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——[North Carolina Government Initiates Mass Conscription, Even the Disabled Receive Draft Notices!]

——[Poor Conditions in the Army? Sources Reveal Shortages of Strategic Supplies Like Food, Medicine, and Equipment; Most New Recruits Aren’t Even Issued Body Armor. The Average Survival Time for a New Soldier on the Battlefield is Only 3 Hours.]

——[Experts Advise Young People to Actively Enlist to Protect the Nation.]

——[North Carolina’s Wealthy Fleeing in Droves With Their Families: 87 of the Top 100 Richest Have Left, Along With Over Twenty Government Officials and Their Relatives.]

——[Expert’s Advice for North Carolina’s Low-Income Population: Rent Out Your Spare Rooms or Drive for a Ride-Sharing Service to Increase Your Income.]

——[Salvation Army’s New Reforms a Resounding Success After Just Days, Public Happiness Skyrockets. Under the New Decrees, Workers Only Work Eight Hours a Day for Triple Their Previous Wages, Children Receive Nearly Free Compulsory Education, Adults Have Opportunities to Learn, and Everyone Can Eat Fragrant Rice Without Fear of Hunger.]

——[Salvation Army Reveals Daily Rations: A Mouth-Watering Feast for the Senses, With Meat Served Every Day!]

This barrage of news spread through North Carolina like wildfire. The general population of North Carolina had a low level of education, making them very easy to incite. Any normal person, upon seeing the news describe the North Carolina Government’s wicked deeds, the stark contrast between the lower and upper classes, and the difference in treatment between the Salvation Army and the Government Army, would develop negative feelings and grow more resistant to the North Carolina Government.

Although the North Carolina Rebel Army’s previous uprisings had failed, they played a crucial role. They laid the groundwork for those who came after, allowing most of the lower class to shake off their former ignorance. Had their predecessors not challenged authority and shaken the system, the common people of North Carolina today wouldn’t even be capable of feeling resentment.

While a portion of the population remained ignorant, the vast majority were no longer like their former selves. They were no longer brainwashed by a class system ingrained to the bone into thinking they were destined to be slaves to the upper class for their entire lives.

Now, they too yearned for equality and a better life, to live more like human beings. They felt Anger at the actions of the upper class, despaired at their rotten society, and wanted to fight back against the injustices they suffered.

They simply lacked the courage to resist.

And what Zhou Chen had to do was give them that courage.

After spending so many years online, Zhou Chen knew all too well how to stir up conflict between two sides. This was especially true in a place like North Carolina, where the population’s education level was low. A few dozen keyboard warriors would be enough to seize the high ground in public discourse and effortlessly sow discord.

The main reason was that the North Carolina Government had a long history of misdeeds, and public resentment had been building for a long time. Even if the news were fake, the public wouldn’t doubt it. They would only assume the government was capable of anything, no matter how depraved.

Language is an unseen blade.

Public opinion is a battlefield without the smoke of war.

In some ways, propaganda was even more important than real-world conflict. The unseen knife is the deadliest of all.

Before long, these news stories were reposted on international news platforms, quickly soaring to the top of the trending lists. In the comments sections, hundreds of thousands of people held a moment of silence for the martyred girl and the other civilians forced onto the battlefield as cannon fodder. They all condemned the North Carolina Government’s conscription policies. For the North Carolina Government, whose public image was already at rock bottom, this was undoubtedly making a bad situation worse.

Most of North Carolina’s populace had long been dissatisfied with the government. It was only because of the deep-seated concept of social hierarchy that they dared not express this resentment, fearing they would anger the "noble" upper class. But now, seeing people from all walks of life abroad speaking up for the common people, a sense of validation washed over them. ’If so many foreigners are saying the North Carolina Government is bad, that it’s tyrannical, then it must be tyrannical!’

Of course, validation was one thing, but they certainly didn’t dare say these things out loud in real life. However, that didn’t stop them from cursing the North Carolina Government in their hearts, nor did it prevent them from gathering with friends to whisper about it in private.

The seeds had been sown.

All that remained was to water them and let them grow.

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"FUCK! Is this news agency trying to start a rebellion? Why are they specifically reporting on these things? What are their intentions?"

In the government’s press department, the minister slammed his hand on the table in a fury. "Contact the Ministry of Defense and have everyone from that news agency arrested and sent to the front lines! Dammit, these bastards must be spies sent by the Salvation Army! Either that or they’ve taken money from foreign powers!"

Anyone could see that the impact these news stories had on public opinion was immeasurable. No one knew how many rebels this would create. For the North Carolina Government, it was the worst possible outcome.

"Shut down all domestic social media and news platforms. From now on, only we will be releasing news," the minister said, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a moment to compose himself. "Take down all those articles. Issue a statement saying they’re all malicious rumors meant to slander us. Then fabricate some fake news about the Salvation Army and post it.

We absolutely cannot lose the battle for public opinion!"

Soon, those news articles were taken down, vanishing without a trace. In their place, negative news stories about the Salvation Army appeared.

Zhou Chen paid this no mind. He immediately fled with the brainwashed members of the news agency. By the time the police stormed the news agency’s office, the place was completely deserted.

"The government has blocked all information channels. Now, only the government’s press department can issue statements," the news agency’s chief editor said in a dimly lit hotel room with the curtains drawn. "Although foreign social media apps like ’International News’ are still usable, not many people in North Carolina have downloaded them."