1095, Ursus summer.
Thanks to the higher latitude, Chernobog's temperature was not high.
On the second floor of a tavern in Chernobog's city center, Xing Chen and Theresa followed Talulah to the temporary command center for the operation.
"Leader, the parade Team has been organized, and the core personnel's training is also ready." A Reunion Movement cadre from Chernobog was reporting his work to Talulah.
"Do you still have any questions? Speak them all now." Talulah sat on a chair, staring at the Reunion Movement cadre with eyes that seemed to see through people's hearts.
"Leader, all the operatives in this action are prepared for sacrifice, and weapons and equipment are also ready. Why not directly launch a revolution?"
"If I remember correctly, you are a healthy person, right? Your wife and daughter were sent to the mine because of Oripathy."
The cadre nodded, and Talulah continued.
"We have been continuously stirring up social contradictions for many days. If Chernobog makes changes, we can adopt some less violent methods. But now, this is their last chance. We will not fire the first shot; this is our moral principle. We are merely forced to resist this unjust society."
"Shifting the responsibility for starting the war to the Ursus government in Chernobog, I understand."
The cadre understood the meaning of everything he was doing and turned to leave as if bravely going to his death.
Talulah came to the glass window, looking at the mighty parade holding banners.
On the other side were fully armed Chernobog military police. Facing an unarmed parade, who knew how many casualties there would be.
Afterward, she turned and asked Xing Chen if launching a surprise attack would be better, as their current weapons, equipment, and personnel quality were much better than she had imagined.
This was not the first time she had asked Xing Chen, and each time Xing Chen would shake his head but offer no additional explanation.
But this time, he told Talulah that bloodshed and sacrifice were inevitable, and the casualties were destined to be significant.
It would be better to take a portion of the predetermined losses to create public opinion, occupy the moral high ground, and gain more leverage for future actions.
Furthermore, regarding a surprise attack, it's not that a target must be unaware when an action is launched for it to be called a surprise attack. If everything needed for the preparation phase is kept hidden until the matter is concluded and the opponent is still unaware, that can also be called a surprise attack.
"But I still don't understand why you want me to leak intelligence to the Third Army Group."
"Because the Reunion Movement truly needs a regular armed force as a foundation, to provide a reference for truly establishing an armed force later. Patriot's shieldguard are too old; they can't keep up with the development of modern Ursus anymore."
This was Xing Chen's summary based on their history. In the process of armed forces overthrowing a previous dynasty, the ultimate victors more or less had the support of a regular national military force.
Moreover, Xing Chen felt that if an organization's ideology couldn't even incite a small portion of the military, then that organization might not be as progressive as they imagined.
The military might not be the most progressive group in a country, but it would definitely not be the most backward.
Because they have to fight wars and win them, which requires them to be advanced, both in equipment and ideology.
Unless this army is merely a tool used by comprador capitalists for suppression and extortion, like the two factions in Bolivar.
So Xing Chen had no interest in Terra's Bolivar at all. This country was similar in nature to another vibrant Eastern Country, both being cesspit-level.
The latter might be slightly better; although the whole is immersed in its own spiritual world, at least there is a unified government on the surface, even if it's not much better.
"I understand. I will personally go with Patriot to the underground of the Core City to persuade those soldiers of the Third Army Group."
"Good luck to you. Theresa and I are going to deal with the city defense cannons in the outlying areas."
---
In a clinic in Chernobog, Patriot was trying to persuade his old comrades-in-arms to join him.
He felt he was close to succeeding, but just needed that final push.
"You really mobilized a lot of people," Helag looked through the gap in the curtain at the mighty parade outside the window. Inside were both Infected and healthy people who agreed with them. Everyone shouted uniform slogans as they advanced towards the Core City control tower. "A well-organized force; you must have arranged many cadres within it."
"These were all arranged by Talulah. We recruited people from the machine layer, the slums, and the icefield mines, trained them, and then sent them here."
"I think I saw a former patient of mine."
"Any responsible Ursus person would join us."
