The names of well-known large corporations, familiar to every resident of Four-leaf Crystal, were announced, shocking many. The scope of this incident was not small by any means; it could be said that nearly 20% of the goods and products in daily life were more or less linked to these companies. If these corporations were to shut down all at once, it would be nothing short of a commercial earthquake sweeping across the entire Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain.
As the Governor of the Star Domain was announcing the investigation results on video platforms and broadcasts, various areas within Jade Skirt began implementing air traffic control and street blockades. Hover Cars from the military police zipped across the skies above the streets, and the piercing sound of alarms set people's hearts racing.
In the bustling area of South First District, sleek black Mecha streaked through the mid-air of the city, drawing gasps from countless onlookers. Soon, these Mecha arrived at the businesses listed and sealed off the buildings and industrial parks. Numerous Autonomous Units danced in the sky, monitoring every corner within the area, and whenever someone attempted to break through or flee, laser beams were fired, attacking them directly.
Inside the headquarters of 'Universal' Group, there was a flurry of hurried footsteps – some belonged to panicked employees, others to uneasy armed personnel guarding the hallways with security weapons. Meanwhile, below the building, police cars stopped one after another, and white exoskeleton-armored police spewed forth before charging into the building to break through the defenses floor by floor and seize control of everything.
During this time, the building's internal Autonomous Security Units activated, attacking the special police as they entered the building. Some armed personnel, under the desperate urging of their superiors, began to repel the special police forces infiltrating the building.
"The senior executives say just hold out for half an hour, regardless of the company's fate, and there'll be 500,000 Federation Coins directly deposited into our personal accounts."
Upon hearing such a generous offer, some of the armed personnel hesitated. Even though they knew what they were about to do might be illegal, they didn't disperse completely, but rather, took up arms and defended key positions, continually hindering the special police officers trying to break through.
I'm just following orders, so even if I'm punished by law, it won't be very severe, right? Many people harbored such wishful thinking, but the events that followed would soon shatter these illusions.
Thick laser energy beams pierced directly from outside into the building, penetrating and melting spots of stubborn resistance. After the laser light cleared, dark red molten substance left on the walls and floor slowly dripped down, giving off a burnt smell.
The Military's approach was not as gentle as that of the special police. In their eyes, there was no such thing as holding back when faced with resistance – it was almost an instinctive elimination of the enemy. Faced with the looming shadows of the huge Mecha flying outside, the remaining armed personnel finally lost their will to fight and resist. They all put down their weapons, cleared to the sides, and allowed the special police forces entering the building to proceed without obstruction.
Half an hour later, the entire building was under control, the central super AI was forcibly shut down, and the chairman and senior executives of 'Universal' Group, like many others notified, were taken away in police cars. They would face the severe questioning of the Court of Judgment, with most unlikely to escape responsibility, and the future of these conglomerates looked extremely bleak.
Within minutes after the announcement, countless market values evaporated and disappeared, with previously high stock prices plummeting like a dive.
[Finally, please welcome Hexia Tilan, the much-concerned Songstress who has recovered, to make the closing remarks.]
After that, the camera turned to the side, where Tilan dressed in a white dress with blue floral trim appeared on the screen. She was sitting on a couch, her hands somewhat restless, her long, gentle hair neatly tied up. After taking the microphone, she first stood up, gave a simple bow, and then sat down before sharing her condition in a soft voice, assuring everyone that all was well and there was no need to worry.
In the end, the girl who was broadcast live to countless viewers slightly shyly sang a nursery rhyme, gently comforting the audience in front of the screen. With that, the broadcast came to a close.