Chapter 68: Floor 5 (6) |
– Shocking news: Wang Kai of China, the world’s officially highest-level Climber, has died in combat with Person123 on Floor 5…
The rumors of Wang Kai’s death were soon confirmed.
Media outlets across the world rushed to break the news.
[Lemon: But seriously, this makes zero sense? How does Person123 at level 40 kill Wang Kai?]
[LizardTail: Looking at the difficulty of the Sub-Towers he cleared, he was definitely never level 40 to begin with]
[Cocktail: I heard Wang Kai didn’t even put up a fight… that’s gotta be exaggerated though, right?]
[Heogang: Idk. From what I’ve heard, what people are saying here is actually understating it]
[Hando: Isn’t the Security Corps gonna release some kind of official statement?]
[Prech: I heard the Security Corps is keeping a tight lid on it for now]
as the rumors only grew more heated, Security Corps Chief Alex posted on the Communication Channel.
It was the Security Corps’ official statement.
[Mountain Range: This is Alex, Security Corps Chief of Floor 5. I am clarifying the exact facts and our position regarding the recent incident.
A dispute arose in Zone 3 between the Security Corps and the Black Star Society over hunting ground territory, and it escalated into direct conflict, resulting in multiple deaths on both sides. Five members of our Security Corps were killed, and three from the Black Star Society.
In that situation, Wang Kai and I arrived on the scene, and we agreed to settle the matter through one-on-one combat, with the loser admitting fault. As a result, I was defeated by Wang Kai and accepted my loss, but Wang Kai then attempted to kill every member of the Security Corps present.
It was at that point that Person123 intervened to protect the Security Corps and try to mediate the conflict. Person123 repeatedly warned Wang Kai to stand down, but Wang Kai refused to listen and instead continued to threaten and attack Person123. In the end, Wang Kai was killed by Person123’s counterattack.
It was Wang Kai who attacked Person123 first, and it was Wang Kai who refused to heed Person123’s repeated warnings. I want this to be absolutely clear. Person123’s killing of Wang Kai was unequivocally an act of self-defense, and we of the Security Corps owe our lives to him…]
A long statement laying out the situation in detail.
It drove a stake through the rumors that had been swirling around.
[SeaDragon: Knew it. Figures the Black Star Society fuckers would pull this shit]
[Fantasy: Person123 killed someone << logically, who’s at fault here? Don’t even need to see it, obviously the dead guy did something to deserve it, right?][Necromancer: Wang Kai is actually insane. He dared try to kill Person123?]
[Webby: I literally cannot wrap my head around this…? Like who does that unless they’re trying to end the world?]
[WinterWind: fr like even ppl with anger issues need to manage that shit lmao]
[Coffee: China needs to put out an apology or a statement, asap.]
The arrows of public anger swung sharply onto the Black Star Society and China.
A handful of Chinese Climbers tried to defend Wang Kai and condemn Person123’s actions, but they were buried under a torrent of furious backlash.
It was a relief that Person123 had been stronger than Wang Kai. What if Wang Kai had been stronger, and something had happened to Person123?
Just imagining it was horrifying. The world had nearly ended for real.
Soon the Black Star Society’s statement went up too.
[Black Horn: The Security Corps’ statement is entirely contrary to the truth and is maliciously slandering us.]
But its content was the complete inverse of what the Security Corps had said.
The Security Corps Chief was lying; the dispute had broken out because the Security Corps attacked first; Wang Kai had never threatened or attacked Person123 first.
If anything, it was Person123 who had intimidated Wang Kai, then ambushed and killed him as Wang Kai tried to retreat…
That was the gist of their long statement.
[BlueBird: literally cannot describe this as anything but bullshit lmaooo]
[SafeDriver: gotta hand it to them, just not in a good way]
[Dopre: Person123 ambushed and attacked Wang Kai… who do they actually think is gonna believe this?]
Of course, with no third-party witnesses, only the Security Corps and Black Star Society members at the scene knew the truth.
Naturally, people sided with the Security Corps’ version.
More precisely, they trusted Person123.
Person123, the hero who had saved humanity countless times, who had taken on Penalties himself to void the 3-Year Rule, who had devoted and sacrificed more for humanity than anyone else.
Between Person123 and Wang Kai, which one was logically more likely to have started the fight?
Several countries, including the United States, issued statements forcefully condemning Wang Kai and China.
And before long, China’s official statement also came out…
“This is a thorough fabrication of lies, propaganda, and slander created by forces hostile to China. We will never betray the truth and bow our heads…”
China’s official position boiled down to: Wang Kai did nothing wrong, and we are absolutely not apologizing.
With the Chinese government going off the rails after losing Wang Kai, public opinion flared up all over again.
*
Zhongnanhai, China. The Politburo Standing Committee meeting.
With every Standing Committee member, including President Zi Yuan, gathered in one place, the atmosphere in the conference room hung heavy and grim.
Wang Kai’s death. The damage China was suffering as a result could only be described as comprehensive.
