Chapter 533

Ears hanging on the roadside megaphone, Algernon couldn’t help but shiver inwardly after listening to the entire morning “mini-theater.”

When he first heard Mr. Leon’s plan, he still thought it was a bit unreliable, feeling that relying solely on a few minutes of loudspeaker broadcasting would never shake Andre’s rule. But now…

Opening the eyes stuck on the top of a building fifty meters away, he glanced at the astonished citizens on the street, then opened the other eye mixed into the periphery of Zone 1 and looked at the scholars arguing fiercely. Algernon couldn’t help but whistle in admiration.

The effect seems to be extraordinarily good!

Although the stuff from the broadcast alone can’t directly bring down Prince Andre, it has already greatly undermined his authority. The once tightly-knit Crocodile Kingdom is no longer what it used to be, with its people’s hearts wavering.

Every day this situation persists is a huge threat to Prince Andre’s rule. For a long time ahead, he will likely be too preoccupied with stabilizing the situation to have much energy left to deal with himself and Mr. Leon.

Since Mr. Leon has done such an excellent job, I must work harder too! Delay as much as possible!

Looking at the soldiers repairing the signal station far away, Algernon’s eyes closed slightly for a moment. Then, threads finer than spider webs, almost invisible to the naked eye, drifted toward the signal station following the breeze.

“Beep! Beep!”

As the fine threads approached within twenty meters, the strange instruments held by the soldiers immediately flashed red and emitted intense warning sounds.

“That thing’s coming again!”

“Hurry! Find a way to block it quickly!”

“How do we block it?!”

With the agitated expressions of the soldiers, the base of the signal station, which had been rebuilt halfway, suddenly made a sharp metallic bending sound. Metal rods as thick as thighs were silently yanked down by immense force, directly smashing down towards an unoccupied area.

On top of that, the instruments in their hands and the repair tools they brought were forcibly taken away by a tremendous power, thrown from a great height, or even torn apart right where they stood, yet they had no idea why.

“Not possible! This batch of materials is ruined; the signal station can’t be repaired!”

“Then think of another way!”

“What other way? Report it upwards first and see what the higher-ups say!”

…

Being suddenly destroyed by an unseen force, leaving no trace… this should be the ability of “Line Man” Algernon.

Upon hearing about the bizarre incident at the signal station, seemingly someone continuously obstructing repairs, Andre couldn’t help but frown deeply, pondering Leon’s purpose.

The direct aim is naturally to seal off Zone 1 Research Area, preventing him from using Apheta 00 to control the kingdom. However, the other party should know this would only cause trouble for a few days.

Zone 1 chose to use the signal station merely because it worked best and transmitted most stably. Even if the signal station remains unrepaired, given the accumulated technology of the entire Crocodile Kingdom, it would merely take some extra time to switch to a less effective but safer method.

And the other party isn’t the type to waste effort. With the Scorpion Bureau Director captured, other cleaners killed, and only two remaining, arranging for Line Man Algernon to stay nearby and keep destroying the signal station surely isn’t just about delaying for a few days. There must be another plan.

So, if I were him, what should I be doing now? Rescue the two captured individuals? Attack Zone 1 Research Area? Or… escape from the Crocodile Kingdom amidst the chaos?”Stop thinking about it.”

“Think about tonight instead. He had someone pretend to be one of yours, announcing you’ll attend the celebration tonight and publicly explain today’s events. What are you planning to do? Surround the few blocks hosting the celebration with troops?”

“I’m still thinking…”

After hearing Apheta 00’s question, Andre involuntarily twitched his cheeks, then said irritably: “The radio tower was blown up directly by him. Even the underground sound pipes below were cut to pieces. It won’t be repaired in less than two or three weeks. Apart from small regional broadcasts, there’s no other channel that can immediately address the entire nation.”

“So in everyone’s eyes, the officer who ordered the shots was my man, and his words represent my intentions. In this situation, those who dare to attend the celebration are either my supporters or people who doubt the broadcast content. These are all potential allies. If I don’t go, I lose the chance to explain to them. Without their support, the kingdom’s unrest won’t be suppressed in the short term.”

“But if I go, for those not present, it means I admit that officer is mine, also admitting what Phelia said. That basically leaves no room for recovery. So whether I follow his advice or not, it’s bound to end badly.”

“Then how about this.”

At this point, Apheta 00 suggested:

“Isn’t your father’s body still around? When the celebration starts tonight, you can just take him along and let him explain things for you?”

“It might work, but probably not very well.”

Prince Andre frowned upon hearing this: “According to the broadcast, my ‘ambition’ is to use new technology developed in Zone 1 to control the brains of all citizens. So even if I bring my father’s body, it wouldn’t completely dispel others’ doubts.”

“That’s true… The morning broadcast was so effective that even many scholars in Zone 1 began to suspect if such research actually exists… A bunch of idiots!”

Cursing under her breath, Apheta 00 groaned: “You’re already the prince. If you want the people to do something, why not just issue orders directly most of the time? Why go through the trouble of controlling their brains? How could anyone believe such stupid talk?”

Hearing this, Prince Andre couldn’t help but sigh again.

It’s precisely because this reason is so absurd that it causes trouble for me.

Though most people in the Crocodile Kingdom are literate and possess some knowledge, the majority of it is scientific. Their understanding of politics and intrigue remains stuck in those seventeen or eighteen fabricated dramas, meaning they are basically clueless.

Therefore, for ninety percent of the ordinary people in this country, those seemingly reasonable reasons usually aren’t very credible, while sensational things like this are more believable. And since it concerns their own safety, even if they harbor doubts in their hearts, they will try to investigate to some extent.

But the fatal flaw is, although “Phelia” is fake, what “Phelia” says isn’t entirely false. After all, I did kill all members of the royal family.

Once the other side finds evidence proving that all members of the royal family have been killed by me, based on the principle of “if one part is true, all is true; if one part is false, all is false,” most people will believe that I am indeed preparing to control the brains of all citizens. Then…

Uh oh!

Realizing this, the fog that had been lingering in his mind finally cleared. Understanding the reason, Prince Andre couldn’t help but abruptly stand up, startled and exclaiming,

“The Royal Palace! His target is the Royal Palace!”

(End of Chapter)