Chapter 8: The Sky is Changing

Chapter 8: The Sky's About to Change

The red-haired man frowned, taking half a step back. "...What do you want?"

Angry shouts erupted around him, accompanied by condemnation:

"It's him! That streak of dyed hair is unmistakable."

"That 'Message to Those Who Come After' was such a low blow—"

"..."

The red-haired man finally caught on.

But his arrogance quickly returned as he scanned the crowd. "That's right, I left it. You all heard the broadcast today, didn’t you? Physical altercations are prohibited in the base. What can you possibly do to me?"

Everyone glared at his smug face, barely restraining the urge to strike.

Just then, Qi He spoke lightly, "One-sided violence is called assault; it's only 'fighting' if it's mutual."

As he spoke, he opened the "Base Handbook" he carried and pointed to a section.

The red-haired man’s gaze froze.

So did the eyes of those around them.

The next second, Mo Jiayan, standing nearby, shot forward! With lightning speed, she threw a punch straight at the red-haired man’s head. "Damn it, eat my fist!"

*Thwack.* "What the—!"

The red-haired man clutched his head, tears springing to his eyes from the pain. He wanted to retaliate but feared it would escalate into a "fight"...

The crowd quickly snapped out of their daze and swarmed around him.

A flurry of punches and kicks followed.

Qi He quietly stepped back, folding the handbook and slipping it into his pocket. *After today, the rules will probably change. But it doesn’t matter—everyone has already seized the chance for some payback.*

Ye Yi glanced at him, hesitating to speak, but held her tongue.

Amid the chaos, angry mutters could be heard:

"Think you’re so tough, huh? Throwing a bonfire party!"

"Didn’t you say, 'Come and try to kill me if you dare'? And that 'hehe'...!"

The red-haired man was horrified. *When did I ever write such things?!*

Qi He: "..."

Ye Yi: "..."

As they listened, the accusations grew even more exaggerated: "Didn’t you say all of us here are trash?" "Fire Superpower is the strongest? Hah..."

Qi He’s eyes flickered with surprise.

*Just how long has 'Message to Those Who Come After' been expanded?*

A few steps away, the red-haired man’s two teammates looked anxious. The burly man clenched his tray, wanting to help but afraid it would turn into a "fight":

*Wouldn’t that mean our leader’s sacrifice was in vain?!*

Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted over: "Give me two low-grade energy crystals, and I’ll make them stop with a single word."

Qi He stood nearby, calm and composed.

He had just remembered he didn’t have any energy crystals to pay for his meal.

The burly man didn’t hesitate and handed him two crystals. "Quick, hurry..."

Qi He pocketed the crystals and shouted, "Stop! I’ll make him kowtow to everyone."

The crowd immediately stilled.

Red-haired man: "?"

The next second, he smoothly dropped to his knees and kowtowed.

He raised his head, face twisted in rage, about to curse, "You—" only to see the burly man sigh in relief and bow to Qi He. "Thank you."

Qi He waved a hand gracefully, looking benevolent.

"?" The red-haired man stared at his teammate, who seemed to have mistaken an enemy for a friend, and scrambled to his feet in fury. "What the hell are you thanking him for?!"

He straightened his clothes and gave Qi He a once-over. "Nothing good ever happens when I run into you." He clicked his tongue. "Lost my appetite. Let’s go."

The burly man said, "But boss, I still want to eat."

"..."

"Get lost!"

The red-haired man stormed off alone.

-

The commotion died down.

Qi He used the red-haired man’s "ransom money" to buy a boxed meal, and the three of them sat down to eat.

"Mo Jiayan," Ye Yi said, a note of reproach in her voice. "You acted impulsively today. Luckily, he knew when to back down and didn’t escalate things. Otherwise, as the first to strike, you’d be held responsible."

Mo Jiayan chomped on a potato. "But Qi He was leading the charge."

Ye Yi’s expression softened slightly. "Forget it."

She then turned to Qi He and kindly reminded him, "You’re drawing too much attention. Be careful not to attract trouble."

Qi He sighed lightly. "It’s my fault for being too dazzling."

Mo Jiayan slapped his shoulder. "It’s not your fault. You’re just too outstanding."

Qi He glanced at her in surprise, pleased. "You’ve forgotten your roots." The words coming from her sounded so pleasant.

"..."

After finishing their meal, the three headed back.

Qi He remembered they should have another teammate. "What about the other person you came with?"

"He’s a B-rank Superpowered. He lives in another district."

Ye Yi said, "By the way, there's a Class S Superpowered with you, right? The three Class S Superpowered in the base are all administrators. Now that there’s one more, I wonder how things might shift."

Qi He didn’t bring up Yan Chuanbai’s plans to go to the headquarters.

He changed the subject and asked, "Besides You Tianxing, who are the other two Class S administrators?"

"One is a water-attribute Superpowered, Yu Jiang; and the other is…"

Ye Yi’s voice and footsteps halted at the same time.

Qi He also stopped and followed her line of sight ahead.

They happened to arrive at the parking lot intersection.

On the main thoroughfare ahead, a group of people was approaching. The man at the front wore a red outer robe with a mechanical spear hanging at his waist.

