Chapter 215: Mentioned in the Same Breath? That’s Too Insulting!

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Mentioned in the Same Breath? That’s Too Insulting!

Just as Nick and the Black Wizard thought Liang He had no way to defend herself, an abrupt shout suddenly came from the livestream, instantly attracting all the netizens’ attention.

"Good news! Liang He, good news!" Hoder couldn’t care less about the livestream’s presence. He walked straight up to Liang He to share the latest news. "Some of the animals that fell into a coma from the poison have woken up!"

On the other end of the livestream, Nick and the Black Wizard could no longer sit still. They stood up abruptly, staring intently at Liang He and Hoder to confirm what they had just heard. They wondered how that could be possible.

"Is the antidote working?" Liang He asked. She estimated the time; it should be about right.

"That’s right! This time, the antidote bypassed the traps set by the Rebel Army and successfully neutralized the poison in the animals. And these were all animals in severe comas!" Hoder replied.

If even the severely comatose animals had successfully awakened, then naturally, there was no need to worry about the others. It was just a pity for those animals that had been injected with the Antidote developed by the Animal Research Institute and mutated into Fierce Beasts instead. If they had just waited a little longer, perhaps... Hoder subconsciously shook the thought from his mind. No matter what, this was a good thing.

"Real or fake? How could it be such a coincidence? Right after we raised doubts, Liang He and her team suddenly have good news. Could it be on purpose?" one comment read.

"I also think it’s a bit too coincidental. It’s like this every time. Could their luck really be that good? Can they even predict things in advance?"

"Anyway, I’ve learned my lesson this time. Before the truth is completely clear, I won’t make any comments. I’m afraid of getting slapped in the face."

The paid trolls were still trying to muddy the waters, and the netizens indeed found the string of coincidences a bit hard to believe. Thinking carefully, the possibility of Liang He’s team orchestrating this whole scheme just to make the Rebel Army take the blame wasn’t entirely impossible.

Seeing the netizens being led astray again, Silver Shuttle, who was standing to the side, grew anxious. He didn’t dare rush to Liang He’s side like Hoder did, so he could only look at Silver Feather for help. "Aunt Silver Feather, should we remind Liang He? The netizens seem to be led astray again, suspecting that we orchestrated this ourselves."

Silver Feather followed Silver Shuttle’s gaze to the Light Brain in his hand, which was also broadcasting the livestream and the constantly refreshing comments.

"Actually, no matter how she explains it, unless the evidence is presented directly, there will always be people who doubt her," Silver Feather replied. "Plus, there are paid trolls controlling the narrative. Therefore, avoiding the trap of trying to prove one’s own innocence is the most important thing."

Watching up to this point, Silver Feather had assessed the situation clearly. The Rebel Army was using paid trolls to constantly hurl difficult questions at Liang He and manipulate the netizens’ thoughts. While attempting to shift the blame, they hadn’t forgotten to stir up trouble for the reserve and Liang He. The reserve’s inadequate security was indeed a fact, and no amount of explanation could cover up this dereliction of duty. They could only try their best to make amends, thoroughly investigate the truth, and catch the mastermind.

"Then can Liang He handle it herself? Just watching makes me panic; I wouldn’t know how to reply to the netizens’ sharp questions," Silver Shuttle said. If he were in her shoes, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stay calm. Instead, he would easily be flustered and babble incoherently, which would then allow the Rebel Army to seize upon his words and target them again.

"Her mental fortitude is much stronger than yours. Don’t worry," Silver Feather assured him. She always had an inexplicable trust in Liang He. In her eyes, Liang He’s mental fortitude was stronger than the vast majority of people’s. To some extent, even she felt inferior. Presumably, only matters concerning the fluffy animals could make Liang He waver a bit.

Just as Silver Feather had thought, Liang He didn’t panic when she saw the questioning comments. She knew very well how feeble verbal explanations could be; presenting the evidence directly would be far more convincing.

"I hope everyone can understand one thing," Liang He announced to the viewers. "Whether it is the Federation or the reserve, Governor Huo or myself, we have never been ones to shirk responsibility. We dare to take responsibility for our actions and will admit our mistakes. There is absolutely no need for us to drag the Rebel Army into this to cover for ourselves. To us, that would be an insult."

The Rebel Army’s despicable acts were countless. The Fierce Beast virus, in particular, was the wicked fruit of their labor. Liang He didn’t blame the netizens for being led astray by the paid trolls, but she hoped they would sober up and understand that the Rebel Army was the enemy of all peace-loving people. They shouldn’t be lumped together with such scum.

"In addition, we have been tracking down the mastermind who poisoned the animals," Liang He continued. "Furthermore, through information provided by the animals, we already have new clues. I hope everyone can give us a little more time."

The netizens had already witnessed Liang He’s flawless communication with the animals during the livestream where they searched for the Little Elephant, so they didn’t question her claim. Her firm tone indeed caused the already wavering netizens to once again tilt the scales in their hearts toward her.

"I think the Fur Raising Officer makes sense. Why would the reserve poison the animals and turn them into Fierce Beasts for no reason? If they wanted to do research, that’s the Animal Research Institute’s job, and it could be done completely legally and legitimately."

"Yeah! Even if inadequate protection allowed the Rebel Army to poison the water source, the chief culprit is still the Rebel Army. Why do they have to keep harping on the reserve and the Breeder?"

"Speaking as a medical student, let me say something fair. If the animals were really mass-poisoned and it was potentially fatal, then letting them turn into Fierce Beasts might actually be a form of salvation. At the very least, they still have a chance to survive and be saved."

General Nick and the Black Wizard, lurking behind their screen, began to feel powerless as they watched public opinion reverse once again. Truth be told, the Rebel Army’s reputation was already terrible; the fact that they had managed to hold out until now meant they had tried their best. However, this feeling of giving it their all yet still failing to damage Liang He—or the people and factions backing her—left the two men extremely frustrated.

"This Liang He... will be my biggest stumbling block," the Black Wizard muttered to himself. The more he watched her, the more an intense dislike—and even deep jealousy—festered within him. He couldn’t understand why she, a fellow Blue Star person, could receive the protection and affection of so many people. Even Beastmen in their Evolutionary Stage were willing to submit to her, leading the leader of the Rebel Army to take a keen interest in her as well.

Inexplicably, the Black Wizard’s gaze shifted as he stared intently at Liang He. He felt a sudden, illusive wave of déjà vu.

"Black Wizard, what are you saying?" General Nick asked. He had thought the Black Wizard formulated a new countermeasure and looked at him with burning anticipation, only to be met with a sigh and a shake of the head, leaving him deeply disappointed.

"Actually, we don’t need to worry too much," the Black Wizard said. "Xiong Yu is a Beastman, and he administered the poison in his Beast Form, so he shouldn’t be discovered. As long as there is no concrete evidence, no matter how beautifully Liang He talks, it doesn’t count as a win for her. At most, it’s just a tie."

Although they hadn’t successfully driven a wedge between Liang He and the Federation according to their original plan, the reserve was still being held accountable. They had successfully backstabbed Huo An and his team, remotely turning the animals into Fierce Beasts. It couldn’t be considered a failure.

"But didn’t you hear what they just said?" General Nick retorted. "Those comatose, poisoned animals actually woke up without a hitch!"

At the mention of this, the Black Wizard’s eyes darkened, and he subconsciously glanced at the white-robed young man behind him. The poison he had concocted this time was extraordinary. Logically speaking, no one should have been able to develop a genuine antidote for it, unless...

"Impossible. I must be overthinking things!" he told himself.