Chapter 226 Boiling a frog in lukewarm water!
On the other end of the phone, the voice of the person in charge of public opinion was almost broken.
Chen Jianguo listened quietly, without the slightest surprise on his face.
"Understood." He hung up the phone calmly.
Half an hour later.
Inside the conference room of the supreme command, Liu Zhen, the head of the propaganda department, was standing in front of the screen, his forehead covered in sweat.
On the screen behind him, the network data was growing exponentially, and the curve representing the popularity of the "Dragon Shadow in the Night Sky" topic was almost vertically upward.
"Commendations, this is the situation." Liu Zhen's voice trembled slightly.
"The total number of discussions on this topic across the internet has already exceeded five billion! And it's still growing like crazy!"
"Our technicians tried to reduce the trending topics and delete posts, but it was completely useless! For every one we deleted, a hundred more popped up! All social media platforms were in a semi-paralyzed state!"
He took a deep breath and offered his advice.
"I suggest that the highest level of public opinion response plan be activated immediately! All official media outlets should issue a unified statement to refute the rumors!"
"Just say it's... just say it's a mirage formed under some kind of extreme weather, or a viral marketing campaign by a movie company, or even an AI-generated prank video!"
"We must quickly classify this as a 'fake' incident and quell the situation, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable!"
As soon as Liu Zhen finished speaking, several generals in the conference room immediately expressed their agreement.
“I agree with Minister Liu’s opinion.” A bespectacled general said in a deep voice, “The appearance of the dragon has a huge impact. It has exceeded the understanding of ordinary people. If it is not handled properly, it can easily cause social panic and may even give rise to some cult organizations that use the dragon as a banner, causing unnecessary chaos.”
"Yes, stability is paramount. Our current technological capabilities are not sufficient to fully disclose the existence of supernatural forces. Premature exposure would do us more harm than good."
"Suppress it for now, and we'll talk about it when the time is right."
For a time, voices advocating "debunking rumors" and "maintaining stability" gained the upper hand.
However, Commander Qi, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke at this moment.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually sharp: "Why did you hide it?"
All eyes turned to this general with outstanding achievements.
Commander Qi stood up and calmly swept his gaze over everyone present.
“The spiritual energy will one day be restored; this is a fact that we all know.”
"In the future, more illogical things will happen. Do we have to refute them every time and cover them up every time?"
She walked up to the world map and pointed to the vast land.
"Gentlemen, isn't this the best opportunity yet?"
"A warm-up opportunity for all Chinese people to adapt to the new era in advance!"
"What is there to fear about a divine dragon, formed by the destiny of the nation and dedicated solely to protecting us? It will only bring unparalleled national pride and cohesion!"
"Instead of having to passively explain everything to the people when the world changes drastically in the future, it's better to start now and proactively guide them, letting them discover, believe, and accept it for themselves!"
"It's better to guide than to block!"
Commander Qi's words were powerful and resounding!
The meeting room fell silent instantly.
Those generals who advocated refuting the rumors opened their mouths, but found they had nothing to say in rebuttal.
Yes, the revival of spiritual energy is an irreversible trend.
Can you hide it for a while, or for a lifetime?
Instead of scrambling to put out fires in the future, let's light a controllable fire now and let everyone experience the temperature in advance.
“I agree with Commander Qi’s opinion.” Chief Zhang stood up, his voice old but strong.
"Boiling a frog in lukewarm water".
He looked at the wildly fluctuating data on the screen, a glint of wisdom flashing in his eyes.
"We don't actively promote it, but we also don't ban it, let alone refute rumors."
"At this critical juncture, any official denial will only have the opposite effect, confirming that we are 'guilty and' deliberately hiding something, and will only make those who did not believe us before become skeptical."
"Doing nothing is the best approach."
Chief Zhang paused, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.
"Let the bullets fly for a while, let the discussion ferment, let the myth return to the public eye, let our young people reopen those dusty ancient books, and let them build their own psychological expectations."
These words caused everyone in the conference room to fall into deep thought.
A few seconds later, the eldest brother's calm and decisive voice rang out: "Do as Old Zhang said."
"Issue my order: all units, remain silent. Do not admit, deny, or discuss."
"yes!"
...
The decision was made in the middle of the night.
All the official statements that had been prepared to refute the rumors and were ready to be released on official accounts at midnight fell silent instantly, and the entire official level of China fell into an eerie silence.
This silence is more deafening than any statement!
Countless domestic and international media outlets, anxiously awaiting an "official clarification," were completely dumbfounded.
No way to refute the rumors?
Why not refute the rumors?
Such a big thing, and your official side hasn't said a word?
This doesn't make sense!
Immediately, all sorts of speculations arose.
Fox News in the United States immediately jumped in, with their star anchor stating unequivocally to the camera: "This is China's latest psychological warfare! A global campaign, a collective illusion created using holographic projection technology! Their aim is to flaunt their military power and create panic!"
Japanese media went even further, stating: "According to ancient Chinese records, the divine dragon originated in Takamagahara (the Plain of Heaven). Its appearance this time is to find a way back to its homeland! We urge China not to obstruct the divine dragon's return home!"
Meanwhile, the Chinese internet has completely transformed into a nationwide frenzy of "research enthusiasts."
Brothers! I found it! The *Records of the Grand Historian*, in the chapter on the Feng and Shan sacrifices, says, "The Yellow Emperor collected copper from Shou Mountain and cast tripods at the foot of Jing Mountain. When the tripods were completed, a dragon with a long beard appeared to welcome the Yellow Emperor!" Our ancestor rode a dragon!
[Look at this, upstairs! It's recorded in our county annals! During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, there was a severe drought. The county magistrate led the people in praying for rain, and a golden dragon descended from the sky, bringing three days of heavy rain! There's a picture to prove it! Although it's an old painting!]
My grandma said that when she was little, my great-grandfather told her that a little white dragon lived in the mountains behind their village... I used to take it as a story, but now it gives me goosebumps!
I told you I'm a descendant of the dragon!
[What's there to doubt? Everyone's seen eleven of the twelve zodiac animals; how could the dragon be fictional? It must be real!]
[Wait, why did the dragon suddenly appear? Isn't anyone curious?]
Is it really a resurgence of spiritual energy?! What if, when the world ends, you're all flying away or teleporting, leaving me running around barefoot? I'm really going to throw a tantrum!
It's true, I can fly on a sword now!
......
From the Classic of Mountains and Seas to the Huainanzi, from local gazetteers to folk legends, countless records about dragons have been unearthed from piles of old documents by tireless netizens.
People were shocked to discover that this sacred creature, which only existed in totems and idioms, had left so many clear and vague imprints in the history of their ancestors.
An unprecedented, nationwide "myth revival" movement, with the eerie tacit approval of the authorities, unfolded in full swing.
It brings not panic, but a deep-rooted cultural confidence and national pride.
As Zhou Jue scrolled through his phone, watching the heated discussions and research online, a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.
The dragon has returned to its rightful place, and the nation now has a pillar of stability.
Next, it's time to visit the "military dog spirit beasts." I wonder how their cultivation is going.
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