It wasn't just Wang Jiu. At that moment, the people who had just emerged from the shelter and saw the footage on the electronic screen all felt a sense of absurdity.

"Forty years ago, the [West City Water Pollution] incident. The related information has been reorganized, and the Enforcement Division is currently investigating personnel connected to the Tower…"

The [West City Water Pollution] was the last major pollution incident that directly caused a drastic population drop, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands in the base.

"…There is now conclusive evidence that the recent [Outer City Insect Disaster] is connected to the Tower's knights. It is not ruled out that the Tower may have been involved…" On the electronic screen, the host's words continued.

How could this be possible? Everyone felt as if they had been struck by lightning. Could the so-called beacon of humanity be nothing more than a conspiracy?

Wang Jiu stared at the images on the screen for a long time without speaking. He had witnessed that battle a few days ago. He never thought that at such a fragile time for rebuilding, someone would directly make a move against the Tower.

One had to know that the Enforcement Division was an organization that had only been established several years after the Great Pollution. Compared to the Tower, its prestige and influence were nowhere near the same level.

On the screen, Pei Yi's figure was still clear. Many could recognize him as a young knight of the Tower.

But recognizing someone was one thing. Whether you believed it was another matter entirely.

Wang Jiu's new residence was not far from the shelter and also close to the Tower. While walking on the road, he saw many people holding signs in protest.

What he couldn't understand was, even pollutants knew the concept of sustainable development. So why would the Tower, which was supposed to stand on humanity's side, want to topple the entire human base?

It couldn't possibly be because of some environmentalist's divine mission, right?

This wasn't only Wang Jiu's question. Everyone was curious too.

Ruan Xing also asked Fu Gui this question. Fu Gui thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I do not know."

"Since the Great Pollution, Will's research objectives have no longer been known to outsiders. Even at the time, what I could access was only partial steps in the process."

"Apart from us, he also had a research team. But that team was very mysterious, and I haven't seen them before."

There was no helpful information, but Ruan Xing wasn't discouraged. What surprised him this time was that An Mao's side had acted unusually quick. Before he had even made a move, they had already launched a public opinion offensive.

Even in the current, less-than-ideal political environment, taking down an opponent still required building momentum.

Ruan Xing didn't want to probe into An Mao's motives, but Chen Fu's ability to remain active always had An Mao's shadow behind it. Perhaps An Mao had long wanted to make a move, and Ruan Xing had simply given him the opportunity.

Ruan Xing looked up into the distance. Pei Ye was placing flowers on a tombstone that had neither a photo nor a name on it.

Fu Zhi said, "This is the grave Pei Ye prepared for himself."

But unexpectedly, someone had beaten him to it and taken the place that originally belonged to him.

Ruan Xing saw Pei Ye set down the flowers, say something, then turn around and leave without the slightest attachment.

Pei Ye walked ahead with his hands in his pockets. Fu Zhi and Ruan Xing followed behind. When he got into the car, Pei Ye asked Fu Zhi, "The Tower is going to be finished, right?"

Fu Zhi lifted his eyelids and nodded at him.

Pei Ye's originally heavy mood seemed to lighten a bit.

"I hope that day comes sooner."

Following behind, Ruan Xing silently added: Very soon.

It had been more than a week since the moth incident, and the Tower still had no reaction.

When the car arrived near the Tower, there had once been a large open space here, separated from the inner city and fenced off. But now, all those areas were filled with protesters.

It was clear that, after years of operation, the Tower's supporters would never accept the facts presented to them by others. The presence of these people greatly hindered the plan to overthrow the Tower.

Ruan Xing really wanted to brainwash them and send them home, but he didn't have enough magic power.

The group got out of the car and, like the other onlookers, cast their gaze toward the sit-in protesters.

These people sat in front of the Tower, facing outward with their backs against it, forming a radiating formation while holding protest signs. The signs read: Conspiracy Theory! Humanity cannot overthrow the Tower!

Some held loudspeakers and shouted slogans. Under the lead of organizers, they seemed very orderly.

They didn't look like protesters. They looked more like protectors.

Protectors who couldn't tell right from wrong.

When they saw the group walk forward, the man in the black suit immediately came over. "Why are you here?"

Ruan Xing was puzzled as to why he couldn't be here.

The man in the black suit looked anxious. "Ah, you should leave quickly. Go back to headquarters first. Things here are too complicated."

Who knew, a protester sitting at the front suddenly stood up and pointed at Ruan Xing. "It's him! He bewitched the Enforcement Division, and now he wants them to attack the Tower!"

As soon as those words came out, the protesters all looked over. When they saw Ruan Xing's face clearly, they stood up.

"It's really him!"

"If it weren't for him saving those people, none of this would have happened!"

"Conspiracy! A complete conspiracy! This man must be an undercover sent by the pollutants!"

Suspicion, surprise, doubt, malice… countless gazes stabbed over like blades of judgment.

Someone, looking agitated, rushed forward and shoved their sign toward Ruan Xing.

Fu Zhi stepped in front of him, waved the sign aside, and the person staggered back with wide eyes.

Fu Zhi's voice was cold enough to form ice. "What are you trying to do?"

His face was still highly recognizable. The crowd's agitation calmed somewhat. The lead protester stepped forward. "Major General, stay away from him. This man is up to no good. He is a spy sent by the pollutants to target the Tower."

"Yes, Major General. If not for him, none of this would be happening right now."

"That's right. This time, so many people would not have died!"

"It's all his fault!"

Pei Ye actually laughed in anger. He didn't have Ruan Xing and Fu Zhi's good temper. He grabbed that protester by the collar and yanked him close. "Open your dog eyes and see clearly who actually did this! If it weren't for him, do you think you would still be alive to sit here and protest?"

