Chapter 726: The Skrull Public Opinion
Chapter 726: The Skrull Public Opinion
The Lethian Empire, one of the two largest nations on Skrull, wields an influence over culture and public opinion that is almost unparalleled!
One could say that a mere flutter of a butterfly's wing in the Lethian Empire could spark a whirlwind across the smaller nations of the world.
"Lethian Voice" is also one of the top five mainstream media outlets in the Lethian Empire.
So when Lamb's interview aired, it immediately caught the attention of the entire world.
In the program, Lamb's upper body was covered in horrifying scars, and the ordinary Skrull soldiers were depicted as bloodied and limbless, providing a stark visual impact for the Skrull citizens!
(Initially, the Blue Star humans had returned the Skrull soldiers in perfect health. To fabricate a false image of the "bloody and brutal Blue Star humans," the expeditionary force deliberately injured these healthy soldiers to create "evidence" for their propaganda, and then paid them off to keep quiet.)
This incident quickly became a hot topic, topping the search lists on major websites.
Not only online, but in the real world, the citizens of major cities in the Lethian Empire spontaneously took to the streets to hold protest rallies, demanding that the Emperor take retaliatory action against the Blue Star humans.
In the Renkter Alliance, millions of people also organized themselves to march in the streets.
Moreover, someone dug up the old news about Su Yu causing the deaths of tens of thousands of impoverished citizens during his first visit to Trener City.
With the two events overlapping, public sentiment in the Renkter Alliance surged, with a strong desire to launch a military campaign against the Blue Star immediately.
The public approval ratings of the G2 countries also reached an all-time high.
...
Amidst this rapidly expanding public opinion, the ones under the most pressure were not the Blue Star humans.
The Blue Star humans were unaware of the Skrull discussions and were still rejoicing over the 1,100 tons of gold they had just acquired.
The ones truly under immense pressure were Cindy Doppler's Bakar and Master Zhu's Makaton Kingdom.
This wave of public sentiment was overwhelming, with both online and offline calls for the destruction of the Blue Star humans as a species. Their advocacy for "peaceful coexistence" was severely suppressed.
Some even openly declared that anyone who did not support the "extermination of the Blue Star humans" was a traitor!
This put them in a very difficult position.
...
In the palace of the Makaton Kingdom, Master Zhu Yuanzhang lay on his throne, his gaze fixed on the "Lethian Voice" interview with Lamb.
Initially, he hadn't paid much attention to this matter.
But the situation had grown so intense that he couldn't afford to ignore it anymore.
Four concubines were kneeling beside him, offering him fruits that he found acceptable, each trying their best to charm the king in hopes of his favor.
But Master Zhu paid them no mind; these "green-skinned females" were far from his aesthetic preferences, and he focused all his attention on the interview program.
In the interview, Lamb's face was expressionless as he followed the script, answering the host's questions and recounting his hellish experiences on the Blue Star.
If he were an ordinary Skrull citizen, he might have felt deep sympathy for Lamb.
What kind of suffering must a sixth-rank powerhouse have endured to become so vacant? He must have been subjected to inhuman torture!
However, Master Zhu only shook his head.
He had already experienced the drama of "Lamb putting the Lethian Emperor's horns on him" and had his intelligence agents thoroughly investigate everything. This "Lamb" was a tough character, indeed.
Additionally, when Zhong Feng was still around, he mentioned a plan where the Blue Star people treated prisoners well, hoping they would speak favorably of humans when they returned to Skrull. There shouldn't be this level of abuse.
Moreover, this "Lamb" is a sixth-stage warrior with a body harder than diamond. The current Blue Star interrogation methods shouldn't leave him with so many scars.
Considering these three points, Senior Zhu deduced that Lamb was lying, and the United Government must have deliberately made him say this.
Since Lamb is lying, the scars on his body become intriguing.
Senior Zhu had a hunch that this might be the key to countering the current public opinion.
...
Seeing the king shaking his head, one of his concubines brightened up and hurried over. "Your Majesty, is your neck uncomfortable? Would you like me to massage it?"
Hearing her words, the other concubines showed signs of regret, as if they were angry at themselves for not thinking of it first and being beaten to the punch.
Senior Zhu glanced at her expressionlessly, patted her shoulder, and said, "Emma, go and inform the leader of the 'Tiyi,' Edmund, to come here. Remember, quickly!"
The 'Tiyi' is the intelligence agency that Senior Zhu established when he became king. The term 'Tiyi' is a refined name for the Jinyiwei, which he founded on Blue Star and then adopted here.
He wasn't concerned that the Skrull would cause trouble if they knew the name 'Tiyi.' After all, even on Blue Star, few people, especially in Huaxia, knew this term, let alone the Skrull. They wouldn't be able to guess his identity from this.
The concubine named Emma was taken aback.
She had only wanted to get closer to the king, but instead, she was given a menial task.
However, she didn't dare to disobey the king's command.
She bowed to Senior Zhu and walked out of the palace with a dark face, under the mocking gazes of the other three concubines.
...
Twenty minutes later, Edmund, the leader of the 'Tiyi,' dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, arrived at the palace and knelt before Senior Zhu, who was lying on the dragon throne. "Your Majesty, you summoned me?"
"Edmund, do you know about 'Lamb's interview with the Sunlight Voice'?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," Edmund replied solemnly.
"Do you know how many prisoners the expeditionary force redeemed?"
"Your Majesty, a total of 18,624."
"Excellent!" Senior Zhu sat up straight and looked at him. "Now, I have a task for you."
Hearing this, Edmund looked up, glancing worriedly at the four concubines by the king's side.
If the king was giving him a task, should these four concubines leave to avoid any conflict of interest?
The four concubines read the concern in Edmund's eyes.
They indeed shouldn't be involved in such matters, so they prepared to leave after bowing to Senior Zhu.
However, Senior Zhu waved his hand. "You four don't need to leave. Stay and listen."
Then he turned to Edmund. "Edmund, take your men and contact these 18,000 prisoners. Find out if they were truly abused on Blue Star.
Also, gather evidence of their abuse or lack thereof. The more solid the evidence, the better!"
"Understood, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint you!" Edmund replied immediately.
(End of Chapter)
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