Abyss Solo

Half an hour before the missile attack happened.

"Allison, is this your plan? To advertise for our biggest enemy?"

"Enemy? I don't see it that way, Councilman."

Allison smiled and said, "In politics, there are no enemies, only interests.

"Councilman, please let me finish.

"Whether it's to protect civilians or Empire officials, the White Ghost will likely try to intercept the missiles.

"If he doesn't intercept, as long as the missiles we choose are controllable, even a direct hit won't cause an immediate explosion, and we can control the situation within a certain range.

"If the missile doesn't explode, we can claim it was a terror organization trying to intimidate and prevent talks between the Empire and us, and use this as further evidence of 'behind-the-scenes instigators driving the two great powers towards full-scale war.'

"If he intercepts, we will find a way to let him successfully do so, then proceed to the plan's second step, publicity and momentum building, portraying the White Ghost as a hero who saved tens of thousands of protesters on-site.

"Yes, the White Ghost is our deadliest enemy, but that's based on one premise—that the bug planting plan really was ours.

"The casualties of the war between the two countries and the White Ghost's retaliation against the CIA base can be seen as him executing orders from his superiors as a soldier.

"As we praise the White Ghost, we will also criticize him, ensuring he doesn't become a true democratic hero. Just spreading a rumor—this attack was a White Ghost self-staging project—can counteract his popularity among the public.

"Whether it's the missile launch control or subsequent public opinion propaganda, our supercomputer matrix can easily handle it.

"Then comes the third step, the final one."

Allison, the Councilman, gently exhaled:

"We first frame the White Ghost as a hero who saved civilians, expressing respect and admiration for him, and then allow him to access a fake patent database for investigation, and only allow him alone.

"The Empire will agree because what the Empire wants is for us to lower our stance and admit defeat. With the White Ghost entering the database for investigation, their goal is achieved.

"And as we raise the White Ghost, considering he saved tens of thousands of our citizens, allowing only him entry, the public will see it as returning a favor to the White Ghost, and their resistance will be greatly reduced.

"This plan has also been simulated by the supercomputer matrix with a success rate of ninety percent. The negative impact is reduced by ninety-five percent compared to allowing the entire investigation team entry.

"Of course, we must be cautious of the White Ghost. It's best to fabricate a fake database..."

Dozens of elderly people on the other side of the projection fell into deep thought.

"Allison, how did you come up with this plan?"

"It came to me suddenly," Allison slightly shook his head, "The White Ghost has grown so famous today; why can't we change our perspective and turn his influence, fame, and strength into a weapon for us to use? If we can fracture him from the Empire's camp, all the better."

"Let's discuss briefly; this plan is worth trying, but it has many shortcomings."

"Indeed," Allison quickly added, "My experience is shallow, and there will be many oversights in my considerations, but I can only provide a bit of direction."

The speaking elder nodded satisfactorily, then disconnected the call.

Allison raised his hand to straighten his collar, a confident smile appearing on his lips.

Individual strength, no matter how powerful, is ultimately just a pawn on the board.

One must strive to be a player, dear Hanton.

...

Two hours after the missile attack event.

"Damn, we're trapped."

At the newly changed hotel, Yang Ming paced back and forth in the room, muttering this sentence repeatedly.

Outside the hotel, stringent control was in place; thousands of soldiers sealed off all the roads, with drones providing full surveillance from above.

The New Federation even brought several shipborne shield generators to fully enclose the luxury hotel.

Inside the room, two authoritative deputy directors of the Empire, Griss, two secret force officers, and Mimili, now clad in a military uniform, were all browsing messages.

Griss uttered a curse, swearing, "Those shameless bastards! I can't believe it! They actually started saying the White Ghost was born to protect the weak and civilians, and is a by-product of the Empire's oppressive policies on the civilian class!"

"What are they trying to do?"

An elderly woman said anxiously:

"The New Federation CIA keeps spinning the narrative, reinterpreting past White Ghost attacks on the New Federation as misunderstandings and executing orders.

"They're even claiming the White Ghost will be the pivotal figure to overthrow the Empire's imperial system."

The two officers also said:

"Nobody is focusing on the missile attack anymore; they're all fixated on the White Ghost saving tens of thousands of New Federation citizens."

"Shouldn't they be investigating who orchestrated the terror attack? Is there really a third-party force trying to cause attrition between the two great powers?"

The two deputy directors glanced at the officers, each shaking their head.

One said, "This is clearly a self-directed act by the New Federation."

Yang Ming sighed:

"It is, indeed. These missiles are very advanced; their speed was limited and launched in an arc. If they truly wanted to attack us, it should have been a straight launch, not allowing me sufficient response time."