83: Chapter 83 The War Is Only the Beginning

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What is the era of intelligence?

At midnight, when Lionel, the top French commander stationed on Yote Island, felt the urge to relieve himself only to find that the toilet door wouldn't open no matter what, the outcome of this war was not unpredictable.

It was like a dimensional reduction strike.

Delta had reached the immediate outskirts of the two military bases on the island. The defenders, having lost all information rights, were like trapped beasts in the dark, struggling in vain just like Lionel frantically kicking the toilet door.

The SR-X Drone swarms from Venom World entered as if into an uninhabited land; the battle lasted all night without even a single alarm sounding.

This was a war of information asymmetry.

The last few defenders fleeing into the wild looked at the mechanical storm of dozens of drones overhead with eyes full of despair. Who exactly were the people attacking them? And where had Commander Lionel gone?

Sacrifice was not the goal; war was just the beginning.

To gain more bargaining chips later, Delta used a large number of anesthetic and flashbang grenades during this raid.

When dawn arrived, Lin Fang, who had just come ashore, saw the final casualty ratio: 1:56. About one-twentieth of the island's defenders had been accounted for, while the rest were disarmed and detained.

Simultaneously, Amir bin Hassan formally announced to the world the establishment of the New Molo Government. He became the first leader of the new government, with the newly formed government framework personnel standing behind him.

"My fellow Molo compatriots:"

"Today, we stand at a new starting point in history. For a long time, we have struggled to survive under the shackles of the old order, suffering oppression and neglect. Our right to development was ruthlessly stripped away, our territorial sovereignty taken, and our dignity trampled upon. But at this very moment, everything has changed! The New Molo Government is officially established; it belongs to all our Molo people..."

Standing at the entrance of the Yote Island garrison base, Amir read the declaration he had written with a solemn expression.

New Life or destruction? He prayed it was New Life!

The French President, who was having breakfast, was bewildered when he saw the news. Where is Molo? What is the new government? Where are our people? What on earth happened?!

"Putain!"

The President of France angrily overturned the table in front of him and hurried out, the screen in his hand nearly crushed by his grip.

Before long,

The news of the New Molo Government's establishment spread across the world like a nuclear bomb, causing an uproar. Meetings in many countries were urgently interrupted, and the popularity of related topics on social media climbed exponentially.

Someone beat up France?

The global gaze turned toward this Third World country, with countless people scratching their heads and searching the internet for more information.

Zhang Yu, who worked for a media company in the Central Continent, was among those thirsting for info. It was currently lunchtime domestically, and while slurping noodles, he was shocked by the news and immediately realized it was a massive viral opportunity.

Exchanging a look with his colleague, Zhang Yu immediately dropped his meal tray and ran toward the office building. As a video creator—affectionately called a "marketing account" by netizens—he certainly couldn't miss such an opportunity.

For his small media company, performance results were vital.

Fast, fast, fast—

Jogging back to his desk, Zhang Yu wiped his sweat with a tissue while turning on his computer. After skillfully "climbing the wall" to access the global web, he searched for information. He didn't even need to find the truth; he just wanted a gimmick to support his video.

This was Zhang Yu's greatest strength. His videos and articles always started with exaggerated titles and ended with ambiguous conclusions—much like a headline saying a man caused a 34-person massacre when in reality he had just killed all the rats in his house.

Though this inevitably led to verbal abuse from netizens, for Zhang Yu, as long as there were clicks, there was money. Attracting traffic was the most important thing. Years of work had given him a beer belly, but more importantly, the ability to reply to all sorts of "greetings" with a straight face.

And...

Scrolling through the pages, Zhang Yu looked tempted. He wanted to try the recently launched weight-loss drug, the thing called Metabolix Diet Pills. One course could lose over 10 pounds. Looking at the promotional photos of fat guys turning into heartthrobs, Zhang Yu had wanted to try it more than once.

If this video went viral, he would use this month's salary to get it. Thinking of this, Zhang Yu's gaze grew sharper as he continuously clicked links and searched through major foreign social networks.

His exceptional browsing speed soon paid off.

Zhang Yu found a set of newly uploaded photos on Fbook. The content made this 220-pound man jump three feet high from his chair.

These were posted by an account located in Molo Country.

Under the morning light, a squad of fully armed combatants walked along both sides of the road. In their center were several camouflaged tanks, like apostles of war emerging at dawn, silent yet full of oppressive power.

The photographer of the photos was very skilled.

Zhang Yu flipped through them fervently. Every photo showcased the sophisticated equipment and power of these armed personnel; the killing intent almost spilled out from the screen. One photo even had a background showing the name of a French military base.

—Another busy day. Everyone is welcome to place orders; prices are favorable, buy more get more.

Zhang Yu didn't know much about military affairs, but the poster's title was still shocking. Delta? Delta? The one that started this war was actually a private military company!

Amidst his shock, Zhang Yu used the hand speed he'd developed over 28 years of being single to transfer this information back home. The video article edited by the marketing account instantly ignited the long-dry wood of the gossip-hungry public.

I Am A Potato: "Holy crap, I just woke up. This can't be real, right?"

White Rabbit Milk Tea: "Love it, love it."

War God: "Cool! This is a man's romance. Truly invincible."

Pine Flower Wine: "Where did these mercenaries come from? I'm a veteran military fan, and I've never heard of this company."

Not-Easy Youth: "Clearly not simple. What kind of mercenaries can take down a regular army, especially in a dump like Molo."

Polite Civet: "Are we witnessing the prologue? (Terrified)"

Dao Yan: "This equipment, this aura, they even brought out tanks. There must be a country involved... Say no more, I have to go back and hoard some gold."

—

Regardless of the outside world, Lin Fang was also quite busy at this time. One set wasn't enough; as the dedicated photographer, he was shooting promotional material for Delta, preparing to enhance their competitiveness in the industry.

"Hands up, strike a pose."

"Ducati, move a bit to the left. Stop smiling, it looks too ugly."

After much tossing around,

Lin Fang, having taken over a hundred photos, finally nodded in satisfaction. The various weapons and equipment in the photos were exceptionally prominent.