Run the Plot Ch.8

Chapter 8: The Sky Is Changing

The red-haired man frowned, stepping half a step back.

“…What are you doing?”

All around, furious glares locked onto him, voices rising in accusation:

“It’s him! That streak of dyed hair—no mistaking it.”

“That piece ‘To Those Who Come After’ was way too shameless—”

“…”

The red-haired man caught on.

But soon enough, his arrogance returned. He swept his gaze around.

“Yeah, that’s right, I wrote it. You all heard today’s broadcast, didn’t you? Fighting is strictly forbidden inside the base. So what exactly can you do to me?”

The crowd looked at his smug expression, suppressing the urge to hit him.

Just then, Qi He spoke lightly: “Unilateral action is called an assault. When both sides start fighting—that’s when it counts as a brawl.”

As he spoke, he flipped open the Base Handbook he always carried and pointed to the passage.

The red-haired man froze for a moment.

The onlookers froze for a moment too.

The next second—Mo Jiayan, who was standing within arm’s reach, suddenly sprang up! With lightning speed, she slammed a fist down on the crown of the red-haired man’s head:

“Damn you—eat my fist!”

Bang.

“Shit—you—”

The red-haired man clutched his head, tears springing out from the pain. He wanted to hit back, but then he hesitated—what if it turned into a “brawl”…

Everyone else quickly came to their senses and swarmed in.

Amidst the flurry of fists and kicks, Qi He quietly stepped back, folding the little handbook and tucking it back into his pocket:

After today, the rules will probably be revised. But that’s fine. Everyone already had their chance to do evil in time.

Ye Yi cast him a glance, lips parting as if to speak, but she held her tongue.

Snippets of resentment-filled curses flew from the mob in front:

“That’ll teach you to act smug! To throw a bonfire feast!”

“Didn’t you say, ‘If you’ve got the guts, come kill me’? And even giggle about it—‘he-he’…!”

The red-haired man’s eyes widened in horror: When the hell did I ever write something like that!?

Qi He: …

Ye Yi: …

The two of them listened, and before long more lines had been added to the accusations:

“Didn’t you say everyone here is trash?”

“That fire-type abilities are the most badass? Heh…”

Qi He’s eyes trembled slightly.

Just how much longer had that so-called ‘To Those Who Come After’ been expanded?

A few steps away, two of the red-haired man’s teammates looked anxious. The burly one’s hand tightened around his food tray—he wanted to help, but was afraid of turning it into a brawl:

Wouldn’t that mean their boss had sacrificed himself for nothing!?

Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted over:

“Give me two low-grade crystal cores, and I’ll make them stop with one sentence.”

Qi He stood calmly to the side, unhurried.

He’d just remembered—he didn’t even have any crystal cores left to pay for his meal.

The burly one didn’t hesitate, immediately handing him two cores.

“Hurry, quick—”

Qi He pocketed the crystal cores, then shouted:

“Stop fighting! I’ll have him kowtow to everyone!”

Everything around them froze.

The red-haired man: ?

The next second—smoothly, almost seamlessly—thud! He dropped to his knees with a kowtow.

He lifted his head, face twisted in fury, just about to curse—“You—”

But then he saw the burly one sigh in relief and bow gratefully to Qi He.

“Thank you.”

Qi He waved his hand magnanimously, all benevolence and beauty.

“?” The red-haired man stared at his teammate, who was practically treating a stranger like his own father. Rage flared, and he scrambled back to his feet. “What the hell are you thanking him for!?”

Straightening his clothes, he gave Qi He an up-and-down glance.

“Nothing good ever happens when I run into you.” He clicked his tongue. “Lost my appetite now. Let’s go.”

The burly one muttered, “But boss, I still want to eat…”

“…”

“Scram!”

The red-haired man stormed off in fury, leaving alone.

—

The commotion dispersed.

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

“Jiayan,” Ye Yi said, lifting her food, “you were reckless today. Luckily he had enough sense not to escalate things. Otherwise, since you struck first, you wouldn’t have been able to escape responsibility.”

Mo Jiayan crunched into a potato, smacking her lips.

