339: Chapter 339 Tyrant and Savior

"Dad, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Inside the foot massage parlor, Lin Fang asked in confusion. Who else could be standing before him but Lin Tianxiong?

The latter didn't reply immediately. Instead, he looked at Lin Fang, hesitating as if he were looking at a stranger. Finally, Lin Tianxiong paused for a moment, seemingly weighing his words. "Tell me the truth... does that thing outside have anything to do with you?"

"I ordered it..."

Lin Fang fell silent for a moment and sighed inwardly.

If there was anything he cared about, the person before him was one of them. Lin Fang's efforts to stabilize the real world and create a secure foundation were partly because of him.

"Hiss—"

Hearing this, Lin Tianxiong sucked in a breath of cold air. Then, he slapped his thigh and laughed heartily. "My boy, you actually attacked just like that? You've really got guts!"

Lin Fang: ...

These words sounded strange to him, almost like an insult.

"You don't blame me?"

"Blame you for what?" Lin Tianxiong asked, surprised.

The middle-aged man had been immersed in a life of pleasure lately, and his rusty brain slowly began to turn as he finally realized what was happening.

Lin Tianxiong looked at him with a smile and said, "Isn't it just killing people? What's the big deal? When you were little, your dad here risked his life to seize coal mines. You can't get anywhere without being a bit ruthless..."

Lin Tianxiong began to boast about his heroic past, getting more excited as he spoke.

"There's a saying: kill one and you're a murderer; kill ten thousand and you're a hero. As long as you have your own reasons, no amount of killing is too much. What's a few million people? Tens of millions, hundreds of millions—even a whole galaxy is just like that..."

Lin Tianxiong realized he had gone overboard with his boasting.

He quickly added, "Anyway, you're overthinking it. Look at our relationship—there are only the two of us on the family tree. No matter who blames you, I never will."

"Of course, don't go messing with me. Your dad is getting old; I'm only fit for eating good food, not for being scared to death."

Hearing this, Lin Fang felt relieved but also somewhat speechless. He had just injected him with the L-Vax Vaccine, giving him at least several hundred more years to live.

—

Meanwhile,

After seeing the statement from Third-Party Technology, the entire world was in an uproar. People were divided into two factions: some cursed Third-Party Technology as shameless and the culprit behind the disaster, demanding the company destroy its Space-Based Weapons.

Supporters, however, believed that Third-Party Technology had done the right thing. After all, Japan was the one at fault, with a long history of misconduct; they got exactly what they deserved.

Many people in the Central Continent and Korea even hung lanterns and streamers, celebrating as if it were the New Year.

But compared to the vast numbers of the former group, the voices of the latter were much smaller. Especially as detailed reports from Japan began to circulate, showing the horrific state of civilians and the countless displaced people, the world was shocked by the sight.

Consequently, a steady stream of protests and demonstrations against Third-Party Technology began to erupt worldwide.

Combined with the incitement of those with ulterior motives,

the entire globe fell into a state of panic regarding Third-Party Technology.

The economy plunged into turmoil and contraction more severe than the Great Depression. Investors frantically sold off risky assets because no one could be sure whose head the next orbital strike would fall upon.

With several major world powers remaining indifferent or even dispersing protest groups, the public's attitude toward the tech giant shifted abruptly from admiration and dependence to fear and distrust, entering a vicious cycle.

Three months passed, and signs of unrest persisted. The development of human civilization faced unprecedented upheaval.

At this point, whether Third-Party Technology was actually the Noir Organization no longer mattered.

Who could save this precarious world?

The eyes of the insightful couldn't help but turn toward the world's two superpowers and Third-Party Biotechnology.

This tech giant, unique in human history and unlikely to ever be seen again—only if they joined forces could they stabilize this teetering world.

Realizing this reality, many people felt dazed.

Since when had this company become an equal to two major nations, a "third party" capable of deciding the world's direction?

Moreover, this company was the perpetrator of this incident. "We know it's you, and you know that we know it's you, but we just don't want you to know it's us"—such was the attitude of this rogue company, yet no one could do anything about them.

Finally, on this day, July 28th, a piece of news that exhilarated the world broke.

Two controllable Nuclear Fusion energy bases, built through cooperation between Third-Party Technology and the government for civilian and industrial use, had been completed in the heartlands of the Americas and the Central Continent. This news was like the first ray of blazing sunlight after a long night, astonishing countless people and drawing global attention.

The news swept the globe alongside aerial footage of the energy bases. In the footage, two gray buildings over a kilometer in diameter were highly conspicuous. The Third-Party Technology Company logo stood side-by-side with the national flags, shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

When the power generation data for these two Nuclear Fusion bases was disclosed, it was even more staggering.

The designed annual power generation of a single base reached 2.5 terawatt-hours, equivalent to the combined annual output of about 20 standard large-scale fission nuclear power plants. A single base like this could satisfy the annual electricity demands of a medium-to-large developed nation!

At this time, Russia, England, and France also announced that they were constructing Nuclear Fusion bases, which undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

The world, once like stagnant water, finally began to stir.

"A Historical Milestone! Human Energy History Reaches an Ultimate Breakthrough!"

"The United Nations announces that July 28th is defined as Human Energy Day! We thank Third-Party Technology for its outstanding contributions to humanity; the light of fusion will illuminate the path ahead for mankind!"

"The dawn of endless energy has appeared; moving toward the interstellar era is no longer a pipe dream!"

"A reshuffling of energy hegemony! Nations without Nuclear Fusion will be kicked out of the ranks of powerful countries—their days are numbered!"

"Third-Party Technology, should I hate you or love you..."

This last piece of news was published by a certain newspaper in the Central Continent that specialized in gossip. Because it was written so vividly, and especially due to some of the lingering, ambiguous content within, it spread widely.

This actually caused the newspaper to panic, fearing that the company would come knocking at their door.

If this news hadn't been enough to reinvigorate humanity, a subsequent announcement from Third-Party Technology Company completely ignited the nerves of everyone across the globe.

A total frenzy!

The company had actually developed a vaccine capable of extending human lifespans, and it was already approaching the final clinical stages.

A renowned scholar who had worked in the field of life sciences for half a century and was a Nobel laureate publicly lamented to the media:

"It is a demon crawled out of hell, and an angel descended from heaven; a tyrant holding a butcher's knife, and a savior bearing sweet dew. We humans can never rid ourselves of this company again..."