The reporters arrived first and began stuffing their mics in He Yuan's face. It was so bad that he held out his luggage in front of him to keep them from crowding in on him.
"Mr. Yang Xue, claims have been made that you were abducted by a terrorist organization. What do you have to say about this?"
"Mr. Yang, did you manage to figure out the identity of your abductors?"
"Mr. Yang, when and where did the abduction take place?"
"Mr. Yang, can you give a brief summary of how you escaped the organization?"
"Mr. Yang...."
"Mr. Yang..."
"Mr. Yang!"
The surroundings were so rowdy that He Yuan began to develop a strong headache. He lifted a hand and massaged his forehead. He regretted it now. This situation was horrible.
888, on the other hand, chuckled endlessly but still made sure to keep a watchful eye on the surroundings.
The two Convoys finally arrived and managed to keep the reporters a few meters away. A soldier from the Ding family managed to beat the others to it and grabbed He Yuan's arm. "Mr. Yang, the Ding madam has been so worried about you. She specifically sent us to come and get you."
He Yuan frowned. "Let go." He didn't bother to tug his arm out of the soldier's grip because the man's hand was like a metal clamp. It was clear that the soldier was trying to subtly pressure him into following. "I said let go. Why would the Ding madam be worried about me all of a sudden?"
The surroundings quietened down a bit and everyone watched in interest. The mandron didn't look too pleased. "You can't force him like that!" A reporter shouted from the back. After all, they still needed to get their scoop.
The soldier took a quick glance around and clenched his teeth. He had been instructed by the Third Marshal to get to Yang Xue before others could. Who knew that so many people would arrive at the same time? He couldn't possibly force the mandron in front of the recording reporters, civilians and Government officials. Tsk.
He decided to release his grip on the mandron and use the alternative approach the Ding madam had given him.
"Mr. Yang, in fact, the General also wants to speak to you. Even in his current state, he had been worried sick about you," The soldier said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
A lot of people relaxed their shoulders at that but He Yuan sneered. "Again, why would the General be worried about me for no reason? Are you mistaking something? Everyone knows the Ding family and I have no relation!"
A frown settled upon the faces of everyone. What was this?
The Government official stepped forth at that moment and addressed the soldier with a similar smile that did not reach her eyes, "The young mandron clearly doesn't want to go with you. It would be best if you let him be. We wouldn't want people to misunderstand and think the Ding family is trying to hold him hostage for some reason."
The soldier's jaw ticked for a few seconds before he said through gritted teeth, "... Of course." And then he discreetly glared at He Yuan before taking a step back.
The Government official tugged on the lapels of her suit before extending a hand out to He Yuan. "Mr. Yang, I'm Liang Shu, Civil Servant and Manager at the galactic renowned Plexar Research Institute, Earth Branch."
He Yuan calmly accepted her handshake with a firm nod.
The official withdrew her hand after with a business smile. "The P.R. Institute would, on behalf of the Government, like to formally invite you over."
He Yuan raised a brow. "For what purpose?"
"Well," The official began. "We received a report stating your genetic mutation at birth and would like to carry out our on research on the accuracy of the report."
He Yuan mocked a surprised look. "You know about my genes?" The official's brows furrowed but she still nodded anyways. He stood still for an entire minute before slowly nodding. "Okay but..." He waved around and landed on the reporters. "I'd like to know what all this is about."
The official's frown deepened. Even the reporters and civilians nearby looked surprised. How could the mandron not know what was going on? He might be a mandron but he still had basic comprehension capabilities so how could he be so oblivious?
"Don't you log on to the Federation Network?" Someone finally pointed out.
"Ah?" He Yuan blinked in surprise and waved the hand his bracelet was clipped on. "I took a vacation for some time so I had cut off my bracelet's access."
The official's frown finally disappeared and the Ding family's soldier looked at He Yuan strangely. This was the reason no one had been able to get through to the mandron's bracelet? What kind of idiot deactivated their bracelet's access so whimsically?!
The reporters were also looking at He Yuan strangely but for a different reason. One of them finally spoke up slowly, "...You took a vacation?"
He Yuan nodded.
"...For over two weeks now?"
He Yuan nodded again.
"You weren't... abducted?"
He Yuan blinked in mock surprise. "Why would I be abducted?"
The eyes of every single person automatically moved to the Ding family soldier and his back soldiers behind him. Had they been lied to? But for what reason? What else did the Ding family lie about?
The murmurs in the surrounding began at a low tempo before gradually increasing in rythym. Soon enough, a lot of reporters were stretching forward, trying to ask questions that would most appeal to their readers and viewers.
"Mr. Yang, does thing mean there was no elaborate plan between you and the Ding family?"
"Mr. Yang are you trying to say that there was no sinister organization after your ability?"
A few of them also turned to the Ding family soldiers,
"As workers under the Ding family, were you aware of the true state of things?"
"Just now, you didn't look too shocked. You all were already in the know right? Can you state the Ding family's reason for this?"
A lot of them still placed their focus on He Yuan,
"Mr. Yang, are you really telling the truth and not just trying to gather attention using the Ding family influence?"
"What attention?" A nearby reporter nudged at the one who had spoken earler. "Even without the Ding family, people would still pay attention to the mandron for his unique genes! Wait..." He turned back to He Yuan and stretched forward. "Mr. Yang, the information about your genetic mutation is indeed true right?"
