Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

"Dig three feet into the ground, find a way to drag this person out no matter what!"

Inside the meeting room, the Superintendent General of Police roared in fury, smashing the thermos cups on the floor until they were deformed.

A group of middle and senior managers stood in front of the director with their heads down, not daring to touch their chairs, behaving obediently like grandsons.

Nobita did indeed cause a huge commotion, so much so that a large number of officials who had gone home after get off work were urgently called back to work overtime to deal with the matter.

If the intruder had been caught or killed, it wouldn't have been worth the Superintendent General getting so angry.

But now they've told him he's gone!

A living person simply vanished in a heavily guarded bathroom!

Is your toilet some kind of gateway to the world of anime?

Or did a chubby blue guy pull out a magic door?

Everything was too bizarre; it simply didn't make sense.

The Superintendent General of Police suspects there is an insider complicating the operation.

Now, even the information about the intruder is scarce; all that is known is that he is a guy wearing full armor and extremely agile.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

There was a rapid knock on the door.

"Chief Takahashi, the security department checked the intruder's briefcase, and it contained a bomb warning!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone present knew that this would undoubtedly make the already somewhat strange case even more perplexing.

The Superintendent of Police took the tablet, which displayed the hastily written notice taken from various angles.

[Explosive device detected along the Hibiya Line tomorrow morning]

The information was pitifully rudimentary.

The time and location ranges for "tomorrow morning" and "Hibiya Line" are too large.

Furthermore, the foreign visit is scheduled for 9 AM tomorrow, and someone just barged into the Metropolitan Police Department tonight just to issue this warning? Is this a warning or a simple reminder?

He didn't believe it was a coincidence; perhaps someone didn't want the foreign visit to go smoothly.

In his view, the timing of this event is too politically charged.

After a moment of silence, he looked up at the crowd.

"This incident was led by the Ministry of Public Security, with full support and cooperation from all departments, especially the Criminal Investigation Department and the Security Department."

Needless to say, the Criminal Investigation Department is responsible for investigating cases.

The Security Command is mainly responsible for bomb disposal operations and the security checks for tomorrow's foreign visit.

"Yes!"

"Dismissed. Yajima, you stay behind."

The Superintendent General of Police stopped the Minister of Public Security and spoke after everyone else had left.

"I suspect this incident may be related to tomorrow's foreign visit."

"I understand."

The two didn't say much, but after exchanging a few words, Yajima knew which direction to investigate.

Criminal Investigation Department Chief Iwaki returned to his office with a furrowed brow. He picked up the landline, intending to make an internal call to Heisei Ryū, but then remembered that his subordinate had been knocked unconscious in the hospital.

"Without you, Pyeong Seong-ryong, the First Investigation Division will continue to operate as usual."

He changed his phone number.

"Ishihara, come here for a second."

With the Metropolitan Police Department operating at full speed and getting serious, Nobi's whereabouts after donning the armor, the taxi driver, and the beaten Yakuza were all quickly found.

However, after combining all the information, this person seemed to have appeared out of thin air in Kabukicho.

By the time the surveillance cameras captured it, they had already entered the alley where the Yakuza were being beaten.

"Change clothes! Check the shops carefully. He smashed through the barrier with this armor and there wasn't a single mark. It's definitely not just for show!"

"It would be very difficult for one person to put on such armor. Even if it were possible, it would require a safe and hidden place, most likely one of the surrounding buildings!"

In reality, Nobita didn't enter any shops at all, as that would have made him an easy target for photos.

He simply took advantage of the many dimly lit corners and alleys of Kabukicho.

Want to use the system to screen people directly? You can easily screen out several thousand people.

Moreover, Nobita's physique while wearing plate armor is quite different from his real-life appearance; he has both increased height and muscle mass, making him look like a very strong guy.

However, because this is inherently unscientific, he can move around as freely as if he weren't wearing anything, without any restriction on his activities.

But the police didn't know, or rather, they had no such idea.

How could such a sturdy suit of armor be completely weightless?

This person is able to walk briskly, so their physical fitness must be very good; they probably have a habit of exercising.

Soon, a profile of the suspect was produced.

Male, between 178-188 cm tall, weighing 70-90 kg, aged 20-35, with a regular exercise routine.

But their efforts were destined to be in vain.

This information doesn't match up at all with Nobi, who is currently less than 1.7 meters tall, has a thin build, and whose main activity is going to and from school.

The Ministry of Public Security, together with the Security Department, conducted a search of the Hibiya Line that very night. In order to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, a large number of police officers and bomb disposal robots were deployed.

From tunnels to trains, from platforms to ceilings, the safety of the Hibiya Line was confirmed before dawn with the help of the latest bomb disposal equipment.

"The entire Hibiya line is safe, unless it is a new type of explosive, in which case even bomb disposal equipment will not react."

"Will the Hibiya Line need to be closed tomorrow morning?"

"Perhaps we could close a few station entrances and then strengthen security checks at the single entrance?"

"We already have so many traffic restrictions in place. If we close the Hibiya Line for just one morning, we'll be under a lot of pressure!"

