Douluo Dragon King: I'm creating a golden age behind the scenes!

Chapter 102 Public Opinion Decision

This chaotic day has finally come to an end, and the farce that Shrek Academy staged tonight has truly come to a close.

But Xu Ziqian is not the kind of person who would swallow a loss.

The news that came from the Research Department the next day shocked the entire Federation.

Xu Ziqian's counterattack was swift and deadly, giving Shrek no chance to breathe or cover up. The Research Department's official communication channel released a cold-tongued and evidence-rich announcement during the federal news prime time the next morning, using the Research Department's highest authority.

Not only does it include processed battle footage, but it also clearly shows Shrek's iconic features such as Cai Yue'er's silver moon, Zhuo Shi's red dragon, and the fighting styles of the elders of the Sea God Pavilion, as well as the destroyed research facilities and the list of the guards who sacrificed their lives.

Although Xu Ziqian's scheme and the image of Qian Gu Qingfeng have been omitted, the evidence remains irrefutable.

As expected, the core information of this announcement was like a bombshell, directly detonating the entire Federation. The previous scandal of "Shrek disciples infiltrating the research department to steal secrets" had not yet subsided, and Shrek Academy actually chose not to steal secretly this time, but to openly rob the research department. They launched a night raid on the research department last night, and judging from the lineup of Soul Masters in the video footage, they clearly wanted to wipe out the research department.

But where is the Federal Research Department? It is the Federal Science and Technology Center, a top-secret facility for civilian, military, and medical research in the Federation, and it is related to the technological lifeline of the entire Federation.

Shrek's attack on federal research is tantamount to treason and a declaration of war against the Federation!

The whole country was in an uproar!

The angry public opinion, like boiling lava, impacted the sacred and inviolable reputation of Shrek Academy. Under the guidance of some people, a group of protesters spontaneously gathered around Shrek City, holding up signs that read "Severely punish traitors" and "Disband Shrek." The crowd was filled with indignation.

Shrek's high reputation among the people crumbled overnight.

Faced with Shrek Academy's outrageous behavior, the Federation's top brass immediately convened an emergency meeting to discuss how to handle the matter. To avoid suspicion, the atmosphere in the military conference room of the Federation Parliament in the core area of ​​Mingdu was so tense it was almost palpable. Apart from a few high-ranking officials who were on good terms with Shrek and did not attend the meeting to avoid suspicion, the people sitting around the oval conference table were all true giants of the Federation military.

Because Chen Xinjie was avoiding suspicion, Yu Guanzhi, the leader of the Central Army Corps and one of the most important military figures in the Federation, sat in the main seat. At this moment, his face showed no emotion, but his eyes held a storm.

Before him lay a detailed battle damage report and combat analysis submitted by the research department.

During this meeting, on the one hand, the top brass of the federal military was also very happy, finally seizing this good opportunity, and finally having an excuse to properly deal with these lawless scoundrels.

On the other hand, they were also shocked by the strength of the research department.

In the past, in their impression, although the research department was heavily guarded and well-equipped, the long period of comfort had gradually degraded their combat effectiveness, and if they were to actually enter the battlefield, their actual combat effectiveness would probably be very low.

But to their surprise, they were able to overcome this tough challenge, especially given that the Shrek Academy's elite forces included several elders of the Sea God Pavilion.

This truly impressed these military leaders, and of course, they knew who had brought about this change.

Dong Zian spoke first: "Hey, those old bastards from Shrek Academy have really bitten off more than they can chew this time!"

These bookworms in the research department have only been under Xu Ziqian's command for a few years, yet they've managed to subdue the elders of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion!

That's interesting!

His loud voice broke the silence of the conference room. His gaze swept over the report confirming Cai Yue'er and Zhuo Shi's capture, then he looked meaningfully at the Southern Legion's seats and said with a hint of teasing, "Vice Commander Le, how have you been lately, Commander Le?"

He wasn't deliberately trying to put down the Southern Legion; it was just that Le Zheng'en's actions last time, which led to Xie Jiayun being transferred in an attempt to poach talent from their Western Legion, were really underhanded.

Now that he's finally got a chance, he has to give them a piece of his mind.

As it turned out, his teasing worked.

Sitting opposite him, Le Hanshan, the deputy commander of the Southern Army Corps who was attending the meeting in place of his elder brother Le Zheng'en, also looked quite embarrassed.

Because Yue Zhengyu's name was prominently listed, it became one of the ironclad pieces of evidence that Shrek Academy had "betrayed" the country.

He could only bite the bullet and respond to Dong Zi'an's teasing: "Commander Dong, now is not the time to talk about this. The commander is—all well, and is handling internal affairs of the legion."

During his remarks, he deliberately emphasized "internal affairs," implying that Lok Jong Un was dealing with troubles involving his family and military.