Behind him, two rows of people followed, almost occupying the entire main thoroughfare, making quite the display. He scanned the surroundings like a king inspecting his territory, radiating authority.

Someone at the front was clearing the path: "Move aside! Don’t block the way!"

People on the road, with a mix of respect and fear, quickly stepped aside to both sides.

Qi He tilted his head thoughtfully and looked at Ye Yi.

Ye Yi murmured the unfinished name: "...Ying Zhen."

Ying Zhen and his group were passing through the intersection ahead of them. People on all four roads waited quietly.

After a few seconds, Qi He couldn’t resist asking, "Why does he need so many people to accompany him for a walk after eating?"

"……"

Ye Yi took a slight breath. "It’s a patrol."

He didn’t bother lowering his voice.

In the quiet atmosphere, Ying Zhen, about seven or eight meters away, stopped walking and turned to look at him.

His followers also halted in unison.

Qi He met his gaze.

There was a glint of dark red in his eyes, carrying a chilling aura. Qi He had seen cold gazes before, like Yan Chuanbai’s aloofness that kept others at a distance. But Ying Zhen’s gaze exuded ambition and indifference.

Someone beside Ying Zhen suddenly whispered something to him. Ying Zhen frowned, and when he looked at Qi He again, his stare intensified.

Qi He: "System, what does it mean when he just stares without speaking? Does he think he has eyes that can talk... Hmm—"

Suddenly, his entire body went numb, and he couldn’t move.

Qi He raised his eyes and looked at Ying Zhen.

The tip of his finger twitched almost imperceptibly.

Just a second later, he could move again. But the residual feeling told him that he had just been under mental control—

From a distance, Ying Zhen curled his lips disdainfully.

As if issuing a warning and throwing his weight around, he stared meaningfully at Qi He. "I hope you’ll be just as bold next time."

After saying this, he swept off with his entourage.

……

The air around them began to flow again.

The surrounding crowd shot him a few whispered looks before gradually dispersing.

Mo Jiayan popped her head out. "Are you okay?"

Qi He, "I’m fine. Is his ability psychic-type?"

"I’ve heard it can paralyze a person’s nerves for a second," Ye Yi said. "Don’t underestimate that one second—a lot can happen in that time."

Qi He curled his fingertip and hummed in acknowledgment.

He reflected on the experience and felt it hadn’t been a full second.

Back when he tested games, he had trained to count seconds and could accurately measure intervals as short as 0.1 to 0.2 seconds through muscle memory.

Since Ying Zhen said "next time," he would put it to the test then.

-

The first day of settling into the base wound down quietly.

Qi He woke up after a night’s sleep.

He planned to go out today to pick up missions. He wasn’t sure how the plot involving Yan Chuanbai would unfold, but he had to avoid starving in the meantime.

Just as he reached the entrance, he noticed a card lying in front of the doorway.

Qi He walked over and picked it up.

On the palm-sized white card, only one line was written: "18:00, High-Rise 30-1, Leader Ying requests your presence."

In the lower right corner was an embossed logo.

Qi He ran his finger over it. Such craftsmanship was something only a handful in the base could pull off. Combined with the "warning" Ying Zhen had given him yesterday, it was highly likely that the other party had indeed come knocking.

The system appeared promptly: "I told you—character! Character! Would it kill you to stick to the key plot? Now look, you’ve stirred up trouble!"

Qi He shook his head. "Jia Yan said it’s not my fault for being too outstanding."

"……"

"My Superpower level is unclear, which makes me a threat to him. And with Yan Chuanbai, a confirmed Class S Superpowered, as my teammate, it was only a matter of time before Ying Zhen targeted me."

"Then you should contact Yan Chuanbai right away!"

"Why should I contact him?"

Qi He tucked the card away, changed his shoes, and headed out. "Don’t worry, I have experience handling this kind of situation. I’ve dealt with plenty of workplace bullying from superiors. If leaders are always dissatisfied with you..."

The system perked up its ears: "You play along? Improve yourself?"

Qi He: "You just have to find a way to optimize a few leaders."

"……"

He closed the door behind him. "Let's go, time to find a job."

…

At the base research institute.

The pure white aviary-like exterior reflected the sunlight. Behind a floor-to-ceiling window on the third floor, two figures sat facing each other.

The man in a white lab coat appeared to be in his early thirties, with slightly curly chestnut hair and a pair of oval glasses. He wore a friendly smile, appearing approachable.

You Tianxing took a sip of warm water and asked, "Only staying for two days before leaving?"

Across from him, Yan Chuanbai leaned back in his chair, gazing out the window. "Mm."

"Major General Zhong wants you to stay at Base I," You Tianxing said, looking at him. "Although my background is also military, I’m not exactly combat personnel."

Rule always relies on force.

You Tianxing smiled. "Within the base, some already have ambitions."

He had long been aware of Ying Zhen’s scheming.

Yan Chuanbai said, "They’ll send others."

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade him, You Tianxing didn’t press further.

He and Yan Chuanbai were old acquaintances from their military days. The latter might seem carefree and undisciplined, but there was a stubbornness in his character that occasionally bordered on obsession.

