163: Public opinion response

Wang Dalong suddenly sprang up from his chair. His movement was so abrupt that he nearly spilled the ginger soup in his hand.

"No way! General Zhou, this is absolutely out of the question!"

His face turned beet red, and he waved his hands frantically in panic, spittle nearly flying from his mouth.

"You don't know! You have no idea! Brother Feng... he has camera phobia!"

"You want him to do a worldwide live stream? That would be more painful for him than going back to fight that giant bug hand-to-hand! I'm telling you, last time we took a commercial gig for a small event of just one or two hundred people, he locked himself away for three days and nights after coming back! This time, billions of people around the world will be watching! It'll be the death of him!"

Wang Dalong paced around anxiously; he knew Lin Feng's condition all too well.

It wasn't simple shyness; it was a social anxiety etched into his very bones. Making him the global focus was nothing short of a public execution.

However, Zhou Zhenguo didn't even bat an eye, nor did he look at Wang Dalong, who was as agitated as a plump quail.

His entire attention was focused on Lin Feng, who kept his head lowered.

The entire headquarters was deathly silent. The Special Combat Team Members stood ramrod straight, their breathing suppressed, as all the pressure silently converged on Lin Feng.

"Official reports are too stiff; they will only trigger more conspiracy theories."

Zhou Zhenguo's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail driven into the hearts of everyone present.

"Young people nowadays only believe what they want to believe. An official announcement, in their eyes, boils down to four words—'I don't believe it.'"

"But you're different."

Zhou Zhenguo's fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, producing a dull thudding sound.

"You were there, you're the discoverer of the 'imperial seal of china,' and more importantly, you're a top-tier Bilibili uploader with tens of millions of followers. One word from you is more effective than ten of our official documents."

"We need a controllable, unofficial, yet absolutely authentic and authoritative voice to calm this storm of panic that is about to sweep the globe."

He paused for a moment and leaned forward slightly.

"Lin Feng, you are the only candidate."

It wasn't a request, nor was it a discussion.

It was a command backed by national duty.

Lin Feng kept his head down, saying nothing. His fingertips brushed across the cold military tablet as he watched a video clip that had already been edited with various exaggerated background music and titles.

"Shocking! Prehistoric Giant Dragon Appears in China's Kunlun Mountains!"

"Military Helicopter Shot Down by Unknown Creature; Truth Covered Up!"

"Divine Beast or Demon? The Mysterious Power of an Ancient Eastern Nation!"

The comment section was even more explosive. Conspiracy theories, panic, fanaticism, skepticism... all sorts of emotions intertwined into a vast ocean of information, threatening to swallow the entire world.

He was socially anxious and afraid of communicating with people.

But he wasn't a fool.

Zhou Zhenguo was right. For him personally, this matter was all benefit and no harm. After this, he would no longer be just an adventure uploader, but an officially recognized, world-famous legendary figure.

But what was swirling in his mind wasn't fame or fortune.

Instead, it was that bead lying quietly on the table, and that secret chamber containing the national treasure that symbolized two thousand years of China's destiny.

The imperial seal of china.

"Having Received the Mandate of Heaven, May He Lead a Long and Prosperous Life."

That was the ultimate symbol of China's two thousand years of imperial rule, a totem etched into the bloodline of every descendant of Yan and Huang.

The return of such a divine object, its reappearance in the world, should not—and must not—be accompanied by rumors of monsters and global panic.

Its story must be told to the world with dignity, in the most authentic and rigorous way, by the person who understands it best!

This was its glory!

And it was an announcement of an ancient civilization stepping toward the center of the world stage!

Lin Feng's hand under the table had clenched into a tight fist at some point, his nails digging deep into his palm.

Slowly, very slowly, he raised his head.

In that moment, Wang Dalong was surprised to find that the ever-present evasiveness and discomfort about Lin Feng had vanished.

At this moment, only an unprecedented calmness remained.

"I need all our original video footage, every single unedited second."

His voice echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

Zhou Zhenguo's tense face finally broke into a slight smile. In that smile, there was appreciation and a sense of relief.

He nodded heavily. "No problem! We have the highest-speed fiber optics and the country's top equipment here. From now on, the entire base is at your service!"

He glanced at the still-dazed Wang Dalong and added, "You too, little fatty. You're his best assistant. You two are both indispensable."

Wang Dalong was stunned at first, then he realized what was happening, and a surge of adrenaline rushed to his head. He puffed out his chest and slapped it loudly.

"Mission guaranteed to be accomplished!"

...Ten minutes later.

The two were taken to a temporary media workspace converted from a shipping container.

This place was simply an uploader's dream paradise.

Several military-grade computers glowing with an eerie blue light were ready. Their specs were so high that Wang Dalong hadn't even seen the models before.

Their equipment, which had been battered during the adventure—including the memory card from the drone that was almost snapped in two—had been salvaged by technicians at top speed. All the data, several terabytes of 4K raw footage, was being synced to the computers via military fiber optics with a "whoosh."

"Holy crap, Brother Feng, these specs... this internet speed... it's more than enough to edit a Hollywood blockbuster!" Wang Dalong touched the cold computer case, feeling like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, his eyes unable to take it all in.

Lin Feng was already seated in front of the main computer, wearing headphones.

He needed absolute focus to isolate himself from the outside world.

This was his only way of dealing with social anxiety—immersing himself in a world he was familiar with.

The two were preparing to get to work, editing the video that was destined to shock the world.

*Creak—*

The door to the workspace was pushed open gently.

A tall figure wearing a white research coat walked in.

Jiang Wanqing.

She didn't walk in immediately but stood quietly at the door, her hands tucked into the pockets of her lab coat.

Her appearance was like a sudden press of a pause button, instantly cooling the heated atmosphere that had just begun to flare up in the workspace.

Wang Dalong's hand, which was about to hit the keyboard, froze in mid-air. The moment he saw her, his face burned as if he had been slapped.

He gave two awkward dry laughs, his eyes darting around, not daring to meet her gaze.

"Dr... Dr. Jiang, you... you're here too..."

To trick her over the phone back then, he had used every bit of his Oscar-worthy acting skills. Now that she was standing right in front of him, he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Lin Feng also took off one side of his headphones and turned his head.

Their gazes met in the air.

Neither of them spoke.

An indescribable awkwardness permeated the air.