“But Qi He was still up at the frontlines.”

Ye Yi’s expression eased a little.

“Forget it.”

She then turned to Qi He, offering a kind reminder. “You’ve drawn too much attention to yourself. Be careful not to stir up trouble.”

Qi He sighed lightly. “Being too dazzling—that’s my fault.”

Mo Jiayan clapped her hand against the table.

“Not your fault. You’re just too outstanding.”

Qi He looked over in surprise, his expression brightening.

“You’ve forgotten your roots,” he said warmly. “But what you just said sounded so pleasant.”

“…”

After finishing their meal, the three of them headed back.

Qi He suddenly recalled they should have one more teammate.

“The other person traveling with you—where is he?”

“He’s a B-rank ability user, living in another sector,” Ye Yi replied.

“Oh, right. Isn’t there an S-rank ability user with you as well? The three S-ranks in this base are all administrators. Now that there’s one more, I wonder if the situation will change.”

Qi He didn’t mention that Yan Chuanbai planned to return to headquarters.

Instead, he changed the subject.

“Besides Yu Tianxing, who are the other two S-rank administrators?”

“One is Yu Jiang, a water-type ability user. The other is…”

Ye Yi’s voice trailed off as her steps came to an abrupt halt.

Qi He also stopped, following her gaze forward.

They had just reached the fork where the vehicles were parked.

From the main central avenue ahead came a procession. At the front was a man dressed in a crimson robe, a mechanical long rifle strapped to his waist.

Behind him trailed two full columns of people, nearly filling the entire avenue—the display was grand, as though a king was patrolling his realm, surveying with an unmistakable air of dominance.

At the front, attendants called out as they cleared the way: “Make way! Don’t block the road!”

Those on the street stepped aside respectfully, tinged with fear, retreating to the sides.

Qi He tilted his head thoughtfully, glancing at Ye Yi.

Ye Yi softly finished the words she hadn’t spoken earlier: “…Ying Zhen.”

Ying Zhen’s group was just passing through the intersection ahead of them. People on all four streets had fallen silent, waiting in place.

Qi He held back for a few seconds, then couldn’t resist asking, “Why does he need so many people to tag along just to go for a walk after eating?”

“……”

Ye Yi drew in a quiet breath.

“It’s an inspection tour.”

His voice wasn’t particularly hushed.

In the silence, Ying Zhen, seven or eight meters away, suddenly halted mid-step. He turned his head, gaze landing squarely on Qi He.

The followers behind him stopped in unison.

Qi He met those eyes head-on.

In their depths, there was a faint trace of dark red, carrying a chill. Qi He had seen cold eyes before—like Yan Chuanbai’s, which warned strangers not to approach. But Ying Zhen’s carried something else as well: ambition, and indifference.

At his side, someone whispered something quietly to him. Ying Zhen furrowed his brows. When he looked back at Qi He again, his gaze was even deeper.

Qi He muttered under his breath: “System, what’s with him just staring at me without saying a word? Does he think his eyes can talk—ugh…”

A sudden jolt coursed through his whole body. His nerves went numb—he couldn’t move.

Forcing his eyelids up, Qi He looked toward Ying Zhen. His little finger twitched almost imperceptibly.

It lasted only a second, then his body seemed to return to normal. But the lingering sensation flooding into his brain told him clearly: just now, he’d been subjected to mental control.

From across the distance, Ying Zhen’s lips curved into a faintly contemptuous smirk.

Like a warning, a show of dominance, his gaze lingered on Qi He, heavy with meaning.

“Let’s hope you can keep up that backbone next time too.”

With that, he led his procession away in a sweep of motion.

…

Air began to flow again around them.

The onlookers cast a few sidelong glances at Qi He, whispering, before gradually dispersing.

Mo Jiayan poked her head out.

“You okay?”

Qi He: “I’m fine. His ability is mental-type?”

“I’ve heard his ability can paralyze a person’s nerves for one second,” Ye Yi said. “Don’t underestimate that one second—it’s enough to do a lot.”

Qi He flexed his little finger slightly and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

Thinking it over, he didn’t feel like it had lasted a whole second.

