Then let the witch offer her loyalty

The atmosphere was clearly very heated, but these people's faces were ashen.

Wilson, in particular, seemed to be suppressing immense anger, practically spitting out the words through gritted teeth: "She's insane! Absolutely insane! How could she do something like this?!"

A female staff member clutched her chest, her expression filled with panic: "I have a bad feeling, I have a feeling something bad is going to happen... Are we really just going to watch this happen?"

Wilson said with extreme resentment, "She agreed herself, what can we do?!"

"Go tell the guards to keep a close eye on things! If anything goes wrong, even the slightest mishap, I'll make sure those three bastards die a horrible death!!!"

Time ticked by, and Annie's car arrived at the scene.

The first to disembark were the security guards, who quickly formed two rows to ensure the crowd did not get too close, while vigilantly scanning their surroundings to prevent any potential accidents.

On the roadshow stage, a holographic video of Anise was playing, showing her interacting warmly with the public and exuding approachability.

Finally, Anies herself appeared. Dressed in a well-tailored women's suit, she stepped out of the car with a calm expression, waved to her supporters with a smile, and glanced at the expectant faces.

"Aeneis! Aeneis!"

The crowd roared to its peak, with shouts and applause mingling together, creating an atmosphere so enthusiastic it almost brought the temperature to a boil.

Annie stepped onto the stage and quickly found her rhythm amidst the countless eyes watching her.

"Fellow countrymen, thank you for coming! Your support is the driving force for my progress."

Her voice was clear and powerful, carrying across the square through the microphone. Her eyes gazed at the bustling crowd, her inner excitement and exhilaration evident in her expression.

"Today, I stand here not only to run for governor of the planet, but also to represent everyone's aspirations, to make your voices resound throughout Cicero!"

The voters below waved their flags and shouted even more fiercely. All their emotions and strength seemed to converge into a torrent and surge toward Anies.

"Stargate, this is the third word I learned in my childhood, after my father and mother, and it has permeated my entire life..."

Anies began her speech, which was passionate and inspiring, her voice seemingly able to penetrate people's hearts and strike at their deepest expectations.

"...One day, distance and time will no longer be the shackles the universe imposes on humanity! We will eventually conquer the speed of light, allowing our children and grandchildren to set sail from their homeland and journey towards the stars—"

"Pfft!" Blood splattered.

Without warning, just as Anneliese's speech reached its climax, a bullet pierced her face, spraying blood everywhere.

This Star Gate leader and candidate for Planetary Governor fell like a fallen black butterfly, collapsing into a pool of blood.

Chapter 143 Planetary Governor

The moment Anies fell to the ground after being shot, the entire arena fell into a deathly silence.

"A gunman! A gunman!!!" The first to react were the guards on site. They rushed onto the stage from all directions, using their bodies as shields to protect Anies, who was lying in a pool of blood.

"Bang! Bang! Bang—" Then came a series of gunshots. The snipers on the high ground must have found the gunman's position and were returning fire.

The sudden attack shattered the previously high-spirited atmosphere like a bolt from the blue. Screams erupted from the crowd as everyone instinctively scattered and fled, hastily seeking cover.

Some people were completely stunned, crouching on the spot with their heads in their hands, their eyes filled with undisguised panic.

The gunfire stopped shortly afterward, and it was unclear whether the gunman had fled or been killed on the spot; only the sounds of commotion remained at the scene.

Paramedics had already rushed to Anies's side and were trying to resuscitate her, while guards stood guard around her like an impenetrable wall.

After the initial chaos, under the direction of the outer guards, order was restored somewhat. The voters looked bewildered and extremely worried as they gazed at the stage.

The vast majority of voters here are Stargate members. They witnessed the fall of their leader, and anxiety surged into their hearts like a tide. Some covered their mouths and began to sob, while others stared blankly, murmuring prayers for Anies' safety.

Just as the atmosphere at the scene was becoming increasingly tense and agitated, the emergency personnel who had been surrounding the stage took a few steps back.

Immediately afterwards, everyone saw a bloody hand rest on the guard's shoulder.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, Anies, supported by the guards, stumbled to her feet with their help.

