The words of Dean Huairu did not cause any disturbance.

Everyone in the conference hall rationally accepted this fact.

But this does not mean that the attendees can remain calm.

Regardless of whether they are willing to believe it or not, the facts are right in front of them. What needs to be considered now is how to protect the lives and property of the people in the shelter in the face of this brutal reality? Or even ensure the continuation of human civilization?

Perhaps clinging to a sliver of hope, a well-dressed city councilman voiced his doubt: "The events that took place on the surface, are they merely Deputy Captain Lv’s one-sided account? Has the authenticity been verified?"

Soft murmurs once again filled the room, sparking agreement from many people.

It must be said, human nature can sometimes lead to self-deception.

One-Eyed Dragon stood up and walked to the stage: "Leaders, colleagues, the leaders of the nine settlements are under the supervision of our second team. We conducted routine inquiries, and the conclusion is that the authenticity of the intelligence is beyond doubt."

"Alright, then I have no problem."

The well-dressed city councilman sat back in his seat somewhat dazedly, clearly unable to digest such a heavy blow.

It’s worth mentioning that after the city councilman mentioned Lv Bai, many attendees indeed turned their attention to Lv Bai.

The vast majority of humans do not consider the distant future, nor are they aware of their own limits, lacking the intention to carry the torch of civilization forward.

As such, they are quite satisfied with their current lives, with comfort in their livelihoods and sufficient social standing.

Even knowing that there’s a Mona Civilization above humanity, what does that have to do with them? After all, no one has heard of a county governor starving to death.

They already had leaders above them, and now it’s merely one more, not affecting their leisurely lives.

Many hold such thoughts, exchanging glances in secret, reaching consensus without needing words.

A city councilman with a receding hairline finally asked: "Is it possible to use diplomatic means to mitigate the impact of this conflict?"

As he spoke, his gaze fixed on Lv Bai.

Even without saying it explicitly, everyone could tell he was asking whether giving up Lv Bai would quell the Mona Civilization’s anger.

"Ahem..."

The old man did not rise from his wheelchair, merely coughing into the microphone.

After catching everyone’s attention in the hall, he said rather stiffly, "Let’s put it to a vote. Those in favor of Mr. Jin’s proposal, please raise your hand."

Everyone in the conference hall looked at each other. Soon, a portion of them raised their hands, roughly a quarter.

Seeing this, a sturdy middle-aged man in an administrative jacket in the front row pressed his earpiece: "Take note of the list and execute the arrests after the meeting."

He was Zhu Taihong, the Minister of Security and Defense for Shelter Number 9, nominally managing all armed forces in the Underground City, apart from Cheng Zhiwu’s.

The old man, as if unaware of what Minister Zhu intended, gestured for everyone to lower their hands.

Then, with some difficulty, he stood up from his wheelchair, with the support of medical staff, and walked to the podium.

Looking around the room, he spoke solemnly: "I know, those who didn’t raise their hands probably also do not wish to confront the Monan People head-on, but I need to remind you, the Monan People have no goodwill towards us. They leave us some means of survival only because they have not yet achieved their goals."

"Once the Monan People get what they want, no amount of appeasement will make them let us stay."

"This confrontation is destined to happen, it’s only a matter of time."

"I know you’re scared, you’re anxious, thinking that this approach of getting by is not bad, hoping to maintain a peaceful life."

"But I need to remind you, human peace was broken 413 years ago when the Monan fleet arrived on Earth. Back then, in a manner we couldn’t resist, they seized our home and more than half of our people. The shelters providing you a stable life now are merely enclosures the Monan People intentionally left behind."

"This isn’t about instigating a war because the war never ended."

"I ask you all, for the sake of your children, for the future of humanity, to fully commit to this action."

"At least this time, we won’t be as passive as we were back then."

Frankly, what the old man said could hardly be considered inflammatory.

And due to aging, his words came out intermittently.

However, none of the attendees in the hall stood up to argue or question at this moment; instead, they nodded in agreement.

The truth is that the government in this underground city is far from being corrupt.

Those who hold high positions might not be morally flawless, but at the very least, they are quite intelligent.

Once the facts were laid bare, they understood what needed to be done.

The old man nodded and turned to Lv Bai, who was seated below: "You will lead the rest of the meeting, and detail the experience of battling the Monan People."

Lv Bai naturally stood and began presenting his detailed account.

Although he didn’t believe it would have any substantial impact.

But for a civilization, it was meaningful.

...

The academicians from the Academy of Sciences were taking notes while occasionally asking questions.

"Controllable high-frequency microwaves are something we can accomplish too, but considering the marginal effect, it’s impossible to conduct precise strikes from such a distance."

"Can we decipher the principle of constraint?"

"We can’t understand it for now. Theoretically speaking, gravitational collapse can only be induced by stars or interstellar matter, eventually forming dense stars like white dwarfs or black holes, a completely irreversible process."

"It’s hard to make a judgment in the absence of supporting data."

"I request to examine the site. I suspect it isn’t a real gravitational disaster."

"How’s the enemy’s defense? To put it this way, if the isolation door in front of the Hermit Elevator represents a defense level of one, then what level of defense does the starship have?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"In that case, our offensive measures against the enemy’s starship should be overkill, but that’s just my opinion, and needs practice to confirm."

Amidst the back-and-forth among these scholars, for some unknown reason, the fear of the Monan People among the other attendees significantly diminished.

Many times, fear stems from the unknown, and as the layers of mystery are peeled away step by step, even if the vast gap remains clear, people can gain the courage to fight back.