The loss of Wang Kai himself, the Hard difficulty top record holder and the world’s highest-level Climber, was already a colossal blow. The ownership of the Sub-Tower he had held seemed to have been treated as void as well, since the Mana Vein in Chongqing had gone inactive…
And now that Person123 was tangled up in it too, China was facing global condemnation and pressure, plunged into an international political crisis on top of everything else.
Wang Kai, that reckless thunderbolt of an idiot, had finally gone and dropped one massive pile of shit on his way out.
President Zi Yuan had laid out a single plan to break through the situation.
His grip on power within the Party had already been growing precarious for a few years, what with the economic problems and various other issues.
If he meekly admitted fault, then on top of all the damage already done, China’s face would be ground into the dirt, and that would shake his internal standing yet again.
The whole world might be attacking China right now, but historically, external attack had always been an opportunity to bind the inside more tightly together.
This was all a Western plot, an act of aggression against China. China was second to none at framing things that way.
Externally, dodge responsibility and let the matter peter out into nothing.
Internally, agitate and rally the people, whose pride had been wounded by Wang Kai’s death and whose discontent had been building under the wave of international criticism, and lock down their support. A perfect plan.
There had been no word yet, but what if Person123 threatened once again to abandon his climb?
Even then, he intended to see it through.
Would only China be finished? No, the entire world would be finished together.
Looking at Person123’s track record so far, there was no way he would actually give up on the Nightmare climb in the end. Surely he wouldn’t let all of humanity die just because of one missing apology.
“There is no need to waver. We need only stand firm and refuse to yield…”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of gunfire suddenly rang out from beyond the conference room.
President Zi Yuan and the Standing Committee members shot to their feet in alarm.
“What was that?”
The conference room doors burst open as Central Security Bureau agents rushed in.
“You need to take she… gah!”
At that moment another agent came hurtling in from outside and slammed into the wall along with the agent who had opened the door.
A figure walked into the conference room with a beaming smile on his face.
“Everyone, please stay seated. That must have given you quite a fright.”
Ye Tianwei, China’s top Nightmare difficulty climber.
A handful of agents followed him in and surrounded the President and the Standing Committee members.
Ye Tianwei took the seat at the head of the table, smoothing back his slightly disheveled slicked-back hair with a bloodstained hand.
He looked around at the President and Standing Committee members, who sat dumbstruck.
“You all understand the situation, I trust?”
“…”
“Let’s keep this clean and orderly. Anyone who’d like to die ugly, raise your hand now.”
Of course, no one raised a hand.
*
After the incident in Zone 3.
I had decided not to go back into Floor 5 until things had settled down to some degree.
From what I could see in the Communication Channel and the news, everyone was siding with the Security Corps and with me. Which was, of course, what I’d expected.
There was also a lot of chatter about my personal details.
That I was Korean, a young man, this and that about my face and height…
Some of it was right, but plenty of nonsense was floating around too, so as I’d figured, I didn’t have to worry on that front.
[Chicken Sandwich: I am truly relieved to hear that you are unharmed, Mr. Kim. If there is anything I can assist with, please do not hesitate to ask.]
Bilon also reached out to check on me.
Apparently his heart had skipped when he heard the news. I replied that there wasn’t a scratch on me, so no need to worry.
In any case, I didn’t post anything on the Communication Channel myself.
The Security Corps’ statement had already said everything that needed to be said.
And then the Black Star Society had put up their counterstatement…
It was just laughable.
I’d thought they’d at least keep quiet, but no, they were actively framing me.
Even the Chinese government had stepped in with a statement that was more of the same.
I didn’t really have much to say about it.
Without expectations to begin with, there’s no disappointment to be had.
Whatever, keep yapping all you want. What can you actually do by yapping, anyway.
I was thinking it was about time I headed back into Floor 5,
when something unexpected happened, again.
“…The death of Climber Wang Kai was unmistakably a disaster he brought upon himself, and we deeply acknowledge our Party’s failure of oversight. We extend our profound regret and apologies to Person123. Furthermore, on behalf of the late Wang Kai, we apologize to the citizens of the world for the foolish actions that endangered the entire planet…”
China had abruptly done a complete about-face and issued a new statement.
Even more than that, President Zi Yuan himself had stepped up to read the apology, his face haggard.
And the words that followed went on for quite a while.
“…As the Party’s highest leader, I have failed to fulfill my responsibilities, and I have caused needless friction abroad that has led to our nation’s isolation. Combined with the deterioration of my personal health, I have come to realize that I no longer possess the political or moral qualifications to lead this great nation.
Therefore, I, Zi Yuan, have decided as of today to step down immediately from all my positions, including General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic, and all positions on the Central Military Commission…”
Whoa.
What is this.
– China’s President Zi Yuan has announced his resignation. He has handed over full authority to Haoran, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and the top figure in the military…
It looked like a coup had broken out in China.
