At this moment, in Senator Jefferson's office.
He sat at his desk, his chin firmly clasped in his hand, a look of worry etched on his face.
On the large screen directly in front of him were the support rate data for him and his opponent, Castella.
His opponent's support rate had now reached 43%, while his own was a meager 21%, more than double the difference!
"Jefferson, I spent a lot of money helping you campaign for governor, not to watch my investment go down the drain!"
"You have to do something to salvage this defeat!"
The investor roared.
His voice could be heard even outside the office.
Although the staff outside were Jefferson's supporters, they also knew that their salaries were paid by the investor.
So, they all remained silent, pretending not to hear anything.
While still busy with their work, their ears were turned towards the door.
"I know, I know, this situation is only temporary. As for the election, you know that until the last moment, no one knows who will win!"
"Actually, I've already thought of a follow-up plan. Just wait for the good news!"
Jefferson said, patting the investor's shoulder with a relaxed, feigned composure.
"Really?"
The investor was somewhat skeptical.
"Of course, it's true. The election data is updated daily, you can see it anytime you want. How could I possibly lie to you?"
Jefferson said with a smile.
"Alright, three days. I'll give you three days. If the gap between you and your opponent is still this wide, I'll have to consider finding another investment! I must recoup the costs I've wasted!"
The investor left in a huff, issuing a stern warning.
"It seems this investor is not easy to deal with either!"
The assistant beside him finally spoke up hesitantly.
"Indeed, they're all difficult characters... Three days... sigh..."
Jefferson sighed as he looked at the data on the wall.
Not only was his current support rate low, but according to the trend line, the next three days were also projected to be a downward trend.
Meanwhile, his opponent was soaring.
If this continued, he would surely lose his investment.
Without investment, the position of governor would be out of the question.
In the future, when his opponent took office, they would definitely try their best to suppress him, and he had already offended the investor, so no one would be willing to help him make a comeback...
This vicious cycle could very well ruin his political career!
"If all else fails... then I'll have to use my trump card..."
Thinking of this, Jefferson suddenly said to his assistant:
"Arrange for reporters immediately. I want to give a speech at the entrance of the City Hall!"
"Ah? The entrance of the City Hall?" The assistant looked troubled and said:
"There's a large-scale public gathering there right now, a group of Free Fighter supporters are denouncing the federal government for manipulating public opinion and silencing dissent."
"You are currently running for governor. Going there at this time might make you a target for your political opponents."
Jefferson said with a smile as he adjusted his suit in front of the mirror.
"I want my political opponents to attack me, and the people there might also be my voters!"
The assistant looked bewildered upon hearing this and said:
"No way, they've been misled by the internet. The zombies are real, you know that, right?"
"You even told me a few days ago that someone in your hometown was attacked by zombies."
Jefferson nodded, then retorted indifferently,
"That's right, I know zombies are real, but... does the truth matter?"
"Which candidate, before taking office, doesn't make extravagant promises? And once they are in office, how many of those promises do they keep?"
"Anyway, they all think zombies are fake. Do you think they'll believe me if I say there are real zombies?"
"Instead of engaging in pointless verbal disputes, it's better to genuinely secure some votes."
"Dealing with zombies is the responsibility of the National Guard. Our immediate priority is our support rate!"
"If our support rate doesn't rise, then after three days, it will be the end of the world for both of us, do you understand? My savior?!"
After saying this, Jefferson patted his assistant with a hint of mockery.
He couldn't even manage his own affairs, yet he was thinking about others?
Why run for office with such selflessness?! Wouldn't it be better to be a volunteer?!
Thirty minutes later.
Accompanied by his assistant and bodyguards, Jefferson struggled to push through the crowd and arrived at the temporarily cordoned-off open space outside the City Hall.
A group of reporters was already waiting there.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm delighted to meet you all here!"
Jefferson stood on the podium, smiling cordially.
"Get down, you running dog of the federal government!"
"Get down, accomplice, murderer!"
"We want freedom, we want truth, we don't want politics, we don't want lies!"
"Let the test kits and politicians die together!"
The crowd below erupted in boos and curses.
"Alright, if you don't want lies, today I will say just three sentences, and then I will leave!"
Jefferson tore up his prepared speech on the spot and tossed it into the air.
Countless fragments drifted down with the wind.
This act truly captured the attention of everyone present.
"First, zombies are fictional. My friend is in a so-called zombie-stricken state, but according to his account, he hasn't seen any zombies!"
"Second, I believe our country is free and should not force its citizens to do things they dislike, such as test kit detection!"
"Third, Free Fighters are heroes. May God bless you. Thank you!"
After speaking, Jefferson turned and strode away from the stage.
Three sentences, just three sentences!
These three sentences struck a chord with the people present.
Zombies were fake, a tool created by the federal government to restrain the freedom of the people, and to make Ren Xin Pharmaceutical Company earn ill-gotten gains.
Jefferson expressed exactly the fundamental demands of these people.
In an instant, the atmosphere exploded.
Everyone shouted Jefferson's name.
People made way for Jefferson, reached out to shake his hand enthusiastically, and some believers offered prayers and blessings for him.
Just a few minutes earlier, Jefferson was a fallen dog with plummeting support rates, cursed by the public.
Now he had transformed into a sensation, a hero in the eyes of the people, the inheritor of the will of the Free Fighters.
Subsequently, Jefferson's remarks were quickly reprinted by major media outlets.
Zombies were already a hot topic, and with Jefferson being the first politician to publicly support the Free Fighters, the news's heat rose another notch.
In just one day, news about Jefferson was shared ten million times, with nearly ten million likes.
Some supporters of the Free Fighters even relocated from other states specifically to vote for Jefferson.
The next day, Jefferson's support rate survey exceeded 75%!
However, at this time, the zombie virus was not affected by public opinion; it continued to spread silently...