Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 1053 Angry Workers

The sun was setting and the clock in the industrial area had just struck five.

Chang Wujiang stood in the backyard of the textile factory, with more than 20 foremen and backbones standing in front of him. These people were his confidants who had been trained for many years, and each of them controlled hundreds of workers.

"The time has come," Chang Wujiang said in a low voice, "Act according to the plan. Remember, everyone in each factory area must be assembled within half an hour."

"Tanaka, you take the brothers from the textile factory." He pointed to a burly foreman, "Remember, you need to gather at least 5,000 people."

"Don't worry, brother," Tanaka patted his chest, "the brothers have been holding their breath for a long time. When they heard that there would be a parade, they were all ready to go."

"Sato, I'll leave the machinery factory to you." Chang Wujiang continued to make arrangements, "Call up all those whose wages have been deducted. At least 6,000 people must be gathered."

"I understand." Sato nodded. "Those bastards have withheld our wages for three months, and we brothers have long been looking for an opportunity to vent our anger."

Chang Wujiang assigned tasks one by one: "Paper mill, steel mill, leather factory... Each factory area must ensure the number of people. Remember, the assembly point is Ximen Square."

"Listen to me," his voice suddenly became stern, "this is not a joke. Mr. Fujita said that only when we have enough people and a loud enough voice will those bigwigs take our demands seriously."

"Don't worry, brother," everyone said, "We must let them see the strength of our workers this time."

“Go ahead,” Chang Wujiang waved his hand, “In half an hour, I want to see at least 30,000 people at the west gate!”

The backbones quickly dispersed, and soon, the entire industrial zone was filled with calls for action. The workers put down their work and rushed to the assembly point with long-suppressed anger.

Chang Wujiang stood on a high place, looking at the crowds that kept gathering, with a sneer on his face. These angry workers were about to become the best pawns in this drama.

Ximen Square was crowded with people. More than 30,000 workers filled the entire square, and the air was filled with restlessness and anxiety.

"Down with tyranny!" Sato Yasu stood on a makeshift platform and shouted at the top of his lungs, "We want to have enough food to eat! We want our wages back!"

"Down with tyranny!" The crowd shouted in unison.

"You bastards!" A textile factory worker suddenly rushed to the front and shouted heartbreakingly, "My family can't even afford to eat! My children are almost starving to death! We can't live like this!"

"Yes! We can't get through!" The crowd around responded, "Why are you deducting our hard-earned money?"

Sato An struck while the iron was hot: "Brothers! We can't stand it any longer! Today we will let those big guys see the power of us workers!"

However, at the back of the crowd, a thin worker whispered, "But...will the people from the Public Security Bureau open fire? Didn't many people die in the march four days ago..."

"What are you afraid of?" A strong man next to him interrupted him, "The worst that can happen is death! It's better than starving to death!"

"That's right!" someone else echoed, "If they dare to shoot again, let everyone in Kyoto see how they treat civilians!"

Chang Wujiang stood on a high place, watching all this with cold eyes. He knew that the anger and fear of these people were real, but what they didn't know was that they were about to become pawns in a bigger conspiracy.

"It's almost time," he whispered to Tanaka beside him, "Let Sato Yasushi take the lead and start heading towards the Imperial Palace."

Tanaka nodded and left. Soon, Sato Yasushi shouted a new slogan: "Brothers! We want the royal family to hear our voices! Follow me!"

"Let's go!" The crowd surged like a flood. "Let's go to the palace!"

In the afterglow of the setting sun, this huge team began to move towards the Imperial Palace. What they didn't know was that at this moment, parades of the same size were gathering in several other directions of Kyoto.

As soon as the workers turned into the street, they encountered a patrol team from the Public Security Department.

"Stop!" Team leader Kenichi Nakamura shouted, "This is an illegal assembly! Disband immediately!"

A dozen security guards raised their guns and pointed them at the crowd, but facing the surging 30,000 people, this little bit of force seemed so insignificant.

"Captain Nakamura, report to headquarters quickly!" a team member said nervously.

While using a loudspeaker to warn the crowd, Nakamura sent a team member on a motorcycle to the nearest police station to report the incident. At the same time, he asked another team member to use a signal gun to fire a red flare into the sky, which was a warning sign.

"Bastards! Do you still want to shoot?" someone in the crowd shouted angrily.

"Wasn't the killing four days ago enough?" someone else shouted.

Sato An stood at the front of the team, looking at the security guards with a sneer: "Get out of the way, you can't stop them."

Kenichi Nakamura's forehead was covered with cold sweat. He looked at the sirens of the police station in the distance and said, "Listen to me!" He raised the megaphone, but his voice was trembling. "If you take another step forward, we will take action!"

Chang Wujiang watched this scene from behind the crowd, with a sneer on his face. The appearance of these security guards would only make the workers more angry.

Sure enough, the crowd roared in anger: "Shoot! Let everyone in Kyoto see your true face!"

"Brothers!" Sato An suddenly shouted, "Charge! Let these lackeys see our strength!"

The flood of 30,000 people began to surge forward, and the security team had to retreat. Nakamura Kenichi looked at the response flares rising in the distance and was anxious: "Why haven't the reinforcements arrived yet!"

The crowd surged past like a tide, and the security guards could only watch helplessly as the huge team continued to move towards the Imperial Palace. Similar scenes were also happening on other streets in Kyoto.

Kenichi Nakamura clenched the rifle in his hand, cold sweat running down his cheeks.

As a security captain, he was fully aware of the responsibility on his shoulders. If he allowed this team to continue moving forward, it would not only be his dereliction of duty, but would also plunge the entire Kyoto into chaos.

"But..." He looked at the surging crowd in front of him, and cold sweat oozed from his palms. Aren't these workers also citizens of Kyoto? Isn't the pain they shouted real?

But duty is duty.

"Baga!" Kenichi Nakamura gritted his teeth, suddenly raised his rifle and pulled the trigger towards the sky.

"boom!"

The crisp sound of gunfire echoed in the street.

"Stop right there!" His voice was trembling with nervousness, but he still tried to maintain his dignity. "If you take another step forward, I will shoot into the air!"

The crowd paused for a moment, but soon someone shouted, "They don't dare to shoot! Can these few people stop us?"

"Captain Nakamura..." The team members behind him also became nervous.

Kenichi Nakamura stared at the crowd in front of him, the rifle in his hand did not move: "I am serious! Don't force me..."

His voice suddenly choked up. At this moment, he thought of his old father in Shitamachi, who ran a small grocery store and was also worried about his livelihood.

But he still stood up straight. Orders are orders, and duties are duties.