News Conference

The final thirty minutes had arrived. Those who had been delayed by "business" began taking their seats one after another, and the scene gradually settled down.

The smiles, discussions, and easygoing composure from before slowly peeled away from their faces like masks.

In their place came hushed whispers, subtle movements betraying genuine unease, and even a kind of excitement they were desperately trying to suppress----

An invisible "gaze" swept across the distance-

Unusually, even the pedestrians on the streets had grown scarce at this moment. Some people were even clutching their phones as they sat on roadside flowerbeds, nervously opening that conspicuous livestream channel.

Quite a few others perhaps felt uncomfortable and simply ducked into roadside restaurants, supermarkets, and similar places to watch on their large-screen televisions.

----Or perhaps it was simply some instinctive biological response to unease, causing people to gather together subconsciously at times like this, chattering and discussing matters without end.

Ultimately, today's livestream was being broadcast not only across online platforms, but was also taking the place of the usual television news programs. By comparison, hardly anyone was willing to miss it.

Putting everything else aside, even the people beside Li Yun—people who were, in essence, far more deeply entangled in this than ordinary folk—were clearly showing a few signs of anxiety over what they might gain or lose.

The viewing venue gradually fell silent as the final moments passed-

At nine o'clock sharp, an extremely solemn venue appeared on the television screen!

The livestream had begun.

An elderly man with hair that was almost entirely silver-white, yet with an exceptionally steady bearing, stood before the camera at the center of the venue. Behind him stood two "students" in their fifties or sixties who looked like elementary school pupils, respectfully positioned in the rear and emphasizing