My turn, draw!

After the Biran alien was thoroughly destroyed, Dr. Yushima fell into a coma, losing all memories of the time he was under control—clearly the work of Moroboshi Dan.

When he woke up, he was confused, his last memory being of sitting on a plane headed toward the Marine Base. Upon learning that he had been controlled by an alien and had framed Qi Ming, he was full of apologies: "I am so sorry, Officer Qi Ming, for putting you through such an injustice."

Qi Ming shook his head. "Dr. Yushima, as expected of a high-level intellectual, you are truly courteous. You were a victim yourself; there is no need to apologize."

"Compared to the doctor who was controlled, those who took the initiative to fan the flames should be the ones apologizing," Qi Ming said, glancing at Yamanaka and the others.

Yamanaka and Kishida looked embarrassed and quickly said, "We’re sorry. We shouldn’t have said those things back then. We owe you for this."

"Actually, it was just a joke to liven up the atmosphere. Don’t take it to heart."

This time, Qi Ming had not only resolved the crisis of them being hunted by the Alien Zulu but was also the primary hero in saving the Marine Base, a debt they acknowledged.

Deputy Captain Nagi Saijo was more solemn. She bowed deeply to Qi Ming: "Thank you for turning the tide, but until your origins are confirmed, I still cannot fully trust you."

Qi Ming spread his hands. "It doesn't matter, as long as you don't cause trouble for me."

Moroboshi Dan, standing to the side, looked displeased. In his view, this had been a perfect opportunity for a reconciliation. If Qi Ming had offered a graceful exit, saying something like, "Actually, I was immature as well; I’ll fix my temper and bad habits in the future, and I hope for your guidance," wouldn't they have buried the hatchet with a smile? Why be so petty and insist on asserting dominance?

After the meeting, Moroboshi Dan pulled Qi Ming aside to ask why.

Qi Ming thought to himself that in the original *Ultraman Ace* series, Hokuto never held a grudge against Yamanaka’s attacks, nor did he ever say, "See? The ship *could* fly; if you had believed me, none of this would have happened," which only resulted in him being bullied for the entire series.

Qi Ming explained, "Because I need them to be genuinely convinced and establish my own authority. On the macro-strategic level of Earth and the TPC, I am someone who might leave at any moment, so I won't interfere."

In Qi Ming’s eyes, this world was a complex web of strange factors. Acting rashly without understanding the "big picture" could lead to a disastrous chain reaction. For instance, the TPC under Tsuchibashi and the Defense Force from *Ultraman Gaia*, or Staff Officer Gondo and Staff Officer Hezhi—neither side was particularly good, but they kept each other in check, forming a delicate balance that kept the world from descending into total chaos. Then there was the Friendship Project, Masaki Keigo, Aizen Tech... If this world were a program, it was likely running precisely because of these bugs. It was best not to touch them unless absolutely necessary.

Qi Ming continued, "But from now on, if an emergency occurs, I must lead the tactical response. Everyone must follow my plan, including you, Captain."

In short: once the guns start firing, the whole team follows my lead.

Qi Ming believed that because he possessed intelligence on every monster, understood the general plot trajectories of various events, and had the ability to transform, if he didn't step up to lead the battle, what was he supposed to do—"hide in the base"?

Qi Ming added, "But that’s a conversation for another time. If I’m lucky, I’ll be saying goodbye to everyone in three days and escaping this sea of suffering."

***

Three days later, Kishida and Yamanaka were having breakfast in the TPC cafeteria. Based on their inquiries, Qi Ming woke up very early and would have already finished his meal and left by now, so they wouldn't run into him.

A man wearing a TPC transport department uniform sat down at their table and asked, "Officer Kishida, is the new recruit from Shenzhou on your TAC team really as overbearing as they say?"

Kishida nodded. "He hasn't even addressed us as his seniors. But he is from Shenzhou, so perhaps he doesn't understand these customs; it’s understandable." After witnessing Qi Ming push open a six-ton door with his bare hands, his mindset had shifted from "What’s so special about a hired mercenary?" to "It’s acceptable for someone with such immense power to be a bit eccentric," and he had even begun making excuses for him.

The transport worker continued, "Huh? I heard it was because you weren't polite enough to him and didn't welcome him in time, so he beat you all up and then forced you to apologize."

Yamanaka and Kishida: "?"

Had the rumors already reached that point?

However, they were more concerned about the physical examination from yesterday; the results would be out at nine o'clock this morning. After breakfast, they immediately returned to the command room and gathered around the main computer. "I’m definitely normal. Let’s look at Qi Ming’s first."

After reading it, Kishida frowned. "It’s too abnormal, yet it falls within a reasonable range."

It was a kind of "abnormal" normality. It was normal because he was still within the scope of humanity. It was abnormal because every metric was extremely high; he was a "hexagonal warrior"—in other words, a "perfect human." But a flawless being had never existed in this world, let alone a living, breathing person.

Moroboshi Dan also felt that if a Creator existed, He must have granted Qi Ming the best of everything when He made him.

Kishida asked, "How could a human possibly smash through a six-ton door so easily? These test results must be wrong."

Emi suggested, "I think Officer Qi Ming just has a proud personality... Doesn't Shenzhou have Qigong? Maybe he’s practiced that."

Yamanaka looked at the deputy captain. "What do you think, Deputy Captain?"

Nagi Saijo replied, "Unless he engages in suspicious or extreme behavior, do not act rashly."

***

At this moment, Qi Ming was in his room, preparing to welcome an exciting moment.

Star Gift: 10.
Insight: 2/5.
"Star Convergence," activate!

As Qi Ming pressed the button, the four buttons on the Ultraman Any-Key emitted green lasers, which converged to form a light screen. A moment later, an image appeared.

It was a desolate-looking planet, covered in disc-shaped creatures of various sizes.

Qi Ming: "Could it be Black Star from *Ultraman Leo*?"

The image shifted like a moving camera, finally settling on a "red teru teru bozu" hanging from a tree. The light screen dissipated, the dial on the Ultraman Any-Key rotated, and a silhouette of the teru teru bozu appeared on the screen, accompanied by three lines of text:

Disc Creature — Nova.
Integration: 60%.
Rating: B-Class.

"I actually drew this thing..." Qi Ming felt conflicted. It seemed he wouldn't be going back anytime soon.

***

The Marine Base had been infiltrated by aliens and nearly self-destructed—this was a major incident that couldn't be dismissed by simply listening to a report from afar.

However, Director Tsuchibashi was in the United States meeting with heads of various organizations, and Staff Officer Gondo was overseeing the restoration of the pyramid stone statues, so neither could get away.

Staff Officer Hezhi had to return from the space station to take command, understand the situation, stabilize morale, and look for loopholes to prevent a recurrence.

"How is the base system? Were any trojan horses left behind?" he asked.

His subordinate replied, "No, but... during the time you were away, it seems someone was attempting to decrypt the contents of the [Omega Files]."

Hezhi was shocked. Someone was actually trying to touch this forbidden area: "Who?!"

The subordinate answered, "It was... Staff Officer Kiriyama."

"Captain Kiriyama..." Hezhi repeated the title he was accustomed to, his expression unreadable. Finally, he gave a long sigh. "I hinted to him a long time ago not to pry into things he shouldn't. People who are too curious don't live long."

The contents of the Omega Files could never be revealed; otherwise, not only would it lead to social unrest, but humanity might lose the Earth itself. This was absolutely forbidden!

The subordinate understood immediately. "I will handle it."