After the sky fully brightened, people who had fled in panic realized that there had been no air raids or other terrorist attacks, and gradually calmed their nerves. Once their emotions had completely settled, they began to think about their actual situations.
Because they had been in such a rush to escape the city and save their own lives, many people had not brought much with them. Now that things had quieted down, they started to remember the material possessions they had left behind. Worried about their homes and belongings, people hurriedly made their way back. At this time, Fukuoka’s traffic had completely paralyzed. With no other choice, the Fukuoka government had to call on the Self-Defense Forces for help. By the time the Self-Defense Forces arrived in the city center, the streets were already empty of people. The entire city was shrouded in a shadow.
As the political and economic center of Kyushu, Fukuoka’s stability was crucial to the entire island. When the city’s leaders realized that Fukuoka had fallen into paralysis, they were powerless to change the situation. To minimize economic losses and casualties, they reluctantly reported the incident to the Tokyo government.
When the Tokyo government received Fukuoka’s report, officials were shocked. Since Fukuoka had not yet determined the cause of the chaos, those thousands of miles away had even less understanding of what had happened. To quickly restore stability to Fukuoka, the cabinet held an emergency meeting and decided to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to enter Fukuoka City and quell the unrest as soon as possible. Soon after, the Self-Defense Forces urgently deployed to Fukuoka.
When the police discovered that the explosion had targeted two of the city’s most prominent families, some upright officers, while surprised, sensed that this explosion might only be the beginning. A larger disturbance might erupt across Fukuoka or even the entire Kyushu. Although they were police officers, they were powerless to prevent the unrest, and many felt deep anxiety. When the news media finally reported the truth about the explosion, ordinary citizens merely grumbled internally about the two families and cursed those who had mistakenly triggered the air raid alarm, before turning their attention back to making a living. Soon, the city regained its usual vibrancy.
Kumamoto Taro sat at home listening to the news coverage of the event. Seeing the crowded streets of Fukuoka and the frantic crowds on television, he couldn’t help but smile with delight. He had long sought to expand his influence into Fukuoka, but had repeatedly been blocked by the combined forces of the Sasebo and Nakatsu families, suffering defeat every time. Now, seeing someone had dared to strike directly at these two powerful families, leaving their key members either dead or injured, causing chaos and confusion within both families, Kumamoto couldn’t help but imagine, “This must be heaven’s gift to me!” Suddenly, he felt as though spring had finally arrived for his family.
Meanwhile, Mu Lin, staying in a hotel, waited until the chaos in the streets ended before checking out and leaving. He hadn’t expected his handiwork to cause such a massive reaction. But since the fire had already started, he might as well help it burn even more fiercely.
Exhausted and traumatized, people stayed at home soothing their frightened hearts. The streets were empty. Mu Lin felt a slight curiosity about what the Sasebo and Nakatsu families were doing now, eager to see the results of his actions. However, he eventually decided to leave Fukuoka and drove away.
When the vanguard of the Kumamoto family finally entered Fukuoka, they sadly discovered that the city was now temporarily under the control of the Self-Defense Forces. Main streets and key transportation points were guarded by military personnel. The police had also begun performing their duties seriously, inspecting passing vehicles and pedestrians, gradually restoring order to Fukuoka.
Those originally planning to take advantage of the chaos, hoping to profit from the confusion and strike another blow against the two major families, were carrying weapons and approaching the city when they received a call from their hidden accomplices inside. They were informed that Fukuoka was temporarily on high alert, with strict inspections of vehicles and personnel. With no choice, they had to retreat.
Mu Lin leisurely drove into Kumamoto City, the base of the Kumamoto family. Originally, the family had not been named Kumamoto. To express their attachment to the city and better integrate into it, they changed their family name to “Kumamoto.” Naming the family after the city itself showed just how deeply the Kumamoto family had invested in the city.
Kumamoto City lies in the center of Kumamoto Prefecture and is the political and economic center of the region. It is also the only city in the prefecture, with a population of about 1.7 million. From the early 17th century to the end of the 19th century, it prospered as a “castle town” centered around the feudal lord’s castle. In this green city, the Shirakawa River and its many tributaries flow around Kumamoto Castle, earning it the nickname “City of Trees and Water.”
Kumamoto Castle has been designated as a national special historical site. Most of it was destroyed in 19th-century wars, and the current keep was rebuilt forty years ago. Inside it are displayed the relics of successive castle lords and weapons from that time. Suizenji Park lies southeast of Kumamoto Castle. It contains a tea house relocated from Kyoto’s Katsura Imperial Villa. This park, with its ponds and wild hill scenery, is a popular place for citizens to relax and for tourists to visit.
Although the Kumamoto family controlled the city, they were still a yakuza organization, dominating only the city’s underworld. Mu Lin, driving in as a tourist, checked into a hotel in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Mu Lin’s purpose in coming here was to stir up more chaos for the Kumamoto family. His original plan was that since the Sasebo and Nakatsu families had maintained a delicate balance of power and neither dared to wage war against Kumamoto, he would create an opportunity for them—an incident that might push the two families into a temporary alliance to strike against the Kumamoto family first.
However, to prevent the Kumamoto family from falling too quickly, Mu Lin had emptied the secret chambers of the two families, eliminating some of their core members and weakening their strength. This way, the ensuing power struggle among the three factions would become more intriguing.
Yet who could have predicted that the operation in Fukuoka would cause such a massive response, drawing in the Self-Defense Forces? His original plan of staying in Fukuoka to watch the conflict unfold was now impossible. If the Sasebo and Kumamoto families had time to recover, figure out the truth, and unite their forces, the Kumamoto family would be powerless to resist. Thus, he decided to stay and wait.
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