"Mr. Yang, does that mean that you had indeed seduced the General, causing you to be sent out of the Ding home?"
He Yuan caught onto the last question and even the surroundings quietened down once more. "I certainly did not seduce the General. Whenever the Ding family coined that idea from, they alone know."
"Then why were you chased out of the Ding home?" The reporter followed up.
He Yuan smiled sweetly, causing the brown of Yang Xue's eyes to appear the same as honey. "My job in the Ding home had been a companion to the dying General. As soon as the General was healed, my job was of course over."
The reporter frowned but slowly nodded. "Then is this the source of your grudge against the Ding family? After healing the General, they had ungratefully sent you off?"
He Yuan let out a confused laughter. "Who says I healed the General? Did you forget the events of back then? The Ding family had made it crystal clear that General Ding had recovered from the magnetic energy attack based on his own effort and perseverance. What does it have to do with a small time mandron like me?"
The reporters looked between themselves in confusion. Even the passerby civilians were equally confused. Didn't the Ding family say that the General had recovered with the help of the mandron?
The Government official looked from He Yuan to the confused audience before lowering her head with a humourless chuckle. If the news about the 'elaborate plan' was fake and the mandron did not try to seduce the General then did that not mean that back then the Ding family had been unwilling to give the mandron credit for his help and instead gave everyone the impression that General Ding had done it all on his own?
A couple of reporters and civilians also came to this conclusion and their eyes widened. They really didn't know how to feel but the General's place in their heart was unshakable so most of them just pushed all the blame onto Ding Wang and Xia Yueyu.
It must be their fault! General Ding had gone straight to the army back then so he wouldn't have had time to care about these messy things. The Ding parents had been the ones to go behind his back and handle it the way they pleased.
A good example of this was how that Mrs. Xia was always at the forefront of everything. She always had something to say! General Ding was her child and must have found it difficult to reason with her. He was helpless and now he was paying for her sins!
A young civilian clenched his fists and elevated himself with the base of a pillar at the dock before shouting, "General Ding is General Ding and the Ding family is the Ding family! Now that he has had a magnetic energy relapse, you can't rope him in with the bad guys and punish him!
-The General has sacrificed a lot to keep the Plexar Federation safe. To indirectly keep all of us safe, including you! You are capable of absorbing the magnetic energy. You have to do your part as a citizen and help him. He is the best soldier in the Federation so helping him is the same as helping the Federation!
-Think of all the soldiers he has led to safety. Think of how he had sacrificed himself numerous times to save the lives of his soldiers. Think of how he had ended up infected with the magnetic energy during one of those times. Think of how many more soldiers he would lead to safety in the future. They could be our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends, neighbours, loved ones. They could be anyone!
-I heard you used to be a soldier too. No one should know better than you that you have to look past your own grieviances and place the Federation first. That is true patriotism!"
Tears welled up in the eyes of a few other civilians. One of two of them had someone in the army so they were especially touched. They screamed at the top of their lungs, "YOU HAVE TO SAVE THE GENERAL!"
Soon, rhythmic chantings of 'YOU HAVE TO SAVE THE GENERAL.' Rang out around He Yuan.
888's eyes blazed in rage. Even He Yuan was not much better as he looked from one passionate person to another.
Ding Weimin was an amazing soldier, yes. Ding Weimin always placed the safety of his soldiers and the Plexar Federation at large first, yes. Ding Weimin was actually a soldier who put in work to get where he was, correct. But...
So what if Ding Weimin was an amazing person in the eyes of others? The fact remained that he had actually wronged Yang Xue again and again and again! He had completely shattered the hopeful mandron's dreams without anything but a few words urging the leaser to be more understanding!
In the original timeline, Ding Weimin hadn't been remorseful and had given Yang Xue a letter of dismissal from the Third army when the mandron had been at his lowest!
Yang Xue had given Ding Weimin his all, saved the special one without asking for anything in return. Even when the Ding family had claimed Ding Weimin's recovery was by his own merit, Yang Xue had kept silent about it!
Yang Xue was always keeping silent because it was in his nature to steer away from conflict and how had that ended for him? The leaser had bottled up so much emotions that it had eventually led to depression and subsequently triggered him into commiting suicide!
That was no joke!
Why should Yang Xue always give in because Ding Weimin was a talented soldier? Ding Weimin had been the one to steal Yang Xue's merit in the first place and refuse to give it back!
Ding Weimin was virtuous in his treatment of everyone except Yang Xue! What did the mandron ever do to deserve the short life he'd got in the original timeline? It was very unfair that others were trying to deprive Yang Xue of his right to feel wronged. To feel anger. To hold a grudge! Just because Ding Weimin was good to the rest of them.
He Yuan eyes finally landed on the last chanting person and he sneered. "Enough." His voice was low but it held so much anger that the people all slowly swallowed up their chants.
He eyed each and every one of them with a cold expression before grinding out, "If your beloved General wants to be saved, then he must give me back everything he owes me! If he is unable to then no one should blame me for being selfish!"
Every single person flinched in surprise but he didn't care. He picked up his luggage and looked to the Government official. "Are we going or not?"
The woman rapidly blinked away her shock before slowly nodding and motioning with her hand. "of course."
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