Having guessed the reason behind the commotion, Shen Xingyan stopped worrying so much. He had prepared for situations like this in advance by carefully controlling his daily behavior.
In his regular life, he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, meticulously watching his words and actions, striving to embody the image of an ordinary farmer in every way. The inspecting personnel were unlikely to discover anything unusual in his conduct. Besides, only the owner could see the information on the Star Map. If he delivered his pre-planned cover story correctly, there would be no serious issues.
Coming to this conclusion, Shen Xingyan gathered his thoughts, feigned sleepiness, as if he had just returned from the Star Source world, and shouted irritably toward the door: "Who's banging at the door this early?"
Continuing to grumble, he walked over and opened the door. Seeing the two uniformed patrolmen, he immediately acted startled and quietly stammered, "Brothers... what's going on?"
In an era where combat power decided everything, only high-level representatives of auxiliary professions could communicate with Combat Professionals as equals. The rest involuntarily felt fear at the sight of those holding combat professions. Although the Base system limited the actions of Combat Professionals, preventing them from committing outright misconduct, the huge difference in strength meant this attitude had become commonplace in daily life.
Seeing Shen Xingyan's reaction, which was identical to that of other farmers, the chubby patrolman contemptuously snorted, mentally concluding that they wouldn't find anything interesting here either.
Nevertheless, following instructions, he addressed Shen Xingyan: "Per management orders, we are conducting a routine inspection. Report your physical attributes and recent movements for verification. We will then inspect your dwelling. You'd best cooperate with us."
The chubby patrolman spoke without even looking at Shen Xingyan, demonstrating his superiority with his entire demeanor and arrogant tone.
The tall, thin patrolman, by contrast, added more gently: "Don't worry, we'll just conduct a simple inspection without damaging your property."
Unlike his chubby partner, the thin patrolman spoke calmly, with a hint of official tact. His view of the situation was different: although power truly granted authority in this world, society was still made up of people, and who knew what connections a simple farmer might have? Cases of unexpected trouble were not uncommon. Prudence and politeness always kept a path for retreat.
Although Shen Xingyan already knew the purpose of their visit, he feigned surprise that quickly changed to submission. He nodded quickly and reported his pre-planned attributes, describing his Professional Skill as a 10% increase in plant growth speed and his Innate Talent as an ability to increase endurance by 30%.
"Whoa, you're a little genius with maxed stats! Too bad you got stuck with the Farmer profession. Though, that talent is perfectly suited—true agriculturist material," the chubby patrolman sneered derisively.
Apparently deciding that his superiority wasn't sufficiently emphasized, he turned to his thin partner: "See? I told you all those school training sessions are useless. In the end, this is still your fate. Only the Awakening can change your life! Ha ha!"
The thin patrolman didn't join in the conversation, merely looking at Shen Xingyan with pity, thinking what a shame it was that such high stats were going to waste! The appearance of such a talented person in this remote area was rare.
Shen Xingyan only managed a bitter smile, accepting the mockery without objection.
He then gave a detailed account of his recent activities, omitting only the "giant rat incident." Everything else could be easily verified, so there was no point in lying and raising suspicion.
"A Farmer, and so diligent. Pft, too bad. If you had lived before the Original Energy blast, you might have achieved something in farming. But now, with so much strange food from outside the Base and products from the Star Source world, farmers have no future. What's the point of your diligence?" the chubby patrolman continued to taunt.
Failing to elicit much reaction from Shen Xingyan, he felt a sense of satisfaction. He had been a low achiever in school, and now the opportunity to humiliate a former top student gave him pleasure.
Having received all the information, the patrolmen began inspecting the rooms. Shen Xingyan did not object—there was nothing valuable in the house anyway, and the rabbit meat had already been eaten.
Indeed, the chubby patrolman's coarse voice soon rang out:
"It's completely empty here! Not even a rat could make a living! Just a little food in the kitchen. Alright, let's move on!"
The patrolmen quickly searched Shen Xingyan's house, finding nothing valuable or suspicious. Moreover, the poverty of the dwelling surprised even them.
Before leaving, the thin patrolman quietly advised: "Young man, accept your fate. Why work so hard? Instead of spending money on combat techniques and training halls, you should save up for rent in the inner ring. The area outside the Base is restless now!"
In offering that advice, the patrolman seemed to be hinting at some official information but wisely refrained from going into detail.
Shen Xingyan, of course, appreciated the patrolman's goodwill. In the current era, the polarization of human hearts was intensifying—the darker sides were exaggerated, creating the impression that the world was full of shadows, but it was precisely in such times that light became especially valuable.
Shen Xingyan offered a genuine smile, nodded his thanks to the patrolman, and watched them leave. As soon as he closed the door, he instantly transformed—the submissive expression disappeared, giving way to his usual cold reserve.