Advice

"What?" Kara sounded so surprised when Jay invited her over the phone that she almost thought she'd misheard. "You're asking me to come to your family picnic?"

"That's what I'm saying." Jay said this as he took the bagged groceries from the cashier at the supermarket counter, since Mrs. Reynolds had said they didn't have enough ingredients for dinner.

An eerie silence persisted on the other end of the line until he had the bags and walked out of the supermarket doors. He asked, puzzled, "Hello? Are you still there?"

".Yes."

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Kara's voice seemed to have gotten quieter. He said again, "But it's okay if you don't want to come. I'll explain it to them."

"No, it's not that I don't want to. It's just…" Kara trailed off, finding herself unable to come up with a proper explanation. Perhaps she just felt that the step of "meeting the parents" was a bit too soon for her right now, but she couldn't say it out loud because it would sound like their relationship had reached a very special stage, a thought that made her cheeks flush slightly.

After all, she and Jay had only just met a few days ago.

Perhaps seeing through her complicated thoughts, Jay added, "You don't need to feel any particular pressure. My dad just wants to meet the superhero who saved his life. He's lived in Metropolis his whole life and hasn't even met a real superhero before. Who knows, he might even ask for your autograph."

So this wasn't a traditional "meeting the parents," then? That made Kara feel a little more at ease. She agreed, "Hmm, okay then. What time?"

"This weekend," Jay said. "Are you free?"

"Yes," Kara said. "I'll definitely be there."

The call ended, and Jay put his phone back in his pocket, strolling leisurely down the sidewalk with his grocery bags. Of course, he could have teleported back to the living room sofa in the blink of an eye, but he just wanted to take a slow walk right now.

The sun slowly sank behind Metropolis's buildings. The gradually dimming sky was like a boundless canvas, the fiery sunset casting long, dark silhouettes of various buildings onto the screen, exuding the unique atmosphere of the city at dusk. The streetlights hadn't turned on yet, and patches of inconspicuous shadows crept into the city's nooks and crannies, as if lying in wait for an opportunity.

Jay walked to a secluded corner and stopped, suddenly muttering to himself, "You said you'd find a chance to talk later. I thought there was still some time."

"Super-senses? They really are convenient."

Helena emerged from some unseen corner, which seemed to be a common skill among all members of the Bat Family. She had already changed out of her uniform and was now wearing casual clothes that seemed to accentuate her youthful charm, but they couldn't hide her mature and alluring figure beneath the fabric.

"Want something to drink?" she asked, pointing across the street with a smile. "My treat."

A minute later, at the milk tea shop.

Jay watched Helena take a long sip of her brown milk tea, letting out a drawn-out "Ahhh" before showing a satisfied expression, making it seem as if just looking at her was enough to taste the milk tea on your tongue.

He took a few minutes, keeping his explanation as brief as possible, to tell Helena how he got involved in this incident and what he and Kara had experienced on their exciting trip to Warworld. Helena listened attentively, chewing on her straw, and by the time Jay finished, the liquid level in her cup had dropped by a third.

After Jay finished, he met her gaze for a moment and asked, "So, do you have any insights as a top-secret government agent on this matter?"

"You might not believe me, but I don't know much more than you do," Helena shook her head and said. "Headquarters detected a high-level energy signature in Chicago, and I happened to be the highest-ranking available agent in a nearby city, which is why you met me there. Before that, I knew nothing about the stories you told me."

"Wait, aren't you in Metropolis?"

Helena rolled her eyes. "You don't live there. My job requires me to travel, and I might even have to go on an overseas assignment soon."

She paused and took another strong sip from her straw, saying, "We've started an investigation into Kairi International Creative, but don't get your hopes up. I don't think we'll find anything. Just about a dozen hours before you two returned to Earth, the CEO of this company disappeared without a trace, as if he'd vanished into thin air. And that 'Quantum Research Department' you mentioned, including its head and all relevant personnel, have also vanished. Furthermore, there's no trace of the department's research content or development projects in the company's servers, as if it were completely independent of the company."

"So, no leads? But how is that possible?" Jay frowned and asked. "We both saw it with our own eyes. It was hidden beneath that building! What about the other people in the company? The board? The shareholders? Are they all completely unaware?"

Helena shrugged. "It sounds pretty bizarre, but it seems to be the case. My people are currently interrogating other senior company officials, and they all consistently stated that only the CEO himself knew about this department. They didn't even know there was a massive laboratory hidden beneath the building."

Jay's brow furrowed, as if he felt an invisible chill quietly spreading, permeating every corner. Helena finally finished her drink, and the empty cup echoed with a loud sloshing sound. She put down the cup and, seeing Jay's solemn expression, asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking, when my father went missing, I went to see the detective in charge of the case," Jay said. "I heard them say they received orders from above to stop investigating the case, and they also said it had happened many times before. It makes me wonder… what are we really facing?"

"Who knows," Helena shrugged. "But we'll figure it out. I'll use my resources to try and investigate, but at the same time…" She paused, then changed the subject. "…I think you should be more careful."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Helena put on a serious expression, like an older sister lecturing a child. "My superiors have started paying attention to you. They asked me if I knew anything about you… Of course, I've covered for you for now, but I'm not sure how long I can keep it up – considering you caught a high-speed plummeting passenger plane in the middle of Metropolis, I don't think that's surprising at all."

"My dad was on that plane, along with so many innocent people," Jay defended. "I don't think there was any other way I could have done better."

"I know, that was an emergency, and you really had no choice," Helena said. "But this time? You acted recklessly and without regard for the consequences, with almost no awareness of hiding your secret identity. Do you know how much cleanup work I had to do after you just walked away? You got lucky this time, but you won't always be able to charge in headfirst and have someone clean up your mess afterward, understand?"

Her tone grew louder, like an older sister scolding a disobedient younger brother. Jay instinctively avoided looking her in the eye and wanted to retort quietly, but after a moment's thought, he felt she was actually right.

"Of course, you're still a rookie as a superhero, which is understandable," Helena's tone softened slightly. "I'm just reminding you that as a special existence like yourself, every decision you make and all your actions must be very cautious. I know you're invulnerable and your abilities are almost god-like, but so is Superman."

She stopped there, but the meaning was clear.

Even Superman was dead. Who knew what would happen to the rest of them in a world where even Superman could die?

Jay opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back, only nodding. "Thanks… I'll be careful."

"Alright then, that's all for now. I'll continue investigating in my own way when I get back, and I'll let you know if there are any developments," Helena stood up and patted his shoulder. "It was a pleasant conversation."

Jay watched her back as she left the shop, feeling a little touched. Helena's reminder was indeed valid. This world was by no means as peaceful as it appeared on the surface, and every step he took should be cautious. She really was a good person, and this was also a sign of her concern.

It wasn't until the waitress at the shop gave him a sweet smile and politely said, "Two milk teas, that'll be twelve yuan."

Jay: "…"