Chapter 55: Public Opinion

Chapter 55: Public Opinion

Gu Ming's communication followed promptly.

"Brother! What have you been up to? Didn't you see the big show that unfolded around you tonight on the Star Network?"

The dryer beeped softly, indicating the completion of the drying process.

Rong Mi opened the door and carried the wolf, who had already stood up, out, placing him gently on the bed. Seizing the opportunity, he buried his face into the wolf's fur, launching a sudden attack, taking a deep whiff at the nape of the wolf's neck.

Ayin: "Awooo!"

Rong Mi: "My apologies, but Ayin is just too fragrant!"

The wolf was freshly cleaned, with fluffy fur and a scent of milk shampoo lingering on its body. It was simply irresistible.

Not taking a sniff would be an insult to all things fluffy.

As Rong Mi half-heartedly apologized, he couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.

Gently placing the wildly flailing Ayin on the bed, he reached out to grab the stardust network helmet beside it.

Ayin: "..."

The Silver Wolves shook their head, casting an anguished and speechless glance at Rong Mi.

It was evident that once something begins, it's bound to happen again! After experiencing it once, there was no way it wouldn't occur a second time.

It has gradually grown accustomed to it!

As for whether Lu Yi was accustomed to it... the wolf simply didn't care!

Ayin swished its tail, took a couple of steps to the side, and then plopped down on the bed.

Rong Mi glanced at the wolf, making sure it was only pretending to be haughty without genuinely being upset. Then, she put on her helmet, logged into the Star Network, and replied to Gu Ming, "What grand spectacle?"

"I'm getting curious now, thanks to you."

"It's that Deep Space Resonance!" Gu Ming sent a link. "Didn't their concert get canceled? They issued a statement on the Star Network tonight, saying not only is their online stage suspended for review, but their upcoming multi-sector offline tours for the next few months might be called off as well!"

Rong Mi: "Cancelling it?" He was surprised. "Seems like the Capital Star police force is quite efficient."

As he spoke, he tapped on the link. With a virtual star network jump, Rong Mi directly entered Deep Space Echo's virtual stage.

"A Statement and Apology Regarding the Hypnosis Incident at the Concert."

A formal font floated in the center of the stage, filled with a lengthy explanation. The comments section below was buzzing with activity. The top replies from Deep Space Echo fans were receiving countless likes, maintaining high popularity.

"Rong Mi, that floater! How dark his mind must be! Didn't he issue a statement saying he wouldn't be a star network singer anymore? Why is he still targeting Deep Space Echo?"

"How can one not get excited doing metal rock! If you get excited and accidentally release some mental energy, so what! Who pays attention to their mental energy levels during a performance? It was all Deep Space Echo fans in the audience anyway! As a fan, would I mind if they exceeded the limit? Of course not!"

"What hypnosis or no hypnosis... That's just the atmosphere of a heavy metal concert, do you understand? We go there for that feeling!"

"Agreed." Someone immediately replied, "Rong Mi is really sick. To deliberately attend Deep Space Echo's concert and then call the police... But is the consequence of excessive mental energy release that severe? Why did they shut down the virtual stage directly?!"

"I heard it has something to do with our 'Deep Space Butterfly.' They say the butterfly's image resembles the Ice Butterfly, potentially beautifying it and hypnotizing the public into idolizing the Ice Butterfly..."

"Damn. That's taking things way too seriously!"

"{Rong Mi} thinks he's invincible just because he killed a few Ice Butterflies! How conceited!"

"Blinded by the hype on the Star Web! I heard he even runs a streaming channel teaching people how to fight them! He broadcasts every night."

"Hahaha, don't laugh too hard! Is he streaming tonight? I want to check it out."

"I'm currently camped in his live stream channel! He didn't go live tonight, maybe he's guilty after doing something wrong!"

"What an ego. If he were really involved with the Ice Butterflies, the Military would have already taken action. They wouldn't need him to report anything!"

"Exactly, {Rong Mi} hasn't even set foot in the Military!"

Rong Mi made a soft tsking sound.

He wasn't angry, but as he scrolled down, he couldn't help but feel that these commenters were increasingly resembling potential targets for the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association's indoctrination efforts.

As he continued scrolling, he noticed that such replies were dwindling. Thirty minutes ago, the outraged accounts were mostly just a few repeating IDs.

Rong Mi: ?

Rong Mi recalled Gu Ming's mention of a slap in the face. She left the virtual stage of Deep Space Echoes and, after some thought, searched for the official communication platform of the Capital Star's Guard.

At the time of the incident on Deep Space Echoes, the Guard had not issued any official statement. However, fans of the show kept flooding the platform, expressing their dissatisfaction with the police's attitude and signing petitions in support of Deep Space Echoes.

An hour ago, it seemed that the police could no longer ignore the commotion as they re-posted a message.

It was a statement from the Military Investigation Team, stamped with the team's official seal.

"Investigation into the emission of unique psychic frequency waves by Deep Space Echoes."

The statement was extensive and intricately detailed, including an analysis of the specific frequency spectrum of the peculiar mental energy emitted, as well as a comparison between the butterfly silhouette that emerged behind the lead singer during the Deep Space Echo performance and the image of the ice butterfly.

At the end of the statement, a concise summary was provided for those who might not have the time or patience to read through it all:

"Firstly, the mental energy frequency band emitted by Deep Space Echo is a deliberately manipulated hypnotic frequency, distinct from the frequencies released unintentionally during natural mental energy emission."

"Secondly, there is a distinct shadow of an ice butterfly's venom gland within the mental energy butterfly wings of the lead singer of Deep Space Echo. This feature is not present in any other ordinary butterfly species."

