Starting from the destruction of the Land of Light

Zhong Linwan was feeling a little nervous at that moment.

Downstairs in the dormitory, looking at the caller ID on her phone marked as "Teacher," she was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Should she answer the phone? She could imagine what the other person would say without the teacher even speaking; those were questions she had no idea how to answer. But if she didn't answer...

After hesitating for a moment, Zhong Linwan took a deep breath, answered the call, and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello, teacher."

Unexpectedly.

The expected huge reaction did not occur; the other end of the phone was quiet, with only occasional panting sounds.

After a pause, the familiar voice rang out.

(Lin Wan, you met with that monster controller again?)

A simple question.

It then struck the most crucial spot.

Zhong Linwan had no doubt that the teacher could sense that she had appeared in Northeast China tonight. Ultraman's light was too dazzling, so dazzling that it was sometimes impossible to hide.

She had already prepared herself mentally, but when she heard the other person's question, Zhong Linwan still felt flustered and unsure how to answer.

"Um...no, I didn't see him..."

(You didn't see him...)

(So ​​you mean you did have contact with that guy, and tonight was part of your joint operation?)

"No, that's not it!"

Zhong Linwan opened her mouth, her mind racing.

"It was him... He found my school, left me a time and address, and said he needed my help, for... for the safety of the Earth."

(For the safety of Earth?)

The voice on the other end of the phone repeated the sentence slowly, paused, and then continued.

(Judging from tonight's results, this statement isn't so unacceptable.)

"Teacher, what exactly is going on tonight...?"

(You saw it tonight, didn't you?)

Before Zhong Linwan could finish speaking, the man interrupted her.

(That guy who keeps summoning monsters, trying to invade Earth and seize the Ultra Brothers' legacy.)

"Ah, I can see it very clearly." Zhong Linwan pursed her lips, the terrifying and grotesque appearance flashing through her mind. "High-dimensional predator, Bogaru."

(It really was her; now everything makes sense.)

"Teacher, you know she exists?" Zhong Linwan frowned, unable to help but ask. "Then should I try to find a way to deal with her? That girl is very strong, both in attack and speed, and..."

(That's something the Earth Defense Force should be thinking about, not something we need to worry about.)

"But we're all doing this for the peace of the Earth, aren't we? If we keep letting Bogaru run rampant, she'll keep summoning monsters to attack the city!"

(You don't understand. Bogaru is just a minor character. The Earth Defense Force can handle her. Your existence is more important than Bogaru. That's why I didn't let you transform without permission. But you took matters into your own hands and got into a fight with someone of unknown origin...)

"This guy from unknown origin has already found his way to my school, but he hasn't revealed my identity. Doesn't that prove he means me no harm?"

(Perhaps he's just waiting for an opportunity? Lin Wan, every lie is veiled in honey. You can't hand over the choice to unknown people, just like there's a traitor infiltrated into the Earth Defense Force...)

"Earth Defense Force, Earth Defense Force, speaking of which, teacher, you never seem to have told me that my parents were also members of the Earth Defense Force before they disappeared."

Zhong Linwan gripped her phone tightly, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, I understand now."

"Besides leaving me a message, that guy also left me a photo, a photo of my parents on a mission."

"You want to know why I helped him? This is the reason."

"No wonder you've always wanted me to avoid contact with the Earth Defense Force and get close to them. You're afraid I'll find out, aren't you?"

(…)

Hearing Zhong Linwan's low, suppressed shout, silence fell on the other end of the phone.

The atmosphere in the call suddenly fell silent, with only Zhong Linwan's somewhat out-of-control breathing audible.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint sigh finally came from the other end of the phone.

(Xiao Wan, I didn't mean to hide this from you. The situation is very complicated, and even I don't have enough clues. So until then, I need you to stay hidden.)

(Everything I've done is for your safety.)

"For my safety..." Zhong Linwan took a deep breath. "I understand your actions. As a suitable candidate on Earth, I do need to protect myself and hide myself, but please don't say it's for my sake..."

"If you really care about me, you should try your best to find my parents' whereabouts, instead of hiding everything from me."

(...Don't go to school for the next few days. Go hide in the safe house for a while.)

The person on the other end of the phone did not answer Zhong Linwan's question, but instead spoke to themselves.

(I will try to change your information at school and the traces you have left in society. Until then, do not reveal your identity and try not to contact that person again.)

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhong Linwan asked, "What if he contacts me again?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

(Don't provoke him, don't trust him, protect yourself...)

As soon as the call ended, Zhong Linwan seemed to suddenly lose all her strength, and her arm fell limply to her side.

She leaned against the wall and slowly sat down on the ground.

At that moment, her mind was in complete chaos.

...

They returned to the spaceship.

Luo Xi took out a cup and a pillow from the storeroom.

"My spaceship isn't designed to be that big. There used to be a room where you could rest, but I converted it into a storage room, so it'll be a bit of a hassle to clean it up. So until then, please sleep in the cockpit."

"It's okay, as long as I have a place to sleep, that's enough for me." Zhang Chen sat next to the control panel and waved his hand to indicate that he didn't care.

"You can't say that. After all, you're the first person I've shared a room with on the spaceship, so I can't act too badly, can I?" Luo Xi asked, looking up as she helped Zhang Chen make his bed on the floor. "By the way, what are you doing?"

"I just checked the cause of the fire." Zhang Chen lay back in his chair and turned around. "It did start in my rented place. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Someone who was working on a manuscript late at night discovered the fire and called the fire department in time."

"Hmm, that's not bad."

Luo Xi stood up and clapped his hands.

"Do you want to rest for a bit? See how I've made the bed. I think it should be quite comfortable to sleep in. If you need anything else, I can call a delivery person tomorrow or order some online."

"No need for that. I think this is fine as it is. At least it looks more comfortable than my previous bed," Zhang Chen smiled, then added, "If you're sleepy, you should rest first. I might need to look up some things."

"I'm not very sleepy. What do you need to look up? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to check some information about Bogaru, oh, and her identity as an inside agent." Zhang Chen shrugged.

"Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to winning every battle. I think that given the current situation, there is probably no possibility of reconciliation between us."

"I wonder how the Earth Defense Force will react."

...