CHAPTER 32
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Another press conference was held at three a.m. on the tenth floor of Zonos HQ.
“Hello, all. Thank you for being with us. As of two forty a.m., Councilman Ren Krong has been pronounced dead. This was caused by a bullet to the brain. The damage was significant enough that we could not perform cybernetic reconstructive surgery on the damaged tissue. He has suffered from significant head trauma because of the shot. The bullet appeared to have penetrated both sides of his skull. The bullet also appeared to be of an armor piercing variety. The authorities located the casing for the bullet, and they are currently handling the forensics of this case. Once we get an update, we will be sure to use our usual channels to provide you all with an update. Next up, is our Prime Minister, Shino Honda. Thank you,” Dr. Stein Volda began.
“Hello everyone. As you can see, we are completely devastated by this tragic loss of one of the brightest, most dedicated, and brilliant politicians this great city has ever had the pleasure of having. It is with deep sadness and regret in my heart that I have have to announce that Councilman Ren Krong has died. He was a man of integrity, a man of grit, and a man of courage. He went from being a poor child growing up in the slums of Neon District, to one of its highest political offices by sheer determination and desire to help his fellow man. This cannot be understated.
“His message is important to us, especially now, as this city is at an impasse both ideologically, and geopolitically. We, as citizens of this nation, have a choice to make. Will we let our dear Ren Krong’s ideals die in vain with him? Or will we, once and for all, make the decision to stand up and be the change that we want to see in this city? You must answer that question for yourself. As for me, I solemnly vow to carry on the legacy of his ideals. There was a point in time where he and I were on the same ideological path. I have, indeed, strayed some. But this has put it all into perspective, and I promise to you all to carry on his work. Thank you very much,” Shino addressed the reporters.
“Thank you, Prime Minister Shino, for an excellent and riveting address. I understand this must be hard for you. It is for me too. It’s hard for me knowing that my colleague got taken out by some radical before he could finally put his policies into play. It’s not right! We must take time to mourn. But then we must dry our tears and strive for absolute justice for a great politician, our dear colleague, and beloved speaker of the people. Justice for everyone who loved this man and justice for his family! We must bring to justice, this vile, evil, unfathomable human being who took out one of Neon District’s shining lights.
Whoever fired that bullet and decided to take this man’s life away deserves to be served with the harsh reality of justice. I’m imploring our citizens to work with us to track down this this assassin and sorry excuse of a human so that we can find some solace in knowing that this person will be behind bars. That is the only way we can make this right! We must preserve the legacy of Ren Krong! Questions from the press? Yes, you,” General Vladimir Cain nodded to Eva Young.
“Hello, General. I was at ground level during the rally. The area appeared, at least to me, to be secure. So how could Psi-Corp’s special government agents let such a thing happen to a top official? How could they not account for every potential threat?” Eva asked
“Rest assured, we did everything we could to secure the premises and protect the councilman. Whoever pulled this off was a highly trained professional, and we promise to get to the bottom of this. Next question?” Cain replied.
“But, sir, how can we expect this person to be brought to justice by the authorities when the authorities are the very people who bend the rules of justice in your own favor? It’s been seen time and time again by our citizens. Our station alone receives thousands of complaints a month regarding the brutish tactics of law enforcement. I’m sure your department also receives these types of complaints as well. How do you plan to combat the doubt that has resulted from this particular problem?” Eva inquired.
“Eva, we do appreciate your passion for uncovering the truth, but rest assured, we will bring this perpetrator to justice. We will also assure our people that we are on their side. While I do understand your role as part of the media, adjusting narratives to influence your viewers is very dangerous thing to toil with. People are easily swayed by the slightest changes of a story. This can blur the line between fact and fallacy. A good journalist would understand this and move forward appropriately,” the general said.
“Sir, I’m sorry. Is that some sort of threat?” Eva asked suspiciously.
“No, not at all. Just some friendly professional advice. I’m sorry but we are out of time and cannot take any more questions. Thank you for your cooperation,” General Cain said.
The reporters in the room scrambled to get more pictures and ask more questions.
***
An hour later General Cain held a meeting with Dr. Stein and Lieutenant Daav in his private quarters.
Stein began to clap. “General Cain! What a compelling performance up at that podium! You sure you weren’t an actor in your past life? The amount of passion, care, and dedication you showed your dear ally, Councilman Krong, was award worthy,” Stein said sarcastically to Cain.
“I dunno what you’re talking about.” Cain said flatly as he sifted through some documents.
“Oh, come on! I know
