Chapter 11

Yin Mingzheng had only returned for three days, but the atmosphere in the base and among the civilians was already completely different.

The most apparent change was the smiles on everyone’s faces,

Especially when Shi Qing came out to play. The little guy with a healing ability that was brought back by Yin Mingzheng loved to stroll around the streets.

There were plenty of people displaying their wares in the outskirts of the base. Most of it was a mixture of junk left over after the Insects invaded and items made by artisans to support their families after moving into the base.

They often had a flaw such as a weak body or a lame leg that prevented them from finding employment as a manual labourer or a soldier, which is why they could only think of other ideas to survive.

Before Shi Qing came, rarely anyone bothered to buy these things.

After all, who had spare cash to spend on baubles these days?

But Shi Qing simply adored them. Ants made from grass, baskets woven from branches, and a video game console from before the apocalypse that was ancient to him.

His mouth might arrogantly say “You humans are so backwards when it comes to technology”, but his body sincerely worked to buy it all up. He was like a little mouse working hard to stockpile his stash, buying a whole bunch of strange trinkets every day.

Yin Mingzheng had to dedicate an entire room in his not too small house to Shi Qing’s growing collection.

The citizens welcomed Shi Qing not only because he was a big spender, but also because of his healing ability.

Although Shi Qing was brought back by Yin Mingzheng, he didn’t become part of his squad of ability users. He couldn’t be deployed onto the battlefield either. From the time his ability manifested, if he wasn’t treating Yin Mingzheng’s injuries then he was using his abilities in exchange for goods during his shopping spree.

In the eyes of many, he got the short end of the deal.

That was a healing ability!

Even in the squad that gathered all of the base’s elite ability users, there was only one healer.

And since there was a limit to how much he could heal, his services were limited to military personnel. Regular civilians couldn’t even catch a glimpse of his face.

Then Shi Qing appeared.

This beautiful youngster with an innocent face was quick to agree when a hawker begged him to treat his child during his daily stroll.

As Shi Qing stood before the healed child, he became a Buddha-like figure to many onlookers.

The brass of the base quickly caught word of the situation and sent a representative to hint to Yin Mingzheng to keep a closer eye on Shi Qing. He was an ability user, so he should be behaving like one. How could he waste his powers to heal citizens that contributed little to the base? Someone with a rare ability like Shi Qing should serve all of humanity instead.

If it was the him from before, Yin Mingzheng would definitely agree.

He used to be that kind of sincere fool. As long as someone said that it would benefit everyone, he was willing to make whatever sacrifices necessary to make it happen.

But now, Yin Mingzheng saw the smart computer’s simulation results.

He slowly changed.

After he returned, the base’s management immediately presented him with the corpses of the people who assaulted him and dragged him onto the plane. Even the pilot wasn’t spared.

Yin Mingzheng smiled at them as if nothing was wrong. He expressed a desire to let bygones be bygones.

He continued smiling as they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

He wasn’t blind. The person that ambushed him was in a middling position. If someone with more authority wasn’t backing him, how would he dare to attack Yin Mingzheng?

He forgave these people because they were already dead.

He had noted down the ones that were left in his heart.

They’ve stabbed him in the back, so how could he let Shi Qing become one of their pawns?

Until Yin Mingzheng could consolidate power, Shi Qing must remain under his wing.

So Yin Mingzheng smiled apologetically as he heard the pitter-patter of the youth’s feet as he ran over: “Shi Qing is still young and inexperienced, so I don’t plan on taking him outside.”

The visitor immediately had a ‘even the hero of humanity can spoil a person’ expression on their face.

But as he looked at the obedient and fae-like youth sitting on the man’s lap while peeking at him with those silvery eyes, he couldn’t help but give a thumbs up in his head.

Beautiful people were already in short supply on the base, but someone who was also as pure as Shi Qing was definitely one of a kind.

No wonder Yin Mingzheng was so protective of him.

But the more careful he was to hide Shi Qing, the more fatal his weakness became.

The person sent to test Yin Mingzheng left. Shi Qing stared after him curiously. “Mingzheng, who’s that?”

“No one important.”

Yin Mingzheng closed the door and poked Shi Qing on his nose when he went to paw at the door. He laughed: “You’re more popular than me in the base now.”

The alien youth smiled proudly.

The man wanted to remind him to be careful when playing outside. Although the top brass outwardly seemed happy at his return, they were seething inside. Shi Qing, being the one that came back with him, naturally had many eyes on him. It was important to be aware of his surroundings to prevent others from taking advantage of him.