*
The briefing room at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
On the screen at the front were photos of various key figures in the Chinese Communist Party, including President Zi Yuan.
“…The coup was carried out with remarkable speed and precision. We assess that they timed it for a Politburo Standing Committee meeting and secured every Standing Committee member, President Zi Yuan included, in a single move.”
“That couldn’t have been easy.”
“Indications suggest they co-opted some of the Central Security Bureau agents and simply broke through the rest, but…”
“If they brought Climber-level firepower into it, that would have sealed it.”
The agent giving the briefing nodded.
“This kind of coup wouldn’t have been possible without thorough advance planning. They seized the moment when Wang Kai died and the Party’s internal cohesion was shaken, and executed boldly without delay.”
And they had the President resign, stripped him and the Standing Committee of their authority, declared a state of emergency, and set up an emergency response committee to provide a clean justification for their seizure of power. The whole thing flowed like water.
He used a laser pointer to indicate the photos connected by lines like a spider’s web.
“The full authority of the Party is currently held by Haoran, the top figure in the military. Other key individuals confirmed to be involved include Long Weige, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Xiao Lin, a Central Committee member…”
The laser pointer, which had been moving across the photos, came to a stop on one of them.
“…And above all, the most central figure. Ye Tianwei.”
China’s Nightmare Floor 4 Climber.
He was also the third son of Ye Chenze, former Vice President and elder of the Daejin Faction, the largest faction within the Chinese Communist Party.
Because of this background, Ye Tianwei had long been a figure the U.S. was watching closely.
After all, here was a man who could be called the elite of the Party’s elite, and who, alongside America’s Taylor and aside from Person123, was challenging the front line of the Nightmare difficulty.
He rarely appeared in public, so they hadn’t been able to gather much on him until now, but…
“Putting all our intelligence together, we judge it highly likely that this Ye Tianwei is the one who orchestrated this coup.”
“…Are you saying Ye Tianwei is the power behind Haoran’s throne?”
“It’s still difficult to pin down exactly how far Ye Tianwei’s grip on power extends, but the probability is high.”
If that was the case, it meant the Chinese Communist Party was now under the direct control of a Climber.
The CIA agents’ faces hardened with gravity.
“This may be an unprecedented situation… We need a much clearer picture of what kind of person Ye Tianwei is.”
After staging the coup, China had abruptly taken the stance of fully admitting fault, using former President Zi Yuan’s mouth to do it.
The purpose behind even that move was unclear. Tacking on more justification for the coup?
But fully admitting fault, rather than just glossing over things, was a move that, no matter how they sliced it, brought China far more loss than gain.
Whether Ye Tianwei had truly seized power within the Party, why he was acting this way, what picture and what objective he had in mind.
The CIA agents could only feel a headache coming on as they thought about the relentless work ahead of them.
*
[Black Horn: The Security Corps’ statement is the truth, without a single shred of falsehood, and all of it is the fault of the deceased Wang Kai and our Black Star Society. We offer our deepest apologies to Person123 for every wrong we have committed…]
After the coup in China,
their attitude flipped entirely, as if overnight.
The Black Star Society, which had put out the false statement, also posted a fresh apology directed at Person123.
[Flowerbed: They’re groveling way harder than I expected though?]
[AssaultRifle: What do you mean too hard. That’s the bare minimum if you have a conscience as a human being]
[Radki: It’s a lot for China specifically, is what they mean]
People felt that things were finally going the way they should, but they were also a little puzzled.
Through all the dizzying changes of the past few days, Person123, as expected, hadn’t put out any statement at all. He was the kind of figure who did things that way, so everyone just took it for granted.
The Wang Kai incident wound down that way, and public attention shifted from China back to the bits of information that had come out about Person123.
A high-rise building somewhere in Beijing, China.
“Tell me how Wang Kai died. Just exactly as you saw it.”
Seated in his chair, Ye Tianwei spoke as he toyed with what looked like a string of prayer beads.
The Black Star Society officer standing in front of him answered in a tense voice.
“I… don’t really know. Person123 fired something like a black ray.”
“And?”
“…The black ray hit Wang Kai, and Wang Kai just vanished. Th, that’s truly all there was to it.”
Ye Tianwei let out a small laugh.
“Understood. You may go now.”
The Black Star Society officer left the room.
Ye Tianwei spun his chair around and looked down at the view outside the building.
“As I thought…”
He really was a magnificent man, after all.
Of course the likes of Wang Kai couldn’t possibly hold a candle to him, but to think the gap had been that vast.
Thanks to Person123 having killed Wang Kai for him, he’d been able to execute his plan at exactly the right moment.
Most of the power within the Chinese Communist Party was now in Ye Tianwei’s grasp.
At the very least, China would no longer get in that man’s way.
Ye Tianwei smiled and continued to toy with the object in his hand.
A string of prayer beads with a metal ornament shaped like a human figure, the number 123 engraved into it.
For all intents and purposes, it was the symbol of the Person123 Church.
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