The Imperial Hunter

After verbally relaying the draft report to Gao Shusen and leaving the municipal security bureau headquarters, I spent time cruising the battlefield in an unmarked vehicle borrowed from the patrol police station to survey the terrain. The urban sprawl of Guangzhou, a paragon of reckless development, was a patchwork haphazardly stitching together order and disorder, prosperity and poverty, cleanliness and filth. The impoverished settlements clustered like mold throughout the city were all potential bases for the Black Children’s Party. Terrified, the Communist Party treated the destitute workers as would-be criminals, creating a vicious cycle where heavy-handed military and police controls further alienated popular sentiment.

Tracking the Black Children’s Party solely by changes in the magical energy field from afar was difficult in this situation. Regardless of whether the abilities were useful or not, the population with opened circuits had increased, the military and police gathered them together and deployed them, plus there were plenty of groups demonstrating collective action.

A prime example was the rioters currently battering down and wrecking a Kentucky Chicken restaurant before my eyes.

“Let us struggle in the spirit of loyalty to the Party and love for our nation! Drive the forces of American imperialism from this land!”

A man shouting himself hoarse through a red megaphone while sporting a red armband. His passion made him seem a patriotic martyr incarnate. Responding to his yell, furious voices ring out from the crowd.

“Those who sell American goods are America’s dogs! Those who buy American goods are also America’s dogs!”

“Bring judgment upon the pro-American traitors! Execute those working for American corporations!”

“Kill them! Burn them! Show the wrath of 1.4 billion people against the enemies of our motherland!”

Wielding axes, hammers, and steel pipes, the mobs emboldened by the cheers of supporters without abilities smashed the tempered glass in front of the store with strength surpassing human limits. Just people who had been selling or eating chicken – now screaming and fleeing inside or up to the 2nd and 3rd floors.

But escape routes didn’t exist. The rioters diligently grabbed anyone slipping out the back or leaping from windows, dragging them out to the center regardless of gender or age to be beaten and stomped into a bloodied mess.

Among them, the employees received especially cruel treatment.

“Please save me! Please save me!”

Despite desperate pleas, the mob tore their uniforms to shreds and stripped them down to their underwear before carving the seven crooked characters meaning “A national traitor fully enslaved” into their exposed flesh with broken glass. The victim, whose limbs were restrained while bleeding profusely, twisted their body and glowed.

“Oh… they’re quite something, those guys.” 

Kyung-tae exclaimed, expressing his astonishment at the extreme brutality.

Even so, the restaurant’s interior was being thoroughly demolished. Those with abilities attacked with might exceeding human limits, egged on by the cheering of those without abilities or with weaker ones.

A portion of the group absorbed in doling out mob justice and destruction broke away and marched straight for us, idly watching everything unfold. The bald man at the front aggressively rapped on the window. At my signal, Kyung-tae lowered the window, allowing the baldhead to cram half his shiny pate inside and grill us in coarse tones.

“You lot! Sitting still so long is suspicious! And those opaque glasses where I can’t see your eyes? Don’t tell me you’re stooges of that damned Yankee merchant capital?!”

“No.”

“If not, then prove your innocence by joining our march!”

As the crowd encircling the vehicle began chanting “Prove it! Prove it!”, I shoved my pistol against the baldhead’s crown and flashed my security bureau ID. Seeing my men reveal the guns they had been training through their overcoats as well, the clamor instantly died down. Even the brash baldhead rapidly assumed a deferential and polite expression.

“I have committed a grave discourtesy against those exerting themselves day and night for our nation. Please forgive me.”

“Back away.”

At my curt order, the shiny head promptly withdrew from the window. I had intended to silently spectate until the path cleared, but with our security bureau identities exposed, remaining still grew difficult. Mentally sighing, I opened the door and stepped out to look down upon the baldhead kneeling before me. My subordinates followed and kept the rest of the crowd in check.

I interrogated the baldhead.

“Just what kind of people are you to form a mob and go on a rampage in times like these? Did you not hear the broadcast urging people to refrain from unnecessary outings?”

“A mob? You misunderstand. We’re all individuals here, sir.”

“Yet you’re moving together by chance even without being acquainted? Wearing armbands at that? Who do you take me for a fool? I’ve been watching everything unfold from the start!”

“Oh, well, somehow or other, uh…”

Prodding his crown with my gun muzzle like a pig prodded to slaughter, the stammering baldhead trembled and sputtered.

“It’s a coincidence! Individuals who came out to the streets with a sense of national concern happened to share the same purpose! Red armbands are quite common these days, aren’t they? They are popular items even in online shopping malls! We said we would contribute the profits to the party!”

Then, a woman nearby also gathered courage.

“That’s right! Even if the probability is low in our thoughts, and it’s an unusual situation from our perspective, what can we do if it actually happened! People we met for the first time today became one with a heart for worrying about the country! It’s truly a beautiful thing!”

….Astounding bullshit. I flicked my pistol at the imbeciles and demanded.

“Everyone, on your knees. Save your excuses for the station.”

The woman yelled again.

“You can’t do this! Why is the security bureau trying to detain patriots?!”

“Because it’s the lawful path. Kneel if you don’t want to die.”

At this, Kyung-tae requested backup from the patrol police network and had his subordinates stir up an intimidating atmosphere.

Perhaps sensing the precarious mood, the mob leaders including the ringleader hurried over with the bulk of the rioters to reinforce this spot. Amidst it all, some were impressively leading their naked prisoners by leashes tied around their necks. Fools took courage in numbers.

Another name for that courage was mob mentality and mass hysteria.

