Chu Ran wanted to ask more, but Edwood's Light Brain suddenly exploded with messages. Edwood glanced at the endless stream of information, his aura of death growing denser. He stood up and said seriously, "Pack up. I'll take you to the Military General Hospital."
"Military General Hospital?" Chu Ran was surprised.
"Charlie An has a fractured right hand and minor internal bleeding. He can't get out of bed and can't examine you. The Central Star bastards are jumping around excitedly, so we can't use them," Edwood said, quickly scanning the remaining messages. "A big shot from Central Star suddenly fell into a coma yesterday. Professor Hu has been escorted back to Central Star. All things considered, the Military General Hospital is the best choice."
Chu Ran's brain nearly short-circuited from the sudden news. "Wait, Professor Hu left the Seventh Sub-Star? Why is Charlie An in the hospital? Did the researcher charge in and get beaten up?"
Edwood slightly raised his head, his black cloak covering most of his face, revealing a slightly green chin. "Beaten up?"
...
You really focus on the weirdest things.
Chu Ran choked. Even through the black cloak, she could feel Edwood's death glare and quickly shifted focus. "Was Charlie An injured in a mutual fight? Is he at Anxin Hospital now?"
Edwood lowered his head. "He's at the Military General Hospital. Anxin Hospital's gates are surrounded because they're holding He Qishen."
As he spoke, he forwarded the video footage he had just received to Chu Ran.
In the video, a surging crowd blocked the hospital's main entrance. Some threw white chrysanthemums at the hospital gate, others shouted themselves hoarse, and many had installed huge electronic screens on their hovercars, scrolling black text on a white background, circling Anxin Hospital over and over.
"Execute the God Summoning Society members!"
"All God Summoning Society members deserve to die!"
"The appearance of the Soul Butterfly is a conspiracy of the God Summoning Society! Kill those God Summoning Society people!"
Curses and hateful words kept appearing above the video. Clearly, it was a recording of a livestream.
A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Ran's eyes. "Has no one clarified things? He was the first to rush up and fight the Soul Butterfly."
At least nearly ten thousand people in the audience, even if most hated the God Summoning Society, there should have been one or two willing to describe the truth.
"It's been less than an hour since they were forcibly ejected from StarNet. Most are still in the hospital checking their spiritual damage," Edwood said calmly. "Those few subtle hints in the news reports that it was the God Summoning Society's doing are enough for them to pin everything on He Qishen. The so-called life-saving grace is just a smokescreen."
"In their eyes, you saved them. And the God Summoning Society did all this to destroy you."
A wry smile curled at the corner of Chu Ran's mouth. "Whoever designed this show is really clever. When the villain and the hero stand on stage, the king can hide behind the story."
Once the Soul Butterfly's appearance was framed as the God Summoning Society's attempt to destroy her, He Qishen, as a former member, completely lost his right to explain. No one would believe him.
Even if she stood up to speak for him, it would be useless.
Because she had no evidence that the Special Squad was using her as bait. Instead, the invasion was indeed directed at her.
The hero who saved people from disaster is exalted. But what if the disaster itself was caused by the hero?
To avoid getting implicated, Chu Ran thought cynically, the best choice was naturally to let the public's anger focus entirely on the God Summoning Society, on He Qishen.
Or even on those former God Summoning Society members released from the Garbage Dump less than six months ago.
Chu Ran recalled what Wang Ping'an had said when introducing those people.
"They were the God Summoning Society's test subjects. Honestly, they had it rough. Born on a garbage planet, sold off before they came of age. We never set foot in the lab, but human experimentation is never good."
"When the Third Army stormed the God Summoning Society's stronghold back then, these people were controlled by chips and killed many soldiers. So even after the chips were removed, they were still sentenced. The ones released this time had the lightest charges—those who didn't cause soldier deaths, or only hindered the army's advance."
Those forced to become villains never had a chance to be human again.
Chu Ran lowered her eyes. "He risked his life to protect me. I can guess what he wanted. The Federation government, as the righteous side, is going to kick the donkey after it's done its job..."
Perhaps it was already apparent when he was first introduced.
But He Qishen still had to gamble on that sliver of hope.
Now he's lost everything.
Edwood, accustomed to the malice of the human heart, remained unmoved. "The decision wasn't made by you or me, nor by Gao Yuan and his people."
Chu Ran sneered. "What difference is there between him and me?"
In this story, she was the exalted hero, but she wasn't the one controlling the narrative.
She wasn't strong enough.
From the moment she opened her eyes in that dirty inn, she had never truly controlled her own life.
It was really frustrating.
She had worked so hard to climb up, finally standing high enough to ignore the noisy ducks around her, even able to scatter bait and watch their ridiculous scrambling.
Then, with a blink, she was back at square one.
Why couldn't the weak live with dignity?
In her former world, no. In this world, no.
That's why everyone wanted to climb up, everyone wanted to become a strong person who controlled their own destiny.
"Lei Jianguo and the others won't let the focus stay on you," Edwood said, sensing the deep resentment Chu Ran was suppressing. "Gao Yuan has already called the Seventh Sub-Star news media. On Central Star, the Huang family defector won't let things go either."
Chu Ran rubbed her temple with her thumb and smiled. "Actually, you've all taken good care of me, whether for my mother's sake, or Aunt Huang and the others, or for the unknown SS-level divine power..."
"How about seeing it through to the end?"
A hint of madness flickered in Chu Ran's eyes. Her fingers tapped something on her Light Brain, and she quickly pressed send.
Edwood sensed it, but he stood still, not moving.