No sooner had Director Hansen finished speaking than new footage appeared on the television screen.
Several soldiers appeared on-screen, engaged in various exercises, when a well-dressed female reporter approached them.
"Hello."
"I'm reporter Mei Mi."
"Have you heard about the Security Bureau suing Homelander?"
The soldiers all nodded, indicating that they knew.
The reporter held her microphone up to one of the soldiers. "Were you involved in the operation at Silver Tree Town? Can you tell us what happened there?"
The soldier hesitated, then shook his head. "No comment."
The reporter looked shocked. "No comment?"
"Why? Did the higher-ups issue a gag order?"
"My god, don't they know citizens have a right to know?"
The reporter interviewed several soldiers in succession, but none of them were willing to reveal even the slightest bit of information.
Only then did Hansen let out a sigh of relief and exchange a smile with the Senator.
The television screen switched to the studio, where the host said, "It's regrettable. It seems certain important figures in our country don't understand that citizens have a right to know."
"I won't blame these soldiers. They have their own difficulties. But I want to tell them that although obeying orders is a soldier's duty—"
"—you are not only soldiers. You are also citizens, husbands, and fathers."
"So sometimes, you must speak up for justice."
At that moment, the studio phone rang.
The host answered it.
"Hello, this is the CAD broadcast hotline."
"Hello, I'm Dave. Uh, a farmer."
The host said, "Hello, Dave. What would you like to tell me and our viewers?"
"Yes, host."
Dave said, "My family has been farmers for generations. We've lived in the countryside since my grandfather's time, and the corn we grow is excellent."
"Oh, I got off track."
"What I wanted