Chapter 7: Testing the Waters

The second cup of milk tea he sent out brought no response, leaving Yuxing somewhat disappointed, but after some thought, he felt at ease. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. He really needed to translate the script from the Land of Light as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if he gained “Peak Points,” he wouldn’t dare to use them recklessly, afraid that the button below wasn’t a “reset points” option and that a mistaken click would be irreversible.

Just as Yuxing was setting up his to-do list, Tregear remained perplexed on the other side. Ever since he arrived on Earth, he hadn’t felt so speechless. He genuinely suspected this was a symptom of brain damage—manifested by offering milk tea to strangers, not just once but twice…

“Thank you, but why are you giving me milk tea?” Tregear asked, intending to see how Yuxing would respond. If he failed to give a reasonable answer, Tregear could be sure Yuxing’s mind was truly impaired.

Yuxing thought for a moment, then gave a somewhat embarrassed smile. “Sorry, well, I was attacked that day, and you saved me, didn’t you? I think I saw you wearing this…”

He gestured toward the distinctive outfit Tregear wore. In truth, he was just probing to see if it was indeed Tregear who carried him to the hospital that day. Judging from Tregear’s portrayal in the show, it seemed his entire wardrobe consisted of such clothing, so guessing that he wore the same outfit then was at least ninety percent accurate.

Of course, in reality, Yuxing saw nothing at the time. When Tregear landed at his side, Yuxing, lying on the ground, was already near death and unconscious, unable to see anything.

Tregear, hearing this, scrutinized Yuxing from head to toe, his expression ambiguous.

Yuxing stood awkwardly, Tregear’s gaze making his skin crawl. Despite his efforts to relax and appear natural, before the threatening scrutiny of this dark Ultraman and knowing Tregear’s true power, Yuxing simply couldn’t relax.

“Then why did you give me two cups of milk tea?” Tregear pressed.

“Uh…” Yuxing scratched the back of his head, seeing Tregear holding a cup in one hand and a paper bag in the other, feeling mortified. Was he supposed to admit he wanted to see if more “Peak Points” could be generated?

Still, the two cups of milk tea he’d just given had indeed dispelled the cold aura he’d previously sensed from Tregear. It was precisely because of this that Yuxing dared to probe.

Tregear’s black eyes narrowed, and he certainly noticed Yuxing’s unnatural stiffness and nervousness, his left hand holding tightly onto Taiga’s light key.

Could it be that he was so nervous, so afraid, that he did something so illogical? And this subconscious effort to keep his distance…

Did that little brat say something to him?

Seeing Yuxing belatedly realize he might have acted foolishly, stammering without a clear explanation, Tregear chuckled and nodded slightly. “...Interesting.”

What exactly was interesting?

Yuxing grumbled inwardly but dared not voice it. With Tregear’s gaze fixed upon him, his anxiety soared. It felt as if he were being watched by a giant, menacing blue-ringed octopus, ready to pounce at any moment. The thought that even a light touch could end him right then made his survival instincts flare, cold sweat soaking his back.

At that moment, another “+1” appeared above Tregear’s head. This time, Yuxing didn’t dare look, only standing there with an awkward smile.

What was the logic behind earning these Peak Points? Why did Tregear’s mere “interesting” yield a “+1”?

“The one who saved you wasn’t me—not just me,” Tregear said, biting the straw and grinning slyly. “Oh, and my name… I’m Kirisaki. Until we meet again.”

With that, he turned and walked away, milk tea and paper bag in hand.

“…”

Yuxing stood there for a long while before regaining his composure, letting out a long breath. A breeze drifted by, and under the early summer sun, he actually felt a chill.

In the days that followed, Tregear never appeared again. After waiting at the hospital ward for two days, Yuxing’s discharge day finally arrived. The whole team from Aegis came to pick him up, and the manager had already handled the discharge procedures and insurance claims on his behalf.

This left Yuxing feeling quite embarrassed. Without the manager running around for him, he would have been utterly lost managing these matters alone.

About an hour later, Homare Soya drove the Aegis Special Investigation vehicle—using a company car for personal business—and brought Yuxing home.

The “newly-chipped” Yuxing let out a silent sigh of relief.

If not for everyone helping him return “home,” Yuxing wouldn’t have known where his house was.

Taking the luggage bag handed over by senior Homare, “Yuxing” felt grateful that the inner pocket contained only some identification, shopping receipts, and a single key. If there had been a whole keychain, he would have had to stand in front of Homare, fumbling over which key opened his door, testing them one by one. Homare might suspect “Yuxing” wasn’t himself, or at least believe he’d truly lost his memory.

With the door opened smoothly, Yuxing stepped inside first, immediately inviting Homare to come in without changing shoes. Even though he saw the shoe cabinet right by the entrance, Yuxing didn’t dare risk searching for slippers, not wanting to expose his unfamiliarity with the house’s layout.

Luckily, the house was small, its layout simple and sensible.

Yuxing glanced around, quickly getting a sense of the place. Entering, the shoe cabinet was on the left, the kitchen the first room on the right, with the bathroom just past a wall. Further inside, there was only a small living room and a tiny bedroom clearly partitioned from the living room.

He opened the fridge, found two chilled cans of soda inside, and was about to offer one to Homare, but Homare waved him off. The manager had just messaged him with a new assignment, urging him to return to Aegis after dropping Yuxing off.

Seeing Homare’s weary expression, Yuxing understood. During his hospitalization, Homare was the only field agent left at Aegis. All company matters had fallen solely on his shoulders, and he even came to the hospital to care for Yuxing at night…

Thinking of this, Yuxing grabbed Homare, who was heading for the door, and exclaimed urgently, “Senior Homare, let me come too! I’m fine now!”

Perhaps others didn’t know, but “Yuxing” was clear—he was truly recovered. The “miracles of modern medicine” that Ultramen possessed were no joke, famed for their ability to blast through the gates of the underworld.

Homare didn’t hesitate, brushing Yuxing’s hand away and giving his head a playful rub, leaving Yuxing dizzy.

“Enough! Rest well and remember to report to work tomorrow!”

With that, he dashed out. Yuxing raced after him, only to see Homare already seated, seatbelt fastened, in the driver’s seat.

“…”

He must have used instant teleportation!

Watching the car speed off, Yuxing could only helplessly smooth out the hair his senior had tousled.