[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn":3,"chapter-ultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn-ultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn-chapter-517":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ultraman Arbitrary Key: Dawn",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2261734,4413,"Chapter 517: Homecoming Chapter 510: Qi Ming","ultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn-chapter-517",517,"\u003Cp>Qi Ming took a deep breath and dialed his father’s number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call connected quickly, and a middle-aged man’s voice came through: “Hello?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming nodded—it was Old Qi’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a typical mid-level cadre within the system, Old Qi held conservative views and believed in the philosophy that “stability overrides everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he naturally disapproved of Qi Ming’s “naive ideas,” always criticizing him for being “heretical and irresponsible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming, of course, didn’t like being dismissed by his father’s condescending rejection of his life plans and beliefs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Old Qi started with, “If you don’t follow my plans, you’ll regret it later,” Qi Ming would always retort, “What can a deputy director even arrange? First, get your own life straight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their relationship was far from harmonious, they had been family for twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his voice after returning from the chaotic merged world, Qi Ming couldn’t help feeling a pang of warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming: “Old Qi, it’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a long silence on the other end before the voice asked uncertainly: “Xiao Ming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming: “Yeah, it’s me. I haven’t contacted you for half a month for legitimate reasons—listen to me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to explain when Old Qi’s roar erupted from the phone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You damn brat, you’re still alive?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We couldn’t find you anywhere—I nearly went to the police station to cancel your household registration, do you know that?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You vanish without a word—are you trying to kill me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the decibel level rivaling a jet engine, Qi Ming thought his father’s health must be fine, and slipped back into their usual banter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? So you’re about to die from anger?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your psychological resilience as deputy director of the municipal bureau is pitiful—do you even deserve the heavy burden entrusted to you by the Party and the people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qi: “You—you—you actually have the nerve?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Couldn’t you at least leave a note saying you went to Africa to mine? Is your phone a brick? Did your fingers break so you couldn’t send a WeChat?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can see you’ve always been lazy, never studied hard, and now that you know you can’t pass, you’re playing ostrich and burying your head in the sand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re over twenty years old—still pulling this three-year-old trick? Are you ashamed?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming had “transcended” one night while studying late for finals; now that he’d returned, it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a month had passed—the school had already finished exams and entered summer vacation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of ordinary people, Qi Ming had skipped every exam, failed every course this semester, and ranked among the top slackers in college.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming felt a pang of pain—he was confident he could pass the makeup exams, but failing meant losing his three-year scholarship and honors…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost of saving the world was truly heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’m already twenty-two,” Qi Ming replied after a pause. “Don’t worry—I’ll definitely pass the makeup exams. You don’t need to stress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qi’s voice rose several more decibels: “Am I just worrying needlessly? Do you even recognize me as your father?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming: “I still have a little respect, otherwise I wouldn’t have reached out the moment I heard your voice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qi spoke rapidly: “Respect my life?! You—you—you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The line went silent for a long while. Qi Ming wondered if he’d actually fainted his father, and hurriedly said: “Hey hey hey, Old Qi, you still alive? Don’t you dare die—I’m busy right now and don’t have time to organize a grand funeral for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qi, furious, wanted to hang up: “You—I how could I have given birth to such an unfilial son?! If you’ve got guts, never set foot in this house again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Ming: “I won’t stay away forever, but in a few days I’ll probably ‘disappear’ again.”\u003C\u002Fp>",632,"2026-06-19T16:40:34.912Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","513173421a5944293f0daf154608c62c016a6ab4b3e9fe51687f9dc1ff7402f6","ultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn-chapter-518","ultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn-chapter-516",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fultraman-arbitrary-key-dawn-cover.jpg"]