But when he saw the youth look at him with those joyful eyes, Yin Mingzheng couldn’t find it in him to say those words.

Shi Qing was originally just fine on the ship with billions of robots to protect him.

Yet due to his selfishness, Shi Qing was deceived into coming to the base. He even passively allowed Shi Qing to naively not summon his robotic bodyguards.

Their grievances were with him, so why drag a bystander like Shi Qing in?

Yin Mingzheng swallowed back the words in his mouth. He smiled indulgently at the youth: “Remember to take a few members of the squad when you go out to play. Some of them happen to be around the same age as you, so it’s a good opportunity for them to relax.”

“Okay!”

Shi Qing immediately agreed. He saw that Yin Mingzheng was making the bed, so he pounced on him from behind. The several tonnes of force that suddenly assaulted Yin Mingzheng almost pressed him to death.

Yin Mingzheng’s vision was still recovering from turning black when the voice of the youth urged him from beside his ear:

“Let’s go through the sequence!”

He could only turn around with great difficulty to encircle the savage little leopard into his arms.

This foolish little guy.

How could he possibly not worry about him?

****

General Zhao returned from his meeting with an ashen face.

When he saw his daughter come back from her shopping spree, his expression became even more twisted: “I told you to earn Yin Mingzheng’s trust and pull him into our folds, but all you know how to do is buy stuff!”

“Of course I want to be with Yin Mingzheng. But how is it my fault that he likes men? Dad, you weren’t there to see it. He was treating that little rat from who knows where like a treasure that fell from the sky.”

Zhao Miaomiao’s felt like her face had been ripped off, “I’m already working so hard, but Yin Mingzheng won’t even look at me! There’s nothing more I can do!”

General Zhao snorted disdainfully, “Then go have fun shopping. When Yin Mingzheng makes it big and takes over the base, just watch how he deals with our family. You know how he is with anyone that isn’t his subordinates.”

After that, he stalked away with a cold face leaving a green and white Zhao Miaomiao to stomp her feet in frustration.

Her friend beside her didn’t expect to see the two fight. She awkwardly tried to comfort her: Miaomiao, don’t be sad. He’s just a little ruffian that’s caught General Yin’s attention because he’s a new face. Things will change soon.”

“How about this?”

She enthusiastically devised a scheme: “General Yin hates those that abuse their authority the most, so why don’t you……”

On the other side, Shi Qing once again spent the entire night comfortably with Yin Mingzheng. The next day the man left to eradicate some pests outside again, so Shi Qing set off with a small basket to roam the markets.

But just as he walked to the other side of the street, a sloppily dressed man rushed over and began to frantically kowtow to Shi Qing.

“Little Master, I do not dare to take your money anymore. I’ll never do it again, so please spare me. My family can’t go on like this.”

He was a grown man crying hard enough to affect the mood of those around him. It was a tragic sight.

Then, before Shi Qing could speak, he began to weave a tale of how “Shi Qing abused his authority by taking his merchandise without paying and ransacked his house when he demanded payment”, all while still sobbing.

Shi Qing: [……]

[I’m really beginning to doubt that Miss Zhao’s IQ.]

Speak of the devil and they shall appear. Zhao Miaomiao arrived in a swirl of white clothes. Her saintly aura was on full blast. She held her mouth in shock after taking in the scene as she walked over.

“What happened here? Please don’t cry, sir. Shi Qing, quickly apologize to this man.”

Seeing someone come to his aid, the man began to vulgarly curse out the youth.

Zhao Miaomiao took a covert glance at Shi Qing.

Based on what she knew, this ruffian that has been pampered by Yin Mingzheng has quite the temper. Whenever something didn’t go his way, he would throw a tantrum. Even Yin Mingzheng couldn’t handle him and had actually been hit several times during their arguments.

Could Shi Qing withstand this humiliation?

Hurry up and cause a scene.

The further he went the better.

If Shi Qing escalated the situation and killed this civilian in a fight, this matter couldn’t be swept under the rug.

This method might be simple and brutal, but Shi Qing did appear to be the pure (dumb) and innocent (naive) type that was easily provoked.

She waited with bated breath for Shi Qing to snap.

Under the countless gazes of the crowd, the youth well known for his short temper and thin face stepped back.

–And began to cry.

Zhao Miaomiao who was waiting for him to lose his temper: “……”

She turned around to see the surrounding civilians looking at her with disdain.

Zhao Miaomiao again: “……”

Somehow things aren’t going the way she had imagined them to.