"Is it acceptable to joke about the lives of our people?"

"Don't look so righteous. How can you be sure this isn't a fake threat? Haven't we encountered this kind of thing countless times?"

The argument in the meeting room lasted for almost half an hour.

Minister Yajima glanced at the time; it was already 5 a.m.

If it were a typical hoax bomb threat, they wouldn't consider blocking traffic after ruling it out.

But now, because of the intruder's unusual behavior, the bomb warning seems so convincing that no one dares to take the risk of making a decision.

"Tomorrow is Sunday, so there will be relatively fewer people. Security will be strengthened at stations along the line, bomb disposal robots will be deployed, and patrols will be intensified. The subway will reopen after 8:00 a.m."

Yajima made a decision.

The others exchanged glances but offered no objection to the decision.

As long as they don't have to bear the main responsibility, they can usually reach a conclusion quite quickly.

Yajima sighed, took out the current data, organized it, and reported to the Superintendent General of Police.

That night, it wasn't just them.

Nobita didn't sleep well either, and could be said to have watched helplessly as the sky slowly turned from pitch black to sky blue.

He only realized it belatedly.

Its daybreak.

I glanced at the time; it was 6:30.

He took a deep breath, got up to wash up, and then went straight out the door.

It's perfectly reasonable for a high school student to take advantage of his day off to go out and have some fun near Ueno, and also to visit a classmate at Tsukiji Station, right?

Using this excuse, he even sent a message to his senior, Asano, saying he would visit him.

Chapter 102: The Monster Train

"Due to a technical issue, the entire Hibiya line will be under maintenance and will reopen after 8:00 AM."

"Are you kidding me?! Forget it, I'll just take a taxi."

"Seriously, how are people supposed to go out like this? Are the other routes okay?"

At the transfer passage of Ueno Station, two security personnel blocked the entrance, with an electronic display board next to them displaying information about maintenance along the entire Hibiya Line. They awkwardly pretended not to hear the complaints from the public.

Nobita's heart sank when he saw the notice.

His bomb threat last night deliberately obscured the time to get the authorities to lock down the entire morning, but now it seems that, for various reasons, they are unwilling to do so and are only locking down until 8 o'clock.

But at this time, is it really possible to avoid that monster named Zhu Hai?

As expected, he was ultimately just an ordinary high school student. Even if he had so-called superpowers, he wouldn't gain any extraordinary wisdom at the same time.

Reality is not a game; there is no clear questline to guide you on how to defeat the Demon King and avoid destruction.

He could only discuss this matter with Uesugi, who was also a player.

Asano-senpai is so smart that he might be able to think of other better methods, but he has already added a lot of risks to the other party for no reason, and he really doesn't want to drag the other party into this vortex that is really dangerous.

After all, given Asano-senpai's penchant for solving puzzles, he might very well show up at the scene to observe.

He was absolutely capable of doing that. If he had known earlier, he probably would have infiltrated the Hibiya Line to search for the hidden passage.

I glanced at the time; it was already past seven.

drip.

A voice that only he could hear came.

Nobita knew this was a private message.

[Moon: Don't force yourself]

[Zhi: Thank you.]

After replying to the message, Nobi glanced at the passersby at the subway entrance who were constantly complaining about the official procedures.

Some people chose to leave, while others who weren't in a hurry chose to wait. In any case, it would only take about half an hour.

Among these people were two or three close friends who went out for a day trip together on Sunday, chatting and laughing; there were also families of three, with the parents each holding one of their child's hands as they played on a swing; and there were also disheartened office workers who still had to work on Sundays.

"Isn't this the very meaning of a hero's existence?"

Nobita's gaze hardened. He found a secluded spot, became a "smartphone addict," and quietly waited for the subway to open.

It's eight o'clock.

The two security guards confirmed the information over the walkie-talkie, then began packing up their things. It took about ten minutes before the entrance was officially opened.

The first group of passengers entered the transfer passage with complaints, but before they had taken more than a few steps, they encountered security measures that were much stricter than before, as well as fully armed robots, and suddenly became somewhat uneasy.

Was this foreign visit changed to a visit by the President at the last minute?

"No way, he's the vice president."

"Then why is the security so extreme?"

"How would I know?"

The passengers discussed the situation cautiously, seemingly confused.

Because the security was not expected to be so strict today, some passengers who were carrying prohibited items had their items confiscated, which also wasted more time.

Nobi mingled in the crowd, just like any other ordinary high school student going out for a date. He suppressed his nervousness and passed through security. Looking at the security personnel who were on high alert, he felt that his reminder had been useful.

With the opening of the route, a large number of people rushed in. Coupled with the strict security checks, by the time Nobita arrived at the platform, it was already past 8:30. He could only watch a fully loaded train leave and wait for the next one.

That should be the first train in this direction.

"Nothing has changed by now. Could it be that the time is wrong? Or did the protagonist in the game actually achieve an action even more perfect than a perfect ending and pull the brake?"

Nobita stared at his phone, pretending to browse social media, but his emotions were constantly fluctuating.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the train had arrived at the station, but luckily a station staff member reminded him.