Chapter 331
More and more Kazimierz are joining this chorus of skepticism.
July 12, morning.
The Commercial Union recognized the seriousness of the situation and held an emergency press conference.
First, he distanced himself from Maria, stating that he did not support her in becoming the champion.
Secondly, they presented surveillance video to prove that the Rust Copper Knight had inexplicably fainted. The Left-Handed Knight, on the other hand, was defeated because of his arrogance, which allowed him to withstand Maria's ultimate attack. They had no connection whatsoever with their Commercial Union.
However, the footage of the Snowheel Knights' Rotten Knight and Withered Knight in the changing room was not released.
They were animals raised by the Commercial Union, mixed in with chains. If this were made public, it would cause even more controversy.
In an attempt to steer public opinion, the Commercial Union hired a large number of online trolls. They began deleting posts and comments on various online forums and message boards, trying to mislead the public.
Some people are willing to believe it, while others resolutely refuse to believe it.
However, the flame of suspicion in people's hearts has already begun to spread outwards like a spark.
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Rumors that the Commercial Union was supporting Maria Saria's victory could not be suppressed.
Even after they held a press conference, released videos to prove their innocence, and spent money to bribe media outlets, forcefully lower trending search terms, and hire online trolls to manipulate public opinion, they still couldn't stop the situation from escalating.
The Supervision Committee was overjoyed.
As the Commercial Union's arch-enemy, how could they not take advantage of the situation?
Since they can hire online trolls, the Supervision Committee can also hire them. To use a story from the Yan, it's called "an eye for an eye."
The Commercial Union's online trolls said it was a rumor, Supervision Committee's online trolls said it was true.
Faced with diametrically opposed answers, the general public is more likely to believe the conspiracy theory.
July 12, 0:20 pm
Armored Unarmored Alliance, Headquarters Building.
Upon learning that Platinum had not returned all night, Monique summoned another Azure Gold Rank to the conference room to discuss important matters.
They agreed to arrive at noon, but Roy was much later than usual, slowly pushing open the door.
Monique rolled her eyes at him and asked the first question:
"What's going on with the Pinecone Knights? How could Platinum Knights be caught even from that far away?"
"That's hard to say."
Roy pulled up a chair and sat down, unceremoniously putting his legs up on the table, and teased:
"Cavaleria is the place where there's an urban legend about you sniping targets from kilometers away. It's normal for them to be on guard. I just didn't expect Little Platinum to be captured; it was a bit of a surprise."
Seeing his nonchalant and relaxed demeanor, Monique frowned slightly and asked in surprise:
"Aren't you usually very caring towards the younger generation? Why do you seem to have no intention of saving her today?"
"Save her? There's no need."
Seeing her strange expression, Roy explained:
"Those infected members of the Pinecone Knights are eager to obtain the Armored Unarmored Alliance's confidential information. It's a pity that Little Platinum has never been to the archives. Given the nature of these infected members, it's better to imprison her and use her as a bargaining chip in future negotiations than to kill her. So, in the short term, Little Platinum won't be in any danger. Just treat their place as a daycare center and help take care of the children."
"Ha, easy for you to say. Aren't you afraid that once Platinum runs away, it will resent your inaction now?"
"How could that be? You're overthinking it."
Roy's playful expression gradually turned serious:
"Currently, the Commercial Union has not yet discovered that the three Xuan Tie are up to something behind the scenes. If the two of us can turn the tables on them, we might be able to fake our deaths, change our identities, and completely break free from the control of the Armored Unarmored Alliance."
"When we work together to rescue Platinum, she'll be incredibly grateful. She can then work as a receptionist at our new company to keep things looking good."
As the two were talking, Monique's phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, immediately raised her index finger in a shushing gesture, and placed the phone on the wooden table in the conference room, turning it on speakerphone.
The other party was none other than Iron Great Position, the leader of Lazurite.
"Monique, Maria Saria's recent match-fixing scandal has had a significant impact. The board members of the Commercial Union are very dissatisfied with it."
"I don't care what methods you use, you must stop the Nearl Family sisters from advancing to the finals. If you find it difficult, you can ask Roy for help."
"Yes, I understand."
Monique was speechless as the call ended.
The two sisters of the Nearl Family are the granddaughters of war hero Cyril Saria.
If you kill any one of them, you can forget about living in this land forever.
Those Campaign Knight stationed on the frontier will hunt them down to the ends of the earth and tear them to shreds!
"Why do leaders these days speak without thinking? How are we supposed to complete this awful task?"
The difficulty of this task is comparable to a powerful demon in the Journey to the West ordering a lesser demon to capture Tang Sanzang.
Extremely difficult, but that doesn't mean impossible. It just means that once you do it, you're basically not far from death.
Since we can't kill the Nearl Family sisters, how can we force them to withdraw from the competition?
Roy laughed heartily upon hearing this and echoed:
"Oh, that's how leaders are. They like to dump things they can't do themselves onto their subordinates. If the Commercial Union holds them accountable afterward, they just shift the blame to the two of us and wash their hands of all responsibility."
"At a time like this, what are you still saying? Do you have any good ideas? How about..."
At this point, Monique turned her hand over. The implication was, should they defect from the Armored Unarmored Alliance?
This task is thankless and likely to cause a lot of trouble. If all else fails, I might as well just quit and run away.
