The intelligent individuals within the base gradually began to sense that something was amiss.
Yin Mingzheng, who had previously focused solely on fighting the insectoid race, started getting more involved in base affairs. Oddly enough, no one could find a reason to stop him. After all, he was a high-ranking general and theoretically one of the most influential figures within the base. As long as Yin Mingzheng wished, his authority was sufficient to allow him to participate in any project. However, he had never bothered with these trivial matters before and had always worked quietly, never participating in them.
But now, the human hero who had never sought fame or fortune was getting involved in base affairs. Changes began to emerge within the upper echelons of the base.
Honest people welcomed the similarly honest human hero, but those who had done some unsavory things and were feeling guilty were becoming fearful. Gradually, rumors began circulating within the base. Rumors about Yin Mingzheng abusing his power, disregarding civilian lives, and indulging in luxury - there were all sorts of allegations. At first, these rumors were kept discreet, and most people didn't believe them. Everyone knew that without Yin Mingzheng, they probably wouldn't have survived.
But there was a portion of the population living in despair, unable to see a future, struggling to find enough food, having lost all their loved ones. They desperately needed an outlet. And the schemers behind the scenes shamelessly pinned these emotions on Yin Mingzheng.
One year ago, there was a battle initiated in City A. Approximately five hundred thousand insectoids had occupied the city, and all the humans inside were killed. Yin Mingzheng led his troops into the city and killed all the entrenched insectoids, using their blood to honor the deceased.
But now, rumors were quietly spreading within the base. The rumors claimed that initially, not all humans in the city had been killed; the insectoids had captured some as hostages. However, Yin Mingzheng, eager for military glory, had ignored these hostages and ordered the attack, resulting in the complete annihilation of the city's population.
These were baseless rumors, but what if some of those who had lost their loved ones believed them?
It was a rainy day when the base received news that the insectoids were sweeping the border towns, where scattered farmers lived. These farmers hadn't moved into the base because they needed to tend to their fields, sleeping in their underground shelters during the day and coming out to farm at night. The insectoids, for some unknown reason, were hunting down and killing these farmers. Yin Mingzheng received a distress signal at 4 AM and returned covered in blood at 11 PM.
Today, Shi Qing had spent the entire day playing games with Le Youyuan. He estimated the time and moved a small stool, obediently waiting at the base entrance. The base guards had grown familiar with him, and some even offered him lollipops they had found during previous missions.
Currently, the base was urgently supplying food and clothing to everyone. Snacks like lollipops, which didn't fill one's stomach and were merely for enjoyment, were no longer being produced since people preferred spending their money on more filling food.
Shi Qing had no other option but to accept the lollipop. He couldn't eat much human food, but a lollipop was acceptable.
With the lollipop in his mouth and boredom creeping in, Shi Qing idly counted the ants on the ground. The system reminded him, "Host, Yin Mingzheng is back."
The little prince lifted his head, his eyes shining as he looked toward the base gate. Yin Mingzheng was entering with his team.
He was covered in the colorful blood of the insectoids, which made him appear somewhat disheveled. His perpetually deep eyes also bore signs of exhaustion.
Following him were the other psychics, most of whom were in a similar state. Especially the younger ones, who had been sleep-deprived, were stumbling as they walked, and Cheng Jun, the familiar handsome young man with a cap, was yawning incessantly and swaying on his teammate's shoulder.
Shi Qing stood up, rushing over in a pitter-patter of footsteps. However, before he could embrace the man, someone else rushed out even faster.
Ding!
Without seeing clearly what was happening, the person was bounced away by a protective barrier created by one of the psychics, and the dagger in their hand fell onto a nearby stone with a crisp sound.
Shi Qing halted in his tracks.
"Assassination? An ordinary person trying to assassinate a psychic?"
The system was equally unsure, "The plot has changed; the system can only discern the general direction. These minor details are beyond my knowledge."
The person who had been knocked away struggled to get up, their eyes filled with hatred as they fixed their gaze on the human hero. They grabbed the nearby dagger and charged forward again, shouting hoarsely, "Yin Mingzheng, die!!"
Cheng Jun, who had been dozing off just moments ago, was now fully awake. He stepped forward and used his psychic powers to block the attacker. "Who are you? Do you know the consequences of attempted murder?"
"Arrest him!"
Watching as the person was captured, Cheng Jun approached Yin Mingzheng. "Boss, he seems to be associated with the guy who slandered Shi Qing last time."
The person who had slandered Shi Qing had been found dead shortly after being brought in, so capturing a live suspect this time was crucial.
Yin Mingzheng furrowed his brows and looked at the struggling person, his eyes carrying a hint of evaluation. "He doesn't seem to be acting on someone else's orders; he appears to be an ordinary person."
"In that case, I'll question him."
Cheng Jun stepped forward. "Speak up! Why did you attempt to murder General Yin?"
The captured person, held down but still struggling, glared at Yin Mingzheng with intensified hatred. In a hoarse voice, he shouted, "He killed my son first! A year ago, in City A, if he hadn't ordered to ignore the hostages for the sake of military achievements, my son wouldn't have died!"
"Yin Mingzheng, you'll face retribution for prioritizing your own interests over the lives of us civilians! I can't kill you, but many others will come to kill you in the future! You're no hero of humanity; I spit on you!"
Yin Mingzheng spoke, his voice raspy, "In the battle of City A, all humans were already dead by the time we arrived."
"Spit! You're trying to deceive me. You're a selfish monster who would kill for your own benefit! Yin Mingzheng, you owe me my son; give me my son back!"
