Lawrence spread rumors to depict Steve as a villain who bullied other people. He was also trying to incite hatred in everyone's hearts, as he wanted all of the soldiers to despise Steve. In this way, Steve had quickly become the public enemy of the military base.
Steve didn't explain much to the recruits who had fought alongside him. However, Andrew, Allen, Lucy, and the others were explaining the truth of the situation on Steve's behalf.
Even so, not every recruit believed Steve. Some were still uncertain. Regardless of their opinions, Steve didn't care.
...
As night fell, more soldiers than usual had gathered in the Original Gravity Tower. The number of active soldiers in the vicinity of the Original Gravity Tower ranged from 20,000 to 30,000 daily, and sometimes there would only be about 10,000. But tonight, more than 50,000 soldiers had arrived.