Everyone's eyes widened instantly, they held their breath, and all sound seemed to disappear as everyone saw what was happening before them.

Anies' face was covered in blood, and her white shirt was completely stained red with blood. She was dazed and weak, and her injuries looked very serious.

But the bullet didn't kill her.

Judging from the angle of the wound, the gunman was positioned directly in front of Annies, intending to snipe her face directly.

Just as she was shot, Annies happened to turn to the side and look at the data on the screen next to her.

The bullet entered her face through her right cheek by sheer chance, passed between her upper and lower teeth, and exited through her left cheek, piercing her face completely.

“She…she’s still alive!” a voter cried out, his voice almost choked with emotion.

The guards, surrounding Annie, were escorting her to an armored car outside the arena: "Cheer up, we'll take you to the hospital right away!"

It is remarkable that Anies survived the attack.

However, at this moment, something even more shocking happened.

Despite being in terrible condition, with blood streaming down her face and looking like she was in great pain, Anies managed to take a deep breath and look intently at the voters who cared about her.

Under the gaze of countless people, she clenched her fists and raised her arms high. Her weak yet resolute voice, unwavering in the slightest, came out from her bloodied mouth.

"Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!"

Anies's voice pierced the scene. Even though her face was covered in blood, her eyes were filled with a burning power. Her slender body stood there like a mountain, as if she had become the only existence under the sunlight.

This scene, which seemed like divine protection, completely shocked the voters present.

Gradually, shouts rose from all directions, becoming more and more orderly from the initial scattered ones, like waves echoing across the square.

"Aeneis! Aeneis! Aeneis!"

An unprecedented sense of fervor spread like wildfire among the voters. They disregarded the risk of a second shooting, leaving their bunkers or getting up from the ground to regroup in front of the stage, frantically chanting Annais's name.

"Aeneis! Aeneis! Aeneis!"

It was boiling over; the scene was completely boiling over.

Those Stargate voters who originally supported Anies were now waving their signs or flags vigorously, some even weeping with emotion.

Even the wavering centrist voters were filled with admiration, moved by the indomitable spirit displayed by Anies, and cheered along with the Stargate faction.

Even the few spaceship-affiliated voters who had come to join the fun felt an indescribable shock. They looked up at Anies's blood-soaked yet resolute face and couldn't help but applaud her.

If there truly is a God in this world, then that bullet that went astray by a twist of fate, and that blood-red body standing proudly in the sun, are His votes!

...

On that day, the attack on Anies spread like wildfire throughout the entire Cicero colony, and it was discussed on all television programs, in all media news, and even in every household during their leisure time.

A governor candidate is arguably one of the most powerful people on the planet, and for such a person to be shot is a major event that naturally attracts attention.

Not to mention the shocking scene that followed the shooting.

Despite her severe injuries, Anies rose from the pool of blood and shouted "Never give up!" to her constituents.

Even those spaceship-affiliated voters who once hated Annies the most felt a surge of excitement upon seeing that scene and couldn't help but cheer for her.

[Shangcheng District Central Hospital, Ward 1]

Anies was lying in a hospital bed. The gunshot wounds on both sides of her face had been treated, and her head was wrapped in bandages like a mummy.

The news was playing on television, and the anchor was giving a dramatic report: "Viewers, what happened during the day was truly breathtaking! Ms. Anneliese is incredibly resilient; even after brushing with death, she was not broken!"

"Let's take a look at the latest poll results right now!"

Soon, an astonishing number popped up on the screen.

71:29.

"Annyeis, the candidate for Planetary Governor, has not only surpassed Charles in the polls for the first time, but has even achieved an overwhelming lead!"

"To be honest, friends, I was planning to vote for Charles tomorrow, but now I want to say to this tenacious woman—it wasn't me who chose you, it was God who chose you!"

“Anies Craig, take my vote! Go become the planetary governor!!!”

"Squeak—" At that moment, the ward door opened.

Chen Moxin spoke to the nurse behind her with a heavy expression before walking in.

After closing the door, the heaviness and grief on his face vanished without a trace, and he immediately broke into a smile.

"Le, why are you wrapped up like a rice dumpling?"

