124: Chapter 124: Are they starting to use underhanded tactics?

"Holy crap, are the Xia people crazy?!"

The Other Side of the Ocean, in the underground command room of an intelligence analysis center, a senior analyst sprang from his chair, spilling his coffee everywhere.

On the massive electronic screen, dozens of high-resolution satellite images were refreshing in real-time.

Within Xia, around the core business districts and industrial parks of over a dozen first-tier cities, dense swarms of construction vehicles and personnel had appeared overnight.

The terrifying scale of this cost-ignoring, synchronized advancement made this veteran, who had analyzed strategic intelligence for over a decade, feel a chill down his spine.

"It's only been a few days since the press conference?"

He turned his head and growled at his completely speechless colleague.

"They've already started laying down base stations?!"

At the same time, at the headquarters building of a global communications giant.

"This is impossible?"

The CEO's voice was dry, each word forced out through gritted teeth.

"At the press conference, they clearly said half a year."

"Half a year!"

He turned abruptly, his gaze sweeping like a knife across the team of technical consultants present.

"The underlying parameters of the base stations, the engineering adaptation of the antenna arrays, the switching schemes with existing networks... you know the complexity of these things better than I do!"

"By what right can they enter the site and start construction now?!"

No one answered.

Beside the conference table, over a dozen top industry experts hung their heads, silent as a row of statues.

Because there was only one answer.

And this was an answer that no one dared to say out loud.

The CEO braced his hands on the table edge, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

The air pressure in the conference room was so low it made it hard to breathe.

"We cannot sit here and wait for death."

The CEO looked around, his voice laced with ruthlessness.

"If we let them roll out their network, our era of dominance in the communications field... will be over."

"Since we can't stop them at the technical level..."

"Then we'll attack from other avenues."

Meanwhile, on the Xia internet, the atmosphere was one of frenzy.

#Xia simultaneously begins building Fifth-generation Communication base stations in multiple cities#

This trending topic hit the top of the list promptly at twelve noon.

The cause was netizens across the country spontaneously posting about the changes near their homes on social media platforms—

Beside those familiar communication towers, large numbers of construction crews and special engineering vehicles had suddenly arrived.

Some people photographed the equipment crates stacked on transport trucks, with uniform serial numbers and logos printed on them.

Some photographed notices posted on construction hoardings, with the issuing unit clearly being one of the three major operators.

Countless scattered photos and videos converged online into a panoramic view that made everyone's heart race.

Xia was, with a nearly overbearing posture, simultaneously rolling out a Fifth-generation Communication network covering all first-tier cities across the country.

The comment sections were buzzing.

"Holy crap!!! This speed is too intense, right? It's only been a few days since the press conference?!"

"Simultaneous construction in first-tier cities? How much damn money must this cost? The country is really willing to splurge!"

"Not to mention anything else, just looking at this rate of progress gets my blood boiling. This is our own Xia communications technology! It's not something picked up from behind someone else's ass!"

Overwhelming real-life photos went viral on major platforms.

Under every post, there was a dense crowd of pride and anticipation.

That surging sense of national pride and anticipation formed a visible wave on the internet.

However—less than twenty-four hours into the national celebration, a completely different wind suddenly began to blow across the internet.

The first things to appear were several long, popular science articles packaged to look extremely "rational and objective," with surprisingly consistent publication times.

"Do You Really Understand the Potential Impact of Base Station Radiation on Human Health?"

"The Denser the Base Stations, the Stronger the Radiation? Experts Issue Urgent Warning!"

"Residents Living Near Signal Towers Take Note: Do You Have These Symptoms?"

The articles were written with great skill.

The wording was restrained, avoiding direct fabrication, and even cited several pseudo-scientific "foreign academic papers."

The entire text didn't contain a single swear word, yet every sentence implied: base station radiation is harmful to health, Fifth-generation Communication radiation is increasing exponentially, and residents living nearby will be the first to suffer.

Once these articles were published, they were quickly and frantically reposted by major marketing accounts.

On the trending list, the originally joyous entries were forcefully pushed down several spots within just a few hours.

Following them, several shocking red-letter topics surged up.

#Fifth-generation Communication base station radiation cancer risk#

#Communication base station construction should be far from residential areas#

Netizens who were cheering for the country's technological breakthrough a second ago were left dazed by this incoming information.

Ordinary people have an innate fear of the word "radiation."

Many people couldn't distinguish between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation at all, but as soon as they saw words like cancer, hair loss, or insomnia, panic would spread rapidly.

In the comment sections of social platforms, the sentiment began to shift.

"I just went to check. That tower outside our residential complex was just fenced off for construction this morning, and it's less than fifty meters away in a straight line!"

"I read in those articles that Fifth-generation Communication uses higher frequencies, and the radiation is over ten times higher than before! If this is built right at my doorstep, who can stand it?"

"I support the country's technological development, but can you not joke around with the common people's health? You can build base stations, but build them in the suburbs!"

"There's a pregnant woman in my family! If this base station is built, who will be responsible if something happens to the child later?!"

Panic is the most efficient virus.

In some residential community groups, people had already started organizing, preparing to go to the construction sites to demand answers.

Various out-of-context screenshots and reports of dubious authenticity were flying everywhere in major group chats.

Those deliberately amplified anxieties eventually turned into tangible resistance, rushing directly towards the infrastructure frenzy that was in full swing.

Outside the base station construction sites in several cities, there even appeared large groups of agitated residents.

Grandpas and grandmas held up banners, directly blocking the construction site gates.

Construction vehicles couldn't get in, and workers couldn't start work.

The complaint hotlines for the three major operators were blown up, and their customer service systems were nearly paralyzed.

Xia Academy of Sciences, Research Building No. 7.

Lin Yuan sat in the Chief Engineer's office, with several web browser windows open side-by-side on his computer screen.

The titles on the pages were all sensationalist statements about base station radiation.

He scrolled the mouse wheel, browsing through those panicked comments one by one.

It took less than a day to go from national celebration to internet-wide panic.

If there were no one pulling the strings behind this, not even a ghost would believe it.

The dim light of the screen reflected on Lin Yuan's calm profile.

He chuckled softly.

Base station radiation is harmful?

This line of reasoning had long been proven to be a complete joke in the timeline of his previous life.

Everyone wished they could have a base station built right at their bedside, terrified of even a second of lag while gaming.

But one had to admit that throwing out this kind of rhetoric at this juncture was extremely disgusting.

The general public already lacked understanding of unknown technologies, and once cancer or radiation was mentioned, instinctive fear would overwhelm all reason.

The Other Side of the Ocean, seeing that they couldn't stop the progress at the technical level, could only resort to these kinds of low-class, underhanded tactics.

Attempting to delay the rollout of Fifth-generation Communication by inciting public opinion.

The longer they dragged it out, the more breathing room they would have.

Lin Yuan withdrew his gaze, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desktop twice.

The trick was old, but it was truly effective against ordinary people.

If left unchecked, the national construction progress would be delayed by at least one to two weeks.

And a one-to-two-week delay, multiplied by the parallel construction volume of dozens of cities across the country, would accumulate into a loss that was no small number.

However...

The corners of Lin Yuan's lips curved into an arc.

Breaking this kind of low-level rumor was actually very simple.

He casually picked up his phone from the table and opened an encrypted communication app.

Finding that familiar avatar in his contacts, his fingertips danced lightly on the input box.

A short line of text appeared in the dialogue box.

Lin Yuan scanned it once, confirming it was correct.

His thumb pressed the send button.