Shi Qing could tell from the man's deranged appearance that he had been brainwashed.
When a person loses everything and sees nothing but despair, as long as someone gives them a purpose, they can muster the will to resent.
If it were up to him, he'd wish this person dead.
He had lost his son, did that mean Yin Mingzheng deserved to be murdered?
In these past few years, he couldn't even count how many times he had been wounded for the sake of the base. He had narrowly escaped death over a dozen times, saving not just thousands but millions of people. Despite his significant contributions, he still lived in an ordinary two-bedroom apartment. He had to clear the living room just to make space for Shi Qing's toys.
Helping people seemed to breed resentment, especially from someone as petty as Shi Qing, who wouldn't hesitate to scheme against him.
But now, as he looked over, he saw Yin Mingzheng standing still, his face expressionless, but his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
Beneath his furrowed brows were eyes that seemed impenetrably dark, filled with an indiscernible meaning.
Though to others, Yin Mingzheng might appear cold and aloof, with a harsh tone, Shi Qing could tell that he was hurting.
Generally, he wouldn't be this fragile.
But after nearly twenty hours of continuous battle without rest, not a sip of water, and no food, right after dragging his exhausted body back, he had hoped to rest. Instead, he was met with a knife wielded by one of the civilians he had worked so hard to protect.
Anyone would have a hard time with that.
Moreover, despite Yin Mingzheng's usual appearance of coldness and his harsh words, he was actually the softest-hearted among them. After all, before this little world emerged, the author had designed him as a kind and sweet character.
Unfortunately, when the world became independent, those bystanders who were supposed to be kind alongside him developed their own sense of humanity, and human nature was inherently dark and self-preserving.
Shi Qing watched from a distance as the man seemed to merge into the darkness with the falling night, his expression hidden. He sighed, "If it were me..."
The system, which usually didn't like Yin Mingzheng, surprisingly felt a bit of sympathy for him at this moment, its tone softening. "Host, don't worry. If you ever face such a situation, we can just ignore him."
"Why ignore him? Didn't he accuse me of killing his son? I'll just send him to reunite with his son and let him ask his son in person who really killed him."
The system hesitated for a moment before cautiously suggesting, "Isn't it a bit unkind? He's just a father who loves his son. We should be understanding..."
"Nonsense! I'm his father! If he wants to kill me, why should I be understanding? Does Yin Mingzheng owe them something? This man is only alive because of Yin Mingzheng. Now, after hearing an unfounded rumor, he accuses Yin Mingzheng of killing his son and tries to assassinate him. He might know deep down that he's venting his anger, but he couldn't protect his own son and can't commit suicide, so he's looking for an excuse to blame someone else. And that someone is Yin Mingzheng. He probably thinks all these people are his responsibility and should be killed. Instead of fighting back, all he does is stand there and feel sad."
Shi Qing coldly sneered, "I finally understand why this world had to collapse. How could a genuinely good and kind protagonist withstand a world so filled with ugliness and reality? It would be strange if it didn't collapse."
"Like before when I trapped him on the spaceship, I saved him, but he couldn't bring himself to harm me. He's just too soft, too indecisive. If it were someone else, he would have died a thousand times over."
The rookie system struggled to maintain its teachings on morality, which were entirely at odds with the current situation. It recited a couple of lines from the Tao Te Ching to regain its composure.
"I didn't expect you to dislike him so much. I thought you liked him a lot."
"I do like him a lot."
Shi Qing's smile was clear, like that of a carefree little prince as he nestled into the stiff man's embrace.
"But he only needs to be foolish in front of me."
Shi Qing buried his face in the man's embrace, laughing contentedly. He felt the man stiffen for a moment when he was embraced, and then gradually relax, his exhausted body slowly relaxing as well. He lifted his tired hands and held Shi Qing closer.
In that moment, it was as if Yin Mingzheng, a bird that had been flying aimlessly through the sky without a place to land, had finally found an island large enough for him to settle down on.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
He could mark his territory in the base with a strong stance.
He could singlehandedly confront thousands of insectoids.
But when it came to these kinds of conspiracies and schemes, he was always at a loss.
Just like when he returned to the base, knowing full well that someone had plotted against him and forced him into a passive sacrifice, but he couldn't point it out.
Or like now, when he was attacked by one of the civilians he had been protecting. He could have easily killed the attacker with a single slap, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Shi Qing's delicate fingers rested on his hand.
Together, they walked up to the civilian. Shi Qing asked only one question, "You said Yin Mingzheng disregarded the lives of civilians. But when that spaceship threatened him with a million lives, why did he willingly risk his life?"
The struggling man suddenly froze.
Seeing his confusion, Shi Qing continued, "If he truly was as you believe, why didn't he just run away back then? With his high status and being the world's strongest psychic, why would he bother with ordinary people like you?"
"Everyone knows how dangerous aliens are. Threatening him with the spaceship might have resulted in him being eaten alive. He risked his life for all of you, and you're still slandering him behind his back. Do you even have a conscience?"
The man cried and laughed, grabbed his hair in bewilderment, and finally broke down in tears. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Shi Qing lifted his chin satisfactorily.
And behind him, Yin Mingzheng's feelings of loss had long dissipated.
He watched the smug little master as he skillfully handled the situation, and his earlier emotions seemed to evaporate into thin air.
His lips unconsciously curled up, his gaze towards Shi Qing filled with indulgence and warmth.
Shi Qing had truly captured his heart.
Ding! Yin Mingzheng's Rejection Level: 0/100
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