(The book jumped forward a week, and the tragedy had also passed a week ago. Let's set the day the tragedy occurred to November 27th of the previous week.)

Three days later, the plaza in front of the City Hall was teeming with people. An assembly hall had been erected, dozens of live-streaming screens were raised, and holographic electronic banners proclaimed: "Commemoration Ceremony for the 1127 Tragedy and Commendation Rally for the Titan's Light Campaign."

A full week had passed since the tragedy, and the atmosphere of sorrow had slowly faded; after all, those who remained still had to live on.

News spread throughout the entire city that the heroes who saved everyone would be decorated in front of the City Hall. Consequently, the people spontaneously gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of their saviors.

The influx of people began gathering from the break of dawn, and by nine in the morning, the crowd had completely blocked the entrance to the City Hall, leaving only a central pathway cordoned off with ribbons for vehicle access.

Yang Ying was collected by a City Hall vehicle early in the morning and brought into the venue.

The venue contained over a dozen rows of seats. As the main subject of the rally and the one with the greatest merit, Yang Ying’s seat was in the front row, on the far right. To his left sat Lieutenant General Randolph, and further to the left was Major Wen, the female intelligence officer. Even further left were a contingent of combat heroes who emerged from the Titan Star garrison—nearly twenty of them.

Master Pang Qian was seated directly behind Yang Ying, in the very first position of the second row, a testament to the immense respect he commanded within the military.

Before them was a temporarily constructed high stage, about one hundred square meters in size, designated for the awarding ceremony.

At precisely nine o'clock, the rally began.

The host, a military representative, first called for three minutes of silence for those lost in the disaster, then stated:

“Although this battle produced no outright victor, there are heroes who fought desperately on the field, striving for the lives of the populace, who must not be forgotten. There is one hero who single-handedly eliminated a powerful enemy from the Ancient Legion during the battle, traversed half the urban area, risked his life to repair the central air conditioning system, and held out until reinforcements arrived. The Unified Government has decided to bestow upon him the highest honor—the Solar System Medal. Now, please welcome Mr. Yang Ying to say a few words. Everyone, welcome Mr. Yang Ying!”

Amidst thunderous applause, Yang Ying walked onto the stage and addressed the microphone:

“Thank you all. At this very moment, I profoundly feel the power of destiny. It was destiny that placed me at that time, in that location, to perform those deeds. Without destiny’s aid, I would have long since succumbed to the extreme cold; even if I had survived that, I would have perished from the ape-men’s attack; or even if I had reached the central air conditioning building, I would have failed to repair it. If anyone wishes to offer thanks, please thank the omnipresent destiny!”

Applause erupted once more. After speaking, Yang Ying accepted the medal and certificate from the host and returned to his seat.

The Solar System Medal resembled a model of the solar system: a silver emblem with a five-carat diamond representing the Sun at its center. Eight orbits were inlaid with gold lines, upon which sat eight gemstones of various colors, symbolizing the eight major planets (Pluto having been excluded from the planetary ranks).

This was the highest honor bestowed by the Earth Unified Government, granting the recipient immense benefits and considerable convenience in all professions.

Next, the host invited Lieutenant General Randolph to the stage for the commendation speech. Randolph immediately brightened, straightened his uniform—especially the cluster of medals on his chest—and approached the stage with a kind smile.

Major Wen, standing nearby, seized the opportunity to subtly shift her position, moving closer to Yang Ying and asking, “What suddenly made you think of destiny?”

“This was destined to happen; I merely spoke the truth from my heart,” Yang Ying replied. “However, Major Wen, I still don’t know your name.”

“Then I suppose it is time for me to introduce myself,” Major Wen said, extending her hand. “My name is Wen Jing, Major Intelligence Officer of the Seventh Fleet. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Yang Ying shook her hand: “Then we are formally acquainted.”

Onstage, Randolph was pontificating about how he maintained contact with Yang Ying, how he helped bolster Yang Ying’s confidence at critical junctures. As he spoke, it began to sound as if Yang Ying were his subordinate, that Yang Ying was his brain, and that all of Yang Ying’s actions were carried out under his direction.

Even Wen Jing blushed hearing this, but seeing Yang Ying remain utterly composed, she couldn't help but ask, “Aren’t you angry listening to that?”

“What is there to be angry about?” Yang Ying smiled faintly. “The old man did me a huge favor.”

“How so?” Wen Jing sounded puzzled.

“Take a look over there, at those people,” Yang Ying directed, pointing towards the representatives of the Titan Star garrison.

Wen Jing turned her head and saw that the atmosphere among those men was intensely grave, as if a storm was brewing. Veins stood out on many of their foreheads as they stared unblinkingly at Randolph, looking as if they wanted to consume him whole.

Yang Ying continued, “These soldiers fought desperately to break through the Ancient Legion’s defenses, losing over a hundred comrades in the process, just to arrive here. Yet I, a civilian, single-handedly earned the distinction of saving three hundred thousand lives, and in doing so, utterly diminished the prestige of this Titan Star garrison. Where does that leave the pride of these Titan Star soldiers?”

Wen Jing frowned slightly: “Do you think they might resent you for this?”

“Not everyone, perhaps, but certainly many will feel a sense of imbalance,” Yang Ying analyzed. “And it’s not just that. Titan’s Light lost over three hundred thousand civilians in this disaster. If one were to trace the root cause, it was the military’s failure in rescue efforts, and the Titan Star garrison bears the brunt of that fault. The Seventh Fleet only arrived slightly earlier and inherited a city with no defenses, so their contribution to liberating the city is minor. When the books are balanced after the fact, the fault outweighs the achievement—how can these battle-hardened soldiers reconcile with that?”

“This…” Wen Jing hesitated. “It sounds somewhat logical.”

Yang Ying’s current mindset was very relaxed; he had long stopped placing importance on these official accolades, allowing him to view the situation from a detached perspective. “Not everyone in the world views the achievements of others with tolerance, especially when their personal interests are at stake. These unbalanced individuals do not believe they are at fault, but someone must take responsibility for the facts, so they direct their resentment toward others. Who is to blame? Naturally, the person who stole their glory—me!”

Wen Jing quickly understood and looked at Yang Ying with surprise: “No wonder you can think so openly; you must have had this perspective all along.”

Yang Ying nodded: “But now, with this old man Randolph here, things change. Although I am a civilian, I still managed to take down an Ape-man and a colossal beast, earning this merit by risking my life.” He gestured toward the spittle-flying Randolph on stage. “This old man, however, did absolutely nothing; he merely moved his lips in an office and claimed a long string of achievements as his own. With him here, all the heat directed at me is diverted to him.”

Wen Jing glanced at Randolph, then at the faces of a few combat heroes among the Titan Star garrison, and worried, “This could be troublesome.”

Seeing Wen Jing’s expression, Yang Ying asked, “Are you close with this old man?”

“Yes,” Wen Jing nodded. “My father and Uncle Randolph were comrades; they met in the same trench and have a very good relationship. My brother and I have benefited greatly from his care since we joined the military.”

“Is that so?” Yang Ying seemed unconcerned. “No need to worry about the old man. He has lived a long life; he might lack wisdom, but how could he lack experience? Just look at those foxy eyes—he must have predicted this situation long ago. He was bound to be resented the moment he took that seat; he's probably used to it by now. His skin is thicker than a city wall; even a laser beam wouldn't penetrate it.”

Hearing this, Wen Jing let out a series of clear laughs: “How can you speak of someone so disparagingly…”

“Five hundred years ago there was…”

At this point, Randolph finished speaking and descended the stage. The two did not continue their conversation, and Wen Jing quietly returned to her seat.