The aliens who were picked up by Superman at the beginning

Seeing Li Zhen's still tense nerves and her wary eyes, the man's smile did not diminish, but instead became more gentle and reassuring.

He slowly lowered his hands, palms facing forward, clearly demonstrating that he was not carrying any weapons, before turning and walking towards the kitchen.

His steps were steady yet carried a relaxed quality characteristic of fishermen.

A slight creaking sound came from the old wooden floor.

"It seems Superman was right, you are a very vigilant child."

The man spoke as he tidied up a few seashells and a small rag covered in sea mud that were scattered around the stove.

"My name is Tom, and I'm Superman's friend."

Li Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and she perked up her ears.

"When he found you in space, you were barely holding on, and your vital signs were so weak that they were almost undetectable."

"He specially sent you here to recuperate—my place is by the sea, quiet, and suitable for healing."

Tom moved very quietly, trying to avoid making too much noise while tidying up.

Tom?

Li Zhen silently repeated the name in her heart, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

His gaze swept over Tom's body as quickly as radar.

A faded blue work uniform with a few barely noticeable salt stains on the collar, and the cuffs casually rolled up.

His exposed forearm was covered with fine scars.

The scars varied in depth; some looked like they were made by fishing nets, while others looked like they were scratched by rocks.

He certainly looks like a genuine fisherman who lives by the sea.

Why?

Whether Superman had any fishermen friends, Li Zhen simply couldn't verify from her memory.

After all, with so many comics, TV shows, and movies, and the concept of multiple universes, just thinking about those ridiculous worldviews from my past life makes my head a complete mess.

But for Li Zhen, this is a new reality.

Having suffered from illness for a long time, Li Zhen had also suffered various life-threatening and non-life-threatening injuries more than ten times over the past ten years, so he was well aware of the injuries he sustained before he fell into a coma this time.

That was a deep-seated wound, not something that could be treated with mere surface bandaging.

The laceration spanning the chest and abdomen was deep enough to expose the bone, and the muscle tissue at the edges of the wound had already died.

Two of the four broken ribs even punctured the pleura, and even a slight effort to breathe would cause excruciating pain in the lungs.

Spinal sprains are even more dangerous, as they can compress the central nervous system and cause paralysis at any time.

In addition, he suffered more than twenty wounds of varying depths all over his body, some of which damaged blood vessels and others grazed the edges of organs.

Even if he possesses self-healing abilities far exceeding those of Earthlings, it would be impossible for him to be able to walk again within a few days without the assistance of targeted medical equipment.

Let alone ordinary bandaging, even the most advanced medical resources on Earth in his previous life would have been unlikely to save him at that time.

It should have been Superman who intervened.

That being possesses a solitary fortress in the Arctic, wields advanced Kryptonian technology, and is backed by a massive team of heroes like the Justice League.

Before losing consciousness, Li Zhen thought she would appear in a place full of advanced technology.

For example, the medical pod in Lonely Fortress, or the satellite base of the Justice League.

But in this place, there wasn't even the most basic disinfectant or hemostatic agent to be seen.

Countless questions churned and collided in Li Zhen's mind.

He almost blurted out a question to the other person, asking where Superman was and what his real purpose was in taking him in.

But he swallowed the words back down before he could say them.

There might also be an unfathomable "Black Superman" standing behind the other side.

That was someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke at the moment.

Tom came over carrying a steaming bowl of soup.

It carries a faint seafood aroma, mixed with a familiar fragrance.

"I made some seafood soup with fresh small shrimp and clams, without adding too many seasonings."

Tom gently placed the soup on the old wooden table in the living room and pushed it in front of Li Zhen.

His large finger joints, with a bit of sea mud still clinging to his fingers, added to his authentic fisherman persona.

Li Zhen's gaze fell on the bowl of soup. The milky white soup was dotted with a few small red shrimp and white clam meat, which looked very appetizing.

He looked up at Tom again, whose gaze was open and honest, without the slightest evasion, and whose concern seemed genuine.

It was as if he were just a kind-hearted fisherman, wholeheartedly taking care of an injured stranger.

Li Zhen lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before picking up the spoon placed beside the bowl.

A small sip of soup went into my mouth, the warm soup slid down my throat, bringing a long-lost sense of warmth.

"Thank you."

Li Zhen put down her spoon, coughed lightly twice, and tried to make her voice clearer.

He made no mention of any concerns about the injury or Superman, simply expressing his gratitude.

Now he needs to observe and find a foothold in this unfamiliar environment as soon as possible.

Pretending to be a weak and grateful "alien refugee" is currently the safest option.

Only in this way can he have enough time to understand this world and explore whether there is any trace of Vitrum in this universe.

Tom smiled, a gentle smile like the sunshine on the beach.

He pulled over the chair opposite Li Zhen and sat down, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

His gaze was gentle as he looked at Li Zhen, his eyes searching but not too blunt, so as not to offend her.

"You are welcome."

Tom's voice was still deep and husky, but it was very approachable.

"When Superman sent you here, he simply told me that you came from another planet, had encountered some trouble, and asked me to take good care of you."

"You look quite young, and you must have suffered a lot while adrift in space alone—could you tell me about your experience?"

Li Zhen's hand holding the spoon paused slightly, a slight stiffness coming from his fingertips, but he knew in his heart that the problem had finally arrived.

He had anticipated that although the other party had taken him in, they would still want to know his background.

"My business?"

Li Zhen's eyes were somewhat vacant as she drifted into memories.

"Um, like, which planet are you from? Also, has something bad happened in your hometown?"

Tom's questions seemed casual, like an elder asking a younger person something, but in reality, each question was probing and accurately hit the nail on the head.

He didn't use an interrogative tone, but rather a caring attitude, making the inquiry less abrupt.

After all, a sudden appearance of an alien visitor is a potential threat to any planet.

Lee Jung needs to use Tom to convey some "useful" information to Superman and the team that may exist behind him, in order to gain their trust.

Only by gaining trust can he have access to Superman's technology and figure out the issues that concern him most.

He didn't answer immediately, but slowly put down the spoon.

"I come from the planet Witrum."

Li Zhen's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible fatigue and hoarseness, as well as an indescribable sense of disgust.

"That was a planet...where fighting and conquest were prized."