I'm a Master in India

Chapter 266: A Grand Spectacle

Early November, the weather was slightly cool.

Today, Dute didn't go to the factory in Aurangabad. He had his driver turn towards West Mumbai, finally stopping at the corner across the street from Elco Arcade.

A grand spectacle was about to unfold here, and he certainly wouldn't miss it.

With the prosperity of Bollywood, the Bandra and Juhu areas had become Mumbai's most popular entertainment centers for young people.

All kinds of cafes, hotels, and shopping malls were successively opening here, making it the most prosperous area outside of South Mumbai.

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

Time was almost up, Dute raised his wrist. Sure enough, after a short while, several young men in white shirts and blue ties arrived at the mall entrance.

It was clear they were uncomfortable, their ties tight around their necks. The cuff buttons also made their movements stiff.

They had never worn such clothes before, so beautiful and clean, they even felt unworthy.

The worn-out t-shirts from the factory, smelling of soot and gunpowder, were what they were accustomed to wearing.

But Dute had ordered them to wear these clothes, otherwise the mall's security guards wouldn't let them in.

Which salesman isn't dressed in a suit and tie, looking like a proper person?

Dute custom-tailored them specifically for them. Well, this was also part of their compensation.

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

This, of course, was also arranged by Dute in advance. Forge a few documents, pay a sum of money, and it's done.

Elco Arcade wouldn't bother to verify this information; as long as it looked plausible, they would stamp it through without hesitation.

This country is full of half-baked individuals, and full of makeshift teams made up of half-baked individuals.

Everyone just gets by, never taking anything too seriously.

The promotional booths were also like that, looking extremely unreliable; even the Sur Electrical Appliances logo was blurry.

Once the venue was almost set up, the modified Suer TV sets were placed on the long tables.

Those young men began shouting with signs, just like the milk tea stalls outside.

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

It was purely because the brand new Suer TV sets were too eye-catching; they couldn't be bought in the mall, couldn't be bought even after long queues, and had long been sold out.

Soon, the booth was surrounded by layers of people. Some impatient ones waved cash, wanting to take the TV sets away.

Those young men quickly stopped them. The good show they had prepared hadn't even started; if they sold all the exhibits too early, who would watch next?

When more and more people gathered, reaching about a hundred, the young men finally nodded to each other.

These TV sets were the big firecrackers they had made, and now it was time to light them.

Dute, across the road, craned his neck. He imagined sparks would erupt in the crowd, followed by people screaming and scattering.

The reporters hiding in the corner would capture all of this, and the rest would be left to Chandani of Onida.

This would undoubtedly be a scandal that would shock Mumbai. Once public opinion started, a barrage of dirty water, such as "electromagnetic hypersensitivity" and "excessive radiation causing cancer," would be thrown at Sur Electrical Appliances.

This was a combination punch, and Sur would have no way to parry it. Just wait! Dute shouted in his heart.

Hmm, no, why are there police?

Before the young men on the booth could even power on the TV sets, a team of police officers rushed forward and pinned them to the ground.

The surprised onlookers, mouths agape, began to whisper.

"Everyone, don't panic," Ajay, fully armed, stepped forward. "We received a report that these individuals were impersonating sales personnel and preparing to carry out an attack here."

Those young men were already terrified at the sight of the police, and at this moment, they didn't care about anything else, crying out for mercy.

But the crowd erupted, because they heard the word "attack."

"Yes, that's right, this is likely an organized activity. They are not employees of Sur Electrical Appliances, and these TV sets have also been modified," Ajay signaled the crowd to step back.

He held an electronic megaphone, and his words could be heard throughout the entire mall.

People chattered excitedly, discussing non-stop. They didn't take the "attack" seriously at all, because the police hadn't left either.

The reporters hiding in the corner were a bit stumped. What was going on? Should they film? If they filmed, how would they write about it?

At this moment, another team of people suddenly entered. They were fully armed, wearing protective suits and masks, cautiously approaching the TV sets on the booth.

Bomb squad!

Finally, someone recognized them. He shouted loudly, his expression extremely excited.

Well, Indians are very thick-skinned and also like to court death. Even this kind of scene didn't scare them; only women with children quietly hid behind.

No one ran. Why?

A large group of reporters suddenly jumped out. They squeezed to the front row, snapping photos of the bomb squad, almost shoving their lenses onto the TV covers.

The reporters who were hiding in the corner, waiting to catch a big scoop, looked at each other. What was going on? Did they get the wrong script?

"How about we go too?" someone suggested.

"Let's go, let's go, since we're already here." They were reporters; what difference did it make what they filmed?

