The Blue Federation.
A gathering of ministers—and even the Federation's supreme leader—were celebrating in high spirits, rejoicing over the good news brought by Lanvelle... the Soul Gem factory might very well be established on The Blue.
Of course, the Federation's Vice Leader was celebrating as well. He was relieved that Miss Herta herself had no interest in politics and would not be coming to take his position.
Beyond that, the Blue Federation was also preparing the welcome ceremony for the envoys of the various cosmic powers, scheduled to arrive in three days. On that very day, they were also planning to confer upon Herta the title of The Blue's First Genius Academician.
In short, the upper echelons of the Blue Federation all believed that by clinging to Herta's influence, The Blue had a genuine chance of rising among the stars.
However, at that very moment, Lanvelle's phone suddenly rang.
It was the emergency notification tone—one that would only sound when a specially designated account sent a message.
Without hesitation, Lanvelle pulled out her phone. As she checked the message, she addressed the assembled Federation officials in the conference room.
"Everyone, Miss Herta has just sent me a message... She says the atmosphere at the university is somewhat noisy. She needs a calm, quiet environment for research."
"Noisy environment?"
"That shouldn't be the case. The dormitory Herta resides in is a standalone unit specially approved by the academy. Only exceptional talents are allowed to live there. The environment should be excellent—peaceful and quiet."
"It can't be that she finds the mediocrities at the university too numerous and wants them out of sight—are we supposed to eliminate the other students entirely?"
...
The Federation's high-ranking officials began murmuring among themselves.
Meanwhile, the Blue Federation's supreme leader sat with his hands interlocked beneath his chin, deep in thought.
Several seconds later, he raised his head and swept his gaze across the room.
"Miss Herta is a genius. Her intellect surpasses everyone present here. Therefore, her words must carry deeper meaning."
"When she says the university is noisy, it is very likely not in the literal, physical sense!"
As he finished speaking, his gaze sharpened and locked onto the Minister of Information.
"Minister of Information, I am assigning you a task. Immediately take your people and investigate whether there are any unfavorable discussions about Miss Herta within The Blue's First University."
"Yes, sir!"
The Minister of Information saluted without hesitation and quickly began issuing orders through his phone.
The supreme leader then turned his attention to the Minister of National Security.
"You as well. Mobilize your personnel at once. Be prepared to enter The Blue Federation Academy and make arrests at any time."
"Arrests? Would that not be making a mountain out of a molehill?" The Minister of National Security hesitated. "The students at The Blue's First University are the nation's elite. Arresting them without proper justification could spark enormous public backlash within the Federation."
"How could there be no justification?" the supreme leader replied seriously. "If they have indeed posted inappropriate remarks online that interfere with Miss Herta's research, then that is their offense. They should be detained for year—let it serve as a lesson."
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of The Blue spoke with difficulty. "The Blue Federation does not have laws that punish speech in such a manner."
"We did not have them before—but we do now." The supreme leader's tone grew resolute. "Chief Justice, Minister—you must understand how crucial Miss Herta's forthcoming cooperation with the three great cosmic powers is to the Blue Federation."
"If something goes wrong with this cooperation, the Blue Federation may miss its once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rise!"
"Therefore, Miss Herta's attitude is of paramount importance. Only by satisfying Herta can we secure the Soul Gem factory's establishment within the Blue Federation!!"
The Chief Justice fell silent. He found the supreme leader's reasoning persuasive. Now was not the time to dwell on legal technicalities—the Federation's ascension in the cosmos was what mattered most.
After all, if Herta demanded it, even if everyone involved had to be executed, they would still have to comply. The future of the Federation outweighed the fate of a few bad actors.
With that unspoken consensus reached, the Minister of National Security wasted no time. He immediately called the inspection forces stationed in The Blue's University District. Even that did not seem sufficient—he placed another call and summoned the military as well.
Special operations units.
Tanks.
Helicopters.
The army entered the city. Thousands of inspectors gathered around The Blue's First University. The air carried the scent of an impending storm.
On the Blue Federation's internal network, discussions had already reached a fever pitch. Countless netizens speculated about the massive mobilization. Were they targeting a corrupt high-ranking official? Conducting a joint military exercise within the city...?
At that moment, inside the Federation's highest conference chamber, the Minister of Information finally completed his investigation and delivered his report to the supreme leader and the assembled officials.
"Currently, on the university forums, Little Blue Book, and other online community applications, numerous discussions revolve around Miss Herta's rejection of recruitment from Scholar Patavia of the Intelligentsia Guild."
"Many netizens believe Miss Herta made the wrong decision. They have mocked her online... and even begun openly ridiculing her."
"Moreover, this mockery is not confined to the internet. According to surveillance footage from the parcel station, some individuals even directly taunted Herta in person..."
Bang!
Before he could finish, the supreme leader slammed his hand onto the table.
"If they dare to mock her, then arrest every student bold enough to ridicule The Blue's First Genius Academician. Detain them in prison and conduct proper ideological reeducation."
"And not just those seen in the surveillance footage. Minister of Security, have your people trace the real IP addresses of every account that mocked or ridiculed Herta. Coordinate with the Minister of National Security and carry out joint arrests. Miss Herta must see the Blue Federation's attitude!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The Ministers of Information and National Security saluted in unison.
Shortly thereafter, the vast machinery of the Blue Federation began to turn. The Ministry of Information, the Ministry of National Security, the Inspection Department, the military... multiple departments launched a coordinated internet purge.
Externally, the operation was justified as an effort to cleanse the online environment. Internally, its purpose was to eliminate the noisy discourse surrounding Miss Herta and provide her with a tranquil research environment.
In short, the Blue Federation's internet purge commenced with overwhelming force.
The military and inspection units poured into The Blue's First University, storming the male and female dormitories, arresting individuals based on the list provided by the Minister of Information—those who had previously mocked Miss Herta online.
Outside the campus, numerous netizens who had verbally insulted Herta were exposed through online doxxing and subsequently apprehended offline by Blue Federation inspectors.
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