At this moment, the Mercedes-Benz Xu Zhengyang was riding in had already entered the Jingming Expressway. They were about to enter Hedong Province after exiting the Sixth Ring Road.
Upon hearing this intelligence, Xu Zhengyang was shocked. Had things gone awry? Were they courting death?
He immediately called Li Ruiqing and explained the situation. Still somewhat uneasy, he told Zhu Jun to exit at the highway exit and turn back to Beijing. On the way, Xu Zhengyang issued a new order to Li Haidong through the Nine Provinces Record: "Immediately recall Su Peng, Gong Xinhao, and Wan Yun to the City God's Mansion to severely torture the souls of those minor leaders of the Daoist Immortal Cult. If necessary, gather them together as a warning to others! Make sure they confess everything, even if it's just to reveal the identity of one of their superiors… Then, investigate them one by one!"
After Li Haidong accepted the order, Xu Zhengyang added, "You have three days to find out where that bastard Jialan is hiding! If you don't, you'll all go to hell to be tortured!"
No wonder Xu Zhengyang issued such a harsh order.
He's in a hurry!
What is Beijing? It is the capital of a country, a center of global attention for politics, finance, information, and communication.
The Dao Xian Gong organization, which initially existed in the capital, was quickly brought under control without causing any trouble. Why? Because the level of protection was extremely strong.
If something big happens here, it will attract global attention, or even trigger a bigger event.
All one hundred-plus ghost officers in the capital were mobilized immediately. Furthermore, after receiving intelligence from Xu Zhengyang, Li Ruiqing urgently ordered his subordinates to prepare. All members of the "Dao Xian Gong" sect with records and under close surveillance in the capital were placed under strict control. In addition, security measures were tightened at important locations such as train stations and bus stations to prevent any riots.
The ghost messengers began to conduct covert investigations and search for suspicious individuals.
Police officers and security personnel were all mobilized, and key locations were heavily guarded, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.
However……
It still happened.
At 10:30 a.m., a large number of Daoist practitioners who appeared to be ordinary tourists gathered outside the office building of the highest government agency in the country. They began to unfurl banners, protest, shout, and meditate in silence in response to the demonstration.
For a time, even the security and public security departments, which were already on guard, were helpless.
Not only were there over a thousand people, but foreign media reporters also seemed to have received advance notice and set up their cameras and microphones.
what to do?
Arresting them didn't work, beating them didn't work, driving them away didn't work...
In a fit of rage, several high-ranking officials proposed deploying a large number of police and security forces to first try to dissuade and talk to the suspects, and if that failed, disperse or even arrest them on the spot. As for how foreign media would report on it... let's not talk about that. We can't let things continue like this. If we don't take decisive measures under these circumstances, it will be even more detrimental if the reports get out!
However, if a violent crackdown is used, it will also be detrimental if the news gets out.
This has created a dilemma, requiring the higher-ups to urgently come up with a solution to minimize the impact of the situation.
Inside the heavily guarded building, Xu Zhengyang was deep in thought and did not participate in the discussion.
When they finally decided to immediately summon the organizers of the protest and have them elect representatives to negotiate.
Xu Zhengyang stood up and said, "No rush, let me go and talk to them..."
Volume Seven, Emperor Chapter 362: Taking Advantage of the Situation
The wide main street was completely blocked off. The sidewalks on both sides of the road and the main road were crowded with innocent people who had been incited. Yellow banners with lines of protest were torn from the lush trees.
Sadly, the words on those banners were completely unrelated to their actions and demands.
There are those who sit quietly, and there are those who jump up and down.
One by one, they jumped up and down, crying and shouting about how they had been persecuted and how they were expressing their freedom of belief... Reporters from various countries set up their cameras and microphones and went to interview and question them one by one.
It's obvious that everything was planned in advance; otherwise, how could reporters react faster than the government and intelligence agencies?
The gate of the government compound was filled with armed police officers, and there were layers of police officers on the outer perimeter, as well as riot police officers without guns, to prevent them from rushing in.
Groups of people surged forward, shouting. Several government officials were holding megaphones and loudly urging the crowd not to get agitated, not to be deceived, and not to break the law; they urged people to calm down, express their opinions, and talk things out... but no one paid them any attention.
The situation was chaotic, but this section of the road was already surrounded by armed police officers. Martial law was in effect, and the area was sealed off; it was impossible for anyone to enter or leave.
Xu Zhengyang did not rush out to talk to these almost fanatical believers. He stood inside the gate, with a line of armed police officers blocking his way.
Several guards were vigilantly watching over his safety.
In his mind, Xu Zhengyang calmly instructed, "Go."
So, the ghost messengers, who had already been instructed on their plans and methods by Li Haidong in the State God's Palace, surged out of the palace and rushed into the noisy crowd outside.
A journalist from Country M and her companion were gleefully and excitedly broadcasting a live report, chattering away about their personal opinions and recounting what they had just interviewed some members of the "Daoist Immortal Cultivation" sect. The reason they didn't broadcast the interviews with the members was that these ordinary, incited followers were simply not sophisticated enough, and their words didn't align with the journalist's and the mastermind's arrangements.
Therefore, she is needed to speak on their behalf, embellishing or even directly altering statements to launch a massive attack.
Moreover, this reporter came prepared; this was just a small fry, and soon a pre-arranged interviewee would launch into a long-winded speech.
"Alright, now let's interview one of the organizers of this demonstration." The female reporter excitedly gestured to the cameraman to turn the camera around and focus on the noisy crowd.
A middle-aged man wearing a yellow vest and glasses, who appeared quite refined, stepped out from the crowd.