Back when he did game testing, he’d practiced counting seconds. By relying on bodily rhythm, he could accurately measure down to 0.1–0.2 seconds.

Since Ying Zhen had said ‘next time’, he would test it next time and see for himself.

—

The first day of settling into the base ended in quiet rest.

Qi He woke up after a nap.

Today, he planned to head out and pick up a mission. As for how Yan Chuanbai’s storyline would develop, he had no idea—but he couldn’t exactly starve himself waiting.

Just as he reached the entryway, he noticed a card slipped under the door.

Qi He walked over and picked it up.

It was a palm-sized piece of white card stock, with only a single line of text written across it:

“18:00 this afternoon, High-Rise Building 30-1. Chief Ying requests your presence.”

In the lower right corner was a logo, embossed in relief.

Qi He brushed his fingertips across it. Craftsmanship like this—there weren’t many in the base capable of it. Considering yesterday’s “warning shot” from Ying Zhen, it was highly likely the summons really had come from him.

The system piped up right on cue:

[Didn’t I tell you? The character setting! Stick to the character setting! Would it kill you to just follow the main storyline? Now look—you’ve triggered side plot!]

Qi He shook his head.

“Even Jiayan said it—being too outstanding isn’t my fault.”

[……]

“My ability rank is unknown, and that alone is a threat to him. Plus, there’s Yan Chuanbai, an identified S-rank, in my team. Targeting me was only a matter of time.”

[Then why don’t you hurry up and contact Yan Chuanbai!?]

“Why would I contact him?”

Qi He slipped the card into his pocket, changed his shoes, and headed out.

“Don’t worry — I’ve handled stuff like this before. I’ve faced a lot of workplace b*llying from superiors. If a boss is always unhappy…”

The system perked up: [So you’ll just play along? Improve yourself?]

Qi He: “No — I’ll just find ways to optimize a few leaders.”

[…]

He shut the door behind him with a flip of his hand. “Come on — first, find work.”

…

The base research institute.

The pure-white, bird’s-nest–style exterior reflected the sunlight. On the third floor, behind a wall-sized window, two figures sat facing each other.

The man in a white researcher’s uniform looked to be in his early thirties: chestnut hair with a slight wave, oval glasses, his face wearing a genial smile that made him seem approachable.

Yu Tianxing took a sip of warm water and asked, “Only staying two days and then leaving?”

Across from him, Yan Chuanbai leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. “Mm.”

“Major General Zhong wants you to stay at Base I,” Yu Tianxing said, turning to him. “Although my background is also military, I’m not combat personnel.”

No matter the time or place, rule depends on force.

Yu Tianxing smiled. “There’s already someone in the base with ambition.”

He’d long been aware of Ying Zhen’s little maneuvers.

Yan Chuanbai replied, “They’ll send others, too.”

Yu Tianxing tried to persuade him but, seeing Yan Chuanbai unmoved, let it drop.

They were old acquaintances from the military. Yan Chuanbai appeared easygoing and untroubled, but his character had a stubborn streak — sometimes bordering on paranoia.

He switched the subject. “You made quite a scene when you entered the base.”

Yan Chuanbai finally turned and asked, “How long did you watch the spectacle?”

Yu Tianxing dodged the question. “Aren’t you grateful I helped you avoid a hassle in time?”

Yan Chuanbai smirked, “Something only counts as a ‘hassle’ if you can’t handle it.”

Yu Tianxing couldn’t stand Yan Chuanbai’s cheeky look and remembered the incident at the base gate, pounding his chest in exasperation. “Speaking of which — the people you brought are something else. The device I put so much effort into—just went boom!”

“So why did it blow up?”

“Anyway, it wasn’t my instrument’s fault.”

Yan Chuanbai stayed quiet for a moment. Yu Tianxing asked again, “Is he leaving with you in a couple of days?”

“He’s staying in Base I.”

“Not your friend?” Yu Tianxing looked a bit surprised, then smiled, eyes narrowing. “Need me to keep an eye on him?”

Yan Chuanbai turned his face, answering casually, “Just someone I was traveling with.”

