Chapter 516: The "Zero Yuan Purchase" Army

(Sorry, everyone, I haven't been feeling well these past few days, my eyes hurt, so the update is a bit late. I'm going to the hospital in the next couple of days.)
"What the hell is going on?!
How did those troublemakers outside suddenly multiply so drastically?!"
Inside the Gallic presidential palace, Cameron stared intently at the report before him that was sending his blood pressure soaring, his roar almost lifting the roof off.
Not long ago, when he raised his arm and confidently announced his pension reform, the protesters on the streets were nothing more than chickens and dogs in his eyes, a bunch of mantises about to be crushed by the wheels of time.
For the Gallic chicken, accustomed to all storms, the scale of a million protesters, while frightening, was still within control.
Therefore, Cameron wasn't backing down at all.
After all, pensions are a hot potato, a time bomb that's bound to explode sooner or later.
Someone has to step up and end this deadly game of musical chairs.
He, Camarón, was determined to be the hero, bearing infamy and etched in history!
He proclaimed himself the savior of Gaul, burdened with a grand undertaking for future generations. How could he be deterred by this short-sighted mob?
Let the winds blow from east, west, north, or south, I will remain unmoved.
He firmly believed that the tide of time would breach all fragile dams.
Protests, initially large-scale, eventually faded as people went to work to make a living. After a few days of commotion, their voices were hoarse, their wallets were empty, and their anger naturally dissipated.
Moreover, pension reform, while affecting the present generation, was for the benefit of future generations, occupying the moral high ground of "creating peace for all ages."
The script was indeed unfolding as he had anticipated.
Sure enough, the government's cold treatment caused the initial momentum of a million people to gradually wane, like the receding tide.
Krmal felt victory was assured and was even preparing to unleash his ultimate weapon—
Invoking Article 49, Section 3 of the Constitution, bypassing the blabbering members of Congress, and directly exercising presidential authority to force the bill through, lest any delays negatively impact his approval ratings.
But who could have imagined that overnight, the situation would change drastically!
"Can anyone tell me how those utterly useless bunch, who were practically scattering like birds and beasts, managed to regroup overnight, swelling from less than a million to three million?!
Did they sprout from the ground?!"
As a result, today, the streets of Paris resembled a real-life version of *The Walking Dead*.
Three million!
A full three million "zombies," chanting slogans that shook the heavens, emerged from every corner of the city, a dark, overwhelming mass, seemingly ready to devour all of Paris.
“Mr. President, I’m afraid… I’m afraid it’s because of social media,” the secretary reported nervously.
“Since when it started, the internet has been flooded with negative information about us, all sorts of sensational fake news, spreading like wildfire.”
“Fake news?” Kmalon’s brows furrowed.
“Yes, Mr. President. There are ridiculously many versions, but the core idea is the same:
This pension reform is a huge scam, designed to drain the hard-earned money of ordinary people and then secretly transfer every last penny into your private Swiss bank account…”
Camarón's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets:
"Holy crap! Have these people been kicked in the head by donkeys? They actually believe this nonsense?!"
"Mr. President, rumors, when repeated a thousand times, become more believable than the truth," the secretary said bitterly.
"Even the most outrageous rumor, under the bombardment of massive amounts of information, will eventually be believed by some.
As more people believe, those who initially didn't will also be swayed and incited.
Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they will subtly push them to the other side!"
Countless people felt they were defending Gaul's wealth from being devoured by a tyrant!
The result was that the torrent of anger, from one million, instantly swelled to three million, flooding the streets of Paris.
"What's even more dangerous is that once the momentum of these three million people takes hold, it will act like a magnet, drawing in even more wavering individuals.
You know, the people of Gaul have a natural inclination to join in the fun and be easily incited.
Joining the masses in the streets, along with some looting, arson, and 'zero-dollar shopping,' is like a carnival for them!"
However, reality was far more brutal than his description.
The flood of three million people transformed into a nationwide catastrophe.
Fire and smoke billowed everywhere in the city, shop windows smashed to pieces.
Especially with the influx of immigrants, this chaotic revelry was pushed to its extreme.
Looting, arson, and vandalism were rampant.
The entire city's security system collapsed instantly, plunging into a state of near paralysis.
The incessant wailing of sirens became the only background music in this romantic city.
The most ridiculous thing was that even some tourists were caught up in the fervor, joining the "zero-dollar shopping" frenzy, creating a scene that felt incredibly international.
The entire country was shaking violently in this raging anger and chaos. Compared to the "Yellow Vest" protests of years past, its scale and destructive power paled in comparison!
The former glory of the Gallic Rooster was shattered in this moment.
"So, the culprit behind all this is that damned social media?"
Kmaron rubbed his aching temples, gritting his teeth as he asked.
"Yes. Negative news about pension reform, as if orchestrated, erupted all at once, and then criticism of the government instantly became mainstream, extremely inflammatory.
Plus, those immigrants who thrive on chaos and try to make a quick buck infiltrated, and that's how the ranks grew."
Kmaron's mind raced.
Why this particular time?
Pension reform may offend the present generation, that's true.
But it shouldn't have triggered such widespread public outrage.
For the sake of the nation's future, this is a necessary, painful but necessary reform.
It's precisely because of this greater cause that previous protests lost momentum.
But now, these flawed, sensationalist statements, resembling cheap street literature, have struck a nerve with the public like a virus, causing them to completely lose their rationality.
Nobody believes there isn't a mastermind behind this!
The secretary cautiously added:
"To be precise, it started from the moment you publicly expressed your opposition to the ESG Association."
"..."
Kmalon's body stiffened abruptly, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes.
So that's how it is!
In this world, there is never hatred without a cause, nor is there a storm that arises out of thin air.
Behind every sudden, massive media storm, there is an unseen hand manipulating the game.
And this time, the owner of that hand is, without a doubt, Fang Huan Investment once again!