The abnormal cooperative attitude of the UA military made all the people who hoped for the UA to be defeated turn gloomy. Including Sumitomo Kenichi and all the representatives of the anti-UA civil society groups, no one expected the UA to be so cooperative. Because usually, even if they were on the losing side of public opinion, they would be unreasonable.
However, this time, they actually … cooperated?
Sumitomo Kenichi anxiously picked up the phone and dialed Jiang Chen's number.
As soon as the phone was connected, he hurriedly said.
"The UA opened the barracks …"
"I know, and then?"
And then?
Jiang Chen's lazy answer made Sumitomo Kenichi stunned.
"Do you think I'm betting that they will never compromise, will never open the barracks, and will carry this bowl of dirty water from Yokosuka back to Los Santos?"
"… Isn't that right?"
When he said this, Sumitomo Kenichi's expression was strange, because Jiang Chen had already said what he wanted to say.
"Use your brain to think about it." Jiang Chen sighed softly. Just as he was about to say something, he changed the topic and said with a smile, "Forget it, I don't need to explain anything to you. Just sit in the audience and continue to watch."
Jiang Chen left the bewildered Sumitomo Kenichi and the last sentence before he hung up the phone.
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