"Then aren't they worried that the Ursus military police will open fire to suppress them?"
"Everyone who was mobilized knows what they are doing. This is the last peaceful expression of demands," the clinic door opened, and Talulah, holding a saber, walked in. "The Reunion Movement was founded on violent resistance. We have exercised the utmost restraint."
With that, she took out the Reunion Movement emblem and placed it on top of the table.
Talulah told Helag that they now represented the demands of the vast majority of the city's people, and he was to choose whether to be an enemy of the Reunion Movement or their ally.
"It seems it's time to state my position after all," Helag sighed deeply.
As an Ursus soldier, he didn't want to resist the Ursus Empire. But as the manager of an underground Infected clinic in the Azazel black market, he also hoped the Reunion Movement would succeed.
Ideally, he could avoid offending either side and quietly leave with his subordinates.
If only Patriot were here, perhaps that could be achieved. But now, Talulah had arrived, and he could only choose an ally or an enemy.
"Perhaps you should recognize this," Talulah took out the Ursus scimitar Xing Chen had given her. Its extraordinary craftsmanship indicated its special significance.
"You've talked to the Ursus Emperor?"
"Not exactly talked; just learned that the current His Majesty has ideas for improving the situation of the Infected."
"Alright then, I'll join you. What do you need me to do?"
...Meanwhile, in the square near the Core City.
The parade was too large, and the city's administrators quickly concluded that "dividing forces cannot stop them."
So, they decided to concentrate the security forces at the several intersections leading to the square.
Nikolai was in a very Boredom mood. He hadn't seen his wife and daughter for days, and besides knowing they were in the city, he had no other news.
During this time, the frequency of Infected appearing had increased significantly. Although no one had been harmed, as an Ursus police officer, he couldn't just pretend not to see them.
If he accidentally got injured while catching an Infected and contracted Oripathy, his life would be over.
And now, he received orders from his superiors that a large wave of Infected was approaching, and he had to go with other units to suppress them. If that failed, blocking them and delaying them until the garrison outside the city arrived as reinforcements would also work.
"Officer Nikolai, I've never seen so many Infected moving on the streets at the same time."
"I haven't either. Aren't these people afraid of being arrested and sent to the mines? They could hide in the machine layer where no one is and wait to die, but they insist on coming out and causing us trouble."
"Sigh, don't talk about it. My little one somehow got infected and was sent to the mines. I heard it was recently attacked by the Reunion Movement, and I don't know if she's alive or dead."
"Alright, enough talk. Quickly check if the Originium Arts unit in your batons is working. Don't blame me if they fail when the fighting starts."
No sooner had Nikolai warned his subordinates than the parade began to stir.
The leading officers shouted slogans like "Equality," "Survival," and "For Family," leading the procession forward slowly and steadily.
As the distance grew shorter, Nikolai realized that not all participants in the parade were Infected.
The officer guarding the defense line picked up a megaphone and shouted at the procession, demanding that they immediately stop advancing, as their actions had been deemed illegal and they must submit to Ursus's investigation and punishment.
Nikolai felt it was ridiculous internally. These people had already decided that the Ursus Empire's actions were wrong. What good was it to talk about laws with them? They no longer recognized them.
Law enforcement officers only needed to prove that their actions complied with the law, but the public had much more to consider.
"They are charging! Prepare, one, two, three—"
The parade and the military police clashed. The Ursus people's strong physical prowess, even without weapons, could suppress some military police from physically weaker races.
In the chaotic battle, Nikolai seemed to see his wife and daughter. They were wearing the dresses he had given them, punching off a Liberi military police officer's helmet, then smashing his head in.
Speaking of which, his wife's parents seemed to both be Infected.
However, a sudden flash of red interrupted his thoughts; someone had used a lethal weapon.
"Stop it!" Nikolai tried to shout a warning to his colleagues, but his colleagues, who had received orders from above, began to rapidly fire crossbow bolts at the parade.
The vanguard of the parade suffered heavy losses instantly. He saw his daughter trying to help up the leader, who had been shot multiple times, and then her head was pierced by a high-power crossbow bolt.