Annie tried her best to avoid looking at Chen Moxin's grinning face. She gently covered her cheek, her voice muffled yet filled with barely suppressed laughter: "Don't make me laugh, my face hurts."

Chen Moxin placed the bouquet she brought on the table, her smile turning playful: "How about that? I told you, Ai Zhongguo is a sharpshooter, he can hit exactly where he wants, not missing a single shot."

"I only need one shot to put you in the position of planetary governor."

...

At Charles's residence, he and his team of advisors were also watching the news.

When they saw the latest poll data, everyone's face turned ashen.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Charles slammed his fist on the table in anger, his eyes blazing as he swept his gaze across the surrounding staff.

"Who sent the gunman?! Who gave you permission to do this?! Are you all insane, launching an assassination at a time like this?!"

The staff members were completely bewildered, each one of them feeling utterly wronged.

The chief aide adjusted his glasses and said cautiously, "Mr. Charles, if I may be so bold, we could not have acted on our own without your orders."

Charles roared, "What does that mean?! Is the gunman a member of the rebels?!"

The chief aide muttered under his breath, "The possibility of rebels cannot be ruled out... but considering the final outcome of this attack, I'm more inclined to believe another possibility..."

Seeing the complicated look in his chief aide's eyes, Charles suddenly realized what was going on.

"You mean... Annies directed and acted in it all herself?"

"From the perspective of who benefits and who is the most suspicious, I tend to think this is the possibility."

"Is she insane? Why would she stage a self-inflicted shot in the face? Isn't she afraid of being shot dead?!"

The chief aide said in a complicated tone, "Our informants there have reported that three of the recipients of the Gift have defected to Anies recently."

"Besides Chen Moxin, who can turn invisible, there are two others named Ai Zhongguo and Lei Lie. What their psychic abilities are, and what skills they possess, are all unclear. It's possible that one of them is a sharpshooter..."

"And as you know, Anies is a very extreme person; she never gives up until she achieves her goal. Knowing it's difficult for her to win against us through normal means, it's not impossible that she'd gamble her life on it..."

In an instant, resentment and anger swept over Charles, turning his face a deep purplish-red, and his chest felt so tight it felt like it was about to burst.

Just then, the news anchor said, "Annyeis, take my vote and become the governor of the planet."

"Damn it!!!" Charles completely lost control, picked up a chair and smashed the TV screen.

...

Anies's hospital room.

The team's core staff members were all gathered here, their eyes filled with joy at the turnaround in the polls, but also with concern for Anies' injury.

Wilson's gaze was complicated as he said in a deep voice, "Ms. Annie, I just asked the doctor, and the gunshot wound on your face is quite troublesome. Even if you have a skin graft later, it will probably leave an unsightly scar."

Anies's cheek was pierced, making it difficult for her to open and close her mouth. She could only speak slowly. She nonchalantly tossed her hand and said, "Two scars... for a miraculous escape... such a good deal... I'd do it a hundred times..."

Wilson didn't say anything more, but glanced at Chen Moxin not far away. This guy was shamelessly eating fried chicken legs, completely ignoring Annie's sullen expression of wanting to eat but not being able to.

The plan to "assassinate" Anies was conceived by this rising sun.

During a previous staff meeting, he first proposed a plan to assassinate Charles, which was rejected by Anneliese.

He then proposed what he called reverse thinking—since assassinating the other party would cause serious negative consequences, why not assassinate oneself?

Chen Moxin stated that voters are a very emotional group. Many of them don't care about politics at all and vote based entirely on their emotions, rather than having any truly mature political views.

Since that's the case, why not stage an assassination ourselves?

This would mislead voters into believing that Charles was doing this, thus damaging the image of the opposing party.

After her "survival," Anies once again staged a show for voters to rally support.

A candidate who miraculously survives a bullet and shouts "Never give up" can directly hit these voters' G-spot.

If it had only gone this far, everyone would have thought it was quite promising and worth a try.

However, Chen Moxin's later demands caused an uproar among many of her veteran staff members.

Chen Moxin stated that they could not allow Anies to be wearing a bulletproof vest and be shot in the body.

You also shouldn't hit areas like the arms or legs.