"Thirdly, Rong Mi is currently not affiliated with the military but holds special authorization from them. His decision to halt the concert was both legal and compliant, demonstrating his commitment to the safety of Capital Star and the responsibilities toward the Federal Military."

"Looking forward to the day when Rong Mi truly joins the Military Department."

"Not just that!" Gu Ming exclaimed dramatically. "Commander Zhang Lingyu even re-shared your post on her account! Wow! You're really something, buddy! The Supreme Commander rarely posts anything on StarNet!"

Rong Mi: "...."

Rong Mi didn't think that such an incident would reach the Supreme Commander's ears so quickly.

And for the Military Investigation Team to issue such a high-profile statement and respond swiftly... it was also quite intriguing.

Rong Mi: "...."

Rong Mi checked the time.

It was too late; Lu Yi should already be asleep.

Abandoning the idea of seeking out the General for answers, he fell silent for a moment in front of the military statement, then finally smiled.

He couldn't quite figure out how Lu Yi had managed to catch wind of the happenings on StarNet.

"It truly is a 'guardian's duty," Rong Mi thought, recalling the casual adjective he had used with the captain of the guards. He let out a soft sigh, his emotions a mix of feelings.

He removed his virtual headset and glanced at the wolf lying on the bed, already dozing with half-closed eyes.

Rong Mi mused, It must be because love extends to what one loves, and I've been influenced by the wolf...

It made him perceive Lu Yi's actions as... somewhat endearing.

Gently, Rong Mi stroked the wolf's head.

Ayin let out a soft whimper of protest in his sleep, gradually burying his head beneath his paws to escape Rong Mi's teasing.

Rong Mi chuckled and returned to the Star Network, opening his live stream channel.

"To those defending Deep Space Resonance, imagine their Concert Wing Shadows as actual venom sacs," he said, though his stream was muted, the comment section below was already bustling with activity.

A user named "Goddess" lashed out at the persistent Deep Space Resonance fans who were still behaving provocatively in the live stream.

"When those 'Wing Shadows' are fired at the audience, you'd turn into a puddle of blood in less than a second. No one would be able to save you then."

"So, if you're eager to give it a try, don't just pretend at a Deep Space Resonance concert. Go taste the real deal in a warzone, huh?"

"The fans of Deep Space Echoes are organized, aren't they? It's infuriating. We should organize ourselves too!" someone suggested opportunistically. "How about naming it the 'Pest Extermination Association'? I'll create a discussion group right away!"

"The link is right here! Come on, brothers and sisters! I've also invited Rong Mi... I wonder if he'll join us or not!"

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi tapped on the communication shield module and, as expected, found an invitation to a discussion group.

After some contemplation, he felt that since there was an Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association... it couldn't hurt to have another Pest Control Association as well.

Rong Mi tapped into the chat group and glanced at the group information panel.

Founder: Verdant Grass and Blooming Flowers.

Leader: Rong Mi.

Moderators: L, Divine Maiden, 3A.

Participants: Verdant Grass, L, Chen Shu, Gu Ming, Divine Maiden, 3A, Marco, Seiko, Rong Yan...

Rong Mi: Quite a few familiar faces here.

After a moment's thought, he typed and spoke earnestly, "Thank you all for your support."

"Since that's the case, let's continue learning together today how to deal with low-level Ice Butterflies."

With that, he entered the training room and started streaming live. "Taking advantage of the crowd, let's start now. I'll teach you all something different from last time."

Discussion Group: "..."

Amidst the heated criticism towards Deep Space Echoes, the main figure was preoccupied with teaching me how to counter Ice Butterflies... What kind of profound and touching friendship is this?

Following the lengthy ellipsis, members of the chat group returned en masse to the live stream.

The remaining die-hard fans of Deep Space Resonance, who had not yet left, eagerly awaited Rong Mi's appearance and, fueled with a burst of enthusiasm, began spamming the comments section. They accused Rong Mi of leveraging his influential backing to coerce the military into issuing a false statement on his behalf.

Rong Mi clicked his tongue, setting up the ice butterfly training scenario in the simulator as he spoke, "For the past few hours, all you've done is scold me? Have you been paying any attention to the news?"

"The Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association attacked the research facility, causing numerous scientists to be injured. Their escape vehicle opened fire as it fled, sending many bystanders to the hospital... Do you know the emblem of the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association? If you see it in the future, remember to steer clear."

"It matches the logo of the Deep Space Echo Band."

"It's tattooed on the inner side of the forearm. Are you lying? No way, I saw it myself when I fought a member of the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association."

"Mm-hmm, exactly because I was afraid that during any subsequent investigation, someone might claim I had no proof, so I turned on the recording function. I'll play it for you now."

In the video, the vivid red pattern on Yu Tiantian's arm transformed, and the ice butterfly emerged from it with stunning clarity.

The live stream chat fell silent instantly.

In the distant capital planet's entertainment district, Yu Tiantian, who had just escaped from the security team, logged onto the Star Network and paled upon seeing the video.

"What's going on with you?" The pilot who had helped Yu Tiantian escape also saw the news on the Star Network and whispered, "Didn't you say you were going to settle a personal score with an acquaintance?! Why did you expose the Symbiosis Association directly...?"

Yu Tiantian's expression was grim.

For the moment, he ignored his companion and focused intently on the communicator on his wrist.

"The emblem can be altered," a message flickered across the communicator screen. "But your Deep Space Resonance chess piece is, for all intents and purposes, ruined."

"Did you lose your pursuers?"

Yu Tiantian glanced out the window.

The Security Bureau's aerial vehicles had just finished scanning this area and were moving on to search elsewhere.

"They're gone," he said. "Sorry, I... "

"Let's return to the base first," more text appeared steadily. "Lord Cecil wishes to see you."