I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

The plot did not pause as the comments scrolled across the screen.

The scene changes.

Xavier, a cigar dangling from his lips, smiled noncommittally: "Do you know who you've offended by saying that?"

Xavier's words gave Zod a real fright, even though Zod immediately gave a near-perfect reply:

"I am a soldier of the Empire. I fight only for the interests and glory of the Empire. The Empire is my strongest backing, so I have nothing to fear! If you do not like any of my words, I can take them back, but my stance will not change because of them."

But Zod's subtle facial expressions still couldn't escape the close-up shots.

On camera, viewers could clearly see the fine beads of sweat on Zod's face, his shifty eyes, and his slightly nervous expression.

Those things simply cannot escape the discerning eyes of the viewers in front of the screen.

At this moment, Zod was starting to back down, but despite his fear, he still stubbornly uttered the most defiant words.

Until Xavier asked seriously, "If I asked you to go to the front lines as a suicide squad for the glory of the Empire, would you dare to go?"

Zod's expression of fear became more pronounced, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his face, which could not be concealed under the close-up shot.

Before the previous wave of comments had even finished, the next wave of high-energy comments had already appeared:

"Emperor Engine?"

Xavier: Got it, got it. Looks like we need to increase the intensity of this kid's juice.

Zod: I'm sorry, Colonel Xavier, I admit I was being a bit pretentious just now.

"I suggest Colonel Xavier send Lieutenant Zod alone, with three separate forces, to attack the city of Saallom. If he fails to capture Saallom, he'll have to answer to us with his head!"

"↑You're the real devil! How could you split into three groups all by yourself?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure Lieutenant Zod has a better plan!"

"Zod's tough guy image reminds me of someone I know from the past."

"A tragedy caused by showing off!"

"Hahaha, Lieutenant Zod, you're so stubborn, let's see if you're still so stubborn now."

"As expected of the Empire's number one toughest man, he was already drenched in sweat after 3 seconds."

"Hahaha, Lieutenant Zod is already drenched in sweat."

"Don't talk nonsense. It's obvious that their world doesn't have air conditioning or electric fans, so it's hot there."

"That's right, it's just that the weather is too hot, which made Lieutenant Zod sweat a little."

"It's wet! It's wet!!"

"Someone, get Lieutenant Zod a new pair of pants."

"Someone, change Lieutenant Zod's diaper again, so he doesn't wet his pants again."

"You newbies are all a bunch of people who love to watch the drama unfold. Do you want to make me laugh to death so you can inherit my black hair?"

"Please, Colonel Xavier, stop asking Lieutenant Zod. If you keep asking, something bad is going to happen."

"Second Battalion Commander, bring out my Italian pasta... I want to eat pasta while watching Zod show off."

"You owe me a bowl of noodles! I'm already exhausted just watching Lieutenant Zod's performance, and now I have to watch you bunch of newbies slander my Zod. I just took a bite of noodles, and before I could even swallow it, I glanced at the comments and spat them out of my nostrils, covering the whole bowl."

"Hilarious! Last time we had hot pot in our dorm and watched Lieutenant Zod's performance, it ruined the whole pot. After that, we didn't dare eat anything whenever Lieutenant Zod appeared."

……

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 3!

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 2!

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 4!

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 2!

……

Fortunately, Stella stepped in to help Zod out of the predicament; otherwise, if the standoff had continued...

This might actually fulfill the wishes of those entertainers watching on screen, making the situation difficult to control.

The plot unfolded smoothly from there. Stella first expressed her gratitude to Zod, and the two exchanged a few simple pleasantries.

Colonel Xavier also toned down his previous aggressive attitude, no longer throwing out those difficult questions that Zod couldn't answer, and instead extended an invitation to him to join the "Imperial Blades" legion.

However, Zod rejected this kind offer without hesitation.

Just then, Lieutenant Wesley stepped forward and joined in the persuasion.

Colonel Xavier and Lieutenant Wesley took turns trying to persuade the stubborn young man with reason and emotion.

Ultimately, with Lieutenant Wesley's "divine assistance," Zod did not disappoint the audience.

