The star grant automatically increased by 1 point every three days. It was already at 8 points.
He did not know how it worked. He guessed the watch was automatically absorbing energy, but either way, it was a good thing.
What concerned him more was this "see through" ability. Did it mean seeing through to the essence of things, like Sun Wukong's Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils?
Did 2/5 mean he currently had two transformation options, Tiga and Seven?
As long as he raised the number to 5, he could unlock this function and see whether Dr. Tsuchihashi was normal right now.
Qi Ming told Mamoru Shirogane to keep a closer eye on Dr. Tsuchihashi and monitor his every move.
In response, Mamoru Shirogane repeatedly reminded Kishida to stay by the Doctor's side and protect him at all times.
At two in the morning, golden droplet-like rays of light, invisible to the naked human eye, descended from the sky.
Time in Dr. Tsuchihashi's room was frozen!
"Get up, Dr. Tsuchihashi, get up!" A shrimp-like creature appeared on the television screen, calling out to Dr. Tsuchihashi.
Dr. Tsuchihashi, who had been deeply asleep moments ago, sat up like a puppet on strings, his eyes vacant.
"I am a Birah Star Alien, conqueror of the entire universe."
"I now appoint you as our subordinate. Assist us in invading Earth."
"When you were on the plane today, we froze time aboard the aircraft and implanted the Birah Star Alien's thoughts into your brain."
"Your body is now Dr. Tsuchihashi's, but your mind has been completely assimilated with ours!"
"From now on, obey my orders and faithfully serve the conquest of Earth."
Dr. Tsuchihashi nodded blankly.
"Tomorrow morning, destroy the radar's core, then find a way to destroy TPC's base."
"Be careful. There is a troublesome person on Earth named Qi Ming. Guard against him carefully."
"Our 'allies' on Earth will protect you. Go ahead and do it."
With that, the Birah Star Alien's figure vanished. Dr. Tsuchihashi lay back down, and time resumed flowing.
Outside, Kishida, who was on night duty and yawning, seemed to sense something. He opened the door, but saw only Dr. Tsuchihashi, who had kicked off his blanket and fallen into a heavy sleep.
False alarm, Kishida thought.
The next day, Kishida escorted Dr. Tsuchihashi to the radar room, where the other Defense Team members had already gathered.
"Team Member Qi Ming, install this on the third circuit."
After examining things for a while, Dr. Tsuchihashi took out a box. Everyone realized that it contained the Tsuchihashi Rectifier.
The moment Qi Ming heard himself called out, he understood. They were making their move against him.
He declined. "Sorry, I'm not very good with machinery. I'm afraid I'll break it. Let someone else do it."
Kishida seized the chance to mock him. "All you know is how to fight and pull crooked tricks. You don't understand anything about proper work. Doctor, let me do it."
Dr. Tsuchihashi insisted that Qi Ming do it. "It's fine if you don't understand. You can learn. I'll teach you."
Using such an important opportunity to let him learn? Was the Doctor taking far too much care of him just because he was handsome?
Nagi Saijo and Emi were confused. Kishida and Yamanaka were displeased as well, while Mamoru Shirogane's expression changed slightly.
After thinking it over, Qi Ming broke into a smile. "All right. You're never too old to learn."
With that, he took the box and opened it. Inside was the Tsuchihashi Rectifier—why did it look like a headphone case?
"It's done." Qi Ming finished it quickly.
Dr. Tsuchihashi nodded. "Very good. Once the replacement is complete, the radar's detection capability will reach a whole new level."
Then, in the very next moment...
Bang! All kinds of precision instruments in the radar room suddenly exploded. Sparks flew everywhere as alarms blared.
Not only had the radar's detection range failed to expand, it had stopped working altogether!
Everyone at TPC went on high alert. For the base's defenses, the radar was as important as their eyes!
"Defense Team, emergency assembly!"
Yu Tsuchihashi and the two chief advisors were absent. With the current world situation so complicated, they were working nonstop. Chief of Staff Kiriyama was responsible for handling this incident.
"I believe everyone already knows that the radar system suddenly malfunctioned today, and we still do not know the cause."
"Our base has always been a target for alien invaders. This absolutely cannot be a simple coincidence!"
Dr. Tsuchihashi, standing beside him, said, "I'm afraid an alien spy has already infiltrated this base."
Amid the uproar, he looked at Qi Ming. "Team Member Qi Ming, you were the one who took the rectifier from me. Did you replace it with something else?"
Qi Ming had prepared for this. "Doctor, weren't you standing beside me and directing me the entire time I replaced the rectifier?"
Dr. Tsuchihashi said, "After all, I am only human. I cannot say that everything I saw was real."
Yamanaka began making snide remarks again. "When it comes to speed, Team Member Qi Ming truly is exceptionally skilled."
Kishida added fuel to the fire. "You're the most abnormal one here. Earlier, you even claimed you drove off two monsters by yourself in the mountains. If that's true, then it really isn't something a human could do."
In truth, they did not believe Qi Ming had done it, because he clearly knew nothing about machinery.
They merely wanted to use this chance to needle Qi Ming, humiliate this arrogant fellow in public, knock him down a peg, and make him understand that in Japan, he had to bow his head before his seniors.
Nagi Saijo had no interest in such childish behavior.
She looked at a message on her phone, and her expression changed. "Team Member Qi Ming, the people at customs replied to me. There is no record of you... How did you enter Japan?"
The moment this bombshell dropped, everyone present changed expression.
This guy had really appeared out of thin air?
Qi Ming looked at Mamoru Shirogane. At a time like this, all he had to do was make up something like, "He is a talent I recruited through special channels, so there are no records," and they could muddle through.
But unfortunately, when Mamoru Shirogane was captain, he did not possess the ability to tell a "white lie." He looked anxious and helpless.
There was no other choice...
Seeing the suspicion and shock in everyone's eyes grow ever stronger, Qi Ming raised both hands. "Fine, I confess! That's right, I did it all!"
Mamoru Shirogane: "?"
Dr. Tsuchihashi: "?"
What kind of logic was that? Was I the alien, or were you the alien?
Before you continue