Chapter 222: Tutorial in Mischief

“So how is the cafe doing?” Reunited with Skylar and Luis, the first thing Michael did was ask about his family. After all, they took vital priority.

“Scarlett and Isabella send their regards. Making the place an attraction is more or less a success, as they are now buried in work.” Skylar giggled.

“I hope that my sister won’t undermine her studies because of this…” Michael muttered before going into the issue at hand.

“…”

When he finished, Skylar and Luis stared at him like a lunatic escaped from a psychiatric hospital.

“At this point you have to be fucking with us.” Luis couldn’t help but curse.

Chuckling, Michael forwarded them a couple of videos.

“Don’t believe me? See for yourselves.”

Having Cyberfang in their ranks held many advantages. One of them was that the mechanical beast had the function to record events with a high-quality camera.

Understandably, the duo of reporters was rendered speechless as they watched the videos.

“So now that you are more inclined to believe me, I wish to make use of our alliance.”

Michael smiled mischievously. “Spread this across the whole capital. Warn them that perhaps the aliens aren’t the only thing they have to watch out for.”

With gleaming eyes, Skylar glanced at Luis.

“Let’s get to work!” She proclaimed.

In turn the man sighed, foreseeing a lengthy editing session ahead.

After asking Michael to elaborate on everything he knew and suspected, the duo got to work.

It wasn’t long before several videos flooded the internet. Their expertly crafted titles and content quickly made them a hot topic across Magmorious.

[From getting laid to getting hauled away: How a night with an escort android may cost you more than a few credits!]

[Shocking discovery: Creation turns against its master! (Gone wrong)]

[The HIDDEN truth the government DOESN’T want you to know!]

[Warning: Never go into the metro alone at 3 am!]

Like a forest fire, the videos spread, shocking even the duo of reporters with their popularity.

The first thing that was depicted in them was Skylar summarizing the events she had learned from a ’mysterious source’. Then recordings of Michael and the crew were played as they fought against the machines in the underground tunnels.

Luis had decided to keep Michael and the squad’s identity obstructed, hiding them by blurring their faces and altering their voices. That way they were able to play the part of it being a conspiracy and the government wanting this to remain hidden.

At the very end the duel between Michael and the woman robot was played, ending with him standing coldly atop her metallic corpse as he proclaimed:

“This robot is undoubtedly on par with a General tier alien.”

Only for the recording to end right then and there.

With the idea of a hidden conspiracy being concealed, coupled with the video evidence that Cyberfang had been able to provide, it caused nearly every household in Magmorious to have heard about it in less than 48 hours.

And the public opinion didn’t delay its reaction.

[Scaratty cat: So the robots can turn against us now?]

[Lonely philosopher: Apparently, and that poses the question. Does one or does one not order an escort despite that?]

[Practicality above all: Why not just talk with a real woman?]

[Lonely philosopher: Preposterous!]

[Unemployed: I ain’t paying taxes if the government is going to keep such important things hidden!]

[Cultured Gentleman: Since when are YOU paying taxes?]

[Unemployed: Well, I will certainly not be starting now!]

Seemingly in a daze, Livia stared blankly at the screen. Her pupils reflecting the aftermath.

“How the hell did this happen? It has been less than two Earth days…” She muttered.

Barely suppressing his laughter, Robert took a peek out of the window, noting the large crowd of protestors that had started to form in front of the main quarters of the capital.

“Look at things from the bright side… at least the job is done? Now everybody knows that rogue AIs are responsible for the kidnappings.”

Foreseeing a headache coming, Livia sighed, turning off her computer.

At that moment, a soft knock sounded over her office door.

“Miss Livia, an urgent meeting will be held.”

Smiling, Robert waved her goodbye with a mischievous smile.

“Take care.”

“Lord Robert, your presence will also be required.”

“Oh…”

The two headed to the meeting, with Livia giggling quietly, while Robert’s face was red like a tomato.

And that was how, due to the recent bizarre events that transpired, every minister and Lord was gathered in the main assembly hall. Sitting within the circular room, everybody faced the prime minister, who was visibly boiling with rage.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!”

His fist came crashing down loudly, hitting his desk with such force that it almost broke.

“How come I, the prime minister, learned of an AI rebellion from a clickbaity video?!”

Still boiling with fury, the prime minister settled his sight on the minister of defense like a hungry predator.

“EXPLAIN! Why are there currently crowds of people marching to protest before the parliament?!”

Sweating bullets, the minister of defense rose sharply like a soldier. His bulging belly caught at the edge of his desk, almost flipping it over.

“W—Well, with the threat of the lava lake, I—I tried to limit the potential rumors for the recent disappearings to a minimum—”

Abruptly the prime minister interjected. “So you say you knew about this and didn’t think to tell me?!”

Naturally, this wasn’t an oversight. With the prime minister’s position soon to be vacated due to age, every minister was keeping a card up their sleeve, ready to play it at the right moment to secure the role.

“S—Sir, please let me explain myself!” The minister of defense pleaded.

“Denied! From this moment forth you are relieved of your position!” The prime minister bellowed.

“R—Reconsider! What if a few thousand or hundreds of those people died? The capital houses half a billion people! I assure you nobody would miss them!”

The prime minister blinked in disbelief a few times. Then he muttered slowly:

“I am going to kill you.”

He said, taking out a pistol that had been stored in his desk.

Instantly the minister of defense made a run for it, only to be stopped at the exit, where he was cuffed up by guards to be held for trial.

“…”

Understandably, the place turned silent, nobody expecting to witness the fall of the minister of defense today.

With a very long exhale, the prime minister calmed down, his face returning to its normal color. Then he shifted his eyes to Livia.

“From the report I dug up, it says you worked below that man. More specifically, you were in charge of finding the reason for the disappearances, correct?”

“Affirmative.” Livia rose gracefully from her seat.

“I raised the question several times, but he dismissed me without a second thought.”

The prime minister frowned. “And why do you think he did that?”

Livia shrugged. “Jealousy perhaps. Most don’t believe a person with my personality is worthy to work for the government.”

To drive her point, she gestured to her gothic attire.

Surprisingly, the prime minister nodded in understanding.

“The way you express yourself is irrelevant. What matters are your results! Not only have you uncovered that an AI rebellion is underway, but also…”

He threw a look at Robert, who was watching everything unfold with a large grin.

“Due to your influence there is an independent Lord aiding our government.”

With a sigh, the prime minister declared:

“Honestly, it’s long overdue. In recognition of your contributions, I hereby appoint you as the new minister of defense.”

Livia’s eyes narrowed to the size of needles, too stunned to speak.

“Eh…?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep