Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 301 - 220: The Crew Members

Chapter 301: Chapter 220: The Crew Members

The Blue Star delegation’s members, although few in number, each had a personality that stood out.

Tang Qianqian dedicated herself to building an interesting entertainment zone on Fortress Number that would encompass all imaginable forms of fun. Her dream sounded very simple—she would be content as long as she could live the second half of her life in peace and happiness.

By her side was a cat demon that had shape-shifted into human form, appearing only in its teens, somewhat introverted and not too fond of interacting with strangers.

Monsters are unique creatures on Blue Star; most of them look no different from animals but possess consciousness akin to humans, understand human language, and under certain special circumstances, can transform into humans, but such shape-shifting retains some of the monster’s original features, such as ears and tails.

That place must be a dreamland for the fortuitous.

Yang Ping was a quiet child despite his young age, but he had a unique passion for invention and creativity. He got along well with Ling Long, and the two took on the role of shipwrights on Fortress Number, treating the ship as their home and dreaming of steering it to far-off places with their inventions.

Ning Ruyue was exceptionally gifted in music and was said to be a member of the royal family on Blue Star. She planned to set up her own music room on Fortress Number and seemed to have taken interest in the identity of a cosmic idol recently; maybe she would appear on the screen before long.

Earth Wolf Twelve used to be the captain of the ranger team on Hot Sand Star, a wayward cosmic cowboy. Unfortunately, his idea to open a nightclub on the ship was rejected, so he had to settle for the next best thing, becoming a librarian. He believed that books could bring strength, or at the very least, cultivate good manners.

As for dreams,

maybe he would return to Hot Sand Star after the voyage of Fortress Number ended.

Jiuyue was a fox demon and the ship’s chef, having learned from the masters of the Royal Family’s Imperial Dining Room and was likely the most outstanding chef among the younger generation. Perhaps due to her childhood experiences, she planned to establish an ecological zone on Fortress Number and invite "monsters" with similar fates to join her on the ship.

The Third Prince, as the captain, was an excellent businessman, striving to change the situation on Blue Star and hoping to witness the mother planet’s prosperity within his lifetime.

And then,

there was Duan Mingyuan.

At this point, the Owl paused for a long time.

"Miracle doctor," "terrorist," and now one of the Chamber of Commerce’s top fugitives.

When he left Mechanical Star, the Chamber of Commerce accused him of stealing family treasures and even destroying the Laurel.

A crazed murderer.

That was The Shan Flag Daily’s accusation against Duan Mingyuan; they thought his crimes were too numerous to record and had ample reason to suspect that he was the one stirring up the series of recent wars behind the scenes, with all the devastation of the United Front lying at his feet. Although some reports that beautified Duan Mingyuan’s image circulated during the summit, they were all for sinister political motives.

The Shan Flag Daily urged the public not to be deceived by these devil’s tricks.

The Owl frowned.

The small window on the computer screen displayed The Shan Flag Daily’s charges against Duan Mingyuan, occupying the most conspicuous spot on the website and quickly topping the popularity charts within a day.

Not long ago, the Owl had received instructions from higher-ups.

In response to the requests of the cooperative departments, they hoped for the biographical sketch of Duan Mingyuan to appear "sharper" and "more incisive."

The specific guideline was to puncture his hypocritical nature and expose his devilish heart.

That’s the kind of reporting people enjoyed.

The Owl had written countless biographies but never found it as difficult to proceed as now.

After the name Duan Mingyuan, he thought for a long time but couldn’t complete the rest of the content.

It wasn’t just because his superiors’ demands clashed with what he had witnessed on Mechanical Star, but also because even after conducting an exclusive interview with the Blue Star delegation, he still didn’t know how to define Duan Mingyuan.

...

"So, what is your dream?"

The conversation he had with Duan Mingyuan on the terrace flashed through his mind, and Owl thought that it would definitely be the most important report of his life.

After curing the Flesh Curse and fending off the Cosmic Pirates, he had wished that Duan Mingyuan would face the camera like a politician, speaking at length about his achievements and the emotional journey of rescuing the planet.

However, after pondering, Duan Mingyuan answered him with three words.

"I don’t know."

Just like Owl’s current mood, he had no idea where to begin writing.

He could think of many phrases like "practicing medicine to save the world" or "helping the dying and healing the injured", but Duan Mingyuan seemed utterly indifferent to his own deeds and also didn’t want to publicize his feat through any channels.

After a long time, Owl sighed deeply.

The prominent text in the "Shan Flag Daily" only added to his frustration, even though he had once been part of it; now he found the profession he had engaged in utterly repugnant.

This is the nature of the times.

Those who shout the loudest always seize the moral high ground, and in reality, people don’t bother to verify the authenticity of reports. Once a headline leaves a deep impression, clarifications and refuting rumors hardly ever manage to change it.

The Shan Clan People always excel at this.

But based on Owl’s understanding of Duan Mingyuan, he probably doesn’t care about the external evaluation of him either.

At this very moment, they should have already left Mechanical Star aboard the Fortress Number, headed to Prison Planet, ostensibly to assist in the extradition of the captured Cosmic Pirates to where they belong.

Owl also understood that writing any positive report on Duan Mingyuan right now wouldn’t make a splash.

The summit eventually unanimously rejected the merger bill between the Chamber of Commerce and the corporations, providing those within the corporations who opposed the Shan Clan with another seemingly justified reason.

The Shan Clan People naturally harbored resentment and kept a tight grip on the high ground of public opinion.

So, as a journalist, what could he do under these circumstances?

After more than ten minutes of deep thought, Owl suddenly saw the light.

He saved and closed the document before reopening a new one.

People have no interest in reports of clarification or dispelling rumors, as they inherently enjoy conspiracy theories and seeing exciting content amid their mundane lives.

Indeed, many thrilling events had occurred on Mechanical Star.

For example, the relationship between Oasis, the Actus Pirate Group, and the corporations, as well as the uninvited Silver Lotus family.

Compared to clarifying, the best way to shift people’s attention was to create an even more eye-catching headline.

"The Untold Story Between Morgan VII and His Butler".

He typed these words into the new document.