Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 99：Tear Gas

After all preparations were complete, the leader of the Dragon Kingdom immediately contacted Alex, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the F country, for an urgent conversation.

The conversation was conducted via video call.

Leader of the Dragon Kingdom: "Minister Alex, our citizens have come all the way to your country to participate in the World Mathematics Summit, yet your local police are attempting to arrest them. Can you explain this?"

Alex: "The arrests are a result of Professor Holt from the Beautiful Country reporting them for openly plagiarizing his academic work. We are simply defending the fairness of academia."

Leader of the Dragon Kingdom: "Are you implying that our citizens flew thousands of miles just to steal mathematical results? Do you find that credible?"

Leader of the Dragon Kingdom: "Regardless of the circumstances, I demand that you release our people immediately and let them return to our country."

Alex: "This is merely a temporary detention for investigation. Once everything is cleared, they will be allowed to return."

Leader of the Dragon Kingdom: "I insist on their immediate release, or there will be consequences."

After half an hour of video communication, Alex ended the call with a dismissive tone.

Alex: "They are in our country; I can deal with them however I please. How dare they threaten me?"

Alex turned to his secretary and inquired.

Alex: "Mary, what is the status of the Dragon Kingdom's citizens?"

Mary: "Minister Alex, they are currently trapped on the Alexander Bridge."

Alex: "Why hasn't the arrest been carried out?"

Mary: "It's because the Dragon Kingdom's embassy security team is armed and accompanying them, so we are hesitant to act rashly."

Alex: "Contact the person in charge on-site and tell them not to resort to force unless absolutely necessary. The Dragon Kingdom is not the same as before; it would be unwise to provoke them."

Mary: "Understood!"

Alex: "And if all else fails, they can use force, but they must not harm the Dragon Kingdom citizens."

Mary left to make the necessary arrangements.

At the Alexander Bridge, one of Paris's most beautiful landmarks, the steel bridge was gleaming under a fresh coat of white paint. Below, the Seine-Marne River flowed peacefully, while the usual stream of tourists admired the scenic views.

But today was anything but ordinary.

Police cars lined both ends of the bridge, their flashing red and blue lights illuminating the scene. Officers in riot gear stood in formation, sealing off the entire bridge. Armed officers behind riot shields aimed their rifles at the four vehicles stalled in the middle of the bridge. Above, military helicopters hovered, their gunmen prepared to fire at any moment.

On the Seine-Marne River below, four patrol boats cruised back and forth, ensuring no escape. The situation was tight and inescapable.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan and the others were trapped, powerless, with no option but to await rescue. Unfortunately, their home country was thousands of miles away, making any aid seem distant and uncertain.

Leikun quickly equipped Jiang Fan with a makeshift life vest, having already prepared for the worst. If a firefight broke out, his plan was to dive into the Seine-Marne River with Jiang Fan, for that area had the weakest police presence, offering the best chance of escape. As for the others, Leikun didn't need to worry—they weren't the primary targets of the police.

On the other hand, Wu Lao and Xiao Weicheng remained relatively calm under the siege, but the representatives from the tech companies were on the verge of breaking down. These men, accustomed to comfortable lives with large homes, expensive cars, and beautiful wives, were not prepared for the reality of death looming over them.

The first to break was the representative from Ziguang Technology. He suddenly stood up and rushed towards the bridge's edge.

Wu Lao shouted after him, "Come back, hurry up!"

But the man, seemingly deaf to his calls, raised his hands in surrender and shouted to the police at the bridgehead, "I surrender! I surrender! I have money—how much do you want? I'll give it to you, just let me go back!"

Tears streamed down his face as he slowly walked towards the bridgehead, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Leikun stopped Wu Lao from trying to pull the man back.

"Professor Wu, let him go. He's unlikely to be in danger."

Wu Lao knew that their real target was Jiang Fan, so the man would likely be unharmed.

As expected, the police did not harass him. Instead, they offered him water and bread.

The officer at the bridgehead then turned his attention to Jiang Fan and the others.

"See? As long as you surrender, we won't harm you. Our target is primarily Jiang Fan."

"To the embassy security team: If you put down your weapons, we won't hurt you."

The officer continued to shout through the loudspeaker, but no one from the security team moved. They remained firmly in position.

After several minutes of shouting without response, the officer, seeing the representative from Ziguang Technology finishing his water, asked, "How many people are inside the cars?"

"Ten... No, seventeen."

"How many of them are armed?"

"Nine."

"Where are they located?"

The representative from Ziguang, frightened by the fierce-looking officer, revealed all the details, giving up the positions and numbers of those with weapons.

The officer, having gathered the information, quickly made further arrangements.

A few minutes later, the officer spoke into his radio.

"Report status?"

"Tranqs and snipers are ready. We can strike at any time."

"The tear gas from the helicopters is prepared and waiting for orders."

"Okay, snipers, take your positions... Fire!"

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

Nine shots rang out, piercing the air.

Leikun, hearing the shots, felt something was amiss.

"Security team, everyone, get down!"

But it was too late. The team was hit before they could react, collapsing instantly, unconscious within less than a second.

Jiang Fan and the others were stunned by the sudden turn of events. Before they could recover, several grenade-like objects were dropped from the helicopters, emitting thick smoke.

Leikun's eyes widened in realization.

"Tear gas!"