Chapter 25: My Turn, Draw Card!

After the Pilarians were completely killed, Dr. Tang Dao collapsed and lost all memories of the period he was controlled—apparently a tactic of Zhuxing Tuan.

When he awoke, he was bewildered; his last memory was sitting on a plane bound for the offshore base.

Upon learning he had falsely accused Qi Ming under cosmic control, his face filled with remorse: “I’m sorry, Comrade Qi Ming—you were wronged because of me.”

Qi Ming shook his head: “Dr. Tang Dao, you’re truly a refined intellectual—your manners are impeccable. You were a victim too; no apology is needed.”

“Those who should be apologizing are the few who actively stoked the flames,” Qi Ming said, glancing at the men in the mountains.

Shan Zhong and Kishida wore embarrassed expressions and hurriedly spoke:

“Sorry—we shouldn’t have said those things back then. We owe you big time.”

“We were just joking to lighten the mood—don’t take it to heart.”

Qi Ming had not only rescued them from the Zulukians’ pursuit but was also the primary hero in saving the offshore base—they owed him this favor.

Deputy Commander Nishijo Nagi bowed deeply to Qi Ming with solemn gravity: “Thank you for turning the tide, but until your origins are confirmed, I still cannot fully trust you.”

Qi Ming spread his hands: “Fine. Just don’t cause me trouble.”

Beside him, Zhuxing Tuan’s face darkened; in his view, this was a perfect chance for reconciliation.

If Qi Ming had just offered a way out—said something like, “I also have immature sides; I’ll fix my bad temper and habits, please guide me going forward”—they could have smiled and buried their grudges.

Why be so petty? Why insist on dominating others?

After the meeting, Zhuxing Tuan sought out Qi Ming again to ask why.

Qi Ming thought: In the original Ultraman Ace series, Hokuto never held Shan Zhong’s attacks against him, never said, “See? The ship really can fly—if you’d trusted me, none of this would’ve happened”—and ended up getting roasted for the entire series.

Qi Ming explained:

“I need them to accept me wholeheartedly and establish my authority.”

“On the macro strategic level of Earth and TPC, I’m just someone who might leave at any time—I won’t interfere.”

In Qi Ming’s view, this world’s strange elements were deeply entangled; acting rashly without understanding the “big picture” could trigger devastating chain reactions.

For example, TPC under Tsuchibashi Yu, the Defense Force within Gao Si, and the rivalries between Quan Teng and He Zhi.

Neither side was good, but their mutual checks created a delicate balance that kept the world from collapsing.

Then there’s the Friendship Project, Masaki Keigo, Aiden Technology… If this world were a program, it might be running solely on these bugs.

Unless absolutely forced, it’s best not to touch them.

Qi Ming continued: “But in any emergency, tactical command must be mine. Everyone—including you, Captain—must follow my plan.”

In short: when gunfire starts, the entire unit answers to me.

Qi Ming believed he possessed intelligence on every kaiju, understood the general plot arcs of each incident, and could transform.

In such a situation, why should he hide behind a tower like a coward?

Qi Ming added: “But that’s for later—if luck holds, in three days I’ll bid you all farewell and escape this hell.”

Without waiting for Zhuxing Tuan to respond, Qi Ming waved his hand and returned to his room.

…………………………

Three days later, Kishida and Shan Zhong ate breakfast in the TPC cafeteria.

According to their inquiries, Qi Ming rose early and had already finished eating and returned to his room—they came now to avoid him.

A man in TPC Transport Division uniform approached with a tray and sat beside them, asking: “Comrade Kishida, is your new Shenzhou team member from Victory Squad really that domineering?”

Kishida nodded: “He hasn’t even called any senior officer ‘senpai.’ But he’s from Shenzhou—maybe he doesn’t know our customs. Understandable.”

After witnessing Qi Ming physically smash through a six-ton door, his attitude had slowly shifted from “What’s so special about this hired rookie?” to “Someone this powerful deserves some privileges”—he was already making excuses for him.

The Transport Division man: “Huh? I heard he beat you all up because you weren’t polite enough and didn’t welcome him properly, then forced you to apologize.”

Shan Zhong and Kishida: “?”

It had spread this far already?

But what they cared about now was yesterday’s physical exam—the results would be out at 9 a.m. today.

After breakfast, they rushed back to the command room and gathered before the main computer: “I’m definitely normal—check Qi Ming first.”

After viewing it, Kishida frowned: “Too abnormal—and yet within plausible limits.”

It was an “abnormal normality.”

He was normal because he fell within human parameters.

He was abnormal because every metric was sky-high—he was a hexagonal warrior, in other words, a “perfect human.”

But perfect things don’t exist in this world, let alone living humans.

Zhuxing Tuan also felt that if a creator existed, he had given Qi Ming the absolute best of everything.

Kishida: “How could a human casually smash through a six-ton door? This exam result must be wrong.”

Emi: “I think Comrade Qi Ming is just a bit arrogant… Shenzhou has qigong, maybe he trained it.”

Shan Zhong: “What do you think, Deputy Commander?”

Nishijo Nagi: “Unless he exhibits suspiciously abnormal behavior, don’t act rashly.”

………………………………

At this moment, Qi Ming sat alone in his room, preparing for an exhilarating moment.

Star reward: 10.

Insight: 2/5.

【Star Cluster】—activate!

As Qi Ming pressed the button, the four buttons of the Ultraman Random Key emitted green lasers simultaneously, converging into a light screen.

The next instant, images appeared on the screen.

It was a desolate-looking planet, covered in round, disc-shaped organisms.

Qi Ming: “Is this the Black Star from Ultraman Leo?”

The images shifted rapidly, like a moving camera, finally freezing on a “red daruma doll” hanging from a tree.

Soon, the screen vanished. The Ultraman Random Key’s dial rotated, revealing a silhouette of a daruma doll beneath three lines of text:

Discoid Organism—Nova.

Integration: 60%.

Rating: B-class.

“I actually drew this thing…” Qi Ming’s emotions were complicated—he’d likely be stuck here for now.

…………………………

The offshore base had been invaded by cosmic beings and nearly self-destructed—a major incident that couldn’t be dismissed with a distant report.

But Director Tsuchibashi was in the U.S. meeting with leaders of various organizations, and Quan Teng was overseeing the restoration of the Pyramid Statue—neither could be spared.

Only He Zhi, returning from the space station, could take charge: to assess the situation, stabilize morale, and plug leaks to prevent recurrence.

“How’s the base system? Any backdoors left behind?” he asked.

His subordinate: “No—but… while you were away, someone tried to decrypt the Omega File.”

He Zhi was stunned—someone dared touch this forbidden domain: “Who?!”

The subordinate replied: “It’s… Tongshan.”

“Captain Tongshan…” He Zhi murmured the familiar title, his expression shifting between dark and light.

Finally, he sighed deeply: “I subtly warned him long ago—don’t pry into what you shouldn’t. The overly curious don’t live long.”

The contents of the Omega File must never be exposed—it would cause societal chaos and possibly cost humanity Earth itself. This cannot be allowed!

His subordinate immediately understood: “I’ll arrange it.”

——————————

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(End of Chapter)