CH 97.1

Chapter 97: Public Opinion Reversal

At four o’clock in the afternoon, a surveillance video was released. In the video Xing Mo, who was dressed as an interstellar pirate, put on a face mask with an interstellar pirate emblem, then walked to the main ship bridge with several other people dressed up in interstellar pirate outfits to meet up with the rest of the pirates. The video was very short, only a few minutes long, and Xing Mo’s face was only in it for around two seconds at the beginning, but it was quite telling. In the eyes of those who didn’t know the truth, it was ironclad proof that Xing Mo and the interstellar pirates were in a partnership.

Those small news agencies ran out again and insisted that this incident was a show of collusion between Xing Mo and the interstellar pirates. Their vivid remarks brought forth another wave of public opinion until it finally reached a new climax.

Under the guidance of Xing Shang’s water army[1], the netizens thoroughly blew up and demanded that the military come out and give an explanation. They also went on to demand that the traitors be severely punished.

“Hahaha, now let’s see how they can stand up!” Xing Shang looked at the situation on his light brain and laughed loudly.

Xing ZhengYuan also showed a satisfied smile. As long as Xing Mo and Lin Luo were suppressed, the PengCheng Energy Company wouldn’t be any threat to them. The stone gambling experts and energy engineers who were attracted by the golden sign that was Lin Luo would definitely reconsider. When it came time for them to ask themselves where to go, their company would be able to reap the benefits.

While the abacus in the hearts of the father and son duo were still clacking, a push message that came to their light brains shocked them both.

The first person who came forward to respond wasn’t Lin Luo or Xing Mo, but Yin Ye. He had logged on to his social media platform that hadn’t been logged into for a long time and posted a brief message:

【Right and wrong have their own judgment. Defamation and rumor-mongering are serious crimes.】

The accompanying picture was a screenshot of the messy articles from those news agencies, which clearly expressed his own position.

【Damn! Is the eldest young master of the Yin family coming out to support Xing Mo and Lin Luo? 】

【Will you really turn a blind eye to national honor in order to make money?】

【Young master Yin refuses to give up the cash cow of the new company and is willing to make such a desperate bet?】

【The evidence is so obvious, why is young master Yin still lying with his eyes open?】

The comment area under Yin Ye’s social media platform was quickly overrun by scolding which startled Xing Shang and Xing ZhengYuan.

“This group of morons! Who told them they could attack Yin Ye? Quickly shut them up!” Xing ZhengYuan saw the style of the comments in the comment area and knew that it was being done by the water army hired by Xing Shang, which immediately earned him a ruthless glare.

“I, I will right away…” Xing Shang was also sweating profusely with fright. At the beginning, his request was for the water army to fully control the direction of public opinion. Anyone who spoke up for Lin Luo and Xing Mo was to be immediately sprayed back. Unexpectedly, these people even dared to spray Yin Ye…

This time, they didn’t mention PengCheng Energy Company from beginning to end out of fear of involving the young master of the Yin family. At the same time they still focused on spraying Xing Mo and Lin Luo. They thought that these water forces weren’t afraid to die and wanted to fight directly. Were they crazy?

In order to suppress the cynical comments made by the water army towards Yin Ye, Xing ZhengYuan decided to make another move, “Get the families of the victims ready.”

“Yes, father.”

Soon, the families of the victims stood up and tearfully condemned the silent Xing Mo and Lin Luo, and insisted that the state give them the “truth.”

This tragic video completely pushed this incident to its peak.

Under public pressure, the military department finally agreed to conduct a public investigation into the incident.

Xing ZhengYuan and Xing Shang were very happy. The military statement was exactly as they had planed. Next, as long as Xing Mo and Lin Luo were investigated, and as long as they couldn’t produce other evidence to prove their innocence, they would go on to be convicted of treason!

However, imagination is beautiful, reality is cruel.

The military department did file a case as they wished, but it was aimed at the crimes of defamation and rumor-mongering against those news agencies.

All the netizens were stunned at this moment. They didn’t understand what was going on. Why did the military suddenly target those news agencies? Were Xing Mo and Lin Luo not going to be held accountable for treason?

【What’s going on? How can hard evidence such as a video become libel and rumors?】

【That’s right, maybe someone is putting pressure on the military, right?】

【What’s going on? What the hell is the military department doing?】

【Since the military department said that it was libel and rumors, it means that Xing Mo and Lin Luo were wronged?】

【But how do you explain the video? This is a surveillance video. It can’t be fake!】

All of a sudden, there was a lot of discussion on StarNet.

“Hurry up and contact Xue Ning and ask what’s going on!” Xing Zhengyuan frowned. The way things were developing was completely different from what he had expected, which made him feel a sense of unease as if a storm was about to come. He had to know the situation at the military department immediately.

“I can’t connect to Xiao Ning’s communication!” Xing Shang also became anxious.

The inability to contact Xue Ning only intensified Xing ZhengYuan’s ominous feeling. He personally went so far as to reach out to his more difficult contacts and went to inquire about things everywhere he could.

However, before he was able to get any news, two military cadets named Xie Dong and Chen Yi released video recordings in the name of the survivors of the interstellar pirate attack which indicated that Xing Mo and Lin Luo were not treasonous. On the contrary, they were heroes. The reason why they had to dress up as interstellar pirates was to confuse the interstellar pirates and take the opportunity to counterattack.

===========Translator’s Corner===========

[1] 水军 – Shuǐ Jūn – Lit ‘water army’, less commonly seen as ‘navy’, slang (very common) for hired internet trolls who are paid to promote or criticize anyone or anything they are paid to online