Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

The content and style of the second prince Hebrew Adam’s speech differed from that of the eldest prince, Xiahai Adam.

Hebrew Adam’s speech focused on how the empire had been preparing for future interstellar wars, how the military had been diligently training, and the significant efforts the Gus Empire had made over the past few years to expand its space forces.

At the end of his speech, Hebrew Adam made a passionate appeal, urging the citizens, now aware of the situation, to unite and work together to strengthen the nation’s power. He encouraged practitioners with a cultivation level above five to join the military and help increase the numbers of the space forces capable of fighting against alien invaders.

In contrast to the eldest prince’s mature, calm, and confident speech, the young second prince’s address was filled with passion and hope: “We must train hard. If aliens dare to invade us, we will crush them and not allow them to step on even an inch of our land. We won’t be cowards; we will fight to the end.”

Ruo Manni watched intently. This was a Hebrew Adam she had never seen before. Though still young, he stood on the stage with a commanding presence.

While the speech may have been written by someone else for him to read, the tone, delivery, expression, and ability to stir the crowd were entirely Hebrew Adam’s own spontaneous performance.

It was clear that after Hebrew Adam finished speaking, the audience, who had previously been somber, gained an added sense of determination.

Hebrew Adam’s speech clearly gave the audience some confidence and a clear direction to work toward.

“Hebrew has truly grown into someone capable of handling things on his own. He’s developed quickly over these past few years,” Hua Deli remarked.

“Looking at the current situation, it seems like Cousin Xiahai is planning to gradually let Hebrew take over the military authority of the Gus Empire,” Dean Atchison commented.

“Given Hebrew’s current reputation and cultivation level, though he’s still a bit lacking in strength, there’s no one more suitable than him. Cousin Xiahai aims to become the Supreme Commander of the interstellar forces, so he won’t have much time to focus on the Gus Empire’s military. However, the military power of the Gus Empire is crucial. If Hebrew can take control, when war breaks out, the two brothers will be able to lead the Gus Empire’s military without internal conflicts, providing maximum support to Cousin Xiahai,” Hua Deli analyzed in detail.

Ruo Manni could tell that Hua Deli’s rare, in-depth analysis was meant for her. Given her background, political matters would typically be her weakness, and Hua Deli seemed to be trying to teach her. Dean Atchison also chimed in to support Hua Deli’s points.

Ruo Manni couldn’t help but take notice. Hua Deli, the original male protagonist, clearly had a sharp grasp of political matters, and despite Dean Atchison’s usual chatter, his political acumen was just as impressive. The two cousins’ analysis was spot on.

How did the Crown Prince orchestrate the Cloudbreaker incident leak to achieve a multifaceted result? Ruo Manni, thanks to her “prophetic” advantage from the novel, could see the Crown Prince’s step-by-step plan. However, her cousins understood it even more clearly than she did.

Even though they’re still in school now, once they join the military, with more experience and higher positions, and given that they are both elite heirs specially trained by prominent families, their political insights will only deepen. No wonder, in the novel, these two cousins achieved such high ranks in the military at such a young age. Especially Hua Deli, who was valued by the Crown Prince not just because he came from the Crown Prince’s maternal family, but also because of his own excellence.

Sheila and Tamaki Kazia had no access to the Crown Prince, so they certainly wouldn’t understand things at this level. Normally, Hua Deli and the others wouldn’t openly analyze such matters in front of them, but since they were doing so now, both listened intently.

Mina-Olli’s family background should allow her some exposure to these topics, but Ruo Manni noticed that her understanding of the boys’ discussion was far less than Tamaki Kazia’s. Ruo Manni thought that Mina-Olli’s political awareness might not be very high, and Sheila seemed more perceptive in comparison.

The people of the Gus Empire had never seen the two princes hold a press conference together. Before it began, there was a sense of excitement. However, after the princes’ speeches, that excitement completely vanished, leaving everyone who watched the event feeling heavy-hearted.

Reporters at the scene were not in the mood to ask about any gossip. Instead, they focused on questions surrounding the Empire’s preparations for the war, the technological and combat capabilities of the Yunkais compared to the Gus Empire, and how confident the Gus military was in the upcoming conflict.

However, when the Crown Prince stated that such details could not be disclosed to avoid being intercepted by Yunkais spies, the reporters refrained from pressing further. After all, this was a matter of human survival. If information were to leak, it could turn someone into a traitor to humanity.

Without these questions, there was little else to discuss. Consequently, the unprecedented press conference ended in under half an hour, amid a heavy atmosphere.

After the Gus Empire officially confirmed that the Yunkais, whose native star regions had been mostly destroyed, would arrive with their main force in five years to compete with humanity for habitable planets in the Gumera star region, other nations followed suit and publicly acknowledged this as well.

This sparked a storm on the Web, with countless posts discussing the matter. In some countries and regions, where governments lacked sufficient control or guidance, widespread public panic led to riots, which in turn triggered further unrest.

Even the Vera Federation experienced some unrest, but the government quickly suppressed it, preventing a larger upheaval.

In comparison, while the citizens of the Gus Empire couldn’t avoid various negative reactions, there was still hope for the nation. Despite some extreme language on the web, no real-world unrest occurred.

Ruo Manni and Hua Deli huddled together, browsing popular forums from other countries on the internet, sharing interesting viewpoints with each other. When they found a thought-provoking post, Hua Deli would carefully explain the key points to Ruo Manni, who felt she was learning a lot.

Hua Deli was also pleased, noticing that his sister truly shared his political insight. Her sensitivity to these matters was high, requiring only a little guidance from him to grasp things clearly, unlike Mina-Olli, who sometimes needed detailed explanations to understand.

“Brother, do you often check trending news online?” Ruo Manni asked while browsing through the news.

Ruo Manni was multitasking, searching for useful information while noticing that no matter the country, all gossip involving her had completely disappeared from the trending topics.

“I check it at regular intervals,” Hua Deli replied. “That way, I can stay updated on world and national events and policy changes. Some changes might have a direct impact on us, and staying informed helps us be prepared.”