"Hello sir, I heard that you have been selected as a representative to negotiate with your government, is that right?"
"Yes."
"So what are your thoughts now?"
"Regret, guilt."
"What?" The female reporter was stunned for a moment, thinking she had misheard.
The man tilted his head and said, "Damn it, a bunch of people came here to cause trouble. And yet, they still don't have a clear goal. It's all just nonsense, utter rubbish... Negotiation, negotiation! The government asked us to give our opinions, but what are our demands? What a load of rubbish!"
"Sir, didn't you demand freedom of religion and hope to be free from unfair treatment and oppression by the government?" The female reporter immediately offered a subtle hint, believing that the organizer, whom she had already informed, was under too much pressure and was therefore somewhat unclear in his expression.
The man retorted, his neck stiff, "Oppression? Unfair treatment? What do you know? Does your government allow looting, arson, and vandalism during demonstrations and protests?"
"Oh God... what are you talking about?" The female reporter was stunned for a moment. What was going on?
“Your people and I discussed this beforehand, and they told me what to say and what to say, but all I know now is to be truthful and not to make things up…”
The live stream was cut off.
The female reporter received a notification from her supervisor back home and immediately stopped interviewing the person, instead focusing on her own reporting.
The cameraman also turned his lens around, no longer focusing on the man, but on the female reporter.
The reporter reacted quickly, immediately launching into a eloquent account of how several protesters had been persecuted and their families threatened, among other things.
Snap!
The female reporter was hit on the head, and something fell to the ground.
"Oh my God!" The female reporter looked in surprise at the broken shoe that had hit her and fallen to the ground.
Several women rushed forward and began scratching and hitting the female reporter, shouting and cursing: "Daoist Immortal Technique, Daoist Immortal Technique, invincible under heaven, unifying the world... You lowly race..."
A dozen armed police officers and regular police quickly surrounded the reporters to protect their safety and separate them from the believers.
The female reporter, frantically adjusting her clothes, said to the camera, "God, they've all gone mad, they're a bunch of lunatics..."
...
Three similar scenes played out in succession among the crowd.
Meanwhile, some foreign media reporters who had prior knowledge of the situation but were not malicious and were simply looking for firsthand news were fortunate enough to interview several prominent figures who appeared to be organizers of the previous protests.
Then, they got some very surprising interview results.
These organizers, who worship their self-righteous gods, are either filled with guilt, self-blame, and regret, or they spout utterly absurd statements that would arouse disgust and rejection in anyone who hears them.
Meanwhile, the initial noise and protests, as well as the occasional waves of attacks by the armed police officers, subsided.
Instead, representatives, organizers, and ringleaders—numbering over a hundred—began whispering among themselves and the others who had come with them: "What's the point of us continuing this commotion? We've been so loyal and have done all sorts of things, yet we haven't gained any magical power or cultivation."
Do you have superpowers now?
What level are you? Can you fly?
How much money have you spent since you started practicing?
How much time and effort has been wasted?
Who provoked us? Or did we provoke someone else?
...
"Damn it, it's all because of you son of a bitch who kept fooling me, that's why I followed you to learn the Daoist immortal skill and started causing trouble with you, and now you're saying this?"
"What am I doing here? Sigh, it's all your fault for encouraging me all the time."
“Let’s hurry back. Think about what we did a few days ago. Our reputation in town is ruined.”
"Will we even be able to leave? These leaders all said they were going to rebel..."
"Those idiots actually talked about rebellion. Aren't they just asking for death? I should have never come even if you killed me."
"I didn't do it, it has nothing to do with me, I'm going to turn myself in."
"I'm going too, I have a wife and kids at home..."
...
We've mentioned many times before that most people share a common, yet often unconscious, mentality—what we might call "a monkey on the mountain that can't stand to be seen." They watch what others do, and then, with a little encouragement, they eagerly try it out and join in the fun.
For example, some of those who come to cause trouble are temporarily bewitched and brainwashed; others are instigated by fellow believers, feeling it would be a loss of face if they didn't come; still others have heard that such methods can prove loyalty, that sincerity brings results, and that one's spiritual power will instantly increase a hundredfold…
Conversely, they become angry when those key members responsible for organizing, instigating, and encouraging suddenly change their attitude, try to negotiate with them using completely opposite words, and show signs of regret and confusion.
Isn't this fucking toying with people?
We set aside our family affairs and traveled to the capital at our own expense to show our loyalty, and now you suddenly regret it and are trying to pin the blame on us?
Everyone was disheartened.
At that very moment, the dozen or so people who had been chosen as representatives gathered together and approached the government officials who were standing next to the armed police officers, trying to dissuade them.
Standing among these officials was a young man who looked to be no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. He was dressed plainly, with a gentle and composed expression, and was smiling as he spoke to the representatives who had gathered to protest and cause trouble.
"To admit one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue."
"Yes, you were temporarily misled, which led you to commit these illegal and criminal acts. The government will treat you leniently..."
"Turn yourself in, and then confess to the government who is behind this."
"Advice these people who have been misled and incited by you to go home and stop causing trouble. You are welcome to give interviews to any media outlet; we uphold freedom of speech and demand truthfulness. Use your actions to warn others who are still being deceived and misled to wake up..."
Xu Zhengyang's voice wasn't loud, but it was quite clear in the now quiet crowd.
Foreign media reporters all turned their cameras in this direction.
The government officials, armed police officers, and police officers standing to the side, as well as the deceived masses whose minds were already in turmoil, all looked at Xu Zhengyang standing there in astonishment, like a teacher educating a group of elementary school students, patiently and earnestly instructing them...
Why does it feel so awkward?