<h4>Chapter 446: Two Battlefields</h4>


    "Nice!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Ha! Let''s see how you''re gonna keep running your mouth now!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "No one''s ever challenged our authority and seeded!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "That victory was far too easy toe by, but it''s still worthy of celebration. I''m gonna go pop some champagne and find some chicks for a bit of fun. Does anyone want to join me?"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    ……<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Everyone else was already celebrating, yet a grim look had appeared on the young man''s face.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    He continued to stare intently at the screen, as if he were trying to see something in it.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The technician raised his hands up high as he said in a slightly panicked manner, "I was only following your instructions, Sir! I did nothing wrong!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The young man shook his head in response.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "I can''t shake the feeling that things aren''t so simple. His expression was tooposed."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The technician immediately pulled up the final image of the live broadcast, then zoomed into Adam''s face, and sure enough, his expression was still the same as when the press conference first began.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Maybe he''s just a good actor. He''s a mayoral candidate, so he has to have some acting skills."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Exactly. I see no problems, let''s get out of here."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The others were itching to leave, but the young man stopped them without a second thought.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "No one is allowed to leave until I get to the bottom of this. I don''t want to have to repeat myself."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Everyone could tell that he was serious, and they reluctantly stopped in their tracks, but they certainly weren''t happy about this.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The young man paid no heed to them as he carefully pondered exactly what the problem was.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    ……<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Meanwhile, the press conference had descended intoplete chaos. Not only had the live broadcasts on the inte been taken offline, the microphones at the scene had been forcibly shut down as well, so only those who were closest to him could hear him, but their recording devices were only registering static.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "They''ve gone too far!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "They''re not even allowing him to speak the truth! He''s being deprived of his freedom of speech! Is this how arrogant and conceited they''ve be?"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Did you only just figure that out? When have you ever seen a truly important figure being punished for their crimes? At the very most, all they ever get is a p on the wrist!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Mr. Adam, Mr. Adam, can you repeat what you just said?"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Adam took a nce at the projection, which had also been shut off, and at this point, the fact that the enemy had taken such tant measures to silence him meant that it didn''t matter whether he repeated himself or not.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    He had alreadypleted his objective, and saying anything further would''ve only had a detrimental effect. Hence, he didn''t utter a single word as he raised his right hand and clenched it into a tight fist, then turned to depart.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    After returning to his office, the first thing that he did was return Kevin Reed''s call. Kevin quickly answered the call in person, and he praised, "You cut off the live broadcast at just the right moment. That was very well done of you."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    He had already captivated the curiosity of the general public, and there was no need to reveal the rest. All that was left to do was to let the people find out the rest on their own, and that would leave a far more poignant and credible impression than simply revealing everything.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Adam didn''t attribute this to himself, candidly admitting that it was an unnned ident.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Ah yes, yes, that''s what they all say. My dear Adam, you''ve done 10 times better than I anticipated. Keep forging ahead, and don''t worry about anything."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "What if the secrets that I reveal may hinder certain arrangements that you''ve made?"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Someone like Kevin Reed would''ve definitely purchased a nk te for himself, and Adam didn''t directly articte this, but the implications behind his words were very apparent.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Kevin Reed burst intoughter upon hearing this.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "You don''t have to worry about that at all. What we''re most focused on are business profits and maximizing our return on investment into you. In contrast, the costs that you inflict upon us are downright negligible."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Ultimately, arms dealers were still capitalists, and they also abided by the mantra that money reigned supreme above all else.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Compared with immortality, they were more interested in attaining more control over the world. As long as they had sufficient control, there would always be more opportunities and pathways to satisfy their needs.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Adam expressed his gratitude before ending the call, and a grim look appeared on his face. From that conversation, it was clear to Adam that he was still far from making his opposition truly bleed.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    <i>I have to take things up a notch. </i><button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Adam clenched his fists tightly, and his fingernails dug into the palms of his hands to produce a sharp pain.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The fallout from the press conference was still ongoing, and the widespread inte outages infuriated the general public even further, with many people swarming to all types of tforms to vent their emotions.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    However, there were barely any reports of the event from all of the mainstream media outlets. In particr, the final image that was disyed was said to have been lost due to technical reasons.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    This was the impact of just a single tap of a button from the crisis group. The people behind the crisis group were so powerful that they could easily silence a top mayoral candidate, and in their eyes, this was a regtion victory, but to the general public, this hade as a huge shock that had allowed them to see the world more clearly than before.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Many people chose to cower, following which a conspiracy theory emerged before spreading like wildfire.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The crisis group had invested an enormous amount of resources in promoting the conspiracy theory that Adam had fabricated all of the content released during the press conference. In doing so, he was intentionally causing controversy and panic in order to increase support for himself.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Many people who blindly followed all of the headlines that they read were beginning to doubt whether Adam had indeed been telling the truth, and there were even rumors going around that all of the organizations on the rtional graph were going tounch a jointwsuit against Adam.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    This enormous wave of new information drowned out all rational thought, and it wouldn''t be long before all of Adam''s efforts were canceled out.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Right at this crucial juncture, a certain tech wiz was able to restore the audio of thest part of the press conference.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    With that came another wave of controversy, and the inte erupted into discourse once again.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Adam waspletely stunned when he saw the restored footage for himself. Some of the restored audio contained information that he hadn''t articted at all. Due to the fact that the final part of the live broadcasts had been cut off, no one knew exactly how long he had spoken for after the inte outage, and the memories of everyone at the scene were quite muddled and chaotic due to the rampant emotions at the time. <button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Many of the reporters who were at the scene immediately corroborated the restored footage.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Yes, that''s exactly what Mr. Adam said at the time."<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "No wonder the live broadcasts were cut off, the list of names and organizations that he brought up is way too terrifying!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Not only have they silenced him, they''re nowunching smear campaigns against him as well! The power of the upper ss is matched only by its shamelessness!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    ……<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    The tide of public opinion was swung once again in Adam''s favor, and he had to capitalize on this temporary advantage to make even further progress.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Adam wasn''t wasting his time thinking about who had given him such a massive helping hand at this crucial juncture. Instead, he had to take advantage of this brilliant opportunity to continue to strike at the enemy.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    A few dayster, Adam and his team set off once again.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    This time, there were countless more pairs of eyes watching his every move. Support was no longer an issue for Adam. Instead, the most important thing was for him to secure the required evidence to back up his bold ims.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    "Hurry up! Get all of this equipment out of here. Leave the other stuff behind, we have to be out of here in 10 minutes!"<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Hidden inside a dpidated old car factory in Area 9 was a well-equipped medical center, and at this moment, there were hundreds of people busy at work, loading the expensive equipment in the medical center into container trucks.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>


    Meanwhile, Adam''s convoy was closing in from no more than five kilometers away.<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button">0</button>