novelraw Chapter 291 284: Discussion
Chapter 291 284: Discussion
"What I mean is, public disclosure is inevitable, but we must provide a buffer."
Chen Qingmu quickly clarified.
After all, the existence of Celestial Demons would completely shatter the worldview of ordinary people. Furthermore, given their unique nature, the average person has no way to fight back. If we announce this without a proper strategy, it could cause massive panic and chaos.
Humanity has been at the top of the food chain on this planet for far too long. No one would be unafraid of a sudden new existence that threatens our dominance, especially with the disaster in Nanjiang fresh in our minds.
"You have a point. We'll definitely have to go public, but we need to discuss the method of disclosure. What are your thoughts?"
The Chief Commissioner pondered for a moment before asking Chen Qingmu.
"My suggestion is that the government shouldn't make the first move. We need to use other methods to subtly guide public opinion."
"First, we relax the restrictions on online discussions. We won't censor certain videos, articles, or even media reports, as long as they aren't too extreme. This will spark widespread public debate. Within these discussions, we'll strategically release bits of the truth, leading people to 'speculations' that are unconfirmed but have a degree of credibility. This will give most people a mental buffer, so the final reveal isn't too sudden or shocking."
"Then, when this widespread discussion reaches its peak, the government will officially step in. We will selectively disclose information about the Celestial Demons and quickly present our response plan to give the public the greatest possible sense of security."
"Finally, and most importantly, we must do a good job with prevention and control to stop similar incidents from happening again."
"However, no matter what we do, the impact of this on the country won't be good. After all, we'll be the first nation in the world to publicly acknowledge the existence of Celestial Demons. Once we do this, the immigration department and the Foreign Affairs Bureau will be swamped."
Chen Qingmu said with a sigh.
"It doesn't matter. Those who lack faith in this country and have no regard for their homeland will do everything in their power to leave for their own safety and benefit, no matter what happens. But those who truly love this land will stand on it and defend it to the death, even at the very end."
"We've overcome so many hardships—wars, disasters, diseases… What's meant to come will come. This great nation and her people can withstand any trial."
The Chief Commissioner said slowly.
"I also firmly believe that the vast majority of our people won't abandon the land where their ancestors have lived for generations. Our blood has long been intertwined with this soil."
"This is the confidence that our history and culture have given us."
Chen Qingmu said with a nod.
"United as one, we'll overcome these hard times."
...
...
「Three days later.」
The lockdown around the Nanjiang Xinghe Pedestrian Street was finally lifted completely. Unfortunately, the lockdown yielded few results. Despite a comprehensive search of the sealed-off area, the Seven Desires somehow managed to evade detection. Not even the Nanjiang Secret Inspection Bureau's large-scale reconnaissance Dharma Artifact could find any trace of their whereabouts.
During these three days, the Nanjiang Xinghe Pedestrian Street incident continued to ferment throughout society, going far beyond simply "breaking its bubble."
The truth about the Nanjiang Xinghe Pedestrian Street incident had become the main topic of conversation for everyone.
The release of the casualty statistics for the Nanjiang pedestrian street, in particular, caused a massive uproar.
765 dead, and over 2,300 injured.
The horrific number of casualties sent shockwaves through society. Outside of major natural disasters and epidemics, it was the most appalling mass-casualty event ever to occur in Donghua.
The Nanjiang Xinghe Pedestrian Street incident was officially dubbed the "Nanjiang Massacre" by the public.
Yet, three days passed, and the higher-ups had yet to give a direct response to such a tragedy. The uniform reply was always, "The incident has been preliminarily identified as a terrorist attack. The truth is still under further investigation, and we will provide an answer to the public as soon as possible."
This triggered intense public dissatisfaction. On one hand, people strongly condemned the relevant authorities; on the other, they began to speculate wildly about the truth of the incident.
Some said it was a terrorist act targeting Donghua. Others claimed it was caused by the country's secret experimental subjects losing control. Still others suggested that aliens had arrived on Earth, or that it was a special kind of disease.
However, under the direction of Chen Qingmu and other high-level officials, a large number of media outlets and online shills began to steer public opinion. Many details of the incident were leaked, leading to a new theory supported by a considerable amount of "evidence":
An ancient life form, not widely known or thoroughly studied, exists on Earth and is slowly reawakening. The Nanjiang incident was a tragedy caused by these very creatures.
This life form possesses great individual power and cannot be captured or killed by conventional means. Only an equally strong individual power can pose a fatal threat to it.
For example, Martial Artists.
The posts promoting this theory were rich with evidence, such as on-site photos and videos of Saint Awakening Martial Artists arriving to provide aid. Furthermore, people compared the appearance of the Seven Emotions Puppets from the Seal site with the seven Demon Generals from the leaked videos of the Songyang University incident, discovering a startling similarity.
And at that time, at Songyang University, the ones fighting against those seven Demon Generals were none other than human Martial Artists.
Even more people began to connect the recent major changes in the country's Martial Dao and education sectors with this incident. A growing number of people started to believe this line of reasoning.
An unknown, strange life form possessing special powers was the true culprit behind the incident.
Subsequently, an article compiled by the government but published under the name of an independent media account caused a sensation. The article was titled:
The Truth Hidden in History, the Dark Tides Beneath the Light!
The article began: "Have you ever wondered why tales of gods and ghosts persist through the ages? Why is there no shortage of supernatural records from every dynasty? Are the images of ghosts and demon fiends really just born from illusion? In the places we don't understand and cannot see, are there powers we have never known?..."
The article cited supernatural records from various dynasties and connected them to the Nanjiang incident and several other events in meticulous detail. Most importantly, at the end of the article, it coined a name for this special form of life for the first time: "Celestial Demon."
The wave of discussion grew more and more intense. An increasing number of people were now mentally prepared for the truth, and the public's demand for a clear explanation from the government grew more fervent. Finally, the government made its move.
「7:30 p.m., the evening news.」
This was the nation's most-watched evening television program. In a way, every news story on this show represented the country's future direction and the attitude of its highest-ranking officials.
Countless families were eating dinner, with young and old gathered together, watching the evening news.
And tonight, the evening news was about to announce a piece of truly shocking information.
"Next, we will announce the latest investigation results regarding the Nanjiang Xinghe Pedestrian Street incident..."