Chapter 259 Stunned, something's not right?

That fleeting smile was so quick it seemed like an illusion.

But the media reporters on-site, relying on their professional instincts, accurately captured this moment.

Just before they could figure out the meaning behind this smile,

As the Gavel fell, this gunpowder-filled special meeting finally declared a recess.

At that moment, reporters swarmed forward, with countless cameras and microphones aimed at the representatives of various countries.

Then, an astonishing scene appeared.

The Eastern Country Delegation, which had just "narrowly lost" in the vote, walked out with great vigor, heads held high.

The leading Representative of the Eastern Country was even more composed, his eyes calm, and a faint smile even flickered at the corners of his mouth.

That posture, that aura—anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had just signed some unequal treaty and sold the Ugly Country down the river.

And following closely behind, the Ugly Country Delegation, which had won a landslide victory in the vote, and their allies, presented a completely different picture.

They were all dejected and listless.

Especially the leading Representative of the Ugly Country; his face was pale, his steps were unsteady, and he didn't even notice his tie was crooked. He looked as if his body had been hollowed out, as if he had just undergone several hours of high-intensity physical labor.

The dejection of the winner and the high spirits of the loser.

These two diametrically opposed states appeared in the same frame, creating an extremely strong visual impact.

The reporters present were stunned, and flashes flickered frantically, capturing this "world-famous painting" of a scene forever.

...

There were naturally reasons behind this intense contrast.

For the Ugly Country Delegation, this meeting had taken too much out of them.

It wasn't just the energy spent on verbal sparring, but more of a mental devastation.

Before today, they were used to being high and mighty in any international setting, used to crushing everything with strength and status.

But just now, the Representative of the Eastern Country's earth-shattering "Want to clash?", that undisguised military confidence and table-flipping toughness, ruthlessly shattered the sense of superiority they had maintained for decades.

At that moment, they realized for the first time so clearly that the times had changed.

The massive balance of power between the East and the West had undergone an irreversible tilt.

Perhaps this time they could still rely on their many allies to suppress the Eastern Country in the vote.

But in reality, they were already a sick tiger, strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

This weakness and fear welling up from the bottom of their hearts made them feel far more frustrated and powerless than the failure of the debate itself.

...

Related news spread overwhelmingly through major media and social networks almost the instant the meeting ended.

Most news headlines from the West and the Ugly Country were "Ugly Country Withstands Pressure, Space De-ownership Proposal Passes at the United Nations!".

However, when the news photos and on-site videos leaked out,

A hilarious scene occurred.

Countless Ugly Country netizens surfing the web, upon seeing their representatives looking as if they'd lost their souls and were dejected, didn't even have time to read the headlines before their first reaction was to curse:

"Shit! One look and you can tell our country lost!"

"Look at our representative's face; it's uglier than when I just found out my wife was pregnant with the neighbor's child!"

"Fuck! I knew it, we're no good against the Eastern Country anymore!"

"Another day of failure; what exactly is wrong with this country?"

However, when they grumbled and took a closer look at the headlines, finding that the Ugly Country had actually won, everyone was dumbfounded.

The massive cognitive dissonance caused their brains to instantly shut down.

Won?

With that expression like your parents just died, you're telling me we won?

Who are you kidding!

A surge of anger at being treated like fools by The Government instantly welled up in the hearts of countless Ugly Country netizens.

In their simple black-and-white logic, shaped by Happy Education, the matter was simple:

Winners should be arrogant and high-spirited.

Only losers would be dejected.

Now our representatives look like ghosts, and you say we won?

There's only one explanation—The Government is lying! They are deceiving themselves! They clearly lost, but to maintain their pitiful self-esteem, they lied and said they won!

"This is an insult to our intelligence!"

"We demand the truth!"

"Protest! Protest against The Government's deception!"

Thus, organized through various social media, countless angry Ugly Country netizens took to the streets and began parades and demonstrations.

They held signs saying "We Want the Truth" and "Stop the Deception," surrounding the The Black House until it was completely blocked.

...

Meanwhile.

In the Eastern Country.

Many citizens who didn't have time to watch the live stream but just saw news photos and short videos online also subconsciously thought we had won when they saw their delegation's high-spirited and vigorous posture.

The internet was filled with jubilation.

However, when they learned the final voting result was a "narrow loss," after a brief moment of bewilderment, everyone quickly "figured it out."

"I get it! I totally get it!"

"This move, this move is called 'losing the battle but not the spirit'!"

"Exactly! The voting result isn't important; what's important is the momentum! Look at how scared those Ugly Country guys are, their faces have turned white!"

"This is called psychological warfare! It's meant to mess with the Ugly Country devils' heads, letting them know that even if they won the vote, they've already lost in terms of momentum and the future!"

For a time, arguments like "lost, but not completely lost" and "killing the man and then condemning the heart" became the mainstream on the Eastern Country's internet.

However, they didn't know.

A short while later.

Imperial Capital, a closed-door meeting room.

Several big shots looked at the reports on the fermentation of public opinion at home and abroad, with calm smiles on their faces.

One of them spoke in a deep voice:

"The time is ripe."

Everyone nodded.

An order was then issued:

"Deactivate the stealth function of those ten thousand-plus Starlink satellites!"