Chapter 85
The air in the command center was frozen. On the holographic screen, the image of "Miao Weizhen" and Qu Beichen drinking and chatting happily continued to play silently, each frame revealing carefully calculated malevolence.
Luo Yan's knuckles were clenched until they turned white, and he squeezed out a voice from between his teeth: "Despicable trick."
The eyes of the special forces members behind him were all blazing with anger. These veterans who had followed Miao Weizhen through the mountains of corpses and seas of blood knew better than anyone how much federal blood was on the minister's hands.
Xinglan's silver hair danced wildly in the data stream, and she spoke at a speed so fast it felt like a gunshot: "The image is clearly synthetic, using lip data from a public speech three years ago. There are periodic gaps in the audio spectrum of 0.3 seconds..."
"People don't read these technical analyses," Anthony interrupted, his face grim. "They only see the 'facts.'"
Wen Ling, who had been silent the entire time, slowly raised his hand, silencing all the discussion. He turned to Miao Weizhen, his deep green eyes clear and piercing. "I need you to stand by me."
This is not a question, it is a decision.
Miao Weizhen's dark brown pupils shrank slightly. He saw no doubt in Wen Ling's eyes, only trust as calm as water - a trust that was more powerful than any defense.
"Okay." He only replied with one word.
Half an hour later, the league will broadcast live on all channels.
Wen Ling stood alone in front of the camera, with a vast star map behind her.
His voice was steady and powerful, penetrating the receivers of every home:
"Just now, we have witnessed together a carefully orchestrated drama. The director is hidden in the shadows, the actors are digitally synthesized apparitions, and the script is full of lies."
He did not rush to defend himself, but changed the subject:
"But I'm more concerned about why this drama has caused such a stir among us than the drama itself."
His gaze seemed to be looking through the lens, directly into the hearts of every audience member:
"Because everyone here, including me, has fear hidden in our hearts—
Fear of betrayal, fear of the future, fear of loss."
These heart-touching words temporarily calmed the restless internet.
"The enemy exploits this very fear." Wen Ling's voice suddenly turned cold. "They dare not confront our fleet directly, so they can only hide in the shadows and use this tactic. But—"
He stepped aside, and a holographic projection unfolded behind him. It contained a record of all the documents Miao Weizhen had signed over the years, from the Miners' Rights Act for Huangquan Rust Port to the weapons development directive for the Phantom Waste Planet. Each one exuded a cold, pragmatic attitude.
"To judge a person, we should look at his actions in public, not the slander he hides in the dark." Wen Ling's voice became gentle again. "Now, let's hear what the other party has to say."
The camera panned to Miao Weizhen, who was standing in the shadows. He didn't come to the front of the stage, but instead stood there in the dark, his voice as cold as ever:
"If I were to betray, the best time would have been three years ago when the Federation army was approaching. If I were to betray, there would have been no need to wait until today. When Wen Xunyi was in power, I repeatedly engaged in a policy of appeasement and delaying the Federation in order to buy more strategic time and resources for my motherland. However, behind all this was my personal, deep-seated blood feud with the Federation President."
He took a step forward, half his face immersed in the light and half in the shadows:
"I will not forget, and I cannot forget."
"Qu Beichen and I have a deep and mortal hatred. This vengeful bloodthirsty creature has long been one of the fundamental driving forces for my survival. On the day my parents were falsely accused and executed, on the day the Federation sold me into the slave market, on the day he nearly killed my sister."
With every word he spoke, his voice grew colder, until it almost froze like ice.
"These blood debts can only be repaid with blood."
This undisguised hatred is more convincing than any excuse. True hatred is always more convincing than false peace.
At this time, Xing Lan's complete technical report was released. She used easy-to-understand methods to dismantle the flaws in the fabricated evidence, even providing a dynamic demonstration. Simultaneously, footage of Han Zhong's fleet confronting the Federation fleet at the border began to circulate. The very real threat of war made those carefully woven lies seem laughable.
Late at night, on the shore of Mirror Sea.
"You made a risky move today." Miao Weizhen looked at the dark sea.
"Trust is the biggest risk." Wen Ling stood beside him, "But I won the bet."
Miao Weizhen turned to look at him and said, "What if one day those slanders come true?"
"Then let's wait until that day comes." Wen Ling met his gaze. "At least today, we have jointly protected what we should protect."
The sea breeze blew the hems of their clothes. In this storm of public opinion, they were like two trees with deep roots, supporting each other in the strong wind.
Somewhere in deep space, Qu Beichen turned off the live broadcast. Far from getting angry, he smiled playfully:
"Interesting. It seems this game is even more exciting than I imagined."
He pressed the communication button:
"Activate the second phase of 'Mirror Flower'. Let's see if they can maintain their composure when the people they trust the most begin to waver."
When the alarm ripped through the night sky, Wen Ling was in the consciousness link room for intensive training. Excessive use of the consciousness link made his temples throb, but he endured the discomfort and walked quickly to the command desk.
