"Of course, I will definitely help you. I wouldn't have sent the First Star Conquest Group Army over specifically if I wasn't going to help," Jiang Ye stated forcefully. "Your stance must be sufficiently firm. You're pushing for the gun ban, and no one is allowed to oppose or obstruct it. Anyone who does will be kicked out, no room for negotiation. This is also a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys. Once this mercenary unit is dealt with, other mercenary units from different sectors will naturally understand that trying to stop progress is futile."
"Alright," Zhang Qiongshi nodded. "I'll listen to you. This is a good opportunity to resolve those mercenaries there with valid reasons and evidence."
"The second matter," Jiang Ye said, "you mentioned earlier that the sector governor misappropriated military funds, and the accounts are untraceable?"
"That's right," Zhang Qiongshi nodded. "That sector governor has an unclear relationship with the mercenary corps, and they've formed an interest group. Hundreds of billions in accounts have vanished, along with many absurd account details. For instance, a stainless steel coffee pot on a military aircraft, which costs sixty yuan online, was billed at three thousand yuan. During a military exercise, mineral water was airlifted from a resort, and the shipping cost for a single bottle was over four hundred yuan."
"That's outrageous. My troops have dedicated personnel to audit military funds, weapon costs, and material procurement. Soldiers can also report issues directly. For example, if a regular soldier's daily food allowance is forty yuan, and he feels the food he receives isn't worth forty, he can report it anonymously or under his real name, and he can receive a substantial bonus and promotion," Jiang Ye explained. "Don't your troops have such safeguards?"
"No, each sector is responsible for itself," Zhang Qiongshi replied. "Military funds are usually covered by the individual sectors. For unified missions, I provide the funding."
"Then you must immediately initiate an investigation into that sector governor and the relevant personnel," Jiang Ye instructed. "Restrict their exit from the country, and if necessary, detain them forcefully."
"This sector governor is an important member of our cabinet and has good relationships with other cabinet members," Zhang Qiongshi hesitated.
"This is merely my suggestion. The decision on whether to proceed is yours," Jiang Ye said.
Zhang Qiongshi nodded.
"The third matter is to engage in propaganda warfare," Jiang Ye continued. "I'm not talking about traditional newspaper and television propaganda, but about shaping public opinion online."
Zhang Qiongshi frowned in confusion.
"The mercenary corps organized riots. I don't believe they were just causing trouble in those few cities. The unrest is just a pretext; the main battleground is actually the internet," Jiang Ye stated. "I'm willing to bet that if you check the most popular platforms online, you'll find many accounts being used by mercenaries to steer the narrative. Public opinion against the gun ban might have already formed."
Zhang Qiongshi was taken aback. "Brother Jiang, you're incredible. A subordinate just reported this situation to me – a surge in newly registered accounts and a massive campaign of narrative-driving posts."
"Let me guess, the public opinion will likely follow a few directions," Jiang Ye said. "First, that firearms were purchased by ordinary citizens themselves, and confiscating them is essentially disguised robbery."
"But we are paying for the guns, at their market price," Zhang Qiongshi countered. "In reality, we are buying the guns from the public with money. The public suffers no loss by handing over their weapons; many old firearms can even fetch a profit."
"Many people won't know this," Jiang Ye replied. "Even if television news, online news, newspapers, and street propaganda all say it, some people still won't know. Information doesn't arrive simultaneously, and widespread misunderstandings can alter history."
Zhang Qiongshi's brow furrowed.
"Second, they'll claim that public safety is currently poor, and firearms are necessary for self-protection. Without guns, people are just lambs to the slaughter," Jiang Ye said, counting on his fingers.
"It's precisely because public safety is poor that we need to ban guns!" Zhang Qiongshi said in exasperation.
"There will be a large segment of the population that doesn't grasp this logic," Jiang Ye explained. "A significant portion of people will believe in the efficacy of the guns they possess."
Zhang Qiongshi sighed.
"Third, they'll spread rumors that local police engaged in gunfights with citizens to forcibly confiscate weapons. They'll claim the riots in these cities are demonstrations of justice," Jiang Ye said. "These rumors are often accompanied by videos and images, which are easy to find. They can simply use any obscure footage of police-and-bandit shootouts. Netizens won't delve into the authenticity; they'll believe it as soon as they see the video and images."
Zhang Qiongshi was clearly starting to get a headache.
"Fourth, there are inexplicable conspiracy theories," Jiang Ye continued. "Conspiracy theories have always been popular. The more bizarre and absurd they are, the more people believe them. Once a conspiracy theory spreads, there will be 'experts' online who sarcastically hint at it, with other 'experts' chiming in, guiding curious netizens to investigate. The whole process is a bit like catching a fox."
"Catching a fox?" Zhang Qiongshi didn't understand.
"When a hunter catches a fox, they use poisoned bait. If the fox eats it and dies, they can skin it for its complete pelt," Jiang Ye explained slowly. "If the poisoned bait is placed in a conspicuous spot on the road, easily accessible to the fox, it will become suspicious, thinking there's something wrong with the meat, and resolutely refuse to eat it."
"However, if the poisoned bait is hidden in the soil, or hung from a tree with a rope, the fox will go to great lengths to dig for the meat or jump to grab the hanging bait. Once found, it will eat it without hesitation because it believes that meat obtained with such effort must be good meat," Jiang Ye paused. "Humans also exhibit this effect when accepting information. Information found easily on the roadside is met with suspicion, while information obtained through effort is believed. This is why conspiracy theories spread so effectively, as human civilization is built on imagination."
"This is giving me a headache," Zhang Qiongshi said. "What exactly do you mean by fighting an information war?"
"Of course, it's fighting fire with fire, using magic to counter magic," Jiang Ye stated. "Since the mercenary corps can create a bunch of alt accounts online, you can't just play defense; you need to launch your own offense."
Zhang Qiongshi's expression was troubled. "But... I've never done anything like this before."
"There are two methods," Jiang Ye offered. "First, I can organize a team of internet warriors to operate on your planet's network. All you need to do is assign some experts to help my team familiarize themselves with your situation. Second, there are companies on other planets that specialize in this kind of information warfare. You pay them, and they guarantee victory."
Zhang Qiongshi thought for a moment. "Brother Jiang, do you charge for this?"
"If you want me to do this, I can forgo profit, but I hope you can pay overtime for my subordinates," Jiang Ye said.
"I hope your internet warriors can mentor my subordinates while they're operating," Zhang Qiongshi requested. "I'll cover the personnel costs for your side, and I'll also pay an additional sum as a training fee for my subordinates to learn."
"Agreed," Jiang Ye said. "Then let's move quickly. I'll start assembling the operational team on my end, and you should send your trainees over as soon as possible. Let our respective secretaries discuss the specific pricing."
"Alright, I'll follow your arrangements," Zhang Qiongshi agreed immediately.