"The younger generation truly surpasses the older." Another general beside Le Hanshan, recalling the contributions Xu Ziqian made in recent years' reports regarding the transformation of the defense system, the application of new soul guide devices, and the construction of rapid reaction forces, sighed sincerely, "This Chief Engineer Xu is not only a research genius but also a master of military leadership. The defense capabilities of the Research Department have been completely transformed under his leadership."

Upon hearing this, the generals present nodded in agreement and sighed in admiration.

Yu Guanzhi coughed lightly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire room, and his invisible pressure instantly silenced all whispers.

"We'll talk about this later." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power. "Everyone saw what Shrek Academy did last night. The nature of the crime and the far-reaching impact are beyond description."

"I have gathered you all here today for only one matter: how should the Federation proceed?"

Upon hearing Yu Guanzhi's words, the others in the room snapped out of their daze and began to ponder.

How to deal with Shrek Academy? This is a very thorny issue. If the punishment is too lenient, not only will this rare opportunity be wasted, but it will also cause the Federation to lose face and make them take the Federation even less seriously.

However, if the punishment is too severe, it will provoke fierce resistance from Shrek Academy. They are not afraid of a head-on confrontation, but the key issue is that Shrek Academy has too many former students and officials within the Federation, and their interpersonal relationships are complicated and have become too powerful to control.

If they secretly cooperate with them, it could have far-reaching consequences. Even if the Federation wins, it could cause considerable turmoil within the Federation and disrupt its various strategic plans.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the meeting room fell silent due to the silence of the few people present.

Finally, Dong Zian couldn't help but speak first: "If you ask me, we should do as the Research Department says. If they want us to release them, we can make them return everything they haven't been entitled to from the Federation over the years, and then issue a public apology to the entire Federation."

"What if they refuse to cooperate?" Le Hanshan asked, expressing his concern.

"Then let's take all those fixed-position soul-guided shells from the Federation and put them to the test around Shrek City. Don't they pride themselves on being the best in the world?"

"Then let's go and see how many shells they can withstand!"

"Have you forgotten Yun Ming? If he goes mad, the Federation will suffer huge casualties!" said a dovish general.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to keep swallowing our anger like before?" a hawkish general retorted.

At this moment, the representatives of the various legions in the arena also started arguing amongst themselves.

They knew that Dong Zian spoke frankly, but the doves' concerns were by no means unfounded.

Shrek is a deeply entrenched and powerful organization; a forceful crackdown would come at too high a cost and could even trigger a civil war.

However, if we let them off lightly, the Federation's prestige will be tarnished, and Shrek will become even more unscrupulous, leading to endless troubles.

How to find a balance that can both severely damage Shrek's arrogance and maintain the authority of the Federation, while avoiding a full-scale war and preventing internal collapse?

The debate intensified, with the hawks and doves clashing fiercely, and the atmosphere in the meeting room gradually became tense.

All eyes were finally on Yu Guanzhi, awaiting his decision.

Yu Guanzhi's fingers tapped unconsciously on the smooth tabletop, producing a low, rhythmic tapping sound.

His gaze was profound, as if he could see through the walls of the conference room to the dark clouds over Shrek City, the figure of the pillar of heaven in the Sea God Pavilion, and the intricate network of interests within the Federation.

Finally, the knocking stopped.

"Enough." Yu Guanzhi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a heavy weight, instantly silencing all the arguments.

"Shrek Academy's actions this time are too serious. Punishment is not enough to appease public anger, nor can it deter those with ill intentions."

He slowly stood up, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across the faces of each general, and announced his decision word by word: "I had already made arrangements before the meeting began."

Three days later, I, along with Commander Dong Zi'an of the Western Legion, the Spirit Pagoda Spirit Douluo, and the Body Douluo of the Body Sect, will personally travel to the Sea God Pavilion for the final negotiations with Shrek Academy!

These words shocked everyone present.

The two legion commanders of the Federation, plus two ultimate experts from the Spirit Transmission Tower and the Body Sect, make a total of four ultimate experts. This lineup is unprecedentedly luxurious! This is blatant pressure, an ultimatum!

"At the same time," Yu Guanzhi's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness, "order: all Federation troops stationed around Shrek City, immediately enter a state of first-level combat readiness! All soul guidance positions are activated, all fixed-position soul guidance shells are in place, and all high-level soul masters are in combat duty!"

Target: Shrek City! Surround Shrek City like an iron barrel! I want everyone in the Sea God's Pavilion to clearly feel the Federation's wrath and the edge of destruction!

"Notify all legions and local government law enforcement teams," Yu Guanzhi's gaze sharpened, "From this day forward, closely monitor all Shrek Academy graduates, current students, and their associates within your jurisdiction!"

Register and document individuals, restrict their departure from the country, and strengthen scrutiny!

Once negotiations between the Federation and Shrek break down, and Shrek's treason is confirmed, any collusion, dissent, or attempt to disrupt Federation order or support Shrek will be considered accomplice and executed without exception!

"Yes!"

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