He was thus forcibly added to the "Imperial Blade" legion.

Xavier also agreed to Xavier's request to deliberately bring Cassius into the "Imperial Blade" legion.

What followed was another rather lengthy conversation, with Colonel Xavier planning to send Zod to launch a surprise attack on Clock Tower.

As expected, Zod gracefully refused Colonel Xavier's order.

Zod's reasoning was so reasonable that it was hard to refute: "Colonel Xavier, although I am eager to take on this arduous task to prove my loyalty to the Empire."

"However, compared to other officers in the corps, I still lack experience, and loyalty to the Empire cannot make up for my lack of combat experience."

"Assigning such an important task to an inexperienced newcomer is certainly not the best choice!"

"For the sake of the mission's success rate, you should choose a more suitable candidate."

Such righteous and eloquent reasons almost fooled the audience in front of the screen.

Just as the audience was wondering what excuse Colonel Xavier would use, or how he would forcefully drag the cowardly Zod into the vortex of events, they were all wondering what excuse he would use.

However, to the surprise of many viewers, Lieutenant Wesley made a decisive move at the crucial moment.

On screen, he spoke with a firm and resolute tone: "I stake on the honor of an Imperial soldier and my life that Lieutenant Zod is absolutely capable of undertaking this important mission."

"Lieutenant Zod is too modest and cautious, and is used to considering every aspect of the mission."

"I'm always hesitant to make a final decision unless I'm 100% sure."

"This is Lieutenant Zod's weakness—indecisiveness—but it is also precisely his strength."

"..."

"I believe that Colonel Xavier's decision to assign this task to Lieutenant Zod was not ill-considered, but rather a well-thought-out plan."

"Wouldn't the problems that Lieutenant Zod is worried about arise if this task were handed over to someone else?"

"The same thing will happen, it's just that Lieutenant Zod has recognized his own shortcomings and has spoken about them publicly."

"Don't you think that daring to face one's own shortcomings also requires immense courage, and isn't that a quality that an excellent Imperial officer should possess?"

Lieutenant Wesley's fluent and captivating speech left the audience in front of the screen completely bewildered.

Then a flood of comments appeared:

"Hilarious! I have to stand with Lieutenant Wesley for a second today, he makes so much sense [doge emoji]."

"Wesley: Zod, quickly say thank you to Lieutenant Wesley."

"You're a devil!"

Zod: I really will thank you!

"Who is Lieutenant Wesley talking about? I don't recognize him!"

"Zod: 'Humility,' 'Courage,' 'Excellent Imperial Officer'—why didn't you say so earlier? I don't have any of these things!"

"Hahaha, I guess Lieutenant Zod is doomed again today."

"This is just speculation. If Lieutenant Zod hadn't said those tough things, would Colonel Xavier have sent him on such a dangerous mission?"

"You guessed right. In the military, anyone who dares to talk like Zod would have to undergo rigorous training and refinement. Otherwise, how could they live up to the tough words he spoke?"

"It's the same with companies. I'm just a small manager in a company. If my employees were as assertive as Zod, I wouldn't be able to resist giving them heavier tasks. The capable should do more! [smirk]"

"I suspect Lieutenant Wesley was a plant hired by the production team. Poor Lieutenant Zod for a second."

"Seriously, why are you all sympathizing with Zod?! If Zod hadn't taken this mission, how would we have watched his amazing antics!"

"Given the production team's track record, they can kill off popular characters anytime soon. I'm worried that Zod will also be killed off by the plot."

"Don't worry, comedic characters usually don't die, and besides, Lieutenant Zod isn't exactly a main character."

"Tch, I still hope Zod joins the suicide squad Xavier mentioned earlier; it's much more fun than this raid on some town."

"You're a poet, aren't you? Actually, I agree more with Zod's strategy of attacking Sarlöf by splitting his forces into three groups. That guy is practically a strategic beetroot!"

"Zod: I'm so grateful to you guys! You're so considerate of me!"

"Damn it, I was so busy watching the comments that I missed the plot, and now I have to scroll back to see their dialogue."

……

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 4!

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 3!

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 2!

Lieutenant Zod's popularity increased by 3!

……