Chapter 1286: Chapter 45: Morning Light (End)
This kind of voice echoes not only in the press, on television, but also in political circles and among the populace.
Many feel conflicted. They do not doubt Felix’s professional integrity; they trust Felix as they trust themselves. Their conflict is with this army.
This is an army with a great history and glorious tradition, an army known to be invincible.
However, all the glory is now history. Since the outbreak of war, Chuckna’s battle flag has never been so dim.
Resk Star once entirely fell, Leifeng Star and Canglang Star twice fell. The Suss people came, the Jiepeng people came... These two countries, which Chuckna people have never looked at, effortlessly crossed Chuckna’s borders, as though entering a land uninhabited.
And the army, in which the people placed high hopes, brought this nation, brought all the people, nothing but repeated disappointments and the humiliation of occupied lands.
No one pursued the deep-seated reasons behind the Military Department’s repeated failures.
Though many know the war fires of Resk have much to do with the Presidential Palace, the security advisors, Congress, and opposition politicians, no one cares.
Soldiers are soldiers; if a battalion abandons its responsibilities due to other factors, regardless of the explanation, it is not trustworthy.
People yearn for the reports Felix sends back from the front lines, yet they also fear hearing the truth that disappoints them, fear seeing Felix’s mocking expression with an unmistakable disappointment and sadness underneath.
When Felix boarded the Hermo aircraft carrier to set off, people maintained silence in their anticipation. Many tuned the television to Felix’s program channel repeatedly, knowing full well that the program couldn’t start so soon, yet they stared motionless at the static scene on the channel.
Time approached the scheduled program start, and people’s hearts grew more expectant and anxious.
But when the time finally arrived for the program to begin, what everyone saw was the television station’s apology notice for the delay due to the incomplete setup and testing of civilian signal transmitters.
Some cursed, while more waited silently, using the greatest patience of their lives to wait. They believed in Felix, but more importantly, they believed in their country, they believed in the army belonging to this nation, bearing countless honors, and the bit of hope deep in their hearts.
Even if they suffer defeat after defeat, even if the war fires of Resk might burn in the Long March Star System, in other star systems, everyone firmly believes this army will bring glory and pride to this nation. It will make the invaders who stepped on the border pay a painful price, will one day allow Chuckna people to proudly wave their national flag, running wildly in the streets!
However, as time passes, the disappointment in people’s hearts grows increasingly intense.
The newspapers, the internet, various talk shows, and conversations are filled with this dissatisfaction. This sentiment grows geometrically, even to an uncontrollable extent.
"Obviously, the Military Department failed to bribe Felix. They misjudged the stubbornness of that stone."
"The program will never air. How could the repeatedly failing army let their shame broadcast across all of Chuckna? I’m not optimistic about the frontline’s situation."
"Could this be another painful defeat? Where have the alliance forces retreated now?!"
Such remarks are mounting. When patience has exceeded its limit, a message from nowhere exploded among the populace like a bomb.
"The front line is lost!"
This message swept through Chuckna like the wind. There are many versions of the description of the defeat on the front line, how much the fleet lost, how many soldiers died, and the miserable state of defeat. And the delayed airing of Felix’s frontline report program further deepened the credibility of this message.
People finally lost patience, changing from skeptical to deeply convinced. Many flooded to the streets, gathering together to vent their disappointment and dissatisfaction. Many got dead drunk in taverns, and many burst into tears among the street crowds.
The capital, Hanjing, was already deep into the night. In the city’s largest Victory Square, tens of thousands of people congregated.
Some lit candles in the square, praying for the fallen warriors.
There were also many who raised banners. Everyone directed their anger at those generals of the Military Department. It was all their fault. It was they who let countless young Chuckna people fall under the enemy’s guns.
Time passes in this surging emotion, and despite the government’s repeated announcement clarifications, the public’s sentiments show no sign of cooling down.
The war has been nearly two years, and they’ve had enough!
Just as the emotions grow more intense, just as drunk brawls break out in Chuckna’s taverns and unrest appears on the streets, suddenly, the same picture appears on every television screen across Chuckna!
Hundreds of channels belong to different media companies, belong to national and private TV stations... the same picture!