The entire mall lobby fell into a strange atmosphere. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the bomb squad began clumsily dismantling the TV backs.

The reporters showed no intention of backing away, eager to live stream it. More and more curious customers gathered, their eyes gleaming with interest.

A Bollywood blockbuster! That's right, this was like a play, a pre-arranged play.

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

The bomb squad removed the back cover, and they quickly discovered something unusual. A packet of gray powder near the power supply was extremely conspicuous.

This was clearly added later, and the paper packet even had the words "XX Firecracker Factory" printed on it.

"It's gunpowder!" The bomb squad held up the paper packet in their hands.

Click, click, the reporters gathered in front continuously pressed their shutters, not at all worried about the film being consumed.

This was big news, a terrorist attack targeting Elco Arcade!

"Officer, what do you think about this?" a reporter asked.

"Clearly, this was a premeditated act," Ajay said righteously.

"Why did they choose Elco Arcade? And use TV sets as a cover?"

"Because there are many people here, making it easier for them to succeed. As for choosing Sur Television, it's because it's so popular and can quickly attract onlookers. They are very cunning!"

"Officer, how did you obtain this intelligence?"

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

Ajay put on his police cap, then waved his hand and led his team away; an interrogation awaited him next.

The booth was removed, the modified TV sets were loaded onto a truck by the bomb squad, and those fake sales personnel were escorted into a prisoner transport vehicle.

People hadn't dispersed; their interest remained undiminished, and they continued to discuss with relish.

The reporters who had been at the very front had long since left in a hurry; they wanted to be the first to publish their press releases.

"What should we do?" The reporters who had been ambushing earlier were a bit indecisive.

"How about we ask Mr. Dute? I think I just saw his car."

"Yes, yes, he's right across the street."

The few of them rushed out of the mall, but Dute was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as the police entered, he realized something was wrong. After the bomb squad appeared, he immediately urged the driver to go faster without a word.

"Since Mr. Dute isn't here, should we report as the officer said?"

"That's perfectly reasonable; everyone saw it."

"I still need to report back. See you all for a drink sometime."

"We're leaving too."

In a flash, the reporters scattered completely, even having enough time to switch sides at the last minute.

That evening, the news of the Elco Arcade terrorist attack made headlines in major Mumbai evening newspapers.

Unlike previous speculative reports, this time there was no shortage of on-site photos, and even close-ups of the explosives.

Ajay's statement was also published, considered first-hand inside information.

The public was enraged, condemning the saboteurs as cunning as foxes.

They deliberately chose Elco Arcade, which had the largest foot traffic, and used the most popular Sur Television as bait.

Their malicious intentions were chilling.

Well, at the height of the storm, the regular program also began on time.

Hindus and herdsmen started arguing, accusing each other, claiming with certainty that it was the other's doing.

The herdsmen were few in number and weak, and had a history of misdeeds. With all sorts of rumors flying around, they quickly lost ground.

Even they themselves began to suspect if this was the work of some extremist herdsmen.

However, an urgent news flash soon interrupted television broadcasts: Gopal Dute, the owner of Videocon, was taken away by the Bandra police!

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

The only reason Quan Yin Television urgently interrupted its broadcast was that the Elco Arcade terrorist attack was also investigated by the Bandra police.

At such a critical juncture, doesn't that say something?

Such prominent figures usually don't go to the police station; they have the best lawyers and can post bail.

Unless it's a special major case, they wouldn't be easily taken away by the police.

Alright, now the Hindus stopped complaining, and the herdsmen began to cheer.

Gopal Dute was a Brahmin, everyone knew that.

If this matter was related to him, that would be truly amusing.

Dute certainly didn't want to go to the police station. As early as when he left Elco Arcade that morning, he had anticipated that the police would come looking for trouble.

Things turned out as he expected; those young men couldn't withstand severe interrogation.

To be precise, Ajay didn't even have time to torture them; they cried and shouted, wanting to confess.

It was useless; once inside the police station, everyone had to endure a beating first, just to instill fear in them.

The truth was clear: the young men from the firecracker factory spilled everything, even what they planned to do after receiving their payment.

Ajay knew that the so-called attack was a false alarm, but he still summoned Dute.

Procedural justice, might as well use it.

He himself detested such underhanded business competition tactics, so it was a good opportunity to teach the other party a lesson.

Dute used all his connections to try and avoid this summons, but it was ineffective.

That was Ajay; he didn't even listen to Thackeray's orders, so would he care about a businessman's thoughts?

Now, Dute faced only two paths: either admit to the terrorist attack, or confess everything about the targeting of Sur Electrical Appliances.

One is a crime, the other is a warning and education. Which would you choose?