Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

In his office at TPC headquarters, Sawai finished processing the last file on D4 rays, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh. His gaze fell on a photo of him and Choi Myung on the corner of the desk. In the photo, Choi Myung was frowning as he inspected a weapon, but there was a subtle smile playing on his lips. Sawai couldn't help but chuckle softly—having Old Choi by his side really made him feel at ease.

This sense of security didn't come from nowhere. From fighting the Kirieloids to intercepting the Ligadrons this time, whenever faced with a formidable threat, Cui Ming was always the first to step forward. While others were still hesitating about tactics, he was already charging to the front lines with his weapons; while others were worrying about the risks, he had already prepared for the worst, even going so far as to use dangerous weapons like the D4 ray. This "daring and fearless" spirit gave Sawai extra confidence whenever facing a crisis.

Of course, Sawai was aware that Cui Ming had some minor flaws—for example, he was always too forceful with the higher-ups, spoke bluntly and without reservation, and sometimes argued heatedly with the GUTS members over his own tactics. But Sawai never cared about these things. After all, Old Cui was only human, not a saint. He had already shouldered too much: countering cosmic threats, maintaining weapon security, and constantly guarding against potential risks. Anyone in his shoes would find it difficult to be perfect. He was already exhausted enough; these minor flaws were nothing to him.

Just thinking about Cui Ming's family made Ze Jing feel a pang of emotion. He had occasionally heard Cui Ming mention his family situation and had learned a bit about it from the sidelines—the members of Old Cui's family were all rather abnormal; calling them a "demon-locking tower" wouldn't be an exaggeration. Each one of them was a heavyweight, with temperaments and ways of doing things that exuded an "abnormal" air. Just imagining living with such a family member day and night gave Ze Jing a headache.

But he could also see that Old Cui had it tough. Balancing the responsibility of protecting the Earth with dealing with his "special" family members would have overwhelmed anyone else. But Old Cui never complained to him; only occasionally, when he mentioned his family, his eyes would show a complex mix of emotions—helplessness, but also an undeniable concern.

“This is good…good…” Sawai murmured to himself, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. As long as Old Cui was happy, the “abnormal” situations at home didn’t seem so important. As the director of TPC, there wasn’t much he could do, except help Cui with the cleanup work when he was charging into battle—such as covering up some details of the D4 ray, coordinating various departments to cooperate with his tactics, and shielding him from some unnecessary public pressure.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the documents and casting a warm glow on the name "Cui Ming." Sawai picked up the group photo, gently wiping the dust from the edges, thinking silently: As long as Old Cui is still here, as long as he's still willing to take the risks for the Earth, what does it matter if I do a little more finishing work?

Inside an abandoned interstellar space station in the universe, several agile figures flashed through a dimly lit corridor. The dinosaur leader gripped a chip that glowed blue, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force of his grip. Behind him, his people were rapidly packing dismantled technological components into specially made containers—these were the core technologies they had risked their lives to steal from the remnants of the Naga stronghold, and also their "pledge of allegiance" for their future return to Earth.

Cui Ming watched this scene through concealed monitoring equipment, a rare smile of approval appearing on his lips. He had always admired such "intelligent and patient" beings: the dinosaur people knew very well that with their current strength, if they directly confronted Earth, they would only be wiped out by him and the Victory Team; so even though they were treated like fools by the Naga people and regarded as inferior vassals, they chose to endure humiliation and silently accumulate strength.

“They’re much more clear-headed than those brute-force alien races,” Cui Ming muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the dinosaur-men’s restrained expressions on the screen. He knew that the dinosaur-men’s compromise stemmed entirely from their people being controlled by the Naga. Behind every act of obedience lay their concern for the safety of their people. But it was precisely because the Naga had never treated the dinosaur-men “as human beings,” and even neglected to include them in their core control, that the dinosaur-men had miraculously escaped the destruction of the Naga homeworld by the Brave King, suffering no casualties—this “fortunate misfortune” had become their current source of confidence in turning the tide.

Inside the space station, the dinosaur-man leader was meticulously examining the stolen technological data. A dense stream of data scrolled across the holographic projection, ranging from core energy technologies to interstellar travel engine parameters—each item enough to provoke fierce competition among cosmic races. But the dinosaur-man showed no greed, instead repeatedly filtering: "Delete the data involving dimensional weapons. Bringing this back to Earth might cause a huge problem."

The tribesman next to him immediately did as he was told, his fingertips moving rapidly across the control panel: "Chief, should we keep the technology for that small warship? It can carry people, its defense system is sufficient, and it doesn't pose too much of a risk."

The leader nodded, his eyes resolute: "Keep the practical technologies. Those that are flashy but impractical and could cause disasters must not be touched. We are here to seek cooperation, not to cause trouble for Earth—if we choose the wrong thing, let alone as a pledge of loyalty, we will probably be treated as enemies and eliminated as soon as we get close to Earth."

They knew very well that stealing technology was only the first step; choosing the right technology was crucial. Earth had powerful beings like Cui Ming who could even control D4 rays, and Ultra Warriors capable of fighting monsters. If the technology they brought back ended up causing Earth a huge problem, they would not only fail to gain trust but could even endanger their entire species. Therefore, the dinosaur people had to repeatedly verify every piece of data and every component to ensure it was safe and useful.

On the other side of the screen, Cui Ming observed all of this and felt a growing appreciation for the dinosaur people's considerations. He chose not to intervene, but silently adjusted the monitoring range to avoid the surrounding interstellar patrols for the dinosaur people—he wanted to see what kind of "pledge of allegiance" these long-suffering dinosaur people could offer; he also wanted to confirm whether they truly possessed the sincerity to cooperate with Earth.

Inside the space station, the dinosaur people had completed the technology screening and began sealing the organized components and data. The leader looked at the containers filled with technology, a glint of anticipation in his eyes: "When we take these back, Earth should believe in our sincerity. Then, our people will finally have a safe haven."

The kin behind them nodded in agreement, their long-suppressed emotions finally finding an outlet. They had endured so long, waiting for this day—to exchange a truly valuable "pledge of allegiance" for the chance to return to Earth, and to show those races that had once looked down on them the wisdom and determination of the dinosaur people. (End of Chapter)