Sedition

The struggle for power is often accompanied by bloodshed, and Antonio has resorted to dirty tricks over the years. In particular, his decision to break with convention and continue serving his third term, while driven by a sense of wartime duty to defend against foreign invaders, still drew considerable opposition.

If he continues to be assertive, he naturally won't be afraid of these demons and monsters. But in the current situation, if he doesn't handle things properly, he might suffer a major setback.

Those guys are well hidden; perhaps some are even among his close associates. The fact that the Life-Extending Serum lab was breached and remains unsolved to this day shows that although he appears to have absolute power, there are still places he cannot control hidden in the shadows.

Antonio actually had a pretty good idea of who these guys were. In the past, their petty actions were harmless, and given their relatively high status, keeping them around was even more valuable.

But now, Antonio must find them and get rid of them.

Without these reactionary forces, he would have the final say on right and wrong. Even if someone surrendered, he could whitewash the situation, and who knows, the blame might even turn into a prize.

But before he could make a move, his opponents struck first.

News from the front lines leaked out from somewhere, and overnight, the social networks of the Riken Race were flooded with related reports. The reports were full of technical jargon, making them seem very real, but this also created a reading barrier, as many ordinary Riken Race simply couldn't understand them.

No problem, experts appeared out of nowhere and provided a comprehensive analysis, interpreting each point in the most straightforward language to make it clear to the public. They even filmed many videos about it.

The report implicitly attributes the current predicament to the parliament and to Antonio, who wields absolute power, saying that his obsession with power has led to the current situation.

The Zerg invasion was merely a reactive response; it was our Riken Race that first invaded the Zerg territory and presented evidence. The confidential documents from the time of former Speaker Delrin's administration, prior to Antonio's appointment, were leaked and made public.

All the uninformed onlookers were stunned and speechless by this evidence, completely bewildered and questioning their own existence.

The Zerg Meteor that destroyed the Trimble District, which enraged the Riken Race sparked Swarm attack, was actually a conspiracy orchestrated by the council and the military.

(The Overlord: Finally found an opportunity to shift the blame.)

The revelation of the facts revealed the invaders' identity in an instant, catching all of Ricken off guard.

Currently, the Swarm holds an absolute advantage, amassing troops on Chuyun Planet, waiting only for the opportune moment to sweep away the Riken Race.

The Riken Race was facing a life-or-death crisis, but the council and Antonio were still hiding the truth, which enraged the onlookers.

When Antonio learned of this, he knew he had missed a golden opportunity, but he still didn't grasp the gravity of the situation. While he was still verifying the accuracy of the information, the opposition had already made their move.

He hadn't expected the energy unleashed by the other side to be so immense, reaching such a level even under his control. This indicated that the plans and personnel involved had been meticulously planned for a long time, and there might even have been Zerg involvement.

He then shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. His mind was in turmoil, and he was already overthinking things. The Zerg involved? How could that be!

Antonio's skill was truly remarkable; after a brief moment of panic, he quickly regained his composure and calmly issued a series of orders.

The Riken Race are a high-tech civilization. The Life-Extending Serum laboratory incident many years ago led to the improvement of many infrastructures, such as a greater number of surveillance devices.

With the current wartime state and internet control, the previously overwhelming news disappeared in a very short time, and many of Rickon's inflammatory remarks were also found by the guards through the internet.

However, upon review, it was found that most of these Rickens were outsiders who received a script and were paid to do the job, with no knowledge of the details. The rest were simply people who disliked the council and were offering their services for free.

This result caused Antonio some distress.

Although the main culprit wasn't caught, the situation was at least contained, which gave Antonio a slight sense of relief.

But this was probably wishful thinking on his part. The visible flames were extinguished, but the undercurrents were surging even more fiercely.

Decades of war have destroyed the former affluent lifestyle. Most of the wealth created by the Rickens has been invested in military equipment. The people are tightening their belts and living in poverty. Many Rickens are living like zombies.

Discontent had long existed among the people, but they could only endure it in the face of annihilation. Now they discover that the clown is themselves, and that decades of hardship have only been the price to pay for certain wrong decisions...

A day later, in-person marches and petitions began.

Because of limited information, ordinary people are very easily swayed by others. Under the instigation and guidance of those with ulterior motives, the scale of the marches grew larger and larger, and soon reached a level that could not be ignored.

Wartime troop deployment is very rapid; without parliamentary review, Antonio could mobilize troops directly. Soon, the army surrounded the demonstrators.

But the protesters panicked for only a moment. Confident in their numbers, they tried to continue. Soon, they realized the siege was just that – a siege – and their courage grew. Eventually, they even clashed physically with the troops blocking their path.

The opposition, which had managed to remain hidden for so long, naturally had its own people planted within the army. Under their subtle but persistent care, and with many soldiers also feeling lost, they were exceptionally lenient towards the Rickon protesters.

Antonio also realized that the situation was getting out of control, and the opposition's power was beyond imagination. Thousands of cities around the world were mobilized at the same time, and the military forces in these locations were hiding their people. This scale made Antonio secretly gasp.

He now needs to find a way to quickly quell the anger of the incited masses. Once the situation is stabilized, he can regain the initiative, and then it will be his turn to make his move. He will definitely have a good time with the opposition.

At this point, denying the information is pointless. Forcing it would only make things worse. It would be better to admit it openly and then find a scapegoat.

Antonio wields considerable power, and no one dares to make him the scapegoat yet. However, he already has a better candidate, perfectly suited for the position.

On a remote island far from the mainland, the sun shines brightly, and the beach is covered with fine, white-gold sand. There are several uniquely styled buildings and villas on the island, with restaurants hidden inside, where precious natural meats can be found everywhere.

There is no dock on the island, and all supplies must be transported by plane. Anyone who can be found here in Rickon must be extremely wealthy and powerful. It is a secluded resort, seemingly isolated from the world, where everything outside is irrelevant.