A few seconds later, the fingers resting on his belt twitched slightly.

Then he added, “His parents once did me a favor.”

Yu Tianxing raised an eyebrow.

So that meant—not necessary to go out of the way for him, but still, pay some attention. He nodded. “Got it.”

“By the way, about the mutant plants research…”

The report was passed over, and the topic quickly shifted back on track.

——

At the trading market.

Qi He had just taken on a mission outside the city and gotten an advance on the payment. He first bought some groceries, then headed to the daily goods shop.

By the time he came out, his hands were already full with a large bag.

[Why are you still buying and buying?]

The system was endlessly anxious: [What about the banquet trap tonight, have you figured out how to deal with it yet? Once you step into his territory, everything will be on his terms!]

Qi He stayed calm. “What’s the rush? It’s not even six yet.”

[How about… you just don’t go.]

“If the problem isn’t dealt with, it’ll just keep hanging there.”

He tidied up the things in his bag. “That’s about enough. Let’s head back.”

…

Back at the apartment.

Qi He set aside the groceries, then pulled out paper, a pen, and a length of steel wire from his pocket with a clatter, and sat down at the table.

The wire bent deftly between his fingers. Matching it to the emblem on the invitation card, he quickly shaped it. Then he took a blank card, pressed it down on the corner with force—

Almost identical: a raised stamp mark appeared.

“System, convincing?”

[…Uncannily so.]

The system snapped out of its daze: [Wait, no—what are you doing?]

Qi He admired the finished product with satisfaction, then carefully copied the invitation text, word for word. When he held it up afterward, the two cards were practically indistinguishable at a glance.

He repeated the process and pressed out another.

“Of course I’m solving the problem at its root.”

Before long, a thick stack of cards had been duplicated.

Qi He tucked the cards away and headed out the door.

The nearby apartment buildings housed other newly arrived A-rank ability users. With the base short on power, there were no cameras in the hallways. Carrying the stack of cards, Qi He slipped one after another into door cracks, going door to door.

When every card had been delivered, he dusted off his hands, mission accomplished, and went home.

The system had fallen silent the moment he started stuffing cards into every door.

Now its faint bubble-like voice returned: [Why rope in all these people? For courage? To protect you?]

It reminded him: [Even if you bring a whole crowd, Ying Zhen isn’t going to let them in.]

Qi He closed his eyes with a languid air. “They don’t need to go in.”

…

Near six o’clock, the streets grew busy as waves of ability users returned from missions or went out to eat.

Doors opened in succession, then stopped.

Qi He judged the timing about right, and stepped outside.

As his door opened, he saw several ability users gathered in the hall, exchanging looks. Meng Yan and Ye Yi were there too. Spotting Qi He, they called out:

“You got a card too?”

Qi He lifted the original card in his hand. “Mm.”

By the time the group came downstairs, the residential street was already filling with ability users. They were all newcomers, unable to tell whether the cards were genuine. Everyone turned the cards over and over, voices rising:

“You got one too?”

“Why would that man summon us?”

“Feels like… something big is about to happen.”

Qi He suddenly spoke, his gaze steady and reassuring: “Don’t be afraid.”

Meeting their eyes one by one, he struck the final note: “With so many of us together, nothing can go wrong.”

The system: [……] Of course nothing will happen—you’re the one who called all these people.

The crowd exchanged glances.

“…True.”

So the group gathered together, an imposing force marching straight toward the high-rise.

——

Inside the research institute.

Yu Tianxing had just finished discussing the results of the mutant plant study with Yan Chuanbai when the office door suddenly burst open. An assistant rushed in, flustered.

“Mr. Yu!”

Yu Tianxing’s face hardened. “What is it?”

The assistant, breathless, pointed in the direction of the high-rise.

“Ying Zhen quietly summoned a huge number of newly arrived A-rank ability users—”

“They’re all gathered downstairs right now!”

Yu Tianxing’s heart gave a jolt.

Smack! He slammed the research file onto the desk, standing with anger written across his face.

“Is Ying Zhen trying to stage a rebellion!?”

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