His spit sprayed the man's face. The man's expression froze, and he wiped his face.

The surrounding onlookers had already backed far away, afraid that violence would break out here.

"You can't say it like that," someone else stepped forward. "Although we are very grateful to this gentleman for saving so many people, we can't accept throwing mud at the Tower. Who doesn't know that the base's current scale is inseparable from the Tower's efforts?"

Pei Ye's face was expressionless. "Mud your head."

The man's expression changed. "How can you curse at me?"

Pei Ye said, "I'm cursing you. You can't tell right from wrong. Are your eyes just for show? The evidence is right in front of you, yet you still live in your own world. Truly ridiculous."

The man shook off Pei Ye's hand. "In any case, we won't believe it."

He tried to approach Ruan Xing, but Fu Zhi stepped forward, twisted his wrist, and pushed him back.

The repeated physical confrontations had this man on the verge of exploding. He cursed, dragging the families of those present into it. "Fu Zhi, you are colluding with a human traitor. Do you have no shame?"

Before his words even fell, he staggered forward and fell flat on his face, not even realizing what had happened.

What the hell?

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The man turned his head and saw Ruan Xing's half-smiling expression. He instantly realized, "It was you!"

He got up to rush over but was tripped again and slammed to the ground.

After all, he was just an ordinary person. Caught off guard twice in public, utterly humiliated, and now feeling sharp pain. He felt like his leg was about to break.

"You!" He clutched his leg, pointing a trembling finger at Ruan Xing, eyes seeking help from his companions.

But everyone avoided his gaze. The people who had been shouting earlier all fell silent, like their mouths had been welded shut.

His eyes were filled with despair. What kind of companions were these?!

"Most people can still tell right from wrong," Ruan Xing said as he swept his eyes over the excited sit-in crowd. Anyone who met his gaze quickly looked away.

It was obvious that many had lost their nerve.

Not to mention Ruan Xing's performance during the moth incident. In Mist City, he had single-handedly cleaned up that polluted zone. Who else could do that? Even Fu Zhi would have to spend quite some effort.

Facing such a strong person, who would want to be the one to stick their head out?

The man who had mysteriously fallen twice in public was enough to prove the point. Ruan Xing clearly didn't care about his reputation. If you dared to insult him, he dared to make a move, and no one knew exactly how he did it.

Even the Enforcement officers keeping order hadn't intervened. What if someone else stepped up and got the same treatment?

They knew that the Enforcement Division wouldn't care about their injuries, so who would dare confront Ruan Xing directly?

Many looked at the handsome young man, swallowed, then looked toward Fu Zhi and dropped the thought entirely.

"The Enforcement Division has already released evidence. If you have objections, you can come to me," the man in the black suit stepped up and looked at the troublemakers. "Sitting in is fine, but defamation and disrupting base order will still get you arrested."

The unspoken message was clear: the ones managing the base now weren't the Tower, but the Enforcement Division, which truly had military strength.

Since the moth incident, many people's views had changed, especially those in the outer city, who had clearly seen their own position and had long been dissatisfied with the Tower for segregating them.

For those in the inner city, as long as they could survive, it didn't matter who was in charge.

The lead protester was furious. After the sharp pain subsided, a dull ache lingered, and he regained the strength to speak. "The Tower trained you, and now you turn your blade on it. You've truly disappointed us!"

Fu Zhi squeezed Ruan Xing's hand to stop him from responding.

Looking at the man, Fu Zhi nodded slightly, a polite and courteous gesture. "I'm sure the Tower is far more disappointed in you."

Fu Gui: [I haven't noticed it before, but Fu Zhi really has a knack for making people mad.]

A snicker came from the crowd.

The lead protester looked around, face flushing red, feeling like all the eyes around him were stabbing into him like blades. "I! Damn it!"

Suddenly, there was commotion outside the crowd.

"Who? Who dares to lay a hand on Brother Ruan?!" A loud, rough voice rang out.

It was Chen Qiang, the mercenary who had once been sold to Mist City.

To the surprise of the onlookers, behind him came a group of people who looked "fierce and vicious."

Many were familiar faces. Humans Ruan Xing had rescued from Mist City.

The group came in with an imposing presence, and no one dared to stop them.

Chen Qiang entered the crowd and, upon seeing Ruan Xing, his eyes lit up. "Brother Ruan, I heard someone was looking for trouble, so I brought the brothers over right away. Is that the guy bullying you?"

A muscular man pointed at the lead protester who was lying on the ground. The scene fell into a strange silence. The pointed-at man's breathing quickened.

He had already been frightened by Ruan Xing and Fu Zhi earlier. Now, even an ordinary person wants to beat him up?

Chen Qiang spat in disgust toward the troublemakers. "Brother Ruan, don't worry. Back in Mist City, you saved us. Now that you are in trouble, these brothers will not just stand by!"

"That's right!"

"Brother Qiang is right!"

The muscular men behind him all spoke up, looking like they were just waiting for Ruan Xing's order to rush the fence, grab the protesters inside, and throw them back into their own homes.

Ruan Xing first glanced at the frightened expressions of the onlookers, then at the lead protester, whose body was shaking uncontrollably. He shook his head. "No need. It's already taken care of."

If a real fight broke out, the people here might not be able to hold these men back, and it would be troublesome to deal with.

After the group left, the man in the black suit looked at the lead protester.

The man slowly got up and wobbled back to his original spot.

After going through that psychological battle, he forced his trembling leg to stay still and plopped himself down right on top of his sign. The sign had been bent, with several words overlapping.

At a glance, only a few characters remained visible:

Conspiracy, Overthrow the Tower!