Chapter 545: 545. The Long-Lost Centaur (Part 1)
Now on the third day back on Blue Star, Lu Yao had fully adapted to the lightning of Blue Star, which he had harnessed using Lightning Summoning Rockets.
With that in place, it was time to fly into the Thunderclouds and experience the tempering of the Sea of Thunder.
Today Lu Yao had done nothing but relax his entire body and mind, adjusting to the optimal state in preparation for his tribulation.
But at this crucial moment, he suddenly realized something was amiss with the willpower on Blue Star.
He had painstakingly cultivated an image of abiding by the law and actively integrating into society, even frequently live streaming, and it was hard-earned that positive willpower accounted for more than 70%.
But all of a sudden, positive willpower was only at 60%!
"What happened?"
Lu Yao pulled out his cellphone and went online, and when he saw the hottest video at the moment, he immediately understood what had happened.
The video was from a famous talk show on "Oya Federation's" Today. The host was a blonde, blue-eyed middle-aged man in a suit and tie, and a Xia Yi pundit was speaking his mind—
"A Superman named Lu Yao has high support rates on social media, and wherever he goes, he is greeted with cheers and applause; religious groups even proclaim that he is God's favorite child. But is that really the case? We are fortunate today to have the renowned critic Mr. He Shanshuo, who will share his thoughts with us."
He Shanshuo was of Xia descent, but he did not say a single good word about Lu Yao, and said sternly:
"The so-called Superman, he resembles more of a mutant, a severe threat to the entire human society! I don't understand why governments around the world allow him to exist. Such dangerous molecules should be firmly under control!"
The host elegantly raised his hand and asked, "Do you have any specific suggestions then?"
He Shanshuo took a deep breath and said gravely, "I suggest that the permanent members of the United Nations establish a special agency to constantly monitor Lu Yao and bring him under the control of all humankind!"
...
Such statements actually gained quite a number of followers, and countless people left comments saying:
[Uncontrollable risks are the most frightening, mutants need regulation]
[Superman does indeed need restrictions! Referencing the plot of Watcher, Superman only leads to nuclear war, destroying Blue Star]
After all, Lu Yao is from the Yellow race, which in the eyes of some, is the original sin.
Moreover, the issue fermented at an alarming rate; it must have had many dark forces pushing it from behind!
Lu Yao originally didn't want to pay attention to it, but the talk show's bold statements had garnered huge viewership and astronomical numbers of online views, leading quickly to a second episode being released.
Apart from the old talk of "establishing an organization for oversight," they also posted Lu Yao's past online comments and analyzed them one by one.
Lu Yao used to enjoy expressing sarcastic amazement at foreign oddities, like the legalization of opium, normalization of crimes...
He Shanshuo's face turned red with excitement as he spoke:
"Look, this so-called Superman is nothing but a narrow-minded racial supremacist! He has strength but lacks education! This is how the kids of Xia Country are, their parents haven't provided them with proper upbringing..."
...
~~~~~~~~~~
Seeing this, Lu Yao was completely out of the good mood.
This guy had already affected his own willpower, and even more so, ruined the good mindset he had for his tribulation.
And such bold statements by these people were actually related to Lu Yao himself.
There's a saying, "a good man has to have a gun pointed at him"; Lu Yao had been too gentle all along.
Not to mention being extremely kind to civilians, all he did was clear the canals or entertain people with joyful live streams, sporting a demeanor of actively engaging in society.
In the past, there were people who disliked him and left sarcastic comments online, but Lu Yao never paid them any mind.
Many people misread the situation, thinking he was the kind of "kind Superman" who walked out of the movies, a naively generous good guy.
With that, the 'awe' was missing from the strategy of 'kindness and awe'.
Many people discovered that even a dark Superman could become a massive source of traffic, and they were already eager to join the feast!
All of it would become Lu Yao's hindrance.
At the moment, he still had the video playing on his phone, where an elegant host with a silver tongue said:
"So, is it Superman's family that caused his violent tendencies towards the free world?"
He Shanshuo swept his hand dismissively, "That's right, his parents didn't instill the right view of life in him..."
This group of people began slandering Lu Yao's parents again, completely infuriating him this time.
"Although I care about the stability of Blue Star, I never said I would tolerate you flies!"
Lu Yao turned off the video and found the live preview of the program:
"The third episode of this program is in... 8 hours from now. If I head there right now, I can make it in time."
He summoned Spiritual Sparrowhawk, leaped, and landed on Ping An's back.
The Spiritual Sparrowhawk seemed to sense its master's bad mood, screeched, and took off into the sky, heading towards the Oya Federation in the southern part of the continent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Oya Federation occupied a whole continent, originally a place of exile for criminals, known for its bizarre thinking and bold actions.
Because it was far out at sea, desperately longing for recognition from the Sect Master, it was extremely unfriendly towards Xia Country.
While other countries were just engaging in verbal spats, it dared to take actual actions, even if it didn't end up well for itself.
Moreover, this damned place was always a prime source of negative willpower, and Lu Yao held a very poor impression of it, with no intention to manage it properly.
At the moment, inside the studio of "Today," the hottest talk show in the Oya Federation's capital.
The staff had already taken their places and were prepared, and the host—Lao Er, along with the heavyweight guest—He Shanshuo, were ready as well.
As the director clapped the "clapperboard," the live broadcast began.
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The gracious host Lao Er opened the show, saying, "Hello, audience friends. Today we're going to talk about the governments' countermeasures against Superman."
He Shanshuo chimed in, "Many people underestimate the threat posed by Lu Yao and overestimate his abilities. Actually, the current supersonic cruise missiles of various countries absolutely have the capability to eliminate him in an instant!"
...
He Shanshuo rambled on and on, obviously well-prepared, and on the surface, what he said seemed very logical and well-founded.
Typically, this person was just an inconspicuous public intellectual, garnering attention by slandering his own country.
But this time, he had shot to fame by blackening Lu Yao!
Because he shared the same Xia Yi ancestry as Lu Yao, what he said inadvertently gained added credibility.
Many people had already extended olive branches, inviting him on their shows.
He Shanshuo greatly valued this opportunity, so he was putting in a lot of effort.
However, just 5 minutes into the show, as they were boasting about how the Star Alliance Country could easily kill Lu Yao, a sudden bang came from above!
In the next second, a big hole broke through the ceiling, and the main topic of the show's discussion appeared before everyone's eyes!
Lu Yao looked at the host and the guest with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "It's not very nice to slander someone out of thin air, is it?"
And upon witnessing this scene, whether it was the host Lao Er, the director, or even He Shanshuo, they all showed ecstatic expressions!
What they were doing at this moment—nothing could attract more attention than a response from the main subject himself!
Interestingly, because of Lu Yao's known record of not harming civilians, these people still failed to realize the danger.
In their eyes, as long as they could gain massive fame, even getting beaten up by Superman and breaking a few bones seemed worth it!