"The third line of defense has been breached! The Federation fleet is advancing towards the K-7 star field!" The communications officer's voice was filled with panic. "General Han Zhong requests immediate support!"
Wen Ling immediately ordered: "Mobilize the First and Third Fleets to intercept and activate the Mirror Sea defense system."
"no."
Miao Weizhen's voice came from the door. He strode into the command center, walked past Wen Ling, and entered a series of commands on the console.
"The First and Third Fleets remain in place. Abandon the K-7 star field and focus on defending the core area of the Mirror Sea."
The command center suddenly fell silent. Everyone knew that three hundred thousand civilians were being evacuated from the K-7 star field.
Wen Ling looked at him in disbelief: "Weizhen, what did you say?"
"You heard it clearly." Miao Weizhen continued adjusting the defense deployment without looking up. "In order to protect the core, we must give up something."
"That's three hundred thousand lives!" Wen Ling grabbed his arm with such force that Miao Weizhen finally turned around. "We have the ability to save them!"
Their eyes met in mid-air. Miao Weizhen's gaze was as cold as ice. "Your judgment has been affected by excessive connection. Look at your own shaking hands. From now on, I will take full command."
He turned to the officers standing there in shock, and his voice suddenly rose: "Follow orders!"
"Let's see who dares!" Wen Ling's voice was sharper than ever. He looked around the command center, his deep green eyes burning with anger. "I am the leader of the alliance."
At this tense moment, Han Zhong's emergency communication was connected again. The voice was heavy: "K-7... has been lost. We... are too late."
On the holographic star map, the entire K-7 star field was dyed a glaring blood-red. Three hundred thousand civilians, lost forever due to the commanders' hesitation.
Wen Ling stumbled back, bumping into the edge of the console. He looked at Miao Weizhen, his eyes turning from shock to anger, and finally condensing into deep disappointment.
"You will regret your decision today."
His voice was very soft, but it was like an icicle, piercing everyone's heart.
From that day on, a clear split appeared in the alliance's command system.
Wen Ling practically lived in the consciousness link room, frantically trying to achieve a deeper resonance with the core of the Mirror Sea. Meanwhile, Miao Weizhen took full control of the military command, his every decision calm and almost cruel.
"Minister, B-2 outpost requests support. They are surrounded by an enemy force three times their size..."
"Let them break out on their own."
"But our best scouts are there..."
"Execute the command."
Similar conversations played out every day. Even the usually calm Luo Yan couldn't help but say to Xing Lan in private: "The Minister refused to rescue a besieged special forces team yesterday, and today he abandoned a transport fleet full of refugees. The Minister..."
Xing Lan silently sorted through the medical data. The report indicated that Wen Ling's nervous system was indeed on the verge of collapse, and the connection to her consciousness had been irreversibly damaged. From a medical perspective, Miao Weizhen's intervention made sense. But looking at his increasingly grim profile, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity for the first time.
Cracks began to creep into the alliance. Officials supporting Wen Ling began meeting privately to question Miao Weizhen's arbitrary actions. Miao Weizhen's closest associates, however, accused Wen Ling of being lost in idealistic fantasies and ignoring the greater good.
Late that night, things reached a point of no return.
Wen Ling ignored Anthony's dissuasion and insisted on undergoing an extremely dangerous deep consciousness connection. "I can feel it, I'm just one step away from a breakthrough..."
He was pale but extremely stubborn.
When Miao Weizhen arrived, the connection room was in chaos. The monitoring equipment issued a piercing alarm, indicating that Wen Ling's neural load had exceeded the safety threshold by three times.
"Terminate the link immediately." Miao Weizhen ordered Anthony.
"No!" Wen Ling's voice came from the link seat, weak but extremely firm, "The Mirror Sea Core is responding to me, just a little bit..."
Miao Weizhen immediately drew his pistol and aimed it at the core of the link device:
"I'll count to three."
The entire connection room fell silent. Everyone was stunned, even Wen Ling looked at him in disbelief.
"one."
"You dare not..."
"two."
The air seemed frozen, with only the monitor's alarm wailing sharply.
"three."
Gunshots rang out.
Black smoke billowed from the linking device, and Wen Ling uttered a painful groan, collapsing in his seat. Blood trickled slowly from his nostrils and ears, glaring against his pale skin.
Miao Weizhen put away his gun expressionlessly. "Send him to the medical bay. No one is allowed to let him out without my order."
This complete break soon reached Qu Beichen's ears.
"Confirmed," the intelligence officer reported to him. "Miao Weizhen has placed Wen Ling under house arrest and has completely seized control of the alliance. Our insider reports that the alliance has split into two factions, and internal strife could break out at any moment."
Qu Beichen's lips finally curled up in satisfaction. "It's time. Let's activate the final phase of 'Mirror Flower'. Let's put the finishing touches on this fratricidal feud."
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