Warning

"Milton, you're oversimplifying things. Don't forget we still have soldiers on the front lines! We can't completely cut off their connection to our Mother Planet, and the previous news has already taken a hit on morale!"

One general countered that being on the front lines gave him more authority to speak. Much information about the Zerg had been withheld from ordinary Riken soldiers because a hopeless battle would severely damage morale. If they could fight to the bitter end and capitalize on the soldiers' desperation, they might be able to turn the tide. However, the subsequent news of the Zerg's attempts to persuade them to surrender completely thwarted that idea.

Now, dissenting voices are emerging among the Reken soldiers, with many supporters of both the die-hard and surrender factions, posing a significant threat to the defensive line.

"That's right! If the news spreads too widely, and we clash with the Zerg and ordinary soldiers are captured, the chances of the news being leaked will increase significantly. Once we lose these leverage points, we will be in a very passive position."

The old general also chimed in, but what he didn't say was that if the news spread, some of the surrender faction might do things that would humiliate them. That guy was just worried about not having anything of value to appease the Zerg.

This is the drawback of individual wisdom and civilization; there will always be a few individuals who, for their own selfish interests, do things that harm the entire race.

Milton remained silent. Residing on his home Mother Planet, he had never been to either the Wenwu Binary Star Defense Line, nor even to this Colony Two. Therefore, his understanding of the external military deployments was only superficial, a embellished version of reality far removed from the actual situation. Listening to the generals' speeches, he realized his oversight, but another question immediately came to mind:

"Have you considered that some high-ranking personnel who went missing during the war and had access to information might have been captured by the Zerg, and the information might have already been leaked?"

"Don't worry, all the senior officers at the front who know the specific information have voluntarily installed a little device in their heads, which is enough to ensure that the information is not leaked." The old general fell silent after saying this.

It's hard to say whether this thing is voluntary, and although it's advertised as self-detonating, its actual detonation mechanism is that it will automatically detonate once it leaves the fleet, its own ship, or an auxiliary vessel like an escape pod within a certain distance during wartime.

The battlefield is unpredictable, and accidents or misjudgments are bound to happen in extreme situations. But since these Rickens know more and have more experience than other Rickens, they should bear and pay more.

"So, there's definitely no problem at the front lines. Even if something goes wrong, it'll be on your side of the council. You guys sometimes get too clever for your own good and do stupid things."

Just as the conversation was heading in a strange direction, and Antonio was about to steer it back, the old general continued, "We need to prepare for two things regarding the treasure. First, we must keep its exact nature a secret. Second, we need to strengthen security at the laboratory. That way, even if the Zerg know what the treasure is, it's useless if they don't know where it's hidden. We still have leverage."

"Yes, the lab has long implemented stricter security measures. All researchers who have access to the treasure are under closed management, and they haven't been allowed to leave for several years."

"That's good."

Since the Swarm began fighting the Riken Race, security measures at the laboratory have been continuously strengthened. But before that, when they were unaware of the Swarm threat, security, while strict, hadn't reached the point of restricting freedom.

While Claire initially concealed specific research findings from Chloe under certain confidentiality agreements, she overlooked some minor details, leading Chloe to discover certain things. However, these details were not recorded in official documents, resulting in the Riken Race never suspecting the once-missing Chloe, nor being aware that their so-called "treasure" had been completely exposed to the Swarm. Even among their restricted research personnel, several Intellect were hidden.

The meeting then continued for some time, and after a general decision was made to continue hiding the information about the "treasure," several recalled General Ricken hurriedly boarded the warship and returned to the front lines.

As he was leaving, the old general pondered for a long time before finally saying, "Gentlemen, regardless of the referendum result, we will not back down in war, nor will we surrender; we will demonstrate our worth. Only by holding bargaining chips can we negotiate and fight for our interests. I don't know if any of you are from the opposition or any other faction. His Excellency the Speaker will certainly not reveal the specific information about the treasure, but I also do not wish for this information to be leaked through other channels."

Looking at the silent councilors, the old general's eyes sharpened, and his tone became increasingly sinister. "I don't care what your motives are, or what dirty secrets you have among yourselves, but you must remember that you are a Riken Race, and there are bottom lines in everything. If I find any of you betraying the interests of your race, I would rather abandon the Zerg and bring the fleet back to wipe him out, destroying him before the extinction of our race!"

After saying this, the old general turned and boarded the warship.

As the light emanating from the engine gradually receded into the distance, the few Rikens who watched the colossal steel construct depart had flickering eyes and uncertain expressions, their minds racing with thoughts. But in the end, they all fell silent and said nothing more.

In any case, the old general's last words had an effect. The public opinion environment on Ricken's Mother Planet became much clearer, with fewer people stirring up trouble. Antonio also controlled the release of a large number of other news items to divert attention, while simultaneously implementing internet censorship.

The powerful military is subtly breaking free from Antonio's control. With their strong intervention, both Antonio and the opposition have tacitly reduced the attention given to related news.

The originally lively referendum suddenly went silent, as everyone wanted to test the Zerg's bottom line before making a decision.

Since the Zerg did not take the initiative to contact the Riken Race, the Riken Race decided to wait and see. In the words of the old general, rushing in would not only weaken their momentum but also reveal their cowardice, which would be detrimental to the negotiations.

Time flies, Riken Race has become a joke. No matter what the result is, there are always people who jump out and demand a new referendum for various reasons.

Three rounds of referendums have been held so far, and ordinary people in Rickon have become numb...

Just as the Riken Race eagerly awaited news, the Swarm finally made a move.

Twenty thousand Ancient Class gathered and slowly detached themselves from the Chuyun Planet. Having been lying dormant here for some time, many of them had grown to nearly 600 meters in size, and a few even reached 700 meters, making them an elite force.

Such a large-scale military change was immediately noticed by the Riken Race, who were keeping a close watch on the area, and they immediately adopted a defensive posture.

Thank you for the 150 Qidian coins reward from Abyss Order.