"Get out of the way!" Nikolai struggled to force a path through the chaotic crowd. Just as he was almost able to touch the familiar face, a Molotov cocktail was thrown from the parade, and flames instantly engulfed him.
As the Ursus military police used lethal weapons against the parading crowd, the peaceful demonstration immediately escalated into an armed riot.
The Reunion Movement's recorders stationed at various locations filmed the scenes and projected them using Originium Arts.
"Talulah, did you capture the military police officer's footage? You did? Excellent. Release it. Tragedy is the most contagious."
Xing Chen hung up the phone. At this moment, Talulah, along with Patriot and Helag, was heading to the Core City underground where the Third Army Group soldiers were hiding.
She didn't need to worry about the operations on the surface. In the past six months, they had cultivated a large number of cadres with independent command capabilities. Even if Talulah disappeared, these people could sustain the Reunion Movement.
Moreover, Patriot's Guerrillas were also left on the surface, and they were also a very reliable force.
"Lord Patriot, and... General Helag!" Ivan involuntarily saluted the Hippogriff General.
"Have you completed everything Xing Chen arranged?" Taking control of a portion of the Army Group soldiers was a specific arrangement by Xing Chen, and Talulah had to take it seriously.
"Of course, all ventilation ducts have been fitted with Originium dust release devices. The dosage is also strictly controlled, causing only very mild Oripathy symptoms."
With that, Ivan took out the prepared air filters and handed them to the three.
Although they were all Infected, it was still important to be careful not to worsen their condition... On the other side, in Chernobog's outlying areas.
Guided by the rescued Infected workers, Xing Chen and Theresa's team bypassed the city garrison's cordon and infiltrated the city defense cannon's control room through underground passages.
Despite the riot in the city, the garrisons were not anxious, because outside the city walls, the Army Group's high-speed battleships were docked, and their artillery could easily cover the entire city.
And the only weapon currently capable of harming them—the city defense cannon—was in their hands.
"Officer, do we need to pivot some secondary cannons to provide support for the troops in the city?"
"No need. We just need to watch from here. I'll notify you when I receive orders from above."
"But in the city..."
"Some things, don't ask what you shouldn't ask. I am the commander here. Understand? For your own good."
"Yes, Officer." Saying that, the adjutant suddenly raised the Ursus scimitar in his hand and fiercely brought it down on the commander's head.
"Ah ah ah, what's going on, help!" After ending the commander's life, the adjutant suddenly turned the blade and resolutely slit his own throat.
Soon, the sounds of breathing in the control room completely ceased, and an iron window of a ventilation duct was forcefully kicked open.
Theresa smoothly emerged from the narrow duct, then embraced Xing Chen, who climbed out behind her.
Behind them were several relatively slender Reunion Movement members.
Piling the bodies of the city defense cannon guards aside, Xing Chen and Theresa entered the password given by the Imperial Guard into the control panel, simultaneously turning the keys.
"Good, unlocked. The city defense cannons are ours." Xing Chen aimed the cannon's targeting screen at the high-speed battleships anchored outside the city.
Although they were old ships and not very maneuverable, their heavy naval guns were still effective against other Ursus warships, and striking lighter ships or infantry was even easier.
"Target, tracks. Mode, rapid-fire. Extreme speed fire, commence."
As the muzzle of the city defense cannon stirred up a hurricane, one of Terra's most advanced Originium Arts weapons easily destroyed the locomotion systems of several landships outside the city.
"Theresa, notify the boarding party. They can open fire."
Xing Chen shut down the city defense cannon's control system. Several Ursus individuals familiar with the cannon's structure damaged some components, so even if someone seized the cannon, it couldn't be immediately put into use. At the same time, once the Reunion Movement seized the city, these damages could be quickly repaired.
"Okay, the order has been issued. Let's go meet up with Draco."
After Theresa finished speaking, her expression suddenly became a little melancholic, "Xing Chen, tell me, how should I face him?"