Roy shook his head and offered his personal opinion:
"No, now is not the time. The Commercial Union and the three Iron Great Position all have their own plans. We need to wait until the situation is chaotic enough before we can find an opportunity to escape and get away from the control of the Armored Unarmored Alliance."
The Bright Knight is fiercely independent and incredibly powerful, making her a formidable opponent. The only way to persuade her to withdraw from the competition is to work on Maria.
Tomorrow is the quarterfinals of the Special Tournament, the match between the Candle Knight and the Bright Knight. We can find an opportunity to kidnap Maria and force her to withdraw from the tournament.
The mission is complete, and no one was killed. I can report back to Iron Great Position. Then I can take a long leave, fake my death, and start a completely new life.
Monique for a moment, and, unable to think of a better solution, agreed.
"Okay, kidnap Maria tomorrow."
July 12, 3:55 pm
After half an hour of fierce competition, the top 8 teams for the 24th Knight Competition Special Tournament have been determined.
The upper bracket features Candle Knight versus Bright Knight, Lucky Knight versus Nightmare Chaser Knight. The lower bracket features Maria versus Little Bluebird Knight, and Fire Dragon Knight versus Yellow Robe Knight.
The current schedule of one match in the morning and one match in the afternoon will continue. There will be four matches in total, spanning two days.
After receiving the list of the top 8, Mackey, a spokesperson for the Commercial Union, proactively approached Candle Knight.
"La Signora. Drost, the match-fixing scandal is escalating. At this juncture, we can't allow the Bright Knight to advance to the semifinals, or the board will lose face. If you don't mind, we can use some off-court methods..."
The Candle Knight, looking displeased, interrupted:
"I understand what you mean, but I hope to fight the Bright Knight fairly and squarely."
The spokesperson was quite helpless when she saw that her attitude was firm.
"It won't work to convince me; you'll have to convince the board. La Signora. Drost, can you tell me why you should refuse a victory that's been handed to you?"
"Why?"
The Candle Knight was so angry he laughed, and retorted:
"Mr. Spokesperson, shouldn't I be asking this question? Why are you targeting the Bright Knight? Do you really intend to manipulate the match, as rumored?"
This topic is currently very sensitive.
In particular, the spokesperson's position also serves as a mouthpiece for the Commercial Union's external communications:
"La Signora. Drost, this is not a topic for us to discuss. If you really want to know, I can reveal a little bit. In the end, the whole thing is actually a power struggle between the Supervision Committee and the Commercial Union. It's a very complex matter, and you can't grasp it."
"I am Knight, and all I can control is my weapon. I can't control anything else. I just want a fair duel with the Bright Knight. Is that some kind of Heavenly Principles request?"
"No, even if I go back to report now, the Commercial Union will not change its purpose and will still make the Bright Knight lose. And losing to you is the best option."
"This is the best option for you, not for me. Mr. Mackey, I'm very disappointed in you."
Having said that, Candle Knight Drost gave the speaker a complicated look, then turned and left the scene.
July 12, 7:00 pm
The evening breeze was gentle, and the night was as dark as ink.
Shi Lei was invited by Sona to their stronghold in the infected area.
Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, it's the match between the Candle Knight and the Bright Knight. Members of the Pinecone Knights, with the help of the Supervision Committee, will orchestrate a massive power outage across four cities.
The reason I called the Lucky Knight over tonight is to go over the entire plan and avoid any oversights.
"After scouting the location multiple times, we have found the best way to sneak into the Commercial Union building."
Look here, there's a freight elevator. Usually, only Messenger and porters use it.
However, there are security cameras at the entrance, so it's not usually easy to break in. But during the four-city blackout, all power will be cut off. We'll have time to get in through here before the Commercial Union starts its backup generators.
Tomorrow's objective is the server room on the top floor of the building. After stealing the data, we'll upload it to the cloud for backup, so everyone can access the information. This is to prevent any unforeseen circumstances during the evacuation where we might be unable to evacuate without the necessary data.
Upon hearing this Grey Fur Knight shook his head, unable to accept such a noble act of sacrificing himself.
"Commander, so you're prepared to die? Promise me you won't die carelessly!"
Even if the mission succeeds, losing you will render this infiltration operation meaningless.
Sona knew that the group members cared about her, and smiled:
"Don't worry, the Lucky Knight will provide protection throughout. Even if he's not by our side, we can still enjoy the same shield that the Wild Mane Knight had."
To be honest, everyone was amazed by the Lucky Knight's abilities. The Wild Mane Knight even went to the rooftop to be a live target, and after taking two arrows, he wasn't hurt at all.
This discovery completely changed everyone's understanding of the Lucky Knight. He seemed like a solid rock, bringing them unparalleled peace of mind.
At this moment, an Infected Knight raised his hand and asked a question:
"Commander, are we going to take all the data from the top-floor server room?"
"No, we only stole one piece of information this time, and that is the truth about 'Plot Zero'. The Commercial Union has privately built a prison here to hold infected people, and it is necessary to make this information public."
"Once we hand these over to the Supervision Committee, we can regain everyone's legal status. Whether you stay or leave is entirely up to you. Let's work hard for a better tomorrow!"
"Come on!"
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July 13, 8:30 am
Shi Lei sat cross-legged on the bed, carefully reviewing the day's plans and checking for any oversights.
Unlike most people, he doesn't need to sleep. Therefore, he has more time to think about every single detail.
The weather was rather muggy today. Just as the clock struck 8:30, Shi Lei's spare phone suddenly rang.
He glanced down and saw it was an unfamiliar number.