He changed the subject. "You caused quite a stir when you entered the base."

Yan Chuanbai lightly drummed his fingers before turning back. "How long were you watching the show?"

You Tianxing sidestepped the question. "Hey—aren’t you going to thank me for stepping in at just the right time to avoid trouble?"

Yan Chuanbai smirked. "If it can’t be handled, then it’s 'trouble.'"

You Tianxing didn’t want to look at his annoying expression any longer. Remembering the incident at the base entrance, he sighed dramatically. "Speaking of which, the person you brought to the base is something else. That instrument I put so much effort into—poof! Gone just like that!"

"So why did it explode?"

"Definitely not because of my instrument."

Yan Chuanbai fell silent. You Tianxing asked again, "Is he leaving with you in a couple of days?"

"He’s staying at Base I."

"Not a friend?" You Tianxing was somewhat surprised, then smiled. "Need me to look out for him?"

Yan Chuanbai turned away casually. "Just someone I traveled with."

After a few seconds, his fingers resting on his belt twitched slightly.

He added, "His parents did me a favor."

You Tianxing raised an eyebrow.

The meaning was clear: no special treatment needed, but keep an eye on him. He nodded. "Alright, got it."

"By the way, about the research on mutant plants…"

A research report was handed over, and the conversation quickly got down to business.

-

In the trading market.

Qi He had just taken on a mission outside the city and received an advance payment. He first bought some ingredients, then headed to a daily necessities store.

By the time he finished shopping, he was carrying a large bag.

"Why are you still shopping?"

The system was endlessly worried. "Have you figured out what to do about the banquet tonight? Once you’re on his territory, he’ll be in control!"

Qi He remained calm. "What’s the rush? It’s not six yet."

"Maybe you just shouldn’t go."

"If you don’t solve the problem, it’ll always be there."

He organized the items in his bag. "That’s about enough. Let’s head back."

…

Back at the apartment.

Qi He set the ingredients aside, then pulled out paper, a pen, and some wire from the bag with a rustle, sitting down at the table.

A piece of wire deftly bent between his fingers, quickly taking shape as he compared it to the emblem on the invitation card. Qi He took a blank card and pressed it firmly into the lower right corner, applying weight—

An almost identical embossed emblem was imprinted.

"System, real enough?"

"...Uncannily similar."

The system snapped out of its daze. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Satisfied, Qi He admired his work, then copied the invitation verbatim onto the card. When he held it up, the two cards were nearly indistinguishable at a glance.

He began imprinting another one the same way:

"Of course, I'm solving the problem at its root."

A thick stack of cards was soon replicated.

Qi He pocketed the cards and pushed the door open.

The nearby apartments were all occupied by newly arrived Class A Superpowered individuals. With limited energy resources at the base, there were no surveillance cameras in the hallways. He went door to door, slipping a card under each one.

Once he was done, he dusted off his hands, mission accomplished, and returned home.

The system had been speechless since he started distributing cards all over the building.

It slowly found its voice again: "What are you bringing all these people for? Moral support? Protection?"

It reminded him: "Even if you bring a crowd, Ying Zhen won’t let them in."

Qi He closed his eyes leisurely. "They don’t need to go in."

…

Around six o'clock, it was the time when large numbers of Superpowered individuals were returning from missions or heading out for meals.

Doors opened one after another, then stopped.

Qi He figured the timing was about right and got up to leave.

As the door opened, he saw several Superpowered individuals gathered in the hallway, looking at each other confusedly. Meng Yan and Ye Yi were also there, and seeing Qi He come out, they called to him:

"Hey, you got a card too?"

Qi He held up the master card in his hand: "Yeah."

The group went downstairs, where the residential street had already gathered a bunch of Superpowered individuals. All were newcomers, and they couldn’t verify the authenticity of the cards. They kept looking them over:

"You all received one too?"

"What does 'that guy' want with us?"

"Seems like things are gonna change..."

Qi He suddenly spoke up, his gaze gentle yet firm, and said: "Don’t be afraid."

Meeting everyone’s eyes, he declared decisively, "With so many of us, nothing's gonna happen to us."

System: "..." You gathered all these people—of course nothing will happen.

After exchanging a few glances, they agreed, "True."

They then gathered together and headed in a big group toward the high-rise.

-

In the research institute.

You Tianxing had just finished discussing their research on mutant plants with Yan Chuanbai when the office door was knocked on urgently. An assistant burst in:

"Mr. You, sir!"

You Tianxing asked sternly, "What is it?"

The assistant pointed toward the high-rise, out of breath, "Ying Zhen quietly rounded up a large group of newly arrived Class A Superpowered individuals—"

"They’re all gathered downstairs now!"

You Tianxing’s stomach dropped.

Smack! He slammed the research documents onto the table and stood up angrily:

"Is Ying Zhen trying to rebel!?"

Author's Note:

Ying Zhen: Who? Me?

-

Yan Chuanbai (gazing out the window): After we parted ways, what has he been doing?

Qi He (leading the grand procession): These... they’re all your troops now!