Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Leveraging Strength Against Strength

It turned out that the video couldn’t be altered, not even with the technology available in Hope City.

Of course, it is possible that this technology was lost during the great transformation between the Old Era and the new era, but the video in front of them was one hundred percent credible.

If it weren’t for this almost indelible understanding, the council members might have thought they were looking at a fake.

After the Blood Puppet left, everyone continued to watch for several more hours, speaking less and less, while their blood pressure kept rising; two members from the longevity faction, already confined to their Special Chairs, were on the verge of standing up.

It is hard to imagine how effectively this situation could be used to treat those in a vegetative state.

Unfortunately, Hope City would not allow the existence of such unproductive humans.

They initially thought the Blood Puppet was a source of strength for the blonde, the very reason he could hold on until now, but they didn’t realize that the Blood Puppet was actually a stumbling block, a shackle on him.

Now, with the shackles gone, a monster that transcended humanity was unleashed.

The blonde on the city wall seemed to rejuvenate, beginning to roam between countless potential attack points like a city-wide fireman ready to respond.

As night fell, even with countless high-powered searchlights, those pesky insects would still set up ladders in dimly lit corners to launch night raids.

Some positions were lost like this; by the time the city defense army discovered the ladders, swarms of extraordinary beasts had already climbed the walls and launched sudden attacks.

In some areas, the extraordinary beasts had already breached defenses, but Lin Qingliu always appeared just in time, coming to their rescue when the city defense army dwindled and the tide was about to overflow into the city.

If it weren’t for his presence, the extraordinary beasts entering Hope City under the cover of darkness would likely have already started a buffet feast.

This endurance surpassed what humans were capable of.

In corners where the council members weren’t paying attention, superpowered individuals had to rotate for breaks every five hours, while the city defense army completed rotations with some teams from the coastal eastern wall and the inner city after the situation stabilized.

Lin Qingliu might not have limits, but they did.

The council members did not pay attention to the need for rotation; even if they noticed, they couldn’t overturn the rotation rules they had established.

Human endurance has limitations. After enduring fierce battles, if they wanted to continue fighting in the future instead of being rendered useless, they must be allowed to rest for a while.

Even if it was just two hours or one hour, as long as they knew there were reinforcements behind them, a sense of belief would always remain.

Civilians might be expendable, but the city defense army was not. Without them, the extraordinary beasts could truly come crashing in the next day.

This meant that the rotation of superpowered individuals and the city defense army was imperative, but Lin Qingliu did not need to rotate.

This inadvertently led to a bigger issue—more and more people witnessed the performance of this fire Captain.

The civilians had lifted their collective shelter long before dinner time, and it was now nearly ten hours later.

Those living near the walls, separated by only a wall from the tide of typical extraordinary beasts, were all ordinary people and certainly did not possess the calmness to sleep soundly under such circumstances.

However, according to Hope City’s strict regulations, rushing toward the already cordoned inner city would definitely result in being shot to pieces.

So, inevitably, those with nothing to do came out to see the commotion; even if they were to die, they wanted to see how the extraordinary beasts managed to jump in.

Now, superpowered individuals, the city defense army, and countless civilians all saw this fire Captain.

His golden hair stood out under the searchlights, and since he wasn’t wearing the standard uniform of superpowered individuals, he left a particularly deep impression.

Additionally, the word had spread among the thousands he saved during the day, and this blonde’s fame was skyrocketing in Hope City at a terrifying exponential rate.

“The broadcast station is my mouthpiece; they will never report a single word about this blonde!

“Absolutely not!”

A council member nearly bit his tongue as he spoke, his body and exposed arms as withered as his words. Just uttering these two sentences made him start gasping for breath.

The words carried a certain weight, especially coming from a council member, lending them an air of credibility.

But deep down, everyone knew this was just empty rhetoric, like the nonsense about surrendering and losing half—nothing more than self-deception.

Not reporting, not letting everyone know, doesn’t mean people wouldn’t ask. After all, mouths are on people’s faces, and Hope City hasn’t reached the point where speaking is forbidden.

Everyone had already realized that, at this stage, whether it was reported or not made little difference.

Once this battle was over, that blonde would become a household hero, a "savior" on everyone’s lips.

"No, Matthew, you’re being too narrow-minded."

The elderly Council member Matthew turned to the young council member who had already started eating openly while watching, his bloodshot eyes filled with a questioning glare.

"Sharma, do you have any insights to share?"

"Insights? Hardly. It’s just that your mind seems to have aged along with your body."

The young council member, with his high cheekbones, delicate features, and curly hair, swallowed his food and began wiping his mouth with deliberate politeness, subtly testing Matthew’s patience.

After a moment of hesitation, as if he had finally had enough of the game, he spoke:

"As the saying goes, ‘It’s better to guide than to block.’ This unknown superpowered individual will be known to everyone within three days. That’s an undeniable fact, and it’s the trend. We can’t go against it.

"But we can use strength to counter strength."

"Explain yourself."

Matthew’s tone was cold, yet it carried an undercurrent of simmering anger.

"Old thing, a mouthpiece is meant to speak, not to stay silent."

Sharma glanced at the figure beneath the hoods, as if observing a fossil freshly unearthed.

"Let your broadcasts and newspapers start promoting this—make it a full-scale campaign. Turn the three days it takes for him to become famous into two, or even one. Let everyone know about this ‘savior’s’ achievements in the battle."

When she mentioned the word "savior," Sharma let out a faint snort, her disdain barely concealed.

"Isn’t this just helping him gain fame?"

"Yes, it is helping him gain fame."

Sharma leaned back in her chair, her tone light and almost triumphant, as if she had won a hidden battle:

"That’s the ‘leveraging’ part. Now comes the ‘striking’—ensure your mouthpiece promotes his achievements while adding this little detail:

‘The council members are extremely pleased with the performance of their secret weapon in his first battle.

‘After the battle, the council members will personally award him a medal.

‘The ceremony will be broadcasted and projected live to all residents of the city, showcasing this momentous occasion.’"