After hearing a quick explanation of the situation from the original group, the head of the mob flashed me an awkward smile.

“Ah, sir. There has been a major misunderstanding!”

“No misunderstanding about it. What you’re doing can’t remotely be called patriotic action in my eyes. The way I see it, you’re just lawless scum.”

“No! We’re taking revenge on America! An eye for an eye! Since America first froze our corporations’ and party members’ assets, we must retaliate in kind! So their side properly comprehends our resolve!”

What this man referred to was one aspect of the United States’ current multifaceted economic and diplomatic offensives against China – the issue of redeeming Qing dynasty bonds.

The Qing bonds held by the US had long been an insipid topic, producing plenty of empty chatter but no concrete prospects on how to actually recover them.

Now, however, the situation had changed. Firstly, the White House madman had succeeded in getting re-elected. Anti-China sentiment pervaded due to the Chinese-origin pandemic. And the emergence of primitive magic casters prompted louder-than-ever bipartisan calls to contain China.

As such, the President announced the following statement yesterday:

[Dear fellow citizens of America. Today, I stand before you to discuss a right we possess. What right might that be? The right to reclaim loaned money! America is owed 1.6 trillion dollars by China. An unscrupulous debt that China has no intention to repay.]

[As citizens wise and thoughtful enough to elect me a second time, I’m confident you all know the answer.]

[At their roots, these dishonest folk have deceived and deceived us, buying time and reaping undue benefits. They want to inherit their ancestors’ territories, yet not their debts? No inheritance law in any nation permits such self-serving inheritance! Unbelievable, even by China’s own laws!]

[As President duty-bound to safeguard America’s interests, I am obligated to force them to abide by the rules. I will not condone them cherry-picking the cake’s toppings!]

[So from here, what will we do? It’s an open secret China’s corporations are essentially owned by the Chinese Communist Party. Can freezing China’s debts to Chinese companies then be called improper conduct? Absolutely not! I state categorically it is not!]

[Then there are the Party members. As we all know, China is a nation where the Party is the state and the state is the Party. So what is the Party? Something transcendent that exists apart from its members? Or an organization that only exists because of its members?]

[Let me make it clear. The members are the Party! Thus, the Communist Party members are the true owners of the nation called China! The owners bear the responsibility to repay the nation’s debts!]

[Therefore, I will seize the Chinese corporate assets in America! And then seize the Chinese Communist Party members’ assets in America! Stocks! Bonds! Lavish mansions and massive farms! Even the cash in the accounts!]

[As a result, all assets that could be subject to seizure will have all transactions and withdrawals frozen from now on! This is a legal measure based on the McSally-Green Act on Qing Dynasty bond repayment and an emergency executive order!]

[The extent and amount of the seizure will depend on how the Chinese government responds. President Hu! Submit a debt repayment plan that satisfies us by the 24th, and show sincerity by repaying at least a hundred billion dollars in debt! Otherwise, I will issue an order to liquidate assets worth a trillion dollars as a primary measure, starting from midnight on the 25th!]

[I believe that this measure will be the best Christmas gift for American citizens who love justice! The money China pays will be used exclusively for the benefit of the American people! So, in advance, Merry Christmas, USA! To me, you are always the first! I hope everyone has a happy Christmas!]

Such decisions by the U.S. government adversely affected the U.S. stock market this morning. The deteriorating relationship with China aside, the seized assets were already entangled in various contractual relationships. Economic entities within the United States that needed to receive payments immediately from Chinese companies were at a loss. Of course, the Chinese stock market fell into a steep abyss, amusingly deeper than the damage to the United States.

If the owner of the White House had any thoughts, the actual liquidation would probably have stopped at the first phase of a trillion dollars. It would be more profitable to use the remaining debt differently. Yet, as the president was exceptionally skilled at doing crazy things, rational predictions were meaningless. Even when demolishing the holy land of the People of the Desert, there was only dictatorship and madness.

Anyway, China issued a strong call for retaliation, but the details were still undecided. The fact that many countries were indirectly supporting the United States made it a headache. However, internally, this unexpected situation could act as a blessing. After all, powerful external enemies were a way to unite internally.

And now, facing the mob that had gathered, they were the small evidence of that.

“Help us! Please!”

Men and women with nooses around their necks scream naked. Since some smartphone cameras capturing this scene were noticeable around, I brushed off my conscience and played my given role with annoyance and irritation.

“Even so, the fact that you are criminals won’t change. You damaged the property of Chinese citizens and caused harm to the bodies of Chinese citizens. So, everyone kneels! Anyone resisting or attempting to flee will be shot!”

“This can’t be happening!”

Smack!

I struck the leader of the protests with the grip of the gun. Despite hiding my skills, my enhanced physique was a bit superior. Broken teeth scattered as the head shook from the blow, making a thudding sound as he hit the ground. I kicked his side, making his breath choke. And looking at the rolling leader, I aimed at the sky and pulled the trigger three times in rapid succession.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amidst the silence, facing the crumpled criminals below, I shouted the enraged voice of the police.

“Whether this is possible or not is not for you to judge! So, if you have complaints, say them in court! If you’re not trying to disrespect the country like the United States disrespects us!”

Just then, the police sirens began to be heard. Support from the Patrol Police Station had arrived. Approaching the end of my short role as a clown, I considered ways to minimize the exposure of myself and my kids. As with the video uploaded yesterday, citing identity protection by plainclothes police would probably allow us to impose self-censorship and editing on all video platforms. Mosaics and voice distortions should be enough.

I never thought the day would come when I’d feel satisfaction in the fact that China was the ultimate censorship state. Life is